Chapter 1219 Silver Sun
Seishan’s crimson magic stills the creature, but another looms. Sunny understands “life was war,” and hope, a powerful “longing,” could be their only weapon. Sunny recognizes Nephis’s flame, potent against the abominations, as their best chance for survival. He connects the minds of the seven Masters with the Blessing of Dusk, relaying the grim reality: “We need to destroy the creature in front of us before the one behind catches up.”
A desperate plan forms, six Masters restrain the abomination, while Nephis deals the killing blow. Sunny knows that the gap between their Ranks is vast, but not absolute, that “there was nothing indestructible in the world.” Sunny trusts her to kill the vessel of the Gate Guardian barring their path. With grim resolve, Sunny sacrifices the shadows around him to empower Nephis, turning her white flame colder and more menacing. “Ah. And things were just getting fun,” a vague figure clicked its tongue in disappointment.
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Together, the Masters launch a coordinated assault. A black arrow pierces an eye, followed by a white one destroying the other. Shurikens shred its chest, crippling its mobility. Effie’s spear and Morgan’s sword target the knees, while Seishan tears apart its left shoulder and elbow. Finally, the Sin of Solace falls, hissing through the air, aimed at the creature’s head, will the assault be enough to defeat the creature?
Chapter 1220 Indestructible
A bonfire of pristine flames envelops Nephis and the vessel, its beauty masking incinerating heat. Sunny staggers back, the flames somehow making him feel dreadfully cold, reminding him of the Antarctic Center. He realizes that while he shares a bond with Nephis, he can’t survive her flames like she can, the Sin of Solace trapped in a cycle of burning agony. He hears a distorted shriek from the blaze, but it’s swallowed by the roar. “Curse it…” he thinks, knowing he can’t focus on Nephis while another abomination approaches.
Seishan is crippled, Morgan wounded, and Effie’s shield destroyed. Sunny, Effie, and Kai are the only ones left standing. He senses movement in the shadows, realizing, “Here it comes!” A dark blur lunges, only for Effie to hurl her spear with deadly precision, obliterating the vessel’s upper torso. The mutilated corpse flies forward, a stream of crimson liquid trailing behind. Before the body can reform, a flaming arrow hits, destroying its left side.
Yet, the Gate Guardian remains undisturbed. The mangled corpse calmly walks forward, its flesh regenerating, shattered ribs reforming, and a mocking eye appearing from the destroyed face. Sunny feels a chill, questioning, “What… what the hell…” The sight is terrifying, almost ludicrous, as the abomination defies death with horrifying ease.
Chapter 1221 Unstoppable
Sunny feels increasingly overwhelmed by the relentless battle against the Gate Guardian’s vessel. Exhaustion threatens to defeat him even if the abomination doesn’t. He marvels at how the six Masters and he himself, a Shadow, are holding their own against the seemingly unstoppable foe, kept at bay by the constant onslaught. Each Ascended fights without reservation, knowing retreat isn’t an option. Jet, though mangled, persists. Morgan absorbs grievous damage, her healing ability strained. Seishan, arms broken, resorts to desperate measures, using her monstrous teeth. Effie maintains some distance with her spear. Together, they fight, trying to prevent the creature from reaching Nephis’s purifying flames.
“Die, die… why won’t you die!” Sunny thinks, as the Sin of Solace barely scratches the vessel. He isn’t fast enough to dodge the next attack, a sharp pain piercing his side as his Shroud of Dusk tears. Bone Weave saves him from a fatal blow as the abomination’s strike cracks his ribs. “Damn it, damn it, damn it…” Sunny thinks, rising shakily. Morgan’s essence dwindles, her healing faltering. Jet slows, her Aspect hindered by the singular, overwhelming enemy.
Disaster strikes as Seishan falls. Effie is left alone, the creature seizing her spear and pulling her off balance. Just as it prepares to deliver a lethal blow, Kai slams into the abomination, pushing it back. The corpse retaliates, crushing Kai’s spine. “Curse it all!” Sunny cries, lunging forward alongside Saint, his injured side throbbing, bone weary.
Chapter 1222 Against All Hope
Beastmaster, enraged at the creature’s attack on her sister, tears her fist from its chest before launching it across the battlefield. The vessel rises again, eerily calm, even smiling. “What is mercy?” it asks, a question that hangs in the air, chilling Sunny to the bone. He struggles to stand, assessing the remaining survivors, all severely injured. Morgan and Saint, along with a pained Effie, appear the only ones capable of fighting, although their effectiveness is questionable given their condition. Nephis’ condition remains unknown, making Sunny wonder if even Bestmaster can prevail alone.
The question becomes moot when a figure of pure radiance strikes the vessel from behind, revealing Sir Gilead, Summer Knight, had arrived. The two Transcendents now fight in concert against the Gate Guardian’s vessel. Sunny checks to confirm Nephis is still alive and collapses onto the sand, relying on shadow sense to follow the battle. He notes that wounds inflicted by Beastmaster are unusually slow to heal, leaving the creature perpetually weakened.
He senses a fourth shadow at a distance, slender and familiar. *Cassie*? It was Cassie who guided the Saints to their aid. The vessel, despite its power, proves no match for the combined might of Beastmaster and Summer Knight, particularly due to Bestmaster’s unique brand of damage. Sunny feels some tension drain from his mangled body knowing Cassie has brought aid.
Chapter 1223 Diverging Goals
The setting sun casts long shadows as the battered survivors limp toward a towering ruin, seeking refuge from the approaching night. Saint carries the unconscious Nephis, wrapped in Cassie’s seawave cloak after her armor was incinerated. Jet, despite her own mangled form, managed to absorb some soul essence, appearing slightly improved after slaying a Nightmare Creature. Seishan leans heavily on Beastmaster, while a pale Kai hovers in pain, his spine damaged. Effie limps, and Morgan appears utterly spent. Sunny, augmenting himself with his shadows, manages to hobble along, appearing like a “rag doll that had been neglected for decades and then thoroughly chewed by an animal or two.”
Cassie walks beside Sunny, the only one who doesn’t seem physically battered, though clearly drained. Her own armor is riddled with dents and bloodstains from her own recent battles, against many Awakened, enthralled abominations, and Masters of Clan Song. Sunny expresses his gratitude. “By the way… you were just in time. Thank you,” he says quietly. Cassie dismisses it as a “fortunate coincidence,” but Sunny knows better.
His expression darkens. “About the Gates,” Sunny presses, “That was why you told me to write a message to Rain… you knew that we were going to get stuck in this damned desert for a long, long time. You knew that Antarctica was going to be destroyed, too.” Cassie turns her blind eyes toward him, her expression calm. “I know nothing,” she says, but Sunny remains unconvinced, sensing a deeper game is afoot. What secrets does she hold, and what future has she foreseen for them all?
Chapter 1224 Second Night
The survivors reach a vast, palatial ruin, separated from the Nightmare Desert by a field of black glass. Sunny speculates on the strange nature of the ruins, wondering if they fell from the sky or drowned beneath a forgotten sea. Inside the hall, Beastmaster roasts monster meat, her relaxed demeanor contrasting with the others’ tense vigilance. They are acutely aware of the danger she represents, as Beastmaster’s subtle mind control is an ever-present threat.
Summer Knight glares at Beastmaster, and she returns the look, smiling sweetly. “Gods. Can you stop drilling a hole in my forehead, Gilead?” she asks, her voice honeyed. “I know I am pretty… but still, a knight like you should have some manners. Stop staring.” Gilead retorts “Were pretty. Have you looked in the mirror recently?”, reminding her of her disfigurement. Beastmaster traces the bleeding wound on her face, a memento from the Whispering Blade, and taunts him about failing to protect his liege. Morgan, consumed by fury, spits out “You vile witch…” to which Beastmaster only laughs.
Despite the tension, Beastmaster offers food, her smile momentarily stirring something within Sunny. He steels himself, reminding himself of her past atrocities. Still, he accepts the meat, and as he eats, Beastmaster watches him with an unsettling curiosity. Sunny knows he must only feel contempt for her, even as his emotions threaten to betray his better judgement.
Chapter 1225 Short Respite
Tension hangs heavy in the air after the meal. Exhausted yet wary, the group remains within the crumbling ruin, trapped not only by the looming threat of the Gate Guardian, but also the presence of the two Saints, Summer Knight and Beastmaster. Sunny, weary of the stalemate, breaks the silence, suggesting they simply leave so the others can rest. Gilead expresses surprise at his composure, expecting fear or pleas for rescue. Sunny shrugs off the implication, stating, “I’m too tired to be worried.”
Beastmaster reveals the reason for their continued presence. “The reason why we haven’t left is very simple… there are conditions that have to be met in order to return to the waking world.” She explains that the pull of the Nightmare Desert’s Seeds affect their anchors in the waking world, meaning they need to find a place where the influence is weaker, “They are not too hard to find, though. I am willing to bet that we’ll encounter at least one tomorrow.” Learning that neither Saint can depart immediately, Sunny nonchalantly declares, “Okay. You stand guard, then,” and promptly falls asleep. Soon, the others follow, leaving Summer Knight and Beastmaster as the only sentinels.
Sunny awakens to pale sunlight filtering through the ruin’s cracks, still battered but somewhat restored. His shadows remain vigilant, but the dangers posed by Saints and abominations surpass their capabilities. He finds the others sleeping, their fate hanging in the balance as they seek respite in the heart of the Nightmare Desert.
Chapter 1226 Alluring Offer
Leaving the ruin, the group ventures back into the Nightmare Desert, their pace improved due to rest and Nephis’ healing. Sunny notes Nephis’s hidden exhaustion from using her Aspect. Despite her condition, Nephis insists on healing everyone, even Seishan. Beastmaster’s wound, inflicted by Whispering Blade, resists Nephis’s power. Sunny allows Nephis to heal him, setting aside his reservations for the sake of their survival.
Guided by Cassie’s heightened intuition, the group navigates the treacherous landscape, avoiding deadly pitfalls and monstrous abominations. Summer Knight and Beastmaster’s protection keeps the Ascended safe. As the sun begins to set, they arrive at a ruined structure, an obsidian husk where the influence of the Seeds is weak enough for the Saints to leave.
Inside, Beastmaster announces her departure with Seishan, extending an offer to one more. “Granted, I can take one more person with me… I can help one of you escape this bothersome predicament.” Her calculated look hints at owing her a debt. Effie breaks the tense silence with uncharacteristic somberness, “I’m sorry. My mom told me not to follow strange women.” Kai and Sunny silently support Effie’s decision. Beastmaster laughs it off, and departs with Seishan, leaving Sunny with a complicated mix of regret and resolve, knowing he couldn’t abandon his friends, even to save himself.
Chapter 1227 A Friendly Invitation
The group’s best hope for escape lies in reaching the Tomb of Ariel, a black pyramid and one of the main reasons for the clans’ arrival in Antarctica, now seemingly within their reach thanks to Summer Knight and Morgan. However, a sinister presence intrudes on Sunny’s thoughts: Mordret. The Prince of Nothing appears as a battered, almost corpse-like reflection, missing an eye and a hand. The communication is solely in Sunny’s mind, hidden from the others.
Sunny, wary and unwilling, reluctantly acknowledges Mordret’s presence with a silent nod, using the Blessing of Dusk on the reflection. He immediately attempts to shut Mordret down, firing a mental message: “[How about you get out of my head and go die someplace else? No matter what you’re scheming, I’m not interested.]” Mordret, unfazed by Sunny’s hostility, claims innocence in the events that led to their predicament. He smoothly dodges blame, even going so far as to accuse Sunny of lying about his disdain for the great clans.
Mordret, with a maddening smile, declares, “I forgive you, Sunless… no need to even mention it!” Sunny, increasingly exasperated by Mordret’s twisted logic, wonders if the Prince of Nothing has completely lost his mind. The unexpected appearance of Mordret throws uncertainty into their chances of escaping the Nightmare Desert.
Chapter 1228 Unattainable Mirage
Sunny faces a grim reality in the Nightmare Desert: death seems inevitable, offering only two paths, following Morgan to the Tomb of Ariel or Mordret into the Third Nightmare, both equally dangerous. Ultimately, Sunny delays his decision, pinning his hopes on Morgan reaching the black pyramid within four days, else he’ll be forced to accept Mordret’s invitation. Mordret, wanting Sunny’s cohort’s strength, begrudgingly agrees. Sunny knows Masters like them choose willingly to undergo the Second Nightmare, unlike Awakened who only survive to Ascend, making him worry more about the Third. “Gods. How did I end up being forced to put all my hopes in these two?” Sunny thinks as they progress, and he realizes more and more that Mordret was telling the truth.
Led by Morgan and Sir Gilead, the group ventures deeper into the desert, assailed by torturous heat that drains their will to live. Sleepless nights add to their woes, haunted by the nightly cataclysmic battles where terrifying creatures rise from the sands. The ruins they shelter in become increasingly fragile, threatening to collapse.
Their daytime battles also intensify, with Nightmare Creatures growing more powerful. Initially, Sir Gilead handles them alone, but soon struggles even with the help of the Ascended. Summer Knight grows wary, forcing the group to tread cautiously. With each passing moment, Sunny seems more and more certain that he will be forced to descend into the Third Nightmare.
Chapter 1229 Seventh Night
Nephis returns on her tenebrous stallion after luring a titan towards the Skinwalker’s vessel, only to find the group battered and exhausted after a brutal fight against corrupted abominations. Sunny, hidden in the shadow of a dead creature, observes her arrival with a mix of relief and trepidation. Summer Knight is severely wounded, and their victory feels hollow amidst the relentless danger. “I lured that titan toward the Skinwalker’s vessel. They fought, but more vessels showed up,” Nephis informs Morgan, delivering the grim news that their pursuers will not be delayed for long.
As the fourth day dawns without progress, Sir Gilead urges Morgan to accept reality, reminding her, “Lady Morgan… this is the fourth day. I promised to give you time, but we’ve made no progress. You need to accept reality.” Morgan relents, agreeing to retreat to Antarctica at sunset, but only after seeking Cassie’s help to find a suitable spot for inter-world travel. Sunny, strangely calm, gazes at the black pyramid, a thought stirring within him that perhaps they can only approach the daemon’s tomb during the deadly night, a notion he dismisses as impossible.
As the sun dips below the horizon, painting the black pyramid with its dying light, the group seeks shelter in an underground chamber, marking their seventh night in the desert. Morgan, nursing a broken arm and simmering with resentment, isolates herself from the rest. Sunny, however, approaches her with his usual lack of tact, his gaze lingering on the ever-present Tomb of Ariel, fueling a desperate hope in the face of impossible odds.
Chapter 1230 Hell Is Empty
Blasted by a blinding sandstorm, Sunny leads his group through the white inferno, guided by Mordret’s ominous presence in his black glass. The Skinwalker pursues relentlessly, threatening to overtake them. Sunny recalls Nephis’ grim words: “The weak will die. The strong will die, too. And those who remain won’t be the same… follow me… and you will never be slaves…” as he struggles against the elements, contemplating the irony of potentially succumbing to the harsh environment.
A colossal, tilted block of black stone emerges from the storm – a Seed of Nightmare, cracked and damaged, yet emanating a ghostly darkness. Beneath its shelter lies a monstrous, winged abomination, guarding the entrance. The creature disgorges a small human body – Mordret, the Prince of Nothing, who rises and, with a bloody stump for a hand, warns: “Run! The Skinwalker is almost here!”
Without hesitation, Sunny and the others race towards the Seed of Nightmare. They are aware that they will be entering the nightmare with their physical bodies this time; there is no distinction between the body in the waking world and the one in the Dream Realm once one became an Ascended. They have discussed the risks and the unknowns, they know they’re running out of time. With the Skinwalker closing in, Sunny glances at Nephis, then, without wasting time, reaches Mordret and enters the Nightmare.
Chapter 1231 Once More, With Feeling
Inside the Nightmare, Sunny’s consciousness shatters at the sight of a colossal black pyramid comprised of millions of Seeds of Nightmare, each a potential world of terror. He experiences a moment of temporal distortion before his mind dissolves. Sunny finds himself falling, hitting water with a splash, and sighs, “‘Here we go again…'” He notes the strange freshwater and recalls the giant black stone, recognizing it as a fragment of the pyramid and suspects ulterior motives from Mordret.
The Essence Pearl materializes, allowing him to breathe, but he finds himself submerged in a strong current. Resurfacing, Sunny emerges into a world shrouded in somber twilight and a thick mist, dulling even his shadow sense. No immediate threats are detected so, “‘I should be thankful, I guess,'” Sunny thinks numbly, exhausted from the constant tension.
Spotting a vague shape in the distance, Sunny swims toward it and discovers a large, flat piece of wood, like a broken hull. Hauling himself onto the makeshift raft, he sprawls out, looking up at the swirling mist. He muses about the fitting name of the Nightmare Desert, relishing the respite from the heat as weariness consumes him.
Chapter 1232 Lost In The Mist
Sunny’s respite is shattered when a perfect copy of himself materializes a few meters away, its malice evident. “Gods. You look so pathetic,” the apparition taunts, confirming Sunny’s fear: it’s the manifestation of the Sin of Solace. A chilling realization washes over him – the sword remains unsheathed within his soul, yet its spirit stands before him. “Ah, how fun. I’ll give you some credit, Lost from Light… you never fail to amuse, at least. What, are you afraid of me now?” it asks, its tone laced with chilling amusement.
Despite the instinctive fear, Sunny steels himself. He recalls the destructive influence of the sword, the countless corrupted Nightmare Creatures felled by its power and the insidious whispers he had dismissed. He recognizes a lingering question: How could it appear before him without him even holding the cursed sword? “Afraid of you? Nonsense! Of course not,” Sunny declares, feigning indifference, but the Sin of Solace merely counters with a bone-chilling, “Oh… but I think you should.”
Determined, Sunny challenges the apparition, revealing his deduction. It’s not a real being, but a tiny, insignificant part of his mind turned against him. “There’s no point in pretending to be something that you are not. And what you are not is a real being.” Sunny claims that he realized it the first time he couldn’t answer all of the Sin of Solace’s annoying questions. The apparition considers Sunny’s words, before finally admitting defeat with a sigh. “Alright, you caught me. I am not real. Indeed, I am just a figment of your imagination”.
Chapter 1233 Coming To Terms With The End Of The World
Ignoring the defeated Sin of Solace, Sunny focuses on a rune carved into the ancient wood of his raft. The crude, uneven grooves, as if scratched by fingernails in a fit of madness, depict a familiar symbol: “Wish”. It also means desire, yearning, even hope. He wonders who carved it, when, and what they wished for. Sunny scratches at the wood, confirming its unusual toughness. “What are you doing?” the Sin of Solace asks, looking bewildered.
Sunny, suspicious, points at the rune. “Were you trying to hide it from me?” he accuses, but the apparition feigns ignorance. “Hide what?” Annoyed, Sunny explodes, “Stop messing with me, you pale bastard! You have been standing here this whole time, as if trying to prevent me from noticing the rune!” However, he feels a sliver of doubt. Is he imagining things? The Sin of Solace laughs. “Gods… your expression, it’s priceless. What about the rune? So there is a rune. Why would I care? In fact, why do you care? You seem completely beside yourself.”
Sunny frowns and falls silent. Why *does* he care about a single rune? It might hint at hope, but it reveals nothing concrete. Maybe he’s bored and making a fuss. Or maybe he’s desperate to avoid thinking about East Antarctica, Rain, or his own uncertain future. With a sigh, Sunny sprawls on the ancient wood, staring blankly into the mist, leaving the mystery of the rune unresolved.
