The Unvanquished: Child of Nihility-Chapter 59: Memory Shard But Dream

Morca’s eyes suddenly snap opened...

---

Immediately upon waking, fragments of memory–like broken pieces of glass–flashed in his mind. Some parts were blurry, others shrouded in darkness, impossible to comprehend. The moment he tried to recall them, a sharp pain assaulted his brain, as if tiny needles were piercing into his skull.

"Did I just have a nightmare... or what was that?" he muttered, his breath still unstable. He remembered that after he fainted, he found himself in a mysterious, dark place–something had happened there, something he couldn’t quite grasp or name...

As his thoughts drifted back, another flash of memory surged forth. A broken shard of information unfolded in his mind like a piece of shattered glass suspended in a mercury-dark space. He saw himself, a mere figure watching the fragments. Within one of the shards was a silver-haired young man clad in crimson-black armor that covered his entire body, even his face. His golden eyes, sharp and trembling like those of a hunter, stared forward. With that frame and the crimson-black armor, Morca immediately knew–it was Leo.

He saw Leo Mordric gripping a blood-dripping black blade, which had pierced straight through his chest. Crimson blood spilled from his mouth. The blade was none other than Morca’s own blade–Avoc. And the most disturbing part was that, even as Morca tried his best to pull the blade out, Leo only shook his head, wearing a faint smile that could hardly be called one, as if to say, "No... I deserved this."

Morca could see the Morca in the scene standing calmly–unshaken, untouched by the scene unraveling before him.

"Why did I kill him?" the Morca watching the scene couldn’t help but question himself.

---

The memory shard flashed again, and the scene shifted. Now he stood in the midst of a battlefield–one he had never seen before. But based on the familiar figures around him, he guessed he was somewhere on Eden planet. This new memory was far more intense. He was surrounded by twelve figures. Four he recognized immediately. The other eight appeared as blurred silhouettes, their identities completely obscured.

The first of the known four was the First Elder of the Sherman family–though he looked very different from what Morca remembered.

Then came the Vice Principal of Eden Domineer Academy–Sir Tamar, standing imposingly, holding two double-edged war hammers. A brownish aura roiled around him, barely contained, as if it would erupt at any second. His eyes were locked on Morca, filled with a fury that seemed ready to tear him in half.

’What’s wrong with this guy? How did I offend him?’ Morca thought as his gaze shifted to a young man he knew all too well–Jack Voidspace, the blindfolded prodigy. This time, Jack’s aura was heavy, no less imposing than the Vice Principal’s. Behind him spread a pair of silver wings. The aura he exuded was untouchable–unyielding.

Beside him stood another youth–someone Morca never expected to stand as an equal among them. Not even in his dreams. He tried to make out the other eight figures, but no matter how hard he focused, he couldn’t identify them.

His gaze then returned to the First Elder, who still bore a fierce and commanding expression. But what made him different now were the two pairs of ink-blue wings behind him. The aura around him was so dense Morca could feel it radiating even from within the shard of memory.

Seeing those wings–alongside Jack’s–Morca recalled a title... The Four Envoys of the Heavenly Ti...

"What is happening? Why do the First Elder and that Jack guy look more like those cursed envoys?"

Morca’s figure trembled–not from fear, but from rage. He couldn’t describe them as friends, only foes. If he had the power now, he would tear down the so-called heavens and abyssal realms with his own hands.

---

"Calm down, Morca. You need to calm down. This isn’t the time... I will take my revenge that’s for sure. But first, I must grow stronger–far stronger than I was in my past life."

He calmed his rising fury. He knew the only thing that could help him now was his system and She. And as he thought of it, he looked around. She felt extremely close... but he still couldn’t see her.

"Where is she?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

And then his eyes landed on someone he never imagined would stand against him...

That’s when he concluded–

This is just a dream.

---

’What’s wrong with him? His eyes are wide open, but he’s been staring at the ceiling for five minutes without blinking. Is he hallucinating or something?’ Leo said, waving his hand in front of Morca’s face, trying to snap him out of it.

Just in that moment Morca raised a hand and grabbed hold of Leo’s wrist before sitting up and taking in his surroundings. A faint scent of nature lingered in the air.

When he saw Leo, he released his grip and asked, "Where are we? And where are the others?"

’Ahem,’ Leo cleared his throat. "We’re at the academy’s medical facility, central region. As for the others, they’re resting in the new recruits’ quarters by the entrance gate."

"How about the trial? And... how long have I been unconscious?" Morca asked, eyes going wide. He knew the academy’s trial rules and the consequences of–without passing the physique test, there was no way anyone could reside in the New Recruit Quarters. And if the trial had truly ended... did that mean he no longer had any hope of being admitted into the academy?

As if sensing his worry, Leo spoke up.

"Relax. Though the trial ended yesterday, there are still three days before the New Recruit Welcoming Speech. As for you, I overheard that you’ll undergo the physique test once you wake up, so there’s no need to tense up. You’ve been unconscious for a day now–ake your time and recuperate."

Morca couldn’t help but sigh in relief. He truly wanted to be admitted into the academy. He needed the pressure–to grow, to evolve, and to survive. The dream–no, perhaps nightmare–he’d seen was far too vivid to dismiss as simple imagination. Though he tried to convince himself otherwise, something kept gnawing at the back of his mind... the haunting possibility that it was all real.

Especially the part where that person stood against him.

That thought alone was terrifying enough to make him reaffirm: It was just a dream. It had to be.

’But... if that really were to happen... what should I do?’

’Kill...’

He shook his head, clearing the dark thoughts from his mind. Then, in a whisper meant only for himself, he muttered:

"If anyone stands in my way... they shall all be eradicated. Annihilated. All shall be killed."

In that moment, the room turned eerily cold.

---

Leo, on the other hand, had a twisted look on his face.

’This guy is dangerous... I need to find a way to distance myself. He already knows too much about me. Any more... and it’ll spell trouble.’

He was supposed to be an assassin, sent on a mission. Yet, due to certain circumstances, he had been subdued. That alone irritated him deeply.

And what does an assassin fear the most?

One thing: Identity Exposure without able to do anything.

To have a target they couldn’t kill. To be unable to kill themselves.

To have the target know who they were... and be stronger than them.

That was the ultimate nightmare for any assassin.

They were meant to be shadow-walkers, cloaked in mystery and darkness.

If their identity was ever revealed–

Then they were no longer an honorable assassins. But disgrace

"Ah, I’ve spent a whole day doing nothing while unconscious... but it feels like my body needed it. I haven’t really had a proper rest these past few days," Morca said as he stretched his arms and legs, soft cracks echoing from his joints. His entire body felt relaxed.

With a swift motion, he got off the bed and did another full-body stretch before walking toward the medical changing room. But then, he suddenly paused in his tracks–he had just realized he was wearing a hospital gown instead of the clothes he had on during the trial dungeon.

He turned to Leo. "Who changed my clothes?"

Out of nowhere, Leo looked startled at first, but then his lips twisted into a slight smirk. "Well, I wasn’t around when you were brought here. I was undergoing the physique test, so I don’t know who changed your clothes."

’Were you expecting them to wait until you woke up to ask you to change?’ Though Leo didn’t say it aloud, Morca could read the thought clearly from his expression.

Morca entered the changing room. Not long after, he stepped out dressed in a new pair of white burgus trousers and a snug, black top that hugged his frame. He now looked more like the others–but his mismatched eyes still set him apart. And he liked it that way. If possible, he’d go even further–maybe have four arms or something equally uncommon.

As he re-entered the treatment room, he noticed that another person was now present.