Brilliant Fragments: [500/1000]
Good, I've managed to gather half the fragments needed to form my second core. So, it's time to kill an Awakened Demon. It's a shame I didn't have any Echoes; otherwise, my plan would be much easier.
Yawning, I climbed down from the ancient bones. Upon exiting, I reached the ash coral. Moving through the dead coral, I observed the enormous tree, which was an Awakened Terror, guarded by an Awakened Demon.
"Let's see. To obtain the Midnight Fragment, you needed to interact with the knight's statue. If my theory is correct, I need to interact with the seven statues to kill their guardians and obtain the seven fragments. In the dark city, there's one inside the great skull; then outside were the statues of the priestess, the huntress, the builder, and the others," I murmured, using a piece of bone to write on the ashen ground.
This helped me clarify my thoughts.
"The builder's statue wanders all over the Forgotten Shore, so unless I have ridiculous luck, it won't be easy to locate. However, the most complicated part is the Underworld. I need at least someone who can navigate the river to reach the Herald and kill him."
Pausing, I observed the crude drawings on the ground before using my white boots to erase them.
"Good. Now, let's focus first on killing a demon and an egg."
I advanced through the heap of dead coral. I didn't have to worry, as there were no monsters in this area; most were terrified by the Terror that was the Soul-Devouring Tree.
I still needed to find a way to deal with its insidious mental attack and avoid becoming its slave.
When the sun was at its highest point, I observed the great ash mound. At its summit stood the enormous tree, whose titanic appearance cast a huge shadow over the surface.
Its trunk was a deep black like the Dark Sea, its branches thick and massive like wide roads. Its leaves were enormous, a crimson color.
I averted my gaze from the tree and focused lower down. I couldn't see it well, but I could make out something moving at the top: it was large and terrifying. Without a doubt, it was the Awakened Demon.
The creature was as large as a house, with its eight segmented legs resembling tall pillars. Its shape was similar to centurions and scavengers, with a humanoid torso. Its carapace was made of polished steel that reflected the sun; spines protruded from its back. It possessed two scythes and two pincers functioning as its arms.
It was terrifying, full of overwhelming malice and a desire to destroy everything for the will of its master, the Great Soul Tree.
---
The Shelled Demon remained motionless under the twisted shadow of the Great Tree, but its stillness was deceptive. Inside, irritation grew like thick poison.
Its subordinates had not yet returned.
The offerings should have arrived far too long ago. It could feel the Tree's hunger, a slow, deep pulse that ran through the earth, demanding souls, demanding tribute. Every second of delay was a direct affront to the will of its Master… and, by extension, to its own.
The demon's scythes moved slightly, tearing the air with a metallic whisper. Its eight legs tensed, sinking a little deeper into the ground, leaving cracks around them. Impatience was slowly transforming into fury.
Its claws resonated with a metallic sound.
It had trusted them with a simple task: hunt, kill, and bring the souls. Nothing more. And yet, they failed.
The demon tilted its humanoid torso slightly, observing the horizon between the twisted trunks and roots that rose like petrified serpents. If the offerings did not arrive soon, it would have no choice.
It would have to move.
The idea irritated it even more.
Its place was there, as guardian, as a living wall between the world and the Great Soul Tree. Abandoning that position meant leaving its Master exposed, even if only for a brief moment. An unacceptable risk… but the Tree's hunger would soon be worse than any external threat.
The spines on its back vibrated softly, reacting to its growing fury.
The ground trembled slightly as the demon took a first step, still indecisive, divided between its duty as guardian and the need to sate the insatiable will of the Great Tree.
---
I observed the brilliant fragment I had. I was hidden close enough to see the Shelled Demon and far enough away that it couldn't see me. I had reviewed my plan several times in my head.
Fighting a demon was madness. Even if my armor was Transcendent, it was still dangerous, and I preferred not to take unnecessary risks.
If I could use Essence, I would have fought the Awakened Demon without worry, but I was just a Sleeper, nothing more. So I had to be smart.
I observed the two jars containing the centipede venom. I had sealed them and placed them in my basket so they couldn't break, along with a basic torch I had created with bone wrapped in a highly flammable seaweed.
I would use the same plan the protagonists had used: I would summon something terrifying from the Dark Sea, make them fight, and when morning came, finish off the demon's life.
Sighing, I looked at the Soul Tree. I could feel how I needed to go to that tree to find something. It was like a sensation.
"Fated is a problem," I thought, looking at the annoying attribute.
As the sun was setting, I finally saw the Shelled Demon begin to move to search for Transcendent fragments. Leaving the tree unprotected.
"Good. Phase one complete."
Watching the direction the terrifying demon went, I smiled. A kilometer away, I had left the Transcendent fragment in such a way that it would be quite visible to the demon at dusk.
Once the demon had moved a few hundred meters away, without hesitation, I began to run with all my strength.
Reaching the base of the ash mound, I ran without looking back, straight towards the tree.
After what seemed like an eternity of seconds, I reached the base of the tree, just in time as I heard a loud roar of fury.
Looking back, I saw how the demon had turned around upon seeing someone climbing towards where the tree was.
Forgetting the soul fragment, the demon lunged at great speed, raising dust and ash in its wake.
I scaled the tree rapidly. It took me a few seconds to reach the upper branch and press my body against it.
The Shelled Demon arrived a few seconds later, raising ash from the ground and erasing the footprints with its massive bulk.
Screaming, the Shelled Demon began to run around the island, searching for the intruder.
"Part two complete," I whispered under my breath.
I stayed still, listening as the Shelled Demon uselessly combed the entire ash mound without finding me.
I observed the sun and the wind, calculating that only a few minutes remained before it disappeared. I mentally counted the seconds until the nameless sun finally set.
Once the Dark Sea covered the ash mound, I took out the two jars and then the torch I had prepared. Using two stones, I began to strike them together, producing small sparks that, upon touching the dry seaweed, ignited into a bright light.
The Shelled Demon, upon seeing that light, roared with rage and wrath, fixing its gaze on the insolent creature perched on a branch of the Soul Tree.
It lunged immediately to catch me, but it was futile. I was too high for it to reach, and due to the shape of its body, it was impossible for it to climb.
I looked down at it from above and offered a mocking smile before hurling the two clay jars directly at it. The demon reacted instantly and sliced them in mid-air, causing a dark liquid to spill and cover its entire body.
Without wasting time, I readied myself and threw the torch with all my might. It spun through the air like a yellow meteorite before impacting the Shelled Demon's carapace.
Immediately, fire enveloped its body, turning it into a blazing beacon on the Forgotten Shore, a perfect target for any monster emerging from the Dark Sea.
The demon screamed and writhed among the ashes, trying to extinguish the flames without any success. The corrosive and highly flammable centipede oil was extremely potent and difficult to extinguish.
From what I had studied and experimented with, I knew it would burn for at least fifteen full minutes before going out.
Several tense minutes passed. I could feel everything trembling from the erratic movements of the Awakened Demon, whose blows made the entire island vibrate.
Despair began to grow. Ten full minutes had already passed.
Finally, something changed.
The sounds ceased completely, and the surroundings became strangely silent. I looked at the Shelled Demon, which was now staring fixedly at the Dark Sea, as something cold began to manifest in the atmosphere.
I clung more tightly to the branch of the Soul Tree and closed my eyes.
A few seconds passed until the fog touched my body, making me shiver slightly. I could hear whispers in a strange language, which soon turned into screams of pain and agony, followed by shrieks so intense they seemed to make my ears bleed.
When those voices faded away, the demon screamed and struck its limbs together, dispersing part of the fog.
A few seconds later, everything began to tremble violently. The demon was fighting against whatever had emerged from the Dark Sea.
I heard shouts of rage and pain, followed by unnatural impacts that shook the Soul Tree. The battle continued for hours until finally, everything fell silent.
The resulting calm was unnatural.
I kept my eyes closed until I heard the sound of the Dark Sea receding. When I opened them, I saw the nameless sun beginning to emerge, forcing the Dark Sea to retreat.
The surface of the island was devastated, full of craters and open wounds everywhere.
Finally, I fixed my gaze on the Shelled Demon. It was gravely wounded and could barely move. Several of its limbs had disappeared; its two scythes were destroyed along with one of its pincers. Of its eight legs, only four remained, and on the breastplate of its armor gaped an enormous wound caused by a devastating impact.
I descended from the Soul Tree and invoked the Leviathan's Sword to put an end, once and for all, to the demon's life.
---
I descended from the Soul Tree, and my boots touched the still-warm ash. The Shelled Demon stirred upon sensing my presence. It didn't turn completely, but its remaining legs scraped the ground, leaving deep grooves.
I invoked the Leviathan's Sword.
The familiar weight of the weapon settled in my hands as the air around me grew denser. The dark blue blade reflected the dawn in a distorted manner, as if even the light hesitated to touch it.
The demon advanced.
One of its damaged legs snapped under its weight, but it did not stop. It used the momentum to propel itself towards me, dragging its mutilated body with brutal ferocity. The remaining pincer snapped shut with a dry crack, and the impact as it landed before me shook the ground.
I rolled to the side just as the pincer closed where I had been an instant before. The force of the blow pulverized the ash into a dense cloud. I felt fragments of rock embed themselves in my skin.
I couldn't let it hit me even once.
I advanced under its torso, cutting with the Leviathan's Sword at one of the exposed joints. The blade sank, wrenching a distorted screech from the demon, but the carapace didn't give way completely. It was too thick, even now after fighting the horror from the depths.
The demon reacted immediately. Its body twisted unnaturally, and one of its broken scythes, still sharp on the edges, swept through the air. I didn't have time to dodge completely.
The blow threw me several meters. I felt somewhat disoriented from spinning so fast. The blow, which was meant to kill me, caused me no harm due to my Transcendent garment. I quickly recovered.
The demon advanced again, leaving a trail of dark blood behind it. Its breathing was heavy, irregular, but laden with hatred. Each step seemed to cost it, yet it did not stop.
When it was close enough, I feigned losing my balance. The demon lunged with everything it had left, raising its body to crush me. In that instant, I let myself fall forward, sliding beneath its shadow.
I drove the Leviathan's Sword with both hands into the open wound on its chest.
The blade pierced the fractured carapace and sank deeply. A brutal vibration ran through the weapon, shaking my arms to the point of almost making me drop it. The demon screamed, a harsh, broken sound, and struck the ground with its remaining limbs.
I clung to the hilt and pushed with all my weight.
The sword advanced centimeter by centimeter, tearing through flesh and internal structures. I felt something give way at the end, as if I had pierced the core that kept it standing.
The demon trembled violently. Its legs buckled one after another, and its body collapsed against the ground with a dull thud. The pincer that was still moving snapped shut one last time… and fell still.
I withdrew the sword and stepped back, breathing with difficulty, not letting my guard down.
Several seconds passed.
The Shelled Demon did not move again.
The silence that followed was heavy, almost oppressive. Only then did I allow the fatigue to reach me. My hands trembled slightly, a product of the adrenaline and the sensation of death I had felt throughout the fight.
The incantation's voice whispered in my head.
[You have slain an Awakened Demon: Shelled Demon]
[You have received a Memory]
I let out a sigh.
I had done it. I had killed the Awakened Demon and obtained the Midnight Fragment.
I had to be quick to destroy the egg and leave this place while I was still sane.
Invoking the runes, I observed the memories I had and focused on the one I obtained.
Memory: [Midnight Fragment]
Memory Rank: Awakened.
Memory Type: Weapon.
Description:[Forged from a fragment of a fallen star, this steadfast blade is solid and flexible. It favors those willing to fight to the last drop of blood and who know no surrender.]
A smile slid onto my face. My theory was correct.
If I interacted with the statues and killed their guardians, I could obtain the memories to get the keys.
Dismissing the Leviathan's Sword, I looked at the Soul Tree. I could feel its mental attack, although it was a bit strange, as it was quite weak.
"Hmm. I thought it would be stronger. Unless…"
I looked at the Priest of the Sun's tunic and smiled. The tunic was a Remembrance of the sixth level. It surely possessed a powerful passive enchantment that reduced the effectiveness of mental attacks.
"Good. Now to kill an egg."
Moving towards the tree with some enthusiasm, I stopped upon hearing the sound of something moving rapidly.
Spinning around, I raised the Leviathan's Sword just in time to block some sharp claws.
The claws and the sword clashed, sending sparks flying. My body was pushed backward.
Falling on my back, I quickly recovered and invoked the Midnight Fragment while the Leviathan's Sword returned to my sea of souls.
I observed with a furrowed brow the creature that had attacked me. Its appearance was similar to a crow, but it had differences, as it also had traits of an eagle.
It was a jet-black color, with black eyes that seemed to devour light. In fact, its body seemed to absorb light into itself.
Given its size and the force with which it attacked me, it should be at least a monster or a demon.
The fact that it appeared immediately after I killed the Shelled Demon was terrible luck. If I had to blame something, it would be Fated. In fact, it seemed strange to me that nothing had tried to kill me until now, and here it was.
But I wasn't going to die in this place.
The winged creature swooped down again, and this time I didn't just react: I observed.
The movement was too precise. Too calculated. It didn't attack like a beast, but like a predator conscious of its strength, gauging distances, testing defenses.
I blocked its claws with the Leviathan's Sword, and the impact ran up my arms like a live current. The lightning wasn't just an attribute; it was integrated into its body, circulating under that metallic skin like liquid blood.
I retreated several steps, planting my feet in the ash.
This was not a fallen monster.
The creature spun in the air, beating its wings with a deafening roar. Lightning gathered around it, forming an unstable halo, and for a moment I felt the air become heavy, oppressive.
A Devil.
An Awakened Devil.
The realization hit me with the same force as the fear. That explained its absurd resilience, its control over lightning, and that suffocating sensation pressing on my survival instinct.
The creature descended like a black meteorite.
I rolled to the side as the impact opened a smoldering crater. Fragments of vitrified ash shot out, and an electric wave coursed through my body even without touching me.
I couldn't win using brute force alone.
The devil shrieked and unleashed a direct discharge. I did not dodge. I crossed the Midnight Fragment before me and felt the electricity being absorbed, deflected, torn apart by the stellar blade.
My eyes opened in surprise. The creature noticed it too.
I seized that instant and lunged forward, sliding beneath its body. The Midnight Fragment traced an ascending arc and, for the first time, the resistance gave way.
The cut severed the wing joint.
Sparks and dark blood gushed out together as the devil screamed, losing stability and crashing to the ground with enough violence to shake the Soul Tree.
I gave it no respite.
I jumped onto its back, driving the blade again and again into the cracks of its metallic carapace. Each impact drained something more than matter: I felt the creature losing coherence, as if its very essence was being torn apart.
The devil reacted with fury.
A massive discharge exploded from its body, throwing me far away. My vision turned white, and I fell rolling among the ashes, my body burning, muscles convulsing.
I struggled to my feet.
The creature rose again, though its flight was now clumsy. Uncontrolled lightning coursed over its body, striking the ground at random. Its black eyes were fixed on me, full of pure hatred.
I understood then that the Midnight Fragment would not be enough to finish it.
But it would open the way.
I ran towards it one last time.
The devil unleashed all its power in a frontal assault. The sky roared. The island trembled. I charged straight into the heart of the storm, enduring the pain as I drove the Midnight Fragment into its chest.
The blade sank to the hilt.
The devil's body arched, electricity overflowed uncontrollably, and an inhuman scream tore through the air. I seized that instant, with arms trembling and mind on the verge of collapse.
It was now.
I extended my will beyond my limits.
I invoked the Transcendent sword.
The dark blue blade descended like a final sentence, piercing the devil's skull and driving into the ground. The electricity exploded in all directions, tearing me off and throwing me several meters back.
I fell on my back, unable to move for a moment. The world buzzed.
The rain of sparks slowly ceased.
I forced myself to stand.
The winged devil lay motionless, its metallic body cracked, the lightning extinguishing like dying embers. One last spasm ran through its wings… and then nothing.
I took a deep breath.
I had won.
My hands trembled, my body was covered in burns and blood, but I was still standing. I retrieved the Midnight Fragment and returned it to my sea of souls, observing the devil's corpse with caution.
On the Forgotten Shore, even victory could be a trap.
But this time, there was no other monster lying in wait to attack me.
[You have slain an Awakened Devil: Black Steel Raven]
[You have received an Echo]
"Damn it, that's what I'm talking about!" I shouted to the sky. I had finally obtained an Echo, and one capable of flight, which was much better.
Observing the corpse of the devil that had attacked me, I sighed. I truly never expected to kill a devil so soon, but I had done it.
"I guess I'm stronger than I thought."
Examining the raven devil, I noted that its body was made of metal, making it incredibly hard to penetrate.
"If it weren't for the Unbreakable property of the Midnight Fragment and the Leviathan's Sword, I would never have had any chance of winning."
I had gotten good things by luck. I had obtained the Priest of the Sun's summary in my first nightmare, killing an evolving Terror. Then I obtained the sword of a fallen titan, and after nearly dying several times in less than 10 minutes, I had obtained an Echo.
Taking out the three cores from the demon and the four cores from the devil, I crushed them, increasing the brilliant fragments.
I looked at my burns, which had been a result of the devil's attack. However, I noticed the wounds were healing.
"Must be another enchantment," I murmured.
Without saying anything more, I began to climb the Soul Tree. I had an egg to kill.