Chapter 116: Lone Survivor

Lucas' goal was to kill Neo.

It didn't matter if he did not do that with his own hands.

As long as he injured Neo and made him expend his Divine Energy, it was good enough.

Arthur's Shadow would do the rest of the job.

Neo, weakened, would be in a disadvantageous position if he fought against Arthur's Shadow.

He was tired and, although he blocked the attacks with Ocean's Embrace, some of them went past his defenses and injured him.

The portal disappeared.

Neo returned the sword to the sheathe and asked Obitus to reseal the blessing.

Lucas was likely returning to Depth Level 3.

Since he was injured, Neo could catch up to him if he pushed himself.

However, that was counterproductive.

It would give more time to Arthur's Shadow to revive, and Neo would be wasting more Divine Energy.

Neo turned around.

He moved towards the doorway of Depth Level 5.

…

Inner Castle, Depth Level 5

Jack woke up with a snap.

He sucked in a mouthful of air and collapsed to the ground, coughing.

"I… I'm alive?"

It took him a minute to compose himself.

Jack looked around and found himself in a room with broken walls.

He left the room.

"This is a castle."

A huge broken castle.

Even more shocking was the giant flower that loomed above the castle.

Dozens of tendrils came out from the center of the flower.

Those tendrils stooped low, some of them entering the castle rooms like the one Jack woke up in.

"It's my first time seeing an elemental flower. I guess I was revived through one of the seeds of the elemental flower."

He shivered.

It was cold.

Looking down, he noticed he was naked.

Jack used a Shadow Weave Spell to create a robe out of the Shadows.

He wore it and roamed the area slowly.

"I can take things at my own pace.

"After all, I'm sure everyone already left."

Despite his nonchalant face, there was an unhidden melancholy behind his voice.

Elemental flowers formed at the core of the Window.

The core area was the part of the Window closest to the other dimension.

In other words, Jack in the deepest part of the Window.

It was too dangerous for others to rescue him.

He was left alone to fend for himself.

"I guess they would've closed the Window by now and left."

Jack choked when he realized he was stranded in a place with no hope of rescue.

He held back his tears.

This was no time to mope around.

He had to look for a way to survive.

While he was searching through the castle for something to eat, he came across a giant Shadow monster.

Jack hid his presence and entered Shadow Space to hide himself.

He stared at the Shadow monster.

It kept circling on particular area.

As if it was protecting the room behind it.

Jack looked above and noticed a group of tendrils entering the room.

"Is that where the elemental Seeds of the Shadows are?"

His heart raced.

He recalled the overwhelming might of Arthur's Shadow.

"How many of the Shadows are alive?

"Since the Window should have been closed, I'm sure the group clashed with the Shadows and won.

"I hope they've defeated all of the Shadows before leaving.

"Otherwise, it will be hard for me to survive here."

Jack did not voice out his complete thoughts.

There was no guarantee that the group won.

Maybe they were eradicated by the Shadows.

It was certainly possible with Arthur's Shadow and Lucas' Shadow.

Jack hoped he was wrong.

He did not want any of his friends to die.

While he was drowned in his thoughts, Arthur's Shadow, revived, came out of the room.

It looked in Jack's direction.

Jack's break was caught in his throat.

'Don't find me. Don't find me. Don't find me. Don't find me. Don't find me.'

Arthur's Shadow should not be able to sense him while he was in Shadow Space.

However, Jack could not help but get nervous.

He released his breathe only after Arthur's Shadow stopped looking in his direction and left.

"Arthur's Shadow is leaving the castle." Jack noticed.

The Shadow looked like it was in a hurry.

"Is it trying to return quickly to stop the group?"

That meant the Window has not been closed and the others were still inside it.

Of course, Jack could be wrong.

However, the possibility of his assumption being correct was high.

Hope appeared within his gaze and it disappeared just as quickly.

"Why am I thinking about useless things?

"I can't regroup with everyone either way.

"Even if I can avoid all the Shadow monsters on this level, Arthur's Shadow will find me before others."

He was trapped.

While Jack was talking to himself, he failed to sense the Shadow monster sneaking towards the entrance of his Shadow Space.

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Third Corner, Depth Level 3

Lucas returned to the group after baptizing himself.

He made sure no traces of Neo's death aura remained on him.

The group noticed him.

"Lucas!? Why are you injured!?"

Arthur ran up to him.

He supported Lucas and let him sit near the Corner they secured.

"The Shadow attacked while we were on our way to Depth Level 5.

"As you can see, this is the outcome of that."

Lucas pointed at the huge scar on his torso.

"It's enough you came back alive." Arthur looked around. "But where is Neo?"

"…"

Lucas lowered his gaze.

Guilt appeared within his eyes.

"That can't be true. Please, tell me that I'm over imagining things."

Arthur grabbed Lucas' shoulder.

The silence answered everything.

"Is Neo… dead?"

"No."

Arthur's eyes widened.

Before he could say anything, Lucas continued,

"He stayed behind to stop your Shadow and buy us enough time to close the Window."

Multitude of emotions appeared in Arthur's mind.

Relief. Hope. Horror.

Arthur forcefully calmed himself.

He could not lose his calm again.

"I'll rescue Neo."

Arthur quickly made his decision.