Arthur began to analyze the items in front of him, and seconds later, he pointed at one.
"I want that one."
The cashier reached out with trembling hands toward the item, scanned it, and handed it to him.
As Arthur reached for it, he asked, "How much do I owe you?"
The woman behind the counter, around twenty years old, replied in a shaky voice, "Th-that'll be a hundred credits."
He took out his communicator and held it up to the payment terminal. After the machine made an approving sound, he put it away and smiled at the woman.
She turned as red as a tomato, and before things could get any more awkward, Arthur decided to leave quickly.
Regis said to him mentally, 'You almost made her faint just from buying some headphones!'
'She probably had low blood sugar.'
'Damn, Shorty's rubbing off on you with that denseness.'
'Regis… I know why she acted that way, but what benefit is it to me to be aware that she likes me?'
'I don't know. I hear cardio is good for relieving stress!'
Arthur suppressed the urge to facepalm right there in the middle of the mall.
'Another sex joke?'
Regis replied immediately, 'You're the joke, princess.'
'Shut up! I'll cut off your Aether supply if you keep this up.'
Regis laughed mentally and finally fell silent.
Arthur let out a sigh and continued walking toward the exit. As he did, he put on the black headphones he had just bought and connected them to his communicator. Moments later, he was listening to music—something he hadn't done in a long time.
When he reached the mall's exit, he stepped onto a skateboard he had bought earlier, before the headphones, and began his journey to meet up with Seishan and Sylvie.
He could have easily asked for a PTV to be sent for him, but he felt like moving this way.
He remembered how, before his Winter Solstice, he had gone to the Academy the same way, and he smiled at the memory. It felt like an eternity had passed since then, but in reality, only two years and one month had gone by.
Back then, he had been excited about his Divine Aspect, his True Name, and the potential he could have. Even with all that, two years later… he believed he hadn't reached even twenty percent of his potential—if he was lucky, twenty.
Obviously, his standard for comparison was very different from everyone else's.
Nephis and Sunny had each other to compare themselves to and motivate each other, since they both had Divine Aspects. And while he also had one, his comparison wasn't with them.
His comparison was with himself—literally.
Ever since his training with Grey began, his benchmark had shifted drastically. Obviously, comparing himself to a Sacred being—a lesser deity—was completely idiotic, but how could he not?
Either way, there wasn't much he could do about it. He wasn't crazy enough to just throw himself into a Third Nightmare, and he hoped he wouldn't be forced into one.
Nor was it as if becoming a Saint would rid him of this feeling.
Returning to the training with Grey… he had gained many things from it, not just improved technique and fighting styles.
He had obtained the Dead Relic, which allowed him to observe his loved ones from a distance. He also obtained another relic that he hadn't yet managed to decipher, but Grey told him it would be important in the future—though he didn't know why.
He was also the one that had warned him about the Gate that would open near Ellie and Rain. That was why he had returned that very day. He wanted to make the most of his time to learn from Grey and uncover his secrets.
But even so, every time he unraveled one of Grey's secrets, it was as if that secret had even more secrets hidden within it, making it impossible to know what was happening. So eventually, he stopped trying and focused on the training.
And in doing so, an idea entered his head… a dangerous idea that he sincerely hoped he would never have to discover was true or not.
He believed he could kill a Saint if the moment called for it.
The idea wasn't without foundation. If he managed to form his Titan Core—which was a matter of time, literally—to then enhance himself sevenfold and use all his tools… killing a Saint might not be madness.
Former King would help him think through plans and actions much faster. A solid strike with Destruction could even the odds significantly, not to mention his other Attributes and, mainly, Regis.
Obviously, any Saint was vastly stronger than an Ascended Titan—not only that, but faster too. Still… Arthur wouldn't rule out the possibility.
With that last thought, he decided to stop thinking about that.
He wanted to do these activities—listening to music and skateboarding—to distract himself, but since he started, he hadn't been paying attention to the music. So he cleared his mind and let himself get carried away by the rhythm of the song.
He started listening to the latest album of his favorite band and continued on his way.
The skateboard wheels rolled smoothly over the pavement as he moved through the city streets.
The wind hit his face steadily, pushing strands of his pale wheat hair backwards—he had already stopped using the Memory for the color change.
The music filled his ears as he nodded his head from side to side, following the beat. His fingers moved absently, marking the rhythm, and little by little, the lyrics began to occupy the space that his thoughts had previously filled.
Without realizing it, he started singing the lyrics in his head.
Houses passed by one after another, with small apartment buildings, cafes, and shops mixed in between.
A couple walked along the sidewalk. A man came out to take out the trash. A group of students waited for their friend who had fallen behind. Arthur left them all behind without stopping.
The world continued moving around him, but the wind, the music, and the gentle sway of the skateboard were enough.
For a moment, nothing seemed urgent—
—Until he finally reached his destination.
In front of him stood the Song Clan's compound in the Waking World, and it was basically… enormous.
He wasn't even at the compound's gates yet, as a wall about four meters high surrounded the entire perimeter, except for a gate of the same size made entirely of a silver material.
On the other side of the gate, two women were walking toward him.
One of them was Sylvie. He had already seen her since he returned, and her Ascension had turned her into a delicate and beautiful woman. Her golden eyes shone like two suns with pure intensity, while her features had become even more perfect. She was dressed in a simple black robe with gold details.
But what mainly caught Arthur's attention were the seven mana cores she possessed.
Sylvie had already explained how she had obtained them, and it was something still completely unthinkable to him. The fact that she was half-Noble Creature and half-human was incredible, not to mention that she was a dragon…
Walking beside Sylvie came another woman, and the moment Arthur saw her, a smile found its place on his face without him even realizing it.
She had beautiful black hair that cascaded down her back, her eyes of the same color held a deep, mature beauty, and her lips were a rich, crimson hue. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a supple figure and skin as gray as stormy clouds—smooth as silk and devoid of any imperfections, which made her look both otherworldly and captivating.
She was wearing a dazzling dress the color of red wine.
After so long, Arthur saw Seishan again, and he—
—He had no words.
'Oh, someone is in love with the vampire beauty,' Regis communicated mentally in a silly tone.
'I'm not, and I wouldn't know how that feels either,' he answered back.
The gate began to open slowly inward, and Arthur decided to enter. Meanwhile, the women stood watching him with wide smiles on their faces—matching his own.
Eventually, they were close enough, but Arthur stood frozen watching them, doubting what to say. Fortunately for him, at that moment, Seishan moved quickly and wrapped him in a firm hug.
Due to the height difference, her head rested against his neck, and he returned the hug with the same intensity, intertwining his arms around her back.
A few moments later, they separated from the embrace, and Arthur's golden eyes met Seishan's black ones.
He broke the silence.
"I'm happy to see you again, Shan."
Her smile widened somehow, and she replied, "I'm glad to see you too, Art, but…" Her smile turned teasing. "A whole year, and the first thing you do is stare at me weird without saying a word?"
Arthur sighed immediately.
"Weird? Oh, and don't start… ever since I got back, everyone has been trying to bother me." He leaned slightly closer. "You also didn't say anything, though."
Seishan took the response head-on while nodding.
"Oh, so now you're going to blame me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Arthur let out a small laugh.
"I'm just saying that the facts speak for themselves."
"Of course they do." She crossed her arms beneath her chest and looked him up and down. "We don't see each other for so long, and the first thing you do is just stand there. The facts definitely speak for themselves."
"I was about to say something."
"Were you?" Seishan asked with obvious disbelief.
"I was."
"Enlighten me, then. What was it?"
Arthur opened his mouth and then closed it again.
Seishan's smile widened.
"Exactly."
Sylvie let out a giggle.
Arthur let out a sigh. "See? This is exactly what I mean. Everyone keeps trying to mess with me."
She shrugged. "Maybe because you're making it easy."
"I said I was happy to see you."
She pointed at an imaginary watch on her wrist. "After staring at me for half a minute."
"That's an exaggeration."
Seishan's smile grew wider.
"But… you can't even deny it. Can you?"
Arthur rolled his eyes and stayed silent, looking at her.
"See? You're doing it again!"
He shrugged and said, "I was just trying to remember if you've always been this annoying."
Seishan mirrored him by shrugging.
"And I was checking to see if you were still so easy to annoy."
Arthur let out a sigh.
"I'm afraid we both got the answer we were looking for, then."
"What a tragedy."
"Truly devastating."
They were silent for a few seconds, holding each other's gaze, until Seishan's teasing smile softened.
"I'm really happy you're back, Art."
Arthur smiled.
"Thank you… I really missed this."
'Damn, that was intense! Go get a room!' Regis said between laughs.
'Regis, you son of a bitch, shut up!'
"We have some free time now, don't we?" he asked, and they both nodded. "Why don't you show me around?"
"Very well, then." Seishan began walking toward the interior. "Follow me."
Before moving forward, Arthur went to Sylvie and gave her a hug. Then they followed Seishan, who had stopped a few steps ahead to wait for them, and the three continued together.
The Song Clan's compound in the Waking World was similar to a castle.
A structure made entirely of a white, marble-like material rose upon itself. Multiple windows let the sun's rays into the interior of the rooms and hallways. Circular towers, taller than the main structure, stood at each corner, with a design that was modern, practical, and elegant.
The interior was equally elegant, with carpets covering the entire floor and paintings or portraits adorning the walls. The hallways were wide, allowing multiple people to walk side by side without bothering each other.
Seishan and Sylvie took him to visit the most important areas of the compound, while also introducing him to the workers there. Most of these workers were Mundanes, or even some Awakened who already knew who he was.
In fact, everyone knew who he was, and with each passing day, more people would come to find out.
The movie had already made him almost as famous as Nephis, and the latter, ever since she returned, had been gaining more and more popularity thanks to belonging to the Valor Clan and other activities. Now, the news of him overcoming the Second Nightmare as a Sleeper had evened things out between them.
However, when the public learned of his joining the Song Clan, his popularity would end up surpassing Changing Star's…
One drawback of his achievements was that he ended up dragging Sunny along with him.
Arthur hadn't yet seen that movie that everyone had been talking about ever since he returned, though he knew a few things about it—mainly that they had paired him with Nephis—a shiver ran down his spine—but another thing was the role Sunny had played.
He was treated as a secondary character and paired with Cassie, of all people… She wasn't as famous as Arthur or Nephis, but she had her own fame, and that fame had been transferred to Sunny.
There was also the fact that he had stayed behind with Arthur, and people loved to theorize and talk about hypothetical cases.
By the time Sunny returned and challenged the Second Nightmare with the cohort, his return wasn't made public—nor would it have been, even without challenging the Second Nightmare—but now that Arthur had returned as an Ascended, most people assumed Sunny had challenged the Nightmare with him.
At Sunny's own request, the cohort didn't make it public that he had challenged it with them at the time, mainly to stay away from Valor. So those who weren't close to him and didn't know the real story assumed he had done it with Arthur.
Obviously, none of this was real. Arthur had challenged the Nightmare alone, and Sunny had nothing to do with it. But whether it was true or not, if people believed it, then it was real.
Furthermore, the government saw an opportunity to use Arthur's image—someone from the middle class—and Sunny's—someone from the Outskirts—for publicity, and that was exactly what they had been doing to show the public that where you came from didn't matter as long as you stood up to challenge the Spell.
So, in just four days since his return, Sunny had gone from being the least known member of the cohort plus Arthur to being one of the most famous among them.
Something Arthur felt guilty about, since he knew Sunny liked to stay unnoticed, but in the end… going unnoticed had made him famous.
Arthur snapped back to reality when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw two black eyes staring at him with a judgmental expression.
"Are you listening to me?" Seishan asked.
Arthur blinked.
"No? I was distracted. Sorry."
She narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at him, then nodded and focused on the Dream Gate in front of her.
"I see… well, you'll have to make it up to me later."
He raised an eyebrow while continuing to look at her.
"Make it up to you?"
"Obviously." She shrugged with a teasing smile. "A lady like me can't allow her to not be given her fullest attention."
Arthur was silent for a few moments and let out a sigh.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Seishan replied immediately, feigning innocence.
He didn't believe her. "Yeah, sure you don't."
"Well," she took a step and stopped in front of him, "are you ready to go to Ravenheart?"
Arthur looked at her, then at Sylvie, and finally back at her.
"Lead the way, my lady."
Seishan smiled softly, and the three entered the Dream Gate at the same time.
As they did, the cold lights of the Waking World compound disappeared, and the warm lights of the palace welcomed them.
He had been warned that the first time someone crossed a Dream Gate, they might get dizzy—in fact, it had happened to Sylvie—but he didn't suffer the same fate.
Upon crossing, the first thing he noticed were the warm lights created by the torches that adorned and illuminated the walls. These were pristine and white, resembling flawless jade.
Around the Dream Gate, multiple Awakened who were guarding the area turned upon noticing them, bowed, and continued with their work.
The three began walking toward the exit and soon found themselves walking through the palace's immaculate hallways. Along the way, Seishan started telling him interesting facts about the palace and lightly about her sisters.
Although she had spent much time trapped in the Dark City, the rest of her youth had been spent within this very place.
Eventually, they arrived at the throne room doors, and Seishan stopped in front of him. Then she extended her hand and lightly touched his arm. At that moment, Arthur felt a slight electric charge and realized it was a Memory.
"Try it on and see how it fits."
Arthur summoned it, and it manifested as an elegant black and white uniform adorned with gold details. A red ceremonial band crossed his torso, while a white cape fell over his shoulders. It finished with a wide belt and black boots.
He looked at himself and honestly thought the outfit suited him well.
"Thank you."
She nodded and turned back toward the door.
"It was Sylvie's idea, actually."
'Thanks, Sylv,' he communicated mentally.
Sylvie smiled but didn't reply.
Seishan knocked on the door twice, and it began to open slowly.
The first thing he noticed was that the room was immense, majestic, and luminous. The large windows let the sun's rays bathe the entire space, illuminating the six women standing around the throne.
While seated on it was the Queen.
She wore an imposing red dress that cascaded down the steps like a river of blood. A sword pierced her chest, pinning her to the backrest, and her black, hypnotic, distant eyes betrayed a presence that seemed beyond life itself.
But the first thing Arthur felt was an oppressive aura coming from the room. With each step he took, he moved closer to that presence. It didn't come from the Queen—it came from the six women standing around the throne, who were analyzing him every step of the way.
As he walked toward the throne, he could feel the presence of six Saints who, at the first out-of-place word, would not hesitate to act. But at that very moment, and against his will, Regis decided to manifest in front of him.
From one moment to the next, a black wolf with horns protruding from its head—each twisting like a knotted branch until ending in a sharp point behind its ears—appeared in front of him and, obviously, had an expression… satisfied.
"Oh, this is everything I ever wanted. Nothing but beautiful demonesses as far as the eye can see!" He lowered his head slightly and introduced himself. "I am Regis, and sadly, I'm connected to the masochistic princess back there, otherwise I would gladly do so with one of you!"
Arthur blinked and prepared for the worst, but at that moment, he began to hear a few soft laughs.
His golden eyes focused on those who were laughing, and one of them was the Queen herself… who was trying to hold back her laughter.
He stood in disbelief, watching the scene. Then Regis approached the other woman who was laughing more openly, and she crouched down to start petting him…
The woman was wearing a dark robe. She was shorter than most—petite and almost fragile. Her black hair framed her pale face, and her large, bright eyes had an innocent air.
He knew who she was. It was Hel—or Death Singer—who was petting Regis with both hands.
"Oww! Look how cute you are!"
Arthur blinked at the scene, and his eyebrows rose when the woman next to her started doing the same.
He also knew who she was. It was Moonveil. She was delicate, slender, and had a charming face. Her white hair fell over her shoulders, and her eyes reflected a pale glow, as if they still held the light of the moon after midnight.
And in just moments, the oppressive aura he had felt since entering the room almost completely disappeared… only one person remained firm, and Arthur decided to look at her.
She was Revel. A woman with jet-black hair and eyes that seemed carved from pure obsidian, which never stopped analyzing him. Her presence was vast and oppressive, like the lightless expanse of a dark, boundless ocean.
But at no point did he feel pressured by her. He had already felt the suppressed presence of a Sacred-rank being and had received beatings from one.
A Saint couldn't compare to all that. So his golden eyes focused intently on Revel's obsidian ones.
He began to feel the Queen's presence grow stronger, and it was only when she spoke that he finally broke eye contact.
"Okay, that's enough."
He continued walking toward the front of the throne, clearly understanding what had just happened.
He hadn't uttered a single word, and he had already been judged.
Regis sat down between Hel and Moonveil, while Seishan and Sylvie positioned themselves around the throne, one on each side.
Arthur reached the front of the throne, bowed, and knelt on one knee.
Ki Song was silent for a few moments while analyzing him. Then she smiled.
"Arthur Leywin… I have heard a lot about you."
Arthur looked up.
"I hope only positive things, my queen."
"I am not your queen… yet," she emphasized with a soft voice. Then she gestured for him to stand. "It's a pleasure to put a face to the name… especially when it's as pleasant as yours."
Arthur stood up and smiled at her.
"The pleasure is mine to be in your presence."
"And highly educated as well. What a charming young man you are."
Arthur accepted the compliment with a nod and said softly, "Thank you."
Ki Song laughed lightly.
"I hope the little trick my daughters tried to pull at the beginning didn't bother you." She paused and continued in a more playful tone. "They're just protective of their sister."
"It didn't bother me in the slightest," he replied politely. "I am also very protective of my sister and would do the same."
The Queen was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Ah, yes… Eleanor, right?" Arthur nodded, and she continued, "I haven't met her yet, but from what Shan and Sylvie have told me, she is a charming young woman."
Arthur smiled genuinely at the thought of his sister.
"Yes, she really is. She's grown a lot over these past few years."
"I can imagine," Ki Song replied softly, with an almost melancholic tone. "It always surprised me how quickly my daughters grew up. In the blink of an eye, they became beautiful women."
He remained silent, letting her continue.
"Silly me… I was so eager to meet you that I forgot to introduce them. Although I'm sure you already know them, it would be impolite of me not to do so!"
Arthur turned slightly—without turning his back to the Queen—and the women lined up.
Ki Song began.
"The two who were petting your Echo are Hel and Moon." They bowed. "Next to them is Eunbin—or Beastmaster, as you might know her."
Beastmaster looked him up and down, then licked her lips and winked at him with a smile.
Beastmaster was almost as tall as him, with fair skin and red lips. She had long hair that fell like a waterfall of black silk and wore a simple dress of carmine fabric. Her face was a little aloof and a little humorous, but she was breathtaking.
The Queen continued: "Next to her are Silence and Howl."
Silent Stalker was of average height, thin, with black hair that fell straight down her back and honey-colored eyes.
Howl was even taller than him, lithe, with a handsome face illuminated by a slight grin, and eyes full of cocky confidence.
Both made a slight bow to greet him, and he returned it.
"Then," Ki Song continued, "Revel, Seishan, and Sylvie."
Arthur bowed politely.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can get along."
Unexpectedly, Revel spoke right then.
"That will depend on something important." She continued in a drier tone. "What are your intentions with—"
"Revel," Ki Song said simply.
Lightslayer fell silent, her eyes growing sharper.
Arthur didn't break eye contact, but his gaze unconsciously traveled to Seishan for a millisecond.
"Well," the Queen continued, "with the introductions out of the way, it's time to proceed with the conditions for your joining the clan."
He refocused on the Queen.
She began to list them. "The first is to do nothing that could harm the clan's image." A pause, and Arthur nodded. "The second is that, if necessary, you will be expected to fight to defend the clan's assets."
"I accept," Arthur replied, noticing there were no more conditions.
At that moment, Seishan separated from the group and stepped forward with a contract in her hand.
Arthur already knew that to be accepted into the clan, one had to drop a drop of their blood onto the contract—Seishan had already told him that.
She approached him and extended the contract. However, Arthur didn't have time to try to bite his finger before the Queen spoke again.
"It won't be necessary this time."
They both looked at her confused, and Seishan asked, "Why, mother?"
Ki Song let out a soft laugh.
"Weren't you the one who recruited him?" Seishan nodded. "Very well, then. Arthur is under your responsibility."
"What do you mean, mother?" she asked, confused.
The Queen simply shrugged and put a playful smile on her red lips.
"You'll thank me later. Think of it as a lesson for the future, dear Shan."
'A lesson for the future, huh,' Regis repeated mentally.
Arthur ignored him.
The Queen continued in her regular tone.
"Arthur Leywin, you are welcome to the great Song Clan. We expect great things from you. If you have no questions, you may leave."
"No, your highness. Thank you, and I'll take my leave."
At that moment, the throne room doors opened, and everyone began to leave. As they did, he noticed Seishan's gaze scanning him with a worried expression, and he turned to look at her.
His golden eyes met her dark ones, and Arthur smiled at her to let her know everything was fine.
Seishan received his smile and immediately turned to look away.
'Did I scare her?'
Either way, as soon as they reached the outside of the room, the doors closed behind him, and Arthur was not prepared for what happened next…
Fortunately for him, Sylvie and Seishan were, and they positioned themselves in front of him with their arms open, protecting him from the other six women.
"The first one to say something inappropriate will have to deal with me!" Seishan warned.
Which was funny, considering she was only a Master while her other sisters were Saints… nevertheless, she was the eldest, and the other women respected her.
That didn't stop Beastmaster from throwing him another wink, while Revel looked at him as if she wanted to kill him.
Sylvie took him by the hand and started pulling him along.
"Come on, Arthur, I'll show you your room while Shan stays behind."
He followed Sylvie but couldn't help but hear the other women's questions. Now that he was gone, they weren't so discreet with their curiosities…
He heard a husky voice say, "Shan… you've had your time to have him. Now you're going to have to share! He's much more handsome than what they showed in the movie…" Arthur didn't hear it, but he was sure that sentence was followed by Beastmaster licking her lips again.
Then he heard another: "Tell me he's not your boyfriend." This one belonged to Revel.
Finally, a distant shout: "Wait! Don't leave! Tell me if Sunny is single or not!"
Regis wanted to stay behind, but Arthur forced him to follow by threatening to cut off his Aether supply from his core.
And without anyone knowing—except for the Queen—one more person witnessed everything that happened.
Someone who, curiously enough for him, couldn't reflect what Paragon of Purity was.