Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 95: The Edge of the Horizon

Chapter 95: The Edge of the Horizon

Following the emergence of the azure flame, the attacking Nightmare Carapaces came to an abrupt halt, as if dazed. No, that wasn’t quite right. Upon closer inspection, their bodies were trembling. It looked as though they were staring directly into the face of death.

Witnessing such an absurd sight, Klaus froze as well, with a wave of uncertainty crossing across his face.

In truth, it was rare for monsters to show fear unless faced with something far more terrifying than themselves. Seraphim, a Strider with just a Shrouded core, obviously did not fit that mold. However, the awakened ghouls didn’t seem to be afraid of her specifically. Instead, their fear was fixed on the sword she held, wreathed in living azure fire.

What kind of sword was that? he wondered. It was unmistakably a Nightmare — powerful, no doubt about that. But just how strong was it? What rank could a Nightmare like that possibly hold?

’If the ghouls are afraid of it, then it must be a powerful Nightmare, perhaps even Awakened rank. Could that be it?’

Of course, it was all just speculation. How could he possibly know the rank of a Nightmare that wasn’t his?

"..."

By the time Seraphim opened her eyes again, an azure glint had taken root within them. Her silvery-white hair, lithe silhouette, and blazing sword came together to form the image of a fierce angel sent from above to deliver judgment.

Then, without warning, she took a single step.

From there, Seraphim kicked the floor and leapt forward like a fired bullet. Before the Nightmare Carapaces could react, she was already upon them.

The first ghoul didn’t even have time to raise its claws. Her blade carved clean through its torso, the azure flames erupting on contact and devouring the creature from the inside out. It didn’t scream. Whatever energy surged through that sword silenced it completely, reducing the Nightmare to ash in an instant.

The others hesitated, but only for a moment. Their bestial instincts urged them to fight, but their bodies rebelled, paralyzed by the primal fear that clung to the blue fire like a curse.

Seraphim kept moving.

Another swing, and the second ghoul was cleaved in half. Her movements were fluid, precise and almost unnatural. To Klaus, it was like watching a force of nature take form in human flesh. A storm condensed into a single point.

Still, he couldn’t shake the unease.

That sword... To obliterate Awakened ghouls so effortlessly, it had to be a Nightmare beyond the Awakened rank. Perhaps Mythic. Maybe even higher.

He trembled. His mind had already grasped the truth, but his heart refused to accept it.

What business did a Strider have wielding a Nightmare of that magnitude? And more importantly, what price was she paying to wield something so monstrous?

Swallowing dryly, Klaus shifted his gaze across the open space. Adrian was locked in combat, weaving between the Nightmare Carapaces with sharp, calculated strikes. On the other side, Briar and the Stalker were fully engaged, working together to hold the advancing creatures at bay.

He gathered his strength and called out with a shout:

"Everyone! Seraphim will create a path forward, so stop fighting and come this way!"

Adrian didn’t hesitate. Without missing a beat, he disengaged, ducking beneath a descending claw and sliced through the ghoul’s knee as he rolled forward. The Nightmare staggered and howled, but Adrian was already gone — sprinting toward Seraphim and the narrow corridor of safety she carved with every step.

Briar snarled as a Nightmare Carapace lunged at her, but the Stalker intercepted it mid-air, tackling the creature to the ground with a hiss of fury. She turned to him, eyes narrowed, then nodded once. Together, they broke away from the encirclement, following the wake of azure fire.

Seraphim didn’t need to look back.

The azure fire was a living fire. It was hungry and wanted to devour, to destroy and consume. And Seraphim, wrapped in its flame, didn’t resist.

She cut down another ghoul. Then another and another, the cycle of destruction continued. The wall of flesh and bone that had seemed impenetrable just moments before was now buckling under the weight of that unnatural fear. Consumed by that ghostly fear, the Nightmare Carapaces either hurriedly retreated or collapsed. Some tried to flee, only to be consumed by the spreading azure blaze that clung to their comrades like a plague.

By the time Adrian reached her side, he was breathless, with sweat and blood mingling on his brow. He glanced at the devastation around them, then at Seraphim.

A hint of terror could be seen on his expression.

"You... Wh-what was that?"

Seraphim didn’t answer. Her gaze was fixed ahead, with her eyes glowing like burning stars.

The rest of the team converged behind them, panting, wounded, but alive. Klaus asked:

"Seraphim, can you hold it open? Just long enough for us to break through?"

She finally turned and looked at him. Her current appearance still frightened him a bit, but he suppressed his anxiety and remained composed. Then, she gave a small affirmative nod.

"I can."

No sooner had she spoken than the flames around the blade surged, spilling into the destinated passage like tidal waves of light. The Nightmare Carapaces that remained hissed and recoiled, but none dared step forward.

Klaus shouted:

"Then go! Everyone, move!"

One by one, the team dashed through the corridor of fire, shielded by the fury of a sword that wasn’t entirely Seraphim’s... and might never be.

As the last of them crossed the threshold, Seraphim turned and followed, the azure inferno closing behind her like a gate slamming shut.

And in the silence that followed, the only thing that remained of the Nightmare Carapaces... was ash.

† †

After their brief skirmish, the group pressed onward toward their destination. Overhead, the grey sky deepened into a bruised shade of darkness, casting an ever-thickening shadow across the desolate stretch of the Forgotten Lands.

Klaus led the small group, choosing the most direct route toward the cliffs, guided by fragments of memory from his Sea of Memories. Adrian moved beside him, while Seraphim took up the rear. The Stalker, carrying Morgan, stomped through the blood-soaked mud without losing its balance.

Sometime ago, they had abandoned walking completely and broke into a relentless sprint. There was no longer any need to conserve their strength. If they arrived even a minute late, and nightfall reached the cliffs before they did, the consequences could be fatal.

Contrary to their expectations, they encountered no further resistance. The twisted inhabitants of the labyrinthine terrain kept their distance. It wasn’t caution alone, but fear. More precisely, fear of the flaming sword.

The chitinous monstrosities scattered at the group’s approach, retreating into coral mounds or burrowing deep underground. On the rare occasions when one dared to act aggressively, a single flash of Seraphim’s blade was enough to make it reconsider its choices.

Without her, traversing the labyrinth would have been a far greater ordeal.

If this were an RPG, Seraphim would have easily earned the title of MVP.

On second thought, it would be downright dangerous if Seraphim ever ended up as a video game character. This was someone carrying an overpowered sword capable of turning entire encounters into one-sided slaughters.

How would this be fair for the opposing players?

Deciding not to dwell on such silly thoughts, Klaus shook his head and continued his sprint.

At last, after moments stretched thin with breath and silence, they reached the cliffs.

Above them rose a monolith of shadow, a black mass etched against a pale sky. Their eyes followed its protruding spine upward, and in that quiet gaze, a glimmer of triumph covered their faces. They had arrived, whole, at the next perch between peril and promise.

But the journey was not yet done. They still needed to climb the cliff.

Taking a deep breath, Klaus stepped forward and began the climb. One by one, the others followed, scaling the cliff in silence. As before, the Stalker effortlessly carried Morgan on its back and ascended with uncanny speed. This time, no one expressed envy, they simply focused on the climb ahead.

High above, the wind howled like a wounded beast, tearing across the protruding cliffs with a mournful cry. The temperature dropped rapidly, and with each meter they climbed. Klaus’s fingers were numb by the time he reached the halfway point and his breath came in short, misty bursts.

Loose stones tumbled beneath their boots, and every ledge felt like it might crumble under their weight. Still, no one complained.

Adrian was the next to catch up to Klaus, silently nodding as he climbed just beside him. His body moved with the grace of someone who had trained in situations far worse than this, but the tightness in his shoulders revealed the weight of exhaustion.

Farther below, Seraphim scaled the cliff with a strange grace. The azure glint had dimmed in her eyes, but not vanished completely. It flickered with every blink, like a warning light barely held at bay.

"Is she okay?" Adrian asked under his breath.

Klaus didn’t answer immediately. He glanced down toward her, then up at the cliffside ahead. Then, he finally opened his mouth:

"I don’t know. But I don’t think she’s the one we need to be afraid of right now."

That answer didn’t sit well with Adrian, but he said nothing. There were no good answers anymore.

The Stalker reached the top first. It dropped Morgan gently onto the solid ground, then turned and crouched low, hissing faintly as if encouraging the others to hurry.

’What a strange fellow.’ Klaus thought, pausing for a moment before resuming his climbing.

A few moments later, the group finally reached the summit.

Klaus pulled himself over the edge and collapsed for a brief moment as his arms trembled. Then, Adrian followed behind him and lastly, Seraphim. They lay there together, panting on the cracked plateau with the sky stretching endlessly above them.

The last embers of illumination vanished as the grey sky darkened. This meant Nightfall was approaching.

But they had made it.

Beneath them, the Forgotten Lands seethed in silent unrest, with the azure glow fading — swallowed up by distance and darkness.

Up ahead, a forest of black spires rose from the cliff’s spine like the ribs of a fallen god. A strange wind whispered through the fractured stone, while the grey fog above churned with mystery, menace, and an unfathomable malice.

Klaus rose to his feet and gazed at the distance ahead. That was their goal her It seemed so close and far away. Finally, he asked:

"...Is that it?"

Adrian nodded slowly.

"Yes. That’s the entrance to the Uncanny Valley."

They had reached the edge of the world. And beyond it, the true nightmare waited.