Rise of the Nightmare Crestmaster

The statue was not of a human but a humanoid being. It stood two meters tall and it had the face of a middle-aged man but two goat horns grew from the sides of it's face and coiled downward behind it's ears.

The ears were long and they looked split in half, one half pointed upwards and the other downwards. The statue of this humanoid being was carrying a huge bloated bag, it was part of the statue.

The statue was wearing a rob like cloth that made it hard to observe any further. When Aldrich suddenly heard these words he turned around in a hurry.

He couldn't believe his ears, someone actually talked to him here. And it managed to sneak up on him. He looked around but didn't see anyone.

"I'm right here."

Aldrich turned back and saw the 'statue' was no longer a statue, it was a two meter tall creature carrying a bloated bag and wearing a long back rob with res strips. It had green-grey skin and it's hair was slicked back, with a chin beard.

Aldrich charged as fast as he could by immediately using the Light step Skill and using his short sword in an uppercut to behead it immediately.

The creature extended his hand and caught the sword with ease. Aldrich was rebounded by the force and backed a way, he flipped in the air and decided that he was leaving this place.

"Hey! Stop it. Don't go, listen to me! I don't mean you any harm, look."

The creature said. It was speaking Qouhen, the language of the nightmare world before everything went to shit.

Aldrich had to weight his options so he stopped retreating and saw that the creature dropped the sword he caught from Aldrich and raised it's hands up and opened it's palms, a sign of peace.

He was immortal anyway, so he had nothing to lose anyway. Even if this was a trap he would just resurrect and then it he could hunt this thing down.

"Alright, have you calmed down? No need for violence, I hate violence, I'm a friend to your kind."

"My kind?" Aldrich asked keenly.

"Yes, the Lost Ones. Admittedly I thought they all died off some time ago."

Lost One. Aldrich had heard this name only from one person in his entire life. The old madman that gave him the Eyes of Insight. There was no mention of any such names in the armored husk's memory.

"I was of great aid to your people back then when they wanted to lay siege to the Overseer's mansion. And even long before that."

Aldrich's breathing quickened, the overseer's mansion that was his goal. And yet it was brought up so casually.

"My name is Uldin, a merchant from a faraway plane called Leng."

"And how can I trust anything you say Uldin?"

"Didn't your seniors teach you about us, merchants of Leng? How can you not know about… us? Unless, hmm, have you been to the Pure chapel yet?"

Again. It was something that has interested Aldrich ever since he experienced that glass rain that gave him chaotic visions. The voice told him to go to the Pure chapel, that everything was not lost yet.

"No, I haven't. Do you know the way? Can you take me there?"

"I do know the way, when I was slumbering as a statue my hand was pointing in the direction of the the chapel. But I can't take you there, only the Lost Ones can go there."

"Your hand?" Aldrich looked at the sub-tunnel that he was pointing at and saw that it was a dead-end.

"Go on, you'll fins what you seek there."

Aldrich walked in and didn't bother to cover his back if he was attacked and died here so be it, he could take some risk.

He wondered if the wall had some kind of hidden contraption so that it could slide to the side or be pulled up to reveal a hidden path. However the closer he got the better he looked at the door and his eyes widened in disbelief.

On the wall by the end of the tunnel he saw something that was both familiar and alien at once. It was not glowing but faded like it was washed a way by the stream of time but it was obvious to him.

It was the seal of Tindalor.

Aldrich traces the seal with his hand, this was definitely it. He saw it almost every day, it didn't have the molten magma-like color like the one in the base but this was surely the seal of Tindalor.

The seal that brought him here in the nightmare realm to begin with, the seal that resurrected him countless times.

"It's there right? Like I said."

Aldrich turned around and found the merchant of Leng Uldin behind him. Somehow he got the feeling that Uldin wasn't entirely sure the seal would be here.

"You can't see it?"

"Obviously not, only the Lost Ones can see it or interact with it."

"So, how did you know it was here then?"

"I saw many Lost Ones long ago, coming here and then disappearing. While I can't see the seal I can infer it's existence from their actions."

"You said this was the way to the chapel, did you not? While this maybe interesting it is not the way."

Uldin shook his head, "oh, but it is the way. It's dormant now because it's not been used for a very long time but you can activate it."

'So does this mean that all the Lost Ones used the seal of Tindalor like me? Moreover it wasn't used in a long time, does this mean that something happened to the other Lost Ones?'

Aldrich didn't know how to feel about these so called Lost Ones, on one hand they seemed to share some kind of connection with him but on the other he was wary of them. But this was the moment of truth.

"So, how do I activate it?"

Uldin grinned, "why, with your blood of course!"

Aldrich tensed up and took a step back, expecting a fight. But Uldin just stared at him causing him to get angry.

"Hahaha, I'm just messing with you. What would I get by killing you? You'll just resurrect again won't you?"

"That wasn't funny." Aldrich said with a deadpan expression.

"Well forgive me, sir. My humor is still stuck a thousand years ago back when I went to slumber."

"A thousand years? Whatever, Just tell me how to activate the seal."

"Actually what I said is true you do need blood to activate it, just a little bit from your finger should suffice."

Aldrich rolled his eyes in annoyance, he pricked his finger and traced the seal again with his blood and the seal shone in the usual molten magma color.

"Any now how do I use it to go to the chapel?" Aldrich asked Uldin.

"Well, you tell me. I don't know anything specific about it. All I know is the Lost Ones put their hands here, close their eyes and then they teleport."

Well that was not very helpful now was it? Wait, close their eyes and then teleport? 'That sounds like when I use the seal to get back to the real world.'

Aldrich closed his eyes and focused on the seal, a moment later he felt a connection, a tug, a direction. Three directions. One was back to the base the other was the one that would take him back home.

The last one was unknown, it was there, the Pure chapel, he could feel it and almost see the five towers and magnificent statues that were everywhere. That was the image he had from that vision.

Aldrich pulled his hand back. Since he could use any seal to go the chapel there was no pressing need in going now especially with Uldin watching his every move.

"I'll go there later. I think you're not stupid enough to kill me."

"It's good to cautious," Uldin caressed his chin beard and smiled, "now then, if you're not in a hurry to go somewhere why don't you buy something?"

"I am a merchant as I said, I have many trinkets that I believe would be very crucial for you. Many Lost Ones were regulars of my humble store."

Aldrich followed Uldin back to the big tunnel and asked, "didn't you say that you slumbered for a thousand years? What goods remain to you now?"

"Well, my goods are as safe as can be, I assure you," Uldin patted his bloated bag, "as long as they're in this bag they're fine. I also have other things like information which I also sell."

"Information about what?"

"Anything and everything! Anything I know is for sale… for the right price."

"How much gold for your entire bag?"

"Well, I can sell it to you, but I don't trade for gold or any of this trash." Uldin spat in disgust.

"Then what do you trade for?"

Uldin grinned, "Essence, of course! Essence without a doubt!"