With his very own eyes, he watched his comrades disappear in the distance behind the massive tree he had led Carmella to earlier.

  Where his plans had come to fruition, and where he now sent his friends into grim danger due to those same plans.

  He hadn’t anticipated his body to suddenly break down under the pressure of using his skills. What was the point of ranking up and getting stronger if he couldn’t push his limits a little to win?

  His limits.

  The scarecrow had consistently threatened to break them, and now, after nonstop use of his skills, they were finally breaking under the pressure.

  It wasn’t simply the overuse of his skills, however. Usually, that alone could have been remedied with some rest, but that wasn’t an option for the Last Unrested.

  Because Somnu couldn’t sleep.

  His mind couldn’t shut off and recharge like other people, no. His thoughts were always active, always overthinking and considering every angle.

  How could his body not break down after everything that led to this moment?

  Perhaps it was a miracle it had taken this long in the first place.

  It’s what I get for not giving myself a moment to breathe… but not like I could do that in this hell… He put on a faint smile while brushing off the blood on his mouth with his sleeve. Just like now… I have to go help them…

  Closing one eye, he could follow the events through constant switching between his familiars’ eyes.

  Thankfully, he was only using [Resonance] out of all his abilities now. Fala, Naga and Grudgekeeper were able to summon themselves without his involvement.

  Even the straw arm replacing his missing left limb felt like part of his body now, rather than a skill he was actively manipulating.

  The only reason he could still use that one skill at all now despite his situation was due to his remaining Terror Cores he was currently consuming to level up.

  [You have leveled up!]

  [You have leveled up!]

  [...]

  [Hollow Core Level: Lvl 12.] {With 100 more Cores to the next level up.}

  Earlier, as he pushed his limits to manipulate his enemies’ perception, Somnu had used four level ups just to keep him going.

  Now, he had used the rest of the level ups he had saved up for this moment. He could have used them to relieve his pain while focusing on his plan earlier, but that would have rendered him completely immobile by now.

  Thankfully, he had recovered enough to move his body. The remaining 54 Terror Cores in his inventory would have to wait until he gained another 46 for a level up.

  Crow-Shit… this is bad! He recovered his System! Somnu bit his lip, watching it all happen through his familiars’ eyes.

  His plans never worked as he intended, and now, due to yet another unexpected turn of events, everyone might die to Henry’s murderous hand.

  I won’t let it… I made a promise, dammit! I’ve broken so many of those already, I won’t let it happen again! He pushed his broken body, every movement sending sharp pangs all over his aching nerves. He leaned on one knee nevertheless, while supporting the other to get up.

  However, just then…

  “!”

  The translucent crown suddenly dug into his skull, enforcing a vision on the Naked Prince as it usually did when he tangled with death.

  “No…! Stop!” He cried out, falling face first into the ground, his head clenched between his hands with enough force for his nails to dig into his skin. “I don’t have… time… for this…!”

  He couldn’t confirm how his visions worked just yet, but one thing he had already noticed is that whenever he did have them, time didn’t simply stand still.

  The only time he could really notice the time difference was when Mathros saved him from the cursed lake of Lethe.

  His visions had been strong, stronger than they ever had been, but from the moment they had started with him underwater, they hadn’t finished until the entire battle was over and he was back on shore.

  If he allowed himself to be taken away by Veilbinder’s Diadem now, there would be no telling what he would be coming back to.

  Neither Lulu, nor Mathros could stand a chance against a Sleeper who had an upgraded Ego Core and skills, and additional class to top it off. With him not being there, he wasn’t sure Carmella would help, or if she would be forced back to her old patron.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  And so, he fought back.

  The more the translucent crown dug into the top of his head, the louder his screams got as he repeatedly resisted any visual cues being sent his way, completely denying their existence.

  However, in that endless cycle of terrifying agony, he could tell.

  Somnu could feel the importance of the vision he was resisting. Veilbinder’s Diadem wasn’t simply showing him random visions, they always served some purpose.

  He couldn’t control it yet due to its high grade, and it only activated itself when he was on death’s doors or to warn him, but it never showed him anything that wasn’t important.

  And this time, it felt as though the Naked Prince would regret not allowing the vision to happen.

  It could relate to Leyna and Mo, or Aurora, perhaps even Mr. Emberlyn himself, but…

  I can’t… Lulu and Mathros are in danger, now…!

  He had to make a choice.

  Give in to see if the possibility of someone needing his help somewhere else is true, or continue to resist against the pain so he could help save the ones that he could reach right here and now.

  The answer was obvious.

  “Stop it! Whatever it is… you can… show it… to me… later!” He cried out again, hoping his legendary Memento could understand him and reconsider.

  Instead, the worst happened.

  Whether as a sort of punishment or an act of defiance, Veilbinder’s Diadem recalled all the horrible pain Somnu had undergone so far.

  Against the scarecrow monster, the laughing Nightmare Creatures…

  All of it, once more, at the same time.

  His voice had given out, his mind was quickly growing blank.

  “Master?! What’s going on?!”

  “I’m coming, Master!”

  The voices of his familiars grew more and more distant.

  “Help… them…?”

  Who…?

  And yet, he kept resisting with all his might, not even remembering why he was doing so.

  Who… am I?

  Not even knowing who he was anymore.

  Then, before he realized it, he had gauged his own eyes out and smashed them within his tightly-clenched palms.

  “I’m… Somnu…” He got up, only to trip and fall back down. He punched the ground, pushing his numb body against it. “I’m… a punk… scarecrow… and…” He walked, every step causing him excruciating pain as if his very soul was being restructured. “I will… protect them…”

  With his vision or not, with his strength or not, and with his full facilities intact or not…

  With his soul or not…

  He still had a job to do, the scarecrow’s job.

  ***

  “I’m… fine…”

  “Fine?! What do you mean fine?!” Lulu cried out, springing forward to support him.

  “No! Stay focused… on the enemy…”

  “But…!”

  “Mathros…!”

  “... Do as he says, Lulu.” Hearing his name, the lizardman quickly narrowed his wider eyes, turning his gaze back to the bunny girl standing in place. “Let’s get this done before it gets any worse than it already is…”

  “Dammit!” Lulu clenched her fists, then took off running towards Henry again. Tears escaped her eyes, trailing after her in the wind. “Boundless Momentum!”

  “This isn’t healthy, brother… I’ll do what I can, but don’t think I can stand seeing you like that…” Mathros muttered before running after her, the dozens of crow and serpent clones around him still keeping the black dogs and henchmen at bay.

  “... Sorry.” Somnu apologized, finally having reached Carmella while relying on Fala’s vision from above.

  “Grgh!!”

  “Why are you… letting him do that… to you?” He asked, slowly lowering himself to touch Carmella’s cheek. “Look at me.”

  “...” Carmella opened her strained eyes slowly, directing them to the one without eyes, and yet somehow looked down at her as if staring directly into her soul. “!”

  “Get up… You don’t belong to him anymore.” The scarecrow turned his head toward his main enemy, watching him fight against Naga and her clones while being barraged by bunny kicks and piercing punches. “You can be… your own person now. A new… you.”

  “... You… your eyes?” Carmella muttered, her convulsing body stopping as she finally regained control of it.

  Somnu couldn’t know what kind of power she was under, or what kind of Aspiration Classes and skills she had.

  After all, he could no longer see any System, let alone the ones of his enemies if they had regained them.

  Seeing things through his familiar’s eyes or the visions never allowed him to see Systems, it had to be his own two eyes. Even his own System had now switched to an auditory function tailored for the blind or visionless races.

  However, one thing he was certain of, Carmella was being targeted because of her own perception of who she was.

  Henry talked about being a CEO, and punishing her. He liked to flaunt his authority and to have minions under him.

  That meant whatever his Aspiration Classes were, they had to do with boosting his ego and his control over others. And since he could only punish Carmella and not anyone else, it must have been related to his control over her.

  Which meant, all the scarecrow had to do was break through his limits again.

  No matter how much pain it would cause him in the end.

  [Distorted Fallacy!]

  “BLERRRGHH!”

  Blood exploded out from every open surface in his head, his body finally dropping to the ground.

  The roles were now reversed, Carmella looking down at Somnu’s helpless state.

  He had taken a big risk, and was now no longer in a position of strength.

  However, Carmella followed the strong, nothing else mattered to her. Would she really lend her help to someone in his current state now?

  A state of weakness and pain, unable to even stand up, let alone fight.

  “...”

  Through a nearby serpent clone’s vision, he saw her look down at him, her brow furrowed into a tight knot.