66. Nephis
"Chris, can we talk for a moment?"
After finishing her strategy session with her new companions including me and Cas—Neph walked over to me.
"I can… Is something wrong?" I asked, puzzled by her sudden, serious tone. I tried to recall if anything had happened recently, but nothing came to mind. We'd both been caught up in our own affairs, only crossing paths when she needed my help with a hunt, or when we happened to be heading out at the same time.
With her leading the way, we slowly left our base and made our way down the road, passing shelter after shelter, some bustling with noise, others eerily deserted without exchanging a word.
Eventually, we reached the edge of the slums, where the only sound was the echo of our own footsteps. I activated my detection, and, as expected, there wasn't a single soul within a hundred meters of us.
Despite always being clad in armor, it was undeniable that she possessed a beauty—one distinct from Cassie's, though equally striking.
"This is the place where I last talked with Sunny," she murmured, her gaze fixed on the horizon, where the gargantuan crimson spire pierced the sky.
It was the most iconic landmark in these so-called Forgotten Shores—more recognizable than the stone statue, more majestic than the Bright Castle. To the citizens of the Dark City, it was believed to be the origin of the Cursed Herald—the very creature that had taken my left hand. That was why they called it the Spire Messenger.
The point is…
Why was she suddenly bringing this up? A… love consultation?
"I think if there's a gateway out of this cursed place, it has to be there," she said with conviction—despite having no concrete information to back it up.
"Mhm," I nodded in agreement. "It does look like the kind of place where a final boss would make their stand."
"Given how much time has passed… it's about time for you to leave us, isn't it?" Neph asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yeah," I nodded again. "I'll be leaving this place in two days."
"It's possible to postpone that—at least until we reach that place," Neph said, turning to me. As usual, her face was unreadable, but this time her voice lacked its usual confident edge. It almost sounded like… she was pleading.
"I'm sorry, it's not something I can control," I replied, shaking my head. Still, the thought lingered. Is there a way? I had never actually tried before. But it might be possible with points.
"I see… I expected as much," she said, her expression unchanged, as if my answer had been no surprise. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "Aren't you curious about what I talked about with Sunny?"
I scratched the back of my head without thinking. "Well… it'd be a lie to say I wasn't curious. But it's not really my place to get involved—especially when I'm leaving halfway through like this."
"It's about my plan." Neph's gaze drifted back to the Crimson Spire. "From the information I've gathered, the number of dormant people who enter the Forgotten Shores or make it to the Bright Castle has been decreasing every year. There were more than a hundred at first, but the numbers have been slowly dwindling. And this year… including you, there are only five."
"If my hypothesis is correct, we're likely the last," she said quietly. "No new dormant will reach the Bright Castle from now on—at least not until we all disappear, and then maybe a new batch will start from zero. That's why we're at the last straw. It's now or never."
I already had the same information she did. In fact, I'd come to the same conclusion when I first learned of it, so I understood exactly where she was coming from.
"You see, there's something I have to do—something I must accomplish." Her voice deepened, filled with unwavering determination. Her eyes seemed to blaze with an inner fire, radiating a light that wouldn't extinguish until it reached its goal.
"To achieve that, I can't afford to be stuck here. I'll do whatever it takes to escape this place."
"So that's why you played the Savior?" Her words suddenly connected all the dots in my mind—her actions, her demeanor, and now her confession.
"Yes," she confirmed. "It wasn't a lie when I said I would lead them out of this place. But I also knew fewer than half of them would actually make it out. It's a technique I learned from Sunny."
"There will be hundreds of lives lost along the way, then he called me insane," she said flatly. "I needed your help too—that's why I tried to quicken the pace. But it's impossible. We're not even halfway ready."
"The world isn't soft or gentle enough to make everyone happy. I won't condemn your choice—no one has that right. But be cautious; there will come a time when someone will step on you to get what they want." I nodded in agreement and gave a slight warning.
"I've already experienced that firsthand," she muttered quietly.
I caught only a glimpse of it, but one thing stuck in my mind—Neph was this kind of person. So why had she taken the time to tell me all this, especially after I said I was leaving?
"What do you want?" I asked, sensing there was a hidden agenda behind her words.
"Hehe," she chuckled—a rare sound coming from Neph. "You know, even if I get out of this place, it'll still be a long time before I can achieve my wish, my desire. I've already accepted that the journey will be long. But somewhere along the way, I saw something that could change everything."
She looked at me earnestly. "Chris, the power you used to destroy the Soul Devouring Tree—would you be willing to teach me?"
I thought, if I asked her to grovel and lick my feet, she might just do it.
Dangerous? Impossible?
"I…" I hesitated, unsure how to respond to her request. Finally, I said, "It's not something we should mess with. Look at what I became after using it."
"You recovered in a day," she countered. "If I could accomplish my wish, I'd even be willing to give years of my life."
Wait… now that she mentioned it, I did recover in just a day. Is that a valid trump card?
"NO! I paid most of the price!" Uriel suddenly interjected in her true voice, and I felt another pounding headache hit me.
"Haa," I sighed, brushing aside the unnecessary noise. "I think you've heard me mention talking with an angel before—whether from Cassie, Sunny, or just me mumbling to myself. The one who destroyed that tree was that being borrowing my body."
"In the worst case, you could lose both your life and your body without achieving anything. Are you really going to rely on this kind of power? Besides, it's impossible."
"Suu Haa. impossible…" Neph took several deep breaths, gradually regaining her composure. "I guess you're right. Thank you for indulging my selfishness. I suppose I have to endure the long run, no matter what. Also, talk to Cas and Sunny before you leave," she said, then turned and left me standing there alone.
Somehow, her back seemed firmer than ever—like iron hammered and tempered—stronger than before.