Two months later, the team of seven sleepers emerged from the Coral Labyrinth, approaching a great white marble arch. Creatures attempted to assault them, but they moved like expert hunters, tearing them apart in seconds.
After two long and winding months of travel and survival battles, the cohort returned victorious—much stronger than when they had left and with more combat experience.
Uriel only needed 500 more fragments to become a Terror. He estimated that Nephis had reached her third core, nearly reaching the fourth, while Sunny, from what he had heard, was halfway to becoming a Demon.
Finally, after two months, the Echo of the Abandoned Knight had finished evolving, becoming an Ascended Devil, matching the power of the most experienced Masters.
Out of curiosity, Sunny and Uriel pitted their Echoes against each other to see who would win. The battle was intense, displaying great skills between the two creatures of shadow and darkness, ending in a clear stalemate.
Uriel checked the Abandoned Knight's runes. Now it needed at least a thousand dark fragments to evolve into a Transcendent Echo.
During the two-month journey, the constant stress and battles had changed him. His face had sharpened slightly, his skin had darkened a bit but remained pale. His Dark Mantle bore many scratches, tears, dust, and dried blood from continuous use.
His hair had grown, falling past his neck.
As for the others, they had undergone their own noticeable changes.
After the cohort rested for two full days, they returned to the Dark City.
"Don't you think it's strange that Gunlaug hasn't attempted anything in our absence?" Kai asked.
"I doubt it. He knows very well that 700 sleepers—all with saturated cores—attacking him at once would be a nightmare. So I bet all my fragments that he'll simply challenge me publicly, I'll kill him, and that'll be it," Uriel said simply.
"You talk about killing a human being as if it were the most normal thing in the world," Kai said.
"Kai, there's a universal law called 'Survival of the Fittest.' You either kill or get killed. You kill to eat, you kill for comfort, you kill to survive. And in the end, something much stronger kills you. I base my actions on that."
"So you don't consider yourself good or evil?" Cassie asked.
"Goodness, evil—they're just simple labels people use to differentiate themselves from beasts. In the end, they're just different wills clashing, and the strongest wins. It's that simple."
After Uriel's words, everyone fell into their own thoughts about their friend's philosophy. They had to admit his words carried the weight of truth.
When they arrived at the outer settlement, just as Uriel had predicted, Gunlaug's hunters were already waiting. The atmosphere was tense, and all the warriors from the settlement glared with clear hatred at the castle lord's hunters while watching the return of their saviors after their long journey.
"Lord of Darkness," a sleeper said, but Uriel just yawned.
"Yeah, I know. Tell Gunlaug we'll see him tomorrow at his castle. This little game of his ends now," Uriel said with a bored expression.
The hunters clearly hadn't expected that response, but satisfied, they returned to the castle to inform their lord.
After the cohort caught up on the events of the two months they were away, each went to prepare for the next day.
As the first morning rays rose over the Forgotten Shore, Shade was in control of the body. His red eyes were fixed on the castle in the distance. Hearing footsteps, he noticed Changing Star approaching.
"Hello, Neph. Something wrong?" Shade asked curiously.
"Who are you?"
"Uriel, of course. What kind of question is that?" Nephis shook her head.
"You're different from Uriel. I've noticed—your behavior, posture, fighting style. You're not him."
Shade smiled.
"Well, I was planning to reveal it anyway. But I didn't lie. I am Uriel—well, technically, Uriel and I are the same person."
Nephis raised an eyebrow. She watched as his eyes returned to their deep black.
"My Flaw is that I have another version of myself inside me."
"Two versions of you in the same body?"
"Correct. Since we're technically the same person, we can freely switch." As he spoke, his eyes turned red and then black. "When my eyes are red, it's my other self in control. When they're dark, it's me."
"Which of you is the original?"
"We both are. We share minds, memories, and thoughts, though we argue over certain contradictory points."
"So when you mentioned that annoying voice in your head…"
"It was my other self arguing with me."
Nephis nodded, now understanding Uriel's—or Uriels'—peculiar behavior.
"Oh, yes. I am Uriel, and the other is Shade," Uriel said before his eyes turned red, now Shade.
"Nephis," Shade said seriously. "How close are you to becoming a Devil?"
"So you discovered I have a Divine Aspect, just like you?"
"Yes. I noticed because you absorb many fragments but don't saturate your Soul Core. Anyway, how many more do you need?"
"About a dozen fragments."
"I see."
"What rank are you now?"
"A Tyrant. I need a few hundred more to become a Terror. Maybe I'll reach it after killing Gunlaug in a few hours."
Nephis nodded.
"Uriel, I need you to do me a favor."
"And what would that be?"
"I'm going to kill Tessai, but when I do, I'll be incapacitated. I need you to stop Caster."
"He'll try to kill you, right?"
Nephis nodded.
"Yes. Did you notice?"
"I'm very observant. You're the daughter of Broken Sword and Smile of Heaven, and your grandfather was the Immortal Flame. I'm sure those two wanted to eliminate you when you were a child and won't stop until they succeed."
"How much do you know?"
"I told you that night, remember? I know many things—about the past and the future." Nephis frowned.
"Will you try to kill me?" she asked cautiously.
"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago. I'm much stronger than you, after all."
Nephis clenched her jaw slightly. Uriel was right—in the Dark City, no sleeper was a match for him. She seriously doubted even normal Masters could beat him.
"You mentioned you're from the outskirts—but not NQSC. Then where?" Uriel smiled slightly, amused.
"That's an interesting question. But if you really want to know the answer, you'll have to wait three days."
Nephis nodded, remembering their deal of one fight per week. In three days, that deadline would arrive. She would have to win to ask her question and get an answer.
"Nephis, did you ever doubt that I was some kind of Legacy with an evil plan to kill you?"
The corners of Nephis's lips curled upward.
"Actually, for a long time, I suspected you were sent to kill me."
Uriel blinked. "And why would that be?"
"There are many things about you that don't make sense and that I don't understand. You're a walking mystery who knows things others can't even imagine."
"Oh, come on. Tell me, and I'll consider answering your earlier question."
"Let's see: you claimed to be an orphan from the outskirts, a survivor of your first nightmare, and upon arriving in this Dark City. Your strength makes no sense—you're not Awakened, yet you kill Demons and Devils with absurd ease. Your combat sense is monstrous and hard to read or predict. And finally, there's your strange Flaw and the fact that you might be lying right now."
"Do I need to continue?"
"No... put that way, it sounds like I'm some kind of cheat character from a crazy story."
Nephis nodded in agreement.
"But after a while, I realized something. If you had truly been sent to kill me, you could have done it in countless situations in the past—before I even started saturating my Soul Cores, or letting me die when I was surrounded by abominations during our return journey."
"Hehe. Who would have thought Nephis of the Immortal Flame clan could say so many words?" Uriel teased.
"You've grown, Nephis. Everyone has, in their own way. I feel like a proud, cool parent watching my children grow up and achieve great things." Uriel shed a fake tear.
"Do you remember your first nightmare?" Nephis asked.
"Yes, how could I forget? I suppose I'll answer that question as a bonus."
Uriel paused, looking at the horizon as he organized his thoughts.
"Well, it all started when I was infected by the Nightmare Spell. I was very far from any police station, so it took me at least nine days to reach one. Then, when I fell asleep, I woke up as a slave in an experimentation center. Another slave told me we were all lab rats. Anyway, I was tortured."
Nephis blinked.
"Tortured in what sense?"
"In every sense—physically, mentally, and emotionally. The scientist, or what I assumed was one, tied me to a stone table and injected me with something strange. I felt indescribable pain, as if my soul were being painfully torn apart and burned, only to suffer again. I don't know how long it lasted, but when I came back to myself, I was different. I was no longer human... I was something... strange."
"It was me, yet not me. It's hard to describe." Uriel's voice grew more thoughtful and strange.
"Anyway, I was a strange thing. I killed the scientists, freed a few hundred slaves, destroyed the facility, and killed a Master before finally leaving."
"I guess you're not normal for withstanding so much pain."
"Look who's talking," Uriel said, making Nephis laugh a little.
Uriel glanced sideways at the shadows, seeing Sunny's shadow, which had listened to their conversation from start to finish.
'I guess the kid is a bit jealous because his girl pays more attention to us than to him.'
'Heh. Let him be. Anyway, we have other things to do besides playing romance games.'
Shade sighed.
'True.'
Uriel stood up.
"Well, it's time to end all this," he said, beginning to advance toward the shining castle.
When Uriel returned to the settlement, he saw Tessai waiting for him. Since their first encounter, it was clear they hated each other.
"Lord of Darkness," Tessai said.
"Oh, Tessai, it's been a while—four months, I think?"
"Yes. Lord Gunlaug has invited you to the castle to be punished for your crimes. You should have trained your dogs better."
"And why would that be?"
"Two of Gunlaug's hunters died at the hands of your people, and my lord demands your presence."
"That's a lie!" a sleeper shouted.
Uriel looked at the sleeper, who immediately fell silent.
Darkness began to spread as the atmosphere grew cold and heavy.
"What happens if I decide not to go?" Uriel asked, his eyes turning blood-red.
Silence fell over the settlement. Everyone watched Uriel and Tessai intently, waiting to see what would happen.
The tall man smiled, showing his fangs, but his eyes remained cold.
"My, my. And here I thought you were a benevolent leader who loved justice. Is your sense of justice only aligned with your own actions?"
"Alright, if that's the case, then I'll go. After all, the actions of my people are also my actions. So let's stop wasting your lord's valuable time and show me the way."
"Fine, do as you wish. Come to the castle. Bring your rats—they will all witness our lord's brilliance."
Everyone in the outer settlement watched as Uriel, their leader, followed Tessai toward the shining castle, fueling their fury. A wave of murderous intent swept through the place.
The sleepers followed the group, entering the shining castle.
When they entered the great hall, the entire population gathered in the gigantic room, capable of holding over a thousand sleepers.
Uriel saw Gunlaug's four lieutenants: Seishan, Genma, Kido, and, of course, Horus.
After almost a minute, Gunlaug appeared in his golden armor.
Uriel looked at Gunlaug with a bored expression. He could feel the mental assault from the Echo's ability, but it didn't affect him much thanks to his strong mental will.
Gunlaug stood before the great hall and spoke in an animated voice.
"Ah, what a spectacle! All my dear charges and all the honorable and brave survivors of the city gathered here so that justice may prevail! This dedication, this fervor for the rule of law... oh, it fills me with gratitude. Isn't it wonderful?"
Gunlaug looked around the room, his face hidden behind a reflective mask, then focused on Uriel.
"Don't you think it's wonderful, Uriel, the Lord of Darkness?"
"Sure."
"How nice. Somehow I thought you wouldn't agree. My most faithful assistants have told me you're a terrifying monster, but I suppose you can't trust anyone these days." He looked at his strongest subordinates, who trembled slightly.
"It's a shame things have to end this way. You were a young man with so much potential and great power, Lord Uriel. With your overwhelming power, this city would undoubtedly be a paradise, and I, as the marvelous lord, would care for you and enforce the law. What a disappointment! What a pity! What misery!"
"But I am a marvelous and merciful person. So how can we fix this, Lord Uriel?"
"I invoke the Right of Challenge," Uriel said, looking at Gunlaug, his face calm and almost disinterested in the ridiculous spectacle.