Shadow Slave: Immortal Ice

As he saw these Runes, something inside him suddenly switched.

"Ha… Hahaha…" "Ha… Hahaha…" Eirwen's giggle quickly turned into a full-blown laugh, echoing in his Soul Sea. "I am special!" he shouted inside his Soul Sea. For a short moment, he forgot the Nightmare Trial, forgot his crippled state. Eirwen felt hysterical as he stared down at the Runes. Those Runes were something never seen before. And not just that, also the Attributes that he possessed were clearly something special. He was chosen by Gods and even the 'Unholy'; all of that only made him spiral further down for a short moment.

'I knew I was different' he thought, his grin stretching wider with each heartbeat. 'Infected by the Nightmare Spell for the first time in this family, no legacy in my bloodline, and yet here I stand!' He couldn't contain his chuckle as it turned into a hysterical laughter again. His breaths came faster and uneven as his thoughts spiralled further down. His cheeks turned pink, he put a hand on his chest, as if trying to grab his heart, "I'm not just different. I'm better."

The absurdity of it all made him laugh again, harder this time, it all bordered on madness.

All of that over a couple of Runes? Runes that promised him to heal his body over unnecessary bloodshed. What was there to be so happy about.

Eirwen felt ecstatic. He couldn't wait to finish this Nightmare and see how strong he would become. There was only one way he expected this to develop. He would become the strongest and singlehandedly elevate his family into a Legacy Clan.

'They dared to laugh,' he thought bitterly, his jaw tightening. They had mocked him, dismissed him as nothing because his family lacked a single Awakened. But now, not only was he about to become a sleeper and then Awaken, but he also possessed his own unique System and Runes.

A grin appeared on his lips, sharp and filled with malice. 'I'll show them. I'll make them regret every word.' 

A minute later, Eirwen exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if breaking free from a stupor. His thoughts, chaotic and boiling with rage and ecstasy, fully receded. It was as though a switch had flipped in his mind once more, pulling him back into his more composed and calculated self.

He looked down at the Runes again which already transformed back to the previous ones:

[Accept the deal?]

[Yes] [No]

"How do you expect me to defeat an Awakened at the edge of Ascension?!" he asked, his eyes narrowed as a vein nearly popped in his forehead from irritation.

'Even if I were to attack him from behind, I can't be sure I'd even leave a mark,' Eirwen thought, 'His shield didn't even get scratched when it blocked that tusk thrust from the Elephant.' The thought made him clench his teeth as he remembered the fight that cost him his calf.

Eirwen groaned and rolled his eyes, "Do I have some time to think about it?"

The Runes changed in response:

[Time left: Unlimited. Will be automatically cancelled if all the humans die]

He nodded and plunged back into reality. He would simply wait for the right moment to accept this deal, preferably when Bernard was weakened.

From what Eirwen had learned, there were no other real Awakened in this pathetic team. Only two healers. They were just regular knights that were too weak to ascend or incapable because of other reasons.

The moment Eirwen returned to his body, he stumbled, barely steadying himself before hitting the ground. A string of curses escaped his lips as he straightened up, glaring down at his knee.

Bernard had already gathered the knights while Eirwen was in his Soul Sea. "Your Royal Highness, may we carry you?" Bernard asked, his handsome features briefly visible before he slid his fierce helmet back on, hiding his face and any emotion he could show.

Eirwen's brow twitched in irritation. "Do you think I'm that incapable?!" he snapped, swatting away Bernard's offered hand. "Does no one have a prosthetic or something?!" He was met with an awkward silence.

He groaned in frustration, mumbling under his breath, "God, you're all useless…"

His hand shot forward, snatching up a spear from the rack nearby. Using it like a makeshift crutch, he adjusted his grip and awkwardly began hopping forward on one leg, his movements and face were filled with annoyance.

Bernard barked his orders, and the knights quickly moved into formation. Shields formed a protective semi-circle around Eirwen, creating a solid wall of massive black shields.

The commander led at the front, flanked by swordsmen with tall shields on either side. At the back, spearmen stayed alert, their weapons ready for anything, mostly watching their rear. The group moved steadily, every step precise and coordinated.

Eirwen mumbled curses under his breath as he hobbled along, Bernard keeping his pace steady to match his.

Throughout the whole mission they only met a couple of Nightmare Creatures and one group of cultists.

The cultists posed no challenge, and Eirwen stood surrounded by Shields as Bernard and his swordsmen tore through them. He had to admit, Bernard was good. Every swing of his blade was precise, each movement calculated and efficient. No energy was wasted. Even when a strike didn't land perfectly, the next blow followed so quickly that the enemy barely had time to register the mistake before they crumpled. His Aspect Ability was pretty useful too since he could theoretically finish any enemy of equal or lesser Rank in a single hit. As long as they aren't massive creatures with their weak spots unreachable of course.

Bernard and his swordsmen were monstrously effective against regular humans.

The Nightmare Creatures on the other hand. They were harder to finish off. But Eirwen still didn't have to move a single muscle.

The Creatures they first encountered on their way were small, goblin-like, with dark grey, wrinkled skin and sharp nails on their long, bony hands. They were weak, but the sheer number of them was a problem. Eirwen and his team were outnumbered three to one. Still, no one died, and Eirwen didn't have to do a thing.

He was actually surprised they were holding up this well. Eventually, he started getting bored, watching the knights handle the fight with ease. The power he held over them, though, was something he couldn't ignore though. The knights were always ready to risk their lives for him.

Bernard took care of most of them, crushing some under his steel greaves or cutting them down with swift strikes of his sword. Eirwen almost considered summoning his Whistle, but after seeing how efficiently Bernard was handling the situation, he decided against it.

Eirwen was glad that he didn't accept that Deal too, he would not be able to beat all of them in a fair fight. Ironic, considering that Eirwen still thought of them as weak and pathetic.

They eventually reached a dark storage room on the other side of the castle, where another swarm of small Nightmare Creatures awaited. They were feasting on corpses of dead cooks and other servants. This time, Eirwen had to do something himself too. One of the gnome-like creatures slipped past the knights, but Eirwen quickly leaned back against one of them, driving the tip of his golden spear deep into the creature's skull with a satisfying sound. He looked down at it and slid the spear out before leaning against it again, using it as a crutch.

[You have slain a Dormant Beast: Garden Gnome of Hell]

The Spell echoed in his mind immediately. 'Hell, Hell, Hell! Goddamn enough of that already,' he groaned and rolled his eyes.

After they cleared the storage Bernard looked back at Eirwen and reported, "Your Royal Highness, I Intend to lead us through one of the passages, it will lead us into the gallery right behind the throne room. Eirwen scoffed and hurried him, "Yeah yeah whatever, just lead the way"

---

"How long, Bernard?" Eirwen asked, his voice sharp as they marched down the narrow underground passage. The longer he had to limp, the more irritated he became. Only a few knights or royals knew about it, apparently. The passage didn't only lead to the gallery, but also to a bridge.

The bridge connected the castle to a private wing where the King himself resided. As Eirwen limped down the dark passage, explosions and monstrous roars echoed from afar, mixed with the heavy footsteps of both humans and massive Beasts above. The castle seemed overrun with every kind of Nightmare Creature. "How did you guys even let that happen?" Eirwen scoffed, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Bernard's rough, metallic voice echoed through the dim passage as his heavy armour clanged against the stone floor. "Transcended Marcel betrayed us, Your Royal Highness," he began, and Eirwen twisted his face into a scowl, pretending to be furious at the unknown Saint. "Even before the attack began, because of that treacherous Marcel, two other Transcended perished. He deceived and murdered them in cold blood, that Godforsaken rat. After their deaths, Marcel summoned monstrous Corrupted Creatures using his Aspect Ability. The monsters tore through everything, creating maximum chaos. By the time we could regroup, the majority of the Royal Guard and Red Cloaks were dead." Bernard's voice remained monotone, though his distress was clear. "When Transcended Anzor and our division found out, he rushed to save His Majesty, leaving me to take command."

'At least four Saints? That's a bit much, isn't it? Some Legacy Clans only had one Saint, and they thrived... something doesn't add up,' Eirwen thought calmly, assessing the strength of whatever nation this was. It seemed so strong, yet they were getting handled by some Nightmare Creatures.

'I get it, they were caught off guard, who wouldn't be if Nightmare Creatures just spawned in their castle? And then there's a Saint rampaging, with two others killed before it all even began…' He tried to make sense of it all.

"Why are our Sai- Transcended taking so long to deal with this?" Eirwen asked. "Anzor suspects that the Sovereigns of Hell are in this too," Bernard answered quickly. There was hate and malice in his words as if he was spitting at them.

Eirwen only nodded in response and dived back into his thoughts, 'I really wish to ask who these Sovereigns are, but that would be outright stupid. That guy is on the edge anyway, one mistake and he might just try to kill me…'

The atmosphere grew quiet again, with only the metallic clank of the knights' steps echoing through the tunnel. They had been walking for at least five minutes, the passage narrow and suffocatingly dark, with only faint light filtering through. Above, explosions and tremors still shook the castle.

Then, a growl rumbled from deep within the tunnel. Eirwen's eyes narrowed as two glowing red dots appeared in the dark. The ground trembled slightly as something massive took a step forward.

Bernard immediately commanded everyone to halt as he summoned his tall shield. "Prepare for combat!" he groaned, his voice low and metallic. The knights tensed, muscles straining as they quickly shifted into a new formation. The front was filled with a solid wall of shields, the swordsmen positioned behind them, while the spearmen took their place further back, ready for anything that would come from the darkness.

The Nightmare Creature still hadn't shown itself, growling as it continued to advance toward them. Eirwen tightened his grip on the spear, standing firmly in the center of the formation to avoid any surprise attacks from the sides.

With a final, heavy stomp, the creature emerged from the shadows. It was a massive, bear-like monster, its grey, stony skin almost blending with the dark tunnel. Only small patches of fur dotted its massive, barrel-shaped body. Its front legs were noticeably longer than the hind ones, giving it an unsettling, unnatural stance as it stood before them in the shadows. Its eyes glowing red and drool flowing down its massive maw.

"Bernard?" Eirwen asked calmly, his focus already on the coming battle. All emotions had been pushed aside.

"The eyes, Your Royal Highness. Only the eyes," Bernard replied quickly, his voice steady. The spearmen moved swiftly, positioning their spears and locking them into the special spots on their comrades' shields, creating a spiked wall.

Even with only one leg he was ready. And maybe a chance to accept the Deal would present itself too.