NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Tremors
Cassie and Nephis looked at each other, confused, while Pleiades focused his gaze farther. His eyes dilated as he switched his vision with one of the five ravens he had made.
The scenery changed, showing the raven perched on the branch of a tree bathed in scarlet red.
Smiling to himself, he commanded the raven to fly away from the tree, not wanting it to be ensnared.
As the raven descended, a massive figure lunged at it. Before Pleiades could react, he saw a giant pincer coming toward the raven.
The last thing he heard was the ruthless sound of a clank and flesh being slashed, followed by the cracking of hollow bones under the pressure of the demon's pincers.
Gritting his teeth, Pleiades felt the connection end. He then looked at the two girls, who were whispering to each other.
'Still suspicious, damn it. To think that Cassie would still be able to see my attributes even after I made that anti-divination attribute.'
Pleiades realized he had a few seconds left and quickly created an ability.
Ability Name: Bad Cassie
Description: The user can render themselves or anything else unseen and unfindable by anything, making them unable to be visually, physically, conceptually, etc., detected by any means, including magic, technology, divine beings, etc.
Satisfied with it, he used the ability to conceal his attributes. As he did, the girls stopped talking, and Nephis looked at him with her stoic face back in place.
Cassie, meanwhile, squinted in his general direction.
"What did you mean by killing an Awakened Demon?" Nephis asked, still holding tightly onto her sword.
Pleiades jumped at the opportunity to keep up his well-crafted persona and spoke in the most casual voice he could muster.
"Well, it's simple really. It's in our way and would prove troublesome if left unchecked. Plus, we do need a boat to make it to the castle."
He finished and looked over at Cassie, who kept her focus on him. "Now, shall we head to the statue?"
He began to walk toward where the statue was, only to be stopped by Cassie's question.
"Hold on… why can't I see your attributes anymore?"
Pleiades halted in his tracks, quickly formulating a response. He turned to face Cassie, feigning a casual demeanor despite the tension in the air.
"Oh, that," he said, forcing a chuckle. "I figured it was time to secure my attributes a bit more. Too many prying eyes, you know? It's a precaution. Nothing against you personally, Cassie."
Cassie's eyes narrowed, her suspicion not entirely abated. "It's just strange. One moment I could see them clearly, and the next, nothing. What exactly did you do?"
Pleiades maintained his relaxed posture. "Just a little trick I picked up. Like I said, a precaution."
Nephis, still gripping her sword, watched the exchange intently. She seemed to be weighing Pleiades' words, her expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, Pleiades looked in the direction of the statue and smiled.
(So, you used sorcery?)
His lips twitched, and an uncomfortable smile crossed his face. [Yup.]
He could feel Sunny's suspicion and decided against saying anything.
"Why go to the statue?" Nephis asked.
"Well, to take shelter there."
"How far is it?"
"About an hour or two away."
She lingered for a moment, looked at the higher-up coral, loosened the grip on her sword, took hold of the golden rope, and handed it to Cassie.
Looking at Pleiades, she then pointed upward with her finger. "Then we stay here. The ocean is going to arrive soon," she said, and Cassie tied the rope tightly around her hands.
'I need Cassie to get her vision though. Well, I'll play along, I guess.'
He nodded, and they made their way toward a large square-shaped part that was higher up than any other.
They set up camp—Nephis and Pleiades did, at least—and after that, they took a seat. Soon, the ocean came, bringing with it the sounds of crashing waves.
After the sound subsided, Pleiades called for one of his ravens to take watch over them. It flew down, causing Nephis to put her hand on her sword.
Pleiades raised a hand, and the raven perched itself on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, this is a summon of mine," he said.
She lingered for a moment, and then Cassie's confused voice followed. "What summon?"
He smiled, noticing that he could see pretty clearly even in the darkness of the night, although it wasn't perfect.
He saw Nephis looking at his shoulder, guessing she had heard the flapping of the raven's wings. Then a dark look appeared on his face.
'That demon.'
Even though he didn't show it, he was furious that the raven he had created and cared for was dead. He didn't plan to let that go.
"It's a raven I made, with sorcery."
Giving a mental command to the raven, it flew slightly and perched itself on Cassie's shoulder, causing a little yelp to escape her mouth.
After she regained her composure, she raised her hand to pet it, and the raven pushed its head into her palm, making her smile slightly.
He wanted to do the same for Nephis but decided not to risk another raven.
While Cassie petted the raven, Nephis and Pleiades began to formulate a plan. It was challenging with Nephis using strange phrasing, but he managed to get past it. They decided to head to the statue as soon as morning arrived.
He gave her the reason that it was of absolute necessity to make physical contact with it.
She tried to pry about where he got his information, but he remained enigmatic, which only caused more suspicion from Nephis, even if she didn't show it.
'She thinks I'm the assassin, or maybe that Sunny is.'
While they made their plan, Cassie had fallen asleep, and the raven stood on the floor, looking at the two with a hint of intelligence.
************
Many kilometers away, right at the hollow mountains, a chain connecting to an island that hovered above a neverending void suddenly shook.
The people in the night temple stood frozen in fear. In his corridors, Saint Cormac stood from his seat, frozen in place.
'Did the fiend get out?'
Shuddering at the mere thought, his musings were interrupted by Ascended Pierce barging in with a concerned look.
"Saint Cormac, there's been a disturbance at the chain."
"I felt it. Send scouts immediately to ascertain the situation. We cannot afford to let our guard down."
Pierce nodded and swiftly left the room, leaving Cormac to his thoughts. The shaking of the chain was an ill omen, one that could spell disaster for everyone if not addressed promptly.
Away from the night temple, at the peaks of the hollow mountains, a massive fissure cut through them. Finally, the World Slash stopped, and with it, it had brought the destruction of everything in its way.
The tremors following it's path of destruction stopped and with it's end all was still.
In the Bright Castle, a tall young man with black hair frowned as he gazed out a large window, showing the massive walls of the city.
It was gemma the leader of the hunters and one of the most important members of the host, his usual charismatic smile was nowhere to be found, instead replaced by a concerned frown
'It stopped?'
The thought of what had caused that earthquake was dreadful.
'Was it the tyrant in the catacombs? Maybe a terror appeared?'
His thoughts were interrupted as he approached a door, he opened it with a creak, and entered.
Inside were the prominent inhabitants of the Bright Castle, known as the leaders of the host. Tessai, leader of the castle guard; Seishan, leader of the handmaidens; and Kido, leader of the artisans, were all present, surrounded by their subordinates—men in sleek metal armor and young women in light leather armor.
In the center, a small staircase led to a magnificent throne made of marble. Sitting atop it was a man dressed in full body armor, seemingly made of melted gold that glowed with its own light.
The young man looked slightly higher, meeting the visor of the helmet, feeling a pressure that made him kneel briefly before regaining his composure.
He stepped to the side and exchanged a brief smile with Kido, who had already been looking at him.
The voice of the Bright Lord, seated on the throne, echoed through the vast hall.
"Now then… let us begin our meeting."