Sunny and Wren were sitting comfortably in the shadow of the tree. Wren sighed as he checked Sunny's runes through Wanderer's Eye, dismissing them he said:
"What is it that you want to ask me?"
Sunny hesitated for a moment, then said:
"I had received an attribute [Mark of Abyss] and your True Name was mentioned in the description. Any idea about it and what is this blessing of -unknown-?"
Sunny suddenly felt an insane headache as soon as he finished saying his words. Seeing Sunny grabbing his head, Wren smirked a bit and said:
"The knowledge of -unknown- is forbidden by the spell, that's why it affects you this much, I have an attribute called [Blessing Of Void] that I received in my First Nightmare by getting blessed by an unknown God. Even I don't know why The Spell keeps their information forbidden."
Wren stopped in middle, confusing Sunny. Then, he sighed and continued:
"Even I am not aware why you became my Benefactor, but you are the only person I can trust with my back in the Dream Realm."
Wren's word surprised Sunny, these words were something he could or will never hear from any other person. Smirking slightly, Wren asked something that shook Sunny to his Shadow core:
"Anyway, your True Name and Flaw must be a trouble for you, aren't they Sunny?"
Sunny's mood darken, his mind was thinking of ways to kill Wren something he already knew was impossible for him. His voice shaky, he asked:
"H-How... Did you know?"
Wren was smiling, and said plainly:
"I just knew it. However, you don't have to worry about your freedom, since I don't know your True Name clearly not that I was going to make you my slave. Afterall, Freedom is something I care about the most so why would I try to steal yours?"
Suddenly one of Wren's eyes turn pitch black, and the area around them started to turn colder. Sunny was sweating in the presence of Wren.
'He feels... different.'
"Believe me or not, Sunny. If you think that you can kill me then go ahead, die trying. I am aware that you don't trust anyone which is good, but sometimes you have to make exceptions. I am not saying you to believe in me, rather I am saying that have some expectation from me if I fail, kill me or at least try to kill me."
Wren's voice was cold but it held a bitter truth. Sunny throat went dry, as what Wren said was a threat to Sunny. Sunny's thoughts were divided in two opposing forces, one told him to believe Wren the other told him to kill Wren which in reality was telling him to die by his hands.
'To hell with this, at least I can live to see another day rather die instantly without even knowing what happened.'
Sunny shook his head and sighed.
"I don't know why I am doing this, but for the first time in my life I will believe you. However, this might change after."
Wren smile, although it look creepy it showed that he is happy with Sunny's answer. Sunny sighed and then asked again:
"Anyway what is this forbidden knowledge you are talking about and why is it not known in the waking world? And can you turn your eyes normal they look creepy as hell."
"Ah, Sorry didn't meant to creep you out."
Wren scratched the back of his head, as his eye return to their usual grey color. Sunny was staring at the process, while Wren felt a bit embarrassed.
'Looks like I played the wrong move.'
'He was mysterious before now, he is more mysterious.'
Both had different thoughts but putting them aside, they had a new topic they wanted to discuss. It was about the tree, Sunny had found this tree dangerous, he didn't understand how can a tree survive in this forsaken place.
"Ah, there was something I wanted to talk about."
Wren looked at him intently waiting for Sunny to continue.
"The tree, I am worried about this tree. It is dangerous from what I can tell. Cassie sudden change in behavior has made me suspicious of it, what about you?
Wren let out a deep sigh and said:
"This tree well it is what you think, it is a Nightmare Creature. From what I have observed, this tree uses mind attacks to subjugate it's victim. I noticed it when I had come to this place, but due to my attribute I was not affected by them. Same goes for you too, albeit weaker."
Sunny eyes widened, then he said:
"Then what should we do, we can't leave this place and we can't escape from mind attacks either."
Wren smiled slightly and said:
"A boat. We will make a boat and leave this place."
Sunny wanted to argue but Wren stopped him and said:
"I will protect you guys with my life, you don't have to worry about that. But right now I need to sleep and I don't know when I will wake up."
Confused, Sunny asked:
"What do you mean?"
"I have not slept from the day I disappeared. So I will most likely will not wake up till my body is fully refreshed, though I will help you if there is any danger. If you need me during that time just say these two words...."
***
Sunny was walking towards Cassie and Nephis, the duo were just sitting in shade of the tree. Both of them looked at Sunny direction, frowning at the absence of Wren, Nephis asked:
"Why are you alone?"
Sunny hesitate for a moment, then said it plainly:
"He is sleeping, apparently he was fighting against countless Nightmare Creatures from the day he had disappeared. So he will be currently sleeping for who knows till when."
Nephis and Cassie were taken back for a moment, of course they would be who can fight Nightmare Creatures for a month without resting. Nephis then suddenly said:
"Your weapon memory was destroyed right? Well you are lucky, I received a memory, it's a weapon."
Sunny's heart skipped a bit.
Instantly, he forgot all about the Azure Blade. Yes, that sword held a certain sentimental value... but who the hell cares about sentimentality?! It came from a carapace scavenger, which wasn't bad at all for his current rank. Few Sleepers got to wield Awakened weapons.
But this new Memory came from an actual awakened demon! A demon!
That made it an Awakened Memory of the third tier, two whole tiers above the Azure Blade. There were seven tiers in total, corresponding to the seven classes of Nightmare Creatures, from beasts to titans. Strictly speaking, a higher tier did not always mean that a Memory will be more powerful, but generally, the more advanced a creature was, the more unique and formidable Memories it left behind.
That's why the Puppeteer's Shroud, which came from an awakened tyrant and was thus considered to be a Tier Five Awakened armor, was so precious.
'Please, be awesome!!'
Sunny tried very hard to not let his excitement show on his face. Pretending to be nonchalant, he kept his voice even and said:
"Really? That's good."
Nephis took his hand, ruining all Sunny's attempts to appear calm, and closed her eyes. Hiding the startled expression on his face, Sunny felt a spark of energy travel from her body to his. It was just like that time he transferred the Starlight Legion Armor to her, only in reverse.
[You have received a Memory: Midnight Shard.]
'Huh. Cool name.'
He summoned the runes and impatiently searched for the description of his new weapon.
Memory: [Midnight Shard].
Memory Rank: Awakened.
Memory Type: Weapon.
Memory Description: [Forged from the shard of a fallen star, this stalwart blade is firm and unyielding. It favors those who are willing to fight to the last drop of blood and knows no surrender.]
'Interesting.'
Not wasting any time, Sunny summoned the Midnight Shard. Immediately, an elegant sword appeared in his hand.
The sword looked a bit like the Azure Blade, but only in the sense that it was single-edged and had a long hilt suitable for two hands. However, this was where the similarities ended. For starters, its blade was much longer, somewhere between seventy and eighty centimeters, and slightly curved. It was forged out of the same bright, lustrous metal as the Carapace Demon's armor.
It was incredibly sharp.
The hilt was made out of polished black wood, quite similar in appearance to the onyx branches of the great tree. The crossguard was round in shape and more pronounced than that of the Azure Blade, offering better support and protection to the wielder's hand.
The sword had no decorations, no ornaments, no embellishments. It was simple and austere, like a true weapon designed for battle and battle alone. It seemed to radiate a cold, fearsome aura.
As soon as his hand touched the Midnight Shard, Sunny felt that this sword possessed an unbreakable will. Its blade was strong enough to withstand devastating blows without suffering any damage. With this sword in his hand, nothing would be able to leave Sunny unarmed again.
More than that, there was a strange new sensation somewhere deep in his heart. When Sunny held the Midnight Shard, he could feel a subtle presence, as though there was a deep well of power hiding inside of him, just beyond reach. He couldn't quite understand how to access that power yet, but it was certainly real.
'I guess I'll have to win its "favor" first. But how do I do it? Hmm. I'll have to experiment later.'
Admiring his new weapon, Sunny looked at Nephis and said:
"This is a... what did Wren call it again?"
"It's a tachi. It's longer than a traditional katana and has a slightly different blade shape. But they're quite similar."
A tachi... well, it sounded nice anyway. And most of the principles he had learned with the Azure Blade could be applied to a sword of this type as well, since they shared the same foundation.
The new acquisition wasn't quite enough to make Sunny forget about the loss of the Echo, but his mood did improve significantly. He liked the Midnight Shard... a lot. There was beauty in its simple, resolute design.
It was understated and deadly.
Kind of like Sunny himself. It was a significant upgrade.
Suddenly, a dark thought appeared in Sunny's mind. Glancing at Nephis, he cleared his throat and said after a bit of hesitation:
"Uh... it's a very nice weapon. Tier three, no less. Are you sure that you don't want to keep it for yourself?"
Changing Star was the one to deal the final blow to the Carapace Demon, after all. By right, the Memory belonged to her. But Sunny really, really hoped that she would refuse.
Nephis shook her head.
"I already have a sword. It suits me."
Inwardly, Sunny sighed with relief.
'Good,' he thought. 'Makes you wonder, though if she's unwilling to exchange her longsword for a tier-three weapon... then what is the tier of that silver sword of hers?'
He didn't buy the idea that it simply suited Changing Star better even for a second. She had told him herself that the principle of using these types of swords was basically the same. Upgrading to the Midnight Shard and giving the old weapon to Sunny would not have caused her any problem. The only reason she would refuse it was that it would have been a downgrade, instead.
Once again, he became curious about the exact circumstances of how Neph had gotten her True Name. To receive his own, Sunny had to kill an awakened tyrant. Could it be possible that she had done the same? Or even... something more incredible?
But he was too tired to try and fish for information.
They all were.
The three Sleepers were setting their place to sleep, they had chose area behind the trunk of the great tree as they were afraid that the strange winged creature they had seen devouring a dead centurion would appear again, this time to claim the remains of the Carapace Demon.
Only when they were sure that nothing would be able to notice them from above did they finally allow the exhaustion to prevail and went to sleep. Sunny fell into dreamless darkness almost instantly, happy to finally be able to rest.
However, this time something strange happened.
He was woken up by a terrified Cassie, in the middle of night.
"Sunny!...you have to remember, Sunny! Five! It's five! Remember! You have to remember! It's five!"
As Cassie finished, her terrified eyes suddenly become calm and she went back to her place falling asleep. Sunny expression turned grim, the effects are more prominent now it wouldn't take much time when even Sunny himself is under this illusion.
'Wren, I don't think... No I will not fall in this damn tree's trap.'
Convincing himself, Sunny stood up and took a place near the two sleeping girls, guarding them spending his whole night without sleep was all he could do and he doesn't know how many days he have to do the same thing. Sunny was cursing Wren for leaving him here in this situation, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Sunny cast a glance at Cassie, who was sleeping peacefully near Neph, and shook his head in pity. His mind was thinking of all sorts of methods to keep him away from the illusion attack. Sighing he stared at the huge branches of the tree, and waited till the day started to rise with the retreating of the Dark Sea.
Suddenly his shadow alerted him.
'What's wrong?'
He looked down at the shadow and saw it repeatedly pointing up with a tense expression on its... well, it didn't have a face. He could just tell that it was nervous.
'Trouble?'
Sunny looked up and saw nothing but the scarlet leaves of the great tree. The sky was hidden, but he could easily tell that the sun was still up. It seemed that he was asleep for just a few hours.
There was no threat anywhere in sight. He frowned.
'What got you so spooked?'
The shadow just pointed up again, seemingly irritated by his stupidity. Sunny blinked a couple of times and addressed it again:
'High in the tree? Higher? In the sky?'
Finally satisfied, the shadow crossed its arms.
'Something dangerous is above the island... that creepy raven thing again?'
He had to check... but why did he feel as though he was forgetting something?
Sunny scowled, he then bit his hand. The taste of blood spread throughout his mouth, making Sunny's cloudy mind become clear once again. Then his wound started to heal a benefit he had received from the blessing.
'Now let's see what is the issue.'
Standing up, Sunny summoned the Midnight Shard and glanced darkly at the blood-red leaves of the great tree. Feeling the coolness of the black polished hilt in his hand, he felt a little calmer.
Woken up by his quiet movements, Nephis opened her eyes and looked at him, her body tensing up. There was a silent question in her eyes.
Sunny shook his head.
"I don't know yet. Stay with Cassie while I check things out."
Leaving the girls behind, Sunny walked forward. He was planning to reach the edge of the island, where the branches of the colossal tree were not as thick and the sky could be seen through the openings in its crown.
Technically, he could have sent his shadow to do this instead of going himself. But in situations like this, where the danger was unknown, Sunny usually preferred to keep the shadow close by in case he needed to use it.
Reaching the eastern slope of the Ashen Barrow, he carefully looked up, still hidden in the shadow of the great tree.
Up above in the vast grey sky, a small black dot was circling around the island.
Sunny's chest became heavy with wariness. Back when the terrible winged beast had first appeared, it looked exactly like this from the distance.
Leaving the shadow behind to keep watch on the black dot, he returned and briefly told Nephis and Cassie about his discovery.
"Right now, it's just flying above the island. I don't know if it's the same creature or not, and when it is going to land."
Changing Star frowned.
"Last time, it wasn't very interested in searching for live prey. Perhaps it's mostly a carrion eater, and thus is only interested in the Carapace Demon's carcass."
Sunny shook his head.
"Back then, it did come for the carapace centurion's meat. But it took a few scavengers with it as well before leaving. So it'll be too optimistic to think that this abomination will not try to devour us too if given a chance."
'After all, They wouldn't come down here to become this damn tree's slave.'
Nephis thought for a while, then gave him a nod.
"You're right. The best course of action would be to stay away from the Carapace Demon for now and hide when it decides to land."
Then, looking up, she added:
"But first, we must observe it to make sure that it's the same creature and confirm its intentions."
Not having an argument against this logic, Sunny led the girls to the spot where he had left his shadow. There, they sat on the ground and watched the black dot as it circled around the Ashen Barrow.
Observing the flying creature left them disturbed and unsure of what to do.
The black dot drew closer a few times, allowing them to discern that it was indeed the same terrible monstrosity that they had encountered a few weeks before, or at least a creature of the same type. However, it never got too close to the crown of the great tree, as though hesitating to land in its shadow.
What's worse, as hours passed by, it was joined by two other abominations of the same breed, each as horrifying and repulsive as the first one was. Now, three black dots were circling in the skies above their heads, filling Sunny's heart with dread.
One of those creatures, with its corpselike white body and raven-black feathers, with an unnatural mess of powerful limbs protruding from its wide chest, each ending with a set of terrifying talons, was enough to wipe out their entire group.
The memory of how easily the creature had broken through the adamantine shell of the carapace centurion with its massive beak was still fresh in his mind. He suspected that these abominations were at least as powerful as the Carapace Demon was, or perhaps even more so.
And now there were three of them.
'Well there is no need for us to hide anyway, but still I shouldn't let my guard down.'
The flying monsters seemed to be reluctant to approach the Ashen Barrow for some reason. They just circled around it, sometimes hesitantly approaching, but then gaining height again. Their behavior was strange and disturbing, well only for Cassie and Nephis.
After some time, Cassie quietly said:
"Maybe they're not hungry?"
Sunny blinked, trying to imagine a world where a Nightmare Creature might not be hungry. Was it even possible? He, on the other hand...
"I don't know about these albino chickens, but I'm hungry as hell."
This was true. The three of them had not eaten anything since yesterday. Sunny was afraid that if the abominations did decide to land on the island, the loud growls of his stomach would give away his position.
Nephis glanced and him and asked:
"Want to eat some grilled chicken?"
Sunny opened his eyes wide and hissed:
"Don't even think about it!, well not now some another day we will eat it."
She stared at him, then turned away with a smile.
'That was... a joke? Right? She knows how to joke?'
Well... at least someone's sense of humor was worse than his.
...In the end, their worst fears did not come true. After the sun began to roll toward the horizon, the three flying abominations finally made a decision and left the skies above the Ashen Barrow, flying west in a loose wedge formation.
They never descended low enough to notice the three Sleepers, let alone landing on the surface of the large island. Sunny was left drenched in sweat and tired from anticipating a disaster, almost disappointed at the fact that all this worrying had turned out to be for nothing.
Looking at Cassie, who couldn't see that the danger had passed, he said:
"They're gone."
***
'Damnit, Damnit, Damnit. Wren, I don't think I can hold for much longer'
This was the last thought Sunny had after he was fully under the influence of [Enthralled]. Meanwhile Wren was... dreaming.