Chapter 1249 Titanic Ship
Sunny, grappling with the implications of their world being artificial, questions the difference between reality and fabrication. Dismissing existential musings for practicality, he acknowledges their immediate task: travel downstream, find the sybil, and conquer the Seed. However, the Great River is far from safe. The azure serpent, its dorsal fin slicing through the water, circles the titanic turtle’s corpse, a formidable obstacle.
Sunny turns to Nephis, a dark expression on his face. “Neph… do you think we can kill this thing?” he asks. Nephis, surprisingly sober, acknowledges the near impossibility, “It is… not impossible.” She details the widening power gap between ranks, emphasizing the serpent’s advantage in the water, weakening her Aspect. Despite the grim outlook, Sunny, ever the schemer, counters, “I bet I can still kill it, though.” He believes their combined strength, his Shadows, and their cunning tactics can overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds against the unintelligent beast.
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Nephis, however, offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting, “Maybe… but maybe we won’t need to gamble with our lives. There might not be a need to fight it at all.” They linger, contemplating a possible path of avoidance, leaving the reader wondering how they will navigate the perilous Great River and reach their destination.
Chapter 1250 Death of a Hero
Nephis, a faint smile gracing her lips, recounts to Sunny the tragic myth of Heracles, a hero both a god and a forsaken shadow in the underworld. She reveals how this tale ignited her early disdain for authority, deeming the gods hypocritical for discarding Heracles’ human essence. “I always thought that it was very unfair,” she admits, revealing a lifelong skepticism toward figures of power.
Sunny, amused, points out the irony of her own elevated status. “You are a great figure of authority yourself now,” he says, noting her role as Lady Changing Star. Nephis, unfazed, responds, “Humans are contradictory creatures,” justifying her own perceived hypocrisy by acknowledging humanity’s inherent inconsistencies. This explanation hints at a deeper understanding of people, born not from reason but from acceptance of their irrational nature.
Sunny, intrigued, counters with a smirk, “Because, let me tell you… I was a very unreasonable child.” The exchange hints at a shared understanding of the world’s complexities and the flaws within those who seek to govern it, leaving the reader to ponder how these insights will shape their upcoming confrontation with the Seed.
Chapter 1251 Rude Awakening
Sunny’s peaceful slumber, guarded by Nightmare, shatters violently. He is thrown about as the world tilts and quakes, sharp rocks cutting into his skin. The Sin of Solace appears, its annoying voice chirping, “Good morning. Rise and shine!” Sunny, annoyed, ignores it, focuses and joins Nephis, who stands at the edge of the fissure, observing the turbulent river below.
The Great River, once cleansed of blood, now churns with an even more vivid crimson hue. Nephis points to the source of the commotion, a churning mass below. The black turtle carcass trembles and then, with a disturbing sound, the azure serpent rises from the water. Its cloudy eyes fix on them with malice, its scales stained with blood.
Clenched in its jaws is a massive chunk of red, bleeding meat—the turtle’s flesh. It is then Nephis matter-of-factly states, “It’s eating the turtle.” Sunny replies with a strange expression “Yeah. I’ve noticed.” The pair witnesses the monstrous serpent consuming the slain Great Monster, its jade fangs effortlessly slicing through the tough meat that had proven so challenging for Sunny. It feasts, all the while never breaking eye contact with the pair of them.
Chapter 1252 Voyage, Voyage
The initial dread of witnessing the azure serpent feasting on the Black Turtle’s carcass gradually fades into boredom for Sunny and Nephis. The sheer size of the turtle makes the spectacle drag on, as even the enormous serpent can barely make a dent in its meal. Eventually, they find themselves sitting side by side, observing the Great River. Sunny, clad in black silk, stands in stark contrast to Nephis in her white and red tunic. To any ordinary human, they appear as deities resting on the shell of the Great Monster, enjoying the scenery.
Sunny’s thoughts, however, are far from divine. He is struck by the incongruity of their situation. “What the hell. We look like we’re enjoying a luxury cruise…” he muses, remembering a conversation about ancient traditions with Rain. The floating turtle carcass resembles a ship, large enough to be an island, and the view is breathtaking. The only disruption is the serpent’s bloody snout occasionally surfacing. Despite the dire circumstances, a strange contentment washes over Sunny.
Sensing his unusual mood, Nephis inquires, “You… have that funny look in your eyes…” Sunny, a little embarrassed, explains that the situation is bizarrely peaceful. “We are on top of a dead Great Monster and there is a Great Beast slowly devouring that monster as it waits for a chance to munch on our souls, and yet… there’s nothing to do?” He remarks, finding humor in the absurdity of their predicament. Nephis, after a pause, stares at the black expanse of the Black Turtle’s shell, her expression unreadable.
Chapter 1253 Parade Of Shadows
After a period of rest, Sunny and Nephis separate; Nephis delves into the Memories transferred by Sir Gilead, while Sunny remains on the moss-covered shell, contemplating their next move. He deploys his five shadows to scout the dark island, the shell of the Black Turtle, now a desolate landscape of weathered rock, moss, and tarnished armor. However, it’s the deep fissures crisscrossing the shell that truly capture Sunny’s attention. He realizes they are not natural formations but scars from battles against unknown enemies, leaving him to imagine the terrifying power of creatures capable of marring the Black Turtle’s impervious carapace. A wave of gloom washes over him as the beauty of this dreamlike world feels like a dangerous facade. “Beautiful things are the most dangerous,” he thinks, shaken by the realization.
He summons Onyx Saint, Nightmare, and Ravenous Fiend from the shadows, studying them with a critical eye. Saint remains stoic, while Nightmare glares at the circling serpent, his eyes burning with fury. Imp shifts nervously under Sunny’s gaze. Sunny knows Nightmare, close to unlocking his Terror Ability, possesses great potential, but Saint’s power, already immense, is difficult to augment further. Leveling her up would require a practically unattainable amount of Memories. “There was one thing Sunny could do right now, though…”
Turning his attention to Saint, Sunny sends Morgan’s Warbow and the Stifled Scream to her, offering the powerful weapons to his most trusted Shadow and preparing for what lies ahead.
Chapter 1254 Back To Basics
With Onyx Saint guarding, Nightmare lurking, and Imp feasting, Sunny finds himself surprisingly idle under the seven suns. He seeks out Nephis, finding her engrossed in a graceful sword practice. “Neph’s swordsmanship was beautiful. And she was beautiful, too,” he thinks, captivated by the sight. He watches her practice in silence, forgetting his original intent until he finally breaks the reverie. “Hey,” he says. After sharing the Endless Spring, Sunny suggests augmenting Onyx Saint with their combined Aspects, believing her enhanced power could be crucial against the azure serpent.
They both know that Nephis can share her flames with the shadows. “Yes… that sounds like a good idea,” Nephis agrees. Despite Saint’s inability to swim in the Great River, the potential power boost is too significant to ignore. Sunny reflects on how much their powers have evolved, especially Nephis’s, as they discuss pushing Saint to the level of a Supreme creature.
Leaning back to enjoy the breeze, Nephis appears peaceful and content. After watching her for a few moments, Sunny remarks, “Your swordsmanship has changed.” He notices the mystical quality now woven into her movements, a testament to her growth and transformation.
Chapter 1255 Dancing Spirits
Nephis nods, a faint smile gracing her face, and invites Sunny to spar, raising her sword. He summons the Sin of Solace, yet an awkward pause hangs in the air. Sunny scratches his head, realizing the problem: they’ve both outgrown their weapons. “That… isn’t going to work, is it?” he asks. Nephis, appearing uncharacteristically sheepish, seems to agree. Sunny finds her display of emotion unexpectedly endearing.
The danger of damaging Nephis or her Saint-level longsword with the Sin of Solace is too great. Her sword spirit, with a sinister smile, assures them it will be gentle, but Sunny remains unconvinced. He dismisses the jade sword and, after a moment of thought, conjures two shadowy swords – a fearsome odachi for himself and an elegant longsword for Nephis. Creating the longsword is trickier, requiring attention to weight, balance, and flexibility. Sunny’s knowledge of blacksmithing, acquired during his Dream Realm exile, proves useful.
He manipulates the shadows, altering their density to mimic steel, drawing upon his enhanced mastery of Shadow Manifestation from Shadow Incarnation. Nephis dismisses her original sword and tests the shadow weapon. “That works,” she says, pleased with the result. Sunny, suppressing a proud smile, raises his odachi. “Let’s begin, then.” He relishes the feeling of wielding a blade again, reminiscent of his training on the Forgotten Shore and his days as Mongrel in the Dreamscape.
Chapter 1256 Reaching for the Stars
As the seven suns sink into the Great River, Sunny and Nephis retreat into their familiar fissure, their bellies full from ration packs. With Saint standing guard and Nightmare watching over their dreams, they finally succumb to a satisfying fatigue. After a long day of training, Sunny reflects on the difference between them, though he still finds himself lacking. He feels a newfound horizon and direction, a path to reach for the stars.
Sunny realizes he possesses more raw power than Nephis, due to his Devils and Terror, although she is the better fighter. The realization evokes only a muted reaction within him, for there was a time becoming more powerful than Nephis was all he ever thought about. He feels secure in their bond, knowing she wouldn’t exploit it, although he believes he could handle it if she did.
Cozy in the darkness, Sunny breaks the silence: “Hey, Neph… are you asleep yet?” A pause, then a soft, “No.” He grins, hidden in the shadows, before asking “…How is the sleeping bag? Is it warm?” Nephis responds calmly, “Yes, I am warm. It is of high quality.” Sunny sighs, his playful mood faltering. She is “too thick to be teased.” Nephis then offers: “Oh… do you want me to hand it over? It is your sleeping bag… it would only be right for the owner to use it…”
Chapter 1257 In the Darkness
Nephis, responding to Sunny’s question, begins to unveil a fragment of her forgotten past, her voice echoing softly in the fissure. She speaks of a time after a conflict between the Demon of Destiny and the Goddess of the Black Skies but before Hope’s escape and the daemon rebellion. It is a time when she was a defective Stone Saint, discarded and alone on a mountain of broken statues, amidst a “true darkness” beneath the Hollow Mountains.
She explains that this darkness is the blood of a terrible creature slain by the gods at the dawn of time. The Hollow Mountains, a scar left by the creature’s death, hold the reservoirs of this darkness. Nether, the former leader who once waged war on Storm God, made his home there. His army and his children, the Stone Saints, reside in the mountains and below, respectively, alongside creatures dwelling in the dark abyss.
Sunny frowns, taken aback, and asks, “Wait… Nether waged war on Storm God? On his own, before the rebellion?” A pale smile touches Nephis’s lips as she confirms Nether’s personal war against Storm God, fueled by resentment. The war ended in defeat, leading Nether to the Underworld, where he became obsessed with creating the Stone Saints, a race born from loneliness or perhaps from a defiant challenge to the gods. “He must have been lonely and heartbroken,” she murmurs, “to create a whole race of living beings just to keep him company…” But failure haunted him, preceding his ultimate success.
Chapter 1258 Last Light
Nephis somberly describes how she tried to instill desire in the forsaken, igniting a yearning for a better, safer life. “All I had to do was instill a desire in the forsaken…Because we couldn’t survive alone, but we could survive together.” She gathered them and built a village with tall walls and stone houses, a sanctuary where they could protect themselves. For a time, life was good; she was liked and valued, her light a beacon in the darkness.
But the haven turns into a nightmare as villagers begin to vanish. Soon mutilated corpses appear, mocking the survivors. Defenses fail, sorcery proves useless, and no help arrives. Nephis realizes she hadn’t created a sanctuary, but “simply set the table for the creature of darkness.” The village collapses, and survivors flee, meeting their demise. Only Nephis and her first companion remain, barricading themselves in the village hall, but the creature still came. “I didn’t see it enter, but I could feel that the darkness around us was suddenly alive.”
Sunny asks how she defeated it, but Nephis shakes her head. She confesses, “I… did not.” Recognizing the impossibility of victory, she spoke to the creature, desperately trying to appease, persuade, and even beg. She felt it watching, listening, surrounding her. A chilling silence follows, heavy with the weight of her past trauma, as Nephis shivers and lets out a heavy sigh.
Chapter 1259 Pristine Soul
Another tremor rocks the dark island, but Sunny, reassured by Saint’s unwavering vigil above the fissure, revels in a moment of peace, noting, “Life was great.” He observes Nephis stretching nearby, haunted by the fragility in her voice as she recounted her Second Nightmare. Sunny muses on the stark contrast between Nephis’s trials and his own, realizing her struggle wasn’t about battling powerful foes, but about enduring profound personal sacrifice, the Spell cruelly targeting her pride and strength.
He wonders how the Spell appraised Nephis’s actions, suspecting that her unintended transformation of the creature of darkness – infecting it with a “longing for light” – might be deemed a miraculous feat, regardless of her own perception of failure. The implications of changing even a sliver of an abyssal being’s heart reverberate through Sunny’s thoughts. Despite the potential for the Spell’s satisfaction, Sunny understands that Nephis sees only a bitter, irredeemable defeat.
Sunny sighs, acknowledging Nephis’s newfound resolve to destroy the Spell and the Sovereigns, despite her outward calm. Pondering their shared journey, Sunny worries about her future, wondering, “just what am I going to do with her?” He eyes her, contemplating the enigmatic description of her Aspect, the Light Bringer, and the mysteries that still lie ahead.
Chapter 1260 Leisure Cruise
Time drifts by as Sunny and Nephis bask in an unexpected respite aboard the corpse of the Black Turtle, pulled through time by the Great River. The Azure Serpent patiently circles the dark island, consuming the Great Monster and watching the pair. Nephis and Sunny spend their days resting, training, and talking. Nephis practices swordsmanship, often enlisting Saint as a sparring partner, while Sunny dedicates himself to unraveling the enigma of the Key of the Estuary, meticulously studying “each and every thread of its somber tapestry,” hoping to unlock its secrets.
When his head aches from studying the black weave, Sunny sits near the slopes, observing the Azure Serpent and memorizing “its every scale, scar, and movement,” preparing for the inevitable battle to come. Imp, meanwhile, gorges himself on the Black Turtle’s silver bands, utterly delighted by his slow but steady progress. The Sin of Solace continues to shadow Sunny, its snide remarks slowly driving him mad and creating awkward moments with Nephis.
Each night, Nightmare adds new dreams to his unseen army, fed by the lingering fears of Sunny and Nephis, or perhaps by the very nature of the Tomb of Ariel itself – a desolate and dread-filled land. Despite the unsettling surroundings, they diligently scan the northern horizon, hoping to glimpse land, but find only “an endless expanse of flowing water,” leaving their future uncertain.
Chapter 1261 A Butterfly Flapping Its Wings
A black dot appears in the sky, heading towards the dark island, and Sunny’s intuition screams danger, a chilling contrast to the hope he felt in a similar situation in the past. “Crap,” he mutters, and a flurry of activity erupts. He dismisses his Shadow Chair and dashes towards the island’s center, mentally commanding Saint to stop sparring with Nephis. The tip of Nephis’ sword halts mere millimeters from Saint’s visor. Perplexed, Nephis sees Sunny waving and pointing at the sky and quickly takes action.
Sunny then races to Imp, who lies on the ground, blissfully rubbing his swollen belly. “Stand up, buddy!” Sunny says, but the gluttonous fiend struggles to rise. Sunny hoists Imp onto his shoulder, astonished by the creature’s weight. He commands shadows to reinforce his body and continues running, finally tossing Imp into the deep fissure before jumping in himself.
Nephis joins him, and they press themselves against the slope, attempting to steady their breathing. Saint, Fiend, and Nightmare are nearby. A beautiful amphora stands before them, intended to mask their presence. Sunny sends one of his shadows to scout, knowing their hiding place may be discovered. They brace themselves, uncertain if the amphora will conceal them from the approaching threat.
Chapter 1262 A Shrimp Between Two Whales
Sunny describes the unfolding scene in a hushed voice. The monstrous butterfly has arrived, drawn by the scent of blood, intending to feast on the Black Turtle’s corpse, a prize the Azure Serpent refuses to relinquish. Madness burns in the Serpent’s eyes, a reckless insolence driving it to challenge the far more powerful monster. Is it pride, or is the Serpent reluctant to surrender the two human souls burning with divinity to the stronger abomination? The butterfly unleashes a sonic wave, agitating the Great River, while the Serpent roars in defiance, rising above the turbulent surface. “…I think they are going to fight,” Sunny says, understanding their fates hang in the balance.
Trapped on the dark island, Sunny knows their survival hinges on the outcome of this clash. They can barely face a Great Beast, and a Great Monster is far more dreadful. He realizes that he is rooting for the familiar Great Beast, “wishing to swallow them whole” only days before. The butterfly then plunges from the sky, landing on the Black Turtle’s shell, shaking the entire island.
As one of Sunny’s shadows observes the six long legs of the monster, Sunny can now see the butterfly covered in thick scales and white hairs. A complicated pattern on its wings coalesces into a strange image. Overwhelmed with the certainty that he should never look at the pattern, Sunny commands his shadow to look away. “Sunny? What is happening?” Nephis asks. “They’re just… staring at each other…” he responds, a shaky breath escaping his lips.
Chapter 1263 Sea of Blood
Sunny, Nephis, and Saint find themselves on the violently shaking dark island, all the while the battle between the monstrous butterfly and the Azure Serpent rages. Nephis, driven by the necessity to find food, hatches a plan to steal some of the Black Turtle’s meat. This perilous endeavor arises from the need to sustain themselves, with their chances of survival directly tied to their strength. Sunny, initially exasperated by Nephis’s seemingly insatiable appetite, nevertheless prepares to aid her. He thinks to himself, ‘Hungry… she’s hungry… hungry, is she?! Just… just what sin did I commit in my past life to be cursed with all these gluttonous women?!’
Scaling the fissure, they emerge onto the island’s surface, the tremors a constant reminder of the battle beneath. They break into a sprint, aiming for the island’s edge where the Black Turtle’s head floats in the crimson water. There, the Azure Serpent’s attack has created a gaping wound in the butterfly, offering a potential entry point for harvesting the meat. Sunny dismisses the Shroud of Dusk, readying himself for the task ahead.
He summons the Nimble Catch and the Essence Pearl, having traded memories for just such an occasion. Nephis offers a simple “Oh.” as she acknowledges Sunny’s preparations. Sunny, however, notes his own gaunt appearance. His body, once a lean steel wire, now seems excessively sculpted, revealing the toll the journey and recent starvation has taken, a worrying sign that his body will soon consume itself.
