"So? What's the plan from now on brat?" I could hear [Nameless Star]'s voice resonated through my mind, this is schizophrenia on a whole other level.
"Your voice is really bugging me you know that?" I sneered while lifting myself off the ground and scanning the area to make sure we were safe. As my eyes panned across the room, I noticed a familiar object lying across my feet, I inch closer bit by bit, feeling every nerve in my body tremble until I saw it.
Bleghhugghhh
"Easy easy, Let it all out. I'd probably not do the same if I were you but this is no matter how you look at it, it’s a horrible sight to behold" [Nameless Star] consoled from within.
The head of the woman I cared so deeply about lay at arm’s-length from me, lifeless and oozing out blood like a faucet. My head spun round and round, I couldn't get myself to think straight, before I knew it, I was already vomiting again. Pumping out everything I had left in my guts until I fell head-first into it.
"You up? Be careful with how you treat your body from now on. I told you to just cry it all out and get it over with. You don't need me to explain the situation to you now, do you? We both made a promise, so get your head straight, and let's start moving!" [Nameless Star], now a little irked by my display of utter patheticness tried to console me... Or at least I think that's what he's trying to do.
I picked up myself and dusted off my clothes. I gently picked up her head and moved towards the body to align them properly.
"Hey Sir [Nameless star], Could you help me with a proper way to send her off?" Sir [Nameless Star] was a former constellation with unfathomable power, at least according to him.
Her beautiful body didn't belong in some autopsy or mortuary place, she was like a hero who saved me at many points in my life when I needed her the most, so it's only fitting that she be sent off as one.
"Hmm... I see, well this may affect my performance for a little while but, hold your right hand out in front of you."
[Nameless Star] wasn't so tactless as to not understand the significance of my feelings. He may have lost his essence and authority after falling from on high, but the very existence of a constellation is the very concept of power in itself.
The power accessible to his current host at the time was less than a grain of sand in the desert, that grain of sand was still more than enough.
"Alright, my hand's out. Ready when you are"
"True Frozen arts
Simultaneous with the declaration, the body in front of me turned into an ice monument. The body is frozen in a thick box of ice.
"Unbelievable..." I couldn't help but mutter at the sight of such power. The spell
"Hey kid, Go touch the body. Let me tell you now, but it's going to immediately shatter into uncountable pieces the moment you touch it. So put all your promises and wishes into that last touch.
She will be reincarnated, but this is the only version you may ever know." [Nameless Star] added his own form of sympathy. I felt like I could get along with this guy if I tried hard enough.
I stretched my right hand slowly and quietly towards her body. All the memories we shared flashed before my eyes. When we met at the company to all the times we hung out, to the times she helped me, to the times I helped her, to her entire existence being there to support me.
Thank you, Sharon. I'll see you later.
Just as my palm rested upon the ice monument, it truly as sir [Nameless Star] said, shattered into uncountable pieces and filled the air with fresh mist. My mind became a bit more calm, my frustration eased, and my expression lightened.
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"You sure you don't need to cry?" His voice rang in my head yet again. It was a bit distorting, but, also weirdly reassuring.
"Thanks but no thanks. I can't even feel myself tearing up, if anything, I feel a little relief." A little smile drew across my face. And who am I kidding with that fake smile?
"But deep down, my fury for the demons who did this overflowing my mind. Valos and Lith right? I will not stop breathing until I kill both of you and your children, and their children!! I promise you that!!" the anger and pain welling up from my stomach poured out vigorously into my words and my aura. It was the first time I couldn't contain myself from this sort of anger. I had never even experienced this type of anger before.
"..." Nameless star didn't utter a word as I poured out my frustration, perhaps to give me some space.
"Well kid, if you feel that bad about it then get off your ass and start making some moves. The faster I get my essence back, the faster you get the power to fight with those filthy creatures, and the faster your mind settles in, no?" [Nameless Star] declared after watching my frustrations.
"Yeah, you're right sir [Nameless Star]. Thanks for that. Also, what should I call you from now on? Calling you something like "Nameless" wouldn't be nice." Now out of the building before the police and other authorities would arrive to investigate, the next destination was my rundown apartment.
"Just call me Nameless for short. I don't have a name." He replied sharply. Since he first introduced himself, I thought the nameless star thing was just an alias to cover up his name. Not having a name however is just crazy…
"hmm, alright then Nameless. Let's go"
…
"What a pathetic dump this is."
"Well, I'm sorry I don't have much money!" We returned to my home to rest for the night and pick up a few things for tomorrow. A one-room apartment with a dirty carpet and wallpaper, torn at almost every spot.
The place wasn't like this before though. The rent, loan sharks, and the wild tenants on the floor all contributed to my suffering here. I'll make them all pay, along with the demons.
"Stop!" Nameless suddenly interrupted.
"I'm only going to say this once but, don't fill your entire drive with revenge. I may seem like it's a great source of motivation but I assure you, you'll only get hurt in the end." I could feel Nameless controlling the swirl of ether that was about to burst into the air, calmly and efficiently.
"I'll keep that in mind." My thoughts were now completely cleared from the rage that clouded my mind. What the hell was I thinking? There are far more important things.
"This isn't even what we should be thinking of now. I have to prepare for the expedition later this morning. I entrusted most of myself to you Nameless, so now what do you think we should do?" I asked humbly. I forgot this wasn't just my journey anymore. I have another life in my hands.
"Take enough supplies to last you at least a week into your storage bag. We are definitely going to be there for a long while. A week's worth should be enough for you to survive before you adapt to the conditions."
Nameless said so brazenly you would think he was joking. In the first place, expeditions can last up to two weeks if the mission is cleared quickly. What the hell is he planning…?
"But.. isn't one week too little. You won't possibly expect me to leech off the other mercenaries do you Sir Nameless?" I was too taken aback to keep shut on this, even though I know he had more experience.
"That's because you're going to be in the dimension alone for a very long time… A-L-O-N-E" Nameless made even less sense as he continued.
"Let me ask you this, do you think the "you" right now can produce a different result if you took on those demons again?" Nameless striking the nail left me speechless in defeat.
"Exactly! So what else are you going to do asides become stronger? You've been following the laid-out rules of the organizations and previous mercenaries and how has that worked out, huh? The only way to win is to find the right way and go as hard as possible. Unless you're prepared to remain weak." Nameless vented with words although harsh, were the truths I needed to hear.
"So you're saying without a doubt, you can make me strong?" I already knew the answer to that, but hearing him say it again…
"More like without me, it may be impossible, but you can be rest assured. So get back to packing up, we'll be leaving soon" Nameless declared without a single shred of doubt. Constellation or not, I really was blessed with a guy like him.
…
We arrived at the waiting center a bit earlier than the meeting time, it was Nameless's idea to come first and observe the gate. From what he explained here, the gate to the little villages and ruins we explore and plunder are wormholes that connect universes.
The world and the underworld are two sides of the same coin. A gate would connect to a particular dimension in the underworld. "It's kind of hard to wrap your head around so just try thinking of it as something inside an even bigger thing" or so he said trying to explain it to me.
Because the World and the underworld are two sides of the same coin, the World has the exact same structure. It makes you realize just how small and insignificant you really are in this big big world.
Nameless's plan entailed going past the dimensional walls guiding the area the gate had access to and surviving in the demonic dimension. At first, I couldn't believe the insanity spewing from him, going into the underworld where humans could barely manage to survive due to the environmental and safety conditions was a bad enough idea on its own, but now I had to survive until sometime when the next gate might visit the same dimension.
I wouldn't even believe it was a suggestion from anyone other than a demon. However, through the ritual of souls, our existences are linked. Meaning it's all over for us both if I die, so if he suggests doing it, then it means he believes in my ability to protect us both.
"You know, you're the only person aside Sharon to believe in my abilities" I communicated in my mind while watching the other expedition mercenaries arriving and settling in.
"You should be proud of making the likes of myself see something in you." As haughty as ever, he boldly receives the compliment.
"I won't let you down then," I replied before joining the gathering of the other mercenaries. The one leading our group was apparently a Silver class, with two silver-class assistants.
The rest of the party were Copper classes, and one other Silver class standing at an obscure corner. Looks like I'm the only bronze class. I felt overshadowed and inferior even though they didn't know my class yet.
"So! The lineup at the gate will start with me at the front, the Silver classes behind me, and like so our classes would be arranged in successive order to minimize losses. If I remember correctly, there was a bronze class among us. There's no need to reveal yourself though, just blend in with the rest of the Coppers". The voice of the Gold class mercenary Justin, reverberated inside my body. Was he perhaps adding ether to increase the vibrations of his speech?
"Oh? I'm surprised you figured it out, kid. You have good senses." Nameless confirmed my hunch. Perhaps this wouldn't be a bad expedition after all.
And that is when I realized the concept of flags.
"Hey, if anyone were to be a Bronze class here, wouldn't it be that scrawny guy holding that rugged backpack?" One of the Copper classes exclaimed. His stupid remark resounded throughout the hall, stopping ongoing side talks and drawing the eyes and attention of others to none other than me who perfectly fits that description.
This doesn't look good I guess.