Each step brought the sound of creaking wood into the world, Aaron's feet balancing precariously on the ledge.
Ahead of him, a large hole in the bridge had been carved into the wood, whatever man or monster caused it, ripping it apart without care.
I have changed my mind… Swimming would've been safer.
Crouching down while preparing to jump, he felt his metallic leg pulsate, mana flowing in at a rapid rate.
His core surged with pain, the backlash still digging into his life at every corner.
Gritting his teeth, he leaped forward, slamming his chest into the edge and clawing his way up with his fingernails.
The irritating displeasure of the tips bending backwards made the boy grimace; yet, as he stood on the other side of the large gap, he felt proud.
High in the sky, the sun had begun its descent towards the horizon, evening fast approaching, with the moon still as bright as ever.
I've already been walking for five hours and I'm not even halfway through…
Looking off into the endlessly expansive distance, he gulped silently, feeling the weight of his legs beginning to catch up to him.
I'll walk for another hour or two, then I'll find a spot to camp out…
Nodding his head in response to his own thoughts, he stepped forward, the eerie sound of wood cracking under his feet resounding through the air.
Light wind brushed through his hair, the blond tendrils swaying under the setting sunlight, his eyes reflecting the brown bridge with a steady resolution.
…
Aaron walked until his legs burned, a tight pain drilling through his side, sapping his stamina.
There was no end in sight for the tall boy, his eyelids beginning to droop from exhaustion as he arrived at one of the countless supports that plunged downward into the sea.
Its base was rather firm, a good sign for where he would be spending his night without any protection.
Preparing for the shock, he tapped his temples lightly, feeling the world flash as if overlapping with separate dimensions.
First, lines of mana jettisoned from a hidden box buried in the archway that held the bridge, one of the various terror cores that warded off their living counterparts.
It's rather weak compared to even low-level terrors…
Blinking gently and grafting another plane of sight onto the world, the future weather revealed in an instant.
As the sky shifted like a projection, miniature raindrops appeared, then vanished, replaced by filthy orange dust.
It'll rain tonight for less than twenty minutes only to be followed by a dust storm…
Sighing gently and rubbing his neck, he walked to a steady platform that he could view with his Mana Vision.
Using the ability that allowed him to see through non-organic structures, he had noted the firm architecture of the design in that section.
Even if a low-level terror attacks, I should be safe for as long as it takes me to awaken.
Affirming the point in his head, he relaxed slightly, sitting down with his back facing the sea.
Even if someone else was tailing him from behind, he would hopefully notice them before they could get to him.
He was just about to summon Mr. Crab to his side so the crustacean could construct some items out of the Ghostship's aura, but at the last second, he paused.
Not once since their last discussion while fishing had either interacted with the other, the silence between them a barrier of will.
Aaron wished for answers while the small crustacean remained silent, stoic, and unwavering, even in front of his shouts.
Leaning his head against the wood, the warm sea breeze blew across his body, starting to dry all that sweat he worked up.
Why…? That's all I want to know…
Turning his gaze upward into the night sky, he watched solemnly as the moon flickered ominously, its size considerably larger than the previous night.
Stars in the heavens shone brightly, the memory of the sky itself falling under his gaze, returning to his view at once.
While the world barrier remained intact, he could not view such a phenomenon easily; however, he could dream, and dream he did.
As his eyes closed on a peaceful evening, he felt a harsh gaze fall upon him, one resolute on watching.
There was no malice nor ill intent with the spectator's intentions, something Aaron could sense.
Though with his mind unsettled, he could only grip the hilt of his sword where he had placed it earlier in the day, with the soul of the princess pulsating lethargically inside.
Her voice was back, but still quiet, her mental state only barely at the capacity to guard him while he slept.
"Do you sense that?"
In a half-asleep voice, he spoke to the girl.
『Two figures are in the distance, observing you. The range is approximately 5 kilometers. Hostility is undetectable.』
Her robotic answer left the boy at ease, one last set of words beaming inside his mind as he slipped into restful darkness.
『They both ooze the aura of a deity… How intriguing…』
Hearing Penelope's words like a whisper, he relaxed further, a slow realization coursing through him as he entered the dreamscape.
My sword has slayed deities…
…
His feet dug into the white dusty surface below him, the airless expanse of space stretching out in every direction.
Gravity loosened its pull over the boy, his dream feeling more like reality than it ever had before, even in his visions of that creature.
Stretching out his hand and moving his fingers in a test, he retracted it slowly, curling his lip in confusion.
Looking upward, he witnessed a sight so beautiful that it put to shame anything he had ever seen before.
Spiraling currents of cosmic space-time flowed together, vast limbs of matter stretching infinitely.
Balls of whirling light clung like ornaments to the massive, branching structure, some dim, some brilliant.
Taking in the sight, he noticed the closest of those mystical lights glowing a light blue, a strange reflective effect reacting to his gaze.
Digging his feet into the powdery soil, he felt something stir beneath him.
His hair stood on end, a terrifying shiver running down his spine as he sensed the primordial heartbeat surging out from the rock below.
Wind filled the dream world, but, instead of just moving air, this gust was the breath of a massive creature, one whose body oozed with strength.
Stepping backwards, Aaron tripped over a metallic object, his head slamming into the ground with a sudden thud.
Darting his head over to where he had fallen, his eyes widened as he noticed a set of broken chains drilling straight into the rock.
Immense, indescribable fear engrossed his form, the tree-like structure filling the black-void of space vanishing in an instant.
His head roared with agony, sweat dripping down his face, blood trickling from his eyes.
Air drained from his lungs, the world spinning as he began to lose consciousness, his face contorted in a strange expression.
Even through the fear he felt, Aaron curled his lip faintly, annoyance and disgust coursing through his body.
There was no one to stop the crushing pressure that ripped him to shreds until he jerked out of his sleep.
Waking up on the bridge, he could feel something different about himself.
Penelope's light humming serenaded his ears as he stared into the rising sun in the sky, the morning already approaching.
Closing his eyes lightly, he reached his consciousness into his own self, towards his mana core that twitched violently.
The organ's interior structure had been damaged through backlash; however, now, after the strange dream, new bonds had stretched themselves from the muscle.
Forging a weak barrier around the core, the new coils acted as a defensive mechanism against anything that would attempt to infect him.
As the power settled inside him, he implicitly understood that whether it be poisons or diseases, he was immune to anything that could sap his mana supply.
Confusion coursed through his mind as he rapidly searched for the terror core he must've absorbed.
Opening his mouth, he spoke to Penelope hurriedly.
"D-Did you feed me a sea terror core while I slept?"
His sudden question startled the humming girl, who answered at once.
『Core? I've been watching those two figures all night! I haven't had time for any hunting.』
Her response left Aaron even more unsure; however, as he tapped his temple lightly and looked downward, he found the cause.
I didn't…
Where the core that had warded away terrors for decades had once lain, only an empty box remained, the once rich contents void.
His heartbeat increased slightly, a slow warning creeping through his body as he came to a possibility.
Without the deterrent or the Ghostship around…
Chills engrossed his body as he looked over the ledge and into the sea that was speckled with orange particles.
Only the sounds of waves crashing against the pillars echoed through the air, a sense of tranquillity settling over the blond boy's form.
Staring intently into the murky liquid, every urge inside him told him it was safe, that there was no danger; however, his mind said otherwise.
And as a single bubble floated to the ocean's surface, he felt the air pressure shift, a slight crackle beneath the waves.
Without any time to react, he slammed his foot against the ledge, his metallic foot launching him across the bridge and to the other side.
KWARR!
Out of the depths, a creature with a bladed snout and hundreds of bloodied teeth shot from the sea, snapping its maw in the exact place Aaron had been standing.
In a single bite, half the bridge pillar vanished from sight, the monster falling back into the sea ominously.
There were no words uttered from the boy's lips as he bolted down the long road ahead, the sound of breaking wood behind him spurring him onward.