Night had fully descended upon the Dark City, blanketing the grotesque hovels and monstrous ruins in deep shadow. Inside the crude dwelling, Nephis and Kane were sizzling the last of their meat, a precious spare they had managed to save from their previous hunt before reaching the city. The tantalizing aroma of roasted meat filled the small space, a small comfort in a world of overwhelming despair.
Nephis looked at Kane, the flickering light of the fire dancing in her silver eyes. "So, any information you got?" she asked, her voice calm and even.
Kane looked up, chewing on a piece of meat. "Yeah, I got some. What about you? You share first?"
Nephis's gaze was piercing. She looked him straight in the eye, and with the kind of indifferent certainty that was her trademark, she said, "There is a Gateway here, after all."
Kane's eyes widened, his face etched with shock. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind at once. 'So, there is a way out of here. But what's the catch? Why hasn't anyone left this place?' He swallowed the piece of meat he was chewing, his appetite suddenly gone. "So, where is it?" he asked, his voice low.
Nephis looked at the window, her gaze fixed on the menacing shape of the Crimson Spire that pierced the sky in the distance. She remained silent for a few moments, and then answered in a flat tone: "Where do you think? It's in the Crimson Spire, of course."
Kane's mind immediately went to the massive, cyclopean tower that seemed to harbor the biggest danger in the entire world. The very sight of it made his skin crawl. He took a shaky breath. "So, what type of monster is there to make people stay here?"
Changing Star nodded. Without changing her expression, she looked away and answered: "A Fallen Terror."
Kane thought for a moment, the cold reality of her words washing over him. A Terror. An arch-creature of unimaginable power. "So, going there is suicide," he said, his voice flat.
Nephis looked at him, her expression unreadable. "So, what did you get now?"
And Kane started to explain his observations and the system that Gunlaug had created. He spoke about the different groups and how everything was designed to benefit the tyrant and his followers, leaving the rest to fend for themselves on scraps. Nephis's eyes widened for a moment, a rare flicker of surprise crossing her face. "How did you get this information?" she asked.
"There is a person from the Artisan group who came out of the castle and is trying to form a hunting party locally, but to no avail," Kane explained.
"Who is she? What is her Aspect? What is her flaw?" Nephis asked, her voice laced with an intensity that showed her thirst for information.
Kane sighed. "Her name is Shakti. For the other questions, I have no idea."
Nephis scoffed at him. "You should have asked her those questions."
Kane thought, 'Whoever is going to obey her in the future, they are bigger idiots than her.' He looked at her with a wry smile. "So, tell me, what is my Flaw?"
Nephis stared at him, her expression unchanging. "I don't know," she said simply.
"So, why don't you know?" Kane pressed, his smug grin widening.
Nephis spoke indifferently, "Because you didn't tell me."
Kane looked at her with a triumphant smirk. "So, you get it."
Nephis nodded, a hint of grudging respect in her eyes. She dropped the piece of meat she was holding beside her and asked, her voice softer than usual, "So, Kane, what is your flaw?"
Kane, who was in the middle of eating, suddenly looked at her, flabbergasted. He thought, 'No, what idiot would tell their flaw? Oh wait, there is one.' He shook his head. "Nope, I am done," he said firmly.
Nephis spoke, her voice laced with reason, "Isn't it correct to tell your Flaw?"
Kane looked at her. "And why is it?"
"Since you know my Flaw, isn't it right for me to know yours, too?" Nephis argued.
Kane blinked. "So, what is Sunny's Flaw then?"
Nephis immediately went silent, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. Kane continued, pressing his advantage. "See? Yours and Cassie's Flaw is hard to hide, so you revealed it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have." Nephis stayed silent and just looked at him. Kane went near the window, gazing out at the cursed city below.
Nephis's POV
Nephis was currently stuck in a problem. She thought, 'I still can't conclude who Kane is. Is he here to kill me? I can cross Sunny off the list. He isn't the one sent to kill me. I want to know about Kane's Flaw.'
Nephis was currently assessing him, her thoughts a whirlwind of calculations and observations. 'His sword skill is below mine, but his Aspect of mind attacks will be a problem. Moreover, he killed a frail Fallen Beast, though he almost died in the process. His arsenal is small but effective, and that dream…' Nephis looked at him and felt the kick on her face, the memory of his unexpected sleep-fighting still fresh in her mind. She thought, 'Even if he isn't an assassin, he might not follow me to achieve my goal. He needs to be resolved.' Nephis looked at him, still unsure about him, but her resolve was unwavering.
Kane couldn't sleep. The dream repeated every time he slept, that wretched, terrifying dream. So, he didn't sleep. Kane saw the morning sun and he and Nephis went to the slums to check more and get some local clothes. The clothes seemed to be made of Nightmare Creature skeleton parts and some fabric. It was still not top quality, the lowest, in fact, but still, something was better than nothing. Nephis bought a white tunic and Kane bought a gray shirt and gray trousers.
After that, Nephis and Kane went to search for people to form a hunting party. In the slums, there were good hunters, but they were all with Gunlaug. So, after the search, they couldn't find a proper pathfinder. Nephis spoke, "There is one pathfinder, she can help us."
Kane spoke, "Sure, but will she agree? She seems to prefer to hunt solo."
Nephis spoke, "She will agree, because-"
Kane interrupted her, "Don't, just don't. Let's wait for Sunny and Cassie to come."
Nephis stopped and looked at him, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.
The whole day was spent on the hunting party and what their casualities were. Night came again. Kane and Nephis didn't have any food, so they had to sleep on an empty stomach. Kane thought, 'We might want to borrow meat or go on a hunt with her.' Suddenly, he heard a movement. Nephis and Kane summoned their Memories to fight. When they came out, they found a big monster standing at their front door.
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Hey guys,This will be a short chapter,Kindly look into it