CHAPTER 54: DISFIGUREMENT OF MEMORIES

With the sound of black rain falling from the skies, Mason and Hermes scoured the dunes of Mars on the motorbike. The only thing separating them from the darkness was the singular headlight on the vehicle. The engine continued to roar the closer they approached the ashen white flame pillar.

Hermes was holding onto Mason's coat as it fluttered in the murky wind. He spoke to him casually. "Say, how did you get to me so quickly? Weren't you fighting the Mutant Devil Wolf pack?"

Mason smirked. "That battle definitely didn't go as planned."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"That pack, it wasn't a simple Mutant Devil Wolf pack. It was led by an Alpha Demonic Wolf, a variant of a normal Devil Wolf. These mutants are much smarter and stronger compared to a regular Devil Wolf. The one I fought was stage 8."

"Stage 8?!" Hermes' eyes opened wide. Lance had already told him that Mason was strong, but seeing it held more impact than just hearing it. His brain was refusing to believe such a situation occurred. The fact that he was able to combat an entire pack of Devil Wolves and also a monster that had the strength of a stage 8 Celestial shocked him.

Mason chuckled. "If this is enough to shock you, then I bet you will cover your head in the sand when you find out the things I was capable of when I was your age!"

"Tsk..." Hermes rolled his eyes. Hearing his reaction, Mason laughed. "Haha! Kidding, I'm kidding!" Yet, beneath the banter, Mason couldn't help but marvel at Hermes' potential. His mind whirred with thoughts.

'Still, the fact that this kid is a gold rank mercenary and can take down Devil Wolves by himself as a stage 1 makes him highly talented. His biggest downfall is his lack of experience. The way he carries himself is that of a newbie... If I can give him just a few years of training, he could truly become a monster...'

Mason decided to return to the main topic. He continued to drive the motorbike toward their target. "Anyway, that fight could have gone much better if I had more intel. You see, I had to exhaust almost all my cosmic force to kill its pack, but that bastard still managed to survive. Luckily, I still had [Cyber-Capacitor] available, or I would have been done for."

"[Cyber-Capacitor]?" Hermes tilted his head slightly.

"Kid, you really need to educate yourself on the domains and their abilities..."

'Sigh, I would have learned about it if I had more time in the cadet academy...' He decided to stay silent and listen to his explanation.

"That ability allows me to store my cosmic force inside the Cyber Depths for later retrieval. Over the years, I have stored enough to last me 10 years of consecutive usage!"

"That is a fairly powerful ability... Wouldn't it mean that you will basically never run out of cosmic force if you are prepared enough?"

"Indeed, it is. However, not a lot of Sentinels have that much cosmic force stored inside. This is because the cosmic force stored within the Ethyric Realm dissipates over time. For me to store that much, I had to basically allocate 25% of my daily cosmic force to replenish [Cyber-Capacitor] for a few years, nonstop. Not many have the drive I do to maintain it for that long in case of an emergency..."

Hermes nodded. "I see. So you were able to regain your cosmic force with this and you were able to kill that Demonic Alpha Wolf and arrive back here?"

Mason shook his head. "No, I wasn't able to kill it. During our fight, we were somewhat stuck in a draw due to our abilities being extremely similar. My intelligence is higher than some beast, so I was pretty much guaranteed to win. However, the moment the skies darkened, it flew away. I decided to return to check on my mercenary group. But I realized that with a ritual of this scale being cast, escape is impossible. The only solution is to deal with the source directly."

Hermes nodded. "You are right. Whatever the goal of this ritual is, is not good for us in the slightest. If even the beginning phases of it managed to cause me to go into delirium, I shudder at what will happen to us all if we let the person behind it all complete it..."

"indeed...." Mason continued to drive forward, as electricity snaked from his hair. Hermes looked up at the skies once more. An orb of malignant aura was slowly forming in the eye of the vortex, growing and pulsating in a disgusting fashion. His gaze naturally averted. Something within his instinct as a human being was warning; telling him to not gaze too long into that dark abyss....

"We're here. Get ready."

Suddenly, the sound of Mason's voice interrupted his thoughts. Hermes stared straight ahead; the visage of a beaming pillar of white flames encapsulated his vision. Like a moth, he was drawn to its texture and radiance. Hermes shook his head. He knew he had to regain focus.

He pulled out the gunblade strapped to his back and opened the revolver cylinder. Seeing what's inside, he sighed. 'Only one bullet remaining... I have to make it count.'

As they approached the dune marking their destination in ashen flames, Mason spoke to Hermes about his plans. "While I deal with the person behind this, I will need you to watch my back for any other enemies. If there aren't any, focus your attention on the ritual itself and figure out a way to stop it."

Hermes furrowed his brows. "Do you not have a definite way to stop the ritual?"

Mason sighed. "Sadly, no. This ritual is new to me; I have never seen anything like it. However, from my understand of rituals, the flame pillars are the key. They act as a conduit that bridges the gap between dimensions, allowing for the Dreamscape to be connected to our world momentarily."

"So how can I destroy those flame pillars?"

Mason smirked. "That's the beauty of ritualistic magic. You don't need to destroy it. Rituals rely on the stability of their symbolism and faith. Creating small changes in the lay lines or even inserting cosmic force that disrupt the flow of the ritual's magic will naturally cause it to collapse onto itself. You need to be careful, however. It may lead to the ritual's magic backfiring on you."

Hermes nodded. "I see. I will try my best."

"Alright, let's go finish this. Also, be sure to keep your state of mind in check. The Xulu are very hard to deal with. Try to not even talk to them."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Hearing his words, Hermes nodded.

Mason drifted the motorbike to a stop and swiftly jumped out. Hermes followed suit as they both approached and went around the flame pillar. What reflected in their eyes was a being roughly 16 feet tall, hidden beneath a shadowy cloak staring at the ashen flame positioned before him. A guttural voice that echoed within their souls was heard from beneath his veil.

"It seems you have finally arrived."

Mason didn't wait a single second. He immediately activated [Conjure-Gadget] as electricity snaked across his body and exotic particles coalesced into his signature halberd with gear teeth as its blade. He held his newly created weapon in his right arm and charged toward the mysterious being. After closing the distance between them, He swung valiantly with the intention of cutting him in half.

The being saw this and stepped back nonchalantly, dodging the attack with ease. "How about we converse? Do you not want to ask what my intentions are?"

Mason ignored him and continued to press forward on the offensive. His face was stoic and held no sign of emotion. While combatting the cloaked figure, he issued orders to Hermes. "Disrupt the ritual while I deal with him!"

As Hermes observed the unfolding battle from a distance, he caught wind of the commands being issued to him and responded with a resolute nod. Fixing his gaze on the towering flame pillar, he initiated [Augmented-Comprehension], delving into a mental exploration of strategies to disrupt the ominous ritual. Next, he unleashed [Sensory-Boost], enhancing his vision to perceive the intricate flow of Cosmic Force coursing throughout the ritual's arcane formation.

With this heightened vision, Hermes witnessed the serpentine dance of cosmic force weaving its way around the flame pillars. For the first time, he was able to encounter Dream-force, a mysterious substance adorned in a myriad of colors.

Unlike the familiar Knowledge-force that he was used to seeing on his own body, this new Cosmic Force exhibited a liquid essence, lacking the ethereal quality he was accustomed to. The hues and textures, reminiscent of strokes of paint, coiled and meandered along the length of the flame pillar, disappearing into the vast expanse of infinity as he stared into the darkened skies.

'According to Mason, the flame pillars act as conduits to enable a connection between the Dreamscape and our world... Each represents a point in space as well as a point within the Ethyric Realm itself, effectively creating a bridge between the two dimensions... Just destroying or disabling one of them will disrupt the ritual...'

Hermes stared at the flame pillar as his face twisted into a frown. 'But how... Should I maybe try injecting my own cosmic force into it forcibly?'

Suddenly, a guttural voice emanated from behind him. "I see, so you're the one who broke the soul link. Interesting..." Hermes swiftly turned around and jumped backwards to create distance. The cloaked figure stood before him.

Confused, Hermes turned to look at Mason, who was fighting the original mysterious being.

"Another one?!" Hermes spoke in a panicked tone.

The voice emanating from inside the cloak bellowed out into his soul. "Correct, but also wrong. We are both one and the same."

Mason stared in Hermes' direction and yelled loudly. "Do not talk to him! The Dream Domain holds the power to mess with people mentally! He will slowly manipulate you with every syllable!" Hermes shut his mouth and focused at the enemy before him. He immediately dashed toward him with his gunblade from over his shoulder. With his right foot stabilized, he sliced the air forcefully.

The cloned being was cut in half. Before Hermes could celebrate, its figure disappeared slowly, as if it was merely the fabrication of his imagination. Hermes blinked twice, trying to understand what was happening.

"How did you manage to break the soul link tying you to the ritual?" The voice of the being echoed out from all directions. Hermes looked at both his left and right, but found no one present.

'Is he speaking to me telepathically? Was the thing I cut simply something I imagined? No, Mason looked at it and reacted...'

"Hm... You still haven't answered? Is it because of your comrade's words?" The being asked, its voice filled with curiosity.

'Soul link? What is he talking about...' Frustration began to grow inside Hermes' body. He grit his teeth as he tried his best to ignore the being speaking to him from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Hm... Perhaps you simply do not understand what a soul link is. Allow me to explain it to you. You are currently using an ability that lets you perceive how Cosmic Force looks like, correct? Now use that ability to look at Mason. Do you see it?"

Hermes struggled to resist his words. Curiosity had overcome his restraint. Cosmic Force was surging through his eyes as he fixed his gaze on Mason, engaged in a fierce battle with the enigmatic, cloaked figure. Focusing his eyes deeply, Hermes discerned an ethereal aura enveloping Mason's entire form, adorned with miniscule particles that danced in chaotic harmony.

As his focus intensified, Hermes observed the orbs orbiting Mason's cosmic force, each was adorned with symbols along their circumference. These symbols underwent swift and mesmerizing transformations, eluding Hermes' attempts to grasp their fleeting meanings. It became apparent to him that he was observing Mason's passive control over Technology-force.

However, what truly captured his attention was the singular black string emanating from his scalp that lead up to the heavens above. A string so tiny, it could be perceived as simply a hair follicle. However, Hermes could tell at first glance that it was no simple string. As his eyes stretched upward, he could see it leading toward the large and ominous orb forming slowly in the vortex's eye. The string's nature was flimsy; it wobbled in the wind, like a line of ink that escaped its bottle.

'This...'

"So you finally see it? Yes, that is the soul link." The mysterious being spoke as if he was a proud professor. He continued, "that link is created using my abilities. It allows me to siphon the emotions of the being it's connected to. I can also use it to create small sparks within living creatures to ignite their hidden desires. In this way, I can capture their most powerful emotions."

Hermes' complexion turned pale. 'So this is what was responsible for my emotions being in disarray...'

This only fueled his desire to end the ritual even quicker. He decided to ignore the being speaking to him and head for the flame pillar. His first plan entailed injecting his cosmic force into it in the hopes of disrupting the flow of Dream-force coursing through the ritual's arcane circle and flame pillars.

"I see, so you plan to simply execute the task given to you. However, I cannot allow you to do as you please."

Suddenly, Hermes' face twisted into a frown as his knees buckled. He began to hyperventilate as his eyes dilated. Mason observed this and grit his teeth.

"Kid, get a hang of yourself!"

"Mother..." Hermes whimpered.

"It's not real! Whatever you are seeing isn't there!" Mason desperately yelled, but his voice never reached Hermes.

Hermes fixed his gaze ahead, struggling for breath. His face contorted, sinking low, and his skin complexion drained to a placid white. Reflecting in his eyes, a poignant image materialized—the familiar figure of his mother, donning her customary home dress. Short black hair cascaded down the well-earned wrinkles that bespoke her 49 years of life. Her smile, a timeless expression of motherly warmth and familiarity, greeted him.

Despite his desire for happiness, it remained elusive. His emotions churned in a tumultuous sea of chaos. The anticipation of the impending outcome weighed heavily on his entire being. As he reached out to touch her, the once familiar figure of his late mother contorted grotesquely, her skin ballooning in an unsettling manner. Layers of flesh folded upon themselves, while blood oozed from her pores. In a surreal spectacle, a mass of fat and skin liquefied, melding into the floor before his eyes.

His entire brain processed this outcome, and then some. For every time he saw the visage, another one replayed right after the one before it ended; an endless loop of misery played endlessly, like a broken record.

All Hermes could do was watch as his psyche processed the information endlessly. Every time his mother smiled at him, he was haunted by a horrifying replay of torturous body horrors. The most unfortunate aspect was that he could anticipate the result, but couldn't prevent it.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he futilely scratched at his face, trapped in an endless cycle of despair. His soul cried out for mercy, yearning for the sweet release of death, yet the torment persisted, an endless loop that seemed to stretch into eternity. The elusive light at the end of the tunnel proved to be nothing more than a mirage, a cruel illusion. In this desolate darkness, Hermes could do nothing but witness the disfigurement of what he thought was a sacred memory.

End of Chapter