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Despite the lighthearted tone of the saint's oh so not polite words, none of them felt at ease. In fact they had just grown more tense and worried, worried that they might have just lost their only sure shot means of escape from this never-ending nightmare.
Even leaving the escape plan behind, they still messed up. Because now no one knew what immediate intentions this unknown saint had. This awakened could snuff out their lives on a whim.
There was complete silence. No one dared to move a muscle. All of them waited for this being's next action.
The cohort flinched as the sound of laughter rang in the air.
'This lunatic is... laughing?'
Sunny's grip on his sword tightened.
Cassie looked in the direction where the laughter was coming from contemplating.
'Should I... risk it?'
Before she could come with a decision a sudden chill spread across the vicinity making it harder to breathe.
Something rose from the saint's shadow.
'A.... pony?'
'Even he has gone down a rank... But that won't pose a problem against that tree.'
"Seems like you gotta kill someone... again."
The horse looked towards the saint and snorted.
Neighing it took off at frightening speed.
'An echo? He sent it to kill someone... and what does he mean by again?'
'Was that.... a shadow?'
"That would add another one who I have killed twice. First solvane and now that damned tree."
A sinister smile spread across his face.
"Gods... I can kill all of them again."
It was getting harder to breathe. Cassie finally made up her mind and hesitantly spoke breaking the tension.
"Ca- can you help us?"
Her voice brought the saint back from his murderous thoughts. The pressure from earlier was gone making breathing easier again.
'Oh right... they're here... That gaze tells all too well about your condition Cas... I guess she was quiet stressed back then too. Afterall, you were the only one who knew.'
"Help you? What do you mean exactly?"
"We need you to defeat the fallen terror in the spire."
"Hmm... and what's in it for me?"
'Stressed or not I need to make this worthwile. If this is anything like a nightmare then there's no way it'd be to just change what happened in the spire. I'll have to change fate... and keep it that way. For that I need to get stronger.'
"You will get hundreds of awakened on your side."
"As tempting as it sounds I'd like something else... from you."
The saint said gesturing towards Sunless.
"....Me? What do you want from me?"
'I've got a bad feeling about this'
"Just a reward you're going to get due to my help. Oh but don't worry you'll get plenty of other things in exchange as well. Do we have a deal?"
'He could get it on his own but I'm going to speed things up.'
"Do I have a choice?"
'This... feels like I'm being swindled.'
"Absolutely not."
"Then... sure."
Sunny said with a forced smile
'I hate this dude.'
The cohort watched them with increasing curiousity as they conversed. Just what could a saint want from a dreamer. They racked their minds forming theories. But because they didn't know much about what Sunny had in the first place, since there was a big gap in which Sunny hadn't been with them, most of their theories were vague. Even Caster looked at Sunny suspiciously, coming to the conclusion that he was hiding a trump card so valuable, that even a Saint had his eyes set on it.
"And one more thing. You would need to stay in hiding."
The saint said getting up.
"What do you mean stay in hiding?"
"Exactly what I said. You will not be shown in the list of survivors, and nor will you ever show your face in the spotlight. Under no circumstances you are to do some heroic shit and become the most famous person in 2 worlds."
"Al... Alright. That aside my dream pod is in the academy... or wherever they would have moved it to. So I would be monitered as soon as I wake up."
'I wasn't exactly planning to become something as stupid as a hero anyway. But he said to not show my face... I guess wearing a mask would be fine.'
"That'll be taken care of. Now you snow white. You gotta break the news to everyone in the dark city and the bright castle, and give them an awe aspiring speech."
Effie burst out laughing while Nephis glanced around confused as to whom he had assigned the duty to. She froze when she realized everyone was looking at her.
"Sn- snow white? Me?"
"The rest of you make enough preparations to make them think you are going to fight the terror... and reasonably win."
The saint said deliberately ignoring Nephis.
'So he doesn't want to reveal himself. That's what they should be thinking by now. This will make them think they have somewhat of a high ground against me. And since I can still use the government to spread her propaganda once she escapes, it'll increase her fame for her future domain.... incase this goes on for that long.'
"Sounds like a plan?"
Everyone nods in unison.
Kai suddenly spoke voicing his doubts.
"Sorry if I come out as rude but... are you sure you can defeat a fallen terror?... Alone at that."
"Absolutely sure. Compared to the time I defeated a fallen titan in one blow as a master, this is going to be nothing."
"...Why am I getting a sense of deja vú?"
Kai muttered under his breath as he stumbled backwards causing the saint to snicker.
'It never gets old. Ah.... hold up... I got some cursed level achievements...'
A devious idea began to formulate in his evil mind making him chuckle ominously.
Kai suddenly felt a bad premonition. He did not like that laugh at all.
"So can we hurry back now? We can reach the outskirts of the dark city if we leave now. It would be best to rest once we're in safe grounds... As safe as we can get here that is."
"It would take some time for the preparations as well as announcing to the sleepers that they were going to against the terror present in the spire. Gunlaug won't remain silent on this matter either."
Since the deal between them only concerned Sunny, they weren't sure if he would go out of his way to help them.
"That won't work. We're going to raid the crimson spire tomorrow. And to make the act convincing just flex your transcendent memories so even Gunlaug will be wary of you."
"But we don't have any."
"Yet."
Effie's eyes glinted as she smiled mischievously.
"Now we're talking business."
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