A soft glow emanated from the center of Argo's chest, a rotating orb of red and white. He could subtlety sense the dissonance between the two forces- like they were vying for total control over the other. It was disconcerting watching them reach a delicate balance that threatened to break. Two conflicting energies that existed in harmony; either one unable to completely overpower the other. Despite never witnessing such a sight before, Argo knew what it was immediately.

[Dichotomy].

He wasn't sure why he was able to deduce it's origins. Argo attributed it to be somehow related to the intrinsic knowledge given to him from the Records. But he felt it was his enigmatic trait somehow manifesting itself in a tangible form. He wondered what the hidden meaning of the energies were.

The white side exuded a radiant aura of light- cleansing defilement and inducing holiness. Instead of attacking the opposing red energy, it shone brighter in an attempt to simply cleanse it. Argo's thoughts turned to the strange red energy.

He believed the polar opposite of light should've been darkness. But instead a dark crimson red was the other force attempting to assert domination. It flashed with iridescent light, crackling like lightning as it slammed into the white side. It looked determined to shred the opposing force through sheer force of will.

After examining the tangible manifestation of [Dichotomy], he turned his thoughts to the nightmare he was in. On the surface it represented his usual nightmares. But there were stark differences. First of which was his clarity of mind. He was able to think rationally unbefitting someone dreaming. The second was the disappearance of the vengeful burning corpses that represented his guilt.

From that, Argo deduced the space to be a manifestation of his mental world. With his guilt somewhat remedied by his conversation with Mrs. Amber, his surroundings were able to reach a state of tranquility at the moment. The women had also disappeared when Mrs. Amber arrived.

From what he could tell, the women wielded the ability to dominate a being's mind; and control them remotely like an obedient slave. But there was a requirement for it: the individual's mind needed to be on the brink of collapse. That, or their mental health was already deteriorating.

The projection of the women who had destroyed Argo's hometown was a manifestation of her mind manipulation, designed to draw out his latent psychological issues and deepen his anxieties. While Argo had nearly and willingly succumbed to it, Miss Amber's words had struck a cord within him.

He knew that she was most likely a manifestation of [Dichotomy], his trait's attempt at preventing a dominant power from disrupting the equilibrium residing within his body. But her graceful demeanor, and warm love felt real to him. Her words sounded genuine, something she would've said if she was still alive.

Whatever the case may be, he was once again indebted to her. He observed the silver band around his necklace, his only memento of her.

'Thank you.'

Firming his resolve, Argo felt the space around him start to crumble. With his mental state stabilizing combined with [Dichotomy], Argo could resist the insidious lady's power. The main issue still persisted, how would he deal with her when he awoke?

His mana and energy had bottomed out, and his companions were most likely in limbo. Strangely, Argo felt stronger then ever. The scars left behind from his trauma and guilt has started to slowly heal, and he now had a goal worth aiming for. Something that wasn't fueled by negative emotions and half-hearted ideals.

***

His eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dim light pervading the cathedral. The luminous moon had disappeared, returning a somber darkness to the elegant hall. His companions were laying on the floor sound asleep, oblivious to the lady watching them from the altar.

The spear-wielding lady who injured Faye from before had also succumbed to the effects of the moon. She lay in silence, with her eyes strangely open in eternal slumber.

Argo surmised he had been knocked out for nearly ten minutes, his mana reserves still insufficient. He slowly exerted pressure on the mana around him, expediting their flow into his core. He needed to make preparations as soon as possible.

"You're awake," The women stated rather plainly, a hint of irritation seeping into her tone. It was most likely out of her expectations for him to wake up. "I didn't think you were so resilient. I guess I'll have to-."

Argo abruptly cut her off through his actions, deciding to unleash his full force. He was in a precarious situation. There was no time to assuage his qualms about hiding being a Tower-Blessed. Forcibly restraining the blessings of mana would not help him out this situation.

The mana in the atmosphere boiled, like a divine force descended to exercise it's will. The concentration of mana heightened, becoming perceptible to the naked eye while flowing into his core in a torrent. Argo breathed in the cool air, almost becoming lost in the surreal feeling.

He had never fully tried to bend the mana around him to his will. He was usually around either Faye or Aria at the time. Meaning he was unable to truly explore the hidden meanings in the [Hero of Finality]. But now he understood what the blessings of mana entailed.

It succumbed to his will like a docile animal. It was like instead of simply guiding the path of water with his hand, he was now able to control it in it's entirety. The mana in the air felt like an extension of his will while simultaneously filling him with limitless energy. This is what it truly meant to be a Tower-Blessed.

The women's eyes froze, examining him with strange fanaticism. Her previously indifferent demeanor was replaced with zeal, like she was gazing at hope itself. Argo's expression slightly shook, bewildered by her sudden mood change. He had even attempted to start channeling [The Miracle] into his sword. He was caught off guard, did she notice his plans?

"That light... that light!" A crazed glint seeped into her eyes, as she chuckled hysterically. "You're the one I've been waiting for!"

Argo's brows knit, continuing to raise his reserves of mana to the limit. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't get a good look at it before, but... now I see it clearly!" She continued while straightening her posture. "The way mana bends itself to you... moves around you..."

He quickly understood her words, she wasn't clueless about the existence of Tower-Blessed. Anyone knowledgeable about the world, and mana itself would know. There were so few capable of producing such an oddity in mana.

The lady continued, oblivious to his thoughts. "Paired with that radiant light you used in the hall! You're the Hero of Light, the one My Lady spoke of!"

Argo was extremely confused, "Hero of Light?" He was trying to prolong their conversation in favor of replenishing his mana. He had no qualms about extinguishing her life no matter what. Even if she looked like she was capable of still being rational he didn't care in the slightest. With the slight hints of corruption on her face, he knew she was a goner.

But he stilled deliberated over her crazed words, attempting to decipher their hidden meanings. Was the 'Hero of Light' some epithet mentioned by Selene? It sounded way too grandiose for someone like him.

She nodded fervently, her eyes lost in nostalgia. She stared into the empty air as if she could clearly see the past before her. "When the time is right, a hero bearing a miraculous light shall claim the fragments of my sword. They will inherit my legacy, and reseal the weakening binds of the sun," she recited with familiarity.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Argo's eyes widened with an ember of excitement sparking in the depths of his soul. Within Selene's prophecy was a hint to clearing the quest that plagued the Isles of Endless Night for decades! She had mentioned the condition of the sun!

"That is what I, Dianne, her loyal follower has been entrusted with!" The lady who introduced herself as Dianne finished.

Argo quickly halted his charge of [Enhancement]. He opted for information gathering instead of obliterating the being before him. Her demeanor had made a total change. It would be a waste if a clue related to the quest went up in flames.

"Where is the sun imprisoned?" He inquired, "Why was it sealed?"

The most unnerving thing about her words were the mentioning of 'reseal weakening binds of the sun.' It seemed to be at direct odds with what the quest decreed by the Tower. It spoke of resealing as opposed to breaking the shackles holding the sun. And how can the described 'eternal bindings' end up weakening? And he didn't want to believe some hero would be responsible for this grand quest. There were too many questions in his mind.

Dianne smiled knowingly, "Of course, it's sealed at the center of the isles. Within the eye of an endless storm. As for your other question, only My Lady knows."

Argo frowned, not satisfied with her answers. She managed to confirm the only tidbit of information he had about the sun- and that was it was imprisoned at the center of the isles. And it was a little concerning to think even this women didn't know why the sun was sealed.

"What do you mean about a hero with light gathering shards of a sword?" He continued with his questioning, "Is the blade in your hands one such fragment?"

"I'm not sure, esteemed one. Those were the parting words of My Lady, so I have no clue what she meant." She turned to the blade nestled in her arms, "And yes, this is one such fragment."

In a turn of fate, Dianne held the silver blade out to him; offering it in fervent devotion. "I will open the exit for you, and free your friends."

Argo still couldn't wrap his mind around all that was going on. Did she really think he was this supposed hero bearing miraculous light? Or was he really such a destined hero?

"This wasn't what we agreed upon, Dianne." A sharp, metallic voice cut through the air. An aura rotting of pure evil drifted into the air, as Dianne's face scrunched in pain, the corrupted side of face her was speaking. In a macabre fashion, the darkened side of her seemed to speak independently of her body.

"By using my powers to bring adventurers here, I would grant you an audience with the hero you speak of." The air chilled, "Then, I would take over their body as a vessel for My Lord."

Dianne's face grimaced in pain, the elegant blade clattering to the floor. "I-I, but my duty..."

"Silence! I have been rotting down here for eternity, bound to you with the hope of finding a worthy vessel for My Lord," the dark voice responded. The frenzied aura intensified, causing the air to feel suffocating. The already crumbling pillars started to shake, nearly collapsing.

'She is corrupted by an Outer Deity?! Or one of their followers?!' Argo's mind was reeling, the energy pervading the air deeply foreign to him. It felt insidious, and malevolent in nature. Comparable to the flames of madness that burned his village away.

"Hero! I can't... I'm sorry... I didn't want you to see me like this..." Her face contorted in extreme pain, hugging her temples. Argo could tell she was fighting an internal battle, at odds with the entity corrupting her from the inside. He could sense Dianne's hidden intent from her words alone.

'I'll have to kill her.'

Argo firmed his resolve, retrieving the silver blade from the ground and raising it high. He didn't want to make any mistakes, he wasn't sure if his current sword was suitable for slaying Dianne. A white hue enveloped his body, power surging within him like a torrent.

"I WON'T, I won't.. take this..." Despite the demonic entity's words, it didn't resist; or seemed incapable of doing so, like it was slowly lulled into a deep sleep.

Watching Dianne's face gaze at him with a serene beauty, Argo felt his heart droop. She had been waiting for decades in this place, confined to cold darkness with the hopes of carrying out her duty. Succumbing to corruption, she committed heinous acts in the name of her loyalty. At the end of it all, she wouldn't see the moonlight or bask in its serenity.

Or maybe, death would provide that for her. He didn't know.

The silver blade passed into her body with ease, blood spilling over her porcelain skin and lavender hair. He tried to suppress the unease creeping over his heart, this time he was killing an actual person. She might've been corrupted, and responsible for the deaths of hundreds of adventurers; but she still remained a sense of rationality.

Her eyes slowly dimmed, as she whispered into his ear.

"Thank you."

[You have slain the Fifth Retainer of Selene, Dianne, a mundane-level human]

[You have obtained a drop!]

[You have obtained a new attribute!]

Before he could express shock over the Record's messages, the atmosphere shook. A flood of essence flowed into his body carrying a sense of foreboding. A domineering pressure exerted itself in malicious frenzy, causing Argo to fall to his knees. It was like the essence of pure evil had descended into the cathedral; intent with destroying anything in its path.

The source of the maniacal aura was Dianne's corpse, which was suffused in a corrosive light. The black corruption covered her body, healing the grievous wound in her torso and coloring her hair black. Her veins protruded out as they filled with ink, her skin becoming deathly pale.

"You're naive if you think this is enough to stop me." A majestic voice roared out, simultaneously coming from far away and next to him. An ocean of whispers of varying tones and pitches crashed into him. The murmurs contained discordant sounds of frenzy that threatened to split his head apart.

They degraded, cursed, and accused him in a never ending cacophony of whispers. His ears bled, and he felt his veins popping; the sheer difference in their natural order was astonishing. Argo gnashed his teeth, trying to stifle the feelings of horror creeping into his body.

'That thing must be at least the level of a demigod!'

If it wasn't in such dire straits, weakened to the point of living like a parasite; Argo had no doubt the full extent of its pressure would disintegrate him on the spot. What was such an abomination doing on the First Floor?

'How was such a powerful being dwelling within a Rank 0?'

Dianne's corpse was bloating and squirming, as if trying to morph into some horrible monster. The incessant whispers only increased in intensity, nearly causing him to vomit. In his peripheral vision he could see Aria taking cover behind a destroyed pew, with a similar pale expression as Faye.

They were hopelessly outmatched. Argo could sense the monster wasn't nearly as its full strength; and the loss of its current vessel had pushed it into dire straits. Its current actions were probably an attempt to forcibly take control of one of them.

Eyeless mouths brimming with razor sharp teeth burst out of the corpse's flesh, increasing the frequency of the murmurs filling the air. Argo coughed out blood, his ears and nose bleeding profusely. His veins wiggled like thick snakes, and he was slowly losing consciousness.

'Dammit, not like this.'

Argo clutched the silver blade in his hand tightly, deciding to pour all of his mana into it as a last ditch effort. It was a drop he had obtained from Dianne, and was most likely his highest grade item. He wasn't in a state to read its abilities, but he could only pray.

The dark mist in the air parted around him, the austere blade glowing with a soft luminescence. As if it embodied the moon within the metal, silver light filled the room with an everlasting serenity.

The murmurs and whispers instantly calmed, the gruesome transformation of Dianne's corpse into a beast slowly halting. Sweat pouring form his brow, Argo funneled all of the mana from his core into the blade. He believed he had to hold on for as long as possible; try to stall for enough time for the evil entity to dissipate along with its death vessel.

'Work, work, just stay still!'

The evil specter continued to resist, fleshly tentacles trying to overcome the pervading sense of drowsiness. The mouths were gnashing in defiance, attempting to whisper words of defilement into the air. Argo surmised its main abilities were those corruptive murmurs.

Panic quickly dyed his expression, as the mana from his core drained at a lethal rate. The sword in his hands must have potent powers, requiring an immense reserve of mana to use. Even with the flood of essence that had saturated his stats, it wasn't enough. In just a couple of seconds he would be sucked completely dry and exposed to the chaotic ravings.

"I can't maintain it for longer, any ideas?!" Argo yelled with clear panic.

Dianne's corpse had morphed into a mass of fleshy tentacles and mouths, a far cry from her previous human form. Argo felt bitterness creep into his feelings, this abominable creature had defiled the dead for its own purposes.

As the intense drowsiness slowly decreased in intensity, the once still tentacles instantly flashed with movement. Comprised of rotting black flesh and thick veins, they pierced the air in his direction.

SHING

In a flash of cerulean light, they were severed in a shower of dark blood. Aria twisted her blade, cutting off another barrage of tentacles with a strained look on her face. They were running out of time, only seconds remaining of the lethargic aura. Aria took a deep breath, before sheathing her sword.

'Huh?'

Lowering her stance, she gripped the hilt of her sword like she was planning to execute a quick draw. The air of solemness cloaking her figure caused Argo to relax slightly, perhaps she had another hidden card.

Instantly, the pressure in the air erupted with a whirlwind of azure energy. A miniature galaxy unfolded around her, a singular radiant star hovering over her shoulder. The mana in the air trembled and poured into her sheathed blade like a waterfall.

Mesmerized by the agglomeration of power that seemed to surpass her grade, Argo watched her brown hair flutter in the breeze. He watched as two distinct pink petals drifted before her, materializing out of thin air; like she had willed them into existence. They exuded a rose colored-hue and possessed a surreal beauty.

BOOM

The air split in a horizontal crescent, the dancing petals bisected in even halves. With a bloodcurdling screech, the black abomination was split into two hideous halves, mimicking the dissipating pink flowers. Dark blood spewed from its grievous wound, indistinguishable ravings filling the air.