Chapter 1208 Newcomer

Chapter 1208 Newcomer

Instantly, all three of them — Sunny, Jet, and Seishan — were on guard. Jet readied her glaive, while Sunny gripped the hilt of the Sin of Solace tighter. Seishan, meanwhile, lowered her hands slightly, as if preparing to defend herself with bare fists.

The cursed sword whispered into Sunny's ear:

"Use them as a shield... take a step back, and let whatever comes feast on their flesh first..."

Sunny struggled to ignore it.

Before, he had not dared to send his shadows outside to keep an eye on the desert — with how dreadful the creatures populating it at night were, many of them were bound to possess means of destroying intangible things. Sunny did not want to risk one of his shadows being obliterated.

But now, he regretted that decision.

As his expression hardened, streams of sand fell from above, and then, someone jumped softly on the stone plates of the chamber's floor.

Sunny felt immense relief. It was a human...

Jet remained on guard, but Seishan seemed to relax. She straightened slightly and let out a soft sight, her exquisitely beautiful face illuminated by a pale smile.

"Ascended Xu... you have survived, as well."

They were safe. The newcomer was not a terrifying Nightmare Creature — it was a survivor like the three of them. One of the Masters of Clan Song.

The man groaned slightly, then shielded his eyes from the bright light of the luminous Memory. His hand trembled slightly.

"Lady... Lady Song?"

Looking at him, Sunny suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

A sense of fear like he had never experienced before wrapped its fingers around his heart.

He almost staggered back, but forced himself to remain in place, wearing the same expression as before.

'W—what... the hell...'

Sunny stared at the newcomer.

The man was tall and muscular. His black hair was cut short, revealing a strong, handsome face. His eyes were like two pools of darkness, and there was a strained smile on his cracked lips.

Ascended Xu wielded no weapons and wore no armor. He was dressed in a dark-red bodysuit, which was torn, revealing ugly lacerations and bruises covering his body.

...It was, without a doubt, the dead man whose eyes Sunny had closed just a few hours ago.

Sunny shivered, and even the blurry figure of the Sin of Solace who stood beside him suddenly seemed wary.

Seishan took a deep breath.

Then, Sunny sent a message to Seishan.

[That is not Ascended Xu. Think of an answer, and I will hear it.]

The beautiful woman did not show any sign of surprise as her answer resounded in his mind:

[What are you talking about? I know this man. He and I grew up together... wait. Did the son of Anvil take his body?]

'Gods. I never thought I would say something like that... but I wish it really was Mordret...'

Sunny summoned the runes, seeking the prize he had received for slaying Dire Fang.

[No. Something else took his body. His dead body. Something old, vast... and powerful. I saw the corpse on the way to the ruin.]

The creature, meanwhile, seemed a little disappointed. Its smile grew bleak.

"Of course. We will stick together... and search for more people. Once the morning comes. Yes?"

Sunny stared at a particular string of runes, and then offered the Endless Spring to the corpse of Ascended Su. Forcing out a smile, he said:

"That sounds like a plan. Here... some water. You must be dying of thirst."

The creature accepted the glass bottle with an awkward nod.

"Yes. Yes... I am thirsty..."

Sunny smiled as he watched it bring the bottle to the corpse's lips.

Then, without changing expression, he silently thrust the Sin of Solace into the creature's chest.

At the same time, a blade made of darkness appeared from behind, piercing the dead man's back. Saint escaped from the shadows, her eyes burning with crimson flames.

A whirlwind of white sparks rose around Sunny, almost filling the entire chamber.

Jet and Seishan were already moving, too.

The creature looked at the Endless Spring, which was disappearing from the corpse's hand, and titled its head a little.

"Yes... I am thirsty..."

Its smile widened into a grin, and Ascended Xu's face was distorted by that grin, turning into a wicked parody of what a human face was supposed to look like.

The corpse's hands shot up with impossible speed, grabbing the blades of Sunny's and Saint's swords. The pristine white jade of the Sin of Solace seemed to warp under immense pressure.

Sunny suddenly felt cold.

'Not good...'