The centipedes were difficult opponents, with their various knife-like legs and long, evasive bodies. It was an especially hard fight for Kade, who was unable to properly unleash his fury on the beasts, while Sandra found herself having much more success against these awakened beasts.
Apart from just their physical threat, they also carried an acidic spit that seemed to melt through even the toughest of skin. Yet, Sandra created gales of wind that diverted the acid away from her teammates. When it came to the centipede's armor, her twin daggers pierced it easier than it had ever been with the scavengers.
Overall, the fight against the seven enemies had been tough, yet the group of sleepers formed proved themselves to be well worth the challenge. Cassie and Ike reformed at Sunny's notice, and the group continued their march to the next outcrop that could shelter them above the Black Sea.
They were against the time, as the tide would come to sweep them away if they were to slow down—with the increasing number of engagements, there was a real threat of not making it on time. So Kade opted to use the extra stony hands of [Embodied Wrath] to carry Cassie.
Despite her objections to this at first, not guiding her through the shifting terrain turned out to save a lot of their time.
With the sun wavering about them, the six had no time to waste. Fighting many quick skirmishes to drawn-out clashes. They managed to succeed, but not without fault. Injuries were bound to happen over time; such a factor was normally a killer for any normal party...
But with Changing Star, they managed to slug past—and keep stride.
Most of the injuries were Kade's... Simply because he offered to take the brunt of most confrontations, whenever the party needed a distraction, he was the perfect sandbag against a horde of scavengers, evasive, strong, and durable. The brawler had not gone long without his life being at stake.
It was a grueling journey, and the sleepers felt every bit of fatigue that gathered as such, and as the hours passed, at the incoming sunset, they had reached their destination.
It was an ancient, colossal statue at least two hundred meters tall that depicted a knight clad in elaborate plate armor, with seven shining stars carved into his breastplate. In his hands, he was holding a gargantuan sword, pointing it to the ground.
The sculpture's head was erased from the picture, only leaving a stump for a platform. It's an architectural existence sticking out like a sore thumb among the unexplainable and unnatural forest of crimson coral.
Kade took this into detail.
'What the hell is a big-ass statue doing here of all places?' He had assumed this hellhole had been just an ecosystem of strange horrors that was explained simply by the unknown machinations of the corrupted ecosystem, but a giant statue of a hero-like figure in the middle of it made no sense...
Why were humans here? And where had all their traces gone? Surely this place would have some other traces of us...
Kade scratched his chin, trying to remember anything else he had seen that could be a remnant or relic, yet nothing came to mind. He could think about that stuff later; right now he had to scale that very same statue.
Most of the group stood with Kade, looking above at the marvel of stone, exhausted and chipped by battle. They all looked like they could use a rest. The only two exceptions were Cassie, who had never fought, and yours truly—
"Kade, it's ok--I'll go up the golden rope like normal... You don't need to carry me up," Cassie whispered, tilting her head to the enigmatic brawler.
Kade shrugged, "Nah, it will be quicker this way. Plus, the less time Ike has to help you up with the rope, the more time he can cook some grilled scavenger."
Cassie twiddled her thumbs. "Aren't you tired? I don't want to burden you--"
Before she could finish, the brawler picked the alarmed girl from the sand and neatly positioned her on his back, the stony arms of [Embodied Wrath] supporting her comfortably in their hold.
"Eh?-"
Kade grinned, already reaching for the statue. "Don't worry about it, Cas. I don't get tired—that's my Aspect." He proclaimed, setting himself to be the first one to ascend the climb.
'I mean, kind of... My aspect is more than just that—' Kade pondered mid-ascent. His aspect, more or less, was just a well of 'energy,' this energy being able to be exerted in whatever Kade thought needed to be fueled or sustained. Whether that be fatigue, ATP, or mental load.
That also seemed to expand to just his existence itself, whether fueling his flaw or the memories tied to his soul. Such also allowed him to fuel the active enchantments of memories, something that any other sleeper couldn't achieve without essence.
Though there were consequences and potential pitfalls that such an aspect could cause and fall through—and he had already faced the blunt reality of one that had threatened to tear him down.
He could still feel Sandra's glare as he carried Cassie, her sharp, unsure eyes watching Kade's stony arms carry the blind girl. As if any second, they would start to crush Cassie like they had Ayen.
That whole ordeal still weighed on his consciousness, yet Kade was doing his best so far to try and mentally shift the blame to his asura; of course, he knew he was at fault. But he couldn't allow himself to mope around in a death zone like this.
He would have to digest the proper emotional ramifications later. Especially about receiving her echo and that one attribute it held—[curse].
'A desperate plea at fate for revenge...' Kade repeated the words, describing it again and again like a mantra. He didn't know how much a mere sleeper would have of an all-consuming thing such as fate, and he hoped he wouldn't have too much.
Glancing at the setting sun, Kade wished himself luck. Something that he could really use in the future, especially if fate was going to give into Ayen's revenge...
Sighing, the brawler finished his climb, the cooling breeze of the forgotten shore tracing his skin. He had made it once again to safety--
'Well. Safe... for now'
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The gathered sleepers, now reaching their destination, set up a short camp near the dying ember lights of a fire long gone. The torrential Black Sea caressing the gigantic statue, its horrors with only the company of each other.
While the six slept silently, Nephi's stoic drive was absent as she slept, replaced with something akin to anxiety. Sunny snored, peacefully accepting his sleep, the shadow welcoming death's cousin in kind.
Sandra rustled gently, the cold winds coiling gently around her, like a guardian angel sweeping a blanket over her. Ike itched at his throat weakly, a disturbed expression speaking out to the darkness with fear. Yet not a sound came out.
Kade was lying on his back, his coat tussled up into a makeshift pillow, a silent peace dawning on the [Heart of Chaos]'s expression. The distant realm of sleep was the only way to escape the ever-subtle draw of violence that was [Battle Lust].
And standing motionlessly above the sleepers was a shorter girl, her blond hair ridged and unkempt, her skin pale as a corpse, and her lips trembling as her cloudy blue eyes glanced unfocused into the darkness.
Her irises sharpening and catching something in the distance.
And she saw--
Cassie's frigid lips opened slightly before jarring open like a wraith.
An ear-piercing scream sounded throughout the silent shore.
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[Authors Note]
We have done it! 50 chapters, I didn't know exactly how far I would take this fanfic at the start, and I'm happy where it led up to. The most valuable experience of the whole thing honestly is just learning how to shut up and write.
Probably the most important part about learning how to write novels is actually writing them, and this has been a valuable side gig to give me experience. Thanks for everyone who has kept up and supported me through, it means a lot to have people partake in the experience of Path of a BRAWLER as I had.
Love ya, and hopes for more to come!