Back, maybe, I'm going to alternate between this and the other.
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Dark clouds fell on the Dark City in a torrential downpour, drowning out the noise that existed within the walls of the Bright Castle. Cassie looked out one of the newly opened windows, her mind wandering to the current situation.
They had purged the last of the Fallen Creatures lurking in the area, unofficially becoming the strongest force within the confines of the City. With all the Shards Memory in their possession except two, it was finally time for them to go on the last expedition to ever take place in the Forgotten Shore.
Baldr had assured the Sleepers that no one would go through the same suffering as them again, she didn't know if there was worst but keeping the Sleepers of the world from experiencing what they did was something she dearly hoped to achieve.
At least that was what she told herself.
In all honesty why would she care about those people? They weren't her friends, some might have helped her here but most of the attention towards her came from a place of malice, even here in this Castle.
She didn't think new Sleepers would be any different.
People still saw her as that helpless blind girl who had a hard time walking herself into her own pod. Everytime she walked alone into some crowded part of the Castle she could feel those disgusting gazes, creeping under her skin. It was suffocating—
"Cassie? We're about to depart."
Sunny voiced from behind her. Her remaining senses had become a lot sharper after training them intensely through the last three months with Baldr but Sunny seemed to completely disregard her efforts as he moved, more silent than a shadow while approaching her.
"Yes, I hope nothing will happen while we're away..."
"Don't start raising flags now~" A gentle voice was heard by both Sleepers as they walked to the main gates of the Bright Castle, resting on a wall not far from them, a radiant man was currently opening his eyes groggily.
Seeing Baldr's state, Sunny couldn't help but exclaim.
"By the Spell, why are you sleeping outside?! I didn't think Effie would have kicked you out now... I'd imagine if she wanted, you'd be out since the stuff you pulled a week ago."
Baldr blinked a few times at that. He was surely thinking something along the lines of this
'Sure maybe using multiple memories, including my Formless Toga to make a makeshift fishing rod wasn't the smartest thing he ever did. But it wouldn't warrent that kind of reaction right?'
Well Cassie wondered how he'd been able to
"No she didn't, truth be told I'm only here because I've stayed up all night at the thought of going out." Baldr smile turned toothy with an hint of mischief something. No surprise appeared in the eyes of both Sleepers at the thought of the radiant Sleeper excitement for a deadly voyage. Everyone in the Bright Castle knew by now.
Their Lord was bored.
Consolidating everyone's power and preparing for the Siege wasn't enough, Baldr yearned to travel the world, and truly test himself against creatures of higher power than he had fought till now. To that Cassie and Sunny could only sigh in exasperation, both nurturing the hope that this expedition would satiate his appetite for adventure and challenge, at least until they left this accursed Shore.
"Okay let's go, both of you, hope you didn't forget to stock up on food in case I die." Baldr jokingly added although it just sounded grim from Cassie point of view. He was in charge of stocking up on the rations, his memory having a preserving effect on them as they were seemingly kept frozen while in his Soul Sea. Apparently [Blind Obsession] had two modes apart from the one Baldr currently used.
One transformed it into an armor made of black thick hide, the second was a sharp shard of cyan glass hoisted on a hilt. Obviously no one mentioned how the radiant Sleeper was able to manipulate his own essence, it was an unspoken rule to ignore all the little incongruities in Baldr statements and instead, just take the positive aspects in them.
In combat or in life both. At least Cassie would understand if he had some kind of divining abilities, which he could, granted the fact no one really knew what his Aspect did apart from the close members of his cohort. But her intuition told her something else was at play.
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It was finally time.
Baldr was not dressed in his usual Formless Toga, the nebulous fabric instead wrapping around the joint areas that his armor left open. It was simply an armor type one that he had kept, becoming found of it's traits.
The black, lusterless steel it was made of hugged his body leaving no opening with the exception of said joints while It's thickness, less than a paper thin, seemed to offer no protection.
This made the memory incredibly light, making Baldr almost feel like he was wearing normal clothes, yet they could harden at any moment due to an attribute that reinforced the Memory's durability and thickness on areas where excessive force was applied.
Looking back on his cohort, the radiant man made a quick check of each head.
Caster, the young Legacy of the Han Li clan seemed to have steeled his resolve, murderous intent hidden behind the mask of friendliness he always wore. Next to him, discussing strategy was another person who always wore a mask.
Cassie glazed eyes were brimming with seriousness and bravery, her posture was straight as if ready to face the world, yet within her, a seed of fear kept gnawing at her mind.
It wasn't due to the danger of the task ahead, the radiant man had quite literally worked her to the bone, tempering her body and sharpening her mind in the few months they had been together, now from the ashes of a helpless girl rose a warrior, funnily enough she had discarded the use of a sword, the only one present in her vicinity being that strange echo that took the form of a rapier. No, Cassie fought with a mace, one who's head gave out an ominous power, the spikes on it dripping a corrosive substance.
The choice of weapon had been done with Baldr guidance. Cassie wanted to wield a weapon that could end battles decisively, in one strike if possible. That was due to the nature of her flaw which forced her to concentrate on heightening all her other senses when fighting so that she could predict her opponents. That couldn't be supported on the long run and since it was impossible to know if her next ability would remedy that, the radiant man decided to give such a weapon to her.
Then, drapped in gold from head to toe stood Effie, a garment summoned above it kept people from seeing how the viscous echo hugged her more intimate parts. Truthfully Baldr was growing weary, the constant worrying from her part meant he couldn't act as he wanted, it wasn't bad per se. In some way even, she was his safety net.
Baldr had responsibilities and, getting lost in the thrill of battle or exploration didn't help with fulfilling them, he knew that he wouldn't be exempt of such things in the future as well.
If he didn't break his promise, he would have to lead those following him in the future as well.
And back to Effie she also was...
Sensing his gaze she winked toward him before continuing to fake bicker with Cassie. At this Baldr smile widened before he looked up.
Up there somewhat far above their head rested Kai, the repeated hunts of monsters across the City had already made his talent for sharpshooting bloom. Now Kai through his instincts alone could send arrows that could hit vital parts of moving Fallen Creatures. Still Baldr worried for his friend, he had known him for a long time so it was hard to miss when something happened to the handsome Sleeper's mentality.
Finally the last two members of his cohort arrived, they looked quite disheveled probably due to meeting the Forsaken Knight, Baldr didn't know how but through a twist of fate they ended up in it's abode from what the winds told him.
'Fate...' Shaking his head he cast the thought aside, he refocused.
Sunny... Sunny had probably became the second deadliest after Baldr himself. After his class had suddenly shot up he went on a mad rampage, bullying every creature that he deemed weaker than him within the Dark City, even then the treacherous sleeper's luck meant he also kept running into Fallen Creatures, honing his swordsmanship against them.
Baldr didn't bother to ask but by now the divine shadow had probably unlocked the rewards tied to the first step of the shadow dance. If his muffled screams a few nights ago were to be taken into account.
His three shadows had become four, something not visible as three wrapped around his body, giving him physical power that only Effie and Baldr himself could match.
As for Nephis, while she was originally quite rigid, she slowly got comfortable with the rest of the cohort, there was no need to mention her physical prowess but if one had to know, she too caught up and had four Cores while also having completly integrated his swordsmanship into her own.
She had an almost obsessive discipline when training said swordsmanship as if she found the key to something within it.
'She probably think it's the pinnacle...'
Possibly due to a difference in how they approached the sword Nephis didn't seem to see what he saw. How above even the one Baldr had achieved, one — no, multiple realms remained.
That was something for her to realise though as even he didn't know how to even scratch the surface of said advancements.
And lastly, there was himself. After two grueling months of destroying last Fallen Monstrosities left in the Dark City and periodically fishing for stronger entities at night, Baldr had almost reached his goal.
[2798/3000]
Due to [Radiant Body] every last shard he absorbed raised his physical abilities by four times what a normal Sleeper would gain, a frankly outrageous attribute.
Coupled with his ability to augment his class, Baldr had now reached a unit of one Effie, wich mean he was able to outwrestle a single Effie if multiple came at him in a worst case scenario.
Yet his physical ability barely kept his attention rather, his Aspect Ability was the one thing that had kept the radiant man awake at night and drove him to kill so many nightmare creatures.
Aspect Ability: [Venerable Body]
Aspect Ability Description: From head to toe, from the most sensitive part of your mind to the dullest part of your body. You welcome everything, and everything welcomes you, call out to you. To become one.]
Was that the next step? To become one? The description was vague and uninformative, as always with with Baldr Aspect, yet he found himself thinking that the answer was right in front of his face.
But how would that even work? For once his imagination failed him and the radiant man would have to resort to experiencing it firsthand.
'Hopefully it's not as bad as that one.'
He had to reiterate once more if it wasn't clear enough. Suddenly having all of your senses hijacked by elements wasn't a pleasant experience.
The stocks of food were full so only one thing remained now. Turning his head back to the front and toward the Bright Caslte, Baldr adressed the rows of Sleepers that solemnly stood to bid them goodbye.
"As you know, I don't have an habit of breaking promises, so hear me."
He spread his arms as if grabbing the Dark City itself in his palms.
"Be it this place."
The radiant man swiped his hand toward the Hollow Mountains in a graceful motion.
"... this one."
He then, in a final act pointed at the source of everyone's hatred, a Crimson Spire looming pridefully above them all at it's top a blighted sun shone bright, not yet threatening but it's rays of sunlight insindiously sucked essence out of dead creatures.
"Or that accursed Citadel... The Path of victory is laid bare and you'd be a fool not to walk it."
Baldr waited a few instants before whispering a few words who's weight carried more meaning than any amount of theatrics he had done before.
"You will wake up from this nightmare."
And finally, all Sleepers who's heart trembled left for the Bright Castle, in the spirit of tempering themselves in the absence of their saviour.
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"...talking about some 'you will wake up from this nightmare' Oh my God was he trying hard !" Effie wheezed as they finished crossing the catacombs and then some, the place had felt strangely empty without the presence of the Lord of the Dead. The skeletons remained, yet the harrowing power that made them come to life wasn't present anymore rendering them into your usual old pile of bones.
They had passed the chasm, not having destroyed the bridge made for easy passage for all of them. All that was left was to climb out of this place, Kai and Baldr flew upwards each through different means, bringing a golden rope with them.
The rest of the cohort was left waiting for them to send it down again so that they could use it, sort of like a makeshift elevator. After a few minute a golden rope was rapidly lowered downward, stopping right before it hit the mud.
Effie and Caster were the first to grab it before said rope slowly ascended upward once again, with possibly a few minutes left to themselves, the original trio of Cassie, Sunny and Nephis started plotting.
"So? What do you guys think his Aspect Dormant ability is? I'm still thinking it's some control type thing." Aspect were versatile and usually hard to put in one category alone, their abilities however were not.
As of now multiple bets had been made on Baldr ability in the Bright Castle with what was put on the line ranking from a diversity of memories to echoes for the true gamblers. Knowing the radiant Sleeper he would respond with a bright smile or mischeviously play around the bush.
Yet no one had asked since, he was simply too reliable no matter the situation anyway. It was in human nature to deny the truth, in this case that their leader possibly wasn't all powerful. Doubt would start with his Aspect so no one bothered to ask.
Yet Nephis eyes gleamed as she responded. "I don't know yet, but I plan to ask him when we first set camp in this expedition. We need to know where he doesn't excel at so that we can fill in those areas."
An insidious way to say that she wanted to know his weakness. Watching both girl ascend as the rope came down once more, Sunny couldn't help but shake his head at the sentence spoken by Nephis.
The poor girl was out of depth when it came to trickery and twisting the meaning of one's words. Sunny would know, he had to do so everyday. As his gaze wandered waiting for the rope, something shone right in the corner of his vision.
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'This again shows that there is no coincidence in this world.' Baldr mused as he waited patiently for Sunny to grab on the rope.
If he was right, the treacherous shadow was busy getting it's blood sucked after retrieving the key to the underground of the Cathedral back where the Forsaken Knight resided. Creature... that they had just met not long before this.
If some things were predestined to happen, did it mean that Nephis binding Sunny to her would happen as well? If so, how would she learn of his True Name?
Those questions kept bouncing around Baldr's head before the rope got tugged a few time, bringing it up a slightly drained Sunny appeared, it seemed he was able to pierce through the flesh of the Corpse Eater this time, enhancing his weapon with four of his shadow might have helped in piercing it's skin. Everyone was looking at the treacherous Sleeper weirdly so Baldr decided to divert their attention.
"I need to tell you guys something." At this they turned to him instead, everyone but Caster's and Cassie eyes went to him, instead both kept themselves focused on Sunny.
Baldr quickly took note of this but continued to talk as if he had seen nothing. Yet, Caster's expression awakened a vague sense of foreboding in him.
"Now that we're out of the City and I'm with reliable allies. I won't hold back." He said, in essence that was obvious.
Baldr held about eighty percent of the fighting power within this cohort if one had to put it into numbers. Yet what happened when he ran out of essence? Or got mind controlled? Or worse just died? They would be the one to save him or carry the torch.
A sort of lifeline for him. But that meant he had to take care of them too, which he would do by ending every battle decisively while expending as little essence as he could, so by spamming one time killer moves.
Not doing so would turn battles into ones of attrition, so if you could. Pray tell, why would you not use your ultimate move on the first chance? This would turn battle repetitives but, dead nightmare creatures didn't adapt, nor did they tell others, making this a safe solution.
By the time he was done monologuing, the group had already arrived on a white arc seemingly built with the same aesthetic as the Dark City itself. Yet rather than take a short rest on it, the group simply skipped ahead.
'No beach episode it seems...' Baldr thought, almost dejected. He didn't mind such a thing as they had more important things to attend to.
Mainly some spiders to burn.
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End chapter or something.