"Do you have everything you need?" Scathach asked as I was about to begin my journey to the Castle of Shadows. "I don't want to listen to you complain about how you weren't prepared."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm ready," I say in my puppet body.

I created a sword and few knives for me to use to defend myself. All of which engraved with 'Anti-Mystic' and 'Anti-Undead' Runes because, from what I know, the Land of Shadows is filled with Ghouls and Phantasmal Beasts.

"Good," Scathach nodded and walked out of Nature's Law. "I will see you in my castle, then," with that, she vanished.

I stood there for a moment and looked at the border of my Reality Marble. This is gonna be the first time leaving it since... well, since I got it.

I moved my leg slowly... and took a step outside. When I moved completely out of it, the border didn't follow me.

"I really don't understand how other Ultimate Ones put up with this," I mumbled, taking one last glance at Nature's Law before walking away.

Sure, having a passive Reality Marble is broken, but seeing nothing but the same sight over and over again gets old really fast. Even to immortals.

I took a look at the Land of Shadows as I walked away. It... honestly looked barren. I can see a few moving shadows here and there, showing there was in fact stuff here that used it as a home, but it was mostly just barren fields, hills, and mountains in the distance.

No wonder neither Gaia or Alaya want this place. Its just a wasteland.

I should start walking in the direction that Scathach told me to go to. I really don't know how long it'll take me to get to Scathach's castle.

Then again, I literally have nothing better to do and all the time in the world.

"Well," I said raising my foot. "Here's the first step to a new mess," I said moving forward.

And tripping as soon as I made the first step.

After my face became very familiar with the ground, I turned around and looked at what tripped me because, while my control over the puppet body isn't perfect yet, there's no way I missed whatever tripped me.

What I tripped on was... what appeared to be something that, somehow, was made of Yggdrasil Wood with a seed-like crystal at the bottom.

"Wait," I recognised that thing. "Isn't that-"

*Flash!*

And just like that, the Mystic Code vanished again.

If I didn't know any better, I would think that thing came back just to trip me. Then again... Zelretch did create sentien Mystic Codes before.

"Okay, think about that later," I told myself getting up. I started walking towards the land of Shadows - carefully, this time - while glancing over my shoulder at Nature's Law.

This is gonna need some getting used to.

Not even a few hours later and I already ran into trouble in the form of a stray ghoul. It... honestly looked like a rotting corpse covered in shadows and cloaks with razor sharp claws.

I pulled out the sword and stood across from it. Scathach taught me the basics of fighting but this is the first actual battle I've had

The ghoul noticed me and charged at me. It was a bit faster than I expected but I still managed to dodge by leaning under the strike. Swinging my sword upwards, I managed to cut off the ghoul's arm and cause it to screech in pain.

It shouldn't feel pain, so that means the 'Anti-Undead' Runes work. Good to know.

The undead tried to slash me with its remaining arm but I managed to block it with my sword in the last moment. It started trying to push me back but I held my ground.

Letting one of my hands go from the sword, I grabbed one of the knives and thrust it forward, stabbing into the undead's head. Obviously, that wasn't enough to kill it but still enough to make it take a few steps back.

When I had enough space, I swung for the neck and decapitated the ghoul. I breathed heavily as I watched the ghoul's remains disappear into mist.

"Man, no wonder Gil just threw his weapons around. Fighting with my own hands sucks," I groaned as I looked forward and saw no sign of the Castle of Shadows. "This is... gonna be a long and annoying journey."

The fact I'm going through this should really tell people how much free time I have.