Somnu was denied the chance to continue observing.
He could no longer cheat, his siblings and Aurora’s fates escaping him.
Go back! Damn you, show me if they’re safe! I can’t-
Instead, Veilbinder’s Deidam had ignored its master’s pleas and switched visions once more, this time, only to a brief image of Mathros and Lulu.
The two were walking through the cave that led to the exit of the cavern. Thankfully, Somnu’s pursuit had stopped John Doe from collapsing said cave. It was that, or just Somnu and Mathros playing into the murderer’s hand again.
The lizardman was currently carrying Benji’s bloodied body, covered by the same cloak Somnu had used a couple of times.
A ways behind, Lulu dragged her feet, her eyes distant and blank.
Mathros repeatedly stopped, looked back at her and waited for the bunny girl to catch up, unable to offer any empty words of encouragement.
While he waited, he made a habit of looking down at his left palm, stretching it out from beneath Benji’s remains, likely checking on his compass.
The two continued their slow exit toward the end of the cave, unaware of what could be awaiting them.
I have to find them… I’m not sure Mathros’ compass will lead him to me… Somnu thought before a striking headache invaded his mind.
It was the same pain he felt when he first used Veilbinder’s Deidam in that throne room. Instead, this time, he seemed able to see more visions and was able to manage the pain better.
Is it because of my rank up? Or is my pain tolerance just too high now…? He couldn’t confirm any of his suspicions yet. Perhaps it had been both of those things.
***
Aurora… So, that’s her name… Somnu thought before quickly realizing. Wait, what am I thinking?! Leyna and Mo are in danger…! Aurora is with them, but so is one of Faceless Forager’s followers! I can’t stay here…! I need to get to Mathros and Lulu before we get separated too…
Despite it all, his legendary Memento had its uses. It was making Somnu a silent observer with no idea if the things shown to him were in the present, future, or past. However, it was at least making him aware of different things, giving him valuable information.
He could see Almon’s past and last moments from the boy’s direct perspective.
Perhaps, if anything, Veilbinder’s Deidam was the scarecrow’s real cheat.
To have the ability to lift the veil and peek behind the curtain.
Crow-Shit…
With his vision finally returning to normal, to continue its blank stare at Almon’s lightless eyes, Somnu felt the pain return all around his body.
Grudgekeeper was actively working on putting pressure on the hole in his stomach that the scarecrow had barely stitched together again with [Hay Stitching], after the fall broke the previous attempt.
Although there had only been 26 Terror Cores left in his inventory, he tried to rely on the thing he did have in spades.
I can’t die here… I won’t! I’ll survive this and go protect them…! He narrowed his eyes, slowly gaining control over his movements again. This time, I’ll apologize properly and make up with them… They always tried to help me, despite me acting nothing like their sibling; despite what I did to them.... They went around and referred to me as their brother, when most of the town had seen me as the punk and troublemaker I was… They deserve a better version of me…
[Ego Particles Available: 4369]
[Would you like to consume available Ego Particles?]
Feed them all to Grudgekeeper… Somnu commanded the unreliable System, quickly feeling the undergoing changes.
[Your Dream Catcher has leveled up!]
[Your Dream Catcher has leveled up!]
[Your Dream Catcher has leveled up!]
[...]
[Dream Catcher {Grudgekeeper} Level: Lvl 49.] {With 36 more Ego Particles or Core equivalent to the next level up.}
[You have accumulated a lot more grudge.]
[Grudgekeeper is growing much stronger.]
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With every level up, he felt the fabric of his outfit tighten more and more on his wounds, acting as makeshift bandages to stop any more bleeding. Somnu left the rest to his upgraded General Abilities to heal him, hopefully, before the loss of blood would overpower them and kill him.
He was stuck between a state of feeling both cold and heat as the two temperatures within his body fought against each other.
Then, before he could think of anything else…
[Thank you for waiting!]
Who could afford to wait this long…?! I almost died, you useless thing! He shot back at the new pop-up message.
[Affirmative.]
Don’t give me that! Just… just tell me you fixed it!
[Recalibrating has completed.]
[All issues with your Hollow Core Rank up to grade {Ashen} have been fixed.]
Can I use all my skills now without you ruining my plans with Errors in the middle of a fight?
[...]
Hey! Say affirmative or something! Damn you…
[Stuffed Resilience.] [Burlap Bandage.]
Despite his complaining, Somnu used two of his new Strawman skills, stuffing the closing hole in his stomach in hopes of stopping the bleeding, and applying proper bandages all over his body.
Although it had all been done through simple mind commands and looked nothing but amateurish, his bleeding slowly began to subside. His body could finally recover properly.
[issues discovered: Sleeper Somnu ERROR is defective, upgrades to General Abilities were not applied during the recent Hollow Rank upgrade, new System required more optimizing.]
[Upgrading General Abilities now…]
And here I thought I already had that and was surviving because of it… At least I managed to trick my own mind with a placebo effect… He chuckled inwardly at the irony.
[Upgraded General Abilities: {Multilingual Comprehension}, {Enhanced Natural Prowess}]
They are still the same as before… Are you sure you’re not completely losing it?
[Affirmative.]
[The names have not changed. {Multilingual Comprehension} will extend to more languages now, while {Enhanced Natural Prowess} has received a generous boost.]
Fine, just try not to do that again while I'm in the middle of a life or death situation…
Once again, no answer came, but Somnu gave up on trying.
[Congratulations are in order!]
What now?
[You have completed one of the requirements to reach the second Nightmare Layer!]
My rank up again? These messages are coming way too late… No wonder you were having errors. Are you sure you’re not the one who’s defective?
[Affirmative.]
[Current requirements to reach the Second Layer: {1. Overcome current active fears}, {2. Find the exit of the First Nightmare Layer}]
Sure thing, let me just beat all available fears… I’ve barely managed to overcome a dozen or so. Somnu rolled his eyes. Do you see the error in that?
[Processing…]
You do that… I need to-
[Punishment is in order!]
Oh, brother! Let me rest! What do you want now?!
[You have killed another Sleeper!]
[The act of killing another fellow Sleeper not only goes against your mission to beat the Nightmare Creatures, but it similarly contradicts your own aspirations.]
“...”
[Therefore, you will be unable to use your skills for the duration of an hour.]
[Continue on this path and the time will only increase further each time, leaving you unprotected.]
You’re just stringing me along at this point! Giving and taking, then giving and taking…! This isn’t a game…! Somnu lampooned with furrowed brows, but a moment later, he bit his lip and surrendered himself to it. After all… Well, I deserve that one at least…
“No! Stop! I’m coming, master!”
“?!”
[Access to the System has been removed.]
As Grudgekeeper and his active skills suddenly disappeared, Somnu tried to strain his head up towards the unknown voice he had just heard.
And yet, it had seemed strangely familiar to him.
Who was that…? He thought, his eyes reflexively closing with his wounds revealed once more, stopping him from looking up. It can’t have been… Fala? Can I understand her now from the upgraded General Abilities?
With his crow companion and everything else leaving him, he could no longer confirm any of that.
“!”
And instead of his eyes landing at the top of the deep hole he was currently in, his neck could only be strained to look just above Almon’s body, opposite to him.
Just where the bloodied symbol of a grinning skull was now outlined with the innocent blood of the boy he had killed moments earlier.
A last souvenir from the murderer he was hunting
Now, Somnu was once again slowly bleeding, forced to survive his wounds with a normal pain tolerance for the next hour.
And yet, although the green moonlight finally hit his naked and bloodied, cold body…
Even though he was completely alone once more…
Denied his companions, and the urge of seeking the ones he needed to protect eating at him…
Despite everything that had happened to him from the moment his day had started on Halloween, till this very moment after having fought the ones he had been after, and even killed an innocent boy…
Facing the very fear that had plagued his sleepless nights with countless panic attacks for the past nine years…
Staring at the bloodied skull symbol that had taken his mother and friend away from him…
The scarecrow simply smiled at his waking nightmare.
He had overcome that fear and was now ready to do what was necessary.
After all…
“Just you wait… I’ll find you soon enough.”
Nothing could scare a scarecrow.
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