Kane, his body still aching from the previous blows, immediately took a defensive stance, activating his mind-body vision. The centipede's mind, a vast and complex network of impulses, was firing with incredible strength, radiating a primal, predatory intent. Kane meticulously observed the giant centipede, waiting for even the slightest opening, a momentary vulnerability that he could exploit.
The centipede, however, wasted no time. It immediately launched itself at him, a blur of segmented chitin and countless legs. Kane lunged forward in response, sliding down to meet its charge, and attempted to use his mind strings and body to cut through its defenses. But the creature's underbelly, its seemingly vulnerable hide, proved to be far stronger and more resilient than he had anticipated. The mind strings, usually so effective, were too complex to sever cleanly, merely causing the centipede to writhe in a frenzied, chaotic manner.
The enraged centipede reacted instantly by twisting its massive body like a snake, coiling and striking, its formidable mandibles snapping shut, aiming to bite him in half. Kane, reacting instinctively, switched his [Silver Plates] armor to a defensive configuration, attempting to slow himself down and brace for impact. Despite his efforts, the centipede rammed him down onto the jagged coral, its immense weight crushing him. Several sharp spikes pierced his skin, and blood immediately began to well up, staining his armor.
The centipede opened its mandibles wide and attacked his left side, but Kane focused his armor on the impacted area, forming a protective barrier at the last possible moment. The mandibles locked onto his armor, their grip like an iron vice. The centipede began to twist and pull, attempting to lock him up and started throw him in a random direction like a it was trying to shake him to death, to disorient and incapacitate him. Kane, seeing the danger, immediately released his hold on the armor, allowing himself to be thrown away into the coral. He landed hard, his body screaming in protest. There were numerous minor cuts from the sharp coral, and he felt the sickening sensation of several broken bones on his sides. Kane was barely able to stand, his legs trembling, his vision blurring from the pain.
Without wasting a single moment, the centipede continued its relentless assault, pushing him and tearing at his defenses. His armor, already damaged, was getting battered further, its integrity compromised, and it couldn't last much longer under such sustained punishment. Kane, desperate, took his sword and tried to counter, attempting to read the creature's mind and deflect its rapid attacks with his blade. But the centipede was simply too fast, its movements a blur of lethal precision. His attempts to attack its mind only seemed to make the beast even more chaotic, more unpredictable, its movements a wild, uncontrolled frenzy.
Kane thought, a wave of despair washing over him, 'Crap! Why am I being thrown around like a ragdoll? Nothing is working out. Am I going to die here? Is this the end?' He instantly switched to the combat position he had trained under Nephis, a stance designed for precise, powerful strikes, and tried to attack the creature's joints with a combination of Body and Mind attacks. But it seemed to have no effect in the least; the centipede was simply too strong, too resilient. The centipede kept ramming him, its massive body a battering ram, pushing him deeper into the coral. Kane started to fear that his tactics were utterly failing, and his mind, overwhelmed by the relentless assault, began to contemplate the terrifying inevitability of death.
Kane's mind started to panic, a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts about what to do, and he began to feel a profound sense of hopelessness, a crushing weight of despair. Then, in that moment of utter desperation, it hit him, a sudden, blinding flash of insight, recalling one of Nephis's most brutal and fundamental points: 'The essence of combat is murder.' Kane understood. 'This is what she meant,' he realized, a cold clarity settling over his mind. 'To focus solely on the kill, to eliminate all other distractions and simply aim for the most lethal outcome.'
Then Kane focused his entire mind, his every thought, on solely killing this giant centipede, on ending its existence. And then, he realized the one big thing he had left out, the crucial element he hadn't even considered. He hadn't even considered using soul attacks, the most potent aspect of his Realmheart ability. He had simply considered other factors, like the secrets he needed to hold back, the need to conserve his power, and other external factors that had become hindrances in this desperate battle.
Kane let his mind loose, abandoning all reservations, and switched to using all three aspects of his power—Soul, Mind, and Body—in an equal split, channeling his full potential. Kane switched his vision, perceiving the soul of the centipede, which seemed to fire like a liquid from two distinct cores, its essence radiating raw power. Its mind, a chaotic storm of impulses, seemed to be firing rapidly to all parts of the centipede's segmented body.
Kane took his stance, his focus absolute, his every fiber of being concentrated on the kill. He quickly figured out the optimal point of attack, the most vulnerable spot, and engaged in the combat once more. Both of them hit, but this time, Kane switched his regular form to defend and attack all three aspects—Soul, Mind, and Body—on the centipede's lower mouth, the most vulnerable point. The centipede groaned in a frenzy of pain, its movements becoming erratic, its massive body incapacitated for a crucial moment.
Kane immediately attacked the joints of its front legs, aiming to prevent it from ramming him anymore, and he successfully landed the blow, severing the connection. The centipede's mandibles landed uselessly, its powerful jaws now limp and ineffective. It couldn't move forward, nor could it attack, due to the sheer pain of the soul attack and the incapacitation of its frontal parts due to severe force. Kane immediately delivered a clean cut with full force on its head, his sword slicing through its defenses, which completely destroyed its mind and pierced through its mind and soul, severing its very essence. The centipede wriggled for a moment, its segmented body convulsing, but after a few seconds, it lay dead, its monstrous form still and lifeless.
Kane felt a profound sense of relief, a wave of exhaustion washing over him, and he heard the familiar, impersonal voice of the Nightmare Spell confirming his victory.
[You have slain an awakened monster, Carapace Crawler.]
[...Your rebirth becomes stronger.]
[You have received a memory: A Cuffle Mask]
With no time to listen to the full implications of the message, Kane immediately went to the corpse of the Carapace Crawler. He quickly plucked the soul shards from its remains, the glowing crystals a testament to his hard-won victory, and then, without hesitation, left to help the others. He ran as fast as he could, his body still aching, his legs burning with exertion.
After covering a considerable distance, he saw Nephis, who had clearly defeated her scavengers and was now facing forward, ensuring that he couldn't see her face. Kane thought, 'Good. I should meet them now, confirm their safety.' Kane observed the surroundings for any lingering threats and then went nearby Nephis, announcing his presence. "Hey, I'm back," he said, his voice a little breathless.
Nephis immediately turned, her expression one of surprise. "Kane," she began, her voice a little strained, "Can you... go on... the other side?" Kane got confused for a moment, his brow furrowed, and went forward to talk, intending to ask for clarification. But then, and only then, did he find out why she had asked him to go to the other side. Nephis was semi-nude above her waist, her top having been torn or dislodged during the intense battle. Kane immediately turned his face away, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, but he couldn't forget the image, the unexpected glimpse. Kane thought, 'Crap! I would like to gouge my eyes out right now. This is incredibly awkward.' Kane immediately spoke, his voice muffled, "Okay, next time tell it properly. I don't think I'll be able to forget that for a while." Nephis, clearly embarrassed for a minute, replied in a commanding tone, "You will forget it." Nephis immediately fixed her top, pulling it back into place, and then said, "You can turn now." Kane immediately turned back, his face still warm, and said, "Good."
Nephis observed his injuries, her gaze sharp and assessing. "What was it, exactly?" she asked, referring to the creature that had attacked him. Kane spoke, his voice grim, "It was an awakened monster. A Carapace Crawler, a centipede-like creature." Nephis was flabbergasted for a moment, her composure momentarily broken. Immediately, a fire-like aura surged around her, glowing with an inner light, and it started to heal him, the warmth spreading through his injured body.
Kane thought, 'I could have switched to my divine form to heal myself, but Nephis's ability can also heal. It's better to solely use my divine form in combat, to conserve its energy for when it truly matters.' But when Kane saw Nephis, he could discern a subtle flicker of pain in her eyes, a fleeting grimace that she quickly suppressed. He hadn't seen it while she was fighting, or unless she started actively using her Aspect. Then, Kane figured out her flaw, a chilling realization. 'The usage of her Aspect causes pain, right? That's her burden.'
After she finished healing him, Kane spoke, his voice low and empathetic, "Nephis, is your flaw that you will have pain while you are using your Aspect?" Nephis was surprised by this accurate deduction, her eyes widening slightly. "How did you figure it out?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of surprise and suspicion. Kane spoke, "Your reaction told everything while you were healing. I won't tell anyone about it. What does it feel like?" Nephis nodded, a silent acknowledgment of his discretion, and then said, her voice strained, "Like burning alive. Every time I use it, it feels like I'm being consumed by fire." Kane thought, 'That's troublesome. I can feel what it is like, thanks to my first Nightmare, the pain of being burned alive by the spectral assassin. I understand her torment.' Kane spoke, "Why did you heal me then, if it causes you so much pain?" Nephis, her expression resolute, replied, "It is just pain. We are allies, and you saved me this time. It's the least I could do." Kane felt a strange similarity between both of them for a moment, a shared understanding of enduring pain for a greater purpose. He thought, 'It seems she has also been hunted enough by someone, or suffered enough, to consider pain a regular thing, a mere inconvenience in the face of survival.'
Then Cassie and Sunny came, their presence breaking the solemn moment, and they started their trek to another high point. Nephis asked about armor Memories, wondering if any of them had acquired new defensive artifacts, but all of them confirmed that they hadn't received any armor other than their existing ones. Immediately, Sunny spoke, his voice filled with a hint of excitement, "I got an Echo." Kane and Nephis were visibly shocked by this revelation, their eyes widening in surprise. Cassie, on the other hand, was far more expressive, her voice filled with incredulity: "An Echo? You actually got an Echo?!" "Yes," Sunny confirmed, a rare smile gracing his lips.
Since the larger group of monsters was now minutes away from catching up with them, Sunny didn't waste any time and immediately summoned the Scavenger. The hulking beast immediately appeared in front of him, seemingly sewn together from tiny sparks of light, its form coalescing from nothingness. Soon, its black chitin became fully corporeal, its monstrous shape solidifying. Following Sunny's command, it shifted a little and raised its mighty pincers, a silent display of its power. Nephis observed the Echo with an unreadable expression, her gaze analytical. Then, a corner of her lip slightly curled up, a rare hint of approval. "Good," she murmured. Sunny looked at her with a wide smile, clearly pleased by her rare praise. "I think we can task it with carrying Cassie," he suggested, his gaze turning to the blind girl. "Outside of battle, it will help us the most, increasing our travel speed significantly." The blind girl's mouth fell open, her expression one of utter astonishment. "Carry me? Like… like a mount?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief. Kane spoke, a chuckle escaping his lips, "Yeah, Cassie. It can protect you, and you can ride it like a vehicle." He chuckled again and slapped the scavenger on its carapace, a gesture of camaraderie with the monstrous Echo. Sunny spoke, "This bad boy can fit a petite girl like you with no problem at all. Trust me! I've been clambering on these things a lot for the past few days. It's actually quite spacious on top of them. Especially if they're not trying to kill you." Cassie hesitated, still processing the idea. "Well… okay," she finally said, her voice still a little uncertain. "If you think it's for the best." Sunny, Kane, and Nephis helped the blind girl to climb on top of the Echo, her small form easily fitting on its broad back. Then, they used the golden rope to create makeshift reins for Cassie to hold onto, ensuring her stability. After quickly retrieving the soul shards from the dead scavengers they had killed, the Sleepers hastily left the passage, narrowly avoiding another battle with the approaching monsters.
With Cassie riding comfortably atop the scavenger, their overall speed dramatically increased. Sunny, Kane, and Nephis were jogging in the front, hoping to recoup the time lost in the first half of the day and reach the high point with an hour or two to spare before sunset. From time to time, they had to take detours to avoid fighting groups of carapace monsters, their Echo acting as a deterrent, allowing them to bypass unnecessary confrontations. However, with a monster of their own by their side, the mood and mental state of the three Sleepers were much better, a sense of confidence replacing their previous apprehension. For the first time since coming to this place, Sunny felt somewhat calm, a rare moment of peace in the chaotic Dream Realm. Of course, this calmness didn't last long.
At some point, he noticed that the wind had picked up a bit, carrying with it a strange, metallic scent. Almost simultaneously, Cassie, who had been riding silently atop the Echo, asked them to stop. Kane, Nephis, and Sunny looked at her with deep frowns, a shared sense of unease settling over them. It seemed that they all had a bad premonition, a chilling foreboding of impending danger. Kane asked, his voice low and urgent, "What is it, Cassie? What do you hear?" The blind girl let go of the reins, her hands trembling slightly. "Do you hear anything?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. They looked at each other, then shook their heads. "No. Why?" Cassie scowled, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Help me get off this thing," she commanded. After they helped her, she stood motionless for a while, her head tilted, listening intently to something they couldn't perceive. Her scowl deepened, her expression becoming one of profound concern. Then the blind girl cautiously kneeled and put her ear to the ground, pressing it against the cracked earth. Nephis asked, her voice laced with urgency, "What do you hear, Cassie?" Cassie licked her lips, her gaze distant. "It's murmuring," she whispered, her voice filled with a chilling dread. Suddenly, a single drop of water, cold and heavy, fell on Kane's face. He raised his head and looked at the sky. There, dark, stormy clouds were gathering with unnatural speed, swirling and churning with ominous energy. Pretty soon, they were bound to cover the sky completely, obscuring the strange, alien sun. And when that happened… His eyes widened, a dawning horror in their depths.