Chapter 495: Masked Hero
By the time Sunny limped back to his house, the news of the Gate opening in a prestigious district of the city was all over the network. Luckily, the school Rain attended was situated really far away from where both of them lived — none of the mayhem had reached the terrace neighborhood, leaving it as quiet and peaceful as ever.
It was a bit strange, to see that nothing had changed here despite the fact that mere tens of minutes of riding the train away, the bodies of numerous Nightmare Creatures littered the ground. Life simply went on.
Well, it wasn't really that surprising. If people reacted strongly to every instance of a Gate appearing, nothing would ever get done, and everyone would live every day of their lives in fear. So, those not affected by the disaster directly did not allow it to disrupt their moods or routines.
People could get accustomed to anything, even the constant possibility of terrifying monsters suddenly coming out of an infernal rift in reality on their street. As long as important parts of city infrastructure weren't damaged, no one was going to care that much. And even if they were, citizens knew how to adapt — public transport would be rerouted, power outages would be dealt with by switching to autonomous generators or simply using candles, and so on.
The Gate was contained, the impact area was already being cleaned by the government workers. When tomorrow came, the cafe Sunny had visited would be open again, as if nothing happened. Life would return to normal.
...And those who had experienced the terror of the Gate firsthand would go on, silently bearing an invisible scar on their heart. But that was alright, too. Collecting scars was something that everyone who lived in this world had to do as they matured. This was the reality of the Nightmare Spell.
'Why am I suddenly in a philosophical mood?'
Sunny shook his head, then scoffed and opened the door of his home.
Effie was in the living room, taking advantage of the state-of-the-art entertainment system Sunny had bought and paid for. When she saw him, a surprised expression appeared on her face.
"Gods, what happened to you? Did a piano fall on your head?"
'What a strange question…'
Sunny sighed, then glanced at her arkly.
"No. A Gate fell on my head… sort of. Damned thing opened right near a cafe I sometimes visit. They sell incredible pastries, so… good news is, I managed to finish my pastry! Before getting the hell out."
Effie gave him a shocked look.
"Goodness! You were near that mess? I heard that the government barely gave people time to evacuate this time."
Sunny shrugged.
"Near, yes."
The young woman stared at him, then grinned.
"So… how many contribution points did you get? Enough to upgrade the entertainment system, maybe? You won't believe the quality of the haptic interfaces these days… I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, of course. Just something to consider…"
He gritted his teeth and let out a frustrated sigh.
"None! I didn't get anything, okay?!"
Effie blinked a couple of times, then looked at him with a bit of disappointment.
"Well… no need to get emotional. There's no shame in avoiding such fights. Everyone wants to live, you know."
Sunny waved a hand dejectedly, then turned around.
"Yeah, I know. Anyway, I'll go take a bath. Have fun."
Leaving his guest… well, more like an uninvited housemate… alone in the living room, Sunny went away and prepared an ice bath for himself.
When he lowered his aching body into the cold water and endured the initial shock, a pleasant numbness enveloped him. Sunny glanced at the tapestry of bruises covering his skin, and sighed.
'Can I still be considered pale if I am mostly black and purple? Gee, I always wanted to stop being pasty. But not like this…'
He closed his eyes and relaxed, enjoying the ice bath. None of his wounds were serious enough to really worry about, so he just had to wait for his body to heal itself. That was going to take a few days, which Sunny was fully intending to spend lazing about and doing nothing.
Wasn't that the dream?
After a while, he got a bit bored and decided to do something productive. He could either check on how much he had gained in the bloody battle, or see if someone had come close to connecting him to Mongrel.
Sunny thought for a few moments, then reached for his communicator.
'Let's see the extent of the damage first…'
A few moments later, a low groan escaped from his lips.
"Oh for Spell's sake…"
***
"Shocking news! Mysterious online sensation Mongrel returns to single-handedly contain a Category Two Gate!"
"In the Shadow of a Lord: Mongrel's heroic stand caught on camera!"
"Who is Lord Mongrel, the courageous hero that everyone is talking about? The answer might shock you!"
"WE KNEW IT ALL ALONG! Mongrel is a woman confirmed!"
"STAND AND FIGHT: words to live by. Mongrel refuses to give up!"
Sunny stared at the screen of the communicator with resentment, then suppressed the desire to crush it in his fist.
'What is wrong with people?!'
Apparently, a bit of his recent performance had been caught on tape. The shockwave of an opening Gate was supposed to mess with electronics, but one camera had miraculously survived.
The image was really grainy and stuttered every few seconds, but he could make out a dark figure moving through the mass of Nightmare Creatures, the Soul Serpent flashing through the bloody mist, its blade surrounded by a halo of black radiance. The battle style of the Barrow Wraiths and his need to spill as much blood as possible added an extra layer of brutality to the recording, making him seem like a demon that had escaped from some lightless hell.
Sunny grimaced as if in pain, and tentatively looked down, on the views counter beneath the video.
When he saw it, the communicator slipped from his hand and fell into the water.
Good thing it was waterproof...
'Damnation… well, you've done did it now, fool! Congratulations! You've gone mainstream…'
Chapter 496: Stand and Fight
"Today, a terrible tragedy almost happened in a peaceful and prosperous part of the city. It was a day like any other, until a sudden notification alerted the citizens that a Gate was about to open nearby.
With no time to evacuate, numerous people were going to die… but then, a courageous Awakened placed himself in the way of Nightmare Creatures, holding off the entire advancing hoard by himself and refusing to give ground until the government forces arrived!
This hero then disappeared without demanding any reward, not leaving even his name behind — only scores of slaughtered monsters and numerous saved lives. Who is this brave and modest savior? Where did he come from, and what is his true identity? Well, some readers might recognize him as the viral Dreamscape sensation, Mongrel…"
Sunny stared at the communicator, which had water dripping from it, with a dark expression on his face.
'An official newspaper… this is a damn published article, not a random network thread!'
Previously, Sunny had only gone really viral among the people who were interested in the Dreamscape and dueling. Even though the recording of his performance in the Colosseum reached a wider audience, most of the people who had seen it did not pay Mongrel a lot of attention, since they didn't understand the details of his achievements.
This one, however… this one was different. Everyone could relate to a Gate opening and knew how terrifying and calamitous such an event could be. So, the new video showed Mongrel in a context that revealed just how bizarre and exceptional his deeds were to everyone.
Add to that the fact that the combination of the Mantle of the Underworld, the Soul Serpent, and Weaver's Mask looked really striking and menacing, and that — miraculously — no civilian had died despite the late warning by the government, and Sunny found himself in a sea of trouble.
Suddenly, he was happy with the fact that he had not been able to augment himself with both of his shadows. At least his physical prowess did not seem too out of the realm of humanly possible… or rather, possible for an Awakened.
The other good news was that there, thankfully, was no recording of Saint. The cameras in the school had been properly damaged, and for that reason, people only knew of her by verbal description.
…Which caused its own share of problems because of how similar the Mantle of the Underworld was to her armor. Due to that and the nature of how rumors distorted the truth the more they were shared, soon, many people were convinced that Mongrel had protected the children in the school personally.
And that led some to become convinced that Mongrel… was a woman.
Sunny tiredly covered his face with a hand.
His worst fears had not come true, though. Despite the fact that the recording showed him using Shadow Step, no one learned the true nature of his Ability from the grainy image, and no one connected him and Mongrel together.
Maybe because of the ridiculous way A Song of Light and Darkness portrayed Sunny, but no one even tried to assume that Changing Star's bumbling sidekick was actually the dark, deadly, demonic swordsman Mongrel.
Instead, there were countless discussions like this:
Mongrail_Seeker: "New information on Mongrel's Aspect! Previously, we all thought that his Ability had to do with physical enhancement or perception, right? But we were all wrong! The new video clearly shows that his Aspect is actually spatial sorcery!"
Spirit of the Colosseum: "Do you realize what that means? It means that he didn't even use his Aspect in the Dreamscape duels! That was all just pure skill. Crazy!"
Anonymous User: "...You mean HER Aspect?"
Mongrail_Seeker: "Heresy! Lord Mongrel is not a her!"
Anonymous User: "...You mean LADY Mongrel?"
Spirit of the Colosseum: "I better ping @Mongrel's Son. He should know who his dad is!"
Anonymous User: "... You mean his MOM?"
Sunny let out an infuriated sigh.
'Well, at least no one is mentioning me. If you think about it, the more people think that Mongrel is a lady, the better. Yes, this is good! No, seriously… so good… curse them all…'
And of course, there were a lot of nonsensical threads assigning some deep and profound meaning to every stupid lie he had said.
Like: "I am just a human: Mongrel reminds us of the only truth. There are no mundanes or Awakened, only humans and the Nightmare Creatures. He knows that everyone is equal before the Spell…"
Or: "Make them bleed! Wow, I have no words. So cool… how can anyone be so cool? At the end of the day, that is all that any of us can do. Repay each drop of human blood the Nightmare Creatures spill with a river of their own..."
But mostly, it was the damned idiotic advice he had given to one of the six Awakened near the end: "Stand and fight… am I the only one who got shivers after hearing that? Such simple, but all-encompassing adage. Lord Mongrel, he is a true Awakened…"
Everywhere he looked, it was the same three words. So many people were repeating, praising, and adding them to their bios that Sunny wanted to vomit.
'What is happening…'
As people continued to watch the recording and discuss it, the truth got hazier and hazier. Pretty soon, everyone seemed to have forgotten that Sunny had not actually contained the Gate by his lonesome self.
No one mentioned Master Jet, who had literally saved his skin and took on the Guardian alone, eventually defeating the Fallen Tyrant without a cohort of Masters supporting her. No one mentioned the six Awakened who had helped him, and a literal army of government soldiers who had done the really heavy lifting and wiped out the entire horde, which he had only stalled until their arrival.
It was all Mongrel and his courageous, selfless, heroic stand against numerous Nightmare Creatures, as if he was some sort of a fearless, slaughtering demigod.
'It's almost like no one even cares about the truth!'
Sunny threw the communicator on the pile of clothes and closed his eyes in frustration.
…It was a very strange sentiment. The irony was not lost on him one bit.
'Curses… who knew that I would be lamenting a lack of truth one day? Me, of all people! What is this situation?!'
Indeed, making Sunny care about the truth was not easy.
It was no simple trick…
Chapter 497: Unexpected Turn
Eventually, Sunny climbed out of the bath, dressed himself, and moved to the kitchen to make himself something to eat.
After the intense gauntlet of the Gate battle, he was hungry like a wolf. Ravenous, really...
Cooking calmed him down a little, and the pleasant smell made his mood a bit better. Now that Sunny had some time to think, he saw the whole situation in a new light.
Yes, his hope for Mongrel to be forgotten was utterly shattered. But there was a bright side to this fiasco — now that he had completely failed to keep a low profile... there was no more reason to. Which meant that he could resume practicing Shadow Dance in the Dreamscape, and hopefully master its second step before winter came.
He just had to rethink how he viewed the persona of Mongrel.
Initially, Sunny had planned for it to be unseen and anonymous, merely a camouflage he would put on to accomplish certain things — things that were inconvenient or too dangerous to be tied to his own name.
...Well, that ship had sailed. He was pretty sure that from now on, anything having to do with Mongrel was going to be at the center of people's attention.
But that wasn't necessarily bad. There were ways to remain unseen even in the spotlight. In fact, sometimes it was easier — all magicians knew that the secret to pulling off a flawless trick was not to become invisible, but to direct the crowd's attention toward something eye-catching and away from the hand performing the switch.
Sunny was not a magician, but he did consider himself to be an experienced cheat. The principle was more or less the same.
So if he played his cards right, the more attention Mongrel received, the more freedom he would have to move unseen in the shadows, accomplishing his goals under everyone's noses with no one being the wiser.
"Maybe…"
Such a thing was hard to accomplish and hid more risk, but also promised a greater reward. So, not all was lost.
Plus, he had protected Rain. That was the only thing that really mattered. Everything else paled in comparison.
Sunny finished his decadently generous dinner and moved to the porch. Sitting in the shade, he relaxed, grimaced a little due to pain, and took a sip of tea.
He was suddenly in a great mood. And why wouldn't he be? It was finally time to take a look at his spoils. The battle might have been hard and had almost cost him his life, but he had not fought for nothing.
Summoning the runes, Sunny glanced at the familiar string of them and smiled.
Shadow Fragments: [1814/2000].
'Incredible…'
In just ten or so minutes, Sunny had gained more shadow fragments than he usually did in weeks.
From what Sunny remembered, he slaughtered almost a hundred Nightmare Creatures in front of the Gate. Granted, most of them were of the Dormant Rank and had not contributed any fragments to his growing cores, but still, it was a monumental accomplishment.
It made him think back to the first abomination he had ever slain, the Mountain King's Larva. How tense and terrifying that fight had been, how convinced he was that the perverse creature would kill him. Who would have thought that one day in a not-too-distant future, he would be able to slaughter a hundred Nightmare Creatures of similar and greater power without being torn to pieces?
Sunny had come so far…
Lowering his gaze, he glanced at the runes describing his Memories and couldn't contain a delighted grin.
'Oh, I was so lucky today…'
Without even counting the obsidian spear he had gotten and then swiftly lost to the tyrant, there were six new Memories in his arsenal, most of them of the Awakened Rank.
Sunny studied them for a bit and, coming to the conclusion that none were better than his current ones or performed something he wasn't already capable of, dove into the Soul Sea.
He fed the Memories to Saint and looked at her runes, satisfied with what he saw:
Shadow Fragments: [179/200].
'So close…'
At this rate, he would probably be able to reach the full two hundred before having to go into battle with the vine creature inhabiting the wreck of the ancient ship. If Saint grew even more powerful before then, her presence was going to change a lot of things.
Sunny drank his tea in the peaceful silence of the terrace district, grimacing from time to time because of the pain in his bruised body. But even the pain couldn't spoil his mood.
"Ah, today was a good day…"
He watched Rain be brought home in a PTV, made sure that she was fine… well, as fine as a young girl could be after experiencing a close brush with an opening Gate… and went inside.
He was due for some well-deserved rest.
***
In the evening, when the sun hid behind the horizon and the street lamps were flooding the city with pale white light, Sunny was resting in his living room, doing nothing in particular. He was lazily scrolling through the pages of a popular webtoon and appreciating the twists and turns of its simple story.
'Crazy. Do people really think about such stuff?'
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a strange sound. It took Sunny a couple of seconds to realize what it was, since he had never heard it in this house before.
Someone was knocking on the door.
'What the hell…'
Who could be visiting him at this late hour?
Putting the communicator away, Sunny sent his shadow to take a look and scratched the back of his head in confusion.
…Standing on his porch was none other than Rain, wearing her cozy home clothes and looking uncharacteristically nervous.
'What is she doing here?'
For a moment, Sunny considered pretending that he wasn't home, but then sighed and stood up. There was no point in hiding, since they literally lived almost next to each other. Walking over to the door, he lingered a second or two, made sure that none of his bruises were showing, and then opened it.
"Uh… yeah? What's up?"
Not knowing that Sunny had already seen how nervous she was, Rain pretended to be calm and gave him a polite smile.
"Hey, Sunny. I… the food container? Mom wants it back."
He stared at her for a couple of seconds.
"Oh. Wait here…"
He walked to the kitchen, retrieved the container from the dishwasher machine, and returned to the porch.
"Here. Tell your mom that her cooking is delicious. We really enjoyed it!"
Rain took the container, but didn't leave. Instead, she just stood there silently, looking at him with a tense expression.
Sunny frowned.
"Can I…"
But at that exact moment, she suddenly blurted out:
"I know who you are!"
If Sunny had a drink in hand, he would undoubtedly do a spit take.
'What?!'
As his heart almost stopped, he looked at Rain with a deadpan expression. Maintaining it cost him a lot, though.
'What does she think she knows?!'
"...Well, of course you know who I am. I introduced myself when we met for the first time, didn't I?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. After a bit of an awkward pause, Rain said:
"No, I mean… I know that you are an Awakened."
Sunny blinked a couple of times, but before he could come up with something to say, she hurriedly continued:
"Sorry! It's just… my dad works for the government, so he knows such things. You are so young, with no parents, but are able to afford a house in this neighborhood. Plus, you don't go to a university or to work. So… you are an Awakened, aren't you?"
'Solid reasoning...'
He hesitated, then simply shrugged.
"Sure. Not like it's a big secret, anyway."
Rain remained silent for a few moments, and then asked:
"...Are you any good?"
Sunny stared at her for a bit. Then, a grin slowly appeared on his face.
"Me? Oh... the best of the best! Probably the strongest Awakened in the world, really. No one else can even compare."
A slight scowl appeared on Rain's face.
"I'm being serious! Are you any good or not?"
Sunny lingered for a moment, then sighed.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Why are you asking?"
Rain looked at him for a while, as if gathering courage.
Then, she clenched her fists and blurted:
"Can… can you train me?"
Sunny stared at her, dumbfounded.
'Well, I'll be damned. That took an unexpected turn...'
Chapter 498: Superficial Connection
'Train her…'
Wasn't that exactly what he wanted?
It was.
But wasn't it also exactly what he wanted to avoid?
Yes, it was that too.
Sunny was in a strange predicament. The solution to the problem that had tormented him for many months had suddenly fallen right into his lap out of nowhere, but to make use of it, he had to do something that went against all his previous reservations.
He didn't want Rain to be connected to him in any way. If Sunny was honest with himself, he had to admit that he was drawn to her… or rather, to the faint, half-forgotten memories of a different, happy time that she represented. His desire to reconnect with Rain was both selfish and misguided, since he knew that nothing was going to bring those memories back to life.
…And if Sunny was really honest, he had to admit that deep down, he harbored a lot of resentment toward her, too. For having a loving family while he had none, for being fine. For not needing him at all.
What a mess of emotions that was! And if there was one thing Sunny was really bad at dealing with, it was his feelings. For him, fighting hordes of Nightmare Creatures was much easier.
And then, as if his inner turmoil was not enough, there were external forces at play, too. There was his [Fated] Attribute, the strange connection he had to Weaver, and Nephis with her murderous feud against the Sovereigns and the inhuman will to see the Spell destroyed.
The more he and Rain were connected, the higher were the chances of her being implicated in all this. But…
Maybe, as long as they only had a shallow connection between a kid from an affluent family and her hired tutor, things weren't going to get out of hand.
He also had to consider that the threat posed by a potential First Nightmare was much greater than that of being superficially tied to him. After all, Sunny had not done anything to attract the really dangerous kind of attention… or rather, had not been caught doing anything like that yet.
…While he was torn between these conflicting thoughts, Rain waited patiently, and then, misjudging his silence, said:
"Oh! Of course, I will pay you. I have some money saved for a trip, and… well, I can also talk to my parents. It's just that you're the only Awakened I know… you know? Apart from my combat instructor in school."
Sunny looked at her, a deep frown on his face. Eventually, he asked:
"What brought upon this conversation? Why do you suddenly want someone to train you? You said it yourself, you already have a combat instructor. I thought you rich kids get taught everything you need in school."
Rain suddenly grew quiet and looked away.
After a while, she said:
"Ah, that… you probably haven't heard, but there was a… there was a Gate that opened near my school today. Many people almost died. I saw a real Nightmare Creature, even. It was… was this close to me. An Awakened like you won't probably understand how it feels, right? Oh! Sorry, what am I saying? Of course you'd understand. I mean… what I meant to say is that I was absolutely powerless, and that was… not a nice feeling. Not a nice feeling at all."
He glanced at him, and said with a suddenly serious voice:
"So I want to become strong. Really strong. Strong enough to never feel that way again."
Sunny almost laughed.
'Oh, what irony… here we are, so different and in such different situations, but our desires are completely the same. Become stronger, so much stronger. As strong as one could possibly be…'
Rain paused for a few moments, and then added:
"And what we are taught in school is not nearly enough. At least… at least it wasn't today. Some of my classmates have private tutors that their parents hire for them, real Awakened fighters. But it's just a question of status to them. They don't really learn… or if they do, I didn't see it make any difference when the Nightmare Creatures were trying to kill us…"
Sunny smiled from the corner of his mouth.
"That's because a thousand hours of training will never be as impactful as one real fight. My own… mentor told me that once."
He hesitated for a second, and then sighed.
"I myself was trained by a very special person. The best fighter I have ever met, and probably ever will. The funny thing is, though, I sort of swindled her into teaching me how to handle a sword. Felt a little guilty about it ever since. So I guess it won't hurt to pay it forward and help someone like you out."
Sunny looked at Rain with a dark expression, realizing that he had already made a decision.
'Ah, to hell with this... why make things complicated when they are actually really simple?'
He shook his head.
"Be warned, though. If you want me to train you, I will really train you. It's going to be hard as hell and hurt a lot. I don't want to hear any complaints, or see you slacking off. Understood?"
Rain suddenly giggled.
Sunny scowled.
"What's so funny?"
She waved a hand.
"Sorry! Sorry. It's just… it's funny when you act all strict and serious, because you, you know… are barely older than me. But I do understand. I'll work hard, I promise."
Sunny stared at her for a bit, then said in a low voice:
"What do you mean, barely older than you? I'm ages older than you! Just half the crap I've seen would be enough for a few lifetimes of the likes of you!"
Then, he smiled menacingly and added:
"Oh, and by the way, I also won't be cheap! I have mouths to feed, you know. That guest you've seen… I can't seem to get her to leave. There's also a stone-hearted beauty who always follows me around, and her diet is unreasonably expensive. But what can I do, attracting women with terrifying appetites seems to be my curse…"
He sighed, looked at Rain, and added:
"But if you still didn't change your mind, then fine. I'll train you, Rain…"
Chapter 499: Somewhere Far Away...
…Somewhere far away, in the depths of an endless and inescapable nightmare, a blinding disc of an incandescent sun was bathing the dunes of a vast desert in a flood of immolating heat. The sands of the desert were flawlessly white, and the azure sky above them was deep and boundless like an ancient ocean, with not a single cloud blemishing its silken expanse.
Being battered by the heat, a lone figure moved across the sand.
It was a young woman with striking grey eyes, her skin covered in terrible burns, her silver hair dirty with blood and surrounded by a radiant halo of reflected light. She wore charred remains of a shattered armor, and wielded a broken sword, its silver blade fractured and ending in a jagged edge close to the hilt.
The young woman walked forward, the trail of her footprints stretching far into the distance and disappearing over the horizon. To her left, there was nothing but an endless sea of white dunes; to her right, a line of black mountains eventually created a boundary for the scorching desert.
Far ahead, there was a tree with scarlet leaves and a scattering of something that looked like pale fruit hanging from its wide branches.
...This was where Nephis was headed.
She had to reach the tree before the night came, or… no, it was better not to think of it.
Her water had long run out, and the thirst was slowly taking hold of her mind. Her tortured body was a sea of pain, but she could still walk. She could still fight.
She was still not willing to give up.
…After a while, the tree grew closer.
Nephis stopped and stared at its white bark, its scarlet leaves, and the shapes she had thought were fruit. But they weren't. Instead, tens of thousands of skulls hung from the beautiful branches, fastened to them with glistening threads of black silk.
A spring of water formed a clear pool in the shadow of the great tree, and on its bank, with his back to her, stood a figure clad in a strange, rusted armor.
'A… human?'
No… the figure was too tall to be one of her kind.
As if hearing her thoughts, the creature turned around, revealing a desiccated face of a corpse, hollow eyes emanating ominous blue radiance, and six hands, each grasping the hilt of a weapon. Two hands held long swords, their blades sharper than a razor and curved slightly, two hands held menacing twisted sickles, and the last two held a heavy scepter and a broken shield.
The chestplate of the creature's rusted armor was shattered, revealing a harrowing wound beneath.
Being consumed by thirst and exhaustion, Nephis raised a hand, as if begging the creature to stop.
But, of cause, it didn't.
With furious madness burning in its eyes, the abomination lunged at her, striking down with one of the sickles. It moved faster than lightning, sending a scarlet cloud of fallen leaves swirling into the air with a strong gust of wind.
Taking a step back, Nephis raised her broken sword to deflect the devastating strike, as if forgetting that it had no blade.
At the last moment, though, a ray of pure sunlight appeared where the blade should have been and stopped the sickle from rending her flesh.
Nephis swayed from the force of the impact, but remained standing. Her cracked lips opened, and a hoarse whisper escaped from them:
"Let us burn, then… let us burn together…"
In the next moment, white flames ignited in her eyes.
Her skin suddenly shone with pure radiance, which then became brighter, and brighter… and then, brighter still.
Throwing the sickle away, she dodged two thrusting swords and danced around the armored giant, her blade of sunlight piercing the rusted armor with terrifying ease.
The two of them fought in the shade of the ancient tree, thousands of skulls staring at their battle with empty eyes as they swayed in the wind.
Nephis was much slower and weaker than the six-armed demon, but her skill was flawless, inexplicable, and deadly. She moved with the flow of the battle as if it was her natural element, controlling its cadence with indifferent ease. Her flesh mended itself seconds after being torn, and the flames burning in her eyes only grew hotter.
Deathly pale from the harrowing pain, her beautiful face grew colder and colder, becoming almost inhuman.
Her sword of sunlight, meanwhile, left molten marks on the body of the ancient demon. And even though such wounds could never harm it, after a while, the creature suddenly staggered.
…Of course, it did. That was a Memory left behind by the Nameless Sun of the Forgotten Shore, after all. Everything it touched was doomed to have its soul destroyed.
Finally, Nephis managed to find an opening and dashed forward, slashing upward with the Nameless Sun. The sunlight blade cut through the rusted armor and severed one of the demon's arms, then fell down and sliced through another.
Before the creature could recover, she was already upon it. Nephis sidestepped a crushing blow of the heavy scepter and places her hand on the demon's face.
The creature froze, and then opened its mouth, as if to scream.
…However, all that escaped from it were dancing tongues of white flame.
As the pure radiance enveloping Neph's skin dimmed, it was as though the demon burned from within. Flaming fissures opened on its body, leaking pristine fire and radiating annihilating heat. His flesh boiled and blacked, and eventually, the blue shine of his eyes was replaced with blinding white light.
And then, that light was extinguished, leaving two dark, charred holes behind.
Nephis let go of the creature's face, and watched as its scorched body fell to the ground.
She stared at it for a few moments, and then indifferently turned away. Making a few steps forward, Nephis swayed and fell to her knees.
Then, she reached into the pool with trembling hands, put her palms together, and brought a handful of cold, sweet water to her lips.
Finally, her terrible thirst could be quenched.
Chapter 500: ...In the Depths of a Nightmare
After drinking her fill, Nephis sat silently on the edge of the pool for a while, staring into the distance.
Her eyes, however, were moving, as if reading an invisible book that floated in the air above the calm waters.
Some time later, a pale shadow of a smile touched her lips.
'That guy… he did something crazy again, didn't he?'
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
'How is he so fast…'
In the past months… years, lifetimes?... spent traversing the Dream Realm, surrounded by nothing except for pain and bloodshed, Nephis had started doubting the memories of her previous life. Sometimes, all of it seemed like something that she had simply imagined… a bittersweet dream she had invented to escape from the horrors of the real world. This world.
The world of neverending nightmares.
The change of the runes describing Sunny was the only connection she had left to the actual reality. Perhaps, it was the only thing keeping her sane.
...Even if the things she saw in the shimmering runes were sometimes hard to believe.
The impossible Lineage that should not have existed, the divine Memory of the seventh Rank, the strange essence of his soul, the true nature of the taciturn stone demon… and of course, of his Flaw.
It seemed that Sunny had much more secrets than Nephis had suspected. With that knowledge, many things made much more sense now… but at the same time, many others seemed much more incredible.
Well, it was not like she didn't have secrets of her own.
And anyway, it was all in the past.
Everything was in the past.
All that remained was the future.
...She did hope that he was doing well, though, out there in the real world. With Cassie...
Looking up from the water, Nephis shifted her gaze to the ancient tree and saw two weathered skeletons cruelly nailed to its white bark. Both stared at her with empty eyes, their teeth bared in eternal grins.
After some time, one of the skeletons said:
"My, oh my. Am I that pleasant to look at?"
The other grated its teeth and let out a creaky growl, then strained, trying to wrestle free of the large silver nails impaling it to the tree. However, no matter how furiously it struggled, the nails held true.
Nephis looked at the skeletons with a calm expression, no emotion reflecting in her cold, grey eyes.
The first skeleton spoke again:
"Is that… is that living blood I smell? Gods! What terrible sins have you committed, girl, to be cast into this hell alive? Even for a revolting nephilim like you, this is too harsh of a punishment."
Finally, she opened her mouth and said hoarsely, in a voice of a person who had almost forgotten how to speak:
"...What language do you use?"
The skeleton laughed.
"The only language there is in this place, of course. Why? Do you wish to learn it?"
Nephis remained silent for a long time, and then said:
"I seek a way back to the waking world. Do you know how to escape this place?"
The skeleton stared at her with a grin.
"The waking world? What is that?"
The second skeleton suddenly spoke, his voice deep and full of rage:
"Can't you smell the stench of a daemon on this abominable thing? She is one of Weaver's, you fool!"
The first skeleton turned its skull a little, and then asked:
"Is that so? My, oh my. In that case, you will not find guides better than the two of us. Just take us off this damned tree, and we will lead you to wherever you want."
Nephis stared at them for a while, then turned away.
"...I don't need two guides. Which one should I pick?"
The second skeleton strained to free himself again, and then roared:
"I am Azarax the Mighty, the Plague of Steel, King of Kings, conqueror of a hundred thrones! Choose me, nephilim! I will guide you to the shores of the Underworld and through its dark expanse, back to the world of the living! You will need a powerful guide if you wish to escape!"
She spared him a glance, then said to the other one:
"...What about you?"
The first skeleton answered in an aloof tone:
"Me? Oh, I am no one. Just a humble slave."
Nephis lingered for a bit. Finally, she asked:
"Why are… the two of you… nailed to this tree?"
The skeleton who had called himself Azarax growled:
"Don't you know where you are, abominable creature?! I am here because I led my armies into the great war, slaughtered a myriad of souls, and was punished for my strength and my pride!"
She shifted her gaze to the other one.
The first skeleton answered succinctly:
"I have angered the gods."
Nephis tilted her head a little.
"How?"
The skeleton sighed with regret.
"Well, if you must know... I slit a god's throat. My, oh my! One could say that it was a misunderstanding. Was there really a need to be so petty?"
The sun was already falling behind the horizon, and chilling cold was spreading across the white desert. Nephis summoned her white cloak and wrapped herself in it, shivering.
Soon, night descended upon the world, revealing a myriad of bright stars. As it did, the sand moved, and slowly, countless figures rose from beneath it. All of them were corpses with no flesh remaining of their perfectly black bones, some of creatures that resembled humans, some of towering giants, and some of beings who were too strange and terrifying to describe.
In a clamor of rusted armor and a litany of howls, the hordes of abominations clashed against each other, continuing their terrible battle even in death.
Nephis moved closer to the tree, which somehow remained an isle of calm in the sea of terror, and looked at the first skeleton.
"You… remind me of someone I knew. Come morning, I will take you off the tree. To guide me though."
The skeleton cackled.
"Very well, vile creature. Even though you are revolting, I will keep my promise."
Nephis grinned.
"...What do I call you, then?"
The skeleton remained silent for a bit.
"A name? I used to have one of those, before. What was it? Oh!"
He moved its jaw a little, and then said:
"Eurys. Eurys of the Nine…"
Chapter 501: Step Two
As waves of summer heat assaulted the city, its concrete and alloy jungle had turned into a sweltering oven. The air filtration systems were running without pause to save the people from suffocating in the clouds of pollutants, and in poorer districts, water had to be rationed because of the draught.
…Luckily, none of that touched the peaceful terrace neighborhood.
Here, people leisurely enjoyed the warm weather in the cool shade of the tall trees when they had free time, had unlimited access to fresh water and delightfully cold drinks, and lived their lives seemingly without a care in the world.
Sunny was constantly surprised to find himself among these fortunate and prosperous people.
For the past month, his life was very busy, but without any distress. He had been steadily working toward his various goals, slowly making progress toward each. His shadow fragments were nearing full saturation, and so were Saint's.
He had returned to the Dreamscape and participated in countless duels in the professional arenas, where the fighters were much more capable and gave him the opportunity to witness — and comprehend — many different battle styles. As the result, Sunny was able to further develop Shadow Dance, making his mastery of it much more solid.
The [Prince of the Underworld] enchantment of the Mantle was now also very different from how it had been before. Even if he wasn't going to reach the mark — six thousand defeated opponents — any time soon… or even a third of it… he was still making consistent progress. The counter already showed [1579/6000].
The drawback, of course, was that with each day he went without losing a fight, Mongrel received more and more praise and attention. These days, each of his duels gathered an audience as large as that of the top Dreamscape broadcasters… especially because some sort of a yearly tournament seemed to be approaching.
Mongrel's fans, however, were doomed to be bitterly disappointed. Sunny had no plans of participating in a foolish imaginary competition. He didn't care about fame and recognition, and was too busy to even spare it a thought.
Apart from practicing Shadow Dance, he also continued training with Effie and Saint, slowly bringing his mastery of the spear close to that of his knowledge of the sword. He also had to run the Brilliant Emporium, which was quickly blossoming into an actual enterprise thanks to Aiko's management and hard work.
…And of course, he had been training Rain.
"Come on! Seriously?"
She was currently in his living room, staring at him with outrage.
Sunny tilted his head a little.
"Sure. What seems to be the problem?"
Rain opened her mouth, then shook her head.
"Listen, Sunny, I understand that you are the teacher, I really do. But! It has already been a month, and all you taught me were wilderness survival lessons. And one — only one! — strike, which I had repeated thousands of times already. When I asked you to train me, I thought…"
Sunny grinned.
"You thought what? That I will teach you how to decimate Nightmare Creatures and bring all your enemies to their knees?"
She coughed in embarrassment, then said in a small voice:
"...Yes?"
He shrugged.
"But that is exactly what I am teaching you. Who do you think survives in the Dream Realm? The best swordsmen? The strongest fighter? No. You need to be alive to fight a Nightmare Creature, and for that, you need to know how to find food, water, how to read tracks and move through the environment without letting it kill you. And it will try to kill you, believe me."
He paused, then added:
"Yes, they taught you the basics in school, but not nearly enough. You want to live long enough to become strong? Then this is step one."
Rain let out a long sigh, and then looked at Effie for support.
The huntress was currently balancing in her wheelchair with a bored expression on her face, waiting at the door for some snacks she had ordered to arrive.
"...What? Listen to Sunny, kid. He might look like a wet weasel, but this guy knows his stuff. The things he lived through are simply beyond reason. Honestly, if he had any shame, he would be dead."
Sunny spared her a dark glance, and said:
"Thanks. I guess."
Rain frowned, accepting her defeat. A few moments later, she suddenly asked:
"What's step two?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You said that learning to navigate the environment without dying is step one. What's step two?"
Sunny looked at her for a few moments, then said:
"It's about your mindset. You're not ready for step two yet, though. We'll get to it when the time is right."
…For someone like Rain, that step was going to be the hardest. She didn't really have an aptitude for violence, yet, because her life so far had been nice and soft. But she would have to not only come to terms with violence, but also adopt it into the very core of her being, make it one of the cornerstones of her self. That was the only way to survive the Spell.
Ironically, for Sunny, that step had been the easiest. In fact, he had made it long before his First Nightmare, long before the Spell even knew of his existence.
Rain stared at him with disappointment, then sighed.
"...I just want to be strong like her."
He blinked a couple of times.
"Uh… like who?"
Rain suddenly smiled.
"The Awakened who saved me. She is so amazing! So strong, so beautiful. A true warrior, not someone like you…"
Suddenly, a mortified expression replaced her wistful smile.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that… you are great, too, Sunny! I'm sure! Just, you know… not on her level."
Sunny stared at her for a bit, then said in a strange tone:
"...Sure. No offense taken. Not everyone is made to be a true warrior, that's right."
He wanted to say something else, but at that moment, his communicator suddenly rang, announcing an incoming call. Sunny frowned.
'Who might it be?'
Very few people ever called him. Looking at the screen, he suddenly felt a bit cold.
…It was the Sour Reaper herself, Ascended Jet.
'What?! Why… why is she calling me?!'
Sunny hesitated for a couple of moments, then answered the call:
"Uh… yes? Master Jet?"
The familiar voice, as relaxed as ever, came out of the speaker:
"Oh, hey there, Awakened Sunless. Are you free right now?"
'What does she want?'
He glanced at Rain, thought for a bit, then said cautiously:
"Sort of. Why?"
For a few moments, there was nothing but static and the sound of a PTV moving coming out of the communicator.
Then, Master Jet asked:
"...Mind lending me a hand?"
Chapter 502: Sudden Request
A strange expression appeared on Sunny's face.
'Lend her a hand? Me? Why would a Master need help from an Awakened?'
Meanwhile, Master Jet added:
"You'll be generously rewarded, of course. Well… I can't guarantee the generous part, really, but there will definitely be a reward."
His eyes gleamed.
"Really? What kind?"
She chuckled.
"A fair share of contribution points? Enough to exchange for a decent Memory, at least. Plus, didn't you say that you owe me a favor?"
That did not sound bad at all. Saint was on the verge of reaching the coveted [200/200] status, and was currently just a few shadow fragments away from it. However, Sunny couldn't really agree to the proposal without knowing what exactly she expected him to do.
…Or could he?
Master Jet was one of the two Ascended he knew, and his only contact to the government. This was a relationship worth maintaining, which meant that it wasn't wise to refuse her request for assistance.
Plus, Sunny quite liked her, and also owed her a lot… even before she had saved him during the Gate battle. They were both from the outskirts, and had a rather good rapport.
They had a connection.
He lingered for a moment, and then said:
"Alright, no problem. I'll do it."
Master Jet answered with satisfaction in her voice.
"Good. I'll come pick you up, then."
Sunny glanced around, evaluating how presentable his living room was. He was suddenly a bit nervous.
'What the hell? What are you nervous for, fool?'
He cleared his throat, and then said:
"Sure… oh, wait. Let me give you an address…"
Master Jet laughed.
"Gee, Sunny. I work for the government, remember? I know your address."
Before he could respond, the call was cut off. Sunny was left standing with a rather dumbfounded expression on his face.
'She knows… well, of course she knows. I wonder what else she knows?'
Noticing the strange look on his face, Rain asked:
"Did something bad happen?"
Sunny sighed, then slowly shook his head.
"No, nothing bad. Just some business I have to deal with. Sorry, we'll have to continue the lesson next time."
She stared at him for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well, alright. I'll practice back home, then."
With that, Rain picked up her training sword, said goodbye to Effie, and left.
A couple of seconds after the door closed behind her, the former huntress gave him an amused look.
"That pupil of yours is a bit dense, isn't she?"
Sunny frowned, offended by her words.
"What do you mean?"
Effie giggled.
"Well, you've been tutoring her for a whole month, and she still has no idea who the two of us are. We're just two average, random Awakened to her. I mean, it's not surprising that she didn't recognize you. But I am a very famous person, you know!"
Sunny smiled slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. Your pride must be really hurt, venerable Raised by Wolves. Please accept my sincere apologies… not everyone, you see, is obsessed with the Awakened. Rain for example is more interested in historical stuff, about or from before the Spell. Plus, the government mostly uses your Dream Realm appearance to plaster all over the city, so…"
Effie waved a hand.
"I'm joking, you doofus. She's a good kid."
She paused for a moment, and then added:
"...That's why it hurts me to see her wasting money on a hack like you..."
At that moment, there was a sound of a PTV stopping nearby, and of light steps approaching their door. Effie's eyes shined.
Turning her wheelchair, she opened the door and yelled:
"Finally!"
…Master Jet stood on the porch in her usual deep blue uniform, with one hand raised to knock on the door. Her jacket, as always, was carelessly unbuttoned, revealing her slim waist and generous figure. Her short raven-black hair was a bit messy, and there was a look of slight surprise in her icy blue eyes.
Effie stared at the older woman for a few moments, disappointment clearly written on her face. Then, she said dejectedly:
"Oh. You're not food delivery."
A polite smile appeared on Master Jet's face.
"Ah. Awakened Athena. It's an honor to meet the famous Raised by Wolves. I am Ascended Jet."
Effie glanced at her, then at Sunny, then back at Master Jet.
Then, she smiled.
"...Good job, doofus. I approve."
Sunny gave her a murderous look, cursed inwardly, and turned to Master Jet:
"Do I need to prepare?"
She shook her head.
"Your usual Memories should do. If everything goes well, you won't even need to use them."
He hesitated, and then asked:
"What if it doesn't go well?"
Master Jet grinned, making Sunny suddenly feel very uneasy for some reason.
"Well… then it'll go badly, won't it? We'll know when we know."
With that, she looked at Effie and said:
"Please excuse us. Time is of the essence, so we will have to leave immediately. It was very nice to meet you, Awakened Athena."
Effie winked at her.
"Sure. It was nice to meet you, too. Bring snacks next time!"
Sunny felt his ears turning red and promised himself to have a word with her when he got back.
...Or better yet, kill her. Yes, that would be much beter.
'What next time? There won't be a next time!'
He quickly put on shoes and followed Master Jet outside, then got into the familiar PTV. As soon as the doors closed, she sent the vehicle moving at full speed, the acceleration pressing Sunny into the seat.
The streets of the terrace district flew by in a blur.
Master Jet glanced at him, then said wistfully:
"That's a nice home you have there. Feels strange, right? To own one. I did the same thing after becoming an Awakened, actually. Granted, it took me a bit longer to earn enough. You could have afforded a much better district, though. You know that, right?"
Sunny shrugged.
"Yeah, I know. But I like it here. It's quiet."
She looked into the window and smiled.
"Can't deny that."
Sunny waited for a few moments, then finally asked:
"Uh… Master Jet? Sorry, but what exactly are we doing?"
She briefly glanced at the control screen of the PTV, sent it into a sharp turn, and answered calmly:
"We are going to hunt down a dangerous beast."
He frowned.
"Beast? What kind of a beast?"
Master Jet remained silent for a few moments. Then, she glanced at him and smiled darkly:
"...The most dangerous beast there is. A human."
Chapter 503: Harsh Reality
Sunny shifted in his seat, a bleak expression appearing on his face.
'A human?'
Why would a Master be hunting down a human? There was police for that.
Unless, of course, that human was an Awakened…
Sunny was aware that special government agents — carriers of the Nightmare Spell themselves — dealt with those Awakened who broke the law, simply because police officers were often helpless against criminals that possessed inhuman strength and wielded bizarre or dangerous Aspect Abilities. It made sense that Master Jet would be involved in that side of government work, too.
But, honestly, he didn't know too much about how these things usually went.
Glancing at her, Sunny asked:
"Is it an Awakened criminal?"
Master Jet spared him a short glance.
"A… criminal? Yes, you might say that."
She remained quiet for a few moments, and then corrected herself.
"No, actually, do not. The man we must find is not a criminal. He is an animal... a rabid one."
Sunny frowned.
"An interesting choice of words."
Master Jet was concentrating on driving the PTV, so she didn't answer immediately. When she did, however, her voice was strangely calm:
"You are not an inexperienced Sleeper anymore, Sunny, so I will be straightforward. You, of all people, should be able to understand. The Nightmares, the Dream Realm… they take a toll. Some people endure, some people break. Some people carry the nightmares back with them to the real world."
A dark expression slowly appeared on her face.
"From what I heard about the Forgotten Shore, you witnessed the worse of what the Spell does to us. Yes, we Awakened are at the top of the world… those who return alive, that is. We have all the privileges, all the money, all the power. But the mark it leaves on us never goes away. After all the pain, blood, and horror… after all the crap we the lucky few are forced to survive, many crack."
Master Jet looked at the road, her icy eyes full of unimaginable coldness.
"...Some crack a little, and some crack a lot. The government portrays us Awakened as powerful and noble, the saviors of the world… but really, most of us are walking on the edge, just one little step away from madness. All that trauma can mess one up really good, you know? It's all a big, big mess. So, when one of the Awakened loses control up and makes that last step… what do you think happens?"
Sunny remained silent for a while, thinking about the damage a deranged Awakened could do in the mundane world. His expression became dark and heavy.
He didn't even want to imagine.
"When that happens... you receive a call."
Master Jet glanced at him and smiled.
"Smart. Yes, when an Awakened goes out of control, I — or someone like me — receives the call. Things like that usually don't get out, because the government doesn't want them to. For obvious reasons. Everything is dealt with quietly, and so, here we are."
Sunny didn't speak for a bit. Then, he asked:
"So, what exactly is going to happen? We find this guy, talk him down or overpower him, and then put him in cuffs? Arrest him?"
What a funny thought that was. Him, making an arrest. Sunny had been on the other side of this equation a few times in the past, and never in his life had he imagined putting handcuffs on someone, and not the other way around.
Master Jet gave him a complicated look. There was almost... pity?
"...No. We are not going to arrest him."
Sunny blinked a couple of times.
"Will he be free to walk around as if nothing happened until the trial?"
Of course, there was another, much darker answer…
As if reading his thoughts, Jet slowly shook her head.
"No. No, he won't be walking around."
Sunny looked into the window.
"...Ah."
Master Jet sighed.
"If they summoned me, then things are already beyond that. Think about it… if a mundane human needs to be contained, you can put them in prison. But we… we are Awakened. Realistically, there is no prison that can be built to hold us. Not with every Aspect being unique, and demanding unique means of containment. So there will be no arrest, and there will be no trial."
She accelerated the PTV even further, and then said evenly:
"...There will only be an execution."
Sunny looked out the window, not sure how he felt about that. Yes, what Master Jet said made sense. Awakened were too powerful, and too dangerous. If one of them lost control, then they needed to be dealt with, somehow. In a perfect world, they would go through the same process that mundane humans went through.
They would be arrested, tried, and either locked in a cell or receive proper help in a mental institution.
But this was not a perfect world.
So, instead, they would just be hunted down and executed, and the whole thing would be swept under the rug to preserve the spotless reputation the Awakened enjoyed.
Although harsh, this was the somber reality. He wasn't against the idea itself. He just didn't know how to feel about the fact that this time, he was going to be the executioner.
Finally turning to Master Jet, Sunny lingered for a few moments, and then asked:
"So why me, of all people? Why ask me for help?"
Master Jet glanced at him, then grinned.
"Three reasons, really."
She blew through an intersection, almost crashing into a heavy cargo vehicle, and then dodged it at the last second.
"First, I know you. There are many people who could have helped, but very few whom I would trust to have my back."
Sunny nodded, strangely pleased to hear that.
"Second, from the initial information I received, the suspect might have an Aspect that is somewhat similar to yours. High affinity to shadows. So, you'll be helpful when we're tracking him down, and if things go south, he won't be able to escape easily."
'Another shadow user... interesting.'
She gave him a calm look, and added:
"And lastly… there are a lot of people working for the government, but very few who are suited for this kind of work. Unlike you and I."
Sunny considered her words. After a while, he asked:
"Because I am from the outskirts, just like you?"
Master Jet remained silent for a bit, and then gave him a bright smile.
"...No. Because you are a killer. Just like me."
Chapter 504: The Right People
Sunny wanted to deny her words, but in the end, simply turned away to look at the city streets flying by.
Master Jet knew, of course.
She had long known that he had the capacity to be a killer because of the cruel past the two of them shared, and more than that, she had access to the records about the events of the Forgotten Shore that the government agents had compiled.
Out there, Sunny had killed his fair share of people. He had not been the most active participant in the civil war for the throne of the Bright Castle, but his hands were covered in blood, too. There were very few survivors of the Dark City who, like Aiko, managed to go through that morbid ordeal without staining themselves with human blood.
And then there were other lives that almost no one knew that he had ended — Caster, Harus, the hunters who had kept Kai locked in the dark well… and Harper.
Even before that, he had killed the old slaver, Shifty, Scholar, and Auro of the Nine without batting an eye.
…Honestly, it was not a big deal. Except for maybe Harper, Sunny never lost sleep over any of the humans that had died by his hand. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that some of them he even enjoyed killing, a little.
And it was precisely the fact that he didn't think of it as a big deal that proved Master Jet's words. Sunny was a killer, and not in the sense that he had killed before or had been taught how to. He had an innate aptitude for that sort of thing, and there were not a lot of people who did.
In fact, he only knew three. The first one was himself.
The second was Nephis. She was the one who had taught him about murder, after all.
…Maybe that was one of the reasons why Changing Star had chosen to impart her family battle style to Sunny. Maybe she had recognized that the two of them were similar… that both of them had seen and known the truth of this world. That he would be able to understand.
The third one was Master Jet.
Sunny suddenly realized that he didn't know much about her, apart from her Rank, her past as a kid from the outskirts, and her role as a government operative. Everything that he thought he knew about Master Jet had come from what others told him about her, painting an intimidating and imposing picture of the fearsome Soul Reaper.
That picture, however, did not reveal the real human hidden behind the loud nickname. In fact, it only served to obscure her more.
What nightmares Jet herself had survived on her path to becoming a Master? What were her hopes, her convictions? What were her goals?
He had no idea.
Thinking about it, Sunny hesitated for a while, and then said:
"Master Jet? Can I ask you a question?"
She glanced at him briefly and smiled.
"Sure."
Sunny carefully chose his words before formulating a question. In the end, he asked simply:
"...Why are you not a Saint?"
Master Jet laughed, her voice full of amusement.
"What a peculiar question. You say it as though becoming a Saint is something that just anyone can do."
He shook his head, not willing to let it go.
"But you are not just anyone. Sure, you might be younger than most Masters out there, but very few of them can compare to you in terms of talent and power. The fact that you chose to challenge the Second Nightmare proves that you have ambition. So why stop?"
She spared him another glance and asked with an easy smile:
"Why? What have you heard?"
Sunny shifted uncomfortably.
'Crap...'
"I've been told that no one wants to go into a Nightmare with you because of your… problematic personality. Murderous savage and psychopathic killer — these were the precise words they used. Uh… sorry."
Her smile turned wider.
"Really? Haven't heard those before. Huh… I like it. But what do you yourself think?"
He remained silent for a bit, and then said with a bit of doubt:
"I don't think I buy it. I just took it at face value as an inexperienced Sleeper, but after the Forgotten Shore, that statement doesn't seem to make sense. Sure, it is important to trust those who you enter the Nightmare with… but at the end of the day, strength is strength. And you are very strong. You also work for the government, which proves your ability to be an adequate part of a larger collective. To work in a team. So, I simply don't understand."
Master Jet did not speak for a while, concentrating on the road. Eventually, she answered, a hint of darkness finding its way into her voice:
"...That is because you don't know enough. You're young, and haven't had to deal with the Awakened affairs a lot. Plus, some of these things people only learn after reaching a certain stage. You're not at that stage yet, but since you asked, I'll answer."
She looked at him, the smile disappearing from her face.
"It is very simple, really. Basically, you need the right people to help you become a Master. But to become a Saint… to become a Saint, you need for the right people to not obstruct you. Take it as you will."
She didn't say anything else, and Sunny did now ask, a deep frown appearing on his face.
'For the right people… to not obstruct you…'
He understood what Master Jet was hinting at, of course. He knew enough to come to the right conclusion.
What she just told him was that to become a Saint, one had to... receive permission.
And it wasn't too hard to realize who had to give that permission.
The Sovereigns.
Who else but them? The three Supremes who ruled the most powerful Awakened — the Legacy clans — from the shadows. Come to think of it, such an arrangement made a lot of sense.
There were just a few dozen Saints in the world, and each of them possessed unbelievable, mind-boggling powers. Would the Sovereigns have allowed for such powerful individuals to exist outside of their control?
From everything that Sunny knew about the vile nature of power and how the world worked, the answer was obvious - no.
So… did every Saint out there actually belong to one of the Sovereigns?
It seemed that they did. Even Sky Tide of the White Feather clan, who gave Sunny an impression of being a reclusive and fiercely independent woman, was beholden to a Great Clan… and, therefore, to Anvil of Valor — Vale of Aster, Song, and Vale — the Sovereign of that clan.
What about people like Master Jet, then? Someone capable enough to become a Saint, but either labeled as undesirable or simply unwilling to submit to one of the Supremes? What was the obstruction she had spoken about?
Was it a simple lack of support, or would the Sovereigns go much further to prevent an independent Saint from appearing in the world?
If they had no problem with sending assassins to kill the six-year-old daughter of their former comrade and companion, then they would surely have none with making someone like Jet meet an unfortunate end, should she act out of line.
He lowered his head and briefly covered his eyes with a hand.
'It's the same… it's absolutely the same crap as what Gunlaug had done in the Bright Castle. Gods, how unoriginal…'
But that was the thing about vile things. People loved to romanticize evil and those who committed it, creating countless alluring characters to act as compelling and brilliant villains. But in reality, human evil was almost always banal. It always followed the same disgusting, predictable paths, and led to the same hateful end.
No wonder Nephis wanted to destroy them so much…
Sunny's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the PTV coming to an abrupt stop. Looking out the window, he saw that they had arrived at a dark and narrow alley, which was currently blocked off by a police cordon. Blinking lights of several armored police vehicles drowned it in an unsettling glow, and there were many officers on the scene, their faces pale and tense.
Master Jet yawned, stretched, and gave him a crooked grin.
"Rise and shine, Awakened Sunless. We've arrived..."