Chapter 118: Lessons with a Shadow
Hugo ended up spending an entire day in the hospital, simply relaxing and enjoying the splendid food.
He was completely healed, but he wanted to remain here a little longer...
One, because he enjoyed the food... And two, because he was scared of the mouthful he was about to receive from Wake of Ruin when he went back to the job, so he was using this place as a shelter.
The recent Gate incident had been documented in the news, and his involvement in it unfortunately couldn't be covered up, as many Awakened saw him there.
To make it worse, the propaganda machine of the government had worked tirelessly to spin the narrative that he had stopped the entire Category Three Gate on his own, slaying hundreds of monsters and even defeating a Corrupted Tyrant—something that was only possible for Saints.
Hugo cringed as he watched the videos on his Omnitrix's network, with many creators making ridiculous theories and videos about him.
Many such videos included:
"Paragon of Purity, a Master or secretly a Saint?" by OverlordBGs
"What is Master Hugo's Aspect?" by Gio
"Paragon of Purity, the first Divine Aspect wielder?" by Skullivan
"Is Paragon of Purity a genetically grown super Awakened by the great clans?" by Darkstar 2008
And the most shocking one of them all:
"Posting a video every day until the Paragon of Purity says hi to me" by Karr-Knight.
Overall it was ridiculous, but somehow those videos got millions of views, with people genuinely interested in them. They had given him many ridiculous titles as well, such as the Azure Star, the Shapeshifter, the Lethal Protector... etc.
Hugo wouldn't admit it, but he liked the Azure Star...
'Focus, this is stupid...'
He sighed, as he got up and began changing clothes, wearing his normal clothes. He made sure to pack up his government outfit as well, making sure not to forget it.
While he was wearing his clothes, Hugo remembered something and grimaced...
'That thing on the moon...'
He was certain it wasn't Dagon, but something else. Something less powerful than the Unholy God, but no less terrifying.
'It didn't seem corrupted, but it was... Vile.'
Not only that, but it had a sinister feeling as well much like the Soul Devourer Tree, but infinitely more powerful.
'Maybe a Noble Creature created by heart god survived?'
After everything Hugo had seen in his life, he wouldn't be surprised if Noble Creatures actually existed in the War Realm, considering how similar the War and Beast Realms are... But that was a bit of a stretch.
What he was certain about was the fact that the second creature on the moon possessed a mind hex of sorts as it was attempting to enter Hugo's mind.
This only made it more dreadful.
Just as he was about to leave, a knock on his hospital room door was made snapped him out of his thoughts, and then a short young man with pale skin walked in.
"Sunny! Great seeing you, to what do I owe the honor of your prestigious visit?" Hugo said, excited to see his friend.
Sunny, who was carrying... A cake? Suddenly sighed.
"So you are fine after all. Why didn't you leave the hospital?"
"The food here is great!"
Sunny only offered him a deadpan stare. "We thought you were seriously hurt, you jerk." he sighed, grabbing his communicator.
"Yes, Neph, he's fine. Tell the others too." he said, quickly ending the call.
"Ohhh, how sweet, you all care for me so much." Hugo clutched his chest, making a dramatic scene.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Let's go. I had to sneak here because they didn't allow me to visit you," Sunny said.
"How scandalous of you! " Hugo said.
——————
The two of them ended up traveling together through the shadows, literally. Sunny used his Awakened Ability [Shadow Step] and Hugo transformed into his [Soul Serpent} form, reaching into the shadows alongside him.
The realm of shadows was a bizarre and terrifying place, which made Hugo realize how truly unique he was, being able to enter it in this serpentine form.
Due to be an ascended noble creature, Hugo could feel much more of it now which was both good and bad, bad in the sense that he could get lost in this vast realm and good in the sense that he could increase his mystical senses through the shadows.
To Hugo's surprise, they did not go to the Immortal Flame Manor, but instead to Sunny's house.
Reappearing near the house, Hugo detransformed and said:
"I really didn't think you'd have a house. I thought you'd stay with your girlfriend."
"I don't like staying in the manor because it's crowded... Wait, what did you just say?" Sunny's cheeks suddenly became pink, which was hilarious considering how pale he was.
"I said I thought you'd stay with Nephis's." Hugo shrugged, walking over to the door.
"No you clearly said—"
"Shhhh, Sunny, you must be imagining things. Come on, let's go in, I want a tour!"
The shadow groaned, but he obliged anyway, entering the house alongside Hugo.
The interior of the house was very modest as it was a house with two floors, it was spacious with two bedchambers on the second floor, a large kitchen, a living room and even a basement dojo.
"Damn, Sunny, you're rich... How is it that a jobless bum like you gets a house like this, while an employed man like me is homeless?" Hugo said with a smile, causing Sunny to suddenly stop and look at him with a dirty look.
"Firstly, I'm employed. Being an Awakened is an official job. I also worked as an official explorer and writer for the Awakened Academy, then as a teacher for a while, and currently I'm a successful businessman, selling multiple products for Awakened alongside Aiko, thank you very much. Secondly, since when are you employed?"
"Oh I got a job. I'm a government agent now." He puffed up his chest but sunny did not seem impressed at all.
"good luck in your new job." Sunny said not wanting to intrude further on Hugo's life, as he gestured for him to follow. "Come with me for a second."
"Wait, aren't we going to eat the cake?" Hugo said with a heartbroken expression.
Sunny sighed. "Fine..."
—————
After finishing the cake, the two Masters headed towards the underground dojo.
The two stood on opposite sides, stretching in their training uniforms.
"So, you want a spar?" Hugo said, fighting was always a delight for the young master "What is it this time? Did you advance your Shadow Dance? Or did you finish one of your new shells?"
Sunny shook his head.
"No, it's none of that. I realized something these last couple of days. I have been benefiting from you more than you have benefited from me and I do not like that. So, for the sake of our friendship, today, I shall be the one teaching you."
Hugo's eyes widened slightly, as he coughed, looking at the other side.
"This is too wholesome for me, just attack me already."
"I'm not going to beat you up and expect you to get better, an explanation is also needed. So I'm going to explain to you the basics of combat while beating you up. I'm assuming you're familiar with the term 'Battle Art'?"
Hugo nodded, getting more serious now.
"The personal combat style of an Awakened, divided into ranks—though not by the Spell, but by awakened and martial artists. Dormant, Awakened and Ascended battle arts usually involve a style of combat that's relatively simple to learn and is available for anyone. Transcendent battle arts, on the other hand, are unique to every individual... Let's see what else, oh! Right, a battle art's rank must be equal or lesser than the user, as a Sleeper cannot learn an Awakened battle art and a Master cannot create a Transcendent battle art."
Sunny was quite taken aback by this explanation.
"You are surprisingly well educated about this topic."
"I actually studied about all of this before I got infected by the Nightmare Spell. The things you'll find on the internet will surprise you. Also, I sort of got taught by an ancient Supreme called the Plague of Steel so I'm not a total novice."
"...Right," Sunny said, not even bothering to appear shocked. "Anyway, as we established last time, your battle art is based on the Stone Saints, but it's not quite Ascended yet. If I have to give it a rank, then that would be high tier Awakened. You need to refine it a bit more to reach the Ascended rank. And by refining, I mean making your body adapt to that battle art."
"That is a bit difficult for someone like me, don't you think?" Hugo sighed.
He was a person who did not possess a single body, but multiple ones instead. Each of his forms were unique, so imprinting a specific battle style on them all would be a task that would take years, if not decades.
"That is true. However, if you want to create your own personal Transcendent battle art as a Saint, you'd need an Ascended battle art first. That Ascended battle art will be the foundation of your future Transcendent one. All you would need to do then is to mix in your Aspect abilities and Transcendent transformation with it, which is easier said than done, of course." Sunny proceeded to form a sword from the shadows and point it at Hugo. "A Saint without a proper battle art is useless, no matter how powerful they are. That includes—but is not limited to—you."
Hugo listened carefully.
Indeed, his friend was right. He had seen it with his own eyes when Wake of Ruin battled the Corrupted Tyrant—a Saint must absolutely possess a battle art so that they would be able to defeat abominations of higher ranks and class and other people of the same rank.
Wake of Ruin was weaker than the Corrupted Tyrant, but he had an advantage in that fight thanks to his Transcendent battle art.
To create a Transcendent battle art, one had to mix in their Aspect abilities, their attributes, their source element and their Transcendent ability together, with an Ascended battle art to serve as the foundation.
If Hugo was right, his Transcendent battle art would be a savage one, built on the foundation of his stone saint form and his other transformations and his ability to switch between them.
Hugo was not sure what his Transcendant ability will be, but he would also need to implement it into his battle style.
"Then, is your battle art Ascended, Sunny?" Hugo asked.
Sunny nodded. "Me, Nephis, Cassie, Effie and Kai all have created our own Ascended battle arts, with me and Nephis being on the edge of creating a Transcendent battle art. We are simply missing the power and anatomy of a Saint and, most importantly, our Transcendent abilities. You are the only one who hasn't mastered a battle art yet, which is dangerous. Even the fourth Divine Aspect wielder, Mordret of Valor, possesses an Ascended battle art... That fiend perhaps is the most skilled out of us all. Despite his versatility, he still possesses incredible skills."
Sunny created a spear of shadows and tossed it towards Hugo.
Hugo grabbed the spear and got into a combative position.
"The more I learn about this Mordret guy, the more interesting he seems... And the more dreadful, as well."
Sunny moved towards Hugo, swinging his blade.
Hugo blocked with the shaft of his spear, not moving an inch.
"He is, by all means, a reflection of you," Sunny said, as he and Hugo exchanged attacks, ranging from thrusts to slashes with sunny focusing more on offense, while Hugo was focusing more on being defensive.
Breaking the clash, Hugo raised his spear and said:
"How so?" before lunging with another thrust.
Sunny dodged the thrust calmly and responded:
"His Divine Aspect allows him to change vessels at will, granting him a wide selection of abilities—exactly like you. He just has a harder time acquiring his vessels. Naturally, you'd expect someone like him to be weak in hand to hand combat, but that's not the case at all. Mordret possesses a terrifying battle art, and combat skills that are simply unmatched. He uses each of his vessels like they're his original body, moving with them so skillfully that he uses the stolen bodies even better than the original."
Sunny retaliated with a kick, leading Hugo to sidestep his attack and attack him with the butt of his spear.
To this, Sunny simply grabbed the spear and head-butted Hugo, before kicking the shapeshifter away.
Hugo slammed into the wall and groaned, before reassuming his battle stance with a cough.
'I guess this is revenge for last time...'
"So this mysterious boogeyman is a better version of me, is that what you're trying to say?"
"Not necessarily. Mordret doesn't possess your uniqueness, despite the fact that you both possess unnatural adaptability. You have the potential to surpass him if you focus on your battle art and integrating it into your body. But in terms of raw power, you are undoubtedly more powerful."
"Noted."
The two clashed once again, continuing their training.
——————
The two spent a few hours training, exchanging notes about their battle arts and the nature of combat.
They eventually ended up going upstairs, and Sunny cooked a meal for the two of them.
What surprised Hugo was the fact that Sunny wasn't done with the things he had wanted to teach him.
"What?!" Hugo shouted, looking at Sunny with a shocked expression.
In Sunny's hands was a Memory. It was a simple blade Memory of the Awakened rank—nothing too special.
That's what a normal person would say, at least. As this Memory was originally a Dormant Memory, but thanks to Sunny, he had upgraded its rank.
"So you're telling me you discovered an entirely new form of sorcery?! How, when and why?!"
Sunny grimaced. "Calm down, and stop shouting. It's not new per se—just an ancient type of sorcery that had been lost. It's much like runic sorcery, but also different as it doesn't use True Names as a foundation. So far, I'm skilled enough to turn objects into Memories and upgrade their ranks by at least one. I'm only capable of making Ascended Memories for now, but I'm nearly ready for Transcendent ones. But honestly, I assumed you would be capable of replicating weaving with the creatures in your watch."
Sunny had wanted to share this sorcery with Hugo, who was the most likely person to learn it.
But unfortunately, that did not work out so well.
Neither Grey Matter nor Brainstorm possessed the ability to see or interact with the weaves that made up a Memory, which was unfortunate.
"I suppose this form of sorcery isn't for me... Well, perhaps when I gain a transformation that can do it? I'm not sure if such a form even exists," Hugo said, taking a sip of the beverage Sunny had offered him.
Noble creatures with high intelligence and affinity to sorcery were one thing, but Noble creatures capable of a specific type of sorcery were highly improbable. In theory, Grey Matter could easily become proficient at weaving due to his affinity to all forms of sorcery, but he simply did not possess the abilities to do so Sunny was only capable of it thanks to his strange lineage.
"Perhaps we'll find a way to make weaving available for those without your lineage in the future." Hugo said. "But for now, I think I have a few ideas on how to improve your weaving. Do you have ink and paper?"
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Just because I'm unable to learn weaving doesn't mean I can't understand it. Using my aliens, I can understand it and develop numerous theories and instructions for you to use to increase your skills."
"But that's not what I wanted to do... I'm still the one benefiting here." Sunny said with a slightly guilty expression.
"Hey! Why are you looking all gloomy, you bastard? You think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart?! I expect you to become my personal Memory maker and upgrade all of my Memories to the divine rank when you become a master weaver!"
"...Alright, I suppose that is only fair," Sunny said with a smile.
What transpired after this was a seven-hour session of Sunny explaining the basics of weaving to Hugo's Grey Matter and Brainstorm selves. Both personalities insulted Sunny for his sloppiness and criticized his works deeply after they understood the principals of weaving.
In the end, Hugo wrote a thick book of over three hundred and eighty-seven pages, detailing theories about weaving, possibilities, patterns of the spellweave, notes about enchantments, and numerous other Memory ideas ranging from Dormant to Supreme that Sunny could study to improve his skills.
In fact, right after they were done, Sunny turned the book into a Memory and named it [Omni-Book] in honor of Hugo—which made him feel very proud.
With all of this done, the two didn't really have anything to do...
That was the case, until Sunny got a devious idea.
He decided to show Hugo the movie about the Forgotten Shore, called:
'Song of Azure Light and Darkness.'