'Haagh, fuck, fuck, FUCK.' Ray was breathing heavily as he climbed the massive wall, below him, many of his new 'friends' were constantly releasing their poisonous mist.
The only way, he held on till now, was because of his Aspect, never before was he so happy about it. His essence dwindled rapidly, but moments before it could run dry, he reached the top of the wall.
"Fuuuuck, that was too close. Who knew, those fuckers would keep a grudge so easily. And who told them to have such a ridiculous range with their damn poison mist," even Ray lost his composure for a moment, when he was finally safe, and able to release his frustration.
At one point, more and more of these Reapers appeared. At first with at most two, maximum three, Ray was able to slay a few, but it seemed as if he walked directly into their nest, as he was soon surrounded by more than ten of them.
The only solution?
Running for his life.
And that he did. Ray first got out of the encounter with help of his Aspect ability, afterwards he just ran all the way back to the wall. He didn't even have much time to summon his trusted multi tool, [Oblivion's Thread], as he immediately needed to climb. Luckily, after a few seconds it materialized as an ice pickle, making the climb way faster.
His [Stormpiercer]?
That, he unsummoned, the moment he reached the wall. At that moment, it wasn't a matter of fighting anymore and only escape.
Still laying there, sprawled out on the wall, Ray couldn't help but laugh, to others it could've even sounded manically, but he didn't care.
This whole experience was unexpected, but somehow, now that Ray was safe again, he felt better than ever before. It was as if a rush went through his body, making him feel completely alive.
It felt so good.
So liberating.
Regardless, today's hunt was very rewarding. Ray looked at his backpack, that stood to the side, leaning on the wall. Small lights seemed to shimmer through.
He sat up and looked inside, admiring his haul with a big smile on his face. In front of him was a completely filled backpack filled with Soul Shards.
It was a miracle, or maybe just a coincidence. Just as he was able to fill the backpack to the brim, the encounter with the ten of those things happened. But Ray wouldn't think about arguing about this. He was elated.
Not only did he gain a massive amount of Soul Shards, no. He also received two memories today. Two.
Ray was nearly moved to tears when he saw the notifications. He was almost completely sure, that he super unlucky when it came to memories, seeing how he hadn't received a single one of them till now.
But no, today, he finally received not just one, but two.
He immediately looked for the guards' cabin, to feel completely safe. Once inside, Ray directly sat down, leaning on the wall like always, and used most of the soul shards. He kept some in store, as Effie told him, that inside the Castle, if he ever were to enter it, there was a memory store, that required Soul Shards as payment.
The usual announcement,
[Your presence becomes firmer],
Was nearly zoned out by Ray at this point.
Once this was done, he couldn't contain his interest anymore and dove directly into his soul sea.
Inside, everything was as he was used to, the only changes being that new spheres of light floated next to his Soul core, or as his runes called it, the Fade Core.
Ray immediately summoned the new memories down. Two spheres now circled around him, as he tried to see what was inside. Looking at them, one seemed to be knifes, but on a smaller scale, and the other looked like… a belt?
In the next moment, he looked at the runes with the information about them.
[Stalker's Spines]
Memory Rank: Awakened
Memory Tier: Third Tier
Memory Type: Utility
Memory Description:
A segmented belt adorned with sleek, serrated spines belonging to a treacherous demon hidden in the deep dark sea. The spines twitch faintly, as though sensing prey, and seem to blend into the darkness when not in motion. The belt emanates a faint, almost imperceptible aura of dread, as if whispering the presence of an unseen predator.
Memory Enchantments:
- [Venomous Requiem] – A spine can be detached and thrown like a dagger. Upon piercing flesh, the spine liquefies into a potent neurotoxin, spreading through the target's bloodstream. The venom slows reaction speed and weakens muscle control, growing more severe with each successful hit. More essence can be spent to increase the toxin's potency.
- [Hunger of the Abyss] – When activated, the spines lengthen and extend along the wearer's limbs, forming jagged claws. These claws are razor-sharp and coated with a paralytic venom. Each successful strike leaves a lingering essence wound, making it harder for the victim to recover naturally. This ability has a cooldown but can be maintained for an extended duration.
[Reaper's Whispers]
Memory Rank: Awakened
Memory Tier: Third tier
Memory Type: Weapon
Memory Description:
These sinister throwing knives are forged from the remains of a demon hidden in the depths of a dark sea, their edges pulsing with a faint, malevolent hum. Each blade is wreathed in a shifting, ink-black mist that carries the essence of the Reaper itself.
Memory Enchantments:
- Phantom Strike – The knives momentarily phase out of existence when thrown, bypassing obstacles and armor before rematerializing near their intended target. The wielder's intent subtly guides their trajectory, making them unnervingly accurate.
- Corrosion's Caress – The venom coating these blades is a supernatural toxin that not only poisons the victim but also corrodes flesh, armor, and even some magical protections. The wounds inflicted continue to degrade over time unless purged by strong healing or purification.
- Reaper's Toll – Each successful strike subtly siphons the target's vitality, transferring a fraction of their strength and resilience to the wielder for a short duration. Against weakened or dying foes, the effect is amplified, accelerating their demise.
After checking the two memories, Ray was quite satisfied. Before leaving his soul sea, he threw a quick glance over to the counter of his Fading Fragments.
Fading Fragments: 164/1000
The counter grew steadily.
Sadly, the escapades today took quite some time, he was only able to kill seven of those Reapers, before he had to run. Over all Ray was still very satisfied with his current growth rate.
This just proved, no matter how strong he may be, he was definitely not yet saturated with essence, making the dream of hunting some of the weaker fallen nightmare creatures a far dream.
Being content with the current situation, Ray started to drift away, towards the gathered memories once more.
This night, though, he was jolted awake by a lingering presence.
'That bastard is seriously persistent,' Ray cursed in his mind, not wanting to draw even more attention to his presence.
He knew though, in the back of his mind, he knew, that thing would probably continue to follow him, for as long as he was on, or close to the walls, making his hunts just that more difficult. As if they were not already hard enough.
He had to stay up to monitor the presence. While Ray wouldn't know it's exact location, the presence it radiated, was for now, more than enough. Sometimes over the night, he felt it a mere dozen meters away from him, which in turn meant, it also knew he was close.
The unnerving night was long, and arduous for Ray. In the morning, he was thoroughly bathed in sweat.
He didn't show many signs of getting up, to hunt in this region again. Ray was more than sure; this region would be completely empty for the next days.
The Tideborn Reapers he hunted here were Awakened Demons, not mere Beasts or Monsters, meaning they had at least some level of intelligence, not yet refined, but still there.
The only usable option he saw, was to continue to run further, kind of like playing cat and mouse with it. But the problem with that was, that he didn't know if he could make a round trip in the two weeks.
The city was big, but not gigantic. Compared to the NQSC, where he grew up in, it was actually kind of small. That didn't change the way it was though, he wouldn't be running the whole time after all, and even with the hunts added to the equation, Ray still needed a minimum amount of rest.
Otherwise, no matter how much he had trained before coming here, it would all be useless.
Technically, Ray could also just switch side over and over again. Meaning, one day he would hunt in the north, another in the south. But even this held its risks. Ray was sure of it, that bastard could do something to him on the walls, if he were to behave so simple.
He needed to decide today.
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Oh, and with the Vote coming to an end today. The Winner should be Morgan.
She had slightly more votes, but even with a tie she would have won, As she was an actual Option.
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