Gilgamesh slept peacefully, devoid of a single tension in the world.
Unfortunately, his slumber was stirred by Sunny's voice, informing him it was his turn to keep watch.
Reluctantly leaving the comfort of his bed, he moved towards where Nephis was still sitting.
Throwing a look back at Sunny, who was trying to fall asleep, Gilgamesh sat down next to Nephis.
The wind whispered through the air, ruffling his hair slightly as he gazed at the constant ebb and flow of the dark water.
How would one even go about slaying such a thing? Perhaps in the future, he could seal it inside [Gate of Babylon], but that still wouldn't truly kill it.
Gilgamesh had no doubts that it would succumb to the might of Enuma Elish.
His train of thought was interrupted by Nephis's soft, almost dream-like voice.
"Do you know the Legend of Odysseus?"
Gilgamesh looked at her with a raised eyebrow at the sudden question. In his previous life, he was a great fan of Greek Mythology. At this point, he probably knew more about it than anyone else in this world.
Gilgamesh could simply say 'yes' and ruin her attempt at aura farming, but deciding to humor her, he replied,
"No, I haven't."
Nephis sighed and looked at him with longing, "Odysseus was a hero in an ancient war. In the legends, some humans back then had powers akin to the Awakened. Achilles, with an Aspect of an indestructible body; Diomedes, who was so ferocious even the God of War was wary of him; Ajax, who was as strong as a giant. Odysseus was not the strongest, and not the bravest. However, he was the most cunning."
It was interesting to note that even after the cataclysmic wars and the Spell's appearance, which had rendered the continents uninhabitable, not all knowledge was lost.
Humanity had prevailed and thrived against all odds.
"In the end, Odysseus's cunning ended the war, and he prepared to sail home. However, the gods cursed him to endlessly wander the seas, never to return. Over the years, he survived one horror after another and lost all of his companions. Then, shipwrecked, he found himself on an island where the beautiful fairy, Calypso, lived."
Changing Star's ethereal, strangely wistful voice resounded in the darkness, creating an enthralling atmosphere.
'She could become an orator if the Awakened path doesn't work out for her.'
Nephis certainly had a way with her words; her ability to make a person imagine the scenes vividly was praiseworthy.
Still, there was an inconsistency in her story. Maybe it was because she forgot about it or the knowledge was lost, but Calypso was not a fairy, but rather a water nymph.
Deciding not to interrupt her storytelling, Gilgamesh listened, relaxing, while leaning against the rock.
"Calypso fell in love with Odysseus and invited him to her palace. For many years, they lived together in harmony. The island was like a paradise, filled with all kinds of wonders, delicacies, and delights. As long as the loving Calypso was by his side, Odysseus was even immortal. But... the longer he stayed, the more time he spent sitting on the shore, looking at the sea with bleak eyes."
Nephis smiled, "In the end, Odysseus built a makeshift boat and abandoned the island, leaving all its delights, the beautiful fairy, and even his immortality behind. So, my question is... why did he leave?"
Odysseus had left because the Gods had ordered Calypso to release him. But that wasn't a worthy answer now, was it? With his heart burning passionately in his chest, Gilgamesh responded.
"Odysseus left because a king's heart beats for his home, for his queen and son, for the very soil of his kingdom. No immortality or siren's song could or would ever quench the sharp ache of the desire to return home."
His response came out with more passion than he was expecting. Perhaps it was because he could relate to the struggle Odysseus faced on the island with Calypso.
The answer made Nephis turn her head towards Gilgamesh, before gazing back at the starless sky in contemplation.
"Or perhaps, Calypso wasn't as beautiful as you. I would never have left if she were even close to your beauty."
A fleeting smile appeared on Nephis's face, along with a light blush. Falling still she sat motionlessly on the floor while he gazed out at the sea, looking at all the horrors residing within.
Gilgamesh heard her mutter something about 'Odysseus being the first to defy the will of the Gods,' but he didn't pay it much attention, lost in his own thoughts.
The sound of Nephis getting up made him come back to reality. Nodding at him, she went to one of the unoccupied beds, trusting him enough to fall asleep.
Turning his attention back towards the sky, he couldn't help but wonder if the Dream Realm was a globe. Scientifically, it made complete sense, but at the end of the day, logic didn't apply in fantasy worlds, after all. For all he knew, it could be flat just like the world of Reverend Insanity.
'If the Shadow Slave world is real, then surely the other ones would be too, right?'
Raising his hand towards the sky, he clenched it into a fist.
'Man, I sure do love living.'
The gift of life was indeed the greatest gift Gilgamesh had ever gotten. He'd enjoy it as much as he could.
With his hand falling back towards the ground, he stared at the sky in thought.
Sitting up, Gilgamesh opened a portal in front of him. From the portal, a white piece of fabric floated in the air. Catching it before it could fly away, he opened it.
It was the same piece of cloth he had torn from his police-issued tracksuit and written on with the borrowed pen.
The gauntlet was dismissed from Gilgamesh's hand as he ran his fingers along the numbers written on the fabric.
'Don't worry, I will come back to save you all.'
...
As the dawn broke, so did Sunny's and Nephis's sleep. Gilgamesh was still sitting on the ground, staring boredly at the sky after he had run out of things to think of.
Suddenly remembering that he still hadn't checked his Runes after killing all those creatures, he opened them, checking his fragments first.
Golden Cores: [2/7]
Golden Fragments: [47/2000]
Gilgamesh furrowed his brows in thought. He already had twelve Golden Fragments. He had then killed seven Dormant, ten Awakened, and two Fallen creatures, meaning he had gained seven fragments from Dormant, twenty from Awakened, and eight from Fallen creatures.
In total, he had managed to get thirty-five Golden Fragments in a day. Not bad, but he could do a lot better.
Next, Gilgamesh checked the Memories he had gotten.
Memories: [Golden Armor], [Sword of Rupture], [Gloom-Weaver Hood], [Gloom-Weaver Hood], [Gloom-Weaver Hood], [Fathomling Dagger], [Fathomling Mace], [Fathomling Sword], [Fathomling Gauntlet], [Echo-Stone], [Tendril Shiv], [Abyssal Spineblade]
Scrunching his nose at the number of useless Memories, Gilgamesh opened the Runes of [Gloom-Weaver Cloak].
Memory: [Gloom-Weaver Cloak]
Memory Rank: [Dormant]
Memory Tier: [I]
Memory Type: [Armor]
Memory Description: [It's said that in the deepest chasms, where light has never touched, creatures exist that weave not with thread, but with the very fabric of eternal night.]
Memory Enchantment: [Whisper of the Unseen]
A pretty interesting description; he clicked on the enchantment.
[Whisper of the Unseen] Attribute Description: When worn in dim light or complete darkness, it subtly shifts and ripples, making the wearer's movements unnaturally silent.
Planning to give this Memory to Sunny, he clicked on the next one.
Memory: [Fathomling Dagger]
Memory Rank: [Awakened]
Memory Tier: [II]
Memory Type: [Weapon]
Memory Description: [When Death beckoned, none were spared its summons—not even the hidden dwellers of the lightless sea.]
Memory Enchantments: [Rending Echo], [Glimmering Disorientation]
Another interesting description; the Spell certainly knew how to pique a person's interest.
[Rending Echo] Attribute Description: The Fathomling Dagger's serrated edge leaves wounds that are difficult to close.
[Glimmering Disorientation] Attribute Description: The Fathomling Dagger's inherent, faint luminescence can be intensely focused for a brief moment.
The other types of the 'Fathomling' had the same descriptions and the exact same enchantments.
Gilgamesh pressed on the [Echo-Stone] boredly.
Memory: [Echo-Stone]
Memory Rank: [Awakened]
Memory Tier: [I]
Memory Type: [Charm]
Memory Description: [The underground murmurs secrets, not always in words. There are stones, they say, found in the gullets of sightless things that swallow sound as if it were sustenance.]
Memory Enchantment: [Silent Whisper]
[Silent Whisper] Attribute Description: When activated and held still, it begins to absorb ambient sound.
Somewhat useful, he'd still give it to Sunny, having no use for it himself.
Gilgamesh clicked on the Memory that he was a little curious about because it came from a Fallen Beast.
Memory: [Abyssal Spineblade]
Memory Rank: [Ascended]
Memory Tier: [I]
Memory Type: [Weapon]
Memory Description: [Not all that dies in the deep is forgotten. Sometimes, the core of a creature, its very backbone, defies decay, absorbing the crushing pressure and the primal fear of its domain.]
Memory Enchantment: [Venomous Weep]
[Venomous Weep] Attribute Description: Abyssal Spineblade possesses a latent, corrosive property.
Another useless Memory; at least he could throw this one in [Gate of Babylon].
Although compared to [Golden Armor] and [Sword of Rupture], almost everything else was useless.
Getting up, Gilgamesh stretched his body after sitting for so long. As he did so, he could feel the gaze of someone appreciating his well-proportioned features and well-built physique.
The dark sea had started receding, unveiling the coral reefs beneath as the sun shone on them.
As he turned back, walking towards Sunny and Nephis who were eating in silence, Gilgamesh put the other three beds back inside his treasury.
With Cassie still sleeping, the three of them decided which direction would be the best to go towards. He let them discuss the idea amongst themselves without interrupting, waiting for Cassie to get up and share her revelation.
Just when Gilgamesh was finally done eating his food, Cassie suddenly sat up straight on the bed. Her eyes were wide open, and her face was a little pale. She looked nervous and excited. Immediately, all three of them turned towards her.
"You alright there, Cassie?"
The blind girl turned towards them, particularly in the direction of his voice, with a smile.
"A... a vision! I had a vision!"
Gilgamesh leaned back with both his hands placed behind himself, while Nephis stretched her hand, preparing to summon her sword.
"Are we in danger?"
Cassie energetically shook her head at Nephis's serious tone.
"No, it's not that! People... I saw a castle full of people!"
She smiled and pointed with her finger.
"I don't know how far it is, but I'm sure that it's in that direction!"
Gilgamesh started laughing, looking at the stunned faces of Nephis and Sunny when Cassie pointed in the opposite direction of where those two were planning to go.
Putting his hands on his knees while getting up, he looked west.
"It's decided then, we shall be heading west until we reach the castle."
The last bed was put inside [Gate of Babylon] as Cassie started eating too.
Drinking water from [Endless Spring], he talked to Sunny and Nephis.
"Usually, I would have just kept teleporting us until we reached the castle. However, something will happen to my sword after I kill ten thousand enemies with it. So it will be better to go walking while both Sunny and I scout ahead."
The plan was finalized after a few more minutes of talking as Cassie ate. Gilgamesh would scout ahead from time to time by ascending into the air and memorizing the most efficient route, while Sunny would use her shadow to confirm it. The blind girl would be sitting on one of his nine Echoes.
While looking outside where the statue of the knight was supposed to be, he heard Sunny and Nephis question Cassie on what she saw in more detail. Gilgamesh, however, was only interested when they asked Cassie if she saw something else besides the castle.
A brilliant smile appeared on her doll-like face, beaming with joy.
"Yes! I saw you two leading me through the gates of the castle! That means we will all make it!"
Both Nephis and Sunny threw him worried glances while he just chuckled.
...
Under the grey sky, a cohort of Sleepers could be seen walking through the maze-like coral reefs. At the front walked Nephis, cautiously, her longsword in hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice. In the middle was Sunny, using her shadow to warn them if it came across anything. At the rear was Gilgamesh, walking casually with his hands clasped behind his back and a serene smile on his face, as if he was enjoying a walk in the park. Sitting on the Echo of the Carapace Scavenger was Cassie, in front of him.
It would have made a nice painting if Gilgamesh wasn't busy inspecting every small pebble and big rock that he found.
Gilgamesh only picked the sturdiest and sharpest of them; he had some standards to maintain, after all.
Knocking over a coral with a kick, he nodded at its amazing craftsmanship. Truly, the Dream Realm was filled with wonderful treasures waiting to be picked up by him with his [Gate of Babylon]. After all, to be able to throw millions of weapons like they were trash, he had to start somewhere, right?
The red coral was picked up by his portal as he began striding towards Cassie when she called out to him.
"What's up?"
Cassie looked at him with a beaming smile.
"Did you hear about what I said about Nephis and Sunny leading me through the gates of the castle?"
Gilgamesh focused his attention on her fully, curious about what she was saying.
"I did."
The blind oracle tried to give him her most reassuring smile.
"I just wanted to say that you shouldn't fret over it even though you weren't in it. At first, even I was worried about that, but later I realized it's probably nothing, because the thing is, I can't see your Runes either. That was why I was shocked on the first day when I heard your voice; your Runes just don't exist. I had thought that I had finally started hallucinating about having a friend, but after asking a few other people about you, I was pretty sure that you weren't a figment of my imagination."
Gilgamesh almost tripped while hearing what she was saying.
It made sense why Cassie had looked at him in shock when he was speaking to Sunny in the Academy's cafeteria on the first day.
"Later, I started to think that I was in a coma, but... now I don't really care whether I am in one or not, as long as you are there with me."
The heartfelt words of the blind girl truly touched Gilgamesh's heart in a way that he wasn't expecting at all. For a few moments, he walked beside the Echo speechless.
"Cassie... I didn't have a single doubt about my survival when I had heard you say that. Because I knew that we have the best Oracle in the world guiding us."
The blind girl looked away from him, blushing profusely at his compliment, as her grip on the magical rope tied around the Echo tightened.
Gilgamesh fell back towards the rear, lost in thought.
...
Word Count: 2581