Alista and Artemis were riding atop the moving statue—the giant figure of the unfinished sculptor. It was still dark, and beneath them, the vast, menacing Dark Sea stretched out. As a safety precaution, Artemis and Alista had used the silver rope to anchor themselves around the shoulders of the Stone Giant, ensuring they wouldn't be thrown off by sudden movements.
"I haven't heard of this place at all," Artemis admitted, her voice low.
"Same here," Alista replied, his mind analyzing the location. 'The Forgotten Shore. It's a hellhole, but it is not as dangerous as the Hollow Mountains, Burned Forest, or the Godgrave. Still, it is extremely dangerous for Sleepers.'
Alista looked out at the churning black water. "It is better we don't get into the Dark Sea, or else we would be goners."
Artemis nodded grimly. "Yeah, these seas are filled with creatures. Once we get down from the statue, we need to properly navigate." She pointed in a specific direction. "We should go there."
After some time, the Giant began to slow down. As it was about to stop, the Sun rose, and the Dark Sea itself retracted.
Artemis's mouth dropped open in total shock. Even though Alista knew about the Dark Sea's unique behavior, witnessing it live was still an unbelievable spectacle.
"Are you looking at this?" Artemis whispered, her voice filled with awe.
"Yeah… Unbelievable," Alista murmured, watching the miles of water vanish instantly, revealing the land beneath.
The Stone Giant stopped its long march. Artemis and Alista Tudor got down from the giant, landing on the surface of the revealed land: the Crimson Labyrinth.
"Okay… this is creepy," Artemis commented, looking at the unnatural red landscape.
Alista checked his bearings. "Let's roll, shall we?"
[Fors POV]
Fors was walking through the dark ruins of a city. She was wearing a bronze armor and carried a bow in her hand, having been dropped into the Dark City during the Solstice. Since her arrival, she had been running, avoiding the main routes and hunting the weaker Awakened creatures for Soul Fragments.
'The Door pathway is good at running and getting out of trouble,' Fors thought. 'So, I better find a safe place, or else I'll have to fight a Fallen Creature.' Thanks to her [TrickMaster] Attribute, she was able to safely navigate the city ruins.
As she navigated, she spotted an empty cathedral. She immediately took refuge inside. The cathedral was neither big nor did it resemble the massive one where Sunny would eventually reside. 'Lucky me, or else I would be fighting a Fallen Devil,' she thought, relieved.
As she rested, she heard footsteps. She immediately pointed an arrow in the direction of the sound. As the footsteps drew near, she saw a person with brown hair, green eyes, and wearing armor with a jian sword in his hand.
"Caster?" Fors asked, recognizing the Legacy figure.
Caster looked at her, his expression controlled. "And who might you be?"
Fors immediately became silent, assessing him. "I landed here during the Solstice. My name is Fors Wall, from the Outskirts."
Caster's reaction didn't flicker much, but a brief hint of interest crossed his face. "Then we should accompany each other until we find the Gateway."
Fors thought, 'Oh, poor idiot. He has no idea that there is no Gateway,He need to fight a fallen Terror'
Fors spoke with feigned enthusiasm. "Sure, no problem." They left the cathedral after a moment.
"Any idea where we are?" Fors asked, testing his knowledge.
Caster looked around. "No idea."
Fors smiled inwardly. "I wonder what Alista is doing."
Caster looked at her sharply. "Do you know Blood Emperor?"
Fors laughed silently, a playful smirk touching her lips. "Well… we grew up together."
Caster's expression was genuinely stunned. "Who could have thought the Blood Emperor came from the Outskirts?"
Fors spoke with a proud smirk. "He might be known as the Blood Emperor, but he was Alista Tudor before—my Alista Tudor."
Caster offered a genuine smile at her and the two traveled together through the dark city ruins.
****
Meanwhile, Alista and Artemis had finished fighting a small group of scavengers. They were collecting the soul shards dropped by the corpses.
"How many monsters were here right now?" Artemis asked, wary of their surroundings.
"Around two or three," Alista confirmed. "Luckily, we took the less numbered group." He looked at the scavenger corpses. "We need a scout to move ahead, or else we would be randomly fighting these groups everywhere."
Artemis was already focusing on the loot. "Let's collect all the shards and meat, and then leave."
Suddenly, Alista felt a strange sensation—a shift in the ambient pressure and the air itself.
"Why am I feeling something?" Alista asked, his voice tight.
Artemis looked at him with a wary expression. "What is it?"
Alista looked everywhere, finally peering up at the vast sky. "I am… feeling a slight shift here." Then he saw it—a massive, churning storm was rapidly approaching from the direction of the retreating sea.
Alista shouted, "Climb the nearby statue! Storm is coming!"
Artemis and Alista immediately broke into a sprint toward the nearest standing statue. As they ran, the Dark Sea started to rise again, slowly reaching Alista's knee level. Artemis immediately summoned the silver rope and started climbing with its help, her agility and gear giving her an edge.
The Dark Sea started to rise very rapidly now, turning into a terrifying, swirling wall of water. Both of them pushed their limits, scrambling up the statue to escape the sudden deluge.
As they reached the top of the statue, they rested for a minute, panting heavily. They had barely survived the sea's wrath, reaching a temporary safe location from the rapidly rising Dark Sea.
Alista spoke, "Is everything okay?"
Artemis replied, "Yeah. Let's set up camp here." She immediately started settling down. Alista and Artemis split the Soul Shards they had collected and began to absorb them.
After some time, Artemis asked Alista Tudor, "So, what are you planning after returning to the Waking World?"
Alista thought for a moment and spoke, "I might be independent for a while."
Artemis looked at him quizzically. "Usually, people would join Legacies or the Government. Why independent?"
Alista explained, "Because I want to do what I want. I am figuring out some things on my own."
"Is something going on?" Artemis pressed.
Alista thought rapidly: 'How should I tell her that Adam is involved and I can't get tied up in anyone's plans?' He settled for vague evasion. "Nothing. Just… some personal matters."
Artemis's expression became serious. "You know, we have fought life and death ever since we landed in the Dream Realm. You can speak openly."
Alista decided to confront her with the truth he knew. He looked directly at her and posed the ultimate question: "Why the hell, then, has the Valor Clan targetting me?"
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