Caster

"You... you have no... no honor."

— Caster to Sunny, Chapter 340, 'Honor' ^[1]

Description

Han Li Caster is a scion of the prestigious Han Li clan and a former member of Nephis' Cohort. As a Legacy who awakened with an Ascended Aspect during his First Nightmare, Caster was widely regarded as one of the most outstanding members of his generation.

Appearance

"The young man had brown hair and a gentle, handsome face. His eyes were green, with a hint of friendly humor. His posture, figure and attentive gaze betrayed someone who went through extensive training. Everything about the young man screamed of nobility and strength."

—Physical description of Caster, Chapter 20, 'Outcast Once Again' ^[4]

At the Awakened Academy, Caster appeared as a tall, confident young man with brown hair and a gentle, handsome face. His green eyes carried a hint of friendly humor, and his posture, figure, and attentive gaze betrayed someone who had undergone extensive training. Everything about him seemed to scream of nobility and strength.^[4]

During Sunny and Caster's reunion in the Bright Castle, his appearance had not noticeably changed. Caster was still the same tall, confident young man with the gentle face and humorous green eyes.^[5]

By the time the cohort reached the Crimson Spire, however, Caster had begun to look subtly older than the rest of his peers, which was a peculiarity, given that Effie and Kai were supposed to be the oldest among them.^[1] This was actually due to his Flaw, the effects of which were normally suppressed by his Hourglass Charm.

Once that charm was destroyed, time caught up with him in horrifying speed. Within minutes of using his Aspect, Caster aged from a young man in his twenties to one in his late twenties, then his late thirties, then a man in his prime—handsome, mature, with broad shoulders straining his scale armor, and silver streaks running through his beard.^[1]

Eventually, Caster was reduced to an old man, his gaunt face laced with a spiderweb of wrinkles and his hair and beard completely grey, with almost no sign left of the handsome youth he had been.^[1]

Notable Abilities

Aspect

[Aspect Name]: Unknown

[Aspect Rank]: Ascended.^[6]

[Dormant Ability]: Extreme speed when activated.^[7]

[Aspect Legacy]: Unknown

[Flaw Name]: Unknown

[Flaw effect]: Shortens your lifespan when your Aspect is used.^[1]

Caster's combat abilities were greatly enhanced by his Aspect, which granted him extraordinary speed. When Caster used his Aspect, he seemed to vanish entirely from sight, perceptible only as a hazy blur even to those with enhanced perception such as Sunny's Shadow Sight.^[8]

"It seemed like Caster suddenly ceased to exist. However, it was only an illusion. The truth was that he was just moving so fast that the human eye wasn't able to keep up with his movements."

—Caster's Dormant Ability, Chapter 27, 'Measure of Power'

Sunny later considered Caster's Aspect Ability to be among the most powerful he had ever encountered, comparable only to his own and Nephis's, and capable of easily killing warriors of the highest caliber, such as Gemma, Effie, or Seishan.^[9]

This formidable Aspect came at the cost of a cruel Flaw. Whenever Caster activated his Aspect, he experienced accelerated aging.^[9] To suppress its effects, Caster relied on a crystal hourglass charm Memory that hung around his neck, which was used to reduce the effect of his Flaw on his body.^[1]

In addition to his Aspect, Caster was one of the most skilled swordsmen of his generation. He was known to possess a whole arsenal of Memories hidden within his soul core, and was believed to have ways to fight even while blinded.^[9]

General Capabilities

Caster was trained in combat from a young age, as was the case with all Legacies, who were taught to fight and kill from the moment they could walk.^[10] His training was evident in his bearing and movements,^[4] and his reputation in the Bright Castle was likely earned through bloodshed.^[10]As a Legacy, he had likely been fed a significant number of soul shards before enrolling at the Academy, allowing him to begin his journey as a Sleeper at a level far beyond his peers.^[7]

Beyond raw combat ability, Caster was a shrewd manipulator. He was adept at reading people, defusing volatile social situations,^[11] and using leverage to secure compliance from those weaker than him.^[12] Nephis recognized this talent immediately, observing that he had done everything in his power to get close to her, while subtly working to isolate her from anyone she might trust.^[2]

Notable Equipment

Ghostly Green Jian

A graceful jian with beautiful patterns etched on its blade, with a triangular guard carved out of green jade. It cut through flesh, bone, and steel alike.^[13]

Hourglass Charm

A crystal amulet in the form of an hourglass hanging on a silver chain around his neck. This charm Memory in the shape of a sandglass was used to reverse the effect of his Flaw on his body.^[14]

Bone Flute

A flute made out of bone, with an enchantment that creates a cone of silence.^[15]

Sling

A strange sling used to break the wings of a giant locust.^[16]

History

Early Life

Not much is known about Caster's early life. It is presumed that he was born into the Han Li Clan and eventually grew up to be its most promising scion.

Academy (Volume 1, Child of Shadows)

Caster was first encountered by Sunny at the Academy, surrounded by a cluster of admiring Sleepers. From the very beginning, his bearing marked him as someone outstanding, as he was handsome, gentle-faced, and clearly trained from a young age.^[4]

He had awakened with an Ascended Aspect during his First Nightmare, which was considered an extremely rare achievement. When one of his admirers urged him to retaliate against Sunny for a perceived slight, Caster mildly dismissed the matter, claiming that the boy must have lost his mind in the Nightmare and would die soon, so being kind was the least he could do, a remark whose veiled cruelty did not escape Sunny.^[6]

Dark City (Volume 2, Demon of Change)

Caster reappeared in Sunny's life at the Bright Castle, intervening when Gunlaug's men attempted to bully Sunny and Cassie. Calmly stepping in, he politely asked them to leave his "friends" alone.^[5][11]

Later on, Caster walked in on Sunny moments after he had killed Harper, a spy planted by Tessai. Stunned, the Legacy demanded to know what had happened.^[17] Sunny coldly admitted to the killing, claiming Harper had been asking too many questions about Nephis.

After a long pause, Caster declared he would help conceal the crime and that no one could ever know what had happened. ^[17]Sunny saw through the gesture immediately. Caster had not said I will help you, but rather I will own you, securing the perfect leverage. With no other choice, Sunny accepted the bargain.^[12]

Final Confrontation (Volume 2, Demon of Change)

Caster's final confrontation came in the Crimson Spire. Rushing toward its pinnacle, he encountered Sunny barring his way.^[20] After a tense exchange, Sunny pressed him on why he wanted to kill Nephis. Caster's reply was unflinching:

"The Immortal Flame must be destroyed...this is the will of the Sovereigns."
—Caster to Sunny, Chapter 338

The duel that followed was one-sided in Caster's favor. His speed and skill overwhelmed Sunny, opening cuts across his body with each exchange.^[9]

Though gravely wounded in an exchange involving the Moonlight Shard, Sunny managed to tear the hourglass charm from Caster's neck and shatter it in his fist before the Legacy could dismiss it back to his soul core. With the Memory destroyed, time caught up with Caster in moments as he aged into an old man.^[9]

Sunny then used the [Extraordinary Rock] to mimic Nephis' voice, which distracted Caster for a split second. Using this opportunity, Sunny plunged the [Midnight Shard] into Caster's heart, killing him.^[1]

[You have slain a Dormat human, Han Li Caster.]

Personality

Caster presented himself as a kind, humble, and approachable young man. Despite that, those with sharper eyes could detect a particular kind of "murder math" hidden in his gaze. It was a cold, constant calculation common to experienced fighters.^[6]

Caster believed firmly in concepts such as duty, loyalty, and honor, and held himself far above commoners and "mongrels," whom he openly considered worthless.^[3] Despite this aristocratic disdain, his charm and natural charisma made him genuinely beloved by his peers, even among other Legacies.^[11]

Relationships

Han Li Clan

As a scion of the Han Li clan, Caster represented his family's lineage with enormous pride. His background was described as impeccable, and his future was considered unquestionably bright.

Above his clan, however, his ultimate loyalty was to the mysterious Sovereigns, whose will he obeyed unquestioningly. He believed that his duty to them and the preservation of honor justified the assassination of Nephis.^[3]

Trivia