Sunny waited for her to finish reading the important message... and it was important indeed.
The old man Jet had mentioned was none other than Saint Cor, the Wake of Ruin, one of the two government Transcendents. Sunny had met him briefly after coming to East Antarctica, and the man definitely left an impression.
Wake of Ruin was a tall, gaunt man in his late fifties. Although his skin was showing signs of aging, his hair still remained perfectly black, like the feathers of a raven. The Saint had sharp features, a piercing gaze, and a stern demeanor, acting like a person who was used to both wielding power and bearing responsibility.
Wherever he went, a slightly sweet, sickening scent followed. Sunny was intimately familiar with that scent - it reminded him of the smell of the battlefield. Or rather, of what remained after the battle was over.
Saint Cor... was not a likable person. However, it was hard not to feel respect toward him.
The government Transcendent was not as renowned and awesome as the Saints of the Legacy clans - in fact, for a Saint, he was strangely low-key - but his age alone told volumes about what kind of man he was, and what ordeals he had lived through.
Wake of Ruin was not quite in the same league as the legendary figures like Immortal Flame and Nightwalker, since he had been a young child when the Spell first descended. However, he was still a member of the First Generation, and as such, had watched - and helped build - the world order of today.
Even if Saint Cor had become Transcendent later than the members of the Second Generation like Anvil and Ki Song, he was still, in a sense, their elder.
Sunny did not know what the arrangement between the government and the great clans was exactly, but the mere fact that Wake of Ruin was allowed to be the exclusion from the rule and did not serve any of the Sovereigns hinted that there was more to the old man than appeared on the surface.
He was the field commander of the whole Antarctica operation. ...And Jet seemed to enjoy quite a close relationship with the veteran Saint. She was one of his most trusted agents. So, it wasn't a surprise that Soul Reaper would be one of the first people to be contacted by Wake of Ruin after the news of the Legacy forces coming to the Southern Quadrant were made public.
'Lucky me.'
Sunny did not have close ties to the upper echelons of the government, but as Soul Reaper's confidant, he would be privy to the vital information almost as soon as she.
Come to think of it, he also had eyes and ears inside Valor thanks to Nephis and Cassie... and enjoyed the friendship of one of the heirs of the House of Night. He even had a bond with Saint Bloodwave and was friendly with the White Feather clan.
'Huh. I guess I am better connected than I thought I was.'
And that was without even considering his venerated status in the Evacuation Army. Waiting for Jet to finish reading the message, Sunny grinned.
'Maybe I should seduce one of Seishan's sisters... just to complete the trifecta...'
Those women from the great clan Song - Ki Song's adopted daughters - were all a bit scary, though.
'Well, there's Mordret, as well...'
The naughty shadow gave him a sly glance, making Sunny blink a couple of times.
'What? What the hell are you on about?! I didn't mean it that way! I was talking about befriending the bastard, not seducing him!'
The shadow tilted its head. If it had a face, there would have been an innocent smile on its lips, and sparks of dubious sincerity in its eyes. Sunny gritted his teeth.
'Damnation... I've only known you for a couple of days, but I am already starting to regret it. What is wrong with you, miscreant? Look at the other guys! None of them were ever problematic!'
To prove his point, Sunny gestured at the other shadows, who stared at him in response.
The gloomy shadow crossed its arms, as if trying to say... "Who are you pointing at, you idiot?"
The happy shadow nodded energetically, expressing something like "Of course! We would never cause problems for our Master! Master, you're the best!" with all its being.
The creepy shadow was staring at him with its usual creepy inexpressiveness, but its thoughts were easy to guess... it had to be something like "I wonder what it would feel like to slice the new guy open. What do his insides look like? What is the texture? Hmm... do shadows have insides? I want to know..."
The haughty shadows wore their usual arrogant look, radiating the "Keep me out of this plebeian conversation, peasant" feeling with their disdainful pose.
...The naughty shadow glanced at Sunny with amusement.
Sunny sighed.
'Alright. Point taken...'
Chapter 1095: High Praise
Eventually, Jet put away her communicator and stared into the distance for a few moments, thinking. Then, she turned to Sunny. He asked: "...So, what's the word?"
Soul Reaper had a contemplative look on her face. "The good news is that we're getting reinforcements. Both Valor and Song are sending strong contingents. Two Saints each, a handful of Masters, and a supporting retinue of hundreds of Awakened. All of them the absolute elites of the Legacy clans, of course - some direct descendants, some loyal retainers. You can imagine how powerful of a force that is."
Sunny nodded. Despite his animosity toward the Great Clans, and those Legacies that served them, even he had to admit that these people had not ended up in the position of highest power by accident. Legacies were born and bred to be perfect warriors, and in that pursuit, they were ruthless both to their enemies and to themselves.
An Awakened from a Legacy clan was worth their weight in soul shards on the battlefield... it was only when compared to the survivors of the Forgotten Shore that they did not seem that exceptional. But the former Dreamers of the Dark City were an abnormality themselves. Hundreds of Legacy Awakened could achieve a lot in East Antarctica.
But whatever they could do paled in comparison to the arrival of four more Saints. That was the real game-changer, more than doubling the number of Transcendents present in the Southern Quadrant in one swoop.
With seven Saints leading the charge, the position of the Evacuation Army would be tremendously bolstered.
...That was if the newcomers had any intention of helping the evacuation effort along, and not just thwarting it.
He looked at Jet with a gloomy expression. "What's the bad news, then?"
She shrugged. "Well... you know. The great clans have their own plans. They are going to have to keep up appearances, at least, but who knows what they really have in mind?"
Sunny remained silent for a while, then nodded slowly. "And what is the government going to do about it?"
Jet laughed. "You really think they would send such information in a message? I mean... the military network is supposed to be protected, but come on."
He thought about it, then shook his head. Soul Reaper chuckled. "In any case, we'll know more soon. I've been informed that the Legacy forces will be arriving in two batches. The second one is already sailing across the ocean, carrying most of them... two separate naval convoys, of course. Otherwise, gods know what would happen."
She lingered for a moment. "The second, smaller batch will be arriving much earlier, though. They'll be here in no more than a couple of days, coming through the Dream Realm. The vanguard consists of two Saints and four Masters, from what I've been told. And... what a coincidence, they'll be coming directly to the siege capital we're heading for."
Sunny smiled slightly. "Is it really a coincidence?"
Jet shook her head. "Of course not. Cor is actually already there, assembling a welcoming party. He kindly requested for me to participate... oh, and he asked me to bring you along."
Sunny looked at her with surprise, a frown appearing on his face. 'What? Wake of Ruin singled me out directly?' He raised an eyebrow.
"Me? Why does he want me, of all people, to be there? I don't even work for the government, really. There are certainly better candidates."
Soul Reaper smiled and shook her head. "Because you're one of the deadliest Masters on the planet, Sunny. And, more importantly, you are not affiliated to any of the Legacy clans. At this point, Cor would have to be crazy not to try and use you as an asset."
Sunny felt pleased to receive her praise, but not at all happy with the contents of that praise. He leaned back and crossed his arms.
"And what if I don't want to be used?"
Jet laughed. "Well... you can always go away and live as a hermit in the Dream Realm. Other than that, my advice is to get comfortable being used."
She thought for a bit, and then added: "...But not too comfortable. Make sure to use the people using you in response, at least."
Sunny blinked a couple of times. 'What the hell kind of perverse wisdom is that?' He scoffed.
"That's either a very profound or an entirely shameless statement."
Soul Reaper grinned. "Ah, it's probably both. But, anyway, that's for the future... we have to get to the siege capital first. And with how things are going, that might be a bit of a problem."
Sunny grew serious. Jet was right... for the past two days, things went more or less well for the expedition force. But the last day was bound to be the most difficult, because they were leaving the wilderness and approaching the area surrounding a human settlement.
By nature of the Chain of Nightmares, these areas were the most dangerous on the continent. A constant stream of abominations was flowing toward the siege capitals to lay assault their walls, and the closer one got to a city, the higher the concentration of Nightmare Creatures was. Fighting a pitched battle was inevitable if the expedition force wanted to reach the gates of the human stronghold.
"Yeah. Let's make sure that everything goes smoothly first. We can worry about Legacies later."
The immediate task might now have been as grandiose, but it was a priority right now.
Jet had given up on sleep, and Sunny felt sufficiently rested. They left their corner of the APC and joined Kai on its roof. The archer was alone, quietly studying a bow made of dark, ashen wood. The weapon radiated an eerie aura of nebulous power, alienation, and lethality.
"What a dreadful thing..."
Sunny waved at him. "New Memory?"
Kai looked away from the bow and forced out a smile. "Yeah. I received it for slaying the Malignant Grave Root. It's a... a daunting bow to use, to be honest."
Sunny wanted to ask to take a look at the ashen bow, but at that moment, a loud roar resounded from somewhere up ahead, and Effie's voice came in through their comms: "Ah, damn it... that swarm Sunny scouted an hour ago? They're coming sooner than we expected! Get ready!"
Sunny, Jet, and Kai glanced at each other, then sighed, summoning their best Memories.
The last day, indeed, was promising to be really troublesome.
Chapter 1096: Murder of Crows
They defeated the swarm. However, the smell of the blood attracted a migrating horde, so the expedition force had to fight their way through the flood of Nightmare Creatures, as well.
Eventually, the column broke free and escaped into the vast plain, but the peace was short-lived. Very soon, they had to fight another skirmish, which grew into another battle, which grew into an unending onslaught of enemies that threw themselves on the speeding vehicles without reprieve.
The mundane soldiers fought admirably. Although not as experienced as the veterans of the First Army, these men and women had also tasted their fair share of bloodshed and strife. Everyone was calm and collected, performing their duties with deadly efficiency and poise. Their performance was immaculate, and their morale seemed unshakable.
Was it because the Second Army had not lived through the same hopelessness as the soldiers in the Antarctic Center, or was it because Effie and Kai were able to inspire them better than Sunny had been able to inspire his soldiers? He was not sure. Regardless, the Wolves and the Nightsingers were a spirited bunch.
The Awakened were as resolute as the mundanes. Although fewer in number, the impact they had on the battlefield was immeasurably higher. All kinds of Aspects worked in harmony to create an impenetrable death zone around the column. The abominations that managed to survive it were promptly dispatched by the melee fighters.
...And, of course, the influence of the four Masters was even greater still.
Effie was serving as the vanguard of the expedition force, cutting a bloody path for the vehicles to follow. Her lustrous figure weaved through the mass abominations, leaving devastation in its wake. The bodies of the creatures she killed were left crumbled and broken, as if an invisible colossus had crushed them under its feet as it walked across the vast plain.
The blows raining on her sculpted steel body, in turn, rang against metal without ever slowing her down.
Kai was soaring high in the sky, observing the rolling battlefield in its entirety and taking out the most dangerous creatures before they could approach the column. His arrows seemed to have a mind of their own, unfailingly slipping through the tiniest cracks in the armor of the abominations. Usually, one arrow was all it took to bring even the most fearsome creature down.
His secondary role was to protect the expedition force from the aerial attacks, and in that task, the archer performed admirably as well.
Jet was protecting the rear of the column, holding the pursuing enemies back. Her throwing stars fell like iron hail, seemingly numerous. Each carried the same dreadful Ability as her melee attacks, striking directly at the soul cores of the abominations. Such a manner of fighting was bound to burn through essence with terrible speed, but that was what made Soul Reaper Jet so frightening of an opponent...
As long as she kept killing, her essence would never run out. And in such a furious battle, Jet was free to slaughter as many enemies as she could.
And finally, there was Sunny. He was sitting on the roof of an APC with his eyes closed, controlling numerous shadows. All across the column, inky-black hands made of darkness appeared out of nowhere to protect the soldiers and press Nightmare Creatures down into the ground, making them easy to slaughter. For now, there had not been a single casualty thanks to the watchful shadows.
Keeping the whole expedition force safe was not easy... in fact, the length of the column was well beyond the reach of his shadow sense, and therefore, out of the area where he could use Shadow Manifestation. But Sunny was using a little trick... he had stationed his five shadows throughout the column, each serving as an island of his consciousness.
His senses, and his ability to control wild shadows, were extended manifold that way.
He could summon Saint to help out, too... but for now, Sunny was holding back from calling upon the taciturn knight.
The truth of the matter was that he wanted to keep her existence hidden. More or less everyone who had learned of their connection in the Antarctic Center were either dead now or could be trusted to keep the secret. Here in East Antarctica, he had mostly acted alone in the wilderness or side by side with Jet, so Saint had not been exposed.
The only exception was Song Seishan... but she had last seen the taciturn knight in the catacombs below the Dark City. Saint had changed a lot since then, both visually and in terms of Rank. Connecting her past and present self would be almost impossible.
As for the legend of Mongrel... no one knew who he was and where he had come from, in the first place. More than that, after the events of Falcon Scott, many people believed that Mongrel had fallen heroically while protecting the last siege capital. From what Sunny had heard, there was already an epic propaganda film about the life and tragic sacrifice of the mysterious swordsman being cooked up back in the NQSC...
He shuddered at the thought.
In any case, Sunny was handling the battle fine, for now, and he wanted to keep Saint as his hidden ace for a while. That was why he had only summoned her within the sphere of darkness created by the Shadow Lantern during the battle against the Malignant Grave Root.
'Although... I'm not sure if I can keep this up much longer...'
As the siege capital drew nearer, the onslaught of the Nightmare Creatures only grew more intense. Sunny was already struggling, and his reserves of essence were swiftly reducing.
Something had to change.
...And soon, it did.
He smelled it before he felt it. A sweet, sickening scent was suddenly carried over by the wind...
Then, the battlefield was suddenly shrouded in a vast shadow. Sunny opened his eyes and looked up, at the thing that had blotted out the sun.
Above them, a myriad of crows filled the sky. There were numerous thousands of them, all circling like a giant whirlwind of darkness. As he watched, the countless crows pivoted with eerie synchronicity, and dove down. Their black beaks and vicious talons emanated a sense of deadly sharpness.
The myriad of crows... was Wake of Ruin.
That was his Transformation. What came in the wake of a bloody battle?
A swarm of carrion birds.
The Saint had arrived to guide them into the city personally.
Chapter 1097: Special Envoys
Ever since coming to Antarctica, Sunny had been to so many underground strongholds and attended so many meetings in windowless rooms that all of them started to blend together. They all looked the same and felt the same. Even the people inside the rooms started to seem the same after a while.
This time, however, he found himself in a stately and luxurious hall, which was a nice change of pace. The interior was tasteful, but lavish. The tall windows let in natural sunlight. The filtered air was cool, crisp, and fresh. What was there not to like?
He was relaxing in a comfortable chair, idly waiting for Wake of Ruin to arrive. Jet was nearby, in a similarly laid-back pose. The Transcendent had summoned them immediately after the expedition force had reached the siege capital... and yet, he was running late.
Neither of them minded. They had barely had time to wash the dirt of the road off themselves before coming to the spacious hall. After weeks spent in the wilderness of East Antarctica, every moment of leisurely peace was like a precious gift.
Sunny was lazily thinking about the outcome of the latest battle. After the swarm of crows had descended on the Nightmare Creatures, hundreds of them were torn apart in an instant... and the slaughter did not stop until the column was safely behind the city walls. The sight of it was frightening and magnificent in equal measure.
'What a powerful Transformation...'
Of course, he wouldn't go so far as to say that Wake of Ruin's transcendent form was more powerful than that of, for example, Saint Tyris. Rather, they were best suited for different tasks. The government Saint excelled in battles against large numbers of Nightmare Creatures or potent adversaries that did not possess a lot of physical defense.
He was also extremely hard to kill, since that would require exterminating every single one of the myriad of crows... although there would probably be some repercussions for Saint Cor if the swarm sustained heavy losses.
Sky Tide, on the other hand, could deliver a much more dire punishment to a single powerful enemy. Her ability to control wind and lightning also made her a more versatile and well-rounded Saint.
Sunny tried to imagine what would happen if the two Transcendents clashed. The mental image of a giant thunderbird being swarmed by a vast whirlwind of black crows in the dark skies was... truly an awesome one. Who would win? He was not sure. Saint Tyris would be at a slight disadvantage due to being robbed of one of her trump cards, true. She often relied on aerial superiority to slay her foes...
But then again, Saint Cormac had also been a flying beast. That had not prevented her from tearing off his wyvern head.
Jet glanced at Sunny and smiled.
"...You're thinking about murder again, aren't you?"
He turned his head and gave her an impassive look.
"Yes. Why?"
Soul Reaper laughed.
"No reason..."
Sunny studied her with a contemplative expression. Come to think of it, her crow Echo was a strange one. Was there, perhaps, a connection between it and the Saint of carrion birds?
He wanted to ask, but at that moment, the doors of the palatial hall opened, and Wake of Ruin himself walked in, looking as tall and gaunt as ever.
A subtle scent of rot and slaughter followed the old man like an invisible mantle.
Saint Cor was wearing an austere military uniform that had an insignia of four stars emblazoned on its sleeve. His sharp, pale face was framed by unruly raven-black hair, and his dark eyes were staring at them with bleak dullness.
When he looked at Jet, however, a hint of cold fondness appeared in the weathered lines of his unfriendly face.
"Soul Reaper. Ascended Sunless. Welcome."
His voice was hoarse and a bit grating.
They had both stood up when the Saint walked in, so he gestured for them to sit. Then, Wake of Ruin took a chair opposite them.
"How did your last mission go?"
They glanced at each other. Jet was the one to respond:
"It was alright, sir. We scouted out a Corrupted Tyrant, met up with the Wolves and the Nightsinger, and helped them take the creature down. Casualties were minimal."
He nodded, seemingly indifferent to the news of a powerful creature being slain... which was only expected. As the field commander of the entire operation, Saint Cor must have been receiving reports like this quite frequently.
His next question, however, was a bit surprising.
"How do you like it in the SRU?"
Jet lingered for a moment.
"I like it just fine. Sir."
The old man shifted his gaze, subjecting Sunny to a piercing stare.
"What about you, young man?"
Sunny shifted uncomfortably, suspecting that there was a hidden meaning to the question. He shrugged.
"I feel like it's a good fit for my abilities."
Wake of Ruin studied him for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Good. You've performed admirably as advanced scouts. However... it's a waste of your talents."
Both Sunny and Jet straightened, looking at the Saint with slightly startled expressions. Noticing their reaction, the old man remained impassive.
"Consider yourself reassigned effective immediately. The proper paperwork is already being delivered to the SRU headquarters."
'...What?'
Sunny stared.
Just like that, they got a new job? Without even being asked?
Jet cleared her throat. There were many questions burning in Sunny's mind, but she asked the most important one:
"Sorry, sir... but reassigned to where?"
Saint Cor stared at her for a moment, then pointed to himself.
"My personal retinue. That's officially... unofficially, however, you'll be acting as special envoys assigned to the Legacy forces. Each of you will be a contact person between the Evacuation Army and the Great Clans."
Sunny suddenly hated how opulent and lavish the spacious hall was. He frowned.
"With all due respect... sir... I get it why Ascended Jet might be considered a good candidate for such a position, but what do I have to do with any of it? Surely, you must know that my relationship with the Great Clans is a bit... rocky. That is nor even mentioning whether I want the job or not."
He had spent six months hiding in the waking world to avoid the wrath of clan Valor, after all. Had the old Saint gone senile or what?
Wake of Ruin turned his heavy gaze back to Sunny and calmly raised an eyebrow.
"On the contrary, I think that you are the best person for the job, Ascended Sunless. You are quite close to one of the leaders of the Valor delegation, no?"
Sunny tilted his head a little.
"That depends on who that leader is, I guess."
Saint Cor smiled slightly.
...The smile made his gaunt, pale face look even more unnerving.
The old man glanced at an antiquated wristwatch adorning his hand and then said, his voice sounding cold and aloof:
"Why, it's young Lady Nephis of Valor, the Changing Star... of course."
He looked away from the watch and added matter-of-factly:
"She'll be arriving alongside Valor's other emissaries soon. Actually... I think they'll be there in a few minutes."
Sunny's eyes widened.
Chapter 1098: Appaling Curse
'I certainly knew that Neph was coming to Antarctica, but why is Wake of Ruin calling her one of the lea... huh? What? In a few minutes?!'
Sunny stared at the veteran Saint, dumbfounded. He had been anticipating meeting Neph again for a long time, but now that it was mere minutes away, his thoughts were in disarray.
'Did she check out my runes recently? Does she know that I'm a Tyrant now, too? Wait, no... why do I care if she knows or not? I shouldn't!'
Jet seemed a little surprised, too.
"Weren't they supposed to arrive in a couple of days?"
Saint Cor shrugged.
"They were. But with Tyris receiving some free time due to the three of us being beaten black and blue in the last battle, the schedule has been moved up. Ascended Sunless and you arrived just in time."
Sunny tried to digest the information. He knew that the Legacy reinforcements would be coming in two waves. The second one consisted of the bulk of their forces, traveling by sea, while the first one was supposed to be the vanguard and consisted of just a few people. They were going to travel to Antarctica through the Dream Realm.
The process was both simple and complicated. They needed a Saint who had already established a tether in the Southern Quadrant... in this case, Saint Tyris. The members of the vanguard had to either already be anchored in the same Citadel as she or be brought there by a different Transcendent.
Then, Sky Tide would be able to bring them with her to the waking world, thus transporting the necessary people to Antarctica.
The vanguard had to be small because Saints were limited in how many living creatures they could carry with them between the two worlds - just like Masters were limited in how much inanimate weight they could bring. Usually, a Saint could only transport one or two people at a time, and that consumed a fair amount of essence.
Coming to a sudden realization, Sunny looked around. He was starting to understand why such a lavish place was chosen for their impromptu meeting.
The opulence of the grand hall was not for the benefit of two Ascended... Wake of Ruin was rolling out the red carpet for the powerhouses of the great clans.
He looked at the old man, thinking. Saint Cor smiled.
"I'm starting to suspect that you are not of a very high opinion about the Great Legacy Clans, young man."
Sunny gritted his teeth, trying to hide contempt and anger from seeping into his gaze.
"That... is putting it lightly. Sir."
The old man studied him with a bit of curiosity.
"Why?"
Sunny gathered his thoughts, trying to come up with a convenient answer. Eventually, he said evenly:
"I guess it boils down to the fact that they are traitors."
Wake of Ruin raised an eyebrow.
"Traitors... interesting. How so?"
Sunny sighed.
"Awakened are supposed to be humanity's sword against the Spell, no? The Legacies are the greatest of the Awakened, and yet, they have seemingly given up on challenging the Spell. Much worse, they refused to come out of the sheath when we needed them. This whole disaster could have been salvaged if they had done their duty."
He had not mentioned the millions of people who had died in the Antarctic Center, and neither had he mentioned the tens of thousands of soldiers that perished with them. He doubted that such numbers could touch the heart of Saint Cor... the old man was one of the leaders of the government, after all. People like him viewed the world in terms of billions of lives, spread across many decades.
If Sunny told him that he was burning with anger toward the great clans because of the death of just three Awakened, the old man would have probably thought him crazy.
Wake of Ruin sighed.
"I see. Indeed, as long as you know anything about the world, it is easy to dislike the great clans. It is even easier to dislike them if you know a lot. But forgive me for sounding like a grumpy old man, Ascended Sunless... young people like you really lack perspective."
Sunny looked at him somberly.
"Do we?"
Saint Cor nodded.
"It's not your fault, of course. One hand to be there and live through the worst of it to understand. You see, Ascended Sunless - and you too, Jet - people of your age were born in a stable world. It might be a cruel world, and a harsh world. But it is a stable one, nevertheless. Because it has been built that way by your predecessors. Many tend to look at the flaws of the world, but very few stop to question its foundations. And those foundations... why, they might have been better, but they could have also been so much worse."
He leaned back in his chair, looking into the distance with a neutral expression.
"The fact of the matter is that the Great Clans emerged from the chaos of the past... but they weren't the only ones fighting for power and dominance back then. There were other clans, other forces, and people with entirely different ideas about what the world should become. The things they did... ah. It is a blessing, really, that those old monsters were buried in the past, and that the Great Clans ended up victorious. So... yes. You lack perspective."
Sunny frowned.
"Other forces? Different ideas? No offense, sir... but you have some nerve saying such things to two people who grew up in the outskirts. Others might now feel the same way, but we enjoyed the premium experience of living in this stable world you praise so much. I struggle to imagine what ideas could have been worse."
Saint Cor looked at him coldly, then suddenly laughed. His laughter sounded like the caws of a hungry raven.
"Ah. You are a direct person, Ascended Sunless. I like it."
He looked at Sunny with his dark, harsh eyes, the hint of mirth that had appeared in them for a moment dissipating without a trace. The gaunt old man shook his head.
"But you should make an effort to imagine it. A dying world ravaged by war. People who had all but forgotten how to be proper humans. And then, an even bigger disaster... but one that presented a great opportunity. An opportunity for some of them to become unimaginably powerful, unmistakably superior. Entirely unrestrained, and all but unstoppable, free to make whatever they wanted from this new era. Freedom, young man... freedom can be the most appalling curse in the world, if it falls into the wrong hands. It is a terrifying thing."
Wake of Ruin grew silent for a few moments, and then smiled sarcastically.
"...Here I go rambling again. Jet, you should have stopped me. In any case, our guests should be arriving any second now - the emissaries of Valor will come first, and the emissaries of Song will follow in a few hours. Help me welcome them, you two."
He paused, then looked at Sunny and added in a neutral tone:
"For better or worse, the Great Clans are all we have now. We'll need their help to see this operation through, so... keep that in mind, young man."
Sunny lingered for a bit, then reluctantly nodded. 'I can play nice... or at least pretend to play nice. We'll see how it goes.'
Chapter 1099: Vanguard
Before Sunny could answer, the atmosphere in the lavish hall seemed to change slightly. It was as though a wave of invisible energy rolled through it, making the air feel colder and sharper. Wake of Ruin sighed and turned around, looking at the empty space in the middle of the spacious chamber.
It had been empty before, but now, four people were standing on the lacquered floor, surrounded by the scent of the Dream Realm. For a moment, it felt as though they were simply a memory of a forgotten nightmare. But then, the feeling disappeared, and they were simply... there.
It was not often that Sunny saw Saints enter the waking world, and he had to admit that it was an eerie thing to witness. Were Awakened and mundane people as startled when he suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of them?
That idle thought streaked across his mind and disappeared without a trace when Sunny realized who exactly he was looking at. His eyes widened slightly.
Four people... and, by coincidence, he knew each of them.
The first one was Sky Tide. The Saint of the White Feather clan appeared as she always did - tall, slender, with a posture like that of an arrow. She wore a light armor of lustrous steel, and her hair fell like a cascade of pale gold. Tyris looked austere and beautiful, but also slightly inhuman because of her strange amber eyes and vertical pupils.
She stood apart from the other three, who all wore intricate suits of lusterless black armor.
The first of the three immediately attracted Sunny's gaze. His heart moved slightly... Nephis looked different in the colors of house Valor. The black armor created a striking contrast against her ivory skin, silver hair, and cool grey eyes. She looked like a beautiful dark spirit that took the form of a deadly knight to sow the seeds of discord and ruin in the mortal world.
The second person was Morgan of Valor. Every time Sunny saw her, he was unnerved by how much she resembled her older brother... however, although Morgan and Mordret looked very much like reflections of each other, her demeanor was entirely different.
Morgan had black wavy hair and alabaster skin. Her suit of armor was adorned by a vermilion cape, which was the same vibrant color as her vivid scarlet eyes. Her entire being radiated the feeling of lethal sharpness, as if she was a living blade.
However... it was the third person that made Sunny's eyes widen in guarded shock.
He was a tall and severe man, with sharp facial features and even sharper eyes. His hair was black as Morgan's - in fact, there was a lot of familiar likeness between them - and touched by silver at the temples. His strong figure radiated an almost palpable feeling of authority and pressure, and his steely blue eyes were calm and piercing. The armor he wore was simpler than that of the other two, as though the man did not need its protection.
A deep frown appeared on Sunny's face.
'Saint Madoc?! What the hell is he doing here?'
Indeed, the man was none other than Saint Madoc, the Whispering Blade... brother of Anvil and the nominal leader of the great clan Valor.
As Sunny watched, Sir Madoc turned his head and smiled calmly, somehow making his smile look both friendly and demanding submission.
"Wake of Ruin."
The gaunt old man was standing in front of Sunny and Jet, staring at the newcomers with a neutral expression. He lingered for a moment before saying in his hoarse voice:
"Whispering Blade. I have to admit... your appearance is a bit of a surprise."
Madoc's pleasant smile widened slightly.
"Isn't it only right for me to be here? My clan announced its full support for the brave men and women of the Evacuation Army. That, of course, includes my personal assistance."
Sunny tried to read the silent conversation that was happening between the two Transcendents. Surely, their words had other meanings... Saint Cor was probably trying to understand why the Sovereign had gone as far as to send his own brother to Antarctica. Madoc, in turn, was letting him know that Anvil was putting a lot of importance into what was about to happen in the Southern Quadrant.
Whispering Blade laughed slightly, then raised his hand.
"However, you shouldn't be addressing me. I'm just here to offer support and make sure that nothing untoward happens. The true leader of this expedition is my niece, Morgan. She will be in charge of everything."
She gestured toward Morgan, and then threw an even gaze at Nephis.
"And, of course, my other... niece... will be supporting her in this endeavor. I trust you know Changing Star. The three of us are the vanguard of the Valor force."
Wake of Ruin remained silent for a few moments, then nodded slowly toward Morgan.
"In that case, welcome to Antarctica, Lady Morgan. Lady Nephis."
He threw a heavy glance toward Whispering Blade, and then said evenly:
"How curious that there are two Saints in your group, as well as the granddaughter of Immortal Flame... and yet all three of you seem to be subordinated to a young woman with no known achievements to her name. Some could see it as a sign that Valor is not taking this matter seriously..."
Morgan looked at the fearsome Transcendent, and then smiled. It seemed that his barely disguised provocation had no effect on her whatsoever.
Her voice was calm and indifferent:
"You are mistaken, Saint Cor. Clan Valor takes this matter extremely seriously. Which is why I have been entrusted with considerable power and authority."
Wake of Ruin sighed.
"Forgive this old man for being frank, Lady Morgan... but what kind of authority can a mere Ascended wield? I have half a dozen titans wandering the continent, and twenty-seven cities to protect. What can you actually do to alleviate my problems?"
Morgan shrugged silently, and then took a step back. Madoc, Tyris, and Nephis remained motionless as a whirlwind of sparks suddenly filled the spacious hall.
'What the...'
As Sunny watched, an Echo manifested from the hurricane of sparks... and then another, and then another. Three, six, twelve, fifteen... a few moments later, the large hall suddenly did not seem as large anymore.
Fifteen harrowing Nightmare Creatures filled it, each giving off a sense of vast and dreadful power.
Sunny stared, suddenly feeling cold.
'Transcendent... they are all Transcended Echoes.'
How many thousands of Corrupted Nightmare Creature had to be slaughtered to produce these Echoes?
The weakest of them was a Transcendent Demon, while the most powerful was a Transcendent Tyrant. And that was only what Morgan had chosen to show... who knew what she kept hidden?
The Princess of War smiled politely as she looked at Wake of Ruin.
"...These are my credentials. Are you satisfied, Transcendent Cor?"
Erdiul's Notes: 1 more later, might be delayed cuz I'm playing Path of exile new league.