Chapter 87: Memory Fragments, Sweet Memories

Steel sang through the smoke-filled ruins of the Novice Village. Burnt, crushed monsters still unfortunate to be alive cried out for reprieve.

The scar Faust’s attack left on the earth glowed through the dark and smoke. Like a molten line pointing south. And its maker laughed as he fought the six knights.

White light flared from his axe, a silver serpent surged from his axe as he slashed into a knight. The silver light continued slashing through another knight.

[You have killed "Puppet Knight" and gained 1 memory fragment.]

Faust blinked and backstepped into a Narrow Path, disappearing briefly to reappear outside the circle the knights were trapping him in.

There hadn’t been any kill notifications in the event till now—not that he was complaining, he had slashed that one knight up like six times. But instead of exp he gained something stranger.

"What’s a memory fragment?"

He decided to put it out of his mind. The knights were regrouping. One of them was dead, but they still reoriented themselves to counter Faust’s use of Narrow Road and Shadow Step.

He was more weary of them and careful with how he teleported. They covered each other, instantly attacking when he had teleported behind one of them. He would have lost his head a couple times without Pathfinder.

He could push the ability harder, but brain damage was hard to regenerate.

The knights brought down their weapons in waves. One knight slashed at him, forcing Faust back. Another knight came from his left to force him right. Then a third knight came from the right in a blindspot.

They struck at odd, low angles with their adjustable limbs.

Faust used his Slime Tether and superior strength to throw them off balance and interrupt the tempo.

Anyone watching the battle would wonder how Faust even kept up. Swords, axes and spears came from all directions.

He slipped between them, lashed out with powerful strikes, and straight up just disappeared half the time.

It was a chess match in a way. Faust could see their possible moves but each time he failed to kill them they became harder to kill.

But he had the cards to change the game.

He walked into a narrow path and came out twenty feet above the knights encircling him.

Heavy Fireball!

Fire swelled and glowed in the smoke-filled air. As expected, the knights froze for a second to recalibrate, allowing the massive fireball to crash down on them.

The ground cracked and caved in under the force of the fireball. The attack was imbued with annihilation, melting the steel knights like claydolls.

[You have killed six "Puppet Knight" and gained 5 memory fragments.]

Faust landed a few meters from the smouldering crater with a smile. The key to beating the knights was damaging them enough before they adapted to your fighting style.

There should be puppet mages too. Something to help them combat mages.

Now he had six memory fragments. He couldn’t help but think this was a hidden quest that was meant to be hard to complete. He probably had to hunt a bunch of knights to get memory fragments.

Was 100% Drop Rate just giving him all the memory fragments he needed.

More monsters were congregating on Faust. He’d have to appraise the memory fragments when he got to the safe zone. He wouldn’t mind fighting now, but he didn’t want to use more mana.

And Nirvana would be wondering where he was.

The snarling monsters stalked towards him. Goblins raised their crooked knives. Kobold Shamans in burnt red robes casted spells.

Faust rolled his eyes and turned around, walking into a narrow path. His form disappeared instantly. The world narrowed around him and light retreated into the horizon leaving him in darkness.

The path was completely silent and.... He thought he was cold, but there was just a lack of anything. This place sucks. His only company in this place was the unknowable dark things moving in this dimension.

Pathfinder didn’t tell him what dimension he was in. The fact he was able to even exist and know what direction to walk in was already amazing. But every time space narrowed Faust felt like it was a lower dimension.

Those things in the dark were inhabitants of the second dimension.

The fact that there were things living alongside him unseen should worry him.

But it just made him wonder how they lived. What drove them to live? Did they have passions? Fears?

Faust couldn’t imagine living without fear.

He walked out of the path and appeared in front of a screaming vanguard. She wore light armor and held a heater shield and spear. She faced him, turned white and turned her spear at him.

"Relax, I’m friendly."

Behind him, monsters were charging at the golden dome. That was probably what she was screaming at. Faust turned and replicated his fireball from before. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

BOOM!

The light of the explosion washed over her frightened face and awe sparked in those eyes. She stepped aside a little.

"Stay alert, friend," Faust said, patting her shoulder as he passed. She flinched a little but nodded. "Don’t fight the Puppet Knights alone."

The golden dome allowed him to pass easily. It was a warm, sort of translucent feeling. Faust tasted chocolate, his favourite kind.

The domes were constructed by a combination of people. First Player that had the Shield Rune Draw skill, then came Players with Construct skill to create a power source that would super charge them.

Finally, a thirteen-year old girl named Massi, who preferred to be called Messi, finished it. She had a Schema related to drawings that allowed her to connect all the drawn runes and then amplify them.

Why her runic ability tasted like the specific chocolate his mom used to make Faust didn’t know. But he felt like walking back and forth through it.

Actually he just did that.

Nirvana, Zen and the others found him doing that and just watched him for a moment. Nirvana must have led them to her, tracking Faust off the scent of his blood.

"Did he run mad?" Thalia asked. Or like he got a madness skill?"

Nirvana pursed her lips. "He did say he had some brain damage, but he said it healed."

"Do you think there’s actually a Madness skill," Spider said randomly. "I wonder what it would do?"

Zen glanced at her. "Stay on topic, schizo."

"I want to hit him," Spider said to Thalia with a calm expression. "I want to hurt him."

Greg walked over and patted her on the back. "Just forgive him. He’s just baiting you. We have to stay focused."

Spider begrudgingly nodded.

Zen smiled. "Thank you so much, white Gandhi."

"No. No, someone hit him. Beat him up," Nirvana said blankly.

Greg moved towards Zen, who raised his hands like he was innocent, but Faust suddenly turned to them. He stopped walking through the shield, and to the horror of the six friends, lowered his head, embarrassed.

"Sorry. I don’t know why I was so distracted by that," he muttered.