Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 53: Strength Of Might

Chapter 53: Strength Of Might

After Vespera left the infirmary, Klaus continued to look after the unconscious Seraphim. The nurse had assured him that her condition had stabilized, but she still needed plenty of rest.

Her injuries had been healed, so she wasn’t in any physical danger. However, her mental state was another matter entirely. Advanced clerics could mend the body, but the mind was far more complicated. There was no telling what kind of psychological damage she might have suffered. Still, Klaus remained confident that she would recover smoothly.

... ...Or else, he might actually be charged with murder. He was too young to go to prison.

Shaking his head, Klaus pushed the thought away. But there was something else that made him frown.

The nurse said someone would take her place here due to her supposed meeting with the directing board but so far I haven’t seen anyone.

Why hasn’t anyone come yet? And how much longer must I wait?

As he pondered so, his gaze drifted to the still-sleeping Seraphim’s face. Despite being dressed in the standard hospital gown, she hardly looked like someone who had been injured or critical condition. Instead, she appeared as if she were merely taking a long, peaceful nap.

... Perhaps I could wait a little longer.

Klaus let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

The infirmary was silent aside from the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall and the faint rustling of the curtains as a breeze passed through the slightly open window. Certainly, the atmosphere in the infirmary was unique; it was soft, pleasant and furthermore, comfortable.

Sitting next to Seraphim sleeping on the bed, Klaus dozed off at some point.

"....Mm."

When Klaus awakened from his slumber and looked outside the window, the sky above has already taken a deep shade of indigo, with the first stars beginning to twinkle in the night sky.

Without a doubt, this was the night time of a giant construct floating above the Pacific Ocean.

"What’s up... It looks like I slept for quite a while."

Klaus scratched his cheek, then glanced around and noticed he was still alone with the sleeping Seraphim. He had expected someone to arrive by now — at least a junior cleric to oversee Seraphim’s condition — but still, no one came.

Were they running late? He wondered. Considering that Vespera had promised to inform the instructors, he was surprised that not even a single staff member had shown up. It was possible that they had arrived and left while he was asleep, but he doubted it. He hadn’t sensed any movement, nor was there any lingering trace of another presence in the room.

At this rate, he began to wonder if anyone would actually come. He wanted to stay longer, but he couldn’t, not with the succubus currently residing in his room. Who knew what kind of trouble she might cause if left unattended? The thought alone sent a headache creeping in. It was like looking after a troublesome pet... or perhaps a mischievous black cat.

He sighed.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t stay with you any longer. I hope you can forgive me for breaking your face. Wait, is that the right way to word an apology? Damnit... That sounds even worse."

Klaus ran a hand through his hair, exhaling in frustration. He glanced at Seraphim’s peaceful expression, half-expecting her to wake up and scold him for his poor choice of words. But she remained still, lost in slumber.

"...Yeah, I should probably just leave before I embarrass myself any further."

With one last glance at her sleeping form, Klaus rose from his chair, stretched his arms, and turned toward the door.

Once he exited the infirmary, Klaus locked the door with the key Vespera had given him and slipped it into his pocket before leaving. However, as soon as he disappeared down the hallway, the door quietly creaked open. A mysterious figure — not the nurse, but someone Klaus knew — stepped inside, using a key of their own.

Unaware of this intrusion, Klaus made his way toward the combat classroom instead of returning to his dorm. Since it was late at night, he assumed most Aspirants would already be asleep. Upon entering, he glanced around and let out a quiet sigh of relief when he found the room empty. It would have been troublesome if Instructor Kai had caught him lingering here, especially after what had happened earlier.

Shaking off the thought, he turned his gaze toward the arena. The events that had transpired there replayed in his mind.

As expected, many Striders are monsters with their own uniqueness.

Of course, the ones he referred to were the top-ranked Striders. The others were certainly competent, but compared to the top five, they felt... unremarkable and outmatched.

How exactly did he compare to those extraordinary individuals from the Great Families and Clans?

Naturally, in terms of ability, he lacked any overwhelming, godlike power like the ability to summon flames with a flick of his fingers or bend objects to his will with mere thought. Even so, he wasn’t entirely without his own strengths.

If nothing else, his physical prowess was undeniable. In fact, it was the only area where he could confidently claim superiority with a full chest.

Speaking of physical prowess...

Let’s put it to the test.

With a thought, Klaus summoned the Chaos Runes.

At last, he had the opportunity to wield his Nightmare.

Nightmare: [Fang of Wrath, Bloodwulf]

Nightmare Type: [Gauntlets]

Description: [A lingering ember of wrath from a once-proud Sovereign. Betrayed and slain, its body was severed, its remains scattered across the world. However, even in death, its fury never faded. The Sovereign’s consciousness still festers within its flesh, continuously seething with unrelenting rage. When all fragments are reclaimed, its true power shall awaken once more.]

[A unique Nightmare of unparalleled rarity, found only within the depths of Chaos. It is irrevocably bound to its host, unable to be sold or severed from the Soul.]

’What a strange Echo? What is this about a Fallen Sovereign? Also, where is the rank for this Echo? Aren’t all Echoes supposed to have a Echo of some kind?’

This was his first time possessing such a strange Nightmare. In fact, it was his first time possessing a Nightmare at all. He had even asked Briar about it, but she merely shrugged, claiming it wasn’t unusual for someone who had survived a Nightmare Trial to acquire one.

Apparently, obtaining a Nightmare from a Nightmare Trial was common for both humans and demons. This was why those who overcame their Nightmare Trials held an edge over those who didn’t. However, acquiring an Nightmare with an unknown rank was completely unheard of.

Even stranger was Briar’s reaction when he mentioned the word ’Sovereign’. He remembered it vividly; the way her eyes widened in both shock and terror before she hastily made him swear not to reveal his Echo to anyone. Yet, she refused to explain why.

Who were these so-called Sovereigns, and why did the mere mention of them invoke such fear? Were they even more powerful than the Emperor?

No, that couldn’t be possible... right? That was far too absurd.

I wish I could have gotten more information out of Briar, but she remains adamant about keeping silent. And to make matters worse, I can’t even force her to speak using the Master and Servant Contract.

Remembering this, Klaus clicked his tongue irritatedly.

The Master and Servant Contract was structured in a way that prevented the Master from issuing completely unreasonable orders, allowing the Servant to refuse as long as the Master’s life was not in immediate danger. This meant his Command Runes were utterly useless in this case, as Briar exerted all her strength to resist his command. Faced with such opposition, he had no choice but to back down, fearing that any further pressure, and something within the Succubus might have shattered.

No matter what, it seemed extracting information regarding this matter was impossible.

Geez. What’s with that succubus anyway? Ugh. I guess I’ll ask her about it sometime later.

With a sigh, he summoned the nightmare. A black substance, darker and thicker than blood, erupted from his skin, writhing like a living thing before coiling around his hand, taking shape. The seething mass solidified into jagged, obsidian gauntlets shaped like the gaping maw of a beast. The armor was impossibly dense, as if forged from the strongest material, yet it felt incredibly weightless.

If his mind and eyes didn’t know better, he would have thought he wasn’t wearing anything at all.

Klaus threw a few jabs with the obsidian gauntlets, slicing through the air with fierce punches. As he suspected, they were light and did not hinder his movements in the slightest and yet at the same time, each strike carried a devastating weight behind them.

More importantly, they made no sound when he swung his fists. A weapon built for those who fought with relentless aggression and absolute dominance!

In such a situation, he couldn’t help but smile. His striking power was already measured to be [50], but what would happen if he threw a power with these gaunlets? He felt like he could crush a skull or two with a single punch.

’The Sovereign’s consciousness still festers within its flesh, continuously seething with unrelenting rage’. Does this mean that gaunlets are alive?’

Wouldn’t that make it a Living Shard? He wondered if such a thing had ever been recorded, but he was far more curious about the effects of a rankless Nightmare.

Feeling a surge of excitement, Klaus stepped toward the measuring machine. Without hesitation, he hurled his gauntlet-covered fist at the target. A deafening impact rang out, followed by the painful screech of metal bending. The machine trembled violently, as if on the verge of breaking apart, before finally managing to stabilize.

A number appeared on the display.

No, not a single number.

Scratch that, it wasn’t even a double-digit number.

It was one hundred.

A freaking one hundred.

Klaus blinked and swallowed, staring at the displayed result in shock as if those numbers were out of this world. For a fleeting moment, he began to question reality.

His reaction was completely understandable; after all, his previous record had just been doubled. If anyone else had been present, they would have pointed at him and called him a monster!

That was how ridiculously absurd this entire scene was!

His shoulders trembled uncontrollably before a wide grin slowly spread across his face. This was undoubtedly incredible! He truly understood the situation. This meant he could deal with any Hollow below the Awakened rank, which gave him a tremendous advantage against all kinds of shrouded monsters!

Even though he doesn’t know how strong Hollows really were, he was sure of it.

This was certainly a great weapon against the Shadow Realm! The sheer excitement bubbling within him made him want to embark on a grand adventure, conquering the unknown depths with his trusty gauntlets.

Let’s calm down. It would be troublesome if I got ahead of myself. But still, this is incredible. I wonder how my purchased sword would fare against these gauntlets.

"Hehehe!"

Completely consumed by his excitement, Klaus dismissed the Fang of Wrath and practically bounced back to his dormitory room, leaving behind the ruined measuring machine which seemed to spit out curses in form of sparks.