53. The price of power

53. The price of power

"What do you think is the essence of combat?" she asked.

"Victory." "Survival." "Power."

Cassie, Sunny, and I answered in turn.

Unfortunately, all of us were wrong.

"The answer is murder," Nephis said flatly. "Combat, at its core, is about killing the other person."

She went on to explain theories of physical mastery and mental discipline. The way she spoke was clear and easy to grasp—surprisingly so, given the weight of her words.

That's exactly what I was lacking.

If you're wondering why I answered power, it's simple—people without power don't fight back. They'll resort to other means instead. People only resist when they believe they have a chance, and that belief is rooted in power. Power is the foundation of confidence.

Anyway... Soul Shards, was it?

"Neph," I called out to her after her brief lesson.

We had to get moving soon if we wanted to reach the castle any earlier. As for Sunny's training—well, that could continue on the road. There's no better teacher than real experience, after all.

"Take this," I said, handing her all the Soul Shards I had accumulated over the past week. There had to be at least a hundred—maybe more.

Neph frowned slightly, clearly not pleased by the sudden gift.

"It was my idea to let you two listen in, anyway," she replied, her tone unreadable.

"It's fine. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but like Sunny, I don't have any proper combat training either. So, just think of it as an advance payment."

As she seemed to ponder what I meant by advance payment, I continued,

"I'm going to watch your lessons with Sunny. In a way, I'll be learning from you too. And honestly, I don't really need those shards."

My source of power is different from yours, I added silently.

Then I picked up one of the shards—

and who would've thought the way to use it… was to destroy it?

It was completely outside my expectations. In my mind, broken things were worthless.

I tried mimicking her, crushing it in my hand to prove a point—that it wouldn't work for me.

+2 Point.

…Is it too late to ask for it back?

***

Nephis sat on a coral rock, quietly watching the sun dip closer to the horizon. In just one day, they had covered a remarkable distance.

In war, the difference of one or two people might not seem significant. But in a skirmish or duel, adding even a single fighter isn't as simple as just "+1." One person introduces a host of new variables—and with three, you could become unstoppable.

Despite what Chris said about lacking combat skills, he clearly understood his role. Instead of focusing on killing enemies himself, he focused on making it easier—and safer—for her and Sunny to land the finishing blows.

Even something as simple as tripping an enemy could shift the entire flow of battle. And Chris never stopped using those small, precise moves.

Thanks to that, when they eventually faced an Awakened Monster—the Carapace Centurion—they were able to engage it with confidence and come out unscathed.

It wasn't exactly an easy fight, but they managed to get through it without any serious injuries—just a few scratches here and there. Thanks to that victory, Sunny even obtained an Echo.

"Ghost?!" Chris shouted the moment Sunny revealed it.

His reaction was… unique, to say the least. So much so that he nearly set the Echo on fire with his white flame.

White flame.

Neph stared at her own hand, watching the fire dance in Chris's palm. It was the first time she had seen it—familiar, yet undeniably different.

It wasn't unheard of for people to share similar Aspects, but hers was unique. Exceptionally so.

In the long history of the Immortal Clan, she was the only one to ever possess an Aspect of this rank—Divine.

She couldn't help but become wary, quietly conscious of this stranger who wielded something so close… and yet so foreign.

Thanks to Sunny's Echo, the task of carrying Cassie was passed on to the summoned creature. However, with its jagged back, Cassie had to cling tightly just to stay on.

Seeing this, Chris did something unexpected.

Using the remains of Nightmare Creatures—bones and pieces of carapace—as the frame, he began weaving his threads around them with practiced precision.

Bit by bit, something began to take shape atop Sunny's Echo.

A throne.

Yes, that's exactly what he made—and he even ensured the throne was uncomfortable to sit on unless one crossed their legs just right.

When Cassie tried out the new ride, as Chris had suggested, she sat up straight and crossed her legs to find a comfortable position.

But… she couldn't help but imagine how she must look from an outside perspective now.

"Chris," Cassie called out solemnly, her tone serious—if a bit theatrical.

"Ha! Yes, your majesty. Please, command me," he replied, kneeling while barely holding back a laugh.

"Then take this and stab yourself to death!" Cassie shouted, hurling her wooden staff at him. Of course, she was blind, and Chris easily caught the staff. He moved toward her to fix the throne instead. Watching the two of them, it was clear: having fun was the perfect word for what was happening here.

Someone approached Neph quietly from the side.

"You met with them before I did," he said, "but are you sure they aren't connected somehow?"

Neph considered his question, and for a moment, she too couldn't help but doubt their answers. Deciding to set aside such minor uncertainties, she turned her gaze toward their destination. In the distance, the shadow of a colossal tree loomed ominously against the horizon.

***

I opened my eyes before sunrise. Thanks to my thread and Sunny's autonomous shadow, we didn't have to adjust our sleeping schedule.

Evaluation: 30 (Low)

Countdown: 20 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes remaining.

There's always something calming about that countdown. This time, it even felt like a vacation.

This place might be just as dangerous as my own world—but I don't really know. 

Have you ever heard the saying, ignorance is bliss?

Here, I truly felt it. A meteor could fall tomorrow—or even in a few hours—and yet, it wouldn't matter, because I simply didn't know. It's the curse of the Prophet—or the Regressor—the burden of knowing the future always demands sacrificing the present. I've never truly lived in the moment. Yet somehow, because of that, I've become more carefree, more relaxed.

I glanced over at the others still asleep, and a mischievous idea sparked in my mind…

Should I play another prank?

Before I could make a move, Cassie—who had been sleeping peacefully moments ago—suddenly started thrashing about and woke up abruptly. Something was clearly wrong; she was sweating profusely. She paused to steady her vision, and slowly her gaze locked onto me, who was watching her intently.

"Nightmare?" I whispered softly, careful not to wake the others.

She nodded, confirming my suspicion, and slowly slipped out from beneath her thread-made blanket. A gentle breeze stirred her pale blonde hair—it might have felt chilly given how soaked she was with sweat, yet somehow it seemed refreshing. She moved hesitantly, guided by memory, staying clear of the bed before walking toward me.

With a small gesture, I pulled her to sit beside me. We sat together in silence, feeling the refreshing morning breeze until the sunrise claimed dominion over the dark sea.

As usual, once the sea of darkness faded, I activated detection. Finding nothing, I lit a fire and began preparing breakfast for the day.