Chapter 1099: Vanguard
Before Sunny can answer, the air chills as four figures materialize in the hall, heralded by the scent of the Dream Realm. Sunny recognizes each of them. Sky Tide stands apart in her signature white armor, while Nephis appears striking in black Valor armor, described as a “beautiful dark spirit”. Morgan of Valor, unnervingly similar to Mordret but radiating a “lethal sharpness”, completes the trio of armored figures. However, it is the fourth individual who truly shocks Sunny.
Saint Madoc, the Whispering Blade and brother of Anvil, stands tall and imposing, his “steely blue eyes” radiating authority. A deep frown creases Sunny’s face as he wonders why the leader of Clan Valor is present. Madoc turns to Wake of Ruin, offering a “friendly and demanding” smile as he greets, “Wake of Ruin.” Wake of Ruin acknowledges him, admitting Madoc’s appearance is “a bit of a surprise”.
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Madoc explains his presence as a sign of Clan Valor’s full support for the Evacuation Army, offering his “personal assistance”. Sunny tries to decipher the unspoken meaning between the two Transcendents. He believes Saint Cor attempts to grasp the Sovereign’s motives for sending his own brother to Antarctica, while Madoc subtly emphasizes Anvil’s investment in the events unfolding in the Southern Quadrant. Madoc laughs slightly, then raises his hand.
Chapter 1100: Accumulation
Madoc’s appearance heralds a shocking display of Clan Valor’s amassed power. Sunny beholds fifteen Transcendent Echoes, mostly Devils, and realizes he’s underestimated the “mundane power of accumulation” wielded by the Sovereigns. He wonders if they could even possess Supreme Echoes, echoing the Great Nightmare Creatures, and if Morgan, eerily reminiscent of Mordret, holds such a terrifying power within her Soul Sea. Sunny glances at Nephis who stands before the monstrous force. “‘You want to destroy… this?'”
Wake of Ruin, however, breaks the tension with a pragmatic request, “‘Put those things away. They’ll ruin the floors.'” Morgan promptly dismisses the Echoes, earning a nod from Saint Cor, who remarks, “Good. I see that your… clan… is as shrewd as ever.” Sunny calculates the Valor force: Madoc, Morgan, Nephis, another Saint escorting the main force, and these fifteen Transcendent abominations could rival the entire Evacuation Army. He knows the Song clan’s reinforcement will be just as formidable.
Sunny anticipates the arrival of even more threats. He remembers Saint Tyris being a vassal of Valor while all of Valor’s reinforcements have been direct members of the clan. Surely Mordret will appear with Clan Song to seek vengeance against Valor. Sunny knows he wouldn’t miss this opportunity. After all, the Prince of Nothing is more frightening than fifteen Transcendent Echoes.
Chapter 1101 Strange Bedfellows
Sunny finds himself in an unsettling situation, alone with Nephis, Morgan, and Madoc in a comfortable waiting room stocked with luxurious food. The emissaries of Clan Valor engage in casual conversation, almost as if they are having a friendly get-together back in NQSC despite everyone wearing armor. Sunny, overwhelmed with hunger, piles his plate high, attracting Morgan’s attention. “Are you very hungry, Master Sunless?” she asks with amusement. He explains his recent hardships scouting Nightmare Creatures and fighting a Corrupted Tyrant, emphasizing the Antarctic principle of eating whenever possible.
Madoc chimes in, reminiscing about the hellish conquests of the Dream Realm, where good food was more valuable than soul shards. Morgan, annoyed by constant reminders of her youth, grimaces. Sunny uses the Blessing of Dusk to communicate with Nephis, inquiring about the unusual dynamic. Nephis assures him it is merely a facade, designed to make Morgan appear inexperienced and Madoc envious. She believes Morgan is the more formidable of the two, capable of surpassing any Saint once she ascends.
Moments later, Morgan turns to Nephis, probing, “Do you perhaps consider me unworthy of leading this expedition, as well?” She insinuates that Nephis is more distinguished as a leader, suggesting she should have been in charge instead. Sunny shifts uncomfortably, sensing the underlying tension.
Chapter 1102 Opposing Forces
The casual atmosphere dissipates as Morgan confronts Nephis, her demeanor mirroring the chilling ruthlessness Sunny witnessed in the Dreamscape. “How much does he know?” Morgan demands, to which Nephis curtly replies, “Enough.” Morgan, after a sigh, accepts this and states she will speak comfortably. Sunny, curious, asks if they are not concerned he will report everything to Saint Cor. Madoc dismisses Sunny’s concern with a mere “So what if you do?”, revealing Clan Valor’s overwhelming power and indifference to government oversight. Sunny masks his anger with a pleasant smile and feigned apology.
Morgan shifts the conversation to the imminent threat, revealing that the Queen of Worms is sending a force. Sunny wonders if this is Ki Song’s true name or a mere insult. Madoc acknowledges Dire Fang, one of Ki Song’s vassal Saints, but dismisses him as Sky Tide’s problem. He then focuses on the two daughters of Ki Song who are worthy of concern. “Stalker is a huntress, so she is both strong and cunning. Dealing with her will be hard, but we can manage that, as well.” he states, acknowledging the challenge Silent Stalker presents as she escorts the Awakened across the ocean.
Chapter 1103 Beautiful Monsters
Morgan’s discussion with Nephis shifts to the arrival of the emissaries of Song. Sunny reflects on the Clan’s immense power, rivaling even Valor, and the legacy of Ki Song who elevated them to prominence. Their home, Ravenheart, a fortress city nestled between snowy peaks and volcanoes, is a place of beauty and severity, shrouded in a mystique unlike the well-documented Bastion of Clan Valor. His only experience with Clan Song being limited to Seishan in the Dark City, Sunny is both curious and apprehensive.
The meeting commences in the reception hall, where Wake of Ruin and Jet await. Soon after, a shift in atmosphere heralds the arrival of four figures. Sunny immediately recognizes Dire Fang, his appearance marred by recent battles. But it’s the woman beside him that truly captures his attention. “Dangerous,” Sunny thinks, appraising Dire Fang’s wild, savage power. He then finds himself irresistibly drawn to the other woman, noting her alluring presence with fair skin and red lips. Where Whispering Blade is dignified and domineering, this Song emissary is breathtaking and tantalizing.
Chapter 1104 Devil’s Advocate
Dire Fang and the alluring emissary lead the way into the underground fortress beneath the reception hall, the closest thing to Army Command’s heart. Sunny observes the hive of activity, the constant flow of information vital to the evacuation campaign. However, his attention is not on maps or data but on the unassuming Master walking with the Song emissaries. A chilling realization dawns: it might be Mordret, the Prince of Nothing. Morgan and Madoc share his somber glances, while Sky Tide’s expression is complicated. Only Nephis seems unconcerned, oblivious to the potential danger.
Sunny grapples with his helplessness, knowing Mordret’s ruthlessness. He recalls, “But what can I do?” Aware that direct action would mean certain death, Sunny struggles with inaction. There are many things he could do, he thought, that would not end in him being killed on the spot by Wake or Ruin or Beastmaster. Sunny could prematurely start a direct clash between Song and Valor right here in the army headquarters, even. He desperately attempts to rationalize, “Calm down. You don’t even know if that is really Mordret. The guy might really be a random Master the emissaries of Song chose to bring along for whatever reason.”
Saint Cor guides them into a chamber filled with real-time information displays. Sunny stares at a projected map of East Antarctica, horrified by the sheer number of Nightmare Gates. Static marks litter the landscape like a lethal disease slowly consuming the continent, a stark reminder of the overwhelming threat they face.
Chapter 1105 Step By Step
The strategy meeting drags on, with Sky Tide and Dire Fang providing the practical knowledge of battling the encroaching nightmares that the Song emissaries lack. Whispering Blade, a war veteran, understands Anvil’s decision to have him helm the Tomb of Ariel conquest. Beastmaster is also a seasoned tactician, while Saint Cor surprises Sunny with her approachable demeanor and beguiling smile. Seishan’s decade surviving the Forgotten Shore grants her respect, as does Nephis’s survival and escape from a dire region. Even Morgan’s sharp mind and supernatural grasp of warfare hint at her strategic prowess.
All present seem capable of absorbing the nuances of the Chain of Nightmares, save for Ascended Bast. Introduced as a retainer with a rare Utility Aspect, Sunny remains unconvinced of the explanation surrounding this unassuming, bleak Master. He observes, “Like a cat playing with a mouse.” Sunny, alongside Jet, is relegated to silent observer status, only speaking up when asked. Bast, however, remains aloof, watching the proceedings in placid calmness.
Sunny’s attention drifts to Nephis, and he finally asks her through their mental link: “[What are you planning to do?]” He understands the objectives of the great clans, the government, and the nightmare creatures, but he remains curious about Nephis’s intentions.
Chapter 1106 Status Quo
Sunny remains thoughtful after their exchange, contemplating the daunting odds of survival amidst the impending Antarctic conflict. He acknowledges the immense power of figures like Whispering Blade and Beastmaster, realizing that even Saints are not guaranteed safety. Sunny’s focus shifts to ensuring his own survival, and mastering the art of “biding my time.” While Valor and Song aim to conquer, and Nephis seeks to survive and gain trust, Sunny’s goal is more modest: minimizing civilian casualties and hindering the great clans.
The strategy meeting continues, a blend of productivity and absurdity. Clan representatives maintain a facade of camaraderie, masking their impending conflict while discussing evacuation efforts. The meeting clarifies the near future: an official collaboration to resist the Chain of Nightmares and evacuate all humans from Antarctica. East Antarctica is divided into three regions, one remaining under government control, with Sky Tide and Dire Fang ostensibly assisting Wake of Ruin, but really monitoring each other.
The other two regions are under the Evacuation Army, but the great clans control the expedition forces, protecting siege capitals and hunting powerful Nightmare Creatures. Saints are expected to unite against titans threatening human cities. Sunny listens intently, knowing appearances are key, possibly his greatest advantage. His ambition may be less grandiose than that of the legacies, but his ability to change and adapt will be essential to navigating the dangers ahead.
Chapter 1107: Spycraft
Sunny prepares to utilize his stealth abilities, knowing the risks of spying on the Saints of the great clans but deeming it necessary. Though his previous battles have leaned toward direct confrontation, he recognizes the crucial value of clandestine operations. Sunny resolves that to gather the intelligence he needs, he must be in multiple places simultaneously.
Luckily, Sunny’s five shadows offer him that opportunity. He sends four shadows out to monitor key individuals: Morgan is shadowed by the haughty shadow, Madoc by the happy shadow, Beastmaster by the gloomy shadow, and Ascended Bast by the creepy shadow. Sunny reflects on this task “Spying on the Saints of the great clans sounded like an interesting method of killing himself, but Sunny was willing to try.” Keeping track of the shadows’ observations strains Sunny’s mental capacity, making it hard to focus in his day-to-day responsibilities.
However, the greatest challenge lies in avoiding detection. Sunny knows the great clans possess means of detecting his shadows, even if they are nearly imperceptible to mundane humans. He remembers Noctis, who instantly detected a hidden shadow upon their first meeting. Aware that the great clans know his capabilities, Sunny understands that extreme caution is paramount.
Chapter 1108: Gathering Information
Sunny’s shadows provide invaluable insight into the personalities and abilities of the emissaries. While specific plans for Antarctica remain elusive, he gains a deeper understanding of his adversaries’ capabilities. By observing Beastmaster on the city wall, her face serene despite the assaulting Nightmare Creatures, Sunny recognizes her power lies in manipulation, capable of luring enemies into trances or dominating their minds. Similarly, observing Whispering Blade look at the mundane soldiers with detached pity, he notes that the Saint is known to make all weapons he wielded invisible, and when he fought, “it was as though the world itself was slicing the bodies of his enemies apart.”
Morgan, the Princess of War, presents a more peculiar challenge. Sunny realizes that she is “the blade itself.” Her body is a weapon, capable of cutting through armored alloy with ease. He observes her constant preference for concealing clothing, leading him to suspect a Flaw: she may not control what her hands cut, as if everything she touches is doomed to be sliced, “as if carved by a sharp blade.” This observation offers a potential weakness in the seemingly invincible Saint.
However, Sunny struggles to find similar flaws in Whispering Blade or Beastmaster. Ascended Bast, on the other hand, remains an enigma. Sunny’s shadow watches as he spends hours “sitting like a corpse in a dark room,” offering no clues to his strengths or weaknesses, presenting a stark contrast to the active and imposing figures of the other Saints. The elusive Bast continues to vex Sunny, leaving him to wonder what mysteries and threats the silent Saint holds.
Chapter 1109 Titanic Battle
The Antarctic plains transform into a horrifying tableau as legions of Nightmare Creatures clash with humanity’s assembled forces. Led by seven Saints, including Wake of Ruin, Whispering Blade, Beastmaster, and Silent Stalker, humans fight amidst titanic figures. Sunny, positioned in the mobile command center atop Morgan’s monstrous tortoise Echo, observes the cataclysmic battle with a mix of awe and dread, thinking, “Holy hell.” This battle dwarfs all previous encounters.
Morgan, the Princess of War, commands the army, supported by Seishan, Jet, Nephis, and Cassie. Song of the Fallen’s ability to see through the eyes of soldiers proves invaluable, feeding real-time information to Morgan. Cassie, through her own abilities, reports, “…A Corrupted Devil is getting close to the Seventh Company of the Ursus Brigade. Its abilities are: mental manipulation, inducing fear, and augmenting itself through consumption.” She also shares details of the plight of Third Company and the movements of the Wolves.
Morgan turns to Cassie, inquiring, “You know Raised by Wolves personally, right? What is your estimation on how long it would take her to get rid of that Tyrant?” But it is Nephis who replies, her expression somber as she focuses on a specific point of the battlefield. Changing Star and the Fire Keepers are held in reserve, ready to reinforce the weakest points, highlighting the critical nature of this unprecedented conflict.
Chapter 1110 Seven Saints
The uneasy alliance between Valor and Song, formed out of necessity, confronts a colossal Nightmare horde near their designated zone. Wake of Ruin’s summons has been answered, yet Mordret’s absence is conspicuous. Sunny, however, is privy to his movements through Jet’s intel: Ascended Bast is far to the west, establishing a supply chain and, strangely, mass-producing mirrors. Jet, now by Sunny’s side, eyes the battlefield, her hunger palpable. Suddenly, she raises her head, exclaiming, “There! Look!” drawing their attention upwards.
A titanic aerial duel unfolds. Sky Tide, a majestic bird of prey wreathed in lightning, battles a three-headed, winged abomination. Swarms of crows harass the scaled beast, its wounds leaking a miasma of rot. Saint Tyris valiantly controls the winds, diverting the poisonous cloud. Sky Tide unleashes a blinding cage of lightning before plunging into the creature, her talons tearing and her beak rending one of its necks clean off. The severed head crashes to the ground, annihilating hundreds of lesser creatures.
Simultaneously, on the ground, a grotesque mountain of flesh crawls relentlessly forward, consuming everything in its path. Fleshy tentacles drag unfortunate Nightmare Creatures into its mass, adding them to its horrifying bulk. The mountain poses an imminent threat to the human defense line. Sunny clenches his fists, torn between the aerial spectacle and the ground-based horror, as the sheer scale of destruction continues to unfold.
Chapter 1111 War Games
The Seven Saints battle the Titans, their clashes resonating across the horde. Silent Stalker stalks through the ranks, her arrows supporting Dire Fang and Summer Knight, while Beastmaster and Whispering Blade each hold back a Titan. Sky Tide’s earlier strike dispels a deathly miasma. Sunny watches the intensifying battle, relying on Cassie’s strategic updates. “…The Fallen Tyrant, designation Worm, has been slain,” she reports calmly, followed by news of successes and devastating losses, like “…Ascended Yujin of the First Company of the Cassiopeia Brigade has fallen.”
Morgan, using Cassie’s precognitive insights, directs the defense, but the horde’s immensity tests her limits. Cassie’s reports grow increasingly grim, detailing breached lines and heavy casualties. “…Defensive line is breached. Wolves and Nightsingers are advancing to seal the breach. I… I don’t think they’ll be able to hold out.” Morgan acknowledges the severity. “Yes. That is… troublesome.” She turns to Nephis, who has been held in reserve, smiling. “How about it, dear sister? Are you ready to solve that problem for me?” Nephis nods, acknowledging her role. “It is the reason why you have held me in reserve, is it not?” Morgan laughs and orders her sister to unleash the Fire Keepers, declaring, “Indeed. Take your Fire Keepers and go, then… show these abominations what a daughter of Valor is capable of.”
Chapter 1112 Different Kind Of Deception
Nephis leads Sunny, Jet, and the elite Fire Keepers toward the breached section of the defensive line, aiming to bolster the hard-pressed Wolves and Nightsingers. While Effie and Kai attempt to stall the overwhelming advance, the Fire Keepers, veterans of the Forgotten Shore and beneficiaries of Clan Valor’s resources, represent a different caliber of warrior. Seven cohorts strong, they possess fully saturated cores and synergize seamlessly in combat, a stark contrast to the two hundred ordinary Awakened desperately trying to hold the line.
Sunny, Nephis, and Jet spearhead the assault. With no time for complex strategies, the Fire Keepers rely on their ingrained teamwork. Sunny, however, feels inadequate leading these seasoned warriors, content to unleash destruction upon the Nightmare Creatures. He wants to prove his lethality to Morgan and Seishan, anticipating that respect from the great clans would be “convenient in the coming months.” More importantly, he aims to deceive them.
Sunny believes in the preconception that great fighters are rarely masters of utility. By showcasing his martial prowess, he hopes to conceal his expertise in stealth and other abilities. His past attempts at remaining inconspicuous have failed, so Sunny needs a new disguise. He will demonstrate his strength so greatly that no one would consider him more than a capable warrior; a “different kind of deception.” Today, he begins to craft that image.
Chapter 1113 Rampaging Spawn Of Shadows
Sunny charges into the fray like a “lightning made of darkness,” unleashing the Sin of Solace upon the Nightmare Creatures. Activating the Omen of Dread enchantment, he sows terror among both monsters and Awakened, the latter driven into a frenzy by the combined effect of fear and inspiration. He revels in the chaos, feeling the exhilarating lightness and lethality of his augmented body, his mind a “cold, calculating, and full of dark, murderous glee.” “All you of you, die!” he snarls, a whirlwind of blades and tail strikes, leaving a trail of dismembered abominations in his wake.
The jade sword flashes, the Cruel Sight burns, and his tail shatters skulls in a split second. His performance embodies pure, unadulterated combat prowess, precisely the image he aims to cultivate, intending to mislead powerful observers about his true skills. Then Nephis enters the melee, a vision of divine flame clad in black armor and wielding a sword of pure white fire.
Her presence amplifies the Memories of the surrounding Awakened soldiers, transforming her into a beacon of hope and destruction. Nightmare Creatures melt before her incandescent blade, turning to ash with every precise strike. Her silver hair fans out like a “radiant crown.” With the Dawn Shard gleaming upon her forehead, Nephis demonstrates a raw power that matches, if not exceeds, Sunny’s brutal onslaught.
