The white castle loomed above a small, mismatched slum of huts, haphazardly built from scattered materials scavenged from the dark city. It was a crude patchwork, a symbol of desperation amidst the oppressive shadow of the towering fortress.
Weeks had passed since Kaelen first arrived in this forsaken settlement, escaping the Carapace Centurion. His injuries, once crippling, had healed thanks to his [Abyssal Watersource], his vitality slowly returning to him. But even as his body mended, his mind grew restless. He quickly realized there was no way back to the waking world.
The gateway, resting within the crimson spire—a monolithic, impenetrable structure—loomed over the settlement like a mocking presence. It was as if it taunted the sleepers, trapped in this hellish reality.
Kaelen had acclimated to the harsh environment, and, fortuitously, another fellow academy student had made it to the settlement—Caster.
However, Caster chose to go hunting and live in the bright castle, leaving Kaelen behind. This wasn't a matter of duty to the people of the outer settlement, though. No, Kaelen refused to be blinded by the illusion of peace.
The settlement was under the rule of Gunlaug, a dictator who had seized control. His authoritarian grip kept the masses subdued, preventing unnecessary bloodshed. But it came at a cost—his approach lulled the sleepers into complacency, fostering an illusion of normalcy. They were being conditioned to live here, to accept their fate, to stop seeking a way out.
Kaelen, however, would never allow that. He would not be trapped. Not while there was still hope.
"Chrollo would never stop calling him a wuss or a scaredy-cat for that—lacking the freedom of choice."
Kaelen had learned from the few sleepers who actively hunted and lived in the outer settlement, the paths to avoid dangerous beasts—the creatures that lurked there, their behavior, their patterns. This was a trait that had been engraved in him by his father and further sharpened through his encounters with Chrollo, who had always relied on strategy. He often said, "Know your enemy. Live their life, breathe their air, and finally kill them as they would you."
Kaelen had trained, hunted, and even gained a few allies in the settlement, but his mind often wandered to how Chrollo was holding up. After all, if Chrollo were thrown into the cursed sea, his chances of survival would be minimal. But Kaelen was sure of one thing—Chrollo would survive, no matter the odds.
Kaelen had begun to practice an idea that Chrollo had suggested. After all, Kaelen had established himself in the settlement. He had a nice hut to sleep in, a few slain beasts to feast on, and some soul fragments he could either absorb or sell. He didn't know exactly what he'd do with them yet, but one thing was certain: he needed to get stronger.
He started with the basics of spearmanship:
The thrust.
The twirl.
The slide.
Kaelen voiced these basics as he launched the [Azure Flame Kwan Dao] into the air and then brought it back to a neutral stance.
He twirled it, making the tip form a circular motion in combat—ready to parry or block. From that twirl, he let the weight rest on his front hand, and With the back, he thrust forward.
After a few repetitions, Kaelen switched his boxed stance to a bladed one, focusing on speedy footwork. He began to mix the basics with the footwork of the Ardent clan, fending off an imaginary foe.
And furthermore, these enemies he slayed, they rose anew. Now, he was implementing the Ardent clan's spearmanship— a style based on water.
Its flexible, flowing, elegant movements held a rhythm, one that would and could break and change like a rushing tide, disrupting any patterns the foe might have gleaned.
He continued like this for hours, finally reaching the stage where he could implement Chrollo's advice: study a stronger foe, realize their nature, and integrate it.
The Carapace Centurion—its bone scythes and the power-filled movements of those weapons—were clear as day to Kaelen.
Why was such strength possible? Was it due to the carapace? No, it wasn't that. It was its body mechanics. Its body didn't have muscles as rigid as a human's but instead something more fluid, similar to the bugs of the waking world. The fluidity was key to its fast movements.
Kaelen's mind raced. How could he replicate that?
His clan's style had strangely been a perfect fit for adapting these traits. His body was already flexible, his spearmanship fluid and flowing. But what did he lack?
At that moment, something clicked. He didn't lack anything. He had just assumed that his body had to work the same as the essence of this style.
He began the chained movements once more. After a few repetitions, he shifted his stance. In the middle of a thrust, he instantly switched to a slide. But this time, it wasn't just a movement—there was a contact, a pull.
He drew the spear back, and midway through, he let the weight rest on his leading hand.
Then, he rotated his shoulder, elbow, and wrist—all as elastically as possible. The [Azure Flame Kwan Dao] shot forward, its blade flickering with embers, crackling as if the movement itself had burned the space between the beginning and end of the thrust. A faint heat lingered in the air, carrying the smell of burnt charcoal.
"I did it… hell yeah!" Kaelen's excitement leaked through, his usual carefree demeanor now that of an excited little boy.
He paused, looking at the [Azure Flame Kwan Dao] in his hand, the flickering embers still dancing in the air.
"What should I call it?" He thought aloud, a grin spreading across his face. "This is basically the start of a new style... hmm…"
"Infernal Tide or Blazing Torrent?"
"Blazing Torrent yeah that's it"
Kaelen once more began his repetitions, determined to solidify the foundation of his Blazing Torrent.
"Shit is it to corny damm. That zombie would not let me live it down"
****
Within a deep cave, its depths containing the underworld itself and shielding from the all-consuming mist of nothingness above, Chrollo and his loyal echo rested.
Chrollo had acclimated to the environment and his training, having reached the point where he was ready to create a Hatsu of his own. Though he already had more than enough power, this was something he felt he needed to explore further.
Chrollo had moved on to channeling his nen into his eyes. Gyo. Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long—he had mastered it in a day. But what did surprise him was what he discovered. Through this new ability, he could see something in his echo, [The Eclipsing Shade—Seraphine Vale]. At the center of her chest, where he assumed her soul core would be, there was a faint orb of white, misty substance. He recognized it immediately: a thread of nen, sustaining her life force.
It made sense—after all, all living things possessed nen, even objects could have nen. But this… this was something different.
When Chrollo summoned one of his memories through his [Hollow Satchel], he noticed something even more remarkable. The orb of nen didn't just remain static—it stretched and intertwined with itself, forming a delicate spider web-like pattern, intricate and distinct. Chrollo hypothesized that due to nen being a part of the nightmare spell, he was able to see the structure of a memory that had been shaped by the weaver's sorcery, particularly the nen that had been formed to manifest the spell's effects.After all, aspect abilities acted as a Hatsu, and the idea that nen could be woven into the fabric of a spell wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Chrollo's mind raced with potential applications.
Would this pattern form if he were to use conjuration? No, a base conjuration had no nen effect; hence, it would behave like this. What about channeling and manipulating his own nen? Perhaps, through a nen restriction, he might be able to form a memory-esque item. The best thing he could study would be Ben's Knife, an object imbued with nen by its creator, Benny Delon—subconsciously, due to his inability to use nen. However, the passion of killing and the twisted satisfaction of watching his victims' fear-stricken faces had infused the blade with nen. Each knife was unique in design, an expression of the emotions behind its creation.
Chrollo pulled the knife out of his Hollow Satchel, activating Gyo. He could feel the knife's core—a small orb of nen, much like [The Eclipsing Shade—Seraphine Vale]. like his echo's weave, he couldn't see the intricate structure of it. Perhaps it was too complex. After all, a living being's nen weave would be more complex than that of an inanimate object, like a bag or knife.
But the potential of Ben's Knife was undeniable. It was something to work on later—an intriguing puzzle that could lead to deeper understanding.
As of this moment, Chrollo had too think of a way out—he'd like to gain the memory left by the First Lord. "What was it... Crown of Dawn? No, no, it was something else... Damn, why can't I remember?" His memory of the early parts of the novel was still hazy, the finer details difficult to recall. He did, however, remember one thing clearly: to proceed further, he would need to fight a creature and pass through the true darkness of the underworld.
That wouldn't be an issue, though. Vale had the necessary attributes, similar to Sunny. She could guide him there. And later, he could tell Sunny about the lost shadows in the true darkness, helping him boost his shadow fragments.
"I should think of a strategy to escape the mist... not that hard. Just make the dash when the timing's right. The cursed sea, though... that's the main issue. With my current Hatsu, can I make it?"
Chrollo's mind churned as he considered the danger ahead. His eyes narrowed. If he was going to make it through, he would need to rely on his instincts and the power he had gathered, blending his nen abilities with his sharp tactical mind.
"If there aren't tall enough landmasses, my current Hatsu are all but useless. Maybe I can create a Hatsu that allows flight, though the Nen would burn out too quickly. Perhaps gliding or bursts of propulsion could work instead. And a Hatsu to create a platform. For these, I'd need Transmutation manipulation and Emission. Hmm… is the conjured Nen beast strategy still the best? Well, at least I don't need to make them too complex—just enough to increase my odds of acquiring these Hatsu. Maybe one of them will manifest on its own. After all, Nen reflects the user's desires, right?"