After Nephis finished testing her new armor, they returned to the makeshift camp, and she went straight to Cassie's side.
"Hey, Cas. Guess what," Nephis asked with a bright face.
The blind girl turned toward her and smiled.
"You've finally received an armor-type Memory?"
"I found something decent to wear…"
Nephis spoke in unison with Cassie, then fell silent awkwardly, which made Cassie laugh brightly.
"The sound of your footsteps changed."
Nephis blinked, a small hint of shame crossing her face. "Ah. I see. Well… it's from the Carapace Centurion."
While she described the armor to Cassie and let her touch the mysterious white metal it was forged from, Zachary wandered to a secluded part of the camp and sat down to meditate.
During the fight with the Centurion, his Balance had improved, and he had finally discovered the answer to how he could keep advancing: experience. His Mind relied on experience to catch up with his Soul, and his Body…
As he contemplated this, Zachary's focus shifted inward. The Centurion's meat was still being processed inside him, its essence broken down and distributed to every part of his being—accompanied by Soul Essence.
The first time he had felt the existence of Essence was shortly after arriving on the Forgotten Shore, when he was digesting food. The sudden presence of that foreign energy had caught him by surprise. It was to be expected, given that he came from a world where everything had been mundane. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the Soul Essence flowing through him did not feel foreign at all. It was as though his Body welcomed it, as if it had always been a part of him.
Unlike how it had been described in the novel, the Soul Essence did not flow into his Soul Core, reinforcing it and granting strength. Instead, it nestled in his muscles, tempering them and making them stronger. The changes were subtle, almost imperceptible, but little by little, they were allowing his Body to catch up to the rest of himself.
'I think this difference comes from the way I'm absorbing essence. Normally, one would crush Soul Shards, but I'm drawing out the remaining essence from the monsters' flesh. That's probably why I'm absorbing so little of it.'
As Zachary finished his meditation and digestion, he kept pondering his situation.
'Just like in the novel, we need to rest for a few days while the Echo recovers.' Zachary sighed inwardly. 'We managed to fend off the first challenge the cast faced in the Forgotten Shore... but things will only escalate from here. I need to increase my Balance, and fast. But here's the contradiction.' He mocked himself with a wry thought.
'I need to increase my Balance so I can fight in future battles, but I need battles to increase my Balance.'
As he tried to figure out how to target this contradiction, a presence drew near. Recognizing it instantly, Zachary opened his eyes to see Nephis standing before him, her expression solemn.
'What's up with her?' he thought, raising an eyebrow.
After a long silence, Nephis finally exhaled and said in an impassive voice:
"I have been fooling you."
The declaration nearly made Zachary stumble, even while sitting. "Come again?" was all he managed to say.
"Yes, I…" Nephis hesitated before continuing. "I haven't been teaching you properly."
'Hoh.' Zachary was genuinely surprised, but he rose from his spot, meeting her eye to eye.
"I know," he said flatly, without blinking.
Nephis faltered. "You… knew?" Her voice was steady, but beneath it lay a faint trace of shame. A subtle blush colored the tips of her ears—something Zachary's sharpened sight easily caught. It was almost like a child being caught in an elaborate lie they had spent hours crafting.
Zachary couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "I have good eyes, you know. Extremely good ones. I noticed it right away. The technique you taught me looks similar to the one you use, but they're completely different in a key aspect. The way they carry their lethality… it's like heaven and earth."
Nephis looked at him seriously, but before she could speak, Zachary raised his palm.
"No need to apologize. I get it," he said with an understanding look. "You wouldn't share your main battle art with some random guy you just met. It's expected."
She stared at him in silence for a moment before sighing. "Whatever my reasons were, they're not important. You showed your sincerity first. It's only right I reciprocate it."
With that, she summoned her sword. Zachary immediately understood where this was heading, and in response, he summoned Ender's Solace.
She sprang into action immediately, her sword flashing toward Zachary's side with deadly precision and nimbleness. Now that her armor problem was solved, her movements carried a speed and sharpness that had been absent before. But Zachary, too, was different from their last spar. His battle with the Centurion had pushed his Balance further than ever, and the Insight of the Heavy Sword gave him an edge in stability. Even so, he could barely follow Nephis's blade.
Without the hindrance of her makeshift clothes, Nephis moved like a mirage—appearing and vanishing in the blink of an eye, always aiming for the gaps in his guard. If not for Cinder Eyes and his newfound ability to see the Attack Lines, Zachary would already be on the ground. Thanks to his experience against the Centurion, however, he was able to string his moves together with newfound fluidity. He stepped back, creating distance, and in the same motion delivered a heavy blow toward Nephis's side. She blocked it with ease, but the sheer force behind it made her halt for an instant.
An instant Zachary used to be struck dumb by what he had just realized.
'I had a glimpse of Broken Sword's style foundation when she fought the Scavengers, but now… now that I'm experiencing it firsthand, I can see how deep and complex this swordsmanship truly is. Broken Sword… he really was a monster.'
Zachary slipped past a slash aimed at his temple, only for Nephis to flow into a thrust at his leg without pause. He parried and countered, but she blocked without effort.
'And this style…' Zachary clenched his teeth, trying in vain to mask his shock.
'That lying old geezer. He told me we were the only ones who knew this style. But this…' His eyes grew heavy with thought.
Just as he suspected, Broken Sword's swordsmanship was deeply inspired by Eddard's Simple Sword. He should have guessed—after all, both were foundational styles meant to carry their users toward higher realms. Yet even with his enhanced perception and sharpened Mind, Zachary had never connected them before. It was understandable: Broken Sword's swordmanship was almost mythical, something only the protagonists knew about, while Eddard's Simple Sword was little more than a beginner's path, only bearing the promise of a greater realm.
But Zachary had mastered the Simple Sword. With this new Insight, he began to notice the hidden echoes between the two arts. The resemblance lay only in their core principle—providing a foundation for growth—but after that, they diverged like heaven and earth. And in that moment, Zachary understood what must have happened.
Broken Sword's Dormant Ability allowed him to glimpse and comprehend the foundation of anything, from communicators to the very Essence of Combat. Through that gift, he must have seen the true potential of the Simple Sword. But knowing that chasing the "Envisioned Realm" Eddard preached about was a futile dream, he had taken the sword art and reshaped it into something entirely his own.
He took the most important part—the foundation, and shed everything else, he got rid of the "limits" the Simple Sword had engraved into its most basic existence. And through this he took the Simple Sword to completely new heights, by getting rid of the limits but mantaining the foundation he had created a completely adaptable and everchanging sword style.
'That fellow…' Zachary grinned wickedly, his pride stung. 'I mastered the Simple Sword, and even I can't begin to understand how what he did makes sense. He truly deserves to be called the Strongest Awakened in history.'
His thoughts were cut short by Nephis's voice.
"You're better than I thought," she said, drawing a breath. Tiny beads of sweat gleamed on her temples. Neither of them had noticed Cassie's arrival—she now sat quietly at the edge of the spar, watching intently.
Zachary's own breathing had grown heavier. Still reeling from the shock of Broken Sword's might, he replied by reflex.
"Heh, that's what she said." By the time he realized what had slipped out of his mouth, it was far too late.
At his left, Cassie, who had been drinking water from her Memory, almost choked at his answer. Between awkward coughs, she threw him a shocked look. In front of him, Nephis arched an eyebrow, clearly caught by surprise.
"Who said that?" she asked.
Cassie, who had just managed to get a hold of her coughing and took another sip of water, choked again. Nephis shot her a questioning look. Why was she coughing so much?
"Well, you see..." Zachary knew he should stop, but that question was too perfect for another joke. Before he could hammer the final nail into his grave, Cassie's hurried voice cut him off.
"No one! No one said that!" She then threw Zachary a menacing glare. The warning in her blind eyes, combined with the faint buzz of his Danger Sense, was enough to make him stop in his tracks. He swallowed hard and let out a nervous laugh.
"Right, no one, haha. Come on, let's do another round before eating," he said quickly, rushing back into position.
Nephis glanced at both of them with a questioning look. She had a vague suspicion something was going on, but without knowing the social cues, she decided to drop the matter. She could always bring it up later, after all.
Once again, she dashed in Zachary's direction. The brief pause had allowed her to catch her breath, and she moved with renewed energy. While pressuring him from different directions and angles, however, she couldn't stop the thought gnawing at her mind.
'Is this the right decision?' Nephis asked herself, a faint discomfort rising in her chest. She hadn't dropped her suspicions about Zachary. In all possibilities he was an assassin sent by those damned ghouls to eliminate her. And by teaching him her Legacy Art—the only thing that still connected her to her father...
Nephis forced the thought aside as she slipped past a slash that came suddenly from below. Zachary was moving with precise, light steps, this time taking the initiative to pressure her.
'He's shown enough goodwill toward me and Cassie. But even if the worst happens... even if he learns my style, if I were to put everything into it, it shouldn't be difficult to deal with him when the time comes.' Determination settled in her heart.
These kinds of thoughts had long become normal for her. After surviving several attempts on her life, she felt no guilt in considering how to use—and dispose of—a betrayer.
Nephis jumped back in a nimble pirouette, using the momentum to deliver a kick at Zachary's leg. She was trying to shake him off by mixing swordplay with physical strikes. But to her surprise, he simply raised his leg and blocked her kick—only to weave in a counter kick of his own within the same movement. Quickly retrieving her sword, she intercepted the blow with her arm.
"You'll need more than that to catch me off guard," Zachary said with a smug tone and a grin as he sprinted to the side, slipping into her guard with quick, agile steps.
Nephis wasn't disheartened by the lack of results. She had been watching Zachary fight closely and had long realized how precise and dynamic his vision was... Maybe, under the right conditions, she could exploit that if she ever needed to. But no—right now, her mind was elsewhere.
'How is he doing this?' Nephis thought, unable to hide her surprise. Fighting alongside Zachary had shown her that, while he knew how to wield a sword, he wasn't truly familiar with it. Certain habits of inexperience still showed in his movements. More than that, he clearly had no knowledge of her father's style. He made mistakes here and there—mistakes she never failed to exploit. But this…
Those mistakes were becoming fewer and fewer.
'He's learning...' Nephis deflected a downward slash, letting it glide along the edge of her blade before countering in a single smooth motion—only to find Zachary's sword already in place. 'He's growing in real time.'
Nephis couldn't help but feel a spark of amazement at such raw talent. Yet, recalling her earlier suspicions, the discomfort returned. If he truly turned out to be an enemy... she might not find it so easy to deal with him.
***
After a few more minutes of sparring, they returned to camp and began preparing dinner. While the fire was getting started, Zachary used the time to wash himself a little by borrowing Cassie's Memory.
"Broken Sword's style…" Zachary muttered under his breath as he examined the calluses on his hands, recalling the spar. During the fight, he had felt his Balance steadily increasing. If he kept sparring with Nephis and continued battling in the crimson coral, it wouldn't be far-fetched to think he might reach 100% within the next few weeks.
The smell of roasting meat pulled him from his thoughts. Walking toward the fire, he couldn't help but smile at the delicious scent of crab rising from the scavenger's meat. He returned the Memory to Cassie, then sat down beside the fire.
"Guess what I'm craving right now," Zachary said as he blew the steam off a piece of meat and took a bite. Immediately, the scalding heat burned his tongue, but instead of spitting the precious food out, he puffed hot air from his mouth until he finally managed to swallow. The girls couldn't help but raise their brows at the ridiculous sight.
Nephis considered his question for only a moment before answering. "To spar."
"What? No! Hahaha. What are you even on about?" Zachary laughed heartily at her response. Cassie followed with a small chuckle, while Nephis pressed her lips together, clearly irritated by how they reacted to her answer.
Cassie hummed thoughtfully, then asked, "Is it related to food?"
Zachary nodded as he took a sip of water. "It is."
Nephis looked at them with a puzzled expression. That was when Zachary realized what was going on. She had never played guessing games before—she didn't even know the rules.
He barely held back his laughter as he explained, "It's not necessary to answer on the first try. You can ask questions to narrow it down."
Cassie thought for a few seconds before asking again. "Is it a main dish or an accompaniment?"
Zachary was impressed by how precise the blind seer's questions were. "Accompaniment."
Nephis watched the exchange with rapt attention. Zachary could feel her gaze drilling into his side. If he hadn't known better, he might have thought she had something against him. But in reality, Changing Star was simply trying to study human interactions as best she could.
After a few more questions, Cassie finally answered. "Butter!"
"Yes! Just picture it: a nice cup of melted butter with some garlic and a slight touch of lemon. You dip the Scavenger meat in it, savor the tender bite, and then take a big gulp of cold beer..."
Cassie interrupted him right there. "And you lost me. I'm 17—I can't drink."
Zachary almost choked at her reply. He had forgotten that in this world he had just turned eighteen, while in the other world he had been in his early twenties, already an experienced drinker. After all, as a philosophy student, it would have been strange not to have some contact with alcohol and tobacco, don't you think?
"Haha, I forgot. But don't you think it's weird? We're risking our lives in the Dream Realm, battling Nightmare Creatures left and right... but no, the government still says no to underage drinking." Zachary spoke with a frown, which earned a heartfelt laugh from Cassie.
They went on resting and chatting. Sometimes Nephis tried to join in their guessing games, but she was terrible at them, which only made Zachary and Cassie laugh harder. Nephis's impassive face eventually gave way to a cute frown.
As night fell and the Dark Sea returned, Nephis withdrew from the camp to meditate. Zachary knew she was practicing her Ability, struggling against her nightmarish Flaw, so with a sad sigh he left her alone and turned his gaze to the sea.
Much later, deep into the night, Zachary—who had the first watch—heard small footsteps approaching. Without looking up, he spoke calmly. "You should rest, Cass."
"I'm not that tired... I'm not really doing anything to be tired, after all," she said in a low, sad voice as she sat beside him.
He glanced at the blonde girl. She was hugging her knees, her blind eyes lost in thought. Clearly, something weighed on her mind.
Zachary knew what it was, but wasn't sure if it was right to bring it up. After a moment of heavy hesitation, he let out a quiet sigh and asked gently, "You've been having more visions, haven't you?"
Cassie flinched at the question. Her wide eyes seemed to ask how he knew, but soon her shoulders slumped, and she answered in a trembling voice. "Yes... I-I'm sorry for not telling you, but..."
She gave a small, almost imperceptible sob before continuing. "But I was afraid. Afraid that mentioning them would make them real." She turned her head toward the Dark Sea, as if trying to see through it. "Knowledge is the heaviest of burdens. I don't know if I can carry it alone."
Zachary clicked his tongue inwardly. He already knew where this was going. But before he could offer comfort, Cassie pressed on.
"Would you... would you protect Neph even if your life was on the line?" she asked in a quiet, uncertain tone.
Zachary immediately turned his head toward her, caught completely off guard. But the blind girl avoided his gaze.
'Lady, are you sure I'm the one you should be asking that to?' Zachary muttered inwardly, his thoughts tinged with self-deprecation. In the novel, she had asked Sunny something similar, already knowing where the Forgotten Shore would end. His negative answer had sealed everything for the worst.
But this time her vision was different. It showed him, suffering in Nephis's fire. Why, then, was she asking him that question?
Zachary pondered their current situation—and more importantly, his endgame. As the faces of the loved ones he had left behind came to mind, he asked himself once again: could he give up his goal for someone else… for Nephis?
He wouldn't. That was the harsh truth. But Zachary also knew that if he ever hoped to reach what he was aiming for, he desperately needed Changing Star's help. Letting her die was not an option. So what, then, would his answer be?
"You know," Zachary began in a careful voice, "that kind of question reminds me of the ones asked by bored girlfriends who just want to stir up drama in their relationship—like the classic 'Would you still love me if I were a worm?' type of question."
Cassie frowned at the strange shift in topic, but Zachary pressed on before she could speak.
"Most people would just smile and say yes, but I always liked to really consider those scenarios. First: what kind of worm would you be? Second: would we still be able to communicate, even in your worm form? Third: would you even retain your sense of self while existing as a worm? And as a bonus—if you were cut in half, would there be two of you now?"
The memory brought a chuckle to his lips. He really had thrown those questions back at his judo friend once—only to earn a professional throw that left him flat on the mat, only for her to later laugh as if nothing had happened.
"What I mean is, I take these things seriously. I don't just want to answer in a way that satisfies the other person. In this case, I'd first ask: when you say 'protect her with my life on the line,' does that mean I definitely lose my life, or just put myself at greater risk? Because if it's the latter, well… I've been doing that all along. Fighting in the Dream Realm is always a gamble with your own life."
Cassie's frown softened as she listened.
"But about the former… that's trickier. Even if I answered yes, at the crucial moment self-preservation could still kick in and ruin everything. So let's frame it differently: giving up one's goals for someone else. There are cases where people's goals are bigger than their own lives."
{_^_}
Zachary suddenly felt a gaze settle on his back, but without reacting, he continued speaking to Cassie. "In that case... I don't know. I won't lie to you, Cass."
Cassie closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
"This is a complicated matter, Cass... because while I can say that I might renounce my goals for someone else's sake, such things have to be mutual. Would Nephis give up her goal for someone else? For someone like me?"
Zachary left the question to the air, but deep inside he already knew the answer. 'She wouldn't.'
A heavy silence fell over them, so dense that even the sea breeze couldn't break it apart. Time seemed to stretch endlessly until, at last, Cassie stood. Without looking back, she spoke in a quiet voice:
"Thanks for being honest, Zachary."
And with that, she walked away. Zachary remained at his post, staring into the night, but he knew—she hadn't liked his answer.