Clearing her throat, she began. "The White Rune Order rules over the Northern Continent with so-called divine righteousness. Their Rune Knights are their most powerful Exalted, tasked with ridding the world of corruption. Specializing in runic sorcery combined with weapon arts, they're truly a force to be reckoned with. They take morals and ideals very seriously, and blessed by the Lord of Light."
"The Night Shogunate is a militant dictatorship, all power consolidated within the hands of the shogun." Her expression darkened, but she pushed on. "Their Dread Samurai are notorious for their brutality, and baleful sword techniques. All are unwaveringly loyal to the shogun, whom is backed by an unknown entity. The lands are ruled with an iron fist, any who oppose them disposed of immediately."
"Shadow Covenant is an aristocracy based on blood-purity. The more pure their blood is in relation to the Queen of Shadows, the greater their social standing. I'm not too informed about their Exalted, but they can't be anything weaker then the other powers. Judging by how they excel in stealth and conspiracy, their existence is a large kept secret."
"The Red Empire is a powerful, and fearsome empire dominated by the strong, and their loyalty to the Regent of War. Their society is based on one's sheer power, and those that harness such strength are held with the highest regard. All of it's citizens train with frenzy, hosting tournaments and large-scale events for the sake of finding hidden talents."
Argo nodded along, slowly digesting the information she provided him. Each major power had a powerful legion of Exalted, with the backing of a God. Which should've been a no brainer- it was a necessity to have the favor of a deity to rise to such power. What interested him the most were the details regarding Shadow Covenant.
From Faye's combat prowess, and shadowy summon they all pointed to Shadow Covenant. Is she a heir from one of the four major powers? But what did she do to be referred to as a 'disappointment,' and anyone related to her would be killed? And their Exalted excelled in clandestine affairs? That greatly troubled him.
"I thought talking about them would be interesting, but man this is boring." Aria huffed, stretching her arms. "Your average adventurer should've learned this before entering the Tower. Didn't you go through the basic courses?"
Argo froze, awkwardly smiling. "Ah. I skipped those."
"WHAT?!" Aria shouted, her echo bounding off the cavern walls. "Are you suicidal?!"
Argo flinched, "You see, I didn't have the money to pay for registration and the classes." He hurriedly tried to explain his reasoning, while trying to quiet her loud voice. He feared that all the commotion would set off something.
After calming down, he was fixed with a chilling glare. "You know, that explains a lot. How you don't know this, or that. You're like a toddler."
"Hey!" Argo complained, raising his hands in surrender. "Not all people have money. If they had made it cheaper, there would be more experienced people entering the Tower."
"That's why they're expensive! They don't want people climbing the Tower!"
Hearing Aria's rebuttal, Argo froze.
"What?" He questioned, caught off guard.
"You're an idiot! The reason why it's hard to register and gain access to the Central Guild's training, is all for one reason. To limit the amount of people entering the Tower. Only the rich, or elites should be allowed in- it's an inherently unfair system," Aria explained. "The Central Guild is always so eager to control the Tower."
He nodded with a look of realization. He wasn't sure how to continue the conversation, and only sat in silence. He felt very ignorant after conversing with Aria for only a couple of minutes. The world was much larger then he had originally anticipated.
The exhaustion that he was constantly suppressing started to rear its ugly head. Feeling extremely weary, Argo relayed to Aria he was going to rest for a bit.
***
Standing atop a vast plane of darkness, a large wooden gate loomed. It stood like a monolith within the world of darkness. The only standing structure as far as the eye could see. It made for a strange sight, a mundane human contraption in a mystical world.
Standing at the foot of the barrier was a slender young man. Piercing red eyes and short black hair, the youth examined the world around him with unease. It felt both familiar, and alien to him; creating a sense of dissonance. Such an enigmatic world didn't represent anything he had ever visited, but his heart said otherwise.
Without warning, his body instinctually pulled a lever that stood near the foot of the gate Its doors slowly opened, revealing a lonely figure standing on the other side. Backed by a sea of darkness, a women with silver hair and flaming orange eyes strolled forward. Her features were indistinct, blurry.
Argo remained frozen in place. He watched with disbelieving eyes, as a wave of corrupting flames rolled forward in her wake. The exact ones that had reduces his village to ashes, recreated with realistic quality.
Bloodcurdling cries resounded from behind him, causing Argo to spin.
Corpses burnt beyond recognition rushed at him him in droves, grabbing with feverish intensity. The smell of sooth and scorched meat filled his nostrils. Their flesh marred with burns, white bones sticking out of burnt stumps. Mucus and pus flowed from their many wounds. Ash flaking off their zombie-like bodies.
They shuffled forward with unsteady steps, as if they were being manipulated by a demon. Despite any remains of facial features, Argo felt the beings were grinning at him. Like that had eyed the one opportunity that would grant them life once again.
Trapped in the crowd that threatened to suffocate him, Argo desperately fought back with his eyes closed. He didn't want to see, or hear anything around him. They grabbed at him with whatever remained of their hands and arms. Whispering accusations into his ears.
'You let her in.'
'You let us die.'
'Why did you let us die?'
'You were powerless.'
'You are undeserving of life.'
Argo's heart was like a toy boat, smashing against enormous waves encapsulated by a brutal storm. His breathing became quicker. He was powerless. No amount of training or strengthening could hide the darkness within his memories.
"I didn't mean to!" He shouted, trying to suppress the fear coursing through his veins. "It's not my fault, I swear!"
Argo clutched his head within his arms, yelling with the hopes of the voices getting drowning out. But their words only seemed to pierce deeper, filled with endless bitterness. They scorned him, expressing their bitterness about his continued existence.
The weight within his heart became heavier, threatening to pull his being into a dark abyss.
***
"Hey. Hey! Wake the hell up!" A voice shouted, shattering the veil of sleep that covered him.
Argo woke with a start, nearly headbutting the figure standing over him. He attempted to summon his sword from the Records, a whirlwind of light manifesting itself around his hand.
"What are you doing?!"
Smacking him across the face, Argo's eyes regained their clarity.
With a concerned expression, Aria watched him from the side. Layered brown hair framed azure eyes filled with worry. His sword had finished manifesting itself from the Records, but Argo didn't notice any enemies in sight. Only his cheek was stinging.
Scanning the area, he frowned. "No enemies?" With a puzzled expression, he glanced at Aria for answers.
She sighed, "You were starting to yell in your sleep. Thought you were getting attacked or something."
Argo's sword dissipated, as he brushed the tears that had started to gather in the corner of his eyes. "How long was I out?"
"Hmm about three hours give or take."
"Go ahead and rest. I'll take it from here," he replied. Despite her liveliness, Argo could tell she was tired. Their duels were physically exhausted, and their minds were constantly paranoid. He felt guilty for resting before her.
"But-." She began to retort, unwilling to showcase weakness. She had her own childish pride too, he thought.
Argo shot her a look, before she reluctantly caved. Resting on a thin blanket, her breathing quickly became relaxed. Remaining in the dark cavern with only one oil lamp as a source of light was taking a mental toll on both of them. A dreadful being capable of manipulating an army of adventurers was the only thing standing between them and freedom. And it hung over their mood like a storm cloud.
Argo watched the fire dance within the lantern, his mind a mystery.
The last nightmare he had was years ago, right after the village was wiped clean off the map. Every night he would be plagued with visions of burnt corpses. A yellow-orange fire tinted with violet always run rampant in those visions, a mental scar from that horrific event. Eventually he stopped having those nightmares. Much to his relief.
But now they had returned. Rippling the previously calm surface of his mind. Logically, Argo knew it wasn't his fault. But survivors guilt tore into his being, leaving him with conflicting thoughts and emotions. A small part of him wanted to have been one of those that had burnt to a crisp that day.
The dark flame that fueled his being was conflicted; stuck between burning itself out, or raging harder to become more powerful. A cruel contradiction.
'What should I do?'
Pushing the heavy emotions out of his head, Argo decided to take a walk to clear his mind. He risked examining the many elaborate murals that lined the walls of the abandoned temple, in hopes of gleaning information about its previous inhabitants.
With the night vision granted by his armor, he had no issues when observing the grand images. Lining the walls of the corridor that led into the cave, were grand murals depicting a vibrant sun. The sun that brought vitality to the land with a grand ocean sprawled beneath it. Over time, islands started to peek from beneath the waves forming a chain.
'The origins of the Isles of Endless Night?' Argo contemplated, finding some of the images familiar. The only clear difference was the existence of the sun.
Unfortunately the following images were collapsed beyond recognition, and led deeper into the corridor. He made sure not to stray too far from the cavern, ensuring that nothing would attack Aria and Faye.
Another image depicted a stunning lady wielding an elegant sword, a small crescent moon hovering above her right shoulder. She led a group of people to the peak of a volcano. An army of seasoned warriors wearing loyal expressions. Below her, stretched a small city nestled along the foot of the mountain. It bore a striking resemblance to the City of Selene, with the bubbling volcano and city crafted from obsidian.
'Was the lady in the image Selene?' Argo recalled Sully mentioning a particular hero that established the city in her name. He didn't spend much time gathering more information from the civilians, but the lady was referred to with utmost respect. Apparently there were occasional celebrations in her honor.
Refocusing on the image before him, he continued contemplating more questions. What was the purpose of the army behind her? And why was the sun still there? He remembered the sun had once shone upon the isles, a time long buried in the sands of time. This temple could've been decades old.
After observing the nearest walls for up to an hour, Argo consolidated all of the information available to him.
The furthest images only went up to Selene's crusade at the peak of Blackrock Island, while the rest detailed the rising of the islands from the sea and the development of cities. The temple's decorations and architecture reflected the grandeur of the moon. Argo deduced its previous inhabitants had worshipped Selene, or the deity backing her. There was always a connection to the moon.
Argo's questions only grew when thinking about the location of the majestic building. How had it sunk so far into the ground? Or had it been constructed below the surface with a purpose in mind? It's position relative to the catacombs and city was very strange.
He assumed looking at the images inscribed along the walls would hold some answers, but they only seemed to bring more questions. Maybe if he could venture deeper into the desolate temple could he unearth more hidden truths.
After Aria woke up, they continued their training. Like clockwork, the two would duel relentlessly unless it was time to eat or sleep. They both shared the same hidden sentiment: 'get stronger.' Their lives depended on it, after all.
Till this day, Faye still remained unconscious. Argo refused to give up on her, but he knew the length she was spending in the nightmare had far surpassed both him and Aria. She was either still struggling to find an exit, or had already succumbed the influence of corruption. A thought Argo stubbornly pushed to the back of his head.
Argo believed the current oil lamp would burn for another day, before needing to be replaced. That would buy them another couple of days, but then they would have no choice to confront the enigmatic being responsible for their dire circumstances.
Exchanging a flurry of blows, Argo's sword sang through the air. After receiving [Basic Swordsmanship], his fundamental skill with the sword had increased significantly. It allowed him to grasp on the basics on a deeper level, while integrating new information related to blades at a faster rate. Truly a powerful skill.
He wasn't sure how much effort Aria expended during their spars, but she started to showcase more of her power as time went on. After all, it was inevitable his strength would soar to the point she would have to use more effort.
The gulf between them was still incomparably large. He knew that she was hiding a dreadful sword art, or variety of skills that could one-sidedly destroy him. While it made him slightly disappointed when he compared himself to her, Argo did find solace in her strength.
Argo felt that he could barely raise all of his stats to F in time for the dreadful battle. His rate of growth was nothing short of astonishing, but he still desired more.
The being pulling the strings from the dark had to be at least Grade C, or greater. Which was a level far beyond his current abilities. He surmised they would have to somehow incapacitate it, or ignore it entirely; prioritizing their escape with combat as the last resort.
Mind-controlling abilities, with demonic cunningness elevated its lethality to a whole other realm. While mindless beasts compensated their lack of intelligence with raw power. Those with the ability to think couldn't be underestimated.
Argo's thoughts waned, and his expression slipped for a split second. Wasting no time, Aria capitalized on the opening and knocked the sword out of his hands. Watching it clang against the stone floor, Argo called for a quick breather.
"How's your progress?" He asked, curious about her progress relative to his.
After all, her strength represented their chances of freedom. After observing her duel before falling into the pit, Argo assumed her stats lay around E+, early D-. After training with her for the past few days, he was unable to get an accurate gauge of her power; she was holding back her full force.
Examining the crescent blade of her katana, "All of my stats have evened out around D-, my highest at D." She responded without a change in expression, as if divulging her strength wasn't a secret. It left Argo a little shocked, but it quickly cleared. Aria was a straightforward person at heart.
Argo was a little stunned, her rate of growth was monstrous. If he assumed his earlier predictions were right, in just a couple of days she had managed to raise all of her stats by a sub-rank. He wasn't the only one benefitting from their duels.
And judging by her sheer strength, she must've entered the tower much earlier then him. Which was an oddity, since she didn't look much older them him.
"What do you think our chances are looking like?" Argo questioned, seeking an expert opinion. She must've experienced many different things during her time on the First Floor.
"So-so," she replied wryly.
Wearing a half-hearted smile, she seemed to be inwardly pondering something. "If she wakes up, I'd say our chances of living increase by a decent margin. If she remains unconscious, our chances plummet. The degree at which it drops is dependent on you."
Argo frowned, "Dependent on me?"
"Do we leave her behind, or not?"
An incredulous expression warped his face, "I'm not leaving her behind."
Aria's expression darkened, "I don't know her all that well, which is why I'm capable of saying this. At the current moment, she is baggage. Are you planning to carry her on your back as we fight or run?"
Watching him struggle over his decision, Aria spoke up. "Don't worry about it for now, she still has a couple of days left. We can think about it more then."
Argo was deeply indebted to her, simply leaving her behind for the sake of self-preservation left a bitter taste in his mouth. He almost wanted to stab himself for even entertaining the thought of leaving her behind. Steeling his resolve, he firmed himself with the decision to take her with them. Regardless of what happened.
With crisp sounds, Aria did some practice swings in the air. The air parted, slight breezes brushing against his face as her blade danced through the air. Whenever Aria seemed to be troubled, she would practice her sword swings. Maybe she found peace in simply swinging a blade around like him as well.
Without needing to be told, Argo retrieved his sword from the floor, and the pair engaged in another grueling spar.