Capítulo 42: Champion
"Do not deliver the final blow if you have not touched the surface of the statue first."
Nephis particularly looked at Caster, Sunny, and Aldric. With their combat skills, they were the ones most likely to deal the final blow to the nightmare champion.
Sunny seemed to want to continue the conversation but was interrupted.
"Of course, Lady Nephis."
Caster spoke in a measured tone of respect.
"Yeah. I understand. But I do need to say one thing."
Aldric responded.
Everyone looked towards him as he spoke.
"My aspect ability is down for the count during this fight. It should be back soon, but whatever that thing did to me in the sea left some damage. It doesn't change much, though. I'll fight all the same."
Aldric admitted to his temporary weakness.
Nephis was silent for a moment. Ruminating about what she just heard.
"Ok, that is good to know. Let's go."
And so they did.
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Carrying on their march, they came upon a large cavern. With an open-air space, the size was comparable to the Bright Castle itself.
'I guess they don't call it the Hollow Mountains for no reason.'
With black sand surrounding the floor, a large, unfinished black statue stood at the centre of the cavern. Reminding him of the Stone Mimic that he fought when he entered the dream realm. It looked as if it was stuck mid-transformation.
Knowing what they were here for, they continued onwards.
Meeting the cohort was a horrid creature. Something out of mythology. The kind that didn't have a happy ending.
A chimera dropped from the darkness of the cavern. An unnatural mix between a lion and a raven. With two powerful hind legs and six others protruding from its torso, each with a set of deadly, sharp claws.
Its face was predominantly fashioned like a raven. With a massive single beak ready to pluck its prey. Black feathers adorned its body, looking like a messenger of hell.
"MESSENGER!"
Sunny shouted.
The fight had begun.
Hearing the signal, Nephis adorned her [Dawn Shard] with its enchantment activated. Empowering the cohort's memories, Aldric was in particular need of this.
With his innate ability still faulty, he could not coat his [Malice of the Deep] in darkness. This is what gave his awakened blade the ability to pierce through the few Fallen-ranked creatures that he killed. Without it, he would have to rely on Nephis' [Dawn Shard].
The messenger charged through the air with its wings spanned out.
Immediately Sunny met the charge like a bullet. Covered by his dark wings, he levitated in the air. With his [Midnight Shard] at the ready, he slashed at the messenger's wings. Crippling the beast, it fell down to the ground.
Continuing his momentum forward, he dashed to the statue.
The rest of them were not standing, still watching. Kai released a blood arrow at the beast the moment it landed. With disturbing accuracy, his mark hit true. Replenishing his blood, he pulled back his next arrow.
Effie and Saint now controlled its attention. With Caster and Aldric dealing significant damage as they took advantage of their numbers. Nephis stood in between. Dealing damage when she could and supporting Effie when needed. After all, the beast could only attack one person at a time with how spread out they were, giving ample enough time for a counter from somebody else. With Kai taking shots when he felt it was safe to do so, even Cassie's loyal echo was helping. Darting in the air, aiming for the beast's vulnerable eyes.
This was Aldric's job; utilising his basic battle style in perfect synergy with his [Insight] allowed him to react to the intervals of danger with pinpoint accuracy. Like a symphony, he was in step with the beast. After all, a battle was not just about trading attacks. It was the imbetween. The repositioning, setting distance, and pacing. His [Insight] gave him cues on when to attack and when to disengage. Like a conductor, his attribute was his guiding hand. He knew this rudimentary battle style would not pass moving forward as an awakened. Feints and speed were just some of his weaknesses. But he knew this was the start of his battle art.
But what made it as effective as it were was his [Tranquil Core] attribute. It allowed him to calm his racing nerves. Giving him the peace of mind to be able to put his complete focus on listening to the signals from his attribute. A single misstep could have him walking right into an attack after all.
'Dodge, duck, step back. Left claw, feint, attack.'
That's all his mind was filled with.
Aldric and Caster's attacks dealt significant damage to the beast. The beast was slower and more predictable. Bleeding profusely, it was now met with flames of the soul. Nephis pierced the left side of the beast's torso and injected a burning white flame through its insides.
"CROOOOAHHHHHH"
The beast screamed in pure agony. Stunned by the pain, it was ripe for the kill. But it was not time yet.
They were not unscathed either. Effie had taken the impact of a beak strike through her shield. Dislocating her shoulder. Caster as well caught a swipe from the beast's claws during an exchange. Four bloody lines were carved through his armour.
Aldric looked at Nephis, waiting for her next move. This was the perfect opportunity to kill it, but they had to wait.
It seemed that not everyone was comfortable waiting for Sunny to return. In a blitz of speed, Caster had left for the statue. This had increased the workload for Aldric twofold, but it was better than having done all of this for no reason. So he persevered.
Before he knew it, a small shadow darted below the messenger and gutted it like a pig. Blood and viscera dropped onto the floor in a gruesome display. But the shadow had a problem.
The beast was not dead yet.
In a final act of vindication, the chimera launched its powerful beak to break through its attacker. After all, a beast is most dangerous when it is near death.
Facing death in the face, Sunny did not have enough time to move. A white light stood in front of him just before impact.
Nephis redirected the blow with expert accuracy. Using all her strength, she was able to avoid being clipped by its beak.
A ghostly green Jian was positioned perfectly to behead the dying creature. But it was a second too late.
A small kunai attached to a thin wire exited the already destroyed eye. Pulling brain matter along with it.
"THUMP"
With that, the fight was over.
**********
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Writing fighting scenes is not a strong point of mine so I hope it came across well.
JubayerSiam&NYXLOGOS chapter 41 response: For real. I wanted something that was reasonable to act as Aldric's special thing. While Sunny had {Fated] to guide him and literally save his life many times, Aldric would not have that. Without giving him a crazy advantage like a system, two aspects, or like 10 attributes. I just chose an attribute duo with amazing synergy.
It is not all powerful, as you've seen with the scene in the dark sea. But yeah, It is his best ally in all of this.
Well, hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Till the next one.
Capítulo 43: Voyage
Sunny jumped off the floor in alarm. His close touch with death dropped his heart to the ground.
But his attention was taken by the sound of the spell.
Aldric could see Sunny's dazed look as he was viewing his runes. From an outside perspective, it seemed rather odd, but it was standard in a group of awakened.
He had a question on his mind. After giving him a moment, he asked.
"Hey Sunny, What rank was the messenger?"
Sunny focused on the person speaking to him and raised an eyebrow in question.
"It was a Fallen Monster."
He responded.
'Is that the power of a real Fallen Monster?'
Aldric remembered his encounters with past Fallens. It seemed like the messenger was a different breed. Made purely for violence, unlike the stone mimic he killed. However, they could have easily defeated the messenger without incurring as much damage as they did. Having to wait for someone who touched the statue to kill it made things ten times as hard.
Damage-wise, only Caster and Effie were injured. Nephis quickly started to heal them with her aspect. As she went to do so, she heard a hysterical laugh.
"You know when the First Cohort cleared out the Bright Castle, a Spire Messenger had taken the throne room as a nest. The First Cohort killed it and the rest of the nightmare creatures in the castle. What we just did was the stuff of legends. Beyond the host, beyond the outer settlement."
Effie exclaimed in pure joy.
'She has been here the longest. She must have heard those tales for so long that it has set the bar on what is achievable in her mind.'
Aldric thought.
Sunny looked as if he was about to respond but chose not to and went to thank Nephis for her intervention.
Aldric took some time for himself as everyone wound down from the intense battle.
"I guess it's finally done. We can head back and finish all of this."
As he spoke to himself, he heard a soft whisper speak to his left.
"I... I don't want to reach the end."
To his left, Cassie spoke as she faced the ground. Clearly ruminating over something. Aldric chose to ignore what she said, guessing he wasn't meant to have heard it.
'You already made your choice. You have to see it through.'
A few feet in front of him, he could hear Sunny, Nephis, and Effie talk about the memory that Sunny had gained.
Aldric ignored their conversation and sat on the cold black sand. Looking at the glimmering obsidian walls of the cavern.
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They had spent a day resting and recuperating. Mostly for the injured and the damage that was dealt to their memories.
Taking stock, they prepared for the long journey back to the Dark City. After all, they could not hang on the shoulders of a statue to cross back. This time they would have to make the journey back on foot around the sea that they crossed over.
It was going to be hard mentally and physically. There would be no safe place, no settlements to rest. Travelling through unknown territories would become the norm.
With a deep breath, Nephis spoke.
"Let's head out."
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Two and a half months later, a group of seven were seen walking on the Marble Arch at the entrance of the city.
At the forefront, Nephis stood stalwart. With her white hair now reaching well past her shoulders and on her back. With a thin face and dark eyes, she marched ahead.
To her left, a much leaner Effie stood. Wielding both of the shard memories. A spear and a shield.
To her right, Caster walked with measured steps. With a short, scruffy beard and a grim look on his face. It seemed that the duration in the dream realm was getting to him.
Behind her were the trio of Kai, Cassie, and Sunny.
Kai looked as elegant as before. With a rough look, he still kept on top of his hygiene in between battles. Adorned in a new set of armour, his previous one was destroyed in combat.
Cassie had the biggest change out of them all. The journey gave birth to a sharp face amidst her previously juvenile look. Armed with 4 echos, her trusty rapier, and the rest given to her by the cohort, she was a dangerous sleeper.
Sunny looked just as battered as the rest of them and even more. With his armour falling at the seams, his face was caked in dirt and blood. Not one to care for appearances, he continued to follow the group. His physical characteristics hadn't changed all that much.
In the rearguard, Aldric walked leisurely as he followed the pace. Any shred of adolescents had left his face. With sharp cheek bones and a sharp jawline, he was lean. Gaining a few pounds of muscle. He was now just as tall as Caster but still shorter than Kai. With his curly hair cut short, he looked like those Greek statues of philosophers. At its short length, his hair looked black that was dyed white in highlights. He was adorned in black stone-plated armour that interlinked seamlessly. Curiously, small wisps of darkness were bleeding through its cracks.
They followed the familiar pathway, avoiding the territories of fallen-ranked creatures. Slowly marching forward, they came upon a familiar sight. Where this voyage had begun.
He glanced at his runes quickly.
Dark Sprites:[735/2000]
He had a large cache of soul shards stored in his stone coffer. He offered them occasionally to others when he felt nice, but for the most part, he stored them in preparation for what came next. Though he always kept his emergency soul shards in his pouch.
With a small smirk, he continued his pace.
Aldric was content with the amount that he had gained. Covering the rear of the group was just as dangerous as covering the front. With the two strongest in the group covering either end. Sunny acted as his support, while Caster and Effie supported Nephis.
The rear was a dangerous place. While it may not have faced the brunt of the attacks, the rear had to deal with the consequences of whatever the front did and could not do. It was a hard job mentally and physically, ensuring the safety of the group. While Sunny did support him, the scout was also focused on protecting their long-range attackers, Kai and Cassie.
They were a good system. And each fight acted as a grindstone to make them sharper. Effie acted as the shield of the group. Sunny as the scout and hidden blade. Cassie as their guardian angel, guiding them away from horrors. Kai as aerial support. Nephis as their leader, healer. Caster as their blade and Aldric as their back.
Their bonds had also gotten stronger. Sunny blended in with Cassie and Nephis like he never left. Kai formed good relations with everyone. Aldric did not go out of his way to develop relationships, but when you spend your entire day with people for two and a half months, you are bound to get closer. Especially with Kai and Cassie. They were a lot more mature and socially adept than the rest. Caster was not an option.
As they continued to walk, a voice spoke out in front of him.
"Hey Aldric, why exactly are you joining this fight? You are not part of Nephis' cohort. What she owes me doesn't really concern you, right?"
Sunny spoke with brutal honesty.
It was a fair question. Although poorly worded. Aldric took a moment to think about it.
It was surprising when Aldric did not receive an invitation to officially join her cohort. It seemed that even Kai did. He did not see or hear about it but noticed when Kai was told more and more things.
'Am I on the same level as Seishan? Or maybe its a thing that is not said.'
While it stung to not be offered a place, it didn't really matter as his answer would be the same. Thinking of Caster made him sure of his choice. He had his own goals, and they don't start with him hiding under Nephis' skirt. It didn't really mean much in the long term. After all, this cohort would soon be reaching its end.
Friendship is something that he didn't mind at all. The kind where you are chasing your own goals and meet every now and then. He remembered that was how it was for the cohort outside of conquering nightmares together in the future.
"She owes me something. So, I have to make sure that I can collect it. Also, hearing about the knight's abilities made me curious."
He spoke while releasing a small wisp of darkness.
Sunny, feeling the coldness of the dark, immediately shouted at him to stop it. Pushing forward, he raced to the front of the group in front of the cathedral.
"In two days, you bastard."
**********
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Thanks for reading. Big time skip, the story is progressing.
Watched the first episode of the new Danmachi season. Pure hype. Any danmachi fans?
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, till the next one.
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