Nightmare's Call

The Energy Suppressor could weaken the enemy. The Shadow Guards would bog down and drain the energy of the foe. But it was the strength-enhancing Shadow Font that made or broke the outcome. It was a smooth offensive routine.

After upgrading the Holy Sanctum, the next course of action was to summon the Night Lord. Lin Sheng’s earlier plan was to summon the cleric to increase his ability in mastering the new Arshen Seal. But the cleric had to make way for the Night Lord for now.

Lin Sheng had been busy on the hill for the entire day. He walked around the hill to check if there was any difference after the upgrade. Aside from the increased affinity at night, nothing had changed. What puzzled Lin Sheng was the force field of the soul benediction. He had accumulated over six hundred units of sacred power so far. But it made little difference and had no upgrade option.

After the upgrade, Lin Sheng took out some materials from the store in the Sanctum of Shadow. He then quietly stood in the middle of the sanctum, spreading the plastic sheet on the floor and setting up the flat pan. When the water in the flat pan boiled, he tossed the ingredients into the boiling water. He then lit the whale-oil lamp and proceeded to lay all other ingredients on the magic circle on the plastic sheet. Lin Sheng had been doing this for a hundred times over. When everything was ready, he stood before the ceremonial circle, keeping his mind and sacred power steady and then chanting the activator.

As a string of strange syllables reverberated in the Holy Sanctum, a cloud of white steam rose and shrouded Lin Sheng in it. Lin Sheng slowly closed his eyes. Instantly, light orbs of different colors appeared before his mind’s eye. But he did not have to search laboriously because of all the light orbs, one particularly stood out and occupied half of his field of vision. This light orb was purple and as gentle and bright as Dyze Palminton’s eyes. Lin Sheng focused his mind and projected his consciousness into the light orb at once.

...

On the endlessly black-blue Pearl Ocean at night, a hideous looking, black warship surfaced slowly from the deepwater. When the seaweed- and coral-covered ship emerged, it also brought along some little fishes out of the water before they slid down the side back into the sea. A black battle flag with a white bull logo started to rise along the mast of this ancient sailing warship.

“I see the light of day finally...” Gushes of black water formed the figure of a tall man on the bow. This man had a beard on his face, but half of his cheek had turned black and rotten. He wore a captain hat, dark-red battle suit with a curvy epee hanging from his waist. A bolt of lightning struck across the sky and illuminated the face of the man, revealing the unblemished side of his face.

“Bloodeye... just wait until I recover from my injury. I have never forgotten what you have done to me twenty years ago.” The bearded man bit out his words, one at a time. “I, Quasar, is the most powerful Sea Lord!”

As his voice trailed off, a group of ship’s crew, all tall and burly, appeared behind him. The crew kept their looks just as before they died. Just as the captain, half of their faces had rotten away.

A giant wave slammed against the front of the warship, sending salty spray over the bow. As the warship submerged, all it left behind was a few vortices on the surface.

...

Over on lands, blue wildflowers fluttered in the mountain breeze, releasing pollen and spores into the air before scattering far and wide in the wind.

Shanna squatted among the flowers, plucking the first leaf below the petals with a smile across her face. She cut the leaf from the stem and put it into the basket that hung on her arm.

“You have a lot of time on your hands!” Shanna heard a sharp male voice saying from afar.

When Shanna turned around, the smile on her face collapsed. “I have given the Temple of Shadow Dragon and everything you need. Our deal has ended.”

“What about you? Don’t you want to come back to me? Do you really think Count Dyze like a person like you? Do you think the Palminton family will let you off the hook when you have usurped their money and the treasure in the temple?” The male voice scorned.

“Then I will repay him with my life.” Shanna smiled. “I know I don’t deserve him. But who cares? The time spent with him was the happiest moment of my life.”

“It looks like you are serious about it!”

“Serious?” Shanna laughed. “A woman like me has long forgotten what it looks like being serious in a relationship.”

“What have you done to Count Dyze?”

“I lied to him I would withdraw from Blackfeather City. Dyze is the hope of the nobility, the most powerful councillor. He is also the last hope and honor of Palminton.” Shanna smiled. “So he shouldn’t waste time on a dirty woman like me.”

“I can’t believe that you have changed so much!”

“So what brings you here?” demanded Shanna.

“Just come to see your how you look at the end.” The man sounded cold.

“Now you have seen it.”

“Are you really not going to leave?” the man asked.

“It’s too late...” said Shanna with a smile as she tidied her dress. For a moment, her smile resembled that of Dyze. “Tell Dyze that I am just a swindler if you see him. Everything between him and I was just a scam. I have never loved him. I am a b*tch, a wh*re who sleeps around.”

“What’s the point?”

“Well, so that Dyze will not come back to me again. He will forget me, and the sanctum of Blackfeather City will be mine. Alone. Who knows, he will come for a visit after I die,” said Shanna.

Then there were no more voices. Shanna was transfixed. She reached out her hand to feel the breeze rubbing against her skin.

“Now, it’s time to wake up...”

“Not seeing and not forgetting each other is the best ending I could ever have.”

She turned around, facing the rapidly spreading black mist in the horizon with a gentle smile on her face. May those memories belong to me, alone.

...

“Does she really love you, Dyze? Do you really think she loves you?” An angry female voice scolded into his ear. When Lin Sheng opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the corner of a restaurant. At one end of the table were the Night Lord and Dyze Palminton, and a beautiful, middle-aged, noblewoman at the other. The elegant looks on the face of the woman vanished when burning anger distorted her face. Her intense rage appalled Lin Sheng even though he was a distance away.

“She is a liar! A b*tch! Dyze, you might not believe the others, but you must listen to me! Even if everyone in this world will hurt you, I will not do this to you!” The noblewoman roared in anger.

“I know.” Dyze looked calm, taking in the grilled meat in his plate, one at a time. He let out a gentle smile as he talked with his mother. “My heart will only feel unprecedented peace when we are together.” Getting to his feet, he continued. “I don’t care whether she is a liar or what. In fact, I need not know who she used to be. All I need to know is who she really is now.”

“You will die if you go back there!” The noblewoman rose to her feet, throwing the cutlery on the table before she turned around and left.

“Mother, perhaps what you don’t know is that I never want to become a gentle person.” Dyze looked and murmured as the noblewoman left. “I’m coming to you. Wait for me, Shanna.” He put on his cloak, turned around, and left the restaurant.

“I, Dyze Palminton, is always the strongest. Anytime. Anywhere. I’m unstoppable. No one can evade from my eyes!” Dyze stood outside the restaurant, looking up at the horrific black mist in the sky. He then darted toward it without looking back again.