Sorry, this chapter is coming out a little late. I've been traveling around for the past 16 hours, and I immediately started snoozing the moment I walked through my front door.
On the bright side, chapter uploads should be returning to normal, so expect another one tomorrow around the same time.
Ty guys for the support as usual!
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[Audun's POV]
[You have slain an awakened demon, Carapace Demon.]
With a thud, the corpse of the Carapace Demon crashed down onto the sandy base of the barrow.
I lingered for a moment, appreciating my handiwork.
The Demon's shell was littered with small scratches and lines, with an occasional dent in particularly weak spots, like its joints.
If we ignored the gaping hole in its chest, the abominations shell was practically in near mint condition.
While thinking of some of the more practical uses of the nightmare creature's corpse, I heard the spell whisper in my ear once more.
[You have received a memory.]
Reflexively, I opened up my runes.
***
Memory: [Midnight Shard].
Memory Rank: Awakened
Memory Type: Weapon
Memory Description: [Forged from the shard of a fallen star, this stalwart blade is firm and unyielding. It favors those who are willing to fight to the last drop of blood and knows no surrender.]
***
'Another weapon, huh...'
My face contorted into a bitter smile.
While it was nice to have made back some of my losses, I was a little urked by the abysmally low drop rate of utility and charm type memories.
The few times I had been graced with a utility memory, I used those suckers till they broke.
They were simply far too convenient, and the helpfulness of charm-type memories went without saying.
'The things I'd do for a mini fridge memory,' I mused.
Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I called forth the newest addition to my legion of weapons.
In a flurry of sparks, a rather simple blade fit snugly into my palm.
The abyssal black metal that constituted its blade was oddly reminiscent of the carapace demon's shell, the metallic sheen giving off that same indestructible vibe.
If I were to describe the feeling I got from the tachi resting in my hands, it'd be sturdy.
At the very least, it looked like it'd be able to take quite the beating.
Nodding, I turned my attention outward and dismissed the memory, scanning my surroundings.
There were craters and divots all over the ashy sand, footprints and the holes created by the demon's legs dotting the gray battleground.
Taking a glance up the hill, I could make out the blonde-haired figure of Cassie in the distance, as well as the silver and black clad figures of Nephis and Sunny standing close to the base of the hill.
Seeing as they had clearly gone further down the hill instead of further up, the two had probably been getting ready to jump into the fray themselves, a gesture that I silently appreciated.
Though I wouldn't have needed the help.
The duo had a complex array of emotions plastered on their face, though, because of the distance, I had a rather hard time picking out any specific ones.
With a small smile, I waved at their distant forms, using the [Thought Quill] to write a message in a sizable font on the air above me.
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[Sunny's POV]
I blinked.
At the base of the barrow, standing in front of the sizable corpse of the Carapace Demon, stood our supposed "navigator".
It's Dead.
Shining purple letters pulsed in the air like a signpost.
I could only stare blankly at the text and the figure waving at us from the bottom of the ashen mountain.
The novelty of watching a rather dainty-looking dude, one not even that much taller than me, dismantling an awakened demon with such brutality, had yet to wear off.
I turned to Changing Star.
"Is it bad that I kind of feel bad for the Carapace Demon...?"
Her expression hardened, eyebrows furrowed, and eyes narrowed as she turned to face me.
"No..."
I grimaced, the visage of the abomination getting clobbered with memories still fresh in my mind, the sound of the swords shattering against the Carapace scavengers' shell still ringing in my ears.
A shiver wormed its way up my spine as Nephis and I trudged down the hill to meet our resident bludgenor.
As we got closer, Audun jogged up to meet us, a small sheepish smile etched onto his face.
"Thank you."
Surprisingly, Nephis was the first to talk.
The blondie waved his hand dismissively, as if the whole ordeal had been a simple chore.
Pointing at the corpse, Audun's feather moved briskly in the air.
What should we do with its body?
"No clue," I said with a shrug
"Not sure we have enough time to do anything with it either."
He tilted his head in confusion, to which I simply pointed up at the sky.
The artificial sun was beginning to set, and the faint sound of rushing water was growing louder.
Cutting through the ambiance, Nephis commented in a decisive tone.
"Leave its corpse behind and just grab its Soul Shard, we have no use for its meat or shell. Excess supplies would end up slowing us down anyway."
With no room for argument, Audun did as he was told, walking back to the corpse and sticking his arm into the cavity he created in the Carapce Demon's chest, pulling out a shard covered in some kind of slimy liquid before hustling back.
Stone-faced, arm dripping with the nightmare creature's blood, he held out his hand and offered the soul shard to us with casual indifference.
My nostrils flared as the horrendous smell wafting off his hand burned my sinuses.
It simultaneously made me want to vomit and pass out.
'God, it smells worse than the slums' public bathrooms...'
While I grew teary-eyed at the diabolical stench, Nephis simply gave him a steely look.
"Why're you giving it to me?"
He gave her a confused look and shook his head.
I don't need it.
She returned his confused look with one of her own.
"Don't you want to grow stronger?"
I don't use soul shards.
'huh?'
I kept my expression neutral, but the possible implication of his words wasn't lost on me.
'Could he be another Divine Aspect holder?'
It honestly wasn't unlikely.
I wasn't naive enough to think that I was the only Divine Aspect holder out there, and his recent dominant display was still fresh in my mind.
Changing Star's expression remained unchanged, but I caught a slight hint of what I assumed to be recognition flash through her eyes.
A momentary silence took hold, one that was quickly broken by the distant roar of the Dark Sea.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I gestured up the hill with a sigh.
"We should go. Cassie's waiting for us at the top, and personally, I'd rather not deal with whatever's waiting for us in the water..."
Unwilling and unable to argue with my flawless logic, the two silently followed me as I trekked up the barrow.
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[About an hour later]
We were all situated on the top of the barrow, underneath the branches of the gorgeous crimson tree that stood tall at the very peak of the ashen mountain.
With the rising tides of the Dark Sea, though, the top of the barrow resembled more of an island than a hill.
The four of us sat in the dark, eating a rather simple dinner consisting of our vast store of dried meat and our endless supply of cool, clean water, courtesy of Cassie.
Though, despite the gourmet spread, the atmosphere was rather somber.
"So what do we do next?"
I approached the subject cautiously.
Upon reaching the summit of the ashen barrow, we reached a rather grim realization.
In the way of our journey west was a colossal crater.
A depression so large that it seemed to span hundreds of kilometers.
And in this crater were the inky black waters of the Dark Sea, the turbulent waters obstructing our path to the castle.
It was a hopelessly impossible obstacle, one that none of us wanted to even attempt to approach after the absolute chaotic mess we suffered through today.
In the dark, I saw Nephis' head turn in my direction.
"We'll stay here for a little while and... figure out a way to get across the crater."
I nodded.
"How long do you think our supplies will last?"
In response, shining purple words gleamed dimly in the pitch-black night.
There should be enough to last a week or two, it depends on how we ration them out.
I nodded silently.
We spent a while longer discussing logistics and planning, but eventually, sleep graced us with her presence.
Surprisingly, Audun was actually the first one to fall asleep.
Sitting against the trunk of the crimson tree, with his head lulled slightly to the side, our sleepless guide finally indulged in a night of rest.
Following his slumber, Cassie drifted to sleep as well, her body curled up near Audun, wrapped up in the cloak she usually wore.
A few strides away from me lay Changing Star.
She was clad in the armor she wore during the day, sleeping rigidly and alert, covered in the fabrics of a few unknown garment memories.
Our group of four lay in peaceful sleep, basking in the security of the barrow.
With the Carapace Demon dead, there was little that could actually harm us, and taking solace in that fact:
We slept peacefully...
Though, some of us a little too peacefully...
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(A/N: Gg
I couldn't think of a better chapter name, cuz honestly, snoozing is what I spent most of my day doing.
I just got back from the away part of my internship, and now we'll be transitioning to a more online lecture style, so the schedule should be going back to normal.
Just to rehash, daily posts with the exception of maybe Sunday!
Anyway
I still somehow feel tired after sleeping for 12 hours tdy, so after posting I'll probably sleep until the sunsets.
Thanks for the support, and leave a comment!
Gn guys （￣︶￣）↗ . )