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Capítulo 24: Sanctums

As William and Kai followed the strange creature, they saw it come to a sudden halt. A few seconds later, the creature leaped down from the boulder it had been standing on.

"What?" 

Taken aback, they sped through the gap to see what was happening. As they reached the boulder where the creature had been moments before, they saw it falling into a black portal shimmering with otherworldly energy.

"A Sanctum?" Kai exclaimed upon seeing the portal.

"How is there a Sanctum here? There's no mention of it on the Stronghold map."

William, too, appeared surprised by the black portal's presence. Their shock was understandable— after all, what they saw in front of them was a Sanctum!

Sanctums, or Black Portals, were gateways to isolated spaces of unknown origins. How these portals appeared, what their purpose was and their reasons for appearing were all mysteries to humans, but what was well known was the immense rewards they held.

However, Sanctums were also extremely dangerous, as inside there will be a set of trials to determine whether those who entered were worthy of the rewards. Typically, Sanctums around the Stronghold were marked and controlled by the stronghold's overseers to ensure they were utilized effectively. 

A Sanctum would disappear once fully cleared, so humans found ways to repeatedly use them by leaving parts uncleared, allowing the trials, monsters and rewards to regenerate over time. So, what surprised them now was that this Sanctum wasn't monitored by the Mercenary Federation at all.

"Maybe it's a newly formed one," Kai said, gazing at the Sanctum with hopeful eyes.

'This is it!' he thought, realizing this was his chance.

A chance that he desperately wanted to close the gap with his sister.

William understood Kai's intent just by looking at his eyes. Nonetheless, his duty as a guardian took precedence.

"It's dangerous to enter alone, especially since the strange creature jumped in as well." William was suspicious, as it was the first time he had seen a monster enter a Sanctum. He had heard that some intelligent monsters were drawn to the strong Essence leaking from Sanctums - monsters usually stay near the portal instead of entering to absorb the essence leaking out of the portal.

However the strange creature has suddenly jumped into the portal! 

The creature alone was dangerous enough, but now there was also the trials within the Sanctum which were unknown. 

William wasn't willing to risk his young master's life by carelessly entering the Sanctum driven by his greed for rewards.

Kai understood William's reasons and he was also not foolish enough to overestimate his own capabilities. 

"Let's just investigate the Sanctum for now. We can decide what to do later," Kai suggested. William nodded in agreement, and the two of them slowly made their way toward the black portal.

As they approached the portal, Kai concentrated his essence, causing golden runes to appear before him.

[Lunacy of the Black Wings] 

[Rank: ----]

Both William and Kai stopped abruptly, shocked beyond measure.

"The rank… it's not visible," Kai mumbled, feeling conflict in his mind. This had never happened before or at least neither Kai nor William had ever encountered such an occurrence.

"This is more valuable than we thought," Kai said.

Typically, Sanctums were ranked from F to S, with further divisions such as F-, F, and F+. This ranking was assigned by Providence based on the Sanctum's danger level. 

But this Sanctum didn't even have a rank!

This could mean one of two things, either the Sanctum was too easy to be ranked by Providence, or—

'The Providence can't judge the difficulty of this Sanctum.'

If it were the former, it might be manageable, but if it were the latter, this opportunity was incredibly valuable.

As they considered this and approached the black portal, another message appeared.

[Entry Limit - 1/1]

Once again, they froze.

"Someone has already entered!" 

Sanctums generally did not have an entry limit, but some had strict restrictions. The message indicated that someone was already inside. 

They didn't consider the strange creature to be part of the entry limit, as Providence didn't count monsters in this regard. This had been verified before when a beast master entered with his beasts—none of his beasts counted against the entry limit, nor did any captured monsters during tests.

So, they concluded that whoever was inside had entered before they arrived.

"Contact the main household," Kai said suddenly his voice filled with urgency. The opportunity was too valuable to let anyone else have it.

"Don't leak the information—keep it as discreet as possible and request support."

Since the Sanctum was under the control of the Mercenary Federation, revealing the matter could lead to conflict. Kai decided to keep it secret and secure the rewards for his own family.

"Ask the patriarch to dispatch the most skilled warriors of our family. We'll encircle the Sanctum."

If the one who had entered failed, they could immediately enter the sanctum and seize the rewards. On the off chance that the person succeeded…

'We will take it by force.'

A cold glint passed over Kai's face as he finalized his plan.

***

The creature possessing Levi leaped into the black portal, and the atmosphere around it shifted abruptly. When it opened its eyes again, it found itself enveloped in a dim twilight, with the sky above being a swirling mix of dark clouds and mists. The ground beneath its feet was uneven and rough, scattered with jagged rocks and deep cracks.

The creature glanced ahead, its monstrous eyes gleaming with intelligence. 

Twisted trees, with branches resembling skeletal fingers, cast long, eerie shadows. Green luminescent fungi clung to the tree barks, casting a ghostly glow over the surroundings. And a heavy fog hung in the air, obscuring vision and adding to the chilling atmosphere.

As the creature surveyed its new environment, a vicious smile spread across its face, as if it recognized the place. 

Then, suddenly, a sharp pain pierced its mind, causing it to clutch its head in agony.

"Seems our little sunshine is trying to wake up," it said, its smile widening.

"Fine, enjoy the small gift I have prepared for you."

The creature growled with ferocity one last time before collapsing to the ground.

---***---


Capítulo 25: Little Sunshine

It was a night in summer, the half-moon shining alone in the sky. The atmosphere, polluted by humankind, had made it nearly impossible to see the stars, but watching the moon itself had a calming, soothing effect.

In this serene environment, a woman and child were sleeping on the roof terrace of a two-story building, on a warm bedding with a blanket covering them halfway.

"Mom, which story are you going to tell me today?" the child asked, an innocent smile playing on his lips.

The mother paused, considering for a moment. "Hmm... Let me see, what story should I read to my little sunshine today? How about the tale of the little match girl?"

"The match girl?" The boy's eyes lit up with curiosity as he sat up, looking at his mother with excited eyes.

"You want to know? Then let me tell you the story of that misfortunate child," the mother said, a gentle smile gracing her features.

"Alright then, are you ready to hear the story of the little match girl?" the mother asked, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her son's forehead.

The boy nodded eagerly, snuggling closer to his mother as she began the tale.

"It was a bitterly cold New Year's Eve, and the snow was falling all around. In a dark corner of the streets, there was a poor young girl, bareheaded and barefoot, walking and trying to sell her bundle of matches. But alas, no one had bought a single one from her all day long."

The child's eyes sparkled, already captivated by the story.

"As night fell, the poor girl sought shelter in a dark corner, curled up and shivering from the cold. She dared not go home, for she had not sold a single match and knew she would be beaten by her father."

The mother paused, her gaze softening as she looked upon her son. "Feeling desperate, the girl struck a match to warm herself. And in that flickering flame, she saw a vision - a warm, cozy room with a large, tiled stove and a magnificent Christmas tree before her."

She continued, "The girl was mesmerized! But the match stick ran out and so does the vision!"

The woman turned towards the moon, "The Little girl however didn't give up, she wanted to see the vision again so she lit the match again, and once again she saw a cozy room around her."

She turned to her child who was listening intently to the story and smiled gently, "She didn't stop there. The little match girl began to light one match after another, each time seeing a vision of warmth and comfort. At first, she saw herself sitting by a glowing stove, a beautiful Christmas tree before her. Then, a delicious feast with a roasted goose appeared to her hungry eyes."

The boy listened as his mother recounted the match girl's moments of hope and delusion, each vision fading as the flame died out.

"And so it went, the poor child striking match after match, each time glimpsing a world of light and abundance, only to be plunged back into the cold and darkness when the fire went out."

The woman paused, her expression somber. "Towards morning, the little match girl sat there, motionless, a peaceful smile on her face. The passersby thought she had fallen asleep, not realizing that she had, in fact, frozen to death."

The boy's face fell, his bottom lip trembling. "Oh, no! That's so sad, Mama. What happened to her?"

The mother drew him close, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Nothing, she just died! You know what the moral of this story is, Levi?" 

She asked her child before continuing with a serious expression, "We must be wary of the illusions that bring us comfort in our darkest moments. For they are but fleeting, and the reality we face may be far harsher than we imagined."

She looked into his eyes, her own reflecting the weight of her words. "Whenever you feel like you're in a moment of great happiness, remember to look around – that joy may just be an illusion. Don't be a fool to die in those dreams, my dear. The world can be cruel, but we must always keep our eyes open to the truth, no matter how difficult it may be."

The child nodded vigorously. As they both gazed up at the half-moon together, the boy clung to his mother, burying himself in her embrace, and asked in a soft, uncertain voice, "Did she really die, Mama?"

The woman hugged her child tightly, her eyes fixed on the empty sky. "Yeah, she died, just like that."

The boy's heart sank; he had hoped his mother would say otherwise. But before he could dwell on his sadness, his mother asked him another question, her tone gentle yet probing.

"Do you understand the story, Levi?"

The child nodded again, though his heart was heavy with confusion. But instead of comfort, he was met with another, more unsettling question.

"Then what are you doing here still? Isn't it time you wake up?"

Her words struck him like a hammer, and suddenly, everything came rushing back to him. The memories of entering Paradise, making a contract with the demon, becoming a mercenary, and finally—the last thing he remembered before everything went dark.

'The Trait Ability!'

The moment he realized, the illusion around him started to wane, the comforting warmth of his mother's embrace fading away into nothingness. 

Levi now understood—he had been trapped in an illusion by his own ability.

But even as the world around him crumbled, he couldn't tear his eyes away from his mother's image. She stood there, her form slowly dissipating into the dark night, yet her face remained soft, and serene, with a warm smile that seemed to hold all the love in the world.

"Be safe, my little sunshine," she whispered, her voice tender and full of love, as the last remnants of the illusion vanished, and Levi was thrust back into reality.

---***---

Sorry for the late releases~


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