Chapter 25: Chapter 21 – The Knights of Aris (1)

❰ Day 1. ❱ 

 

We arrived in Shoyca without much of a problem. Forrest protected us from any projectiles or monsters that tried to take our jet out of the sky. When we landed, we were escorted by agents from the Awakener Association. The agents weren't too impressive in terms of power. I think I might've been able to take one or two of them. I haven't checked my Status Window since the last fight. I'll check it later. I don't think much has changed.

 

Because I haven't gotten the chance to fight monsters, I'm hoping that I can find some manageable enemies. Based on the explanations that I've been given, every monster here is absurdly powerful. I'll be using Artemis and Apollo a lot more while I'm here. 

 

They don't have any structures that we can rest in. That means for as long as we stay here, we can't bathe easily. We've set ourselves up in a camp close to the airport. There are other groups here from different guilds. I didn't bother to learn their names since we'd probably never meet each other. Groups here only come together when they can gain something from one another, in our case, we don't need any assistance since we have the strongest people on the island in our group.

 

Malison and I are being forced to share a tent because we only have three. I'm beginning to wonder if my [Misfortune] ability will activate passively too. Maybe Malison has her own bad-luck charm that she's been keeping from us. I won't throw this possibility out the window yet.

 

This day was very uneventful, other than us being given a map of the island. There are a lot of unmarked locations on the island, meaning that they haven't been fully explored. They've listed the location of each [Gate], advising us to steer clear from them. I think I'll listen for now. Malison looked like she was cooking up a horrible plan though.

 

---

 

❰ Day 2. ❱ 

 

We woke up early to get ahead of the other groups. It's difficult to do anything when so many Awakeners are bunched up in one place. Forrest warned us that other groups may try to attract monsters in our direction to scare us away from their hunting ground. 

 

No one ever tries to clear this place, and I think I can see why already. With so many dungeons repeatedly spewing monsters, resources from the other world will steadily flow out and all the Awakeners need to do is collect them by clearing out the monsters. This is a task only the [S-Ranks] can do, but I think it's possible for a powerful group to clear at least one of the [War Dungeons] buried on the island.

 

Sensing the brewing plans between the two of us, Tabitha gave us both a precautionary punch to the head. I swear I gained a skill from being hit by her so much. I'll check it at the end of the week, I'd like to see how far I've come by the end of my journey.

 

I understood that this trip was supposed to be dangerous, but I couldn't help but have a bit of fun with it. Today was the day that we'd begin our training. 

 

I was put on a team with Forrest and Malison was put on a team with Tabitha. This will be a great opportunity to learn something from this guy. Even if I can return from the dead, there aren't any guarantees that I'll always revive around people this strong. The next time I respawn I may be surrounded by normal people instead of these powerhouses. I might have to become their enemy someday.

 

We split up after leaving the airport. A smaller group of Awakeners is already treading deep into the island, which Forrest declares is a foolish move. "This island is large enough to accommodate a few small countries, without proper navigation, you'll get lost and die before help can arrive and come get you." I made sure to keep note of that in my mind. Although wandering around might be comfortable for now, this is no different than walking from one city to another. We're going to be sticking close to the airport for now.

 

Once we've gone deep enough, monsters finally begin to swarm us. I'm very lucky, the monsters who attack us are called [Wispmen], giant monsters with the body of a wasp but the wings of an eagle. Their stingers release an incredible point, which I've yet to experience since I quickly disposed of them with my daggers. The fact that they're twice the size of a normal person makes them easier to hit for some reason. I guess the enormous trees made it difficult for them to maneuver.

 

Forrest took on many of the stronger monsters that I couldn't handle, but after gaining the [Advanced Poison] skill, everything became a lot easier. Advanced Poison even helped increase the effectiveness of [Poisonous Blood] without me needing to level the skill up.

 

It quickly became a habit of mine to coat Artemis and Apollo in my blood to poison monsters upon hitting them. Once in a while, there was a monster that was fast enough to avoid being cut in half by my attacks, so the poison would help me weaken it. Forrest gave me some odd looks when we hunted for the rest of the day, probably confused about how I performed so well against powerful enemies. I didn't tell him about the daggers but did tell me that my level was increasing faster than it should've.

 

I don't think much has changed.

 

---

 

❰ Day 3. ❱ 

 

Malison and I snuck out at night. I don't know what told us that this was a good idea, but when she offered to explore while Tabitha and Forrest were resting, I happily obliged. Knowing the two of them, one of them was bound to be feigning ignorance of our plan—in all likelihood, it was Forrest who was pretending to be asleep.

 

We adventured through the forest aimlessly, knowing that Malison can teleport us back if anything gets too dangerous. Her convenient means of transportation is one of the things that I like about her. Brushing aside the tension of betrayal between us, we're fairly like-minded. 

 

It didn't come as a shock to us when monsters appeared in front of us. I didn't bother to recall their names, they were just monsters of varying shapes and sizes. Malison, who's grown stronger in just a day, volunteered to kill all of the monsters. Knowing that she just wanted to stop me from growing, I declined.

 

I've collected many skills because of my [Luck] skill which increases the probability of stealing the skills of those who are of a higher level. While [Skill Steal] doesn't appear on my list, it's obvious that I still have it since it still works. Naturally, I also developed some skills while we spent our entire night fighting.

 

The most useful skill I gained was [Skill Copy], which I am unsure of how I gained. It was after we'd accidentally gotten close to the [Gate] to one of the dungeons did the skill appear.

 

If I told you that it ended there, would you believe me? You probably wouldn't.

 

We didn't get closer to the dungeon. Once it came into our field of view, we were going to head back since there were so many powerful monsters creeping around it. Right when we started to walk away though, something began to pull us in the dungeon's direction.

 

Without any explanation, we were pulled into the dungeon. I tried to use my skills to resist, but none of them even activated while we were sucked in. The gate closed behind us.

 

I was powerless, just like before... I don't think much has changed.

 

---

 

❰ Day 4. ❱ 

 

The dungeon is a kingdom. The kingdom is old and ruined, with crumbled buildings and littered carriages filling its cobble roads.

 

Of all of the things I've felt in my life, this was the eeriest thing I've ever experienced. It's difficult to explain, but the countless abandoned clothes lying around at every turn brought an ache to my chest. 

 

The clothes littered around would give you the idea that there were people lurking around, maybe monsters who swept their bodies clean from here. Something tells me that isn't the case. There is a story here that has been forgotten, one that was meant to be told but never surfaced.

 

"We've spent the past few hours walking and we haven't even gotten hungry. Besides the odd sensation of loneliness I'm feeling, this isn't so bad." Malison was the one who kept me sane while we walked through this deserted kingdom. I'd once considered that this kingdom was invaded and damaged, but my theory turned out to be false. The more I looked, the less evidence I found of any conflict.

 

Sure, there were damaged buildings everywhere, but they all looked like they were just the victim of time. Unmanaged buildings, resting here for centuries... I shouldn't have been thinking so hard about this, but it was the only thing I could do. Every step I took made my brain throb as I tried piecing the puzzle together.

 

Our goal was the cathedral at the center of the kingdom. At the highest point, where all can see, there is a cathedral shining brightly, lights flickering through its painted glass tiles. If we could reach it easily, there'd be no issue. The problem was that no matter how much we walked, we could not get any closer to the cathedral. Malison's abilities didn't work in the slightest. Something was keeping her from teleporting us. For the first time ever, she was powerless.

 

I wasn't any better at this time. My abilities didn't work either, so we were forced to walk on foot until we found something interesting.

 

Finding something interesting was no easy task, I'll tell you. We took turns in alleyways and knocked aside rubble to explore the kingdom. I had a theory that I proposed to Malison. Maybe instead of going in one direction, the route is already set. More specifically, there is a predetermined path that we must follow in order to get to the cathedral.

 

To my surprise, she actually agreed and said that it made sense.

 

We spent the next few hours wandering, trying to get closer to the cathedral. I don't think much has changed.

 

---

 

❰ Day 5. ❱ 

 

Malison disappeared. I didn't know where she went, maybe I'd just been going crazy. She went ahead of me through an alley and took a turn. When I followed her steps, she was nowhere to be seen. She didn't teleport herself, that's just impossible. Neither of us could use our abilities. 

 

Things only got worse after Malison disappeared. I began to hear footsteps that were not my own. The wind, which was once silent, became to carry distant voices from a direction that I couldn't identify. I briefly found solace in their chatters. Unconsciously, I released my tail and ears which I'd been neglecting for so long. The fur of my tail was sticking up enough to seem sharp.

 

Had it always been this way? Was I completely disillusioned by my own conscience? I couldn't figure it out... I was giving in to my own insanity.

 

My thoughts only ended once I saw it, in a place where it belonged. An eagle soared through the sky, taking twists and turns. It flew past me as if it were fleeing. I watch the eagle carefully, questioning if I should call out to it. It probably wouldn't get its attention, but I still hope that I can see more sights like this. 

 

. . . 

 

It took me another hour before I stopped in front of a building. I'd kept walking, yet I hadn't gotten any closer to the cathedral. The voices I once heard carried by the wind were gone. I hadn't even heard any footsteps. I'd gotten further away from them. The building in front of me was pristine. It was unlike any other building I'd seen before. The windows were darkened.

 

There was a buzzing in the building that I could not ignore. I needed to hear it. The silence from the walk had driven me mad. The loneliness from being trapped quickly overwhelmed me. My desire to see what was inside had outweighed the fragments of my sanity.

 

I walked to the door and opened it. Inside were wasps, thousands of them. Blood crept from the floor, and I could only stand and stare as I was overcome by the swarm. However, I did not die. I hadn't even been harmed... Memories that were not my own flooded my mind.

 

---

 

❰ Ascelin Saloua ❱ 

 

Her majesty is beautiful. Her body has the curves and shape to appear perfect. With her presence alone, she can shift the atmosphere into one of joy—even in our darkest times, I am certain that she can be a light. She is a red-haired goddess who descended upon the world and created this kingdom. 

 

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"Goddess Aris has graced us with a visit!" 

 

"Great Goddess, please grace my child with the strength to stand!"

 

"Goddess Aris, please bless me with the wealth to survive the impending winter!"

 

The requests of the citizens were all met. There was nothing that the goddess couldn't do. I watched her through the window of my shop. I do not feel that it's right for me to step forward and ask her for a blessing. If I had the option, I'd request that she rid my shop of the wasps invading the back alleys. Father wouldn't want that though. "My son is selfless. He'd never ask for help from another." My father would always brag about me during his gatherings.

 

Selling religious artifacts has helped the business remain standing after my father's passing. The people's admiration of Aris has become stronger by the day. Her power allows her to shape the kingdom at will, and her loyal knights. They were once mortals like the rest of us, selected due to their faithfulness to the goddess, and granted power that cannot be rivaled by us mortal beings.

 

It does not seem fair to compare ourselves to these men who obey the orders of Goddess Aris. When opposing kingdoms are foolish enough to try to invade, they cannot even get past the newest of our kingdom's defenders, Hanequin the Reliable. As the tale goes, he was once a thief who tried to rob Goddess Aris without knowing. Instead of punishing him, she gifted the thief with a chance to live a better life under her tutelage.

 

She serves as a Goddess, an Empress, and a mother to all residents of the kingdom. To appease our hungering faith, Aris sends oracles to our cathedral, while she and her knights reside—

 

The memory begins to fade...

 

---

 

Goddess Aris called for me. My shop cannot continue running any longer. After those thieves ransacked my store, I'd need a blessing in order to recover. Forgive me, father. It is because of my own carelessness that the business you worked so hard to maintain has fallen. I held on for a decade, but time is a cruel concept that waits for no one. Time will signify the beginning and end of all things—it has been determined that this is the end of our shop...

 

Or, so I wanted to believe.

 

"Ascelin Saloua, a young man whose luck has run out. You are very peculiar, I like the sense of unusualness around you." Goddess Aris, who I'd never spoken to, knew not only my name but everything down to my very core. 

 

Her smile warmed my soul, even when I didn't see it myself. She told me every word that I wanted to hear. She enticed me.

 

"Come to my side, Ascelin. Come to my side and I will grant you the power to continue carrying the burden you hopelessly carried alone. In return, offer your soul to me. Offer me your being, so that I may grant you your wish." Her hand wasn't even halfway extended when I grabbed it. For the first time in my life, I needed something from someone.

 

When mother struck me with the barbed net, I took the pain. I knew I deserved it for what I'd done. What kind of fool forgets to shut the door when they leave their home? She was only teaching me for the better.

 

Back then, when my teacher would unfairly separate me from the other children, I understood that it was because of my odd tendencies. I should've never vented my frustrations to that woman. It was inconsiderate of me to throw my pain over her shoulders without thinking of her personal struggles.

 

I was too selfish, which is why I took the initiative to make myself selfless. I would work for others, I'd endure the rightful violence inflicted by the customers of the shop. If my father needed me to work hard, I'd work even harder. 

 

Now, at the time of my life when I am alone, I need something, and someone is offering that something to me. "I will give you my life, Goddess Aris. Please, grant me the power that I need!" I too will give myself to the goddess and become one of her knights...

 

. . . 

 

"Why—" 

 

The memory suddenly begins to fade.

 

---

 

I am held by chains in the cathedral. I cannot move. The chains do not permit me.

 

I cannot silence their screams. I am sorry. I am so sorry.

 

Their footsteps skitter, but there is no one to walk. They hide within me, eternally fleeing; endlessly squirming. I am so sorry.

 

"Nothing has changed..." My body has morphed so greatly that I cannot even shed a tear. Curse the Angels! Curse the Creator! Curse th—!

 

For the final time, the memory fades, leaving a gap.

 

---

 

❰ Day 6. ❱ 

 

I woke up in front of the cathedral, right in front of the door. It was much more massive up close. It's overwhelming to imagine what's inside. The memories of what I saw yesterday gave me a good idea of what to expect. It gave me an idea of what happened here. I understood where everybody had gone.

 

Leaning against the outer wall of the cathedral, I looked at the sky. I'd never noticed it until then, but there was not even a single cloud in the sky. At night, there were no stars. There was only the sun and the moon. Where had everything gone? I don't think I was ready to figure that out.

 

There are some things that I should've pieced together. For instance, why have I been reliving the same day over and over again without realizing it? It's not that I wasn't getting closer to the cathedral, I hadn't been moving at all. Sure, I went to a new location, but inside of that place, the time had been tampered with. Each step we took to get closer to the cathedral created a new branch in time that'd shift our position. We were stuck in a loop, time and space were manipulated to keep us from our goal.

 

Somehow, I'd overcome the odds. I'd reached where Malison could not. "I should've figured it out sooner." The voice in my head that'd spoken to me since we arrived was restless. It kept telling me what to do, it kept telling me what to say. This is only a result of [Corruption], I'm sure of it. 

 

When I stood up, I realized that there was a single option that I needed to follow. We were still inside a dungeon. Every dungeon had its own fixed laws, but one that restricted the abilities of its users couldn't be possible. A dungeon that sucked people in from the outside shouldn't have been here, since that isn't how it functioned initially. That only meant one thing.

 

I opened the door to the cathedral. 

 

✦ You've encountered the [Dungeon Boss]! ✦ 
✦ You will now battle [Ascelin the Innocent]! ✦ 

 

---

 

There he stands, chained to every corner of the cathedral. The chains were something that I could not break. But, just looking at him, I can feel my mind begin to warp. I can feel everything begin to twist and contort upon seeing him. He is warping time and space—he is canceling our abilities. But most of all, he lured me here to show me something.

 

His body is unfathomable. His robe is stained black, and he has a deteriorated human head. His body is frail enough to hold tightly onto his bones. There isn't a bit of meat beneath his flesh. His sockets are empty, his eyes sunken so deep that they have no hope of returning.

 

"Ascelin the Innocent," I begin, "You were a pure young man who was willing to give his soul just to maintain the business of a father who didn't care for him. You were foolish, but you were not deserving of this fate." My body was speaking on its own. I could not control myself. It feels like I've been possessed by something completely unfamiliar to me. I feel sad. I feel frightened. I feel angry.

 

I raise my hand in his direction. To begin a battle with this boss, you must first attack him. I will certainly attack him, but first, I must use my resources. "[Skill Copy]..." The only skill I figured I could use. It was a skill I gained randomly, without reason. There's no monster here that would reasonably have such a powerful ability, yet somehow it appeared in my possession.

 

✦ You've received that ability...? ✦ 
✦ Why do you have that?! ✦ 
✦ Do you hate me that much?! ✦ 
✦ Can't I live without these thoughts?! ✦ 

 

✦ You've successfully used [Skill Copy]! ✦ 
✦ You have gained the following abilities! ✦ 
✦  [Time Manipulation], [Space Manipulation], [God of Fortune], [Curse of Misfortune], [Soul Weaving], [Shapeshifting], [Ability Cancellation], [Omnilingualism], and [Perfect Double]! ✦ 

 

I pay no mind to the red text. I do not know why the system has spoken to me, but it's become clear that something is wrong with it. By the time I leave this dungeon, things probably won't be the same. How unfortunate... I cannot bring myself to care, though. "I'll be killing you now." I am the villain, after all. He is a victim who suffered an undeserving fate, and I am the person who must come along and end his life. I think I'll enjoy playing the villain for once. 

 

Thousands of minds are connecting to me the longer that I look at him. He is corrupting me with his presence alone, and our battle hasn't even started.

 

A black spear forms in my right hand. I have had a bad experience with spears, but I think I can use one effectively. Even without a skill, my body is telling me that I can use this. 

 

I swing the spear through the air, only from the entrance of the cathedral. A black projectile is shot out from the slash and it's sent flying in his direction. "Wake up, Knight." Why do I feel like playing the villain...?

 

Just as the slash is about to hit Ascelin, the chains around the room all snap, converging in on his location. Each chain twists and contorts around him, forming a shield to block the slash at the last second. The cathedral begins to crumble, the chains that were buried deep within them now removed. A glare of red comes through the cracks of the slithering chains, meeting my gaze.

 

I want to be the last villain that he gets to face. The last villain who he will lose to—I will be his last stop.

 

"Something... has changed." His demonized voice runs through the crumbling cathedral, releasing an aura that would've previously sent me onto my knees. Now, as my clothes begin to flap, carried by the wind and pressure, I stand with the spear in hand. "Everything has changed." I correct him, a frown starting to form on my face.

 

The last of those memories... I think I'll see them again when I kill him. I think then, I'll understand why I am here. "For once, when faced with someone so powerful, I think that I can win."

 

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