[A/N: Extra chapter for reaching half a million views next extra chapter when we reach 25 reviews!]
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Normally, in the novel, the cohort would stay back on the arch, dismissing their armor to allow the armor to repair itself in the soul sea. But, Of course Asher messed it up!
"WHYY?!?!" He clutched his head yelling loudly as the cohort headed down the arch.
Due to Asher, their memories were never damaged, nor were they too tired. to take a day's rest. He looked at the ladies, his jaw hardened. They were supposed to be half-naked today! In makeshift brassieres for spell's sake!
Asher was supposed to heal his eyes today! Mend them!
He deserved at least this much after everything his eyes had suffered from with abominations.
Instead, he found himself tugging at his hair in despair.
"Hey, Ash—"
Effie barely got a word out before Asher whirled on her and blurted: "You supposed to be half-naked!"
"..."
"..."
Asher's face turned tomato-red.
Effie blinked once. Then her grin spread like wildfire.
Sunny, halfway down the rope, froze. "How bold…" he muttered, half in awe, half in horror. Against his will, he felt a flicker of respect for Asher.
"Hey listen cutie..." Effie said sweetly, her voice loud enough for the others to hear "I get that you want to see me naked and all... But there is a time and place for everything."
Asher's face turned completely deadpan, though the blush was very visible on his porcelain skin. He pointed at Sunny.
"Actually, it was Sunny who wanted to see you naked, ask him yourself."
Sunny almost let go of the rope. No—he did let go, then caught it again at the last second!
Sunny slipped. Actually slipped. He barely caught the rope before glaring up with murder in his eyes. Had he actually respected this bastard a moment ago? He was taking it back. All of it!
"Did you?" Effie asked him as he looked at her, gulping. He tried to hold it in but it was no use...
"Yes..."
Before Asher could see the conclusion of that scenario, he jumped down, his coat and gravity considerably slowing his fall. In fact, he simply had a sleeping position in the air as he kept up with the cohort going down the rope.
Well, he and Kai, who looked at him with intrigue.
That was when he spotted Sunny—sporting a small swelling on his cheek. Asher's lips curved into an involuntary grin.
Sunny did not appreciate the grin. Not one bit. In fact, he wanted to smash it off his face. Summoning The ordinary rock, Sunny augmented it with his shadow
and hurled it square at Asher's head.
"Take that, bastard," Sunny muttered, smirking.
But the smirk died the moment he saw Asher still grinning.
"Let me tell you something Sunny," He began to laugh crookedly, making the charming archer next to him flinch. "I am some who weaponizes shamelessness! You think throwing some rock on me will knock me down a peg?"
A vein pulsed on Sunny's temple. He wanted blood. But hanging on a rope, all he could do was keep pelting Asher with rocks and the occasional Midnight Shard.
Sadly, he could do nothing but chuck rocks and swords while on the rope.
Nephis looked at the two with a grimace. Out of everyone in the dark city, she had to pay the most attention to these two.
The very two that were acting like children, casually romping each other with stones and women.
Yet, Nephis took them seriously.
'What has life come to..'
***
…Just like that, six more days passed by.
Asher heaved heavily, a sense of awe washing over him as he looked front.
In front of them, the ground was shattered, creating a titanic fracture. The canyon was so deep and vast that Sunny had to strain his eyes to see the other side of it. Crimson coral clung to its walls, spilling over the edge like a torrent of blood.
A long time ago, a graceful bridge of white stone connected the two sides of the canyon together. Now, however, it was broken, with only its base remaining in place.
However, Asher attention was elsewhere.
All his attention was drawn to the remnants of the stone bridge, where...
Stood another giant statue.
Right above the weathered ruins stood a colossal stone warrior. He was clad in an archaic cuirass, with a beautiful spear resting on his shoulder. The warrior was facing south, as though greeting the travelers who traveled on the road to reach the ancient city.
…Of course, his head was missing.
More than that, the whole statue was covered in vast sheets of dull grey spiderweb, as if dressed in a solemn burial shroud.
Asher scanned the cohort, seeing Sunny and Effie talking to each other about the webs. Asher could help but eavesdrop into their conversation.
"...You've seen a PTV before, right? PTV stands for a "personal transport vehicle", as you know. I hope. Well, a tank is sort of like that, only much bigger and heavier, with thick armor and a kinetic..."
Asher frowned. Why were they talking about tanks?
He turned to Nephis, who was looking at the distant statue.
"What's on your mind?" he asked, hoping for idle chatter.
Nephis seemed to wake up from a trance, turning her head to Asher.
"Oh, nothing. I was hoping for a bath after we reach the statue."
Asher closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Where will you take the bath exactly? As far as I can see, the place looks relatively open, is it not?"
Nephis shrugged, "I don't know. We'll see. But this the topic really necessary?"
Asher coughed, "Right..."
That when Sunny voiced, "There's a nest ahead. We will have to destroy it to access the statue. Lots of spiders... some bigger ones, too."
She gave him a nod and turned to face the others.
"We need to clear the nest and climb the statue before the sun sets. Prepare for battle..."