Alista and Artemis lay sprawled on the cold cavern floor, utterly pummeled. Though miraculously, none of their wounds were severe, they had defeated a Fallen Monster—an accomplishment reserved for Master-level Awakened—and they had done so barely. The complexity of the battle was staggering, relying on Artemis's constant gravity switching and Alista's continual activation of his [Bribe] Ability. Moreover, Alista had shrewdly used the [Dawn Shard] to temporarily increase the rank of all his Memories, giving them the vital edge needed to scratch the monster's defense.
Now, covered in ichor and grime, they were resting.
"We… defeated the Fallen… Monster," Alista managed, his chest heaving.
Artemis's smile widened, a rare, genuine expression of triumph. "Well, we accomplished something two Sleepers couldn't even imagine."
Alista looked at her, his respect deepening. "Well, your Aspect is… strong."
Artemis laughed, the sound surprisingly melodic in the silent cavern. "Same to you."
Alista allowed himself a moment of internal celebration. 'We accomplished something the Original Cohort didn't, and we did it with two people.' The narrative had been profoundly derailed.
He sat up, tidied himself as best he could, and looked at the immense corpse of the Spire Messenger.Alista thought,'Artemis...is a reliable Companion,but I cant still trust her,What is her goal with me?Is she planning to kill me?'
After the intensity of the fight, Alista felt an immense satisfaction. It wasn't just fulfilling; it was intensely addictive. 'The urge to fight the Spire Messenger is gone, but it's replaced with something fulfilling, like a tasty meal I never had. I need to carefully pick my opponents,' he recognized, acknowledging the subtle shift in his Flaw's manifestation.
He looked down at the notification of the memory he had received:
Memory: [Dusk Shard].
Memory Rank: Ascended.
Memory Tier: II.
Memory Type: Shield.
Memory Description: [Forged from a shard of a fallen star, this shield contains the weight of the heavens. Depending on the heart of its wielder, it can be light as a feather or heavy as regret.]
"Hey, I received a Memory," Alista announced, and summoned the shield.
It was a large, round shield. Alista could sense its inherent heaviness, but due to his high physical strength, he could wield it easily.
"I see," Artemis responded.
Alista immediately transferred the Memory to her. "Have it. It might be useful for you. I never prefer shields; they suck."
"Any idea what to do next?" Alista asked, even though he had a plan, wanting to hear what her Navigation told her.
Artemis detailed her internal map. "We sail back. We need to close our eyes on the river, and then there is a well we should climb upwards to reach the outside. We need to proceed to an area where there are more people."
Alista nodded, but his stomach grumbled loudly, interrupting the high-stakes planning. "First, we need to eat."
Alista and Artemis were soon frying the Spire Messenger's meat over a small fire. Alista ate the fried meat with intense focus. 'Spire Messenger's meat is tasty,' he thought, noting the creature's high caloric value.
He watched Artemis, who was eating the meat with surprising gusto for a princess. 'She is clearly not from the original novel. Thanks to her Attribute, we have successfully acquired the Dawn Shard and Dusk Shard. We have officially derailed the plot.'
Artemis looked at him. "After we eat, we will take the boat. The Navigation leads me out of this area. If we follow properly, we might find a path to the Waking World."
Alista considered this. "Your Navigation Attribute—you fixed it to the Waking World, right? How does that work?"
Artemis explained, "I have to think about reaching the Waking World. It points to a path. If I want to go to some other goal, it will change."
Alista frowned. "But it can't tell you about the danger level, right? What we fought now is a Fallen Monster, and we barely won."
Artemis looked at him seriously. "Yeah. If we hadn't had that Crown Memory, our weapons couldn't have even scratched its skin."
Alista proposed a new strategy. "How about we search for people in a less dangerous area, form a cohort with them, and then seek the escape route?" He instinctively knew they needed more cannon fodder—or at least more diverse powers—before attempting the Solstice's core objectives.
Artemis immediately agreed. "Sure. That sounds like a viable plan."
Their meal continued, and Alista decided to probe her. "So, how is being a Valor Princess? Do you guys have fun?"
Artemis smiled faintly. "Well, lots of training and responsibility for the clan." She immediately followed up with a question of her own. "So, how did you land up in the Outskirts? What about your parents?"
Alista offered the truth mixed with his necessary lie. "I don't remember my parents, but I never left the Outskirts in my life. I spent my whole life with Fors."
Artemis looked at him with a curious and measuring intensity. Alista knew she was asking about his background and trying to conclude something. 'First she asked about my First Nightmare, now my background. But I can't leave her here. I need to know how the hell the story deviated to create a new basis character.'
After finishing the meat, they packed the remaining portions. As they approached the boat, Alista suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute."
He immediately went to the colossal pillar—the place where the Spire Messenger had been defeated—and used the tip of his [Hunter's Sword] to carve a message onto the wall.
He wrote:
Hey Dumbass,
If you are searching for the Dawn Shard, Sorry. You are nothing but an autistic bum & co who stayed stubborn for no reason.
LOL,
Alista Tudor
Artemis stared at the message, aghast. "Is this necessary?"
Alista grinned wickedly. "Trust me, it will be fun."
"What is LOL?" Artemis asked, confused by the acronym.
"Laugh Out Loud. Don't worry. You will learn about this," Alista promised.
They climbed into the boat. Both of them closed their eyes and started to sail down the dark river. Alista felt uneasy sailing blindly, but he had no choice but to trust Artemis's Navigation.
After reaching the safe shore, Alista and Artemis uncovered their eyes. Utilizing the memory of the landscape Alista had received from his transmigrated knowledge, combined with Artemis's innate Navigation, they expertly avoided the dangerous Mist and quickly climbed the hidden well using the silver ropes.
They reached the border between the Hollow Mountains and the Forgotten Shore.
Artemis pointed in the direction she was guided to find more people. "Now what?"
Alista looked at the desolate landscape of the Forgotten Shore, the true starting point of the ordeal.
"Let's see if we can find a proper way out of here. But first, let's find our cohort."
Alista looked at Forgotten Shore direction and thought,'I Miss Fors'
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