Chapter 40: Footsteps in the Unknown

Cade moved westward through the labyrinth. His steps were soundless against the cold coral-strewn floor. He was tracking the trio. He knew that they hadn't lingered long within the vertebral column of the ancient leviathan's corpse. They had departed the very next day, and set off towards the Ashen Barrow without delay.

Along the way, Cade encountered a few Striders and a handful of Scavengers. None of them posed a real threat. He cut them down swiftly, and easily enough. His intent was to check on the trio— to ensure that no trouble had arisen; that their path ahead remained undisturbed.

And while he was going to do just that, it wasn't the real reason as to why he'd entered the labyrinth so early today. The truth was, he needed to get away from Maya.

The revelation still left him reeling— he wasn't the only one who had been translocated into this fictional world. A storm raged inside his mind. His thoughts collided and unraveled with every passing moment. He'd managed to keep his composure during their brief exchange, but he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to maintain the facade.

Of course, Maya's exhaustion had played a role in delaying the inevitable, as well. Cade wasn't entirely heartless, even if he no longer had a soul. Forcing a conversation on a girl who was clearly battered and worn down wasn't something he was going to do.

He had debated whether leaving the battered girl alone on the Flat Hill was a mistake or not. In the end, he concluded that she would be fine. After all, she was most likely soulless now— just like him. And as such, Nightmare Creatures wouldn't see her as prey. As long as she didn't strike first, they would leave her be.

Cade moved through the labyrinth without any sort of urgency. His pace was unhurried; his steps were deliberate. He strolled as if he were wandering through a quiet park at dusk. He was lost in thought, contemplating everything.

What could this mean? The question kept echoing in his mind, over and over again.

At first, he'd assumed that his arrival in this strange world was nothing more than a bizarre twist of Fate. But now… now, he wasn't so sure. One person slipping into a fictional world could be dismissed as coincidence. But two? No. No, that wasn't something so ordinary as chance. Something greater was at play here.

Of course, Cade knew exactly what that 'something greater' was. After all, the answer had been etched into his runes ever since he'd entered his First Nightmare.

[Spawn of the Forgotten] Attribute Description: "Your Fate is intertwined deeply with the Forgotten God." 

He still had no real grasp as to what this strange Attribute of his truly entailed. For the past month and a half, he had decided to mostly ignore it. But today— after discovering Maya— he could no longer afford to do that. He was forced to confront the implications of his sudden appearance in this world.

He had no absolutely idea what he was meant to accomplish here. At first, he had treated it like a sort of game— granted, a very dangerous one.

But now… now, he was forced to reconsider. He needed to uncover the truth. What was his connection to the Dream God? What did his transformation mean? Why had both he and Maya been translocated to this world? And where did the so-called main characters fit into all of this?

Cade sighed. His mind was swarming with questions. There were just too many to untangle at once. He wasn't sure where to start, so he settled on the one that mattered the most in the moment.

What was he going to do about Maya? And more importantly, what did her presence change?

She had likely been in the same position he was in right now— back when she'd first become aware of him. Yet, she'd chosen not to reveal herself right away. Instead, she had watched from the shadows. She had taken her time to process the realization that she wasn't alone in this fictional world.

Cade, however, didn't have the luxury of time.

He grimaced, his expression twisting in frustration. This was not the kind of problem he wanted to deal with. He would rather face another Awakened Tyrant— hell, even two— than try to make sense of all this.

Still, he had to make a decision. And he had to do it soon. He sighed in resignation.

It's not like I can just ignore it, Cade mused. So, Maya, huh? Now, what do I do about her...?

The most logical and advantageous course of action would be to team up with her, and see the trio safely to the Dark City together.

But being as pessimistic and paranoid as he was, Cade instinctively tried to weigh the dangers of teaming up with a stranger. He ran through every possible risk, every potential disadvantage. Yet, to his surprise, not many came to mind.

Sure, Maya could betray him— stab him in the back the moment he let his guard down. But Cade found it hard to believe that such a scenario would play out. After all, she'd already had plenty of chances to do just that. Yet here he was, still standing, unscathed, and very much alive.

Besides, even if she did try something like that, Cade wasn't exactly an easy target. At least, not for a Sleeper like her.

There was also the possibility that their goals would eventually clash. They could be forced into conflict, which could only be resolved through compromise or, in worst case, through outright elimination. But Cade dismissed that concern just as quickly.

That was because he considered the fact that she'd also kept her distance from the trio and that their actions had not strayed from the original storyline. Cade concluded that Maya was of the same mindset as him. She was smart enough to understand that her greatest advantage lay in letting the story unfold as it was meant to.

Besides, this alliance wasn't simply tolerable— it was actually advantageous. Cade had already known about the shift in his Flaw, and it had remained a mystery... up until today. Around Maya, Cade's Flaw seemed to vanish completely, as if he didn't even have one. And if he had to guess… hers probably worked the same way.

Also, he was inclined to believe that she was much smarter and more cautious than him. After all, during his first few days in the Dream Realm, he had come dangerously close to exposing himself to the cohort.

Maya, on the other hand, had not only kept her distance from them in the Dream Realm— she'd even gone a step further. She'd avoided the Awakened Academy altogether, and ensured that she never crossed paths with them in the first place. She wasn't just smart. She was calculated. Almost genius.

Cade had spent a long time trapped in his First Nightmare. So, he'd had plenty of time to think about and refine his plans for this world. He had been certain he would survive the Nightmare. At least, right up until he'd faced Nyxidra— the Demon that had nearly killed him.

But even after surviving his first life-threatening ordeal, he hadn't given his plans any serious thought. He'd been too fascinated by the ancient civilization of the Dream Realm to concern himself with something as dull as preparing for the future.

So, by the time he'd completed his First Nightmare, he had no idea how to proceed. So, he had simply chosen the easiest option— enrolling in the Awakened Academy, where he would be guaranteed free food and lodging until the winter solstice arrived.

Looking back now, he realized how utterly stupid he'd been. Sure, everything had turned out fine in the end, but his reckless decision to attend the Academy could have drastically altered the course of the story. He hadn't even considered the consequences that his presence there might have had.

Maya, however, had not been nearly as reckless. From the very beginning, she had made the conscious decision to stay away from the main cast— to carve out her own original path and move forward undisturbed, without the risk of triggering any major deviations in the story.

Of course, all her careful planning had been swallowed by the black waters of the Dark Sea when she was dragged into its depths alongside the original cohort. In fact, right now, she was in an even worse position than Cade.

At least, Cade had the trust of the blind seer— the one who could see the future and read people's Attributes. Maya, on the other hand, was an outsider. And if Cade had to guess, her Attributes were just as unusual as his own, if not more. If she were to ever cross paths with the cohort, she would have a hard time convincing them that she wasn't a threat.

Cade figured that that was one of the reasons she had sought him out, and finally chosen to reveal herself. She had obviously been keeping an eye on the trio as well, and after their near confrontation with him, they would have undoubtedly discussed the matter verbally.

And considering the fact that she was able to stalk Cade and sneak up on him completely unnoticed, he guessed that she could easily have eavesdropped on the trio's conversation and deduced that, to them, Cade was at least somewhat trustworthy. So, if she could align herself with him, she might also find a way into the cohort's good graces.

She was definitely sharp.

And strong, Cade thought sourly. What was up with that monstrous strength anyway?

He doubted she'd already formed a Monster Core— especially since she didn't even have a proper set of armor to show for it.

Well, given that she has a Divine, or rather Unholy Aspect... he mused. Still, it must be related to that. Her Aspect. Physical augmentation, huh? He exhaled sharply. Pretty damn scary… I wish I could do it.

"Anyway," he muttered. "Speaking of armor… don't I have one just lying around in my Inner Abyss?"

He paused. Then, with a groan, he palmed his forehead.

"Gods, that sounds dirty. I really need to come up with a better name for my devastated Soul Sea."

Shaking his head slightly, he continued walking.

At last, he reached a vantage point where he could glimpse the top of the Bone Ridge. Without wasting any time, he summoned the Drowned Eye. A dark spyglass, crafted from onyx alloy, materialized in his hand from a flicker of Darkness.

Raising it to his left eye, he looked at the colossal backbone.

In an instant, he was right there, standing on top of the ancient leviathan's corpse. He looked around and saw Nephis dropping her rope Memory into a gap in the monstrosity's vertebrae. Soon, Sunny and Cassie were standing at the top of the Bone Ridge as well. All of them looked ahead towards west.

There was a sea of ash in front of them. The crimson coral was no longer there. In fact, the entire labyrinth seemed to have lost its color entirely. Sunny looked visibly horrified as he scanned the vast sea of grey that loomed ahead. 

Cade was pulled back to his spot in a clearing made from the crimson coral, a considerable distance away from the Bone Ridge. He'd already reached the limit of the Drowned Eye. But he wasn't thinking about that. His mind was busy elsewhere.

Hmmm, Cade mused. Because I stole those two Transcendent soul shards back then, the Carapace Centurion won't be offering them to the Carapace Demon, who in turn won't give them to the Soul Devourer. So, those three will not be able to witness the Demon before moving closer to the Ashen Barrow. Will that put them in danger? 

For a second there, he considered going on ahead and dispatching the Demon himself, before the trio could even reach the Ashen Barrow. But he quickly banished the idea. The Demon would provide its killer with the Midnight Shard, which was necessary for Sunny's survival, and also an essential part of the means of escape from the Forgotten Shore.

And besides, he was reluctant to go anywhere near the Ashen Barrow. What if he fell prey to the Soul Devourer's enthrallment during his battle with the Demon? Also, he was not completely confident in his ability to kill the Carapace Demon before the trio reached the Ashen Barrow. 

He also considered simply luring the Demon out, so that the trio could get a glimpse of it and hence, sense the danger the Ashen Barrow held. But he decided against this one as well. He was confident in the trio's ability to sense the danger for themselves, even without his help.

Honestly, I worry too much, he thought. There are two Divine Aspect holders and a Sacred Aspect holder among them. They can take care of themselves. What am I, their mother? 

If it had been the Cade from yesterday, he would have gone with the second plan, simply because he had nothing better to do than to make the trio's path as easy as possible.

But the thing was... Cade had more important matters to attend to right now, than to babysit a bunch of battle-hardened Sleepers. After all, he had left a very tired girl alone on an isolated hill.

And Cade had a feeling that she was not a very patient woman. So, with a sigh, he turned around and started walking towards the Flat Hill, where he was going to have a conversation with Maya, his fellow Otherwalker.