Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 79: Getting the Ball Rolling

Chapter 79: Getting the Ball Rolling

By the time the raging storm finally subsided, Klaus was left utterly sore from head to toe. The same was true for Adrian and Seraphim, who looked as if they had glimpsed death and barely returned. The only exception was Briar, who remained unscathed under the protection of the Blackmane Stalker.

Having the power to control and dominate the minds of both people and monsters was indeed convenient. Apparently, one could subjugate a creature of higher rank simply by feeding it their blood. At least, that was what Briar had done to the Awakened Ghoul, in her own words.

It was not like he didn’t believe her but how was that even possible? Were demons seriously that overpowered? He felt like something was missing within her story but couldn’t pinpoint it.

After all, he was unconscious, slowly recovering from the terrible wounds inflicted by the Demonic Purgatory.

Feeling a pang of jealousy, Klaus let out a sigh and scanned the surrounding space. The crimson sea had finally settled, barely reaching the peak of the mountain’s edges. Looking onwards, he could see the eerie reflection of the black-colored sky rippling across the surface of the crimson sea, casting a sinister glow over the ruined battlefield. The raging blood had receded just enough to reveal the uneven remains of several shattered coral pillars, but the air still carried the thick stench of death and burnt flesh.

Certainly, this sunless void was filled with countless mysteries. Where do they even start?

’We would have to survive the night before we can worry about that.’

By some miracle, they had narrowly escaped death’s embrace by a stroke of luck. Or rather, the belly of a Great Sea Serpent. Who knew what other monstrosities lurked in the depths of the crimson sea? This didn’t mean he had suddenly become lucky. In fact, he had been drowning in despair ever since he awakened.

Not that he regretted becoming an Ascendant. Why would he? His life had become considerably better than whatever he had been scraping by with before. But the source of his depression lay elsewhere, within the Divine Name that had been awakened from his Soul.

With a wry smile, he read through the summoned chaos runes displaying the given information.

Soul Name: [Soulless]

Description: [You are a treacherous wanderer, unbound by the Silver Fate. The greatest enemy of the natural order. No path shall be laid before you, and for your defiance, you shall only know endless misfortune.]

His body trembled.

The strength within his legs seemed to disappear, threatening to give out beneath him. A hollow pressure settled in his chest, and an unbearable urge to kneel and scream clawed at his throat. No matter how many times he reread the runes, the fact that he was the universe’s punching bag remained unchanged.

Such a painful truth was undeniable, no matter how much he wanted to delude himself.

Thinking back, it explained everything that had happened so far. The accidental summoning of the demoness, encountering an Awakened Tyrant on his very first day in the Shadow Realm, nearly being killed by an Awakened Ghoul, and, most recently, narrowly escaping death from the crimson tide and the Great Sea Serpent that just so happened to be passing by.

What were the odds of summoning a succubus just by tampering with an old book? What were the chances of being transported straight into the lair of an Awakened Tyrant during one’s First Departure into the Shadow Realm? And what were the likelihoods of encountering a Great Sea Serpent?

All of it. Every disaster, every impossible brush with death...

It was because of him.

Doesn’t this mean he could spread misfortune with every step he took? He was basically a misfortune magnet for crying out loud! Who could blame him for being depressed?!

’So much for a peaceful life...’

With that thought, Klaus glanced at the sky above. That sky that seemed to be covered by something supernatural and unseen.

It was dark, lonely and miserable, just like his future.

Not good. Thinking about his situation further was only dropping his spirits than he needed to.

Sighing, he stared at the crimson sea absentmindedly for a few moments before turning away. Seizing the opportunity, he surveyed the mountain peak beneath his feet.

The coral mound was far larger than his former dwelling, almost akin to a small island. At its highest point, partially concealed behind coral blades, lay the remnants of a small camp. Or at least, what was left of it after the flood of blood had swept through. The seaweed was now dripped with crimson, and the firepit had been completely washed away, leaving behind remnants.

Moving closer, Klaus heard Adrian cursing under his breath. How many times had he done that since they arrived? Nikolaus wondered, a faint wry smile tugging at his lips.

When he reached a comfortable distance, he addressed the blonde Strider with a conversational voice:

"That was really something, huh? I didn’t expect rain, let alone a downpour of blood that would flood the entire terrain."

Adrian looked at him.

"No kidding. And to make things worse, that damn storm blew away the scavenger meat we dried. Tch. What a damn pain in the ass."

The blonde Strider clicked his tongue, prompting Nikolaus to glance at the crimson sea before asking:

"When do you think that... thing will fully recede?"

At his question, the blond scratched the back of his neck.

"Who knows. Maybe a day or two if we’re lucky... or even weeks. That is, if we don’t starve to death first."

"Hey, don’t be so pessimistic. What happened to the carefree guy I know? You should relax a little. You’re too tense."

Adrian’s face darkened.

"T-That... Ugh. You’re right." He let out a heavy breath before continuing. "Ever since I got here, I’ve been on edge. The Shadow Realm is far more dangerous than I ever imagined. No matter how much I trained, it feels insignificant. Now I understand why the academy pushed us to our limits... and even that doesn’t feel like enough."

Klaus nodded.

"I get it. But let’s be honest, no amount of training could have truly prepared us for this place. The academy must have known that and did the best they could to get us ready. So don’t be too hard on yourself."

Then, with a reassuring smile, he promptly added:

"C’mon, let’s set up the place to get your head off things."

Adrian hesitated before exhaling a short laugh.

"Yeah... that sounds good."

As the two of them began gathering supplies, Klaus caught sight of Seraphim. The girl silently opened her palm, and a beautifully designed black bottle materialized in her grasp. Without a word, she tilted the container and let the water spill over her body, washing away the dried blood.

He tilted his head.

"What are you doing? Are you actually using water to wash the blood? Wouldn’t that be a waste?"

Seraphim turned to him with an expressionless look.

"Are you talking about this bottle? It’s just an Nightmare with self-filling water."

Klaus raised a brow, interested.

"A Nightmare, huh? So it refills endlessly?"

She frowned slightly.

"Not endlessly. If you pour it all out, the water stops flowing for about an hour before it refills itself. There’s a noticeable difference between depletion and restoration."

Isn’t that what you would call an endless source of water? Klausthought, staring at the strange, lithe girl.

Even if there was noticeable difference between depletion and restoration, the water within the bottle would naturally restore itself without external interference. In other words, making a water container that automatically refills itself endlessly.

Of course, he didn’t voice his thoughts and instead wore a faint smile.

"I see. That’s a pretty useful Nightmare. Getting drinkable water here is nearly impossible." He paused, then continued, "Where’d you get it? Now that I think about it, is that the only Nightmare you have on you? Surely, that’s not the case."

Seraphim looked strange.

"No. Actually, I have two Nightmares; this bottle and this sword."

Klaus blinked.

"What? Are you serious? You only have two Echoes?

Seraphim gave a silent nod but offered no further explanation. It was a quiet declaration from her end that the conversation had ended. Klaus took the hint and backed off, sensing the shift in atmosphere.

He already had a general idea of why she would possess two Echoes, but he hadn’t expected her to have only two. That was surprising.

Did this mean she didn’t have access to the Luminous Clan’s Arsenal of Weapons? Or had her clan lost all their privileges entirely?

Understandably, the Luminous Clan were deemed traitors, so most likely, as all the members were slain, the clan’s assets would be seized, destroyed, or lost to time, scattered across the hands of opportunists and rival factions. Whatever the case, everything they had once built would be gone along with their downfall.

Thinking about it, that was utterly depressing. No wonder Seraphim didn’t want to talk about that as it would only draw back painful memories.

Let’s forget about that. I don’t want to come out as suspicious.

Not many knew what had truly happened to the Luminous Clan. If he carelessly steered the conversation in that direction and let slip something he wasn’t supposed to know, it would only serve to alarm the girl needlessly.

Moments later, Adrian finished setting up the campsite but refrained from lighting the firepit. While the blonde gazed warily at the crimson sea, clearly concerned that something might emerge if he started a fire, Klaus took the opportunity to sit down on the stony ground.

Seraphim followed suit, and shortly after, Briar joined them. Just like that, they were seated in a circular formation, almost as if they were on a casual camping trip. If only that were the case. If only they weren’t trapped inside the Shadow Realm.

Needless to say, the tamed Stalker wasn’t invited to join them. First of all, its creepy appearance alone was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Secondly, it was an Awakened Hollow and having something like that sit beside them would be far too unnerving, especially for Seraphim and Adrian.

The four of them sat in silence beneath the blackened sky. With the crimson sea of blood surrounding them, none had the appetite to eat. The ever-present tension weighed on them — Anything could happen, and at any moment, something could emerge from the depths of that eerie, bloodstained abyss.

From time to time, they passed the water bottle between them. When they had all taken their turn, the bottle was returned to Seraphim, and the heavy silence resumed, stretching beneath the oppressive shroud of absolute darkness.

At some point, an awkward atmosphere settled over them, mingling with the metallic scent of blood in the air.

Darkness, however, was no hindrance to Nikolaus. Thanks to his [Adaptation], his vision had seamlessly adjusted to the lightless world. He could see everything around him as clearly as he would in broad daylight. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if he were to enter the crimson sea, would he drown like any ordinary person? Or, in some twisted way, would his body adapt to it as well? What was the possibility of him suddenly growing gills in order to adapt to the churning waters?

Following that silly thought, if one could see Klaus within the darkness, they would see that he was smiling. It was a creepy simple, really. Awakening from his reverie, Klaus shook his head.

Soon, he focused his gaze on the surrounding group. Under the cover of the night, Seraphim looked pretty much the same and Adrian still looked a bit down. The demoness, Briar, on the other hand, believing nobody was seeing her, she allowed her true emotions to slip through. Her expression, normally poised with mischief or arrogance, had softened. She looked lost, lonely and more importantly, a little frightened.

For the first time, Klaus witnessed a crack in her defenses — the raw vulnerability of a demoness who had always seemed dominant and fierce.

Now. Now that I think about it, she’s the only demon here among humans. It’s natural for her to feel lonely.

Indeed, that was the reality of her situation. Despite finally having the chance to interact with others, she remained a sheep among wolves. If her true identity were ever uncovered, the two Striders would undoubtedly change their attitudes toward her, becoming more hostile and it wouldn’t be for the better.

But that didn’t mean she was any safer in the demon realm. In fact, every time Klaus brought it up or asked about her origins, she would immediately frown, dodge the question, or, on worse days, ignore him entirely.

From that alone, it was clear that her time in the demon realm had been anything but pleasant. Perhaps something terrible had happened to her there, but he had no way of knowing exactly what.

An outcast in both the demon realm and the human world... What kind of existence was that?

This is my fault, isn’t it? If I hadn’t summoned her, she would still be in the demon realm. But she doesn’t seem to like it there either... Ahhh! I don’t know anymore!

Was he supposed to feel guilty or not? He wasn’t sure, and the uncertainty was beginning to gnaw at him. Truly, he was in a peculiar predicament.

Shaking off his spiraling thoughts and growing increasingly annoyed by the awkward atmosphere by each second, Klaus cleared his throat and decided to break the silence.

"Alright, how about we talk about ourselves so we can understand each other better? If we’re going to survive together, it’s important that we know one another, right? I’ll go first."

Pausing briefly, he then continued,

"As you already know, I’m Nikolaos. But you can call me Klaus."

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