When the memory was summoned, everyone just stared silently at the unspectacular headband, with one gemstone, on Nephis's head, trying to reason what its enchantment could be, if it had been so appetizing.
"So, what can it do? You said it is the only way to defeat Gunlaug, haven't you?" Sunny asked from the sides.
She remained silent for a moment, and merely smiled, before eventually speaking up, "It empowers memories around it. The are of the effect is quite large… but the enhancement it provides is even larger."
Still somewhat satisfied, from his Deal just now, Ray also added his comment, "You should be able to feel the enhancement, by now. Just test your weapon or armor."
Sunny looked at him with suspicion, which dimmed a little, after Nephis seemed to give an agreeing nod.
When that was said, everyone actually summoned their memories now, though, with a different purpose than what they would've been for, just a minute or two earlier.
After they had tested the enhancement thoroughly, and were satisfied, Sunny spoke again, as if he had just thought of something, "But, if it enhances all memories around it. Wouldn't it also enhance his golden armor? So… how is it going to be of any help, against Gunlaug?"
Nephis, once more remained silent for just a moment, before she answered again, while a small smile spread on her face, "It would not, would it. But, hey… would you want me tell you another secret?"
Sunny, faced with that indirect question, merely stayed silent, not saying anything, while all of the others just watched on.
"It will help, because Gunlaug's golden armor is not a memory."
This revelation seemed to surprise the young man greatly for a moment, and before he could say anything else, she wanted to begin again, but was ultimately interrupted.
"Its actually an echo. So, there won't be any problems with the enchantment of the headband."
Nephis looked at Ray with a rather indifferent look, as if she had already imagined him to know about it, even if she herself had not told him about it.
"You don't think that you're the only one that can get some 'Insider' information." He spoke again, this time in a more mysterious tone, while specifically emphasizing the word; insider.
After that, a moment of silence, once again, settled over the group, which was only broken moments later, by a somewhat shy Kai.
"Uh… I am sorry to interrupt the tension like this, but I just wanted to ask something real quick. Since we have found and gotten our hands on this memory, which will help us against Gunlaug… does that mean this expedition is over? Have we accomplished our goal?"
Standing next to his clueless friend, Ray could only sympathetically put his hand on his friend's shoulder, and when Kai turned around, shake his head with a subtle smile.
"This has only been one part of the expedition. But, with how far we are, the second part won't take too long. Isn't that right, Changing Star?"
All eyes turned once more towards Nephis, and she gave a nod of agreement, "Indeed. We still need to finish what the first lord had started. Find the stone statue inside, and defeat its Guardian."
Before continuing, she looked at every single one of them, "But that part is something you need to volunteer to do. There is no reason to force anyone to do it. Quite frankly, it will be the most dangerous part of this expedition.
Anyone who wants, can join me. Those who don't, they can wait here for my return."
After saying those words, she already made the first step, towards the only way forward, the tunnel leading even further down.
But, she stopped once more, "There is only one rule, if you decide to join. No matter what happens, it's imperative that you don't deal the finishing blow to the nightmare creature inside… unless you have reached and touched the statue first."
With those words said, she continued walking towards the tunnel.
Shortly after, most of them had joined her, and walked into the tunnel themselves.
There were only two exceptions to this, right now.
"Aren't you coming, Ray?" Kai asked, perplexed by his friend's behavior the second time, in a matter of merely a few minutes.
"You can all go on ahead, I'll catch up. Don't worry, buddy." Ray reassured his friend, but kept sitting on the ground, next to the first lord's remains, without seeming to have any intention to move from there.
"Okay. Then, see you soon." Ray could see that Kai was nervous, and it was quite apparent why. But right now, there was something else he needed to take care of, first.
"No worries, I will be there. Just, make sure to care for your own safety, too."
With those words being the last things said, between the two of them, Kai turned around again, and rushed after their comrades.
As for Ray, the moment Kai disappeared into the tunnel, his eyes seemed to turn a shade darker, if that was even humanely possible. Those eyes, were then directed at nothing else, but the remains of the first lord.
"Let's get back to what I wanted to do, before we were so unceremoniously interrupted, my friend."
'Time to test my theory, from a few months ago...'
The next moment, he once again stretched out his hand towards the head of the skeleton, and when his hand touched it, he activated his innate ability.
Waiting for a moment, Ray immediately noticed how there was nothing that really seemed to flow into him.
'Has the death been too long ago…? No. His will was strong enough to get through the mist maze…'
Thinking this, Ray tried using the ability even harder, trying to thoroughly get into the mind of the first lord, or at least, what remained of it.
It took him nearly a full minute, before he eventually managed to get through the intangible barrier that had been protecting the remnants of what remained. But, the moment he got through, what he had been searching for, finally flowed into his mind.
'Oh, what a shame. It seems like you were truly meant for greatness… with an Aspect like this…'
Indeed. The thing Ray had been trying to access were the remnants of what would be the foundation of the sleeper's soul body; the aspect gifted by the spell.
With that, one of his theories was also tested and could be declared as a success.
A sleepers body in the dream realm, just like those that awakened would have, are constructs created by the spell, to allow humans to get into the dream realm as simple as they could. And, the foundation for this, would always be the one thing, which makes each awakened unique in their own way.
Their aspect.
When he was done, with being proud of his first succeeded theory, he then continued to summon the second part of his current experiment; Puppet.
A couple of seconds later, the puppet, built from wooden flesh? Lay in front of him.
'Now the harder part…'
Ray had used his innate ability only ever in one direction; taking memories. Until now, he had never given, or implanted memories into another person, or being. But, there was a first time for everything.
Holding his hand, above the puppet's head, before eventually putting it down on it, Ray took one last breath, before he activated [Coming of Oblivion].
He felt an immediate pull on his mind. It felt, as if his own mind would be pulled out of his head. The only thing he could do, was concentrate on what was supposed to be implanted; the first lord's aspect.
The pull continued, and Ray was by no mean used to this feeling, so there was little resistance he could actually offer. There was only one thing that kept his own mind in one piece; his true Name.
As the seconds passed by, the pull finally took hold of the memory he had just extracted, and then continued to intensify its force. The feeling that followed was, as if the memory was being delivered from one point, in this case, Ray's mind, directly to the Puppet's empty core, via a bridge of sorts.
It took another minute, until the process was finally finished, and when it was, Ray seemed exhausted, with sweat visible clearly on his forehead.
Even with that exhaustion, there was only one thing on Ray's face that mattered; a gigantic grin.
'It succeeded.'
He threw a look over to the still meditating skeleton, had a conflicted look on his face, but eventually activated his ability once more.
This time, it went a lot faster, than before.
After merely thirty seconds, or so, he was done, and looked at his new experiment's success.
The puppet was by no means just a puppet anymore. Now, it looked just like any other human could look like. Though, that was, if any other human would have entirely black eyes, without a pupil inside.
Now, the puppet was a young man, about Ray's age, possibly slightly older, with long red hair, and a well-proportioned athletic body. It also seemed to look at him now, having gained a semblance of life, now that it actually had a proper body.
As for why it looked like this, it was due to the vision he had received back in the quarry, where he had been able to get a look at the first lord, first hand. The only exception were the black eyes that seemed to be coming from the puppet itself.
Satisfied with his progress in that department, he stood up, stretched a moment, and after thinking it over for a second, summoned two memories; [Oblivion's Thread], and [Second Skin].
The armor was summoned first, and Ray threw it over to the puppet, who caught it, and… fused with it?
Nevertheless, the next instant, the red-haired young man was no longer naked, and instead wore the same thing he would normally wear whenever they had freetime.
About the same time that happened, his multi-tool also weaved itself into existence, once more in the form of a Claymore. He was reluctant for a second, before he offered it too.
In the memories he had given the puppet, the first lord had fought with a sword, against the stone insect, and now it was to see, if it had also gained those parts.
When the sword touched the puppet's hands, nothing spectacular happened, and Ray breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, we better go after them now. Otherwise, they'll be finished with that guardian before we even get there."
After saying this out loud, Ray, carrying his trusted Halberd, run into the tunnel too, and the young man followed closely behind.
Being interested in the capabilities of it, Ray increased his own tempo more and more, and at about 70%, the Puppet reached its limit, so that is where he remained.
Soon enough, he could hear the sounds of fighting, and noticed the shine of the radiant memories of the others, due to the tunnel exit getting closer by the second.
Mere seconds after the sounds reached his ears, he finally reached the exit, and stopped in his tracks, as he took in what he was looking at; a room in which, most likely the entire Bright Castle, along with the hill it stood on could fit.
A couple dozen meters away from him was the guardian busy with fighting off the others, most prominently Effie, Nephis, Sunny's stone saint, and Cassie's flying rapier. Kai was in the air, and used every shot he got, whenever the creature was busy with the girls on the ground.
Ray was unable to see where Caster and Sunny were, but he could make a good guess where they would be, or rather what they were trying to do.
Nevertheless, after taking in the situation for a few seconds, Ray did not hesitate any further, and along with the puppet, headed straight for the guardian; a spire messenger.
'Its time to find out what he can actually do…'
-x-
Next chapter should be the final one for the expedition, meaning the end of the spire messenger fight, as well as the timeskip for the journey back. It will be perfect for the 100th chapter :)
Thanks for your patience