Two and a half mouths.
That was how long I planned to stay before making my way toward the Black Castle, brimming with human and nightmare activity.
It didn't take long to fall into a rhythm: hunt for food every few days, absorb essence by day, and sleep at night. Rinse and repeat. A simple method, but one that let me grow stronger while doing next to nothing.
It took me thirty-two days to reach the class of Titan . Each day yielded around 500–1,500 fragments, depending on how much essence flowed through my coral.
Once I reached the rank of Titan, I wondered what came after, and the answer was…
Nothing.
***
Name: Bari
True Name: Will-Born
Rank: Dreamer
Class: Titan
Soul Core: [8/~]
Soul Fragments: [234/8000]
Memories: [Strider's Earrings], [Knight Armour 24], [Deceiving Pouch], [Sunset]
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Flames of Divinity], [The Fire], [Unique Being], [Divine Protection], [Strength IV], [Limitless], [Swift II], [Regeneration III], [Durability III]
Innate Ability: [Unique Being]
Aspect: [Eyes of Genesis]
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Abilities: [True Insight]
Flaw: [Oath Keeper]
***
I had gained another soul core without advancing in class—an outcome I had expected, but still found disappointing.
If it had taken me thirty-two days to reach Titan, and several more to push past it, so, what did I do for the remainder of the time? Simple. I hunted for memories and more attributes.
Being a Titan—or [Titan+1]—meant I was considerably stronger than the average Sleeper. Eight times stronger, to be exact. It wasn't a leap in power like moving up a rank. Instead, each soul core simply stacked onto the last. One core equalled the baseline strength of a regular Sleeper, eight cores equalled eight times that. It was straightforward, but terrifyingly effective. From now on, whether as a Sleeper, Awakened, or Master, I'd always be eight times stronger than your average, may that be in raw strength, essence capacity, and everything in between.
That alone let me take on creatures I never could have dreamed of facing before. Carapace Scavengers, for instance. Where once I would have possibly struggled, now I cut them down with ease. In fact, I farmed them relentlessly, thinning their numbers around my "coral home." In seven to eight days, I must have killed several hundred. They usually travelled in groups of five to ten, relying on numbers to compete with the other nightmare creatures roaming the crimson labyrinth.
And those hunts paid off. After gaining my eighth core and killing several Carapace Scavengers, I secured two new attributes and elevated several others by stacking duplicates. The gains weren't many compared to the sheer number I killed, but that was deliberate. I had focused almost exclusively on Carapace Scavengers to maximize duplicates—strengthening attributes I already possessed and narrowing the pool of possible outcomes.
Their kind usually carried two main attributes, [Durability I] and [Strength I], with the occasional higher-ranked variant.
Through this grinding, I began to understand more about my innate ability Unique Being. For one, the chance of gaining an attribute hovered somewhere between one to three percent—slightly better against creatures higher rank than myself, like the Carapace Scavengers (Awakened Beasts), with rare outliers edging into Monster territory.
But the real breakthrough came when I tested myself against creatures several ranks above. The odds of gaining attributes skyrocketed. When I brought down a Fallen Monster, I not only obtained [Swift I] but rolled it twice, granting me [Swift II].
There were flaws, of course. I couldn't gain attributes from creatures of my own rank or below. That worked for now, while I was still at the bottom, but eventually it would force me to hunt only Fallen, Great, and higher. A dangerous prospect.
Still, the gains were undeniable. [Regeneration III] came from one such rare encounter, along with other boons that cemented my strength.
If I had to estimate, I was now on par with a Master. Anyone who heard me say that might think I was arrogant—and they wouldn't be wrong—but they'd be mistaken if they didn't account for my attributes. My attributes seemed to be a simple percentage boost, [Swift II] was a 20% increase of speed, and my [Strength IV] was a 40% increase. This percentage boost was a huge as it was a permanent boost that always applied to my current physical stats.
The percentage may seem low but, when it stacked with the many attributes I possessed, it became ludicrous.
Attributes were rare, and earning them was hard as hell. Take [Strength], for example—I couldn't just grab a [Strength II] and expect it to bump my [Strength IV]. Doesn't work like that. No… I needed another [Strength IV]. The exact match. Which was stupid since it wasn't even guaranteed, even when it meant hunting things way above my rank—monsters carrying attributes on the same level or higher.
From my observations, the hierarchy of attribute ranks seemed to follow the tiers of nightmare creatures:
Dormant = I
Awakened = II
Fallen = III
Corrupted = IV
Great = V
Cursed = VI
Unholy = VII
There were outliers, of course. An Awakened Monster might carry [Swift III] or even [Swift IV], but such finds were rare—gems hidden among the endless haystack of the labyrinth. Even with my eyes, they weren't easy to spot.
These were just for those attributes which possessed a ranked value, some nightmare creatures possessed attributes that did not have a rank, but were . Things like, [Water Breathing], which was self explanatory.
***
"Crunch~"
Bari crouched atop a high coral mound, gaze locked on the horror below. A nightmare creature squatted over the broken carcass of a Carapace Scavenger, its maw yawning wider than its body should have allowed. Rows upon rows of jagged fangs glistened as it chewed, the sound of cracking shell and tearing flesh echoing obscenely through the labyrinth of crimson coral.
The beast's form was grotesquely reptilian, yet wrong in every way. Squat and hulking, its body was plated in barnacle-crusted scales that seemed made for both land and sea. Its forelimbs were grotesquely thick, ending in claws like hooked spears that gouged trenches into the coral floor with every casual shift. But it was the mouth—spiralling, unending—that made Bari's stomach knot.
A crocodilian muzzle split apart at unnatural angles, unhinging to reveal a second, fleshy gullet that writhed like a living parasite. From within, a tongue-like appendage lashed out, slick with bile, dragging chunks of meat into the abyss of its throat. It looked like a second head. No—its true head. It bore no eyes, yet hunted with uncanny precision, most likely through some unique sensory ability.
A predator among predators.
Watching it feast made clear why Carapace Scavengers swarmed in groups. Alone, they were nothing more than scraps for nightmares like this. Even in numbers, their shells would shatter before the might of such a corrupted monstrosity, ground apart between those terrible teeth and triangular jaws.
Bari remained perfectly still, the glow of the crimson spire staining the creature's armoured hide. Its presence radiated a crushing pressure.
This was his final test before setting out for the Dark City.
Above its head, white runes burned with a single name:
Maws of Bane
Attributes: [Durability IV], [Hardened Scales], [Strength IV], [Regeneration V], [Absorption III]
At first, Bari had been tempted. The attributes it carried were beyond anything he had seen. But after several days of observation, that temptation had withered into something closer to awe… and fear. Its regenerative ability was monstrous—wounds that would have slain most creatures sealed within moments. Its hide, befitting a Corrupted being, was nearly impenetrable, while its strange absorption trait turned enemy strikes into little more than wasted effort, its inner flesh cushioning impacts as though blows simply dissolved against it.
But the worst truth was this: the monster's crocodilian head was only a mask. Its true weapon—and its true brain—lay inside, hidden within the cavern of its maw. That inner head could lash out for tens of meters in an instant, delivering a killing strike before an opponent even realized the danger. It was, technically, its only weakness. Severing it might kill the beast. But forcing it to reveal that head was nearly impossible. The creature only unleashed it for a guaranteed kill.
Everything else about the abomination was no less lethal. Its massive arms were thicker than multiple men stacked together, each claw the size of Bari's chest. A single swipe could shatter coral spires that had stood for centuries.
This was no prey. This was the kind of nightmare you prayed never to meet.
But today… it would meet its end by my hands.
Bari licked his dry lips in anticipation. He had never fought anything this strong before—his toughest opponent until now had been a Fallen Monster. Yet even that paled in comparison to the hulking nightmare before him.
Stardust-like particles shimmered around him as Sunset materialized in his grip, its edge humming with restrained hunger. Bari had spent days contemplating how to kill the beast, but no strategy seemed clean. In the end, there was only one way forward: headfirst.
He would have to bait it into unleashing its true head—without getting torn apart in the process. Its armoured hide was too thick to pierce, and even if he managed it, its regeneration would outpace his strikes. He couldn't crush its skull from the outside either; the plating was harder than steel, seamless, with no gaps to exploit.
Still…
A dangerous grin spread across his face. "That doesn't mean I can't try."
Compared to ordinary Sleepers, his strength was absurd—laughable even. To them, his existence would be a cruel joke.
He bent his knees and launched himself from the coral mound. His black-and-white hair whipped in the air as he descended like a falling star, Sunset pulled back for the strike. With gravity lending its weight, he drove the spear downward, all momentum and force concentrated on the creature's exposed neck.
The impact thundered like an explosion. Sunset cut deep, carving through scales and muscle, piercing toward the spine. Bari poured every ounce of strength into the thrust, his arms trembling with exertion, teeth bared in savage focus. For a heartbeat, it seemed the impossible might yield—then the hide resisted, absorbing the force, flesh bending like steel yet refusing to break.
A shuddering roar tore free from the Maws of Bane. The sound rattled Bari's bones, the very air vibrating with fury. He crouched atop its skull as its massive frame writhed beneath him.
The victory lasted less than a second.
With terrifying speed, its maw split open, and the true head lashed out—an eyeless serpent of teeth and sinew, lunging for the space he'd just occupied. Bari leapt backward, landing lightly on the creatures armoured hide as the beast's parasite-head snapped shut where he once stood, hard enough to crack stone.
"Tch. It's fast." He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "But this is my chance!"
Bari skidded across its armoured back, then blurred forward in a lightning sprint to strike its main head, eager to end the battle in one blow.
But the attempt was meaningless—the parasite-head recoiled instantly, snapping back into the safety of its armoured maw, like a leviathan slurping down a strand of noodles.
The creature shook itself violently, massive claws gouging trenches in the coral floor, its bulk swaying like a ship in a storm in an attempt to fling him off. Bari's eyes glinted with irritation. It really wants me up close, huh?
Then the idea struck—a reckless gamble, but if it paid off, he could seize the advantage.
He vaulted forward, landing boldly in front of the monster's primary maw, his boots skidding across the black sand. Its guttural bellow rolled through the labyrinth, but it didn't bite. Instead, its massive bulk surged forward, using its whole body as a battering ram. The ground trembled with each thunderous step.
Bari read the twitch of its muscles as clearly as words on a page. It meant to crush him against the coral or trap him in a narrowing corridor.
He accepted the challenge.
He sprinted headlong, spear poised, letting their collision narrow to a breath's distance—then sidestepped in a blur. The monster thundered past, momentum carrying it into the wall. The crash shook the reef, coral shattering like glass. Dust clouded the area, filling the air with fractured crimson shards.
But the beast recovered alarmingly fast. Its massive claws cleaved through the haze, each swing wide enough to slice a house in half. Bari's grin faded as he dodged left and right, his armour scraping stone, the shockwaves alone forcing him back. One strike skimmed so close it tore his armour into ribbons, metal and fabric fluttering away in three neat strips.
The sudden tear sent him stumbling off balance.
That half-second falter was all it needed.
Its parasite-head erupted from its maw, lunging faster than anything Bari had faced—not even the Depth Eater's whip matched this acceleration. The world blurred as its fanged head shot toward him with the speed of a cannon round.
But Bari's eyes saw everything.
His Aspect unravelled every motion, every twitch of muscle and ripple of flesh. And his face remained calm, almost bored. How could it not? He had baited it, and it had taken the hook.
The instant the creature's true head lunged within reach, Bari pivoted sharply, planting his feet. Sunset spun in his grip, then vanished—only to reappear in a blazing orange arc as he flicked his wrist. The spear screamed, cleaving through the parasite-head in one merciless stroke.
The severed head tumbled across the coral floor with bone-jarring thuds, twitching violently before collapsing into stillness. Its crocodile like body collapsing making Black sand billow, filling the air in a choking haze.
But silence never lasted long.
From the severed neck, cords of veins and writhing tentacles erupted, rooting the parasite to the ground. Its body lurched upright again, blood and bile spraying as its appendages whipped madly, thrashing for balance. Then it lunged—faster, hungrier, a predator reborn in fury. The dust clung to its form before tearing away, revealing rows of glistening fangs snapping for Bari's throat.
He met it without fear. His body blurred, spear flashing like lightning. One perfect parry redirected its strike, slamming its maw into the sand. Before the beast could recover, Bari's arm snapped back, then thrust forward in a storm of strikes—four in total, each impossibly precise.
Sunset pierced brain and soul cores alike, each thrust detonating its soul cores in blinding arcs of essence, the sound of glass, flesh and bone tearing could be heard thought the narrow labyrinth.
Time froze. Then the parasite spasmed, its tendrils stiffening before collapsing. Its ruined head sagged like a burst fruit, riddled with holes, blood spraying across the black sand in a crimson tide.
[You have slain a Corrupted Monster: Maws of Bane]
…
…
"You've got to be kidding me…" Bari scowled, lowering his spear. "No attribute?!"
After all that, not even a single one dropped. He would've been happy with scraps, but nothing?
"Whatever, man," he muttered, lips curling in a childish pout. "Didn't even want it anyway..."
His childish voice echoed among the shattered coral, equal parts sulk and swagger, a boy grumbling in the ruins of his victory.
Bari grumbled before lifting his head and looking around for any other nightmare creatures to vent his frustration upon.
***
In the early morning, when the sun just lit the coral labyrinth with its early light, Bari got out of his coral cove and started making his way towards Dark castle, his pace picking up from a light walk to a rather fast and swift jog.
He had started planning his route ahead of time, and noticed that while there were many hollow corals, there weren't many suitable for his size. The closest coral mount in which he could dive inside of was at least 12 kilometres away, nearly over half way towards the Dark City.
It wasn't far enough for him to sprint his way towards the location in fear of getting submerged underwater; any human can walk such a distance within hours. The only real problem was that it wasn't really a straight line, he had to double back many times or fight several nightmare creatures just to clear a path towards his destination.
By the time Bari arrived, the sun was already nearing its peak. The jagged silhouette of the Dark Castle loomed in the horizon, its shadow spilling over the reef like a dark tide.
Before stepping closer to his newfound den, he slowed, scanning the barren ridges for movement. His stomach growled in protest, and practicality won out. 'A quick hunt first. Something small—Carapace Scavenger, maybe. They tasted like rich crab, though without spices, it was nothing more than survival food.' Bari thought
"What a guy would do for a little sauce…" he muttered with a crooked grin.
The words hung in the empty air, thin armour against the unease pressing on his chest. He adjusted his grip on Sunset, eyes lifting off the fortress in the distance before scanning his surroundings for his next victim.