One thing Caster was certain of now was that Kim Dokja was a god.
He didn't know what he was the god of, but through all the information he had for now, it seemed like he was the god of stories.
He also was a demon apparently.
Connected to daemon perhaps?
They were two different things, demon and daemon, but who knows what the secret actually is.
Caster thought he'd meet dokja again, but he didn't.
"It seems like it was a one time thing only."
It also seemed that Kim Dokja's ascension wasn't anything pleasant. The memory description screemed of tragedy.
He was apparently built off of stories.
But he was also the Enemy of Stories.
Whatever the case might be, Keiron... or well Caster moved his thoughts away from them.
For now he had to focus on the thing in front of him.
Looking at his lieutenants he wondered how many of them would survive this battle. Hopefully all of them, except one.
After that he spoke somberly.
"Tell everyone to gather in the throne room. I will speak to them."
Without wasting any time Harus stood up, bowed slightly and left the room, Effie gave him a short look before following him, so did Nephis, Kai, Sunny and everybody else.
It was time to announce them leaving.
Eight hundred and ninety two people stood silently in the magnificent great hall of the ancient castle. Beams of sunlight were falling through the tall windows, making the air appear bright and effervescent.
The Eight hundred and ninety third person was Caster himself.
On the steps leading to a beautiful throne of white marble sat a man, who looked to be in his late twenties with brown hair and green eyes.
His pale face and green eyes screemed of strength and resolve.
He was wearing the golden echo, [Evermelt], and his white cloak.
Hundreds of people were looking at him, waiting quietly for their lord to speak. They all already knew what they were called for.
They were in anticipation.
Finally, the Opposer of Miracles finally sighed and a moment later, his voice resounded in the throne room, reaching far and wide:
"Dreamers of the Forgotten Shore. Today, as you know, is winter solstice. However, unlike before, no one of those young men and women were sent to this cursed place. Every year the number of people being sent to this place decreased. And this year... it has got down to zero."
The hall was silent. Almost as if all of them were in deep thought.
"There's also the fallen terror that is about to transform into the corrupted titan. We have no longer any more time to waste. We have to march forward and escape this wretched place as soon as possible. We shall now leave the bright castle and never look back."
Caster paused, letting the words sink in for the crowd. After that he his voice turned deep.
"The time to fight for out lives has come. Follow me, fight for me, and I will lead you out of this hell. Follow me, and I will show you the path back to your homes. But make no mistake…"
He stopped and remained silent for a few long moments. When he spoke again, his voice sounded calmer, colder…
Heavier.
"The road ahead will be long and arduous. Not everyone will make it. The weak will die. The strong will die, too. And those who remain won't be the same. But… I will not force anyone to follow me. Ever. Whether you come with me or stay, it is your choice. There is no shame in staying. Those who do not wish to go may leave this hall right now."
Caster was curious how many people would leave. He knew it wouldn't be many, if at all. And he was correct.
Not a single soul left the halls.
All of them were enthralled by Caster.
All of them had the face was bravery and internal strength.
Everyone was ready to fight and escape... or die fighting.
This was the result of Caster's communication.
"Then it is decided. The day after tomorrow... all of us will march out of the castle to the crimson spire."
Everyone shouted out, as if it was a battle cry.
It was a sight to behold.
***
After getting all the remaining injured people treated by Nephis, getting the entire army to top shape, Caster mentioned for all of them to rest for today and meditate.
To be in top shape for tomorrow's battle.
Afterwards, Caster went to Sunny, to talk to him about his mission. Giving Sunny more information about it.
"...after you do that, the oath keys should trap the dark sea."
"I see. It's not a mission as hard as i thought it would have been."
"What? You thought I'd send you to die?"
"No, but near death at least."
"Wow! And here I was, about to give you a gift. Perhaps I shouldn't. Hmph."
"As if I want anything from you anyways."
Caster chuckled.
"I'm just kidding! Here."
He extended his hand out, waiting for sunny to grab it.
After he did, Caster gave him a memory.
It was the mantle of the underworld.
Just broken at the moment.
Sunny saw it and was confused for a moment, but after he entered the soul sea and inspected it a bit, he was surprised.
"Do you even understand the value of what you just gave me? It's not simple trash!"
Caster wasn't expecting that response.
'Guess this Sunny is different from the one in the novel after all.'
"I do. That's why I gave it to you as a gift. It can't be healed right now, but after you awaken, it should get repaired. An ascended memory of the sixth tier is really not easy to give, but I have a transcended echo that plays the role of armor, you'll need it more than me."
Sunny looked surprised. He really wasn't expecting a gift of this magnitude.
Nonetheless, he accepted it pretty easily after that.
Caster, on the other hand, was pained. He wanted to keep the mantle of underworld for himself. It would be so useful. However, he didn't want to make Sunny and the others weaker than the novel. If anything, he wanted them to be stronger than they were at any point in time.
Which is why he gave it up.
If Caster could see the weaves, he might have made a different decision. Because learning about soulbound memories would be immaculate.
But alas, he can't. He doesn't have blood weave.
He wants to learn weaving after he becomes an awakened, he also has the [Sorcerer] attribute. But it doesn't seem to help him become a weaver, at least not right now.
"Anyways, Sunny... I have a question for you."
Sunny always dreaded the questions from Caster. Because Caster always seemed to know more than anyone should know.
"...Do you like Nephis?"
Sunny was flabbergasted. He did not expect that question at all.
However, surprisingly, Sunny didn't speak anything for a while. Longer than his flaw would allow for.
'Ah... it seems he himself doesn't know it right now...'
But after a big, it seemed like Sunny's face was getting weirder by the second. As if he was resisting the flaw.
"...Yes."
'OH! He said it! Did he just have a eureka moment?'
Caster gave him a knowing smirk.
"Shut up! Don't look at me like that! So what if I like her, huh?"
'This time, I hope, the movie ships nephis and the twink.'
"You should go tell her about it. You never know what might happen."
Sunny went quiet. He never even considered that possibility. He had no doubt that either of them were going to fall and die. But Caster's words made it all too real for him.
They could die.
It didn't matter how strong they are.
"I'll do what I want to."
"Yeah, of course. It was just a suggestion."
'Tch, guess the ship won't sail for now.'
After that, this time, Sunny brought up something that Caster didn't expect.
"What about you and Cassie?"
"W-what?"
"Yeah, you think I wouldn't notice? You were getting unnecessarily chummy with her! So answer me, do you like her?"
??????
'Wouldn't most people think I'm the closest to Effie? Ah right... he wasn't there at the outer settlements... still, Effie is practically glued to me half the time. Why Cassie?'
Caster had a baffled look on his face. He really wasn't expecting to hear that.
"Sunny, you are misunderstanding, it's nothing like that. I swear."
It was true. During the last months, Caster had been getting close with Cassie as well. However, it wasn't because of what Sunny was saying.
Rather it was for Sunny.
Caster had been implanting mental cues into Cassie for a while to change her.
Yes it was manipulation, but manipulation was a form of communication too. A messed up way of communication... but communication nonetheless.
Even though the manipulation wasn't anything bad, it was for the good of everyone. It was still manipulation...
And that was exactly the thing that allowed Caster to unlock his second wall so soon.
But it wasn't done for the aspect legacy.
Rather it was so that even if Cassie finds out about Sunny's shadow bond, Caster wanted it so that she nevers betrays Sunny.
Cassie was especially distressed because of the visions she was having.
Some of them were the same as the novel.
The vision about a shadow encompassing a bright star. Feeding on it.
That was a vision as well.
What Caster was doing was basically make Cassie believe that the vision wouldn't come true. He's the opposer of miracles, which can also be read as the opposer of fate.
And the visions were just readings of fate.
It took a while, but Cassie believed in Caster.
She believed his words about that fate not coming true.
The belief in him was an amalgamation of the trust he had built, his strength, and most importantly the compassion he showed for everyone here.
It brought the two of them close.
Which is why Sunny believed that Caster likes her.
'Nobody except Sunny would get that kind of a misunderstanding...'
"Then what is it like?"
"She was just distressed over the... vision."
Sunny's face turned morbid. He knew about the vision as well. He knew the implications as well.
"It won't come true."
Caster reassured Sunny.
"Who do you think I am? I am the Opposer of Mircales. My true name can also be read as... Opposer of Fate."
"You better be right."
"Sunny, you are affected by fate too aren't you? More so than the others?"
Sunny was quiet for a moment, again, trying to resist his flaw. But soon he answered.
"Yes."
"I knew it. Well, as you know we can communicate with each other due to my aspect legacy right?"
"Yeah."
"I can also share the fate resisting effect with you."
Sunny was flabbergasted.
Caster didn't wait for his reply and just held his hand again, and sent a part of the fourth wall to Sunny.
The fourth wall had gotten thicker each time Caster gained a new core. And he could split it off as well. But before the second wall, the wall of impossible communications, he could not find a use for that.
But now, he could share this wall with others.
Since the wall works by separating reality with fiction, it works well for Caster. But for Sunny whose percieves the world around him as reality, its effects will be diminished a lot.
The fourth wall will only be partially activated.
He would still get its effects, but the degree will be very little.
The reason Caster decided on sharing the fourth wall with Sunny was because... of the fate restoration effect.
Caster did not wish for a few things to go as canon in the near future. And he didn't know if he'd be able to resist it.
So he shared it.
His fourth wall.
Sunny seemed to be looking at his runes, finding something regarding the wall.
"It's effects won't be strong, like they are for me. But it should provide you mental and soul protection to an extent. But the most important one will be... to resist the effects of fate. Its extent won't be anything prominent, because they aren't too strong for me either... but it will be something."
Sunny looked at Caster in doubt before asking skeptically: "Why are you being so helpful to me?"
Caster simply smiled at him for a moment before responding with a sweet tone.
"We've had this talk before too, you know?"
"Whatever."
Sunny turned around and started leaving.
Caster still had a smile on his face. He was glad that Sunny was a part of his army, instead of being a 'hired' person like the novel. In the novel, it was because Sunny couldn't stomach working for someone that he was supposedly going to kill.
But this time, he wasn't going to be working for that person.
And this time he had guarantee that he won't be killing Nephis.
The guarantee was Caster himself.
The Opposer of Miracles.
Or...
The miracle itself.