Shadow Slave: Arcadius of the Forgotten

What the hell am I thinking? Cade thought, cursing inwardly. I'm growing too damn complacent...

He was moving through the Crimson Labyrinth, heading for the decapitated Knight's statue. At first, he'd thought that he would be pulling the heist the day after he had stumbled upon the first Transcendent soul shard. But since the day had still been young and he hadn't had much to do, he decided to do it today. 

Besides, Sunny would still be moving through the labyrinth himself, going in the direction of Nephis and Cassie's camp atop the coral mound. He would not be returning to the Knight's statue today.

So, today was as good a day as any to pull off the heist. He just had to be smart about it.

Of course, he was completely aware that there was nothing remotely smart about walking into a horde of hundreds of Awakened Beasts, but still...

However, none of that did anything to ease Cade's nerves. After all, for all he knew, he was walking into the maws of certain death. 

He had managed to survive moving through the forty or so Scavengers back at the clearing, but now... now, he'd have to carve his path through hundreds upon hundreds of them.

The piece of the shark abomination's carcass at the base of the Knight's statue had been half of its original body. As such, it was much, much larger than the mound of flesh Cade had stumbled upon earlier.

It had been sustaining the Scavengers for two days now. So, even if it had belonged to a Corrupted abomination, it would have to have been deteriorated somewhat by now. 

There was another reason why Cade had decided to do it today. He was trying his best to avoid the Carapace Centurions, who had claimed the soul shards in the original story. Sure, they had come out the day after tomorrow, but Cade had a feeling that they were lurking in the shadows and keeping an eye on the carcass and the treasure hidden inside of it. 

The Centurions were not mere Beasts. Instead, they were Monsters possessing two defiled soul cores. They were on a whole other level compared to the measly Scavengers.

Cade didn't want to test his chances against those monstrosities, just yet. Not to mention the fact that his charm Memory would most likely not be able to deceive Nightmare Creatures of their Class. 

Cade drew a deep breath and tried to steady his breathing. He was almost there. 

Crouching low behind a jagged coral outcropping, his eyes locked on the grotesque scene unfolding before him.

The decapitated Knight's statue loomed overhead, a towering, ancient monolith weathered by countless years under the corrosive waves of the Dark Sea. Its missing head made it all the more sinister, like some fallen guardian whose failure had given rise to the chaos that surrounded it.

Of course, Cade knew that that was exactly the case. But he didn't care about that. His eyes were locked onto the feet of the giant statue.

At the statue's base sprawled the gargantuan remains of the shark devil, torn apart and bloated with decay. Its flesh— mottled and grey— oozed fluids that pooled in foul puddles. The stench was so potent that Cade's throat burned as he inhaled it. 

The carcass was alive with movement. Hundreds of Carapace Scavengers swarmed the massive hulk, their forms glistening like polished armor as they tore chunks of flesh with their numerous scythed legs and pincers.

The creatures fought and jostled for position. Some clambered over the others to reach fresher parts of the feast. The chittering and clattering of their legs created an incessant noise which blended with the grotesque sounds of ripping meat and the occasional wet slap of gore hitting the ground. 

Cade's stomach churned at the sight, but his eyes were drawn to something else— two glimmering soul shards buried within the rotting mass. Their soft, pulsing light was like a heartbeat against the dark scene. 

Power. Progress. That's what those soul shards meant. The first one had given Cade eight soul fragments, taking him another step closer to forming his Monster core. These two only meant more. 

But they were buried in the heart of this nightmare, surrounded by predators that would tear him apart the second they noticed him. Cade clenched his fists and glanced at the Coral Relic resting on the wrist of his left arm. 

Time for you to shine, buddy...

The charm had masked him from the Scavengers earlier, not rendering him invisible but blending him into the coral-strewn landscape. He'd moved among them once already, and that success was the only thing keeping him from abandoning this mad idea. 

He swallowed hard, his throat dry despite the humidity. He knew that the charm wasn't foolproof. If he moved too quickly or made any sudden sound, the illusion would shatter in an instant. Cade glanced down at his gauntleted hands.

Just about two months ago, he'd been writing his homework with these same two hands and now... now, he was moving into the very jaws of death itself. 

How funny, he mused. Life sure is unpredictable, huh? The thought flickered briefly before being drowned out by the pounding of his heart.

He didn't have a choice. Well... at least not a choice he liked, anyway. Turning back now meant giving up on the soul shards, and that wasn't something Cade was willing to do. He had to get them. He just had to.

And he would. 

Hunched low, Cade took his first cautious step into the open. The coral beneath his armored boots crunched faintly, and he froze, his breath catching in his throat. The Scavengers didn't react. They were still engrossed in their feast. He exhaled slowly and crept forward, every movement deliberate and measured. 

The closer he got, the more oppressive the scene became. The scent of decay was overwhelming, a thick, nauseating miasma that clung to Cade's armor and hair. The clacking of legs and the squelching of flesh under pincers filled his ears. It even drowned out the sound of his own heartbeat. 

A Scavenger near the edge of the mass shifted suddenly, its sharp legs clicking as it turned its head in his direction.

Cade froze, every muscle in his body locking in place. The creature's slit-like eyes seemed to scan the area, but thankfully, they didn't linger on him. The creature turned back to the carcass, and Cade let out a silent breath of relief. 

The soul shards were closer now, their glow brighter. Cade's eyes flickered across the writhing mass of creatures. He searched for gaps, for any way to slip through without drawing attention.

Cade had controlled his fear to some degree. He had calmed himself down in the sea of harrowing abominations that surrounded him. But he couldn't banish the feeling of dread completely. 

As the little bit of fear he felt seeped outward, the nearest Scavengers paused, their movements halting and jerky. Unease rippled through the horde, spreading like a ripple in a pond.

Some of the creatures scuttled away from the carcass. Their pincers snapped at the empty air as if warding off some unseen threat. Others remained, but their heads were twitching and their scythe-like legs were trembling. 

Cade's Innate Ability was taking effect once more. But Cade controlled his fear, not letting himself feel too much of the dread. It was a dangerous situation. If the fear mounted, these mindless abominations would turn on each other— or even worse, on him. 

He reached the edge of the carcass and crouched low behind a mound of rotting flesh. The first soul shard was partially exposed. Its light was casting eerie shadows on the slick, blood-soaked surface. 

Cade swallowed his revulsion and reached out. The gauntleted fingers of his armor sunk into the putrid mass. Even though he wasn't touching the cold and slimy flesh directly, he had to fight the urge to recoil as his fingers dug deep. 

Finally, with a wet, sucking sound, the soul shard came free. Its light pulsed once in his hand, looking warm and alive. The Scavengers turned in his direction and he froze. On purpose, this time. After scanning around him for a bit, the Scavengers looked away and resumed their feast. 

At some point, Cade had stopped feeling fear almost completely. As a result, the Scavengers no longer seemed to be on edge. That reassured him somewhat.

Cade tucked the soul shard into a gap beneath his vambrace, barely concealing the massive crystal, and moved on to collect the next one. 

The second soul shard was deeper, buried beneath a thick fold of muscle. Cade glanced up, his eyes darting across the army of Scavengers. They were no longer restless. Their unease was almost non-existent. Cade sighed a silent sigh of relief. 

He reached for the second soul shard. His fingers dug into the carcass once again, slowly pulling and tearing at the flesh. The soul shard came free with a sickening rip, and Cade nearly fell backward, clutching the glowing shard to his chest. 

Cade's heart hammered in his chest as he slowly steadied himself. A sudden twitch of movement caught his eye, and his head snapped up. His breath caught in his throat as he stared ahead.

A Scavenger was crouching low and staring directly at him, its grotesque, blood-stained mandibles mere inches from his face.

Cade froze, his blood running cold.

The creature's legs shifted as it took a tentative step forward. But then, it also froze. Clicking its pincers together, it brought its head up and checked its surroundings nervously. It suddenly became restless and turned back to the carcass, its unease palpable. Cade's fear had seeped into it once more. 

Cade crouched behind the carcass, breathing heavily as he stared at the Transcendent soul shard in his hand. You cursed thing, he thought, smiling faintly and gripping the shard tightly. 

The path back to safety loomed in his mind, a harrowing journey through the same horde he had just infiltrated. Cade clenched his jaw, and tucked the second soul shard beneath his other vambrace.

He steeled himself, mentally preparing for the journey back.