Chapter 30

As Kiyotaka was preparing for the upcoming war, Sunny suddenly appeared at the castle and reunited with Nephis and Cassie. Effie and the archer named Kai were also there. Nephis seized the opportunity to gather everyone and proposed an expedition to uncover the truth behind the fall of the First Lord. When they agreed to meet up, Kiyotaka joined them.

Soon, they were standing in front of the cathedral. The morning sun was slowly crawling through the sky, washing the ancient city in its pale light. Sunny stood beside Effie, looking at Nephis and her companions.

Sunny blinked.

There was Changing Star herself, Cassie... Kiyotaka, who didn't look the same as he remembered... and Kai.

'What the hell is he doing here? And what happened to Kiyotaka? When did he become as handsome as Kai?'

Once the four Sleepers approached and greeted them, Sunny immediately stared at the two handsome bastards.

"Night... uh... why are you here, buddy?"

The archer smiled.

"Ah! I'm very happy to see you too, Sunny, my friend. Lady Nephis asked me to join her on this expedition, and after careful consideration, I decided to agree."

Sunny blinked a couple of times.

"Alright, I know that I'm crazy, but when did you lose your mind too?"

Kai looked at him with a strange expression.

"Wait... crazy? What do you mean, you're crazy?"

Sunny sighed.

"Never mind."

Then Sunny looked at the poker-faced Kiyotaka and didn't even want to question him. He turned to Nephis and spoke.

"I will join the expedition, but not as a member of cohort, and I will need compensation."

Nephis looked at him for a second with a somber expression before responding.

"Is there anything you want?"

Sunny grinned.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Behind us, you can see a magnificent ancient cathedral. Inside that cathedral lives a creature called the Black Knight. He's a Fallen Devil. In return for my help during the expedition, I want your help after it is concluded.

Once we return..."

He paused for a moment, and then added:

"...I want you to help me kill it."

A dead silence fell on the small square. After a while, Kai finally spoke, an expression of subtle shock on his face.

"Sunny... did you perhaps misspeak? We are only Sleepers, after all. How are we supposed to kill that Black Knight of yours? A Nightmare Creature of his rank and class..."

Sunny's grin widened. Then, with an immense feeling of vindication, he looked at Kai and said:

"...It's just a Fallen Devil."

---

Sunny felt confident. He talked to the cohort about how he survived a battle with the Black Knight, how he knew its weaknesses, and that with preparation, they could win.

When he saw them looking at him, he smirked.

"What, how do you guys plan to overthrow Gulang if we can't even kill a mere Fallen Devil?"

Everyone went silent for a moment before Nephis and Kiyotaka spoke simultaneously.

"Let's kill it."

Kiyotaka spoke quietly.

"There are more Nightmare Creatures out there, and most of them are not impossible to kill. By the end of the expedition, every member of the cohort is going to have much more soul essence in their cores than they have now. We will also have a wider arsenal of Memories at our disposal.

More importantly, we will have time to hone and perfect our teamwork."

Nephis nodded.

"Sunny and Kiyotaka are right. It's not like it's impossible to kill a Fallen Devil when we have our combined strength, provided we know its secrets beforehand."

With the cohort nodding to Nephis's words, they slowly started making preparations.

---

Sunny started exchanging soul shards for memories while screaming, "Welcome to Sunny's Brilliant Emporium!" Effie casually filled her stomach before the battle, chewing on the flesh of an Awakened Beast she found nearby. Nephis somberly looked at Sunny with a complicated gaze that Kiyotaka couldn't fully understand. He himself approached Kai and engaged him in small talk to get to know him better.

Kai was a young man wearing light lamellar armor, with luscious dark auburn hair and mesmerizing green eyes. His well-fitted armor was made of burnished brown leather, with deep blue embroidered garments beneath. Kai was tall, slender, and incredibly handsome. His face was small, perfectly shaped, and beautiful, with high cheekbones and flawless ivory skin. His green eyes were nothing short of electric, and his lips were soft and full.

Apparently, he was also the lead vocalist of "Nightingale" before he became a Sleeper and got stuck in the Forgotten Shore. The archer also had a peculiar flaw that made him a walking lie detector.

Soon, when all preparations were done, they moved towards their first collective battle.

---

The Ruined Cathedral was a temple of a nameless goddess and was guarded by the Forsaken Knight. He patrolled the grand hall, killing anyone who dared to come inside.

Kiyotaka didn't plan to go on the expedition with the cohort due to his unique position as Vice Captain. But it didn't mean he wouldn't be fighting with them.

As they walked towards the Cathedral, they soon found themselves in a Hidden Chamber, a place where Sunny resided.

It was situated in the upper part of the ruined cathedral, the entrance hidden behind a tall statue of some unknown goddess.

Inside, the room was beautiful and spacious. The stone walls were engraved with intricate patterns, creating an atmosphere of sanctity and elegance. The furniture was made of pale polished wood. The room had no windows; however, there were light wells cunningly hidden here and there. But the ingenious system of mirrors that was supposed to bathe the hidden chamber in sunlight was long destroyed, leaving only darkness inside.

There was a small balcony where one could observe the Grand Hall of the temple over the goddess's shoulder, concealed from sight by the strands of her stone hair. The balcony was really high above the floor, making it impossible for any creature to climb on it by accident. Falling down would certainly kill a normal human.

The tenebrous grand hall of the majestic cathedral was drowned in darkness, clinging to its walls and tall columns. Most of the hall was embodied in True Darkness.

There, in the depths of it, stood the Forsaken Knight. The creature was more than two meters tall, its gothic armor forged from a lusterless, anthracite steel. Every part of the armor was decorated with intricate engravings that told a tale so horrifying that anyone would go insane from looking at them for too long. The helmet of the Black Knight was crowned with curved horns that might have once been wings. In the narrow fissure of his visor, two ghastly red flames burned with indescribable menace.

Based on Sunny's words, the Black Knight was a strong, fast, and indestructible creature, as one might imagine a Fallen Devil would be. His astonishing might was attributed to the darkness in the cathedral's grand hall, which seemed to obey him. When wrapped in this darkness, he could move fast, unseen, and with no sound. His physical traits were also enhanced, making him an unstoppable slaughter engine. Any damage done to him was instantly repaired as long as he was surrounded by the darkness, which made him basically immortal.

The Fallen Devil was certainly something out of reach for ordinary Sleepers. But the members of the cohort were anything but ordinary.

Looking at the members of the cohort, Kiyotaka couldn't help but feel a strange sense of anticipation. Fighting an opponent many times stronger than you, in its own domain, was a thrilling sensation for every warrior.

Kiyotaka's eyes exuded a murderous hue as he looked into the depths of the darkness with hunger.

Hunger for a worthy battle.

Hunger for win.

Hunger for murder.