I blinked, slightly confused. The shapeshifting monster had vanished and left no soul fragments behind.
However, I didn't really care; I was more perplexed by what I had read.
Wasn't it a reflection of Moldret? Was it a different creation from another Awakened? I thought, hesitant.
"Better think about it later," I whispered. I finally moved, ordering the Echo to watch the top level and kill any nightmare creatures that approached.
Walking towards the altar, I circled it, observing an ancient-looking wooden door that was in surprisingly good condition. Turning the knob, I opened the door and found stairs leading down to a lower level.
Descending step by step, I reached the end. I looked with satisfaction at the spacious area that was the basement of the ruins. Summoning the Greedy Pouch, I began to tidy up the whole place.
I placed the bed in a corner, followed by the table and the water bucket. "I need a chair," I murmured, observing how scarce the furniture was. "Is there even a chair in the ruins?"
I grimaced as I heard my Echo killing some nightmare creatures that had been drawn by the earlier noise. Sitting on the bed, I reviewed the memory I had obtained.
Memory: [Shapeshifter]
Memory Rank: Ascendant.
Type:Weapon.
Memory Description:[...Liliel observed her young friend with a slightly amused look, despite being blind. With mockery, she said: "Don't be afraid of them, it's just Bety, a cool guardian that changes shape. He won't kill anyone. Well, who knows? Maybe he will..."]
'Huh... what does that mean?'
I really didn't understand it. Memories are essences of memories from a bygone era; they contain fragments of information from the past. Surely Liliel was the name of the warrior priestess who used the shapeshifter to fight.
"But who was her 'friend,' and why did she describe him as young?"
I felt a slight headache thinking about what this could mean. "I wish I could see its enchantments, though unfortunately I don't have that, or I can't even use essence yet."
I let out a sigh and summoned the memory.
I watched as a greyish mist formed in my hand. I felt the mist was strange, vibrant. For a moment, the image of a katana passed through my head, and instantly, a simple katana materialized in my hand. Its blade was slightly curved, about one hundred and twenty centimeters long, with a black leather hilt.
Imagining a spear, the katana vanished and a spear, pure white like bone with a sharp blade, immediately materialized.
"Wow. This is good, very good. It can change shape instantly," I said, happy. Finally, I imagined a simple kitchen knife, and the spear changed into what I imagined.
Twirling the knife, I smiled with genuine happiness. It was good to have a multipurpose weapon.
So far, I had the Crimson Spear. It wasn't a bad memory, as it was a Transcendent weapon. In fact, all my Memories were Transcendent, I just didn't know what for or what enchantments they had. So I simply summoned the spear and the greedy pouch regularly to use them: to store soul fragments or move whatever I deemed useful.
Standing up, I let the memory turn into a simple black bracelet that wrapped around my wrist.
Leaving the basement, upon reaching the top I observed how the Terrible Wolf had massacred about five nightmare creatures, which turned out to be spiders. Giving the bracelet the shape of a sword, I used it to cut and extract the soul fragments, storing them in the Greedy Pouch for later use.
Looking at the sun's position, I estimated it was nearly midday, so it was time to start my plan to gain the greatest advantage without lifting a finger.
Climbing onto the Echo's back, I ordered it to head towards the spider nest. My intention was to lure as many as possible towards the Plague army's zone. The Tyrant wouldn't stand idly by upon sensing the spider army and would call its own subordinates to fight, starting a war until only one Tyrant remained standing.
The Echo stopped at the edge of the large sinkhole. Summoning the [Alluring Aroma] memory, I uncapped it. A charming, intense, sweetish aroma filled the area. Pouring some of the contents down into the sinkhole, I heard the sound of countless legs moving, a raspy, threatening whisper rising from the depths.
I quickly ordered the Echo to run, and it did.
As we moved a few hundred meters away, I looked back and saw an army of spiders emerging from the sinkhole. Each was an abomination of Beast, Fallen Monster, and Awakened rank; their speed was ridiculously high. The Echo increased its speed, forcing me to hold on tightly to its fur.
Finally, reaching the toxic zone, the Plague's territory, I did the same. The alluring aroma drew out the venomous monsters, which emerged from their habitat in a grotesque, vibrant swarm.
Watching the Plague army and the Spider army facing off, I threw the vial away and ordered the Echo to escape. The monsters ignored us, completely absorbed in the irresistible aroma and the massive presence of the other group.
Once at a safe distance, I dismissed the Echo and watched as my plan worked perfectly. The armies crashed into each other with a cacophony of shattering chitin, hisses, and snarls, beginning to wipe each other out in a frenzy of violence.
Dismissing the memory, it was just a matter of waiting. I could feel with my innate ability how more and more abominations emerged and clashed, their presences fading one after another.
Whistling a meaningless tune, I left that area, returning to the ruined church. I would come back in a couple of days.
Upon returning, I closed the door. After cooking some monster meat and having dinner, I went to bed early.
---
When I woke up, I washed my face and stretched. Summoning the Greedy Pouch, I began to take out the soul fragments I had gathered so far: about seventy of them, from Demons and Devils.
Crushing about fifty fragments, I left twenty to achieve what I wanted.
I wanted to achieve natural awakening. Since I had the Nightmare's Spell, I wouldn't lose it, and I could access my ability as an Awakened and use essence.
Getting into a meditative pose, I crushed a fragment and felt the faint soul essence enter my body and travel to my core. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on feeling my essence and making it circulate. I tried to replicate the sensation I had when becoming a Dormant, but it was tricky. It was like trying to feel something you've never had contact with.
Not giving up, I kept trying to concentrate, focusing inward. I don't know how much time passed, or at what point my mind went blank, solely focused on the internal flow.
Opening my eyes, I sighed. "A success," I murmured, without enthusiasm. Storing the other soul fragments, I left the basement. Upon reaching the outside, I noticed it was night; the moon was high in the sky.
Returning inside, I continued meditating until morning.
As the sun rose, I returned to the battlefield between the Plague and Spider armies. There were hundreds of corpses scattered on the ground, and the armies were significantly smaller.
Sitting on the edge of a building with a good view of the battlefield, I wasn't worried about being seen, hidden in the shadows and the dim light of dawn.
Time passed slowly as I watched the endless fight.
Finally, after several hours, there was a change. The two Tyrants made their appearance.
The Spider Queen was a massive spider at least ten meters tall, of a jet-black color. Her legs were long and sharp as blades, with multiple black, gleaming eyes. Where I assumed her mouth was, there were black tentacles that released a corrosive acid that smoked upon touching the ground.
On the other hand, there was the Plague King. A kind of colossal worm of a sickly green hue, with mutations impossible to describe: writhing appendages, secondary mouths, and spines oozing venom. From its body emanated a thick, greenish mist, highly toxic, that withered everything in its path.
Both Tyrants roared in challenge, a sound that made the rubble shake for kilometers around, and charged at each other. The battle was devastating, epic, and, above all, long. When the sun had barely begun to set, the battle began; now, with the moon high, it continued, illuminated by flashes of acid, venom, and pure monstrous fury.