Moving through the gray sand and mounds of fallen leaves, a colossal monster descended the hill.
Sunless swallowed dryly, his expression turning grim.
The creature was the size of a house, its eight segmented legs like massive pillars. Its body recalled the scavengers and centurions—a fusion of crab shell and a protruding trunk, vaguely humanoid. But there the similarities ended.
Instead of chitin, its carapace seemed made of polished metal, as if submerged in molten steel and emerged clad in a bright, impenetrable armor.
Sunlight reflected off the chrome surface, creating the intense gleam that Sunless had noticed before. Massive yet strangely elegant, the monster resembled a steel knight. And Sunless would have sworn he saw seven stars carved on its chest.
Though, that knight was corrupted.
Its presence radiated a sinister aura, like a demon summoned to sow death and carnage.
The polished armor was covered in long, irregular spikes, and its humanoid torso bore four arms: two ending in powerful pincers, the others in terrifying scythes.
Its head was more pronounced than that of a scavenger, crowned with sharp horns. Its metallic face had an almost human feature, yet distorted, monstrous. Merely looking at it made Sunless's skin crawl.
"That thing… is terrifying."
Whatever it was, its rank in the carapace legion hierarchy clearly surpassed that of the centurions—let alone the common scavengers. It was a step above in the species's evolution. A General? Commander? What were they called… Legates? Praetorians?
Holding his breath, Sunless watched as the Carapace Demon descended from the Ashen Barrow. Stopping before the transcendent soul fragment, it cast a brief glance at the kneeling centurion.
The smaller creature shrank under that gaze, terrified. Sunless understood the feeling perfectly, for he instinctively did the same when the giant's eyes swept swiftly over his shadow's hiding place.
Ignoring the centurion, the Demon grabbed the scintillating crystal and, without hesitation, returned to the shadow of the colossal tree's branches.
Sunless exhaled slowly.
"Sunny? What's happening?"
He turned to Cassia, whose face was filled with concern and curiosity. After a brief silence, he replied:
"There's a new threat. Stay silent a bit longer; I'll explain later."
At the foot of the hill, the Carapace Centurion finally began to rise.
Sunless hesitated.
He needed to follow it to ensure it didn't pass near their hiding place on the way back to the labyrinth. But at the same time, curiosity burned in his mind. What was the Carapace Demon doing atop the Ashen Barrow?
There was no time to think.
Making a rash decision, Sunless sent his shadow sliding across the gray sand. It deftly avoided the centurion's eyes and, in seconds, was scaling the hill.
"Just one look. Just one."
Hidden in the shadow cast by the scarlet crown of the majestic tree, the shadow slipped uphill to the point where the Demon had vanished.
The summit of the Ashen Barrow was covered in fallen leaves. It was immense, vast as an island. But the tracks left by the monster's colossal legs were easy to follow.
They led to the center of the island, where the gargantuan trunk of the obsidian tree rose, its broad roots stretching in all directions.
The Demon stood there beneath the tree, gazing at its lower branches. The transcendent fragment still rested in its pincer.
"What is it looking at?"
The shadow followed its gaze and noticed several round, succulent fruits hanging among the scarlet leaves. One of them looked especially ripe.
Suddenly, the Demon dropped the soul fragment onto the sand. Completely ignoring it, it reared up, extended its pincer, and gently plucked the fruit.
The branch yielded without resistance. Holding the fruit as if it were fragile and precious, the creature bent down slowly and, with extreme care, took a bite.
"It… is eating fruit? That abomination is vegetarian?!"
Perplexed, unsure of what to think, Sunless ordered his shadow to retreat. Time was running out. If he wanted to reach the centurion, he would have to hurry.
Slipping among the fallen leaves, the shadow descended from the Ashen Barrow and followed in the direction of the labyrinth, catching up with the retreating monster.
"Whew."
Sunless watched intently, ensuring the centurion did not take a path that would endanger them. Only then did he allow himself to relax… slightly.
He waited until the monster disappeared before rising slowly.
"It's safe to come out now."
Ariandel stepped away with grace. Nephis and Cassia rose and stretched.
Only then did Sunless realize how close they had been while hiding. For a brief moment, he felt his cheeks warm.
'That was… uh… a tactical necessity.'
"Sunny?" Ariandel asked curtly, adjusting his hood. Before speaking, he had looked at Sunless and raised his hand to silence Nephis.
For the first time, his irritating composure felt reassuring. Sunless cast one last glance at the distant Ashen Barrow and shuddered.
"There is danger ahead. We need to return to the Bone Ridge. I will explain everything once we are safe at camp."
Ariandel brushed a bit of sand from Cassia's robes, his golden eyes, like polished gold mirrors, reflecting silent thoughts. He merely nodded. Nephis did not question either; the trust between them was already enough.
Sunless summoned the Echo, and Ariandel tied the golden rope around the creature's torso, securing Cassia's makeshift saddle before helping her mount.
Sunless took the saddle bags and fastened them back onto the scavenger. They were ready to depart.
Before that, however, Nephis approached the hill and brushed the sand from its surface. Soon, a jet-black rock revealed itself. It was identical to the bark of the colossal tree at the center of the Ashen Barrow.
At last, they began to understand what had drained all life from that vast stretch of the Crimson Labyrinth — the hill, in fact, was just one of the tree's gigantic roots, rising slightly above the desert floor.
...
Back at the Bone Ridge, the Sleepers were gathered around the campfire. The scent of roasted meat hung in the air, making Sunless's stomach growl. But it was not time to eat yet.
He was in the middle of his explanation.
"… and then, after the centurion knelt, another creature emerged from the summit of the Ashen Barrow. But this one was different. Much larger. Perhaps twice the size of a centurion. It looked like a walking house."
Nephis frowned.
"Moreover, its carapace wasn't chitinous—it was metallic. I doubt we could get through it; I didn't see any gaps in its armor. Literally none."
Cassia swallowed dryly and turned her face toward Ariandel beside her. He merely held her hand, indifferent.
Sunless sighed.
"And it has four arms. Two with pincers. Two with scythes. And it's… more humanoid. It has almost a face. A horrible face. The eyes… well, it seems more intelligent than anything we've faced."
Nephis concluded:
"Probably an Awakened Demon."
Sunless nodded.
For a moment, there was only silence…
Then he ground his teeth, sighed, and cast a suspicious glance at Ariandel and Nephis.
"Let me guess: you two… want to kill it!"