It had been a month and a half since Wren left the cohort from the underground mines and began his journey to the death zone. It had taken him around two weeks to reach the edges of the Nightmare Desert. Since he needed to study the mysterious tomb, he travelled as fast as he could, which took a huge toll on him.
As he had not informed the clan's elders about his decision, his knowledge about the place was minimal—one of the reasons he had narrowly escaped the sweet hands of Death. He had not known about the battle of the dead that always occurred at night; getting stuck between the battle of harrowing gods was a ticket to his grave. He was still alive only because of the fissures in the vast desert's ground.
Fighting Astaroth was doable and less dreadful than facing the vicious dead. At least he wouldn't die, though he endured a series of pain and new experiences. But this wasn't something he could control. No matter how much he loved fighting, his instincts screamed at him to run away.
'Someday, when I grow strong enough, I will kill all these assholes and make this place somewhere someone can actually get some goddamn sleep.'
Wren had barely gotten any sleep when acting as Nephis's butler, and the fights were too loud for him to even close his eyes. The place being a death zone only increased the overall danger.
Walking out of the fissure with dark circles under his eyes, Wren sighed. Today was his last day of the expedition. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get close to the mysterious tomb; it always appeared unreachable, as if something was preventing him from approaching it. He would give himself one last chance—if he failed again, he would set off on his journey back to the forgotten shore, to the dark city.
"I wish I found some leads today, or the whole purpose for this journey will become meaningless now."
Wren drifted across the vast desert, slaying a few Nightmare Creatures. Sometimes they were dormant, and sometimes they were awakened. He rarely encountered any fallen ones and always avoided the corrupted.
***
[Your Darkness spreads deeper...]
Wren took out the Slayer of Shadows, having just struck down a worm-like nightmare creature. Wiping off the blood, he removed its shell, sliced some of its meat, and stored it.
Then, all of his senses alerted him—someone was watching. Perhaps a Nightmare Creature or something else. A human, maybe.
He turned, looking in the direction of the presence. A figure stood a few meters away.
"Who are you?"
Wren's cold voice tore through, the figure seemed a little visibly shaken but then they coughed and said:
"State your identification."
It was a female voice, sweet yet carrying a sense of exhaustion. The figure moved cautiously toward him, her form now clearly visible. Her face was hidden by a cloak—ethereal, in fact—captivating Wren's attention and sparking some unknown emotion inside him. But there would be time to stare later, once things were settled.
He sighed and then answered.
"I am sleeper Wren of the Valor Clan."
He wasn't fond of getting stuck in awkward situations, and the person in front of him didn't seem to hold any ill intentions. A win-win situation, especially since he always tried to stay out of trouble when it came to women.
"I see, sleeper Wren of the Valor clan pardon my rude behaviour before, I am sleeper Selina."
The woman lifted her hood, revealing a dazzling face—porcelain skin, flawless and smooth. Her nose was short and sharp, her eyelashes long, lips rosy. Her eyes, vibrant violet gemstones, stood out. Her stature was lithe, tall, about the same height as Nephis.
'Thinking of Nephis, I have to pay her back ain't I? Uh, I shouldn't doze off in front of a pretty lady.'
Wren coughed in embarrassment.
"There is no need to worry about it, sleeper Selina. Anyone would be cautious like you and me in this situation, may we take some shelter and have our talk there?"
Selina nodded. Smiling slightly, Wren led the way to a nearby fissure he had marked. It came in handy, as nighttime was approaching.
Descending into the fissure, they sat in silence, watching each other's movements. Wren summoned a memory—a storage one—retrieving a synthetic fire brick and a lighter.
He splintered the brick and lit a fire, brightening the surroundings. If his guess was correct, Selina would appreciate the light. But he was wrong—not that he knew.
Selina meanwhile was having her own thoughts.
'He said he was from the Valor clan but there was no such character in the novel, then maybe this guy was probably a no-name or died early or maybe he would have appeared later. I know what I should do... I cannot answer questions truthfully so I should take advantage of him and take out the information.'
She stared at Wren for a little moment, but it was enough to make him awkward and blurt out.
"What?"
Selina smirked slightly.
"I have a deal... I will answer five of your questions and you will answer five of my questions, it can be a truth or a lie. How does it sound?"
Wren thought for a moment and then grinned.
"Deal. My turn first. Are you a part of a clan?"
Selina in an instant replied.
"Yes. My turn now, What were you doing in this death zone or were you perhaps summoned here?"
Wren stared at her for a moment, thinking a few things and then answered with a stoic face.
"I was summoned here. Were you also summoned here or you were here for some other purpose? "
Wren watched her closely, her expression when she answered his question and her body posture to detect whether she was lying or not.
"I was summoned here too. Do you have any companions?"
There was no change, it was flawless as if she was telling the truth or was a master at lying. Wren didn't have any choice, so he just answered the question he was asked.
"Yes, I do. Where will you be heading next?"
Selina gave a thought to how to twist her answer before saying it.
"I don't have any ideas. What about you?"
Wren then had a little smile on his face, hearing the question made him remember all the freedom he would gain from the stupid butler title he had taken over after returning, he answered with a sweet tone.
"I do, you can come with me if you want to. Do you possess a true name?"
Selina didn't answer with the same vigour she did before, her mind was carrying every possibility that could happen before replying.
"No, why do you think I had one and do you have a true name? Ah sorry, my interest got the best of me."
Selina scratched the back of her head, Wren waved it off and gave his answer. Selina at that moment didn't know that Wren's next answer would send a shiver down her spine.
"Ah don't worry, I will answer both of your questions, you may answer one of mine in future if we survive that is. You see, there is something special about you and your soul, I can sense it not that I just can't point out what it is. I have met two true name-holders who are sleepers like me, that's why I felt that maybe you are also an exception. Do I have a true name? Yes, I do. I am also known as the Heir of Abyss."
Selina's eyes widened in shock at the mention of the word "Abyss" and in that very moment it triggered something inside her, something formed deep inside of her soul. Before any words could be spoken from her mouth the voice of the spell resounded in both Wren's and hers mind.
[The conditions have been met.]
[Your souls are now bounded.]
Wren stared at her in shock. As soon as he had spoken his true name aloud, something shifted inside his soul. It moved with an overwhelming desire toward something unknown.
"What is this?"
His words were loud, something unordinary happened and the only one who could answer it was Selina, but she was more stunned than him, she answered with a few stutters showing her surprise at their current situation.
"C-check.. your r-r-runes."
Wren opened them then he saw a new string in his runes, his brows rose in confusion before he read everything it showed, and it made him stumble to fall on his back. It was all because of the information he read in the new string, well because of a particular one.
Name: Selina.
True Name: Apostle of the Abyss King.
***
Both of them were sitting silently, for the first time in his life Wren didn't mind the silence, the fire was burning and the meat was being grilled on it. Taking the meat off from the heat, he gave it to Selina and sat beside her.
They were eating quietly, and no exchange of words happened between them, the environment was tense but then Selina said quietly.
"Wren, why does this taste so good?"
Wren who was eating his food, tilted his head towards her gulped the previous bite and smiled.
"Thank you."
He was smiling a little because his cooking skills were appreciated, but then he stopped himself from taking in another bite of his meal, his smile faltered as he came to realize the truth.
'Ah she can't speak truth... that's her flaw. She saw my flaws too.'
Wren looked at Selina, and she smiled and nodded a little confirming his thoughts. Then she said:
"Tell me now, were you summoned here?"
Wren shook his head in disagreement.
"I was here to explore this area, without the clan elders' permission that is, they don't need to know although."
Selina laughed a little.
"Ah, you are maybe... crazy to enter this place. I think we should discuss about our current situation."
Wren's expression turned serious.
"So, how are you related to the Abyss? In my case, I was blessed by the God of Abyss in my First Nightmare."
Mentioning the name of the God of Abyss was prevented by the Spell but there was no one present here to hear his name, except Selina who herself was related to him in some way.
Selina coughed.
"Ah, I will probably tell you someday. Do you not know anything more about the Abyss God?"
Wren was a little taken aback by Selina's answer but he understood her and didn't pry anymore after all he could get his answers later in future, her life was also in his hands so there was no need to worry about it.
"Hmm, I can tell you the things I know or happened to me."
They chatted for a long time, sharing information. Selina tried to connect points with things he knew from Astaroth and things he found from his aspect legacy. She told him about the mysterious woman, the murals, and a few things she understood and remembered.
"So this cloak is a memory you got from there and was used by the previous apostle. Now that is something interesting, well then since we are bounded now, we should trust each other. Tell me what are the weapons you good at?"
Selina scratched the back of her head.
"I am good in using melee weapons, and bad in firearms."
Wren nodded in understanding and sighed.
"You are lucky that I have received a memory which is a firearm, as for your melee skills I will personally train you during our journey, your attribute will be a huge boon for you, go to sleep for now, I will take the watch."
Selina nodded and moved to a comfortable place, she dismissed her cloak and took a position for sleeping. Wren snuffed the fire, making the place covered in the veil of night, he could still see everything around him and watched Selina's back, he heard her calm breathing and thought about things that were related to their current situation.
'She's asleep huh, quite a scene. An apostle, that mysterious woman and her... so her soul is bound to me, and she can't die before me. Her aspect is also a cheat, both the innate and dormant powers are special, if I become a master she will become one too even without entering a second nightmare. My Void fragments and hers are also equal and they will always be, one of her attributes isn't revealed and one of them is too blurry to read, even her flaw's name is blurry.'
He stared at the opening of the fissure, in a few hours it would be day time, and they would begin their journey to the Forgotten shore and get back to the Waking world.
'She is interesting, now that I think, I haven't told her about the Forgotten Shore did I? Ah... I will tell her later, that I have to devise a training method for her to learn in the most efficient and fast way, even a talented person would not be able to reach their peak without proper training methods.'
***
A month had passed, and the cohort would by now have received the last shared memory and should be planning their journey back to the Dark City. Wren in this meantime had trained Selina in sword and also himself learnt how to use a firearm, they had travelled and covered distances at a huge rate, it would probably take a half or a full week to reach the edges of the Forgotten Shore.
Selina was not in a condition, the Nightmare Desert was a burden true, but it was Wren's hellish training that had made her condition this bad, although it was fruitful even if it meant for her to fight Fallen Nightmare creatures of monster ranks when possible or maybe a demon if her luck had reached the peak of rottenness.
'Come to think of it, we are going to the Forgotten Shore and I could meet the original trio, damn. I can also use the knowledge of the future if a certain someone let it remain the same.'
She stared at the back of the Wren with a little anger, thinking of slapping his head from the back, her hands itched a little but she controlled it.
Wren then suddenly stopped, and Selina stopped too, as she was a little behind him she walked over beside Wren and stared in the direction he was looking.
Far ahead, there was a tree with scarlet leaves and a scattering of something that looked like pale fruit hanging from its wide branches.
Selina stared at its white bark, its scarlet leaves, and the shapes she had thought were fruit. But they weren't. Instead, tens of thousands of skulls hung from the beautiful branches, fastened to them with glistening threads of black silk.
A spring of water formed a clear pool in the shadow of the great tree, and on its bank, with his back to her, stood a figure clad in strange, rusted armour.
'Isn't that...'
Before her thoughts could complete, Wren growled.
"Get ready, that thing is not a human."
Selina summoned her memory, it was a gun.
It felt impossibly heavy in her grip as if it carried the weight of every soul it had ever silenced. The black metal was unnervingly cold, yet beneath her fingers, she could sense something—like a faint, rhythmic pulse, a heartbeat that did not belong to the living. The crimson runes lining its surface flared brighter with each breath they took, casting flickering shadows across their arm, as though the weapon was responding to their presence, recognizing them.
The barrel exhaled a slow, curling mist of red energy, seeping into the air like tendrils of smoke. It wasn't just a weapon—it was alive, ancient, and hungry. The gemstones encrusted along its frame pulsed in time with an unseen force, their glow bathing the wielder's fingers in an eerie crimson hue.
A deep, low hum resonated from within, a sound not heard but felt, vibrating through bone and sinew. The grip, wrapped in worn leather, conformed to Selina's hand perfectly—too perfectly. It was as if the gun had been waiting for her all along as if it had always known that it would be held again. And now that it had been claimed, it would not be so easily set aside.
Wren summoned the Slayer of Shadows, and this time, he manifested a dagger in his other hand. The figure turned around, revealing the desiccated face of a corpse, hollow eyes emanating an ominous blue radiance, and six hands, each grasping the hilt of a weapon. Two hands held long swords, their blades sharper than a razor and slightly curved, two hands wielded menacing, twisted sickles, and the last two clutched a heavy scepter and a broken shield.
The chest plate of the creature's rusted armor was shattered, exposing a harrowing wound beneath.
The creature's eyes burned with furious madness. The abomination lunged at him, and Wren dashed to face it directly. The beast struck down one of its sickles with lightning speed. Using the Slayer of Shadows, Wren blocked the blow and kicked at the abomination's leg, making it stumble.
The creature moved its sickle away, then used its two razor-sharp swords, striking at Wren's neck from both directions, aiming to sever it. Blocking both swords with his dagger and sword left him stuck in a dangerous situation.
As Wren was locked in defense, the armored giant raised its sickles once again, aiming to end Wren's life. But before it could strike, two bullets were fired in its direction. They were covered in a malicious dark presence and, in an instant, pierced the creature's limbs holding the sickles, destroying them.
Wren stared at the fallen limbs, then looked up. The beast was stunned. Seizing the moment, Wren kicked it straight in the chest and dashed forward, not allowing it time to stabilize. The beast attempted to block with its broken shield, but it too was destroyed when a black bullet struck it.
Selina was covering Wren's back, assisting him in every way possible. Wren threw his dagger at the beast's limb holding the scepter, rendering it useless. The dagger dissolved into liquid darkness and drifted back to Wren, who used it to materialize another dagger.
Selina aimed her gun at the creature's head, but with Wren constantly moving, it was difficult to get a clear shot. She sighed, calmed herself, then lowered the gun and dashed closer to the battle to gain a better view. She dived and fired five bullets covered in pristine white flames. All of them hit the beast, slowing it down.
Her plan was to halt the abomination's movement, giving Wren the chance to kill it. Taking the opportunity, Wren slashed at the creature's head, bypassing its defence. The head was cleanly severed and fell from its body.
Both Wren and Selina felt a little stronger. Wren approached the creature and picked up its weapons, storing them in his storage memory. Then, he walked over to the lake, using the water to wash the blood off and quench his thirst. Selina stood beside him, but she was focused on something else—she was staring at something.
Wren noticed her gaze and followed its direction. She was fixated on two weathered skeletons, cruelly nailed to the white bark of an ancient tree. Both stared at them with empty eyes, their teeth bared in eternal grins.
After some time, one of the skeletons spoke, its voice sweet yet laced with venom:
"My, oh my, what a pleasant surprise to meet you two vile creatures in the forsaken desert..."
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Yo! This chapter is finished, the interaction was a little off from my perspective because I am a loner too so my skills in this area aren't that good. I will upload the chapter on Wednesday, Saturday night, or Sunday morning. I am a medical student so it is hard to manage all of this, also I am planning to write a novel, and I may start working on it in July so this series might get start to get a little negligence from now on, I need to plan few things and in few chapters, we will reach the end of the forgotten shore and this volume maybe.
Bye Bye see you in the next chapter~~