Having drunk herself silly, Kaelara had dragged herself back towards her room, wobbling left and right the entire way.

  “I’m never drinking again…”

  She mumbled constantly, covering her mouth every time she felt like gagging.

  The wrapped cloth around her body was loose, to the point where it looked like it could get undone at any moment.

  “Hmm?”

  Suddenly, her leopard ears twitched, jiggling the pierced earrings. However, when she looked behind her, she could neither see nor smell anyone.

  “I’m never drinking again…”

  She mumbled once more, taking a few more wobbly steps to stand in front of her door.

  “It’s all your fault, idiot…”

  Putting a key in and turning it, cursing her roommate after disappearing on her recently, likely moved on to the waking world, and perhaps, the Second Layer during the last expedition.

  “I’m definitely not working today…”

  She pushed her door open, and leaned to the side, looking into her dark home. It was the same as the last time she left it, a complete mess filled with ripped cloth hanging all over the carpeted floor and walls. Even comfy-looking pillows were scattered everywhere, not to mention the countless hairballs laying about.

  She sighed and began to take a step forward, only to somehow miss and make her way down instead.

  “!”

  In an instant, she used her hands to support herself and jumped up, doing a sort of somersault before landing inside in a graceful flourish. Despite her current drowsiness, she still was as nimble as a feline.

  And yet, the rush of adrenaline quickly dissipated from her exhausted nerves. She slumped to the ground, most of the wrappings finally coming undone.

  “I can’t wait anymore!”

  “!”

  The sudden, unfamiliar voice jolted her head to face the still open door, her blurry eyes quickly widening.

  “You…! Didn’t I… sell you that red underwear… yesterday?” She asked, her brows furrowing into a frown. “What are you… doing here?”

  “You remember me… Of course you’d remember me!” The stalker spoke, walking through the door, inviting himself in. His features were blocked by the contrasting environments and the many colors. “I’ve been watching you for a while… Every day, you stand with so much grace, move with so much elegance…”

  “Look, weirdo, I’m flattered, but you better walk out the way you came.” Noticing the situation for what it is, Kaelara suddenly sobered up, a wave of fresh rejuvenation running through her. She pulled herself up, and her cloth wrappings with her. “Otherwise, I’ll be forced to-”

  SLAMM!

  “?!”

  Slightly shuddering at the sudden slamming of her door, what actually made her take a step back, however, was the complete disappearance of the Sleeper that had just been standing in front of her a moment ago.

  “Wait… was there really someone there?” She shook her head slightly. “I drank too much again…”

  “Don’t worry, I’m here for you, dear.”

  “!”

  THUD!

  Just as her whiskers and ears twitched, she turned with an unnaturally fast roundhouse kick that immediately shattered some of the carpeted stone wall, with nothing standing in between.

  “Huh? What am I doing?”

  “Ah! This tail! It’s so magnificent!”

  “!”

  The second she felt her tail being gently caressed, she glowed golden and jumped away. Without stop, discarded and ripped fabric quickly came together, crashing right where she had just stood.

  Once again, there was no target. However, this time, she kept her eyes focused. Even if drunk, she knew she wouldn’t be this alert unless there was an enemy nearby.

  One that can erase their very presence from her mind.

  “You’re lonely, aren’t you?”

  “?”

  Another attack, another miss.

  “I have a thing for clean smooth fur, you see…”

  “Screw you!”

  Again.

  “Accept me! Love me!”

  THUD!

  “Hngh!”

  Kaelara found herself suddenly kissing the ground, a presence pushing down on her body, holding both her arms behind her.

  Immediately, she sent twisted fabric of all colors above her, only to hit nothing as the pressure disappeared.

  The moment the fabric passed, the pressure returned.

  “You can’t resist me! We can play the chase game all day, if that’s what you like, but I’ve already waited so long…”

  CRUNCH!

  “?!”

  Suddenly, the figure disappeared again, only to reappear meters away, a whole shoulder missing.

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  Crow-Shit… I aimed for his head. The newly forming Unseen Dreadbeast of the Lethe thought, getting the gist of the situation from Naga.

  “Who are you now?! Both of you, out!” Kaelara gritted her teeth, jumping to her feet and sending waves of fabric at both targets.

  Suddenly, both disappeared, although only one remained in her mind.

  I can’t use [Distorted Fallacy], at the moment, not unless I have to… How am I going to deal with this ability then? Somnu thought to himself, his time quickly running out.

  If he only had been allowed a few minutes of rest, or had Fala gained him a new level, this would have been much easier to deal with.

  Appearing and disappearing, both figures turned Kaelara’s head upside down. Soon enough, she had to support herself on the nearest wall.

  “I’m never drinking again…”

  “Stop interrupting us! Go away!”

  “!”

  The stalker shouted, appearing inches behind the doppelganger wearing Grudgekeeper, and stabbed through the stomach with a small cat brush that somehow had a sharp pointy edge.

  “You’re ruining our awaited moment! Leave!”

  As he demanded, the feline enthusiast quickly took a step back, dodging a massive row of teeth that, this time, almost bit his head off.

  Quickly, before he could catch his breath, he disappeared, evading multiple flying disks that almost cut him into pieces.

  Dammit, every time he does that, it slows my reaction time just enough for him to move again… Stand still and fight, will you!

  Somnu had no time to scoff at the irony of that statement, he had already sent violet slashes flying towards the enemy, and where he could move next.

  At the same time, he had to make sure to both dodge and protect Kaelara.

  The cat and mouse chase was quickly reaching an impasse, one Somnu couldn’t afford with his siblings waiting for him to come out any second.

  [Hollow Gaze] wasn’t helping in stopping the culprit, nor did the [Night Terror State] have a long enough countdown to keep this up.

  “Hum… Hum, hum…”

  “!”

  This voice is…!

  Somnu recognized the new, yet familiar gentle hum coming from outside the door. It was soothing, immediately relaxing the bodies of everyone present, everyone but one. Not all who were present had a functioning body to be affected.

  Carmella…

  ‘Sorry, master! I knew if I told you, you wouldn’t agree to it!’

  Not wasting any time to discuss the matter now, the Unseen Dreadbeast leapt toward the figure about to fall asleep.

  “!”

  That’s when he finally noticed, the man’s shoulder had completely regenerated.

  Which could have only meant…

  SLASH!

  In an instant, he sent Wistful Daystar through the still body, cutting it to pieces.

  And yet, it just got put back together as a big crazed grin stretched on the short man’s face.

  “Watch them die, one by one!” The eerie, deep voice said.

  “?!”

  A blood wave suddenly emerged from beneath the figure, sending the Unseen Dreadbeast flying back before it could land another blow.

  The singing wasn’t doing much anymore besides making Kaelara enjoy her sleep, and encouraging the scarecrow to keep going.

  However, that quickly stopped when a long blood arm stabbed through the door and pulled the other Sleeper in.

  Carmella! Dammit!

  “Look! Watch!” The Blood Fiend chuckled over and over again, twirling his elongated, blood claws in front of the stomach they were pierced through.

  “It’s… okay…” The blond Sleeper coughed up blood, forcing on a genuine smile. Then, she took another breath in. “Hum… hum, hum…”

  “Let her go!”

  “Hahaha! You’ve taken much from me, why should I?! Watch! Watch and know this will be the fate of all those around you-”

  CRUNCH!

  The figure’s head was bitten off.

  The Unseen Dreadbeast quickly followed suit and reappeared in two forms around the falling bodies. Grudgekeeper munched down on the figure, while the doppelganger caught Carmella and removed the hand stabbed through her stomach.

  The serpent clone with the songstress had used its moment to sneak behind the enemy and used the Grudgekeeper piece on it to deliver the final blow, or more accurately, the final bite.

  This had only been possible due to John Doe’s overconfident and inflated ego, along with Somnu using both [Silent Stalk] and [False Echoes] to trick the culprit’s perception.

  “If you can still hear me…” The [False Echoes] continued. “Come out and face me already. Otherwise… How did you put it? Watch them die, one by one.”

  “Dear…” Carmella mumbled, trying to reach for his straw-covered face. “Thank you… for everything…”

  “Shut up, you’re not dying on me.”

  Somnu lowered her gently to the ground and quickly got to work. Using another serpent clone wrapped around his neck for vision, he applied [Stuffed Resilience] to fill the gaping hole and stop the bleeding temporarily. Then, [Hay Stitching] and [Burlap Bandages] to treat the outside wound.

  “This isn’t going to be enough… You have to go find Alman as fast as possible! Then go out to Lulu and Mathros, you’re a target now!”

  “Are you… worried about…me?”

  “This isn’t time for jokes, Carmella! Think of your pregnancy!”

  “I can’t… move.”

  Watching a tear trickle down to her ear, her shaking, squinted eyes fixating on him, Somnu gritted his teeth. He saw her tighten the grip on the straw hand, missing its warmth.

  The tightness in his own stomach far away, the burning sensation in his own chest…

  He had to do his job, a scarecrow’s job.

  “Yes… yes, you can.” He commanded, bluntly, coldly. “Get up, and walk.”

  [Distorted Fallacy!]

  ***

  The moment he used it, everything disappeared and his world became void once more.

  He contained the blood making its way out of his throat, holding his neck with one hand, and grasping at his pounding heart with the other.

  Grudgekeeper had consumed the culprit whole, but now not even Naga remained behind as he emptied his tank.

  “Somnu? Are you okay in there?” Mo knocked at the door, then slowly opened it. “Let’s go man, you’re keeping the girls waiting. This is usually Leyna’s thing-”

  “Hey… some privacy, asshole.”

  “Why are you completely naked?! And sweating?! Don’t tell me-”

  “Working out! I was… working out!”

  Somnu quickly covered his dignity as he heard his brother close the door behind him. His body was slowly returning to normal now, but he wouldn’t be able to use any skills for a bit.

  “Mo, my familiar is resting… I might need that piggyback ride, after all.” The scarecrow scratched the back of his head, unable to see his brother’s reaction.

  “What? That’s it? You can count on your big brother! I’ll spoil you a little too-”

  “A ride is fine, thank you.”

  “We’ll see!” Mo chuckled as he slapped him on the bare back.

  “And…”

  “?”

  “Help me put on some clothes.”

  Soon after, the four, along with Bro’Ski, went out for breakfast, making some innocent jokes about Somnu being carried.

  While he enjoyed his last moment of peace with them, his mind had been racing about everything he was currently missing on without his skills. He couldn’t know if Fala had been affected too.

  Nevertheless, he tried to spend time with the others. This could have been their last chance together.

  At least, until they all made it back safely to the waking world.