Chapter 99: Storm Fleet

Chapter 99: Storm Fleet

At the black-armored warrior's command, an invisible veil seemed to lift from the black ship, revealing figures draped in the same dark armor.

They too wore menacing helmets, their faces concealed, and silently drew their weapons to join the battle against the Waking Nightmare.

Aether and Captain Brochester were stunned speechless. The Storm Fleet was actually fighting on their side? That legendary fleet that roamed the Eastern Seas, famous in the same breath as ghosts and sea monsters?

"I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd fight alongside the Storm Fleet!" the Captain said, cutting down a face with his sword.

Aether and the Captain stood back to back, wary of the Waking Nightmare drawing near: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Let's focus on the Waking Nightmare first!"

At the black-armored warrior's command, a volley of arrows shot out from the black ship. Each arrowhead blazed with pale fire. The Waking Nightmare was forced back slightly as countless blades slashed at its wailing faces.

When the battle first began, Lyman and the other prisoners had been herded below deck to keep them out of the way. But Lyman had left a Little Straw Effigy on deck, and through its eyes, he witnessed the Storm Fleet's arrival.

The Waking Nightmare continued to expand, and now the surrounding sea was entirely engulfed in black mist. Even with the Storm Fleet's support, the "Star Guide" was not gaining the upper hand. Sailors were being devoured one after another, and many warriors on the black ship had fallen too, leaving nothing but empty armor behind on the deck.

Lyman had witnessed the Waking Nightmare's horror before. It had destroyed all of Nivor Island, and it was likely only a matter of time before it devoured them too!

Now was not the time to hold back—if they wanted to survive, they needed more firepower!

He asked telepathically: "Lunast, can you still use that powerful ability to summon starlight?"

"Not yet. I haven't recovered my strength."

Lyman gritted his teeth: "Then I'll have to do it myself!"

"Wait, Lyman, it's too dangerous out there!"

"It's fine. Worst comes to worst, I'll rewind time!"

The Little Straw Effigy in the corner of the deck suddenly jumped up. The sailors around were locked in fierce combat, and no one noticed the small straw figure climbing over the railing and leaping off.

In midair, the effigy opened the Divine Casket and pulled out the puppet.

Aether cut down a wailing face, saving a sailor from its open maw. He turned to rescue another, but that sailor was already targeted by a face, only inches away—too late!

Just then, a ghostly shadow rose from the sea.

Beneath his hood was nothing but void, like a lonely specter roaming the dark sea. The dagger in his hand gleamed with crimson light, the light pulsing with a rhythm like a heartbeat, like war drums.

He charged at the wailing face about to devour the sailor, his crimson dagger trailing a long streak of light like a red comet streaking across the sky. The comet's tail swept across the face, and the horrific creature melted like frost against hot iron.

The shadow twisted gracefully in midair, weaving a web of death with crimson light.

Aether was frozen in shock. Was that the same shadow from the Cape Prison incident? Was he a member of that mysterious organization? Isn't that the Blade of Revelation? How did he get here? Had he been secretly tailing the prisoner convoy since they left Cape Prison, and Aether never noticed? And why would he help them out during the Waking Nightmare's attack?

Too many questions raced through Aether's mind.

But now wasn't the time for questions. The Inquisitor pushed aside his curiosity and continued fighting with his sword.

Another volley of arrows wrapped in white flames rained down! Lyman wove through the storm of arrows using Gravity Manipulation. Silhouetted against the pale flames, his dark figure looked like a nightmare itself.

Just cutting down the wailing faces wasn't enough! Lyman twisted his wrist, and the Celestial Totem appeared in his palm.

Above the black mist, thunder exploded!

Countless pale blue lightning bolts descended from the sky, tearing through the darkness like roaring dragons of thunder. The sea was turned black and white, and everyone's ears rang with the deafening explosions.

The shadow cloaked in night moved effortlessly through the lightning, like a swallow darting through a storm, his crimson dagger reaping one wailing face after another.

Lyman could sense that the Waking Nightmare in this cycle was weaker than the one in the third cycle. That one had devoured Nivor Island in an instant, triggering the rewind of time before he could even react.

What had weakened it? The Storm Fleet? Or the other monster on Nivor Island—the so-called "experiment"?

Perhaps the two monsters had clashed, and though the Waking Nightmare emerged victorious, it had sustained injuries.

Yet even so—even with the "Star Guide's" crew fighting to the death, the Storm Fleet's warriors supporting from the side, the Blade of Revelation, and the Celestial Totem—the Waking Nightmare's terrifying power still exceeded their imagination.

Sailors crumbled to ash one after another, and many Storm Fleet warriors were devoured by the wailing faces. Even united, could they still not defeat that abomination?

"Mr. Shadow!"

A shout came from below.

Lyman felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. Who was calling him? Only his Apostles and their close companions knew that code name. How could anyone out here at sea call out that name?

"Mr. Shadow!" The voice called again.

Lyman looked down at the black ship and met the gaze of the black-armored warrior wielding his sword. Beneath that fearsome helmet, a pair of azure eyes burned with fierce joy.

Aether, fighting desperately on the "Star Guide," gave him a shocked look, as if to say: You two know each other?!

Lyman didn't have time to worry about what Aether thought. He summoned more lightning from the Celestial Totem while circling above the black-armored warrior: "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The black-armored warrior cleaved a wailing face in two and shouted up at Lyman: "The Primordial Prophet predicted your arrival! What an honor to meet you first!"

Another Primordial Prophet? Who was that? How many unknown gods and cults were there in this world?!

Lyman stabbed a wailing face trying to ambush him with the Blade of Revelation and said coldly: "I don't know any Primordial Prophet! Enough talk—deal with the Waking Nightmare first!"

The black-armored warrior spoke quickly between strikes: "It's too late, Mr. Shadow! The Primordial Prophet's prophecy has made clear—this Waking Nightmare cannot be defeated by us!"

"Why didn't you say that earlier?!" Lyman roared.

He released all his saved agility at once, becoming a blur that cut down a swath of wailing faces. The black mist was torn open for a moment, revealing the churning sea beyond, but the next second, more darkness rushed into the gap.

The black-armored warrior was panting from exertion: "We can't defeat it now, but that doesn't mean it can't be defeated at another time!"

Taking advantage of a lull when the wailing faces were driven back, he drew a magical rune in the air, and a scroll materialized in his hand.

He tossed the scroll to Lyman, who caught it one-handed and unrolled it with a flick of his wrist.

It was a wanted poster for a thief who had stolen a valuable treasure from the Storm Fleet. The portrait of the thief looked somehow familiar to Lyman.

"We came to Nivor to find this man! The moment we stepped onto the island, the Waking Nightmare was summoned! We barely escaped, and now—now..."

A swarm of wailing faces rushed at the black-armored warrior. Lyman raised the Celestial Totem, and a surge of electric power shattered the darkness like a raging river, annihilating the faces in an instant. But it was only a short-lived victory—as sailors died, the number of faces only grew!

"We have no chance left, but you still do! The Primordial Prophet's prophecy has pointed the way! Return to Nivor—stop everything before it begins!"

Lyman was shaken. The Primordial Prophet knew about rewinding time too! That seer was reaching out to him through the black-armored warrior!

The Waking Nightmare, the experiment that stole divine power, Governor Bivar, Father Kaimon, Little Bird and Wind Granny, the Storm Fleet... "Death's Neighbor" had raised the alarm for Nivor Island, and the hourglass pendant kept bringing him back to that island.

In that moment, Lyman saw the threads of fate converge before his eyes. All the clues led to one place.

He had to go back. Only then could it all end.

Lyman suddenly felt a great sense of relief. He had thought the mystery would never be solved, but fate was guiding him back to uncover the truth.

Since that was the case, he might as well go see what surprise fate had in store for him.

A blazing red beam of light erupted from the *Star-Guide*, accompanied by the sailors' cries and the annihilation of a large swarm of wailing human faces. But Lyman had no time to dwell on that.

He cast one last glance at the black-armored warrior, who switched his greatsword to his left hand and struck his chest plate over his heart with his right fist in salute.

"We'll meet again in Ninoville, Mr. Shadow!"

Lyman turned away and plunged into the black mist.

*

"Great Patron, thank you for your blessing! A strange incident has occurred in Starfall City—allow me to tell you all about it..."

The familiar voice echoed in his ears. This meant Lyman had returned to the starting point once again.

He sat up from the hammock, ready to brush off Dorian as usual. But before he could even "descend," he heard Lunast's voice.

"I... I'm so sorry, Lyman."

He was full of guilt, speaking cautiously like a child who had done wrong, coming to apologize nervously.

"I thought fleeing Ninoville would let us escape the disaster. I never thought it would cause another death. I... I truly feel terrible about this."

Lyman's eyes widened. "Who are you? Get out of Lunast's body right now, you filthy creature!"

Lunast: "..."

He immediately switched back to his usual tone. "Hey! Do I have to use that tone just to make you happy?"

"Ah, it's back, everything's back." Lyman patted his chest.

"I've only genuinely apologized a few times in my entire life! Don't ruin the mood, okay?"

Lyman said innocently, "I wasn't blaming you, you know."

Lunast: "...Ah."

"Your suggestion wasn't wrong in principle, I guess. Who could have predicted a Waking Nightmare would just pop up? It's not like you summoned it, so why are you apologizing?"

This time Lunast was genuinely at a loss. He stammered for a long time, unable to get out a complete sentence, and finally asked in a very small voice, "You really don't blame me?"

"Do you want me to blame you?"

"If you yelled at me a little, I'd feel better." Lunast's tone was utterly sincere.

"In all my life I've never heard such a weird request, but fine, I'll indulge you." Lyman said seriously, "Lunast, you idiot, come help me go over what happened."

Lunast: "..."

Lunast: "That's all?"

Lyman was puzzled. "What more do you want? Should I curse out your parents too?"

Lunast let out a soft laugh, heavy with nasality.

"That's enough," he said. "Thanks."

Lyman couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Ah, look at this guy—we yell at him and he thanks us for it."

"...Lyman!!!"

Hearing Lunast's exasperated yell, Lyman couldn't help slapping his thigh and laughing silently. The situation was now a complete reversal of their time at Cape Prison. Back then, Lunast was always the one getting on Lyman's nerves. Now it was Lunast's turn to slink away, looking sheepish.

Once Lyman had laughed enough, he put on a serious face and began the review. "The most important question now is: how do we beat the Waking Nightmare? The best plan I can think of is to find the summoner, take them out, and prevent it from happening.

"Earlier we figured the summoner might be Father Kaimon. But that warrior from the Storm Fleet showed me a wanted poster. He said they came to Ninoville to catch that person."

Lunast collected his thoughts and said in as steady a tone as he could, "So the summoner is that wanted criminal?"

Lyman said, "We didn't see the Storm Fleet when we were on Ninoville Island, which means they arrived after we left. In the last cycle, the Waking Nightmare wasn't summoned until that point—which is different from the first and third cycles. In those two, it was summoned in the middle of the night.

"In the second cycle, I died as soon as I left the island, so I don't know when the Waking Nightmare was summoned. But I think it might have been the same as the last cycle—when the Storm Fleet landed. If the wanted criminal saw the Storm Fleet landing, what would he do?"

Lunast mused, "He thinks there's no way out, so he summons the Waking Nightmare and it's all or nothing? The wanted criminal is the summoner? But we figured earlier that the summoner is probably Father Kaimon. Do you think the priest is that wanted criminal?"

Lyman was noncommittal. "I'm not sure. I still don't understand why the Waking Nightmare wasn't summoned at midnight in the second and fourth cycles. Was something preventing it?"

The two times the Waking Nightmare wasn't summoned at midnight—once Lyman knocked out Aether, and once they never even made it to the island. Why would that cause such a difference?

"Huh?" A thought struck Lyman.

Hearing Lyman make an odd sound, Lunast couldn't help asking, "What's wrong?"

Lyman suddenly stood up. "I knew that wanted criminal looked familiar! I've seen him before! He's the steward who invited Aether to the banquet!"

Lunast also went "Oh." "I saw that man at the banquet too."

"Ah, but if he was at the banquet then, doesn't that mean he couldn't be the summoner?"

"Not necessarily. The Archon wanted to talk to me privately, so he had the steward entertain the guests, and then we went to the reception room. If the steward left the mansion right away, went to the lower district, and summoned the Waking Nightmare, the timing would have been totally doable."

Lyman mused, "Now we have two candidates for the summoner: Father Kaimon and the steward. We just need to find the real one and take him out."

"We don't just need to kill the summoner—we also need to destroy the summoning array," Lunast said. "Once the array is fully drawn, a simple ritual is all it takes to summon the Waking Nightmare. Even if the summoner is dead, someone might accidentally discover and activate the array in the future. But the exact location of the array is known only to the summoner."

Lyman agreed. "So we should split up—keep an eye on the priest and the steward, follow them to the array, and then strike."

Even if they failed this time, they could just rewind again. Lyman glanced at the hourglass pendant in the Divine Casket—the sand had decreased again, enough for maybe only two more cycles now.

The sand each rewind consumed seemed to differ too; the further back they went, the more it used.

"But there's another problem," Lyman said. "What if we can't beat the summoner?"

"You're actually worried about that?"

"The steward once stole a treasure from the Storm Fleet, which means he's skilled—maybe even a superhuman. And Father Kaimon once studied in the Holy City and was friends with an Inquisitor on Aether's level, which means he's no ordinary man either—he might have hidden tricks up his sleeve.

"Also, don't forget there's an experimental monster in the Archon's mansion basement. That thing is a half-baked god! If it gets released, are we—weak, pitiful, helpless evil gods—really a match for it..."

Lyman checked his supernatural abilities and relics. What he could use in combat now were Spirit Domination, Gravity Manipulation, and Attribute Storage. Among his relics, the Blade of Revelation and Shadow Play were must-haves, while the Celestial Totem, Lament of the Earth, and Great Sacrifice would be used as needed.

What if the summoner has even stronger trump cards? Lunast was basically useless in combat right now—you can't exactly expect him to bite people with his head, right?

"If only we could call in some backup," Lyman sighed.

When the Apostles got into trouble, he could possess a puppet to help them, but when he got into trouble, the Apostles couldn't help him.

"You wish to summon an Apostle to fight alongside you?" Lunast asked.

"Yes! Tove's Fire Thief, Sylen's Indestructible Body, Sylvira's Spirit Mage—all of them are perfect for fighting! Captain Dorian, well, Dorian barely even counts as human." Lyman silently dissed the Book of the Evil God for handing out such useless abilities. "Too bad they can't teleport long distances like I can..."

"They can." Lunast suddenly said.

Lyman: "Huh?"

"I really love that 'Huh?' you always say." Lunast perked up instantly. "Actually, there is a way to teleport them to your side, but it comes at a huge price, and they might not be willing to pay it."

"You had a way this good and didn't tell me sooner?!"

"You never asked, though!"

Lyman: "..."

Weird—how did the tables get turned again? Why was he the one sulking now?

"What method?" he asked, sounding down.

Lunast, glowing in his brief victory, said: "You remember the 'Open Door' ritual that comes with the Blade of Revelation, right? It can open a door. And opening a 'Door of Time and Space' is still 'opening a door'!"

"Th-That works?!" Lyman stared in shock at the purple dagger lying quietly in the Divine Casket. What kind of concept-based monster was this? If it's a door, it can open it, huh?

"However, the cost is huge. Opening a normal door means you have to cut yourself with a wound of the same size. But the wound needed to open a Door of Time and Space has to be a fatal injury, one that could tear a superhuman or legendary creature apart. So either you sacrifice a superhuman for each teleportation, or you leave this ritual to your Apostle Sylen alone."

Sylen's Indestructible Body lets him heal from wounds without getting killed instantly, so he could open the Door of Time and Space as many times as he wants. But the pain of doing the ritual wouldn't just go away...

"I'll ask Sylen what he thinks," Lyman said. "If he says no..."

"Why not just order him to sacrifice himself in the name of the Lord of the Abyss?" Lunast asked. "He'd say yes without a second thought. He's your Apostle, your follower—it's only natural he'd give everything for you."

Lyman said, "Luna, when I made Sylen an Apostle, it wasn't to force him to give up everything."

Lunast asked, "Then why did you?"

Lyman paused, then said in a low voice, "To have him break me out of jail."

Lunast burst out laughing uncontrollably. It sounded so happy, like he was genuinely feeling joy from deep inside.

"Ha, ha, you're still exactly the same as always!" he said. "A lot of people can't stand that about you, but I love it!"

Once he finally stopped laughing, Lyman reluctantly summoned the Book of the Evil God and called a Divine Council.

*

Captain Dorian Calest was in the middle of passionately telling his underground adventure to the air. Suddenly, six phantom figures appeared in the air, one of them half-hidden behind a wall.

Dorian was puzzled—was his business really that important that Xiaoqi would call a Divine Council just for it?

Across from him, Tove, Sylen, and Sylvira exchanged glances, none of them getting why they'd been called. Only Mr. Shadow stayed calm: "Sorry for the sudden call. I've run into some trouble and need your help."

Dorian: Oh, so it wasn't for me after all. Okay, then.

"I was carrying out my master's mission and came to a small island in the eastern seas. Here, I encountered a bizarre phenomenon..."

As Dorian listened to Mr. Shadow's account, his eyes grew wider and wider. What, this wasn't even the first time he'd reported to his Patron? What, the hourglass pendant could actually rewind time? What, Mr. Shadow had died that many times on that island?

What Waking Nightmare, what feathered monster—man, were Mr. Shadow's usual enemies all that terrifying? His own underground adventure probably looked like child's play to him, didn't it?

"...In short, I need more help now. Would you all be willing to fight alongside me?"

The moment he finished, everyone rushed to respond:

"You've helped me so many times; it's only right that I repay you!"

"Asking that question is too formal—just tell me what to do!"

"Brothers and sisters in the faith, helping each other is only natural."

Dorian also hurriedly said, "Though I'm not very skilled in combat, if there's anything I can help with, just say the word."

Though he couldn't see Mr. Shadow's true face, Dorian felt he must be deeply moved.

"I have a method to open a Door of Time and Space and teleport you all to my side."

Mr. Shadow explained the method. Everyone's gaze converged on Sylen.

The merman youth replied without hesitation, "No problem. Hand the Blade of Revelation to me, and I'll open the Door of Time and Space. I need no reward."

Mr. Shadow said, "Sylen, think it over carefully. Though your Indestructible Body can heal wounds, the pain won't disappear because of it. If you refuse, I will never blame you."

"Pain suffered for the sake of comrades—how could that be called pain?" Sylen smiled, his gaze resolute. "That is a badge of honor."