Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 86: True Strength

Chapter 86: True Strength

Upon hearing a familiar voice, everyone turned their heads at once toward the source.

As expected, standing there was the blonde Strider emerging from the path where he had led the two Carapaces, waving at them. However, something was off. He was limping on one leg and used a branch as support. Upon closer inspection, there was a deep gash running down his calf and dark blood seeped into the fabric of his pants from the fresh wound.

What the hell happened back there? Klaus wondered worriedly.

Witnessing his current state, Seraphim narrowed her eyes. She expressionlessly raised a question:

"What happened to you?"

Momentarily glanced at his injured leg, Adrian chuckled dryly, as if only now acknowledging the wound.

"Ah, this?" He tapped the makeshift crutch against the ground. "Well, turns out two Nightmarish Carapaces are a bit harder to shake off than I thought."

Klaus rubbed his temple.

"Dude, you had only one job. Just lure them away. Not get yourself torn up in the process."

Adrian grinned despite his injury.

"Yeah, yeah. I did my job. But those bastards were faster than expected. One of them managed to nick me before I lost them. I had to get creative after that."

Seraphim’s gaze dropped to the wound again.

"You’re still bleeding."

Adrian waved his hand dismissively.

"Nothing a little patchwork won’t fix. You don’t have to worry."

Disregarding his words, Seraphim moved towards him and then instructed with a flat voice:

"Sit."

The blonde Strider opened his mouth several times like he wanted to say something but soon closed it and obediently nodded.

Klaus blinked.

That was really all it took? While inwardly thinking that, he watched as Seraphim stretched her hand towards Adrian’s wounded leg as he sat down on something reddish, perhaps the base of a broken crimson tree.

At that moment, a white, flame-like light enveloped his leg, and the injury began to heal slowly.

His eyes widened in surprise.

This was the healing effect of the light attribute.

Witnessing such a rare sight, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of shock, amazement, and, more importantly, curiosity.

Looking closer, Seraphim’s expression, though unreadable, seemed slightly pained. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but her brows were definitely furrowed, as though she were experiencing a sharp, throbbing pain.

Was healing not her specialty? Or was there a hidden cost to wielding the light attribute in this way?

Klaus frowned, watching her carefully. If this process was causing her pain, then why was she doing it without hesitation?

Meanwhile, the Blackmane Stalker stood a few paces away beside Briar, watching the scene unfold with an unreadable expression. Did such a creature even have an expression?

As the healing process continued, Seraphim raised her head.

"You mentioned losing them in the pathways. Are you certain they’re gone?"

For a few seconds, Adrian hesitated. Then, he answered:

"Pretty sure. I led them deep into the maze, took a few sharp turns, and collapsed part of the structure behind me. Even if they tried to follow, they’d have a hell of a time digging through all that rubble."

Klaus ran a hand through his hair, feeling a little skeptical.

Would a bunch of rubble really hold those Nightmare Carapaces?

He sighed.

A few moments later, Seraphim finished healing his leg and sat back with a satisfied nod.

"It’s done. Your leg is all good now."

Adrian smiled.

"Thanks."

Seraphim nodded in response without a change in her expression. It was as if this whole incident was something trivial. Maybe it was.

Following that brief moment of respite, Klaus suddenly thought that the battle was too easy.

To be completely honest, they shouldn’t have been able to win against five Awakened Hollows, especially with only Shrouded spirit cores. Despite that, all of them had come out ’victorious’ with their lives and no serious injuries. Well, one of them was injured. Still, it was a remarkable feat.

At this moment, he recalled the advice he once received from Sasha.

"No one can survive on their own," was it? Perhaps those words held some truth.

He closed his eyes, and a clear image was imprinted inside his head.

The battle replayed in his mind; Seraphim’s calculated strikes, the brutality of the Blackmane Stalker, Briar’s mind manipulation, and Adrian’s reckless but effective diversion. And himself, throwing punch after punch until his enemy ceased moving.

They had won. But not through sheer strength alone.

It was because they fought as a unit.

Looking back, he couldn’t match Seraphim’s skill, but she wouldn’t have finished her chosen Nightmarish Carapace on her own without support. Though he had defeated one himself, he wouldn’t have survived against all five at once. Without Adrian’s diversion, they would have had a much harder time. And if the Blackmane Stalker hadn’t been tamed by Briar and present on the battlefield, the situation would have spiraled further out of control. However, Briar, too, wouldn’t have been able to fight alone.

Simply put, each of them had their own strengths, but when combined, they became greater than the sum of their parts. This meant there was an indescribable strength in numbers.

This was why the academy had strongly advised them to team up with other Striders if they had the chance. In fact, that should always be the first priority.

To survive, individual strengths had to be combined. And there was a clear benefit in doing so. For instance, someone with a utility-based ability — more specifically, a healer — would be completely useless alone. But within a party of Striders, their abilities would be invaluable and undoubtedly useful.

From this, the truth became evident. Lone wolves were always at a disadvantage.

Perhaps this phenomenon was what they called "True Strength".

Of course, this was a reality Klaus had already realized. After all, if he hadn’t had Briar with him, he wouldn’t have survived the horrors of the Forsaken Cavern, let alone the Demonic Purgatory.

’Sadly, I only came to truly understand the importance of teamwork because of my own misfortune. But in such a situation... can I even call it that?’

Feeling quite sluggish, Klaus let out a heavy sigh.

Since the battle was over, there was nothing stopping them from continuing their journey. However, they couldn’t leave without checking for spoils. For example, cores and possibly Nightmares.

In such a situation where there was three slain Carapaces, only three people could claim their cores such as himself, Seraphim and Adrian.

Surprisingly, he found something else apart from a spirit crystal.

’This is...’

Klaus’s eyes widened.

While dissecting the Nightmarish Carapace he had slain, his attention was drawn to a shimmering object nestled within. Unlike the white, radiant glow of a spirit crystal, this one pulsed with a deep, crimson light.

The presence of a Nightmare, undeniable.

Driven by curiosity, he reached out and touched the glowing fragment. The moment his fingers brushed against it, a foreign sensation coursed through his body.

Along with that, the Chaos voice resounded in the air:

[You have acquired the Nightmare: Black Shroud.]

’As I thought, it was a Nightmare! What a stroke of fortune!’

With an excited, perverse smile, Klaus dismissed the Purgatory’s Shroud and summoned the Weaver’s Shroud. Instantly, thin black threads coiled around his body, weaving themselves into a form-fitting armor. The strands shimmered with an almost liquid darkness, blending with bracers and shoulder guards fashioned from blackish-gray leather.

Despite its intricate, web-like structure, the armor felt surprisingly light, more like a second skin than added weight. It was an ideal piece for someone who relied on speed and agility.

Despite that, he frowned. Compared to the Purgatory’s Shroud, the Weaver’s Shroud felt... insubstantial. More flexible, yes, but lacking a certain weight or perhaps, presence. And beneath the sleek fit, an odd discomfort lingered, which he couldn’t quite shake.

Fortunately for him, there was an easy way to obtain the answer. He summoned the chaos runes.

Nightmare: [Black Shroud]

Nightmare Rank: Awakened

Nightmare Type: Armour

Nightmare Description: [A seed of despair born from the heart of a Mother Spider. Helpless, she was devoured from the inside out by her hungry and starving offspring. Over time, she continued to be violated and consumed by her ravenous children. In the aftermath, countless black threads wove themselves together from her remnants, infused with the lingering echoes of her agony. What remained was a shroud of restless silk, whispering with the hunger of those who once feasted upon their own mother, seeking a new host to weave into its web of despair.]

Klaus’s face instantly paled.

’What the hell? No wonder I felt so creeped out!’

Suddenly overwhelmed by the dreadful urge to dismiss the nightmare, he did exactly that and then he released a breath of relief.

That was downright disturbing. What was the possibility of being eaten inside out by a Nightmare? Of course, such a ridiculous phenomenon can never occur in reality. Nightmares were simply a remnant of a distant past just like a distant lucid dream. Even so, the mere thought of donning something born from such horror made his skin crawl.

It felt creepy like just wearing it had tainted him somehow.

’At the very least, I now have two Awakened Armour-Type Nightmares.’

Though he would have preferred a sword. Yes, a Sword-Type Nightmare would be far more beneficial to him at the moment than yet another piece of armor.

But did he really need to hoard two Armor-Type Nightmares for himself? Perhaps he could sell it once they reached the Fortress. Then again, that was only an option if the Fortress still stood. Was he simply being too greedy?

After giving it more thought, he came to a decision. Sweeping his gaze across the area, he settled on a target.

Taking a breath, Klaus strode toward Seraphim, who was in the middle of dissecting a slain Carapace. His eyes narrowed slightly. Her Advanced Suit had taken significant damage. Though she had only sustained minor injuries during the fight, the suit itself had already been in rough shape beforehand and now, it was in even worse condition.

As though sensing his approach, she glanced up.

"...What?"

He cleared his throat.

"I found a Nightmare."

Seraphim blinked, her movements halting.

"You found a Nightmare?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. It was inside the Carapace I took down. It’s an Armor-Type Nightmare. To be precise, a blackish-gray leather armour, which seems to be woven from silk, and it’s of the Awakened rank. Your Advanced Suit looks pretty torn up, so I figured I’d be generous and offer it to you."

She did not respond immediately and lowered her head thoughtfully. After a while, she shook her head.

"I appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass."

He blinked, a bit surprised, then raised an eyebrow.

"You sure? Your suit’s barely holding together."

Seraphim glanced down at the tattered remains of her Advanced Suit before meeting his gaze again.

"I think I can manage until I find an armour for myself. Instead of me, why don’t you give it to Adrian?"

Klaus then glanced over at Adrian. The blonde Strider caught his gaze and arched an eyebrow.

"What’s with the look? Did I win a prize?or something?"

Adrian quipped, clearly unaware of the offer about to be made.

"Seraphim doesn’t want the Nightmare I found. So, it’s yours if you want it."

The blonde blinked.

"An Awakened-rank Nightmare? You sure you want to hand that over?"

Klaus shrugged.

"It’s an armor type. I already have the Purgatory’s Shroud. You, on the other hand, run around in whatever scraps that is your advanced suit. I figured you could use it more than me."

Adrian’s grin widened, but then he hesitated. Then, he said:

"You’re not messing with me, right? This isn’t one of those cursed Nightmares that slowly devour the wearer or something like that, right?"

Klaus forced himself not to grimace. Well, that’s not far off from the truth.

"It’s made from spider silk and has some... unsettling origins I believe. But functionally, it’s solid, lightweight and has good mobility. Just don’t think too much about where it came from."

Adrian narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "That’s not reassuring at all, man."

"You want it or not?"

The blonde Strider sighed, then shrugged.

"Eh, screw it. I’ve worn worse." He held out his hand. "Hand it over."

Klaus grabbed his hand and transferred the Nightmare. The moment it connected with Adrian, the black silk threads coiled around his body, forming the same intricate armor he had donned earlier.

Adrian examined his body all over and then smiled.

"Hmm. Not bad. You were right. This armor is really light and more that that, It feels like I’m wearing shadows."

He ran a hand over the bracers, then tilted his head in confusion.

"...Huh? It’s whispering."

Klaus stiffened.

"What?"

Seeing his exasperated reaction, Adrian grinned.

"Just kidding. Haha! What, do you actually believe in ghosts?"

Klaus scowled.

"That’s not funny, damn it! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!""

While those two continued arguing, a short distance away, Briar watched them and clicked her tongue before muttering, "Idiots," under her breath.

Adrian laughed, standing up and testing the armor’s flexibility.

"Nah, but seriously, this is good. I owe you one, Klaus."

"Don’t mention it, I guess."

Muttering so, Klaus scratched his cheek.

As Adrian admired his new gear, Seraphim glanced above where the grey sky seemed to be darkening. She frowned. This meant nightfall was approaching.

"We should get moving."

The moment she said those words, the levity faded instantly.

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