Smoke and flames almost consumed the streets, but somehow, hundreds of nightmare creatures had been eliminated, saving countless lives.
Amon was still stunned by Harus's strength. Even back in the Forgotten Shore, Harus had been powerful and terrifying but now, he was something else entirely. Amon wasn't confident he could have accomplished what Harus had done today.
He smiled faintly, shaking his head in amusement as he looked at Harus. His expression softened for a moment, his dark eyes unfocused as he exhaled with a quiet laugh. I hope you make your mom proud, buddy.
With that thought, he turned away, not wanting to interrupt the reunion between mother and son.
A calm, satisfied smile spread across his face as he heard Elly's voice, bright amd trembling with happiness. Harus stood awkwardly, his head lowered, avoiding his mother's gaze. Shame, regret, and anxiety churned in his eyes.
"My clumsy boy…" Elly whispered with a warm smile, tears streaming down her cheeks as she pulled him into a tight embrace. Harus's eyes widened in disbelief, frozen and not knowing how to respond. He was confused and overwhelmed but above all, he was happy.
He hesitated for a moment, biting his lip as he closed his eyes. Then he slowly raised his arms and hugged her back. His voice was calm and detached as always, though his entire body trembled under the storm of emotions raging inside him.
"I'm sorry, Mom…"
"It's okay… everything will be fine, my boy." Elly laughed softly, relief relaxing her expression. "You're alive. That's all that matters."
Harus nodded, lowering his head. "I'm back…"
Thank you… Mr. Error.
Amon paused mid-step, his expression thoughtful. Then he chuckled, amused. You're welcome, punk.
Amon would never call himself kind or generous but he could admit this much: seeing people smiling… seeing people joyful… it was a good feeling.
"Hello, Mr..."
"It's Amon," he corrected, giving the girl a calm yet faintly surprised glance. "What can I do for you?"
He genuinely wondered what she wanted. She was short, with adorable features and dark hair. Her black eyes were lively and bright, making her smile almost disarmingly cute.
Though… there was one problem.
Amon wasn't good with kids.
From what he remembered… yeah, every time he played with Lazare, he somehow made his brother cry. Every single time. Of course, they were accidents, but the truth was simple: Amon was childish himself. When he got carried away, he sometimes forgot children weren't as big or as durable as he was.
Kids liked playing with him, sure... But they also cried a lot because of him.
Gee, that's tough…
"Yes, Mr. Amon. Thank you for protecting me and also helping Harus. You have my gratitude." She bowed politely, smiling bright enough to make him blink.
Eh? What a polite kid. If every child were like her, maybe I wouldn't have beaten so many of them up so badly. Those punks… His expression darkened at the memory.
"It's fine. Harus is my subordinate, so it's natural I look after him. If that's all, I'll take my leave."
"Uhmm…"
"What?" Amon muttered, already feeling mildly annoyed.
"It's dangerous, so… can you take me home? I don't want to interrupt Harus and Elly…" she said, cheeks flushing as she coughed in embarrassment.
Amon grimaced, momentarily at a loss for words. Why are you blushing, kid? I don't understand anything that goes on in your head. And why should I… Fuck.
"…Fine. Lead the way."
"Thank you very much!" she beamed, turning around with a soft laugh as he followed with an increasingly irritated look.
On the way, Amon glanced at Caster and Gunlaug. He frowned, tilting his head before sighing.
"You two stay here. The government will arrive soon. Tell them everything they want to know about the situation, and..."
He paused. Caster nodded with a tired sigh while Gunlaug snorted in annoyance.
Then Amon smiled gently. "Don't forget to ask for compensation. They'll take the corpses and the shards, but we should receive an appropriate payment for our service."
Caster and Gunlaug blinked. Then, simultaneously, they grinned and high-fived.
Yes… being a good person felt good but having a lot of money also felt really good at the end of the day.
Amon thought with a peaceful smile, left hand in his pocket, right hand resting on his cane as he followed the girl home.
While they walked, Amon stayed completely silent. For him, it was nothing, he was calculating how much the government would pay them. But for the girl, the silence was painfully awkward.
Eventually, she coughed, trying to get his attention, and glanced back.
"You are… you know, right?" she said with a nervous smile.
"Yes, I am 'you know, right.' That's correct." Amon muttered, face blank.
"Tha-that's not what I meant! I mean… Blasphemer…" she stammered, cheeks puffing up in indignation.
"Yes, i suppose I am. What about it?" He raised an eyebrow. A faint smile tugged at his lips, one that made the girl visibly uncomfortable.
"N-nothing…" It's really him! she thought in disbelief. Act natural, act natural! Don't embarrass yourself! There's no way he will-
"Rain?"
A familiar voice cut through her thoughts. Rain blinked and looked up. A pale young man with dark hair and onyx eyes stood a few steps ahead, staring at her.
But when his gaze shifted past her, his eyes widened, then sharpened into a cold, hostile glare.
"What are you doing with that bastard?" Sunny's voice dropped into a dark, venomous tone. Wariness, hatred, suspicion... It was all there.
Amon blinked slowly, tilting his head.
Rain… Rain… Rain… Ah. Shit. So that's why the creatures at the Gate felt familiar. He had read about them in the novel.
Well. Big surprise. Who could have guessed…
"It's been a while, Sunless. I'm sure you prayed for my death, but perhaps it's not time for that yet." Amon said calmly. "As you can see, I'm escorting this young lady."
"Stay right there. I'm warning you." Sunny's voice dropped lower as Soul Serpent trembled, ready to turn into an odachi. He was exhausted after returning from the Dream Realm, but that didn't matter. He wasn't about to trust Amon with his sister's life. If anything happened to Rain, he would kill him. No hesitation.
"It's okay, Sunny! Mr. Amon saved my life!" Rain said quickly. "And do you remember my nanny, Elly? And her son? I'm sure I talked about them. Well, who would've guessed Harus is Mr. Amon's subordinate? Heh."
Sunny stared at her blankly.
The fuck? Harus is close to Rain? I almost killed him months ago… and Amon, too.
If I had succeeded back then… Does that mean Rain would've died?
For the first time in a while, a strange, conflicted twist tightened in Sunny's chest.
Eventually, Amon escorted Rain back home. Her parents were probably worried sick, so she'd asked him to bring her straight there. After exchanging pleasantries with them, and politely declining an invitation for coffee, he finally turned around and stepped outside with a tired sigh.
He really wanted to rest.
But, alas… wishes rarely come true.
Sunny was waiting for him right outside, arms crossed, expression cold.
"You're finally back, bastard."
"I'm not a bastard," Amon corrected calmly.
"I'm an orphan… I think." He added with a genuinely confused look.
Sunny blinked, thrown off for a moment. What kind of bullshit... "Enough of that. What were you doing with her?"
"Nothing much. She asked me to escort her back since her parents would be worried." Amon shrugged. "Why? Is she important to you? Because from what I know, you're the kind of punk who thinks about backstabbing your allies and then imagines how cool you must look doing it, you edgy asshole."
Amon smirked, pointing at him with a laugh.
"W-what?! What is that nonsense!" Sunny shouted in outrage.
"Am I wrong?" Amon chuckled, sitting down casually on the stairs beside him.
Sunny clenched his fists. His flaw tugged at him painfully, but eventually he relented as the pressure in his skull eased only when he spoke the truth.
"…It's true." He had considered killing his allies on the journey to the Hollow Mountains. Multiple times. He even counted how many times he could do it. Well, except for Nephis. He wasn't confident about her.
"So, who's that girl? Is she important?" Amon asked with feigned curiosity.
"She is." Sunny said darkly.
"Why? Is she your sister?" Amon muttered with a yawn.
…HOW!? Sunny stared at him, stunned. But more importantly, he did not want to answer. Not this question. Not to him.
Yet his flaw twisted painfully, forcing the truth to claw its way out of his throat. A splitting pain hammered behind his eyes, growing worse by the second until he finally spat it out.
"…Yes."
"Huh?" Amon blinked. His expression went blank, then confused, then outright shocked. "For real?"
"I said yes, bastard!" Sunny snapped, his fury barely contained. "How do you know that!?"
"Oh… no wonder." Amon tapped his fist lightly into his open palm as the realization clicked. "I mean, you two really resemble each other. Same features, same dark hair and eyes, pale skin. And from what i can guess, you live around here too, so that's not a coincidence. Not to mention you reacted like I was threatening the most precious thing in your life. Put all that together, and yeah... It's kinda obvious."
Sunny was speechless. Am I really that easy to read?
Fate was a really strange thing.
Amon sighed quietly to himself. In the novel, Harus was supposed to die, and Sunny, his killer, was the one who saved the school from the nightmare creatures. But this time, Sunny had been away, and instead Harus had been the one protecting people… with his help.
It was strange. Very strange.
It meant that even he couldn't completely change fate. Sometimes he could bend it... Thanks to his knowledge of the story, probably. But sometimes he couldn't.
Not that he wanted Rain to die, of course. He had no reason to let that happen.
Still… while he could alter other people's futures, his own remained shrouded in mysteries. He couldn't see it, couldn't predict it and couldn't control it. Powerless against fate, yet able to twist it for others.
A puzzling contradiction, really.
"If that's all, I'll leave now," Amon muttered, pushing himself to his feet. He stretched, yawned, and started walking away.
"Wait!" Sunny's voice rang behind him.
Amon paused. "…What is it, Sunless?" he asked over his shoulder with another tired yawn.
Sunny hesitated. His jaw twitched. His expression looked physically painful.
"…Th-thanks for… saving her life." Each word sounded like it cost him blood. "I… owe you one."
It wasn't surprising, considering how much Sunny hated him. But Amon couldn't really relate. He had long forgotten the events on the Forgotten Shore, his enemies, their grudges and all that nonsense.
Amon simply wasn't a petty, spiteful person. Honestly, he could barely remember what he'd eaten yesterday, how could he possibly cling to old grudges? Every grievance he once carried had already been settled, one way or another, so of course he forgot them.
Bitterness wasn't something he bottled. If working with an enemy benefited him, he'd do it without a second thought. Efficiency mattered more than spite, always.
He had never understood how people let hatred rot inside them like an infected wound. It was almost funny. He used to be like that: narrow-minded, rigid, convinced he was on the moral high ground, seeing the world in black and white.
Reality had slapped him senseless.
Turned out, he'd been worse than many of the people he judged.
But… whatever.
He didn't care anymore. The past was the past... Buried, settled, and often irrelevant. Not forgotten, though. Some things you don't forget and they're very important: his family, meeting Luna, the stupid things he and Medici had done, the lessons carved into his bones, the suffering that shaped him.
Those memories were part of him, threads woven into who he had become. But letting them drag him down? Letting them twist him into something bitter and pathetic?
Pfthhh. No chance.
That was part of why he asked Mr. Jacob for therapy: dealing with his flaws, smoothing out the dents in his psyche, refusing to be ruled by old scars.
He lived in the present. As for the future? It was wide open, unpredictable, troublesome, chaotic, and full of possibilities.
And he was looking forward to every ridiculous second of it.
"It's fine," Amon said lazily. "I told Rain to ask you to become her master. I'm sure you want to train her anyway."
He waved dismissively, already turning away. "Now, I will take my leave. Farewell, Sunless."
He walked off, cane tapping lightly against the pavement.
Sunny remained frozen in place, staring after him, questions churning in his mind. Confusion, frustration, unease... All of them tangled together. What the hell was that…?Damnation…
...
Four months later…
Amon sipped his coffee, dark circles etched under his eyes as he yawned while staring at the documents spread across his desk. With a sigh, he set them aside and sank into his chair, exhaustion written all over him.
The Forgotten Shore had changed a lot. The Dark Sea was dead, but the Corrupted, and even the Great Abominations that had once dwelled within it, were still alive. Most of them, however, remained confined to the colossal crater, a massive hole in the earth that was now avoided at all costs. The rest of the region was relatively safe, with only Ascended and Awakened creatures active in scattered areas.
Because of this, sea routes had been established for safe navigation across the Forgotten Shore.
At the moment, though, the only ship venturing out was the Horizon's Edge. But that wouldn't remain the case for long, many more vessels were planned for the future.
"My Lord… it's time to start," Amon's assistant announced as she entered his office inside the Crimson Spire. She was a young woman with black hair and hazel eyes, tall and composed, glasses perched on her nose lending her an intelligent air. Her expression was cool, solemn, and professional.
"I know, Ophelia. I'm coming." Amon exhaled and followed her out of the office.
The dark city was slowly being rebuilt. Mr. Jacob… Amon still couldn't wrap his head around it. How had he managed to recruit so many talented individuals? Everything was running perfectly.
Of course, Amon continued his propaganda to attract capable Awakeneds, but discerning who was truly trustworthy and valuable was far from easy. Mr. Jacob, though? he did it with apparent ease. Well… maybe not ease. Jacob had cursed a lot, looked depressed, sleep-deprived, and exhausted but still, somehow, he got it done.
Good job, boss! Respect!
They walked through the streets. Roads were paved with stone, modeled after ancient Roman techniques. Raven and the Echoes were mainly responsible for transporting the massive slabs. Since Raven could create clones, he had been worked to death. Amon couldn't help but pity his spiritual companion but, alas, Raven wasn't the only one exhausted. Amon himself had been pushed to the brink, and in the end, they were both trapped in this relentless cycle of work.
But there was more than just roads being built. Amon looked west, toward the forest and wilderness… Kido had also been worked to the brink of exhaustion. Her marriage with Gemma had been postponed because she had been cultivating the forest for four damned months.
The Dark City… well, it was no longer "dark." Now it was called Moirai. The city had been divided into four sections: the west was forest and wilderness; the east would be farmland; the north was where the people would live; and the south, at the outskirts where the colossal walls stood, would become the harbor. That was the plan.
"Ophelia… what about the exit?" Amon asked calmly.
Ophelia pulled out a stack of papers from her bag and studied them silently for a few seconds before nodding. "Everything is going as planned. There were some minor issues, like flooding, but Lord Jacob handled it. It's similar to the crater outside the city, just on a much smaller scale. We dug the ground so it could function as a small lake, allowing ships to enter and leave freely. Overall, it will operate as a harbor without long-term or short-term issues."
Amon nodded, maintaining his calm demeanor as they continued walking. They eventually arrived near the wall, where the water level was most stable and low. Workers swarmed the area, alongside Mr. Jacob.
The walls stood roughly 100 meters tall, surrounding the city like a fortress. The sea outside was around 60-70 meters deep. Originally, it had been 90 meters, but after the Dark Sea's death, the water level had dropped and stabilized. No more random, cataclysmic storms... Something that was very, very good.
"It's starting, my Lord," Ophelia said, looking up at the massive wall. The colossal iron gates were impressive, engineered openings that could allow water in if needed, but normally remained closed to prevent flooding. The gates were framed with massive stone slabs, with heavy iron sluices inside grooves cut into the stone. They could be raised or lowered to let water in slowly, orr block it entirely.
Amon felt a pang of excitement as he observed. This was really happening. Oh, gods… how stressful those four months had been. But now, seeing it come together, he thought… this shit was worth it.
Amon quickly strode toward Mr. Jacob, grinning widely. "So… you're actually going to do it?"
Mr. Jacob inhaled from his cigarette, his expression a mix of boredom and exhaustion. Pale, with dark circles under his eyes, ragged clothes, and smelling like he hadn't bathed in a week, he gave a curt nod. "Of course. I'll destroy this shit."
He spoke with irritation, clearly eager to be done with the project.
"My Lord… they're waiting for your command," Ophelia reminded him softly. Jacob nodded, then composed himself, regaining a faint air of dignity.
"Let that bastard…" he muttered, though catching himself mid-sentence, he corrected with cultured precision. "Let it inside."
The workers nodded, and the giant iron sluices slowly rose. A massive wave of water poured into the city. At the base of the wall, a stone channel guided it inward, a miniature river built from smooth stone slabs, carefully fitted together to form a controlled riverbed.
As the water stabilized, it flowed steadily along the angled slabs, moving naturally without overflowing but not rushing so fast it could flood the city. Stone walls, about a three meter high, lined the edges to keep it contained.
Mr. Jacob grinned and casually flipped the sea off with a middle finger, satisfaction etched on his face. Others shared similar expressions. Kido, sitting with her head down, looked up, spat in disdain, and lowered her gaze again.
Harus and Caster watched in awe, while Gunlaug… was asleep. Once again, their golden moron had blacked out.
Aiko's eyes betrayed a mixture of fear and excitement, and Kai… well, Amon smiled quietly. The boy was flying through the falling water, laughing and having fun.
Damn, that bastard looked majestic...
The sluice gates were built in sections along the channel. Giant vertical metal panels were set into stone frames, capable of being raised to let more water through or lowered to slow the flow, like a colossal tap controlling the city's river.
Amon watched as the water poured steadily forward, sparkling under the light of the artificial sun. It was almost laughable, an entire Forgotten Shore, complete with its own day and night was built entirely by human hands.
"Hey guys! Let's take a walk!" Kai called, still floating in the air, gesturing toward the river as it streamed northward.
But you're flying... Amon thought, bewildered.
Aiko, with a mischievous grin, splashed water at Gunlaug. The man jumped up in shock, scanning his surroundings warily, his echo summoned and ready.
"Hey, wake up, sleepyhead! Time for a tour!" Aiko teased.
Gunlaug stared at her blankly for a moment before grunting and grabbing her by the head, lifting her up.
Aiko froze, squirming helplessly. "Ahhh! Caster! Kai! Save me!"
Caster swooped in and snatched her away with ease, while Harus sighed, walking beside Amon with faint smile. He shook his head slightly, observing the scene... Forgotten Shore and beauty in the same sentence felt ridiculous, but after everything Amon had done, nothing about this place felt normal anymore.
Kido was carried by one of Raven's clones, while Raven himself was comfortably in Amon's pocket, wings flared as he observed the river forming below.
"Heh, it's cool, right?" Amon said, grinning down at him.
"Hm… I made this shit, of course it's cool," Raven snorted, letting out a self-satisfied screech. He had only transported stone slabs, but Amon allowed him his moment of smugness today, the little bastard could feel accomplished.
"It's reaching the city!" Kai shouted from above. Technically, it wasn't a city yet, just ruins... But the potential was unmistakable, right?
Yeah… Amon had been cursed out plenty for all the destruction he'd caused. But how was he supposed to know he'd end up being the one to build an entire city afterward? That part definitely wasn't only his fault.
Anyway, that wasn't the point right now.
The residential district, the area where people would actually live, was planned for the northern side of the city. The river would enter the city from the north as well, flowing through the future streets and squares.
And then, after weaving through everything, it would exit from the south.
Meanwhile, the riverbed suddenly dropped, forming a waterfall where the future city would rise. The edge was carved from stone slabs, smooth enough for water to glide cleanly over but jagged enough to create a white, foaming cascade.
Both Amon and Jacob had insisted on making it look majestic, an overwhelming display of raw power and art combined.
Being badass was important… Amon had standards, after all.
Now that he thought about it, he really was building a whole city, huh? True enough. But if someone ever dared to destroy it, even a tiny piece of it... Yeah, Amon would personally and enthusiastically annihilate their entire existence.
Maybe that was why he felt a flicker of sympathy toward one of the Seven Heroes of the Forgotten Shore, the Builder. Because honestly? Amon had completely ruined everything that poor bastard created.
Creation and destruction, huh?
He was starting to understand that freaky Sun's Domains even better now… Tsk. That damn pervert. Amon wasn't judging, exactly, but seriously, nightmare creatures? That was a whole different category of questionable life choices.
Sun oil is enough to understand what goes in that bastard's mind...
A pool formed at the bottom, stone-lined like a natural basin. It slowed the water, preventing flooding while giving it a moment to rest before splitting downstream in multiple channels, like the nightmare creature that Harus had once torn in half. Amon paused at the thought, slightly confused by his own bizarre analogy, but satisfied nonetheless.
After the waterfall, the river began its planned zigzag through the future city. Amon and Jacob had already mapped everything out with Ophelia's help, every bend, every turn, every future landmark accounted for.
The river curved left, then right, then left again, weaving through the empty expanse where stone bridges, public squares, small gardens, temples, a coliseum, an entertainment district, Aiko's soon-to-exist gambling house, bars, restaurants, and who-knows-what-else would someday stand.
Stone retaining walls lined the edges, built with a gentle inward slope to keep the water from spilling out. Tiny side channels branched off like veins, feeding irrigation routes and aesthetic pools that would decorate plazas and courtyards.
Sure, the zigzag looked cool, and Amon absolutely demanded it to stay cool but that wasn't its only purpose. The curves slowed the river's pace, made navigation easier, and created elegant, sweeping lines for the city's eventual layout.
Eventually, they walked past the last bend and out of the future city limits, where the river split into two branches, each flowing in a different direction.
One branch flowed toward the farmlands. Amon watched the water spill over small stone weirs into narrow canals that snaked between rows of crops. Wheat, vegetables, fruit trees, everything drank eagerly as the water slid through the fields like a living thread.
The second branch flowed toward the forest, feeding the wilds. Small carved channels guided water into ponds, shallow pools, and streams, nourishing trees and wildlife alike.
Triangular stone wedges shaped the current, redirecting water with sharp precision, while iron gates set into stone frames allowed the city to control exactly how much water went each way.
Amon imagined future citizens raising and lowering those gates with practiced ease, managing the lifeblood of their home.
He smirked. Yeah… that was going to look badass.
"Let's go, we need to see this!" Kai shouted, already flying ahead with bright laughter echoing behind him.
Everyone else turned their heads toward Raven.
The little bastard stared back… slowly… suspiciously. Then he hopped out of Amon's pocket, flapped his wings, and pooped directly onto Gunlaug's golden armor.
Gunlaug froze. Amon froze. Even the artificial sun seemed to freeze.
Somewhere in the world, there was probably a profound philosophical reason for this act.
Amon had zero desire to discover it...
Gunlaug's eye twitched, but before he could start a full diplomatic war with a bird, Raven summoned a swarm of clones. Each clone grabbed one or two people, hauling them off whether they liked it or not, while the dark-feathered avian asshole himself flapped his wings and followed after Kai.
After winding through the fields and forest, the river ahead merged back into a single, broader stream.
Smooth stone channels guided the water downward, sloping gently until they reached the second waterfall. It was taller, wider, and far more dramatic than the first. The water surged over the carved stone lip and plunged into a colossal, crater-like basin hollowed out of the earth. It crashed into the depths with a thunderous roar before spilling forward, sliding through the massive outflow gate and returning to the Dark Sea.
This crater wasn't just a hole in the ground.
It was the heart of the future harbor.
A deep, artificial lake, broad enough for ships to maneuver, strong enough to hold them all, lay directly inside the city walls. Stone piers jutted into the water, carved in long arcs. Wooden docks branched from them like welcoming arms, ready for future sailors.
The outflow gate itself was enormous.
So wide a warship could glide through without even brushing the stone. So tall it made the workers look like insects beneath it.
With a lake this size inside the walls, the city could dock dozens of ships at once. Maybe more.
And beyond the harbor, about a kilometer and a half away, towered the Crimson Spire, rising from the earth like a blood-red spear, overseeing everything they'd built.
"This is…" Aiko began, but words failed her.
Jacob lit another cigarette, took a long drag, and yawned. "It was pain in the ass," he muttered with a dark smile. "But… I like it."
He paused, a frown pulling at his face. The phrasing bothered him... Deeply.
With a concerned look, he glanced at Ophelia, who immediately avoided his eyes with pained look. Then he looked at Amon, who gave him a sympathetic smile, as if fully understanding his confusion and suffering. Finally, he glanced at Raven… and of course, the bastard was laughing at him.
He still had no idea how the bird was laughing. Or how that little shit was capable of mocking him, a literal Transcendent.
Fuck, that phrasing bothered him even more now.
Amon smiled faintly, looking back at everything with a sigh. I love Venice… shit, I wasn't able to replicate it. Though, it's fine. At least it gives me a similar feeling.
While he was thinking about that, Jacob threw his head back, laughing crazily as he glanced at everyone gathered.
"Okay, guys! It's time for a party! We're celebrating the creation of the river… shit, I'll think of a name later… and the harbor! Fuck it, let's get wasted and-"
"My apologies, my Lord," Ophelia interrupted softly.
"What now?" Jacob groaned, muttering in irritation.
"I'm saddened to inform you, but to put it simply… we're broke. I don't think we can afford to celebrate this glorious event."
For a moment, there was silence.
Than, both Jacob and Amon rushed to her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her with desperate, fearful eyes.
"What did you say!? Where's my money?! Where is it!?" Jacob shouted, voice cracking.
"Yeah! I thought I was filthy rich!" Amon added, panic and disbelief painted across his face.
"Apparently, you aren't filthy rich… or rather, you aren't anymore. We're… struggling financially. To explain it in a way even a toddler could understand…" She paused, glanced at them, then cleared her throat and continued, her tone calm and professional.
"We spent far too much gathering resources. We invited a master smiths from the Sword Domain to build the gates and reinforce them with runes and enchantments. We also hired a large number of Awakened with utility aspects to construct the roads and channels for the river flowing through the entire city. There's the harbor, and we renovated the Crimson Spire so it functions as a proper citadel. And that's just part of it. In short… we're not only broke, we're in debt. That is all."
At this point, both Amon and Jacob were sitting on the dock, staring blankly ahead. Their faces were filled with pain, despair, and anguish.
Minutes passed in silence, their expressions fading into emptiness, eyes fixed on the horizon but seeing nothing at all.
"There must be some kind of philosophical meaning to this, right?" Amon muttered bleakly.
"Hell if I know…" Jacob replied, glancing down with a bitter frown. "Hey, Amon…"
"Hmm? What?"
"I think… I need a therapist," Jacob admitted, his voice dark.
"But… you're the therapist," Amon said, confused.
"Shit…" Jacob cursed, clutching his hair, eyes wild with exasperation.
"Aye…" Amon nodded helplessly, then leaned back on the dock, letting his body sag, lost in the same hopeless void.
Kai rushed to his side, eyes wide with panic. "Amon! Stay with me! I'm not letting you go yet! Healers! Call the healers!"
Amon grabbed a fistful of Kai's leather armor, his eyes bloodshot and trembling. "Kai… I… I…"
Kai exhaled in relief, a hopeful smile appearing. "What is it?"
Amon leaned forward, his expression twisting into pure agony. "I ain't paying shit! I'd rather die!"
And then he fainted from sheer stress. Just like that.
"Nooooooo! Amon, don't die!" Kai screamed, cradling his limp body helplessly.
And that is how Amon, the Blasphemer, passed away.
The end.