Bonds of Darkness: Swordmen's Redemption

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Lost Child

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In the heart of a verdant forest, Y/N found himself amidst a vast expanse of ruins. Broken columns lay scattered like the bones of giants, and archways leading to nowhere stood as silent sentinels to a bygone civilization. The stone relics were cloaked in a tapestry of moss and ivy, nature's gentle reclaiming of what once belonged to man. As he traced the fractured lines of ancient masonry, Y/N felt the palpable echo of histories untold, a resonant whisper of the decaying grandeur around him.

"I am lost," he admitted to himself with an air of resignation. The realization was stark against the backdrop of lush greenery and the crumbling remnants of past splendors.

He ruminated on his lack of foresight. "I should've asked mother for a full map," Y/N mused, his thoughts now sharpening into a clearer focus. "I should've planned better before embarking on this journey. My head... it still needs to be set straight." He chastised himself softly, feeling the weight of his unpreparedness.

An idea then struck him—an intuitive leap that seemed almost too practical in its simplicity. "What if I use the book as my map navigator?" He contemplated the potential of the tome he carried, the one object that held guidance, even if only in the broadest sense.

Materializing the book in his hand, Y/N flipped through the pages only to find a lack of detailed navigation. "This is very disappointing," he remarked, a note of frustration tingeing his voice. With a flick of his wrist, he cast the book aside, watching as the encroaching shadows seemed to consume it.

Observing the shadows that now seemed an extension of his own being, Y/N sensed their sentient nature—or rather, their resonance with his own essence. It was a power he didn't fully comprehend, yet one he felt compelled to explore. "Oh... that's it. Let's try this out," he decided, a plan forming in his mind.

Y/N centered himself, closing his eyes to better connect with the void aspect of his powers. He reached into the paradoxical space that was at once accessible and elusive, his consciousness extending into the dark expanse.

As his shadow proliferated, enveloping the surroundings in darkness, only speckles of sunlight piercing through, he felt his presence magnify. The forest became his canvas, the shadows his brush strokes, each tree, each leaf, a detail within his grasp.

The sensory overload was immense, overwhelming—too many sights, too many perceptions all at once. "I need to know more. There's nothing but woods here," Y/N focused, trying to filter through the cacophony of visual input.

Expanding his shadow even further, he sought clarity amidst the quietude that his power brought. Then, amidst the deluge of visions, a singular image caught his attention—a cave.

The strain of the exertion finally took its toll, and Y/N collapsed, panting from the effort. His eyes, a stormy mix of black and purple, trembled with the burden of omniscience he had briefly held.

"I... need to train more on that," he conceded, standing once more. His powers, though taxing, had given him a pinpoint location—an exact coordinate etched in his mind.

With renewed determination, Y/N headed towards the cave he had glimpsed through his shadowed eyes. It was a new lead, a new direction to follow in the ever-unfolding mystery of his existence in this realm.

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Y/N, armed with the coordinates and a clear vision of his destination, called forth the Abyssal Gate once more. Stepping through the portal with a practiced ease, he emerged in front of the cave that he had discerned from the embrace of his shadowy reconnaissance.

The entrance of the cave was deceptively mundane, its oval maw silent and still, betraying nothing of the secrets that lay within. "No doubt, there is something inside here," Y/N murmured to himself, his intuition flaring up with the certainty of a seasoned explorer.