Chapter 22 Meeting Sunless

After some time.

The three Sleeper were sitting around the fire pit. Nephis was cooking the meat of scavenger they hunted last night. Cassie was staring at the fire with a strange expression on her face.

Meanwhile Raizel was looking at the shinny crystals in his hand which was given to him by Nephis, she said that it was his kills, so it is only right for him to have them.

The crystal are Soul shards which comes from the nightmare creatures, soul shards are nothing but a broken soul which is used to nourish one's soul core, and in return it will make the core more stronger and more refined.

Soul Shards are also used as a currency in the walking world.

Raizel shifted his gaze to look at his runes.

Name: Raizel Dark Solomon

True Name: - Prince of Darkness

Rank: Sleeper

Dark heart: 1/--

Dark essence:956/2000

Memories: - Dark Suit, Epic, The change, Null.

Echoes: -

His gaze then landed at the section "Dark essence".

'Hmm so i can absorbed dark essence form the nightmare creature just like Sunless who can absorbed shadow essence of other beings.'

So all he need to do is to kill creature and grow his dark heart.

As if coming to a conclusion he nodded his head before dismissing his runes and shifting his gaze back to the shads, he tried to absorbed them but the shads remain the same.

Knowing he can't absorbed them, he put the shads in his ring and looked at the girls.

They sat there in silence, after sometime Cassie broke the silence as her eyes landed in Raizel direction.

"Raizel, thank you for saving us in previous night." said Cassie she sounded in a voice full of grateful.

"You don't need to thank me Cassie after all we are.... friends." said Raizel while looking at Cassie, who has a shy expression on her face.

She nodded her head.

Nephis was also looking at their interaction in silence.

After that Raizel and Cassie talked a lot, manly Cassie asking him some question like 'how he got here' and and 'what did he used to get rid of those nightmare creatures.'

Raizel answer all her question, enough to not revel everything about his powers.

Sometimes Nephis would also joined in their conversation, when the conversation was shifting in her direction.

After they were done chatting and eating, they make a plan to explore the crimson labyrinth.

Currently Nephis, Cassie and Raizel was standing at the edge of the cliff looking down.

Nephis summoned a golden rope and just as she was about to tired it to a bolder, Raizel stopped her.

She look at him with confusion clearly written in her grey eyes.

"My ability can get us down their faster." said Raizel as a matter of fact.

But Nephis didn't understand what did he mean by it, she just nodded her head as she unsummoned the rope.

Then suddenly her eyes widden as she saw herself and Cassie started levitating in the air,

Cassie was confused about what was going on until she feel something holding her.

"Hickkk!!"

She let out shot sheik.

Nephis look at Raizel who was slowly floating in air.

"Nep-Nephis!!... w-what going on!! "

Nephis look at her blind ally then said in even tone.

"It alright Cassie we are just..... flying."

Cassie was now more confused by her statement, then Raizel said.

"It one my ability which is Telekinesis. It let me control any living and non living thing."

Raizel calmly explain about his ability to the girls, he didn't really want to but it seems like they would not clam down without an explanation, although he could have used the golden rope to climb down, but it would have only wasted his time.

Cassie was surprised to hear such a powerful ability, even Nephis eyes were widden but only for a movement before her face return back to normal, she seems to be thinking something very deeply.

But all of this didn't got unnoticed by Raizel.

As they reached the ground.

Raizel slowly put them down.

Nephis look at him then shifting her gaze back to Cassie.

She then summoned the same golden rope, she tied herself and Cassie with it then said.

"Well we should start walking."

They were exploring the labyrinth, Raizel in front with Nephis and Cassie at his back, in their journey they only encounter one or two scavengers which were quickly deal by Raizel as he was the main fighting force, he trap then in his illusion and then killed them.

Raizel has also notice something that, for his illusion to work perfectly he need to look at the creatures eyes before putting them in it.

Now currently

Raizel store the body of the scavengers that was killed by him, inside his ring storage space.

He did got some memory which he decided to check later.

He looked at Nephis and signal her to come out, Nephis nodded her head as she come out with Cassie.

They continued their journey as they were walking at the coral path. when suddenly Raizel stopped making the two girl stop as well.

"Is there something wrong Raizel ?" said Nephis as she tightly hold her sword looking around for any danger.

Cassie also tensed up as she quickly hide behind Nephis.

Raizel doesn't know why but he felt as if someone or something seems to be looking at him, he then shifted his gaze to a one particular direction where a shadow was hiding, the shadow flinch meeting his gaze, then he said while pointing his sword at the shadow.

"Come out before i kill you."

Nephis also looked at the direction, with her sword in her hands, she wasn't able to see anything in that direction because of the trees and rock that seems to cover that area.

"..."

Their was no answer from the other side.

Just as Nephis was about to speak.

Suddenly a boy walk out, limping, he was visibly shaking.

"Wait!!, i am a human don't kill me." he sounded afraid as if the other would really kill him or more specifically the white haired one.

Raizel stares at the newcomer.

The boy look to be in his teen. He has dark hair and black eyes with a pale skin. He was wearing a dark armor while holding what appear to a..... bag?

His appearance looks pitiful, his dark black hairs were messy, with his pale face covered in dirt and a bit blood, it looks like as if the boy has gotten beaten up pretty badly.

'Sunless...'

Though Raizel as he identify the identity of the black haired boy.

Meanwhile looking at the boy Nephis said.

"If you're human, why are you hiding like a creep?"

Sunless choked after hearing her calling him a creep, he wanted to retort but because of his flaw, he had to provide an answer, and it has to be truthful at that.

"I mean, you are changing star Nephis, and the one beside you is the Prince of Darkness Raizel. To be honest, I am a little afraid."

Nephis didn't answer, her face was hard to read, however Raizel just stared at Sunless while still pointing his sword at him.

After a while he put down the sword making Sunless sigh in relief.

"What happened to you?" said Raizel referring to his bruises, and overall state.

Nephis and Cassie also looked at Sunless.

"Carapace scavenger."

Nephis raised an eyebrow, then said.

"You managed to get away..... alive."

"I didn't get away, I killed it." said Sunless while pointing at his rucksack, full of delicious meat, he said with a hint of pride.

Nephis looked at him over again. There was a hint of approval in her eyes.

Sunless then lowered his eyes, then said.

"But....it was already wounded."

Hearing his Nephis just shrugged, then said.

" A kill is a kill. You did well."

After that there was silence. Sunless also wasn't sure what to say, it was his first time talking to a Nephis, luckily the girl tired in golden ropes came to the rescue.

"Are you seriously injured?"

Sunless shook his head as he said.

"No, it's just that my ribs and legs are bruised... I'll be fine in a day or two. My Armor is pretty resilient".

Then he cleared his throat.

"Before stumbling on the scavenger, I was heading for the tall hill with the massive coral pillar on top but After the fight, my speed decreased. Now I'm worried about not making it in time. Do you perhaps know the way."

Hearing this the bling girl smiled.

"Actually, we spent the last few days on that hill. We were just about to go back"

Raizel and Nephis didn't say anything, one was in Deep thought and the other one was looking at the sky.

Sunless licked his lips.

"Well.... Can I come with you?"

'They're not going to say 'no'.... right?'

Cassie turned her to her companions, a Clear question written on her face.

"Raizel, Neph what so you think?"

Raizel stared at Cassie then at Sunless, Nephis lowered her eyes, staring at Sunless then she said.

"Raizel what do you say ?"

It seem like she wanted hear her other companion thoughts.

Raizel looked at Nephis then at Sunny.

'Well his shadow will be useful.'

Since he know that his shadow can be used for scouting and sneaking up.

Feeling both of them staring at him was making Sunless uncomfortable.

'Just say the answer no need to stare that much'

"No.."

'What'

"... problem."

'Can't you say that fast Prince!'

Thought sunny anxiously, he could feel his heart beating wildly, then as if calming down he smiled and said.

"Well alright..."

Soon the four of them started walking towards the tall hill. It didn't take them all of time with Raizel and Nephis leading the way, and there was no scavengers around, which seems to have made Sunless and Cassie sigh in relief.

Sunless didn't say much on the way to the hills, he only casting a periodical glance at the strange trio. The blind girl whose name is Cassie, which he has come to know from Nephis, is nothing more then a dead weight.

'It doesn't make any sense why they are helping her, she can't survive the dream realm, she is basically a dead weight.'

Thought Sunless while looking at Cassie, then he shifted his gaze to the front, looking at Raizel and Nephis.

'Just what are they thinking?'

After reaching the hill Nephis stopped and looked at Raizel with some.... expectations in her eyes, she was just about to say something but Raizel stopped her.

"I can only fly for once a day.'

'Can't let them knew that telekinesis took a lot of essence.'

What Raizel said was indeed true, he could uses his telekinesis on himself to fly up, but if he were to bring up more people with him then it would consume too much essence.

Not like he didn't have enough essence, but their was another reason and that was he doesn't want to appear too powerful in front of them.

'After all, i don't want them to become wary of me.' thought Raizel, if he were to show them his power full power or even half of it, rather then trusting him they would most likely become wary of him, and at one point the chances of betrayal is also inevitable to happen.

Even thought he has read the that book, and know all three of their personality very much but still he should be careful of what he should reveal and when to reveal.

'Wait flying!!, he can actually fly!!' thought Sunless as he looked at Raizel in disbelief.

Nephis looked a bit disappointed, but she nodded her head as if she understood.

She dismissed the rope and immediately summoned it again.

Sunless gaze shifted to the rope in Nephis hand. 'oh, so it was a memory'

Then right in front of his surprised eyes, the length of the rope suddenly began to increase. And soon it was thrice as long as it was before.

After they reached on the top of the hills, Sunless looked around as he saw that it was larger then the stone platform of the giant knight's neck, it was like a mini island.

At the highest point of the, hidden behind some coral blades, it seems like the trio has made some camp.

There were piles of seaweed to sleep on, strips of the scavenger meat drying under the sun, and a fire pit.

Sunless was looking at the fire then shifted his gaze back to the three, then asked.

"Was it one nights ago? I have seen an orange light in the distance"

Cassie's face darkened, hearing this.

"Yes, this was the first time we made a fire. But it turned out to be a really bad mistake."

Hearing this Nephis and Raizel just sigh.

Seeing this all Sunless raised an eyebrow in surprised, and asked.

"Why?"

The blind girl touched her hair and turned her head to Nephis.

"At night, any light will attract monsters and we were attacked by some scavengers, but Raizel saved us. If it wasn't for him then....then..."

She paled and didn't finish her sentence. The memory of giant tentacle holding her was still fresh in her mind.

"Uh. I see." said Sunless as he didn't asked any further, after seeing the blind girl terrified face.

"Well it should be fine now, since we still have time before the sun set." said Raizel, Nephis nodded and started making the fire. Cassie simply sat on a pile of seaweed and waited. Not knowing what to do.

Raizel was practicing with his sword doing some beautiful swing, his sword seems to be creating a black ark, with each swing.

Sunless who has lowered himself to the ground to let his tired and bruised body rest, he shifted his gaze and looked at Raizel who was practicing his swordsmanship.

'Damn those are some beautiful moments, he looks like he is dancing.'

Sunless was really memorized by the way Raizel control his sword, his each and every step of swing seems to be filled with beauty and a sense of purpose, but he was not the only one memorized by it, Nephis too was staring at Raizel with her eyes wide open.

Sunless then shifted his gaze as he looked at Cassie, then said.

"I have fresh meat in my rucksack. Do you have water?"

Cassia smiled.

"Yes!"

After that, she extended an arm to him. A second later, a beautiful bottle made of patterned blue glass appeared in her hand.

"That's a Memory I have. It's always full."

Raizel glanced in their direction before averting his gaze, he continue his training.

'Well its seems like fate still brought them together, now the path ahead will be hard because of Sunless Fated attribute.'

Sunless Fated Attribute always put him in a dangerous situation, as it not only affect him but also to the people around him.

But this Attribute also has it own benefits, as Sunless always survived the situation where he was supposed to die.

This Attribute is a double edge sword, fro someone like him.

'Will it also affect someone like me, who is fateless.'

Raizel still doesn't fully understand the concept of fate, that why he couldn't make any decisions.

After all how can fate even affect him when he was never a part of it, then again he also need to prepared if he ever found himself in the cradle of fate, after all in his fateless attribute it was written clearly that those who defy fate will never received a true end.

What dose it mean by the no receiving a true end?

Also how can the spell be so sure that ?

There seems to be so many question going in his mind, which he decided to put in hold.

'Let's see how this will turned out.'

After some time Raizel stopped Swinging his sword and came towards where the other three sleepers were and sat down between Nephis and Cassie.

Sunless stared at Raizel, then his gaze shifted towards the East, where the skies were already growing dark.

Then he uncomfortably shifted.

"Do scavengers come all the way up here?"

Nephis turned the meat and nodded, Raizel was helping her so that she does not burn the whole meat.

"Yes. But... only at night. In the day, most of them seem to disappear."

Sunless grinned, having an idea of why there weren't a lot of monsters in the labyrinth in the day.

"That's because they all gather near the place I had been spending my time recently. You should have seen it — the tall cliff to the west of here. Well, it's actually a statue."

Cassia opened her eyes wide, as if she as just come to an conclusion.

"A... a statue? But for you to survive, it should be..."

Raizel looked at the fire in which the meat was burning, he was lost in his own thought.

'Yeah... a statue of a knight, at least two hundred meters tall, with a missing head.'

Raizel was recalling the information he remember from the book he has read.

He then looked at Sunless who was speaking.

"-sent here, two sea creatures fought each other near that statue. When the water receded, I saw an enormous carcass lying there, with hundreds of scavengers slowly tearing it apart."

Nephis nodded.

"That would explain the lack of Nightmare Creature in the day. How long?"

Sunless blinked.

"How long what?"

Changing Star stared at him for a few seconds, making Sunless feel uncomfortable.

"How long... until they are done devouring the carcass?"

"Oh. One day more, two at most."

Nephis turned away, she then quickly took the burned meat away from the fire, and then tired to extinguished it.

'There's definitely something wrong with that girl!' thought Sunless

Raizel just stared at Nephis in silence, and Nephis seems to be avoiding his gaze.

After eating their meal, the sun was already set and the water was already up.

It was dark and Sunny who was looking at the three sleepers, because of his ability to see in the dark.

Nephis was sitting while leaning on the huge bolder, she hold her sword as if ready to attack at any time, by her side Cassie was laying beside Raizel, hugging him, her faze was shifting from different kinds of emotions like frustration, loneliness and sadness.

Then their was Raizel, he seems to be sleeping, with his eyes closed, but Sunless could tell that he was not asleep.

Suddenly Sunless said.

"Hey how about we introduce ourselves properly, I will go first my name is Sunless but you can call me Sunny."

Nephis and Cassie were surprised and also shocked for a bit, they didn't even asked his name, it is as if this thought didn't even come inside their mind, if it wasn't for him to introduced himself they would have not even know.

Suddenly Nephis frowned, she seems to be thinking where has she heard his name from.

'Is he one of those people...' she thought with a dark look on her face.

But before she could come up with an answer, Cassie said.

"Nice to meet you Sunny, my name is Cassie."

"Nephis"

"...Raizel."

Sunny then quickly spoke with a smiled.

"Since we're going to be depending on each other, it would be better if we share what abilities and memories we have at our disposal."

Cassie didn't say anything, Raizel just looked at him with his indifferent face, Nephis glanced at Sunless with a guarded look on her face.

Seeing Raizel and Nephis looking at him makes him was making Sunny nervous.

Luckily he was obscured by darkness.

"I will start, my attributes give me an affinity to shadow I also have a slight affiliation to divinity lastly I am prone to find myself in an unlikely situation"

Cassie who was listening carefully, and then lowered her head in as though embarrassed.

"Uh....he is telling the truth. Not that we doubted your honesty."

'She is telling the truth.' thought Raizel as he looked at Cassie, for him detecting if someone was telling a lie or a truth was quit easy because of his attribute "Eyes of truth", he then shifted his back gaze to Sunny.

Sunny was getting a little nervous, then cleared his throat and smiled in nervousness.

"Really? That's good to know but.....why are you so sure that i am being honest?"

The blind girl shifted a little.

"Oh! That's my ability i can 'see' people's attributes sometimes I also receive, uh vision they can be about the future or past I mean that what i think....it only happened a couple of times."

Sunny swallowed, but then relaxed.

'So, she is an oracle of sorts. Luckily, her insight is limited to Attributes... otherwise, I'd be in real trouble. Still, I'll have to be careful around her.'

Then he said in a friendly tone.

"That's a good ability, speaking of ability you have already seen mine. My shadow can move independently and explore. It can't affect the material world, but we share sight and hearing. That way, I can spot danger before encountering it. The shadow is fast and stealthy. It can go anywhere and is almost impossible to notice. Oh, I can also see in the dark"

After saying that he smiled, expecting them to understand and appreciate the utility of his shadow scout.

However when he looked at them their reaction was a bit strange. Nephis eyes widden a bit as she has just come to an realization, she then slowly turned her head in his direction, with a dark look at her face, she was slowly raising her sword as if ready to fight.

Cassie became pale as she quickly raised her hands to cover her chest, she tired to get behind Raizel.

Raizel also looked at Sunny with a cold gaze, which made Sunny shiver.

"U-Uh... W-what?"

'Hmm should i create problem for you flower boy.' thought Raizel as a mischievous idea come in his mind. Then he asked.

"Did you ever use your ability on someone..... Sunless."

Sunny was confused for second after hearing his question but he still answer.

"Yes, but why."

Raizel didn't said anything as he just watched the show.

Then as if it suddenly clicked on Sunny mind.

'Oh, right... because of my reputation in academy.... FUCK!!'

He hurriedly answer.

"Listen i have never used it to do anything improper! You have to believe me!!"

Sunny saw how both Nephis and Cassie looked skeptical, while Raizel still has his emotionless face but he inside he was feeling a bit satisfied with his work.