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301	Chapter 301 Heirs to the Throne As Sunny sat on the cold stones, wiping blood off his face and wincing from pain, the whole castle shook slightly, and dust fell from the ceiling of the wide corridor. Looking up, he frowned slightly, then turned to Harus and indifferently cut a strip of cloth from the hunchback's garments. The corpse didn't mind. Tying the cloth around his head to stop the blood from streaming into his eyes, Sunny sighed and summoned the runes. Shadow Fragments: [956/1000]. "Such an injustice…" His battle with Harus was one of the toughest he had experienced on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, but all he got from it was one measly shadow fragment. This was one of the lamentable quirks of the Shadow Slave Aspect — it didn't differentiate between humans and Nightmare Creatures at all. From its point of view, Harus was nothing but a dormant beast. …Or maybe it was a blessing in disguise. "Killing humans is a really unlucrative business," Sunny said with regret and glanced in the direction of the throne room, where the terrible battle still raged on. ReadNovelFull.me Several hundred humans driven insane by fury and bloodl.u.s.t could create a lot of destruction in a very short amount of time. Several hundred powerful Sleepers, each in possession of an Aspect Ability, were so much worse. Add the Echoes in the mix, and Sunny shuddered to imagine what was going on back in the great hall right now. The number of lives being extinguished every second up there must have been immense. The members of the Host, the followers of Changing Star, and everyone unlucky enough to exist on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e today were dying by the score. Blood was flowing like a river in the halls of the Bright Castle… just like Ca.s.sie had predicted all those months ago. Just like Sunny had feared it would. What was Nephis thinking? Her ambition had never been to become the ruler of the Dark City. Wrestling the control over the ancient castle from Gunlaug had always been just a means to an end. Her true goal had always been in the Crimson Spire. …Where the Terror of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e dwelt. From that point of view, this ma.s.sacre was such a waste. Of potential soldiers, of countless Memories, of every other potential resource she was going to need to reach the Gateway. But then, was it really? After all, the rest of humanity was not bound by the strangeness of the divine Aspect Sunny possessed. When one Awakened killed another, they received a vast portion of the soul essence their enemy had acc.u.mulated. A lot of it simply disappeared, but what remained was more than enough. The Crimson Spire was not a place one could conquer with cannon fodder. So really, Nephis did not need a thousand weak humans. What she really needed was a few hundred powerful, battle-tested fighters. What was happening in the Bright Castle right now was not a waste. It was consolidation. Sunny sighed and rose to his feet, summoning the Midnight Shard from the darkness of his soul. It was time to rejoin the battle. \\\* In the end, almost two hundred people perished on that day. Despite all that death, the battle ended in a bitter draw. And the main reason for this were only three people: Nephis, Tessai, and Gemma. No matter how powerful and skilled the rest of the Sleepers partic.i.p.ating in the battle were, no one stood a chance in a fight against either one of these three. Not even Caster, who by then many had believed to be one of the strongest fighters in all of Dark City due to his incredible skill, powerful Aspect, and n.o.ble background. When the proud Legacy clashed against the leader of the Hunters, his enchanted jian quickly found its way into Gemma's heart. However, to everyone's horror, the tall man did not even blink after receiving the mortal wound. And just a few short moments later, it magically closed, not leaving even a scar behind. No matter how many times Caster had cut or pierced the body of the fearsome Hunter, Gemma's flesh simply restored itself. It was as though the proud Legacy was cutting water. Gemma's Aspect Ability made him nearly immortal, while his incredible skill, cunning, and might made him a herald of death. Tessai was equally as formidable. His powerful Aspect Ability was tied to cold and ice. It allowed him to both make his skin hard as stone and debilitate his enemies, turning their movements slow and stiff. What was worse, it countered Neph's flames to a large degree. Eventually, when the death toll became too large, all three gave their followers a command to retreat. By the end of the day, the new Lord of the Bright Castle was still not decided. The castle itself became divided between three warring factions, led by the three contenders to the throne. The largest and strongest faction, one with the most fighters and most Memories to arm them, was formed by the alliance between Tessai and the leader of Handmaidens, Seishan. Together, the Guards and the Handmaidens became a force that the other two factions could not challenge openly. They held the northern and western parts of the Castle, where most of the strategic and easily defendable areas of it were situated. The second faction was led by Gemma and Kido, the chief Artisan. While the two of them had fewer fighters than both other factions, each of these fighters was worth a dozen. They were the Hunters, the most experienced and formidable Sleepers in all of the Dark City. Although the territory this faction held was not large, it was of utmost importance, since they controlled the only reliable source of food and water in the Bright Castle. The last faction belonged to Nephis alone. She controlled the southern part of the Castle, where its main gate was situated, as well as the outer settlement, to where many of the previous inhabitants of the ancient citadel had fled in hope of finding shelter. However, they quickly realized that there was no more safety anywhere in the Dark City. With Gunlaug gone, all order disappeared. No one went on hunts to bring back food, no one manned the walls to drive the Nightmare Creatures away, no one was there to stop the crime and violence that blossomed in darkness off anarchy. And things weren't going to change until a new Lord usurped the white throne. The b.l.o.o.d.y struggle for the crown had begun. ReadNovelFull.me?
302	Chapter 302 Status Quo In the next couple of weeks, the Bright Castle had become a strange place. Inside its magnificent halls, barricades were built and three makeshift fortresses appeared, each faction holding a specific territory. Beyond these protected areas, there was no man's land. Going outside of a faction's stronghold was often tantamount to death. No one knew what they would encounter there. Corpses littered the floor, with an occasional marauder hiding in the darkness. With no more law, tyrannical as it had been, many people gave in to their darkest impulses. But these wretches were the least of the dangers that now populated the Castle. A much worse fate was to stumble onto a patrol or a war party of another faction. The Guards especially were quick to slaughter anyone they met, sometimes in gruesome and inventive ways. The Hunters and the followers of Changing Star were equally as ruthless, but at least not without reason or provocation. But the most terrifying change was that now, humans weren't the only ones populating the ancient citadel anymore. After Gunlaug's death, too many people were killed, and the rest were too busy with their little war to keep defending the Castle. And just like that, after so many years, the Nightmare Creatures had returned under its roof. Some were killed by the representatives of the factions, but some managed to hide themselves and create nests somewhere in the depths of the stronghold. No one knew how many there were, but the terror kept people awake at night. There were also a lot of rumors going around, one more frightening than the other. The most persistent of them told of a horrible creature called Blood Lord, which apparently stalked the corridors of the Bright Castle and killed humans, tearing their throats open with sharp fangs and consuming all of their blood. Some even thought that it was Gunalug himself, who returned from the grave to bring vengeance to his killers. Sunny was doubtful of these rumors up until the moment when he had found a bloodless corpse of a young Guard on one of his patrols. For a moment, he felt fear creep into his heart. He knew what the Blood Flowers were, after all. But then he calmed himself down, remembering that the Bright Lord's body had been destroyed during the ma.s.sacre that followed his death. ReadNovelFull.me If the corpse of Gunlaug wasn't walking around drinking people's blood, though… then what was? There were a lot of disturbing things happening in the Castle these days. Apart from the frequent but minor skirmishes between the factions, people kept dying in all manner of morbid ways. He didn't even want to think about it. There was no safe place anywhere now, except for maybe the three strongholds. The outer settlement had been completely abandoned. At first, Nephis had tried to create a safe haven there for those who did not wish to partic.i.p.ate in the war, but she was quickly taught a b.l.o.o.d.y lesson by her enemies — spreading her forces too thin was simply an invitation for an attack. After that, all of her followers, willing or unwilling, had relocated to the southern part of the Castle and joined the ranks of her fighting force. And yet, even two weeks later, nothing had changed. The three factions continued their b.l.o.o.d.y struggle, unable to break the status quo. Soon, something had to change. \\\* One evening, Sunny was sitting on a crate in one of the halls of Changing Star's stronghold. In his hand was a bowl with a measly ration, which he nevertheless was eating with a lot of enthusiasm. A few meters away from him, a couple of Neph's followers were doing the same while having a conversation. Out of boredom, he listened to their voices as he ate. "Have you heard? They found another dead Guard near the throne room. The Blood Lord got him." "Good riddance. That thing really creeps me out, though." "Yeah. Scary. But… do you know what I'm really afraid of?" The slum dweller looked at his partner, who had been paying a tribute to live in the castle just a few weeks ago, and raised an eyebrow. "What?" "Harus. That creepy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Where is he now? d.a.m.n, if I were able to dream, I sure I would be having nightmares about that butcher every night." "...Wait. You didn't hear?" "What?" "He's dead." The tributary opened his eyes wide, while Sunny turned away and tried to suppress a smile. "No way!" "Yeah. They found his body after the big battle in a hidden pa.s.sage behind the throne. Someone had… had beaten him to death. With bare fists. That's what I heard." For a few seconds, there was silence. Then, one of them said: "What kind of human could kill that monster? With bare hands?" The slum dweller shivered. "That's the thing. No one knows. All of the powerhouses were accounted for. You saw it yourself, they were all fighting in the throne room." "...c.r.a.p. Now I am even more scared. Harus was dreadful enough, but to think that there's a person in this Castle who is powerful enough to kill him so easily… while remaining completely unnoticed and unknown, for all this time… d.a.m.n, that's terrifying." The slum dweller gave him a nod and turned to Sunny: "Hey… Sunny, right? You're Lady Nephis's scout? Who do you think could kill Harus?" Sunny thought for a moment and then said honestly: "Well… apart from yours truly, who is a true terror on the battlefield and possibly one of the deadliest Sleepers to ever exist in the world… uh… I think Ca.s.sie could." The young man stared at him with disapproval and then shook his head. "Not cool, man. Boasting is fine, I guess, but mocking Lady Ca.s.sia was really low of you." Sunny blinked. When did he mock Ca.s.sie? Considering the Aspect Ability that Harus had possessed, she was really the next best person to fight the hunchback after Sunny himself. She was already blind and adapted to fighting in that state as best as she could. With the help of her Echoes, Ca.s.sie stood a good chance of surviving that battle. With an apologetic smile, he shrugged and said: "Sorry, I just chose my words badly. In any case, I'm off." With that, he jumped off the crate and headed toward the barricade that served as the border of the faction's stronghold. The slum dweller raised his eyebrows. "Where are you going? The night is approaching!" Sunny grinned. "Hunting for a big one. Ah, don't worry. I lived in the Dark City for three months, remember? Nothing is going to happen to me today…" ReadNovelFull.me?
303	Chapter 303 Helpful Shadow The slum dweller pressed his finger against his lips and hissed in exasperation: "Take that back! Are you crazy?" Sunny blinked. "What? No. Well, I was crazy for a while. But now I am not." The young man looked at him with doubt and shook his head: "Still, don't jinx yourself. Do you at least have a Memory to keep you safe?" The question of arming themselves was a big problem for Neph's followers. More than half of them didn't have a Memory armor or a weapon, having to make do with mundane armaments fashioned out of anything that was at hand. It was one of the reasons why fighting against the Guards and the Hunters was so hard for them. The other guy, the one who used to pay tribute, sighed and call out to his friend: "Have you lost your mind? You are talking to a member of Lady Nephis's personal cohort. Of course he has Memories." ReadNovelFull.me With that, both of them looked down on their own makeshift swords. These two were among those who wielded Black Claws, blades made out of the talons of the Spire Messenger Sunny and the rest had killed. Their bases were wrapped with leather, allowing a person to use the long curved talon as a weapon. Considering that these talons came from a Fallen Monster, as far as weapons went, they were some of the best. Wielding them efficiently was not an easy task, though. The slum dweller grimaced. "Right. d.a.m.n! I am proud to wield one of the Black Claws, don't get me wrong. But if each of us had a proper set of Memories… those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds wouldn't be picking us off one by one anymore, that's for sure." Sunny looked at him with a complicated expression. Then, he smiled. "A good Memory can change a lot, that's true." As soon as he turned around, the smile disappeared from his face. '...It's not going to save your lives, though. All of you are just walking corpses.' With that, he left the two Sleepers behind, climbed over the barricade, and left. Nevertheless, they were right. The lack of Memories was a big problem. …Sunny walked through the shadows, moving deeper and deeper into the belly of the ancient citadel. The Bright Castle was enormous in size and had countless twisting corridors. Some were comparatively easy to navigate, while some followed no apparent logic. There were tall towers connected by aerial bridges and deep dungeons full of darkness and danger. There were humans with murder in their hearts prowling these corridors, as well as much more terrifying things. Disturbing sounds sometimes echoed through the stone halls, making Sunny stop and frown. A couple of times, he decided to hide to avoid being noticed by the patrols of the Guards or the Hunters. Following in their wake, he stumbled on a few fresh bodies and regretted not killing those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds when he had the chance. Half an hour later, Sunny was somewhere under the main keep of the Castle, moving through a dark corridor with careful steps. It was then then that he heard the sounds of a struggle coming from beyond the next turn. '...Ugh, what a bother.' Hesitating for a bit, he made the turn and witnessed a scene that was typical in the ancient citadel these days. One human was trying to kill another. In this case, it was a burly Guard that seemed vaguely familiar. The large man was pressing someone small and skinny to the wall, strangling them with gauntleted hands. A broken oil lantern was burning on the floor, making the shadows of the two struggling people seem large and menacing. The Guard's face had four deep scratches on it, which were oozing blood. It was contorted in an expression of rage and dark delight. The face of his victim, meanwhile, was slowly turning blue. It was a pet.i.te young woman with dark hair and brown eyes, which were currently full of pain and despair. Just a few moments before she lost consciousness, though, a hand appeared from the darkness and slid a strange transparent dagger across the Guard's throat. Hot blood shot into the air, and he fell to the ground with a horrified, gurgling sound. The young woman staggered and drew in a hoa.r.s.e breath, rubbing her bruised neck. A few moments later, she looked up and cautiously studied her savior. It was a very pale, slender young man with a youthful face and dark, strangely magnetic eyes. Currently, he was wiping his dagger on the sleeve of his armor and staring at the dying Guard with an indifferent expression. In fact, he was disturbingly nonchalant, not at all like someone who had just killed another human being. There was neither disgust and fear nor delight and triumph on his face, just… nothing at all. It was the face of a cold-blooded killer. Turning to her, the young man smiled: "Uh… you're Aiko, right?" Sunny looked the young woman over, making sure that she wasn't seriously wounded. He knew her a bit from his days in the Castle. Back then, she had been one of the few people who were able to pay tribute without worrying about making enough shards to do so the next week. She owned the only gambling den in the Dark City, which automatically made her establishment popular among the members of the Host. But it was also the reason why many of them harbored resentment toward the tiny girl. Aiko cautiously nodded. Usually, there were mischievous sparks in her eyes, but right now, there was nothing but subdued fear. Sunny dismissed the Moonlight Shard and said in a friendly tone: "Nice to meet you. I'm Sunny." The young woman stared at him for a bit, and then said: "You're one of Changing Star's men, right?" He grimaced. "I'm no one's man. I'm completely my own. But yes, currently, Nephis is my… employer, I guess." Aiko hesitated and said in a polite and pleasant voice: "I see… well, Sunny. Thank you for saving my skin. I'll be going then." Sunny grinned. "Oh, I'm sorry… did I say that you can go? I think not. In fact, I must insist that you stay." Aiko glanced at the corpse of the Guard, then back at the pale young man. Did she imagine it or were there slight hints of madness in his eyes now? "Ah, why didn't you say so! If you want me to stay, then I will definitely stay. It will be my pleasure, really. But, uh, Sunny… why exactly did you want me to stay?" He scratched the back of his head and answered after a bit of a pause: "Oh, I'm glad that you asked. You see, I am trying to hunt down a big one. And I thought that you would be able to help…" ReadNovelFull.me?
304	Chapter 304 Hunting for a Big One Sunny stared at Aiko, secretly delighted that he didn't have to look up for a change. The young woman's eyes darted into the depths of the corridor, clearly evaluating how good her chances of running away were. ...They weren't. In the end, she sighed and turned to Sunny with a deep frown. For some reason, such a serious expression looked a bit comical on her pet.i.te face. "Sunny, was it? Listen, buddy… uh… boss. I am really thankful to you for helping me out, but honestly, do I look like a hunter? How am I supposed to help you hunt? Maybe go ask one of your strong manly friends…" Then, her eyes widened. "You're not planning on using me as bait, are you?" Sunny chuckled. "No, no. Nothing like that. It's just that for this particular hunt, you are the only one who can help. By the way, I didn't just stumble on you by chance. I was watching you for a long time, actually." She paled a little. ReadNovelFull.me "Ah, I see. Well… to each their own, I guess. But still, I am no warrior. I really think that I won't be able to help you out this time, sadly…" Sunny shook his head. "Relax, Aiko. You see, the big one I'm hunting… is a friend of yours. Big, fat b.a.s.t.a.r.d named Stev. He's the one I'm after. And I know for a fact that you know where he is hiding. Because you're the one hiding him. So…" An expression of utter surprise appeared on Aiko's face. With sincere confusion, she asked: "Wait, what? Stev? The Memory Market guy? Why the Spell would I know where he is?!" She blinked a couple of times, then said in a hesitant tone: "Are you sure you're not confusing me with someone, Sunny?" He sighed and lingered for a few moments, then rolled his eyes. "Alright. I don't really want to waste time here, so we'll do it the quick way. Look there." He pointed to his shadow. Aiko lowered her eyes, which then widened when the shadow suddenly turned its head and waved to her. "What the…" Sunny crossed his arms and said: "This here is my shadow. It's an invaluable helper. Among other things, it can walk around on its own and report back to me the things it saw. Guess what it saw yesterday?" Aiko paled, staring at the shadow with wide eyes. The shadow stared back at her, full of disdain. "So… let's not pretend that you don't know where Stev is. Just take me to him." The young woman glanced at him and gritted her teeth. Then, she asked with dark resolve in her eyes: "What do you want from him?" Sunny raised his eyebrows. "What do I want? That guy is walking around with a hundred Memories in his soul core. Guess." Aiko clenched her tiny fists. "He's my friend. I'm not going to…" Sunny waved her hand and interrupted her. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. I'm not going to do anything bad to him. If I wanted to, I would have killed you already. My shadow saw where you were going already, remember?" In fact, Sunny was bluffing. While he was almost sure that Aiko was hiding Stev because of how much food she was stealing every couple of days — too much for such a tiny girl to eat on her own — he had no idea where her hideout was. That was because it was situated somewhere past the Guard's territory, and Sunny had avoided sending his shadow anywhere near where Seishan was. A stunned expression appeared on her face. After a while, Aiko asked: "You really are not going to hurt us?" Sunny offered her his most friendly, honest smile. For some reason, the pet.i.te girl shuddered. "I am not, you can trust me. I am the most honest man in the world, after all. Two worlds, even…" \\\* A few hours later, three figures were sneaking through the corridors of the Bright Castle. One was a pale young man in dark leather armor, the second was a pet.i.te girl with mischievous eyes, and the third was a giant of a man with a vast round belly. Because of him, all their attempts of being stealthy were rendered practically useless. Nearing another corner, Sunny sighed and gave the other two a signal to stop. "The Guards are patrolling ahead. We'll have to wait for a bit." Stev and Aiko glanced at each other and shrugged. Because of their difference in size, the two looked nothing short of comical together. Shaking his head, Sunny summoned the Endless Spring and took a few sips of water, then offered the beautiful gla.s.s bottle to them. "Why were you hiding from everyone anyway, Stev?" The ample giant looked at him with a sullen expression, then said in a depressed tone: "Why else? As soon as this mess started, I knew that people would be coming for me to get the Memories." Sunny frowned. "The Memory Market belonged to the Host, so why didn't you just go to either Tessai or Gemma?" Stev grimaced. "I know Tessai too well to go anywhere near him with Lord Gunlaug gone. As for Gemma — we're on friendly terms, actually. But that girl, Kido… uh, let's just say that I called her a few names in the past. Over a, uh… business dispute, one might say. Who knew she'll go and become one of the lieutenants? Anyway, I was afraid for my safety because she and Gemma are, you know…" Sunny raised an eyebrow, then asked in an curious tone: "Then what about Nephis?" Aiko gave him a complicated look. "We heard that her people don't treat us Castle folk well. And Stev was even officially under the Host, so… we sort of had nowhere to go." Sunny frowned. There was indeed a measure of internal strife in Neph's faction, with some outer settlement people being against anyone from the Castle joining them. Changing Star and the members of her cohort tried to prevent anything too nasty from happening, but they couldn't be everywhere at once. "There are a few troublemakers, true. But you'll be fine. Just say that you're with me." He thought for a couple of moments, and then corrected himself: "Actually, don't say that. Most of them barely know who I am. Say that you're with Night. And if Night asks why are you going around telling people that you're with him, then tell him that you're with me." The two of them suddenly looked at him. "My buddy Kai is alive? That's wonderful news!" Stev said with a wide smile. On Aiko's face, a dreamy expression appeared. "Why haven't you told me that you knew Night from the start? That would have made things so much easier!" Sunny stared at them and shook his head. "Pick up your drool, will you?" Why had he even spent a whole hour trying to convince Stev to return with him? He could have just taken Kai with him, and the d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d would just say yes after one smile from the beautiful archer. 'So unfair...' Then, he suddenly turned his head and froze. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. The Guards that were supposed to walk past his shadow a whole minute ago… never appeared. ReadNovelFull.me?
305	Chapter 305 Trail of Blood Raising his hand, Sunny gave Aiko and Stev a signal to remain quiet. Then, with a frown, he commanded the shadow to abandon its hiding spot and find the Guards. 'They can't be near us… I would have heard them.' Then where did the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds go? Soon, he had his answer. The three Guards were in the corridor a hundred or so steps from Sunny's current position, just behind a corner. In a place where they shouldn't have been, since it was way off their previous route. They were also dead. Two had their skulls smashed in. Sunny did not know what weapon, tool, or limb was used to kill them, because their Memory armors had already disappeared. It had to have been something capable of piercing through steel, though, because the Guards had been wearing helmets the last time he saw them. The third was even worse. His throat was torn, seemingly with terribly sharp fangs… to such degree that the young man's head was almost separated from his body. One would expect a sea of blood to come out of such a terrible wound, but in fact, there was surprisingly little of it on the floor. However, the corpse of the Guard was unnaturally pale, as if devoid of blood completely. ReadNovelFull.me 'Curses…' Sunny felt a cold shiver run through his body. The shadow cautiously looked around, but didn't notice anyone else present on the scene of the gruesome slaughter. Aiko and Stev were staring at Sunny with alarmed expressions. After waiting for several minutes, he finally relaxed a little and motioned for them to follow. "What happened?" He hesitated for a few seconds, then said in an even tone: "The Blood Lord has just been here." Their eyes widened. "That fiend?! Then why aren't we running?!" Sunny glanced at them with a calm expression. "Don't worry, it's already gone." Inside, however, he was anything but calm. A creature capable of killing three Guards was not necesarrily something he would be scared of. One that managed to get past his shadow and slaughter them just a hundred steps away without making enough noise to attract his attention… that, on the other hand, was a reason for concern. 'Just what kind of an abomination is it?' Sadly, the three of them had to pa.s.s the place where the Guards had been killed to reach their destionation. Soon, the smell of blood hit their nostrils, making Aiko and Stev turn pale. The bodies of the Guards looked even more gruesome in person. Sunny frowned slightly, while Aiko and Stev had to struggle to keep the contents of their stomachs inside. "G.o.ds… poor b.a.s.t.a.r.ds…" Sunny did not say anything, looking around with a dark expression. He was hoping to notice something that his shadow had missed to give him a clue of what type of Nightmare Creature the Blood Lord was, exactly. But there were no signs that anyone except for the three Guards had been in this corridor in a long time. "Hey, Sunny? Can we please leave? This c.r.a.p doesn't seem to bother you, but I… I mean, Stev seems to be really scared. Just imagine what is going to happen if he faints and falls. The whole Castle will hear, probably…" Sunny hesitated for a little, then nodded. Just before they left, however, he suddenly noticed something glint in the pool of blood. The shadow had not noticed it earlier because there was nothing to shine on the small object and make it reflect the light back. Crouching, he reached out with his hand and picked up the bloodied piece of metal, then brought it close to his eyes to take a closer look. Pressed between his fingers was an intricate silver earring in the shape of a flower blossom. It wasn't a charm Memory, though… just a simple piece of jewelry. 'What is that thing doing here?' With a confused scowl, he lingered for a few moments and then stood up, turning away from the mangled corpses. "Let's get out of here…" \\\* Soon, they returned to the barricades creating the border of Changing Star's territory. The Sleepers standing watch were surprised to see Sunny come back with two strangers, but let them in without asking any questions. Aiko raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you guys going to inspect us? What if we're spies?" The watchmen glanced at each other, and then one of them said: "Usually, we would. But it's Sunny." The pet.i.te young woman smiled. "Oh! Is he in very high regard around here?" The watchman gave a strange look, then coughed with a bit of embarra.s.sment. "Uh… it's not that. It's just that starting a conversation with him is, uh… well, you know. A headache." Sunny stared at him with an offended expression. "What's that supposed to mean?" The watchman hurriedly shook his head. "No, no. Nothing. Uh, I need to inspect the barricade. If you'll excuse me…" With that, he made a hasty retreat. 'Did I scam him out of his boots or something?' Shaking his head in bewilderment, Sunny turned away and led the two newcomers deeper into the stronghold, searching for Nephis. She was alone in a s.p.a.cious room. Changing Star sat on the floor, wrapping herself in her white cloak, and stared at the wall with a distant expression. These days, Neph was a bit strange. She had always been aloof and hard to read, but now, her usually indifferent face had become completely motionless. Her grey eyes had always been calm, but now, they seemed to be especially cold. Almost… empty. Sunny had no idea what was going on with her. 'Maybe she hasn't recovered from using her Aspect Ability to its full extent, still…' Clearing his throat to attract her attention, Sunny gestured to the giant man and the tiny girl he brought. "Hey, Neph. I've recruited these guys." She tilted her head a little and didn't say anything. Sunny smiled. "You must remember Aiko. She was the one on whose behalf you had challenged that Pathfinder, Andel. And cut his head off." Then, he glanced at Aiko and narrowed his eyes. The pet.i.te girl hurriedly said: "Oh, yes! Thank you, Lady Changing Star. That guy was… uh... a real menace." Nephis slowly nodded and said evenly: "...You're welcome." Then, she looked at Stev. "...And you are?" A wide grin appeared on Sunny's face. "Oh. This is Stev. Stev is a very special guy. You see… he has a hundred battle-ready Memories stored in his soul core." With that, Sunny patted Stev on the shoulder and said: "...Basically, he's going to solve our weapons problem." ReadNovelFull.me?
306	Chapter 306 Final Confrontation With all of Memory Market suddenly falling into the hands of Changing Star's faction, the skirmishes happening in the halls of the Bright Castle became even more frequent and brutal. People kept killing each other, slowly painting the who citadel red. And yet, it was still not enough for a winner to emerge. Nephis was always on the frontlines, leading her people and slaying countless enemies with her silver blade, as if alien to the very concept of mercy. Wherever she appeared, blood flowed like a river. She had even clashed against Tessai personally, but their fearsome battle ended in a draw. Now that more than two weeks had pa.s.sed after Gunlaug's death and the decimation of the previous order, humans were starting to suffer from the lack of food. There were more and more Nightmare Creatures finding their way into the Castle, too. The situation was slowly turning into an irreversible crisis. In fact, it already had. The civil war raged on, reaping human lives one after another. But it was also forging those who remained alive into much more fearsome, powerful, and hardened fighters. And then, suddenly, the status quo was finally decimated, announcing to everyone left alive in the Bright Castle that the end was drawing close. The new Lord was about to take his crown. And it was not going to be the most n.o.ble or formidable of the candidates. It was going to be the most vicious. ReadNovelFull.me The news arrived in the stronghold of the Changing Star's faction at the darkest hour of the night. The scouts sent into the depths of the Castle returned one after another, bringing with them shocking news. The Castle Guard had secretly launched an all-out a.s.sault on the stronghold held jointly by Gemma and Kido. The Hunters were defeated, losing many of their numbers in the battle. Left without their protection, almost every Artisan had been captured by the Guards, while Kido herself had been killed by Tessai with his own two hands. After her death, Gemma and his surviving warriors had to flee. After the scouts made their report, a heavy silence settled over the stronghold. Everyone understood what was going to happen next. The faction formed by the alliance of the Guards and the Handmaidens had already been the most powerful of the three. Now that all the Artisans were in their hands and most of the Castle was under their control… They would be coming for Changing Star and her people next. In that silence, Nephis looked around, at the pale faces of her followers, and said after a long and poignant pause: "...Stay strong. We will prevail." However, for the first time, her words did not seem to convince them. After a long and sleepless night, an unexpected visitor arrived in the stronghold. It was Gemma, the mighty leader of the Hunters. The tall man looked very different from how he had before. His laidback att.i.tude was gone, replaced with dark exhaustion. His face was grim and ashen, and his light armor was torn and covered with blood. He wished to speak with Changing Star. After she arrived in front of him, Gemma offered her the services of his remaining men in the struggle against Tessai. She tilted her head and asked, her voice emotionless: "What about your ambitions? Didn't you want to become the next Lord?" Gemma was silent for a long time, the fire extinguished in his eyes. Finally, he said: "I never wanted to be a Lord. It was Kido's wish. Now that that d.a.m.n butcher… now that she's dead, I don't care about the throne anymore." He paused, a mournful shadow veiling his eyes. But then, embers of scathing hatred ignited in its depths. Gemma gritted his teeth. "All I care about is to see Tessai die. If you can promise me that you'll defeat him, I and my Hunters will follow you to the end." Nephis was silent for a while, considering his words. Finally, she turned away and answered: "Signal for you men to come. We have some food to share, so eat your fill. Prepare for tomorrow." With that, she walked away. Gemma stared at her back and yelled: "What happens tomorrow?!" Changing Star paused for a moment, then answered without turning her head: "...Tomorrow, I will kill Tessai." \\\* The next day, there were no scouts and no patrols sent out in the morning. Instead, everyone armed themselves, gathered together, and marched to the throne room. Nephis was walking at the head of her army, clad in the stark black and white armor of the Starlight Legion. On her breastplate, seven shining stars were engraved. The great hall was just as they had left it three weeks ago. During that time, members of all three factions had gathered the bodies of their dead to give them proper burials, but the white marble floor was still painted red with blood. Tessai and his people were already waiting for them there. The morose giant was sitting on the throne, looking down from its height. In his hands, there was a terrifying heavy mace, still wet from the slaughter. Sunny grimaced, noticing the difference between the two armies. Despite all their losses, there were still almost a hundred Guards left alive. Not only were they better equipped and trained than the slum dwellers, but now they also had the captured Artisans on their side, supplying them with all kinds of tools, gear, and deadly inventions. The Artisans themselves were beside them, some of them bound and chained, some simply intimidated into submission. Their faces were pale, frightened, and bloodied. From their position in front of the Guards, it seemed as though Tessai was planning to use these poor people as a meat shield against Changing Star's a.s.sault. The Handmaidens were also there, standing silently behind the guards. These quiet young women used to maintain the Castle and complete various ch.o.r.es around it, but they were capable fighters as well. Since they had not partic.i.p.ated in the furious battle that had happened after Gunlaug's death, their number did not diminish by much. There were around a hundred of them, too. Their leader, Seishan, was also there, at the base of the stairs that led to the throne. Looking at her, Sunny felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He couldn't explain it, but this beautiful and strange woman made him feel fear for some reason. At a first glance, Nephis had more people on her side. There were slightly more than three hundred of them, comprised mostly of the surviving slum dwellers, with several dozen tributaries and a dozen or so Hunters added into the mix. …But really, only about a half of them was worth anything in the fight against the battle-hardened Guards. Altogether, these were all the humans left alive in the Dark City. Just shy of six hundred. Everyone else was already dead. And how many more were going to die today? ReadNovelFull.me?
307	Chapter 307 Throne of Light Two forces stood against each other, the desecrated expanse of the great hall separating them… for now. The tense silence was full of bloodl.u.s.t and dark apprehension. Sunny slowly made his way to the first row of the crowd, staring at the opposing ma.s.s of armored warriors with a complicated expression. From his point of view, followers of Changing Star had little chance of winning this battle. They simply had no advantage against the Castle Guard — with the exception of the fact that there were more bodies they could throw at the sharp blades of the enemy. Even if everyone here was mundane human, that would not have helped them prevail against a better-armed and trained force. The fact that every single human in the throne room was a Sleeper only made things worse. The potential difference in power between two Awakened was much more vast than that between two mundane fighters. And yet, he didn't think that Nephis was going to lose — for that same reason. The Guards might have been better equipped and more experienced than the slum dwellers, but they didn't have Changing Star on their side. They didn't have Effie, Caster, and Gemma. They didn't have Sunny. They only had two truly fearsome champions: Seishan and Tessai himself. At the end of the day, the outcome of this battle was going to be decided by those few who stood out from the sea of Sleepers, impressive as everyone still surviving in the Dark City might have been, like tall and una.s.sailable cliffs. Among the Awakened, individual power was so much more important. And in terms of exceptional individuals, the Changing Star's side was far superior. So yes, Sunny felt confident that Nephis was going to win. ReadNovelFull.me But at what cost? Out here on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, people had nowhere to retreat. So this battle was going to end only after one side was totally annihilated. And the closer to utter annihilation a faction would come, the more desperately its members would fight… like rats driven into a corner. When that happened, the bloodshed would only grow more terrible. Was it only going to stop when just a handful of the strongest and most resilient was left alive? As if reading his thoughts, Tessai suddenly chuckled and looked at the crowd of people gathered in the throne room with a bloodthirsty smile. 'Is… is that b.a.s.t.a.r.d actually looking forward to the slaughter?' The morose giant then looked directly at Nephis and grinned: "Changing Star. Ah, we meet again. But… wait. Who is that beside you? Is that Gemma, my old friend? What a pleasant surprise! How considerate of you, to bring him here. Now I won't have to search the whole Castle for that filthy c.o.c.kroach…" With that, he slowly rose from the throne, put his terrifying mace on his shoulder, and descended from the stairs, dark fires igniting in his eyes. "Have you come here to die, Changing Star?" Nephis tilted her head and looked at Tessai with empty eyes. "...No. I came here to kill you." The giant laughed. Stepping on the marble floor, he stopped beside Seishan and bared his teeth in a vicious grin. The two of them looked truly fearsome together. The morose giant was like an incarnation of destruction and violence. His skin had turned slightly blue because of the invisible icy barrier that encased it. The air in the throne room suddenly became colder, with tiny snowflakes dancing in the beams of light. The mysterious leader of the Handmaidens was reserved and elegant, but no less frightening. Seishan was exquisitely beautiful, cold, and inexorable. She was wearing a simple, but strangely regal dress, its velvet the color of red wine. There was an intricate silver necklace resting on her chest that accentuated her supple figure, and two bracelets on her wrists. Her most striking feature, however, was not her grace and not her beauty, but her skin. It was grey like stormy clouds, smooth like silk, and devoid of any imperfections. Just like Nephis, Sieshan was one of those people whose appearance had been changed by their Aspect. But in her case, that change was far more p.r.o.nounced. It gave her an exotic and tantalizing, but outwardly inhuman look. Seishan's beauty was of the kind that put both longing and fear in a person's heart. When Tessai approached, she silently summoned her weapon and stared coldly at the crowd of slum dwellers. Many of them shivered and hurriedly looked away. A few moments later, a graceful war hammer appeared in her hand, one side of its head forged in the shape of a narrow beak. The morose giant laughed. "Kill me? Haven't you tried already? If memory serves, the last time we fought, you ran away like a cowardly dog. What makes you think that today is going to be different, b.i.t.c.h?" Nephis raised her chin slightly and met his mocking gaze with silence. Tessai shook his head. "That look. I dreamed about wiping that arrogant look off your pretty face for a long time. Today, I am going to teach you how to beg, girl. So, what do you say? How about we finish this mess once and for all?" The Guards standing behind him laughed and readied their weapons, looking at the slum dwellers opposing them with contempt and dark antic.i.p.ation. Followers of Changing Star gritted their teeth, closing their ranks and preparing to charge. The bloodshed was about to begin. Nephis summoned her silver sword and answered Tessai, her voice cold and indifferent: "...Let's." For a moment, time slowed. With a b.e.s.t.i.a.l smile, the giant stepped forward. He opened his mouth, ready to give his soldiers the command to attack. A step behind, Seishan silently moved to follow him… …And brought the beak of her war hammer on the back of Tessai's head, shattering his skull with one devastating strike. At the same time, the Handmaidens who were standing behind the Guards attacked the unsuspecting men with long knives that appeared out of their sleeves. These knives were not Memories, and as such, did not take any time to weave themselves into reality or shine with ethereal light while doing so. Instead, they were fashioned out of steel, bone, and black obsidian. Just a moment later, the blades plunged into the flesh of the Guards, ruthlessly slaughtering them. The Handmaidens were aiming for their throats, hearts, and eyes. Blood streamed on the marble floors once again, and screams of terrified agony filled the air. By the time Tessai's soldiers realized what was happening, it was already too late. They had no chance to resist the treacherous attack. A dozen seconds later, everything was over. A hundred powerful fighters were mercilessly eviscerated without even having a chance to raise their weapons. Their corpses lay on the floor, a look of horror and disbelief forever frozen on their faces. …Only Tessai was still alive. Despite the fact that his skull was broken, the giant was still struggling to stand up, fury contorting the lines of his face. His disoriented attempts, however, were growing weaker with each second. A confused, pained roar escaped from his lips. As hundreds of Sleepers stared in shock and horror, Nephis slowly walked across the great hall and stopped near him. Seishan, who was standing behind the giant, gave her a respectful bow. "Lady Changing Star." Sunny stared at her war hammer, which was wet with blood and bone matter, with splinters of bone sticking to its metal surface. An expression of recognition suddenly appeared on his face. "The hammer… the mason's hammer…" Held in Seishan's graceful hand was the sixth Shard Memory. One that belonged to the walking colossus, the statue of the Builder who had created the walls of the Dark City. The Sunlight Shard. Nephis gave the beautiful woman a court nod. "Good job." Finally, the ident.i.ty of the spy who had been helping her from within the Castle was revealed. Then, she turned to the dying giant and stared at him. Neph's face was still and motionless, with no emotion appearing in her cold grey eyes. After a few moments, she said evenly: "I promised to kill you." With that, she raised her sword and pierced Tessai's heart with one swift, precise strike. The giant man shuddered, and then grew still. Retrieving her sword, Nephis closed her eyes and used it to support her weight for a few moments. A slight tremor ran through her body. The war for the throne was over. The Bright Castle had finally found its new Lady. ReadNovelFull.me?
308	Chapter 308 Handmaiden In the aftermath of the Castle Guard's annihilation, the core members of the cohort gathered in a small room that was situated not far away from the great hall. From there, they could hear the bodies of the slain Guards being stripped of anything valuable and then dragged away to be disposed of... lest they attract the hordes of hungry Nightmare Creatures. Just like that, the former most powerful faction of the Bright Castle was no more. Judging by the expressions on everyone's faces, no one had been aware of the secret alliance between Nephis and the Handmaidens. Perhaps with the exception of Ca.s.sie. But none of them dared to ask Changing Star about it. Well, Sunny had no such problem. Staring at their intrepid leader with a dubious expression, he said: "So when did you start working with Seishan?" Nephis glanced at him, then shrugged indifferently. "Soon after you left." ReadNovelFull.me A slight spark appeared in her eyes. "Why? Are you surprised?" Sunny remained silent for a bit, then shook his head. "No, not really. I figured out that your spy was one of the lieutenants a long time ago. I just didn't know which one. But I thought that either your cooperation ended with Gunlaug's death, or that they double-crossed you as soon as you got rid of him for them." Changing Star smiled darkly. "...She wouldn't." Sunny frowned slightly, then asked, his voice full of cold, calculating curiosity: "So why didn't she join your faction when all of this had started? Why go to such lengths to create this charade?" But then, he raised his hand to stop her from answering and grimaced. "Actually, don't say anything. I can guess. If the Handmaidens joined us directly, the power of the faction would have been too immense. And that would pressure the other three lieutenants into joining forces against it instead of fighting among each other. Then, we would have really had to end things with an all-out battle, the last man standing wins. Right?" Nephis glanced at him and nodded. "Correct." 'Not only did the two of them prevent Tessai and Gemma from considering an alliance, but they also eviscerated the Castle Guard without losing a single follower. How… diabolical.' Even a treacherous cheat like Sunny couldn't help but be impressed. However, there was one problem. His frown returned, now even deeper than before. "If memory serves, the last time we talked about your spy you said that she can never be trusted. You only trusted the information she provided. Why the change of heart? How come you were so confident that she would uphold her end of the deal?" A pleasant, velvety voice suddenly came from behind him. "Maybe I can explain myself." 'What the h.e.l.l?!' With a startled expression, Sunny turned around and saw the beautiful woman standing right in front of him. Up close, she was even more striking, with her strange grey skin seemingly shining softly in the sunlight. 'How did she get so close without alerting neither me nor my shadow?' He didn't like the fact that Seishan had been able to sneak up on him one bit. Things like that were not supposed to happen... The gorgeous woman, meanwhile, gave them a reserved bow and said: "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Song Sei Shan…" Suddenly, Caster's eyes narrowed. A strange expression appeared on his face. Sunny did not miss that sudden change. 'Well, the fact that our proud scion is reacting this way can mean only one thing. It's some Legacy c.r.a.p.' Sunny stared at Seishan, seeing her in a new light. He studied every detail of her appearance, from the modest cut of her velvet dress to the glinting silver of her intricate necklace. She didn't look like a Legacy. At least not the ones he had seen. However, one little detail of her appearance did give him pause... Noticing his gaze, Seishan offered a polite smile. "Ah. No, I am not a true descendant of the great clan Song. However, I have been raised and cared for by the Clan Leader herself, like many other girls orphaned by the Nightmare Spell. As such, it is my duty and ardent wish to return to the real world and repay my debt." She lingered for a few seconds, then lowered her eyes. "That is why, while you have no reason to trust in my character, you can at least trust in the fact that my wishes align with yours. I followed Gunlaug because only he was able to give people a chance to survive the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. And I will follow Lady Changing Star, because only she can give us a chance to escape it. This is my belief, and this is what I will do. She is Broken Sword's daughter, after all." Without having to discuss anything, everyone stared at Kai, who coughed and said in an embarra.s.sed tone: "Uh… yeah. All of this is true. She is very sincere." Effie raised an eyebrow, then turned to Seishan and shrugged: "Well… welcome to the team, then? I guess." One after another, the other members of the cohort repeated her greeting. Sunny was the last to speak. When it was his turn to greet the beautiful Handmaiden, however, he remained quiet. Soon, an awkward silence hung in the room. Sunny glanced at the rest of the people gathered there. Nephis, Ca.s.sie, Effie, Caster, Kai, Seishan… and him. Seven people in total... A few moments later, he turned to Seishan and stared at her for a bit, then finally said, his voice strangely suppressed: "Welcome." She looked at him with a reserved smile. However, Sunny wasn't done talking. Quickly glancing somewhere left of Seishan's face, he hesitated for a little, and then added: "Oh, right! I almost forgot. I found something of yours. I think you dropped it." With that, he raised a hand. On his open palm, an intricate silver earring lay, one side of it covered with blood. Seishan looked at it for a few moments. Then, her lips suddenly parted, her smile turning wide and brilliant. Glancing at him with sparkling eyes, she said: "Thank you very much... Sunny, right? I thought I lost it." Her teeth were perfectly even, pearly, and spotlessly white. ReadNovelFull.me?
309	Chapter 309 Where Dreams May Come In the next week or so, things moved with terrible speed. Nephis became the ruler of the Bright Castle without any type of glorious ceremony or impa.s.sioned speech. No one questioned her authority, anyway, as though it was a simple fact of life. In a sense, it was. Sunny found it interesting, however, that she didn't take her seat on the white throne of the ancient citadel once. Even when there was a need for a large gathering, Changing Star sat on the last step of the stairs leading to the throne. As if making a point to show that the Bright Castle did not belong to her… or, perhaps, that she did not belong to the Bright Castle. At first, he was sure that Nephis was going to push people to march on the Crimson Spire immediately, but she didn't even mention it. When he confronted her about her plans, she simply said that they were going to wait until the winter solstice came before making any decisions. It was just a few days away, anyway. In the meantime, everyone who was left alive had a lot to do. There were just five hundred people in the Dark City now. In less than a month, the human population of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e had been reduced by half. The outer settlement remained completely abandoned, but even then, there were barely enough people to maintain and guard the Bright Castle. Nevertheless, they persevered. ReadNovelFull.me The halls and corridors of the ancient citadel were cleaned of blood and corpses. The Nightmare Creatures that had found their way inside were methodically hunted down and eliminated. The breaches in the defensive lines they had created were located and repaired. Neph's watchmen a.s.sumed the role of the obliterated Castle Guard, manning the walls and protecting the stronghold from outside threats. The hunting parties resumed their expeditions into the ruins, with hunters from the outer settlement and the Castle joining forces under the leadership of Effie and Gemma. Once again, there was food for everyone to eat and safety to enjoy. Despite the harrowing hollowness and the absence of so many young men and women who had died in the turmoil of the b.l.o.o.d.y struggle for the throne, not to mention the invisible scars left on the souls of those who had survived, things were slowly starting to resemble how they had been before. But behind this veil of normalcy, they were anything but. And the reason for that was Changing Star and her Crown of Dawn. With the help of the miraculous Shard Memory, humans of the Dark City were now able to not only hunt more Nightmare Creatures and with less risk, but also challenge Fallen rulers of the cursed ruins. Not every one of these terrifying creatures could be killed without paying too terrible a price, of course. But after so many years on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, experienced Hunters knew a lot about various horrors populating the city. Putting the knowledge together, they determined which ones they could challenge and survive. One after another, many powerful Nightmare Creatures were tracked down and slain. Suddenly, humans have become if not the apex species in the Dark City, then at least not the weakest one. By killing Fallen abominations, Nephis was achieving several goals simultaneously. She was steadily acc.u.mulating an a.r.s.enal of Memories to arm every person in the Castle. Some of those Memories were even of the Ascended Rank, and the number of such powerful armaments slowly grew. She and her warriors also brought back large quant.i.ties of soul shards, which were then given to the inhabitants of the Castle to absorb and grow stronger. In an ironic twist of fate, it appeared as though now, it was the Bright Lady who was paying tribute to her subjects, and not the other way around. This only made the respect and adoration people felt toward her grow stronger. But most importantly, perhaps, was the fact that through these hunts, she was training her people to fight together as a cohesive force and prevail against creatures that were much more powerful than them. Guided by Ca.s.sie, the surviving Artisans were hard at work, too. They were applying their mastery and craft to close any gaps in how the humans of the Dark City were equipped and supplied for the battle against the Dream Realm. However, the nature of their tasks was drastically different now. If they had been in charge of maintaining the lifestyle of people leaving in the Castle as much as working to supply Gunlaug's Host with gear and equipment, now their only job was to create things people were going to need in battle. It was as though they were preparing for war. There were a few large projects that the Artisans were working on that Sunny knew little about, too. These things were requested from them by Nephis herself. He suspected that they were going to become useful once the time to attack the Crimson Spire finally came. ...Just like that, the winter solstice came. On this day, exactly a year ago, Sunny had arrived on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. It was hard to believe that he had survived here for so long. That any of them had. But it also seemed as though one year was not enough to encompa.s.s it all. It felt more like a lifetime. Several lifetimes, perhaps… It was also on this day, a year later, that Sunny turned eighteen. Remembering his previous birthday, a slight smile appeared on his lips. Back then, Ca.s.sie, who had been a complete stranger, offered him unexpected congratulations. He also made plans to celebrate his next birthday as an Awakened by drinking a cup of coffee with lots of milk and sugar. Those dreams were not meant to come true. Instead, Sunny met his eighteenth birthday in an empty hall of the Tower of Dusk, practicing the steps of the Shadow Dance, sweat streaming down his lithe and strong body. These days, he felt that he was almost there. Just a little bit more, and the first level of mastery over his mysterious Aspect Legacy would be his. It was already in reach. One more thing happened on that day. As Sunny continued to train, the subtly familiar voice of the Spell suddenly whispered into his ear: [...Your Shadow has evolved.] ReadNovelFull.me?
310	Chapter 310 Shadow Demon Lowering his sword, Sunny stood in the silence of the empty room for a while. In the window, the distant axis of the Crimson Spire loomed, the light of dawn slowly painting it red. A subtle smile appeared on his face. "Aww. Thank you, Spell. What a nice birthday present." Summoning the Endless Spring, he greedily drank delicious cold water and then sat on the floor, crossing his legs and drawing a few deep breaths. 'Let's take a look…' Leaving his worries behind, Sunny dove into the Soul Sea and walked past the rows of motionless shadows. A long time ago, there had been just a handful of them. Now, hundreds of dark silhouettes watched silently as he approached the tenebrous sun of the Shadow Core. Among them were all kinds of horrors, creatures whose appearance alone would drive weaker men insane. The Mountain King was there. The Black Knight was there, too. The terrifying Spire Messenger stood lifelessly on the tranquil surface of the water. …And there were humans, too. Harus was among them, and so was Harper. Sunny didn't pay them any attention. ReadNovelFull.me Standing beneath the Shadow Core, he sighed and summoned the runes. Name: Sunless. True Name: Lost from Light. Rank: Dreamer. Shadow Core: Dormant. Shadow Fragments: [977/1000]. …He was so close to acc.u.mulating the whole thousand. If Sunny really wanted to, he could have abandoned caution and pushed to reach it before the inevitable journey to the Crimson Spire. However, he was wary of delving into anything unknown right before the fateful confrontation. He also felt that his time was better spent consolidating and perfecting everything that he had already learned and earned, not wasting it trying to acquire something new. Still, it was not an easy decision. With a sigh, he continued reading. Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Midnight Shard], [Ordinary Rock], [Prowling Thorn], [Endless Spring], [Blood Blossom], [Moonlight Shard], [M… …old], [Weaver's Mask]. Echoes: — Shadows… He tilted his head and read, an amused expression appearing on his face: ...[Marble Saint]. …Marble? 'How fitting…' Without wasting any more time, he summoned his Shadow from the depths of the Core. She appeared in a whirlwind of black flames, standing in front of him with her usual taciturn aloofness. However, Sunny couldn't help but gasp. The Saint was indeed changed. She grew taller and was now even more oppressive. Her graceful stonelike armor, which had looked as though it was cut from granite before, was now entirely black and glossy, like obsidian… or onyx. In fact, it was very much like the shattered onyx armor he had purchased with Kai's help. Her skin, on the contrary, became smooth and as white as alabaster… at least the small portion of it he could see through the visor of the helmet. Saint seemed much stronger, aware, deadly… But that was not what made Sunny gasp. The thing that stunned him was what hid beneath the armor. Within the shadow that populated Saint's body, there used to be two ethereal dark embers. But now, there were three. Sunny stared at her for a while. 'Did she… rise to a higher cla.s.s?' Finally, he calmed down and made the runes describing the Shadow appear. A moment later, his hopes were proved true: Shadow: Marble Saint. Shadow Rank: Awakened. Shadow Cla.s.s: Demon. 'Demon! She is a Shadow Demon now…' Shadow Attributes: [Battle Master], [Stalwart], [Spark of Divinity]. The next line had not been there before. Sunny held his breath. Shadow Abilities: [Weapon Sage], [Underworld Armament]. He lingered for a moment, trying to suppress a triumphant smile. He had always known that Saint was not a typical Nightmare Creature. But to think that she would acquire an actual Ability before even becoming a devil… and not just one, but two! Burning with antic.i.p.ation, he read on: Weapon Sage Ability Description: [Shadow Saint can effectively wield any weapon-type Memory.] Underworld Armament Ability Description: [Shadow Saint's armor can accommodate a charm Memory to inherit its enchantments.] Sunny was silent for a bit, then turned his head and stared at the taciturn monster… no, not monster. Demon. A satisfied smile finally appeared on his face. "Ah. How wonderful…" Not only had his Shadow grown tremendously stronger, but she now also had the ability to use any weapon he would provide for her, as well as reinforce her armor with all kinds of powerful enchantments. The possibilities this could provide her were truly endless. The potential combinations, the flexibility… all it took was to find proper Memories. Sunny shook his head and grinned. Before, he had sometimes thought that Saint was really suited to command an army. But now, he understood that he had been wrong. …She was the army. \\\* A few hours later, the members of Neph's cohort gathered on the roof of the old hunting lodge, which still stood at the edge of the slum. Seishan was also there, which made Sunny slightly uncomfortable. He didn't let it show on his face, however. The outer settlement was desolate and empty. There were no desperate, hungry youths around anymore — all of them were now either safely hidden behind the castle walls… or dead. It was just the seven of them. They came to see Kai off. The charming archer was standing near the edge of the roof, checking his equipment for the last time. He was wearing a new stylish armor and a leather jacket with fur on its collar. On his back, there was a quiver full of arrows and a backpack with water, food, and other supplies necessary for a long journey. Sunny didn't know about the rest, but his heart was heavy. As though reading his thoughts, Kai turned around and smiled. "Really, guys, don't worry. I'll be fine. This is not my first time spending some quality time in the Labyrinth." No one answered, knowing that the mission entrusted to Nightingale this time was especially dangerous... but also important. He had to leave the Dark City and explore the vastness of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e in search of new humans sent here by the Spell. Today was the day of the winter solstice, and that meant that out there in the real world, thousands upon thousands of Sleepers were currently preparing to enter the pods and arrive in the Dream Realm. Sunny sighed. "Just don't bring back anyone as irritating as you, alright?" Kai chuckled. "...No promises." With that, he waved them goodbye. "Well… wish me luck!" A few moments later, he was gone, turning into a small dot in the sky. The remaining six people stared at it for a long time, their faces somber. Their future depended on what Kai would discover. Their and that of everyone else still clinging to life on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. ReadNovelFull.me?
311	Chapter 311 The Last A few days pa.s.sed in tense antic.i.p.ation. Sunny spent them doing the same things he had been doing before: training and preparing mentally for what was about to come. He had a lot of things to do. First came his technique, which was based on the flowing battle style that Nephis had taught him, with elements of Shadow Saint's grounded style added to its adaptive foundation. His skill was growing sharper and sharper, slowly being elevated and solidified at the level that his current understanding of combat allowed. Sunny was not a novice anymore. He survived hundreds of deadly battles, and each left him stronger and more experienced than he had been before. But perfecting his technique was still not easy, because he had to make himself indomitable first, and then turn that firmness into flexibility. Now that Sunny finally had free time, he also used it to adapt his style to the new reality of his improved physical limits. Many things that had not been possible for him before the journey to the Hollow Mountains became possible now. The way he approached combat had to change, too. All of it took effort and a lot of thought to achieve. Second came the Shadow Dance. Sunny was still at the stage where he was slowly forming a practical set of moves to train in that elusive style. He felt as if he was now only one final step away from turning his vision of the Shadow Dance into reality. However, he seemed to be lacking some crucial ingredient. He needed one last push, one moment of inspiration to make that final step. Still, his exercises weren't useless. Until that moment of inspiration came, they helped condition his body and mind, make them adaptable and malleable like shadows. When the last revelation appeared, they would be able to receive it. ReadNovelFull.me After each intense training session, every muscle in his body ached, and a wave of mental fatigue washed over him. Third came the most important task. He had to turn his mind and soul into a fortress that would withstand the shock of the future. He had to achieve the type of clarity that would allow him to emerge victorious on the other end of it all, and for now, this task was turning out to be the most unattainable. It was hard to shape one's body and mind into a perfect tool, but it was so much harder to do the same with one's soul. However, this was exactly the barrier he had to overcome. Just like that, six days pa.s.sed. …On the seventh day after his departure, Kai finally returned. The charming young man seemed tired and ragged, his armor and clothes covered in dirt, dust, and dried blood. The quiver of arrows he had taken with him was now empty, and there were shallow cuts on the fabric of his jacket. Sunny's shadow had kept watching the skies above the Bright Castle all this time, so he was one of the first to know. By the time Sunny arrived at the small room that served as Neph's council chamber, Kai was already there, sitting by the fire and greedily drinking water from a crude clay cup. Effie was by his side, pushing a plate of food into his hands. Noticing him, Kai smiled weakly. "Hey, Sunny." Sunny hesitated for a bit, then approached the beautiful young man and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, Kai. Welcome back." Neither he nor Effie spoke after than, giving their friend an opportunity to catch his breath and waiting for the rest to come. One after another, Ca.s.sie, Caster, and Seishan appeared in the room and greeted Kai. Nephis was the last to enter. She glanced at everyone and then sat down near Kai. After hesitating for a few moments, she looked him in the eyes and asked: "How many?" Kai remained silent for a while, a solemn expression slowly appearing in his eyes. Finally, he turned away and sighed. One word escaped his lips: "...None." His voice echoed in the small room, making the faces of people gathered there darken. "I scoured the Labyrinth, looking for any sign that a Sleeper pa.s.sed there recently. But there were none. There was no one alive and no bodies, not even a single fresh bone that I could find. The Spell… it did not send anyone to this h.e.l.l, not this year." 'And it won't the next one, too. Just as I thought.' Sunny sighed. Sometimes, it was nice to be mistaken. Fifteen years ago, the Spell had sent seven people to the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. The next year, it had been twice as much, and then more and more. Eventually, hundreds of Sleepers had been arriving in the Dark City after each winter solstice… up until last year, when only four of them — Sunny, Nephis, Ca.s.sie, and Caster — had come. Three more had perished in the Labyrinth without ever reaching the cursed ruins. Because of that, inhabitants of the Bright Castle came up with a theory that the number of people sent to this region of the Dream Realm by the Spell followed a certain cycle. If they had been right, then at least fourteen Sleepers would have appeared somewhere in the Labyrinth a week ago. But Sunny never believed in that theory. In his mind, the four of them had never been meant to start a new cycle. He had always thought that, instead, they were meant to be the last. The last chance the Spell had given to the people of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. And now, he knew that he had been right. With a sigh, Nephis slowly nodded and stared at the fire burning in the hearth for a bit. Everyone stood silently, waiting for her to make a decision. Finally, she said without looking at them: "...Tell everyone to gather in the throne room. I will speak to them." Without wasting any time, Caster bowed slightly and left the room. Effie gave her a short look, and then followed him. So did the rest. Sunny was the last one to leave, his heart beating like a drum. 'It is beginning!' ReadNovelFull.me?
312	Chapter 312 lnvisible Chains Five hundred people stood silently in the magnificent great hall of the ancient castle. Beams of sunlight were falling through the tall windows, making the air appear bright and effervescent. There was no sign left of the terrible bloodshed that had happened in this hall just a few weeks ago. The bodies were dragged away, the blood washed off the marble floors. But the memory of it remained. On the steps leading to a beautiful throne of white marble sat a young woman with silver hair. Her ivory face was distant, and her clear grey eyes were calm and heavy. Hundreds of people were looking at her, waiting quietly for their lady to speak. Finally, Changing Star sighed. A moment later, her voice resounded in the throne room, reaching far and wide: "Dreamers of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. A week ago, I sent several scouts into the Labyrinth to look for those young men and women who, like us, were sent to this cursed place. Among them was Nightingale, whom you all know. He spent seven days searching for them. But he didn't find anyone. Not even a single sign of their pa.s.sing. This year… no one has come." A wave of stunned whispers ran through the crowd. Sunny glanced at the faces of people gathered in the great hall, noticing different expressions on them. Confusion, fear, shock. However, it wasn't as bad as he had expected. No one seemed to become consumed by utter despair. Instead, all of them turned to Nephis, hope burning in their eyes. She was their hope. Until Changing Star was with them, they weren't going to give in to despair. ReadNovelFull.me Indifferent to hundreds of eyes observing her every move, Neph continued: "Many of you understand what that means. To those who don't, I will explain." She lingered for a moment, throwing a glance at the walls of the ancient citadel. When she spoke, her voice seemed solemn: "For many years, this castle served as a fortress for the humans sent to the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. Some of you enjoyed the safety it offered, while others survived in the shadow of its walls. But none of us would have been here if not for the Bright Castle. It offered us protection against the dreadful beasts of the Dark City. It offered us shelter. However, this shelter was never free." A dark expression appeared on her face. "Some people lost their souls to preserve it. And many more lost their lives. Every year, hundreds of human lives were sacrificed to allow the Bright Castle to exist. And every year, hundreds more came to be thrown into its maw." Sunny silently scoffed. She was making it sound as though the Castle was some creature that fed on human lives… not unlike the Soul Devourer, really. The meaning was subtle enough to not be obvious, but still affect the people gathered in the throne room. Observing them, he saw many Sleepers shiver and frown. '...Insidious.' Meanwhile, Nephis continued: "But no more. There won't be anyone coming to the Dark City this year, just like no one will come after that. Without new people, the losses we suffer will slowly acc.u.mulate, until there is no one to man the walls, no one to fight off the Nightmare Creatures, no one to keep these halls safe. Until there is no more shelter. This end…" She made a pause, and then said calmly and with frightening finality: "...is inevitable." Her words crashed into the crowd of Sleepers, causing a storm of emotions. Their eyes widened and their faces paled. The shock and fear they had felt grew tenfold. As if to hammer the last nail into the coffin of their worldview, Changing Star said: "Which means only one thing. We cannot remain in the Bright Castle anymore." Screams rose from the crowd, full of disbelief and terror. There were many things people were trying to say, but they all boiled down to three: "What do we do?!" "How do we save ourselves?!" …And: "Save us, Changing Star!" Sunny smiled. Nephis remained silent for a while, letting the chorus of screams wash over her. And then, white flames ignited in her eyes, making everyone fall silent. Her voice resounded once more between the walls of the great hall, penetrating through the crowd like a sharp blade: "But this not the end of us. A long time ago, I made you a promise. And I intend to keep it." She suddenly rose, towering over the crowd like a shining, ruinous angel. "Come with me! Follow me. Only I know how to save you." The radiance of her flames reflected in the eyes of hundreds of people, making it seem as though their faces shone with an inner light. Her words had submerged them into utter darkness, and then gave them a beacon to find a way out of it. That beacon burned with the most seductive of lights. The light of hope. And that hope was synonymous with her. Changing Star slowly descended from the steps, her words echoing from the marble walls of the throne room: "Follow me, and I will lead you out of this h.e.l.l. Follow me, and I will show you the path back to your homes. But make no mistake…" She stopped and remained silent for a few long moments. When she spoke again, her voice sounded calmer, colder… Heavier. "The road ahead will be long and arduous. Not everyone will make it. The weak will die. The strong will die, too. And those who remain won't be the same. But there is one thing I can promise you…" Nephis entered the crowd and looked at the people surrounding her with absolute resolve burning in her beautiful eyes. "Follow me… and you will never be slaves." Sunny shivered, feeling as though she was speaking to him alone. Everyone in the great hall felt the same way, perhaps. Staring directly into their souls, Changing Star spoke: "...Slaves to your fear, slaves to your fate, slaves to the Nightmare Spell. Come with me, and whether you live or die, you will do so humans. Not cowering beasts." She closed her eyes and exhaled, then looked down. Finally, she said, the pa.s.sion disappearing from her voice: "But… I will not force anyone to follow me. Ever. Whether you come with me or stay, it is your choice. There is no shame in staying. Those who do not wish to go may leave this hall right now." Sunny looked at the Sleepers, trying to guess what their reaction would be. People were staring at each other, doubt and fear written on their faces. Not everyone was enthralled by Changing Star. Not everyone was brave and strong. Not everyone was ready to die fighting. …But in the end, not a single one of them left. Nephis sighed and slowly turned her head west, as though trying to pierce the stone of the castle walls with her gaze. After a while, she said: "Good. I am glad. Then it's decided." She turned to face them, furious white flames illuminating her pale face: "Then the day after tomorrow… we will leave the Bright Castle. The day after tomorrow, we march on the Crimson Spire!" ReadNovelFull.me?
313	Chapter 313 Starlight Shard On the last day they would spend in the Dark City, Nephis led a small group of her most powerful warriors on one last hunt. The members of her cohort were all following behind her. Sunny, who stubbornly refused to accept his status as one of them, walked apart from the group, idly looking around and observing the ruins. Gemma and Seishan were also with them, as well as ten or so of the most experienced hunters — some of them formerly from the Host, some formerly from the outer settlement. There was no difference between the two anymore. All of them were simply Changing Star's people now. As they were walking, Gemma approached Sunny and glanced at him with curiosity. After Tessai had fallen to Neph's blade, the tall man seemed to have found some measure of peace. Somewhere deep in his eyes, however, there always was a hint of sorrow. Sunny stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "What?" The hunter smiled slightly and asked in a friendly tone: ReadNovelFull.me "You're Sunless, right?" Sunny shrugged. "Yeah, that's me." Gemma silently measured him and then asked with interest: "I've heard that you lived for months alone in the city. Is that true?" 'Ah, makes sense.' The tall man was perhaps the most experienced hunter on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. He had survived countless battles on the streets of the cursed city. It was natural for him to be curious about this matter… Sunny gave him a nod. "Sure. A little over three months, I guess." Gemma rubbed his chin, then asked bluntly: "How did you survive?" Sunny grinned. How had he managed that, indeed? "...Lots of hiding, lots of killing. A modic.u.m of madness, and a little bit of luck." Gemma stared at him for a bit, then chuckled. "Sound about right, I guess." After a while, he glanced forward at Changing Star and asked in a curious tone: "Do you know what we are going to hunt today?" Sunny looked at him with surprise: "She didn't tell you?" The tall man hesitated, then shook his head. "She did. I'm just not sure that I believe it." Sunny smiled and looked away. "Ah, let me guess. Your first thought was that she had lost her mind. What can I say… get used to that feeling." After a few moments of silence, Gemma sighed. "But how can we kill it?" 'Poor guy…' Sunny glanced at him, lingered for a bit, and then said: "If my guess is correct, you know more about it than I do." And just like that, their conversation ended. By the middle of the day, they reached the eastern edges of the city and climbed the imposing monolith of the great wall. Standing on top of it, they saw the colossal crater and the headless statue that stood not too far away, its one remaining hand thrust toward the skies. Their prey was hiding in a vast underground chamber beneath that statue. Today, they were going to hunt the Lord of the Dead. \\\* At the base of the statue, the second arm of the Priestess lay in the mud. Thousands of years ago, it had broken off and fell, crashing through the dome of the underground chamber. Now, there was a chasm in the ground that led into the lair of the Lord of the Dead. Many months ago, Sunny and the rest had used that breach to escape from the catacombs. Now, they were going to use it to descend into that darkness, instead. The ghastly master of the catacombs waited for them below. Sunny wasn't really surprised that Nephis had chosen to return to this place. After all, the mountainous abomination was most likely guarding the last of the seven Shard Memories. However, he was really curious about how exactly she was planning to kill it. Once everyone gathered around the hole in the mud, Changing Star glanced at him and said: "Sunny, can your shadow take a look at the burial chamber?" With a shrug, he sent the shadow into the breach. It slid on the mud and entered the dark hole, then hid in the palm of the giant stone hand and cautiously looked down. The mountain of human bones was still there, in the middle of the vast circular chamber. However, it looked very different from how it had been before. Countless green vines were growing from the ma.s.s of bones, some of them comparatively thin, others as thick as a human body. They weren't growing just between the ancient remains: the vines were bursting through the bones, too. Almost as if feeding on them. The Lord of the Dead seemed… weaker. More brittle. As though it was sick, sapped of its strength and infected by a terrible parasite. Sunny commanded his shadow to look closer, and finally noticed the thing that he had expected to see. A small wooden box lay on the floor of the underground chamber, open and empty. The exact same box Nephis had mysteriously entrusted to Caster as soon as they were back in the Dark City. From the words the outer settlement hunter, that box had appeared on his pillow with a small note. That note had been written by Changing Star's spy — Seishan. And the contents of the box had been created for her by Kido, who was now dead. Kido had been the leader of the Artisans. Her Aspect Ability allowed her to control and alter plants. This bone-eating vine, as it turned out, was her last creation and final masterpiece. Turning to Nephis, Sunny hesitated for a moment and then spoke, his words causing a subtle reaction in Gemma: "The tyrant is heavily infected by Kido's vine. It seems to be considerably weakened." Changing Star nodded and remained silent for a few moments. Then, she said: "Once we enter the chamber, the Lord of the Dead will attack us. Now that its power is reduced, and with the help of the Dawn Shard, we should be able to survive the onslaught. We should also be able to wound, and eventually kill it." Looking at the faces of everyone gathered in the shadow of the headless statue, she nodded and headed toward the breach. "Let's go." \\\* Soon, Sunny was trying to survive the fury of the Lord of the Dead once again. But this time, it was not as hard as it had been before. He had become stronger, and the horrible creature had become weaker. His Memories were augmented by the Crown of Dawn, and Saint was now a demon. There were also more humans resisting the tyrant today. …That was not to say that the battle wasn't harrowing and perilous. In fact, it was utterly lethal. The humans fighting the monumental Nightmare Creature were surrounding it, dodging the long limbs of the tyrant and trying to attack it when an opportunity presented itself. Kai was zipping in the air, providing support and bringing the wounded away from the fight. They were only alive because the attacks of the Lord of the Dead were now slower and less devastating than before. With some preparation, both Effie and Saint could withstand one or two with the help of their shields. Caster was able to deliver several cuts to it with its ghostly blade, while Seishan had broken one limb completely with her graceful war hammer. Each strike of the Sunlight Shard seemed to bring immense pain to the Lord of the Dead. But nothing hurt it more, of course, than the incandescent blade of Changing Star. Together, they dealt more and more damage to the terrible creature, despite the fact that many of them were now either severely wounded or dead. The tyrant was being consumed from within by the green vines, and broken from the outside by their weapons. And then, after a long and arduous battle, a huge lair of bones fell from the body of the Lord of the Dead, revealing its inner core. That core, which was made of human skulls and coagulated blood, was absolutely terrifying, malignant, and abhorrent. In its death, a shape of a fat white maggot could be seen, curled into a ball. At that moment, Effie suddenly stepped forward, twisted her body… and threw the Dusk Shard as a discus with a deafening cry. The shield that was said to contain the weight of the heavens streaked through the air with terrible speed and hit the inner core of the tyrant, crushing through it like a wrecking ball. It cut the maggot in half and exited the body of the Lord of the Dead from the other side in a torrent of broken bones. Then it fell to the ground, shattering the stone floor of the chamber and sending a net of cracks running through it from the point of impact. The mountain of bones froze, the shuddered. And then, it crumbled. Everyone stared at Effie, shocked, hope burning in their eyes. On her face, there was a dark, mournful expression. Belatedly, Sunny remembered that the members of the original cohort that the boisterous huntress had belonged to all perished here, killed either by the undead army or the Lord of the Dead itself. A few moments later, Effie sighed and turned her face away, hiding it from everyone. Then, she raised a hand and made it into a fist. That was her letting them know that she had received a Memory from the kill. A Shard Memory. The last one there was. ReadNovelFull.me?
314	Chapter 314 Leaving the Dark City After everything was done and Nephis used her flames to heal those who survived, they returned to the city through the catacombs. Perhaps she wished to eviscerate the army of undead monsters that were now left without the tyrant to bring them back to life. But in the end, they were met with nothing but silence. The horde of ferocious skeletons that had once almost cost Sunny and the rest of the cohort their lives was no more. The dark tunnels stretching beneath the ruins were littered with piles of bones, which were slowly turning into dust. It seemed as though the moment the Lord of the Dead had been destroyed, its servants had perished, too. After a while, the group of humans emerged from the collapsed tower of the lighthouse and continued on its way back to the Bright Castle. They were going to spend their last night there before leaving the Dark City behind. \\\* In a small room in the depths of the ancient citadel, seven people gathered around a table. They were Sunny, Nephis, Ca.s.sie, Caster, Effie, Kai, and Seishan. Beyond the walls of the castle, the absolute darkness of the night had devoured the world. Nightmare Creatures were prowling the cursed ruins, and somewhere far away, black waves were crashing against the indomitable granite surface of the city wall. ReadNovelFull.me Inside, the cold light of a Memory lantern illuminated their faces. Strangely, everyone was silent, as though not sure what to say. Finally, Sunny broke the silence by yawning loudly. "Shall we get on with this? Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and some of us need their beauty sleep." He threw a sideways glance at Kai, thought for a bit, and then added: "Actually, every day after today is going to be a long one. So let's just do it." Nephis stared at him for a few moments, then echoed his words: "...Do it." With that, they summoned their Memories. An austere tachi and a ghostly stiletto appeared in Sunny's hands. A graceful war hammer with a narrow beak appeared in Seishan's. Effie summoned her beautiful bronze spear and a heavy round shield. Finally, a simple band of metal decorated with a single gem weaved itself from light and rested gently on Changing Star's head. They were the Shard Memories. Dawn, Zenith, Dusk, Midnight, Sunlight, Moonlight… …And Starlight. The last Memory was a short, flowing white cloak that draped itself around Effie's shoulders. This was the Shard she had received after slaying the Lord of the Dead. For a few moments, no one moved. Then, Effie said: "So, uh… what now?" Nephis t.i.tled her head a little, then frowned. Finally, after some time pa.s.sed, she said: "Come closer." When they did, something unexpected happened. Sunny felt the hilts of his weapons suddenly growing hotter, and soon, both Midnight and Moonlight Shard began emanating a ghostly, ethereal light. The same was happening to the other shards. Seven beams of light shot toward the center of the room and collided. Then, they fused with each other, and soon, seven objects weaved themselves from that light and hovered in the air. They were keys forged out of l.u.s.trous metal, with seven shining stars engraved on their surface. It was the manifestation of the terrible oath that the seven heroes had given all those thousands of years ago. The keys that were used to seal the curse of the all-consuming darkness underground. Suddenly, the seven keys turned into streams of light and shot toward each of the seven people gathered in the room. One beam hit Sunny in the chest and disappeared, absorbed into his core. The voice of the Spell resounded in his ears: [...You have received an Oath Key.] Sunny shivered. He didn't want anything to do with that morbid oath. …But in the end, he had no other choice. Glancing at the rest of the people gathered in the room, Changing Star lingered for a moment, and then said: "We're ready." \\\* In the dim light of dawn, the gates of the castle opened for the last time. A long procession of humans walked through them, leaving the ancient citadel that had sheltered them for so long. They walked under the swinging skulls, not paying them any attention. In the aftermath of all the strife, no one had bothered to remove the ghastly things from their chains. It was not like anyone could have forgotten the hundreds of lives lost in the struggle, and thousands of deaths before that, even if the skulls were removed. Five hundred people descended the hill and entered the Dark City. A few Nightmare Creatures tried to attack them, and were eviscerated before managing to do any harm. These five hundred humans were not a defenseless crowd. They were a battle-hardened army, one comprised of exceptionally powerful Sleepers… the most powerful Sleepers to ever be born from the human race, perhaps. They moved the ruins, cutting down anything that dared to block their path. Soon, the Sleepers approached the western boundary of the Dark City and scaled the ancient wall. There, they stopped and turned, staring at the silhouette of the Bright Castle in solemn silence. …By then, pillars of black smoke were billowing from each of its windows. Soon, the whole castle was enveloped by furious flames, which slowly devoured the white stone of its walls. The magnificent marble cracked and melted, destroyed by the terrible heat. The smaller towers swayed and moved, and then fell into the terrible crucible. The fire was slowly destroying the Bright Castle, turning it into a molten ruin. In a sense, this was fitting. After all, everything else in the Dark City had been ruined a long, long time ago. Surprisingly, this act of destruction was not Changing Star's idea. She wasn't the one who ordered to burn the Bright Castle behind them, like a final gesture to hammer it into everyone's souls that there was no way back anymore. Sunny would have expected something like that from Nephis. But no, it was the decision of the people themselves. They wanted to destroy the ancient citadel, because they hated it. They hated these ancient, bloodsoaked stones only a little bit less than they needed them to survive. And now that they were leaving, they wanted to erase the Bright Castle from existence. Perhaps if it was gone, the memories of all the darkness that they had witnessed there, and were the perpetrators of, would disappear with it. After a while, the misshapen, twisted silhouette of the dying fortress was completely hidden by the fire and smoke. Slowly, the silent Sleepers turned away from that sight and looked far away into the distance. They were looking west. That was where they were going. To lay siege to the Crimson Spire. One after another, the Sleepers descended from the wall and left the Dark City behind. ReadNovelFull.me?
315	Chapter 315 Siege of the Crimson Spire (1) In the cold light of dawn, a gargantuan crimson tower was rising from the Labyrinth. From this distance, it looked like a bloodied sword that some primordial t.i.tan had thrust into the heavens. The crimson coral streamed from its walls like the blood of G.o.ds, spreading out from the base of the Spire to devour all of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. The tower itself seemed to stand on an island, which was surrounded from all sides by black water. Even though the sun was already climbing up, this part of the cursed sea did not disappear. Instead, it lingered and moved endlessly, forming a giant whirlpool. Unclear shapes could be seen moving under the surface of the black water, drowning the hearts of humans who dared to approach the Spire with dread. Sunny looked up, at the endless expanse of the crimson tower, and paled. Upclose, it looked even more ominous, oppressive, and terrifying. He struggled to believe that this cyclopean structure had been built by human hands, let alone that it had been their salvation once, a long time ago. Now, the Crimson Spire looked nothing but twisted, eerie, and utterly evil. It emanated a sense of harrowing power that no human could ever hope to challenge. And yet, this was exactly what they were going to do. Turning away, he glanced at the camp of the Dreamer Army. For the past week, the five hundred of them had traversed the Labyrinth to reach this place. Some had perished along the way, but not as many as he had expected. For that short journey, luck had been on their side. In these days, they had slaughtered countless Nightmare Creatures and somehow managed to avoid attracting the wrath of the dwellers of the deep. They had seen the headless statue of the Lord that stood halfway between the Dark City and the Crimson Spire, and many other wondrous and terrible things. ReadNovelFull.me And now, they had almost reached their goal. People were busy preparing for the battle. The dread they had felt at dawn, after looking at the Crimson Spire, which was now so close, turned into grim determination and resolve. Everyone was making final preparations. Some were checking their armor and weapons for the last time. Some were hurriedly building makeshift fortifications. Some were praying, begging the dead G.o.ds to save their lives. Truth be told, Sunny was the only person who appeared to be idle. Well, what did they expect? Nephis still had not told him what exactly his role in the battle was going to be. Not that he was obligated to listen, of course… With a sigh, he turned to the other members of the cohort, who were gathered around a fire, discussing the plan of the battle for the hundredth time. Everyone seemed uncharacteristically somber today. One after another, they left to join in the preparations. Soon, Changing Star was the only one left. With a bit of reluctance, Sunny approached her and sat down, staring at the fire. After a while, he said: "This is very strange, don't you think?" She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. Nephis had changed a lot since the first time they met, but also remained exactly the same. She was still calm and confident, with ivory skin and beautiful silver hair. She was still strong and full of conviction. It's just that her eyes seemed a bit hollow these days. "What is?" Sunny shrugged. "Just… all of it. If someone described this scene to me a year ago, I would have been really perplexed. And yet, here we are." He lingered for a bit, and then added: "We've come very far. The three of us." Both of them glanced at Ca.s.sie, who was busy explaining something to the Artisan representatives. Her delicate hand rested on the hilt of the Quiet Dancer. After a while, Nephis nodded. "Yes. And now, we just need to make one last step." Both of them remained silent for a bit, thinking about how this final step was going to be the hardest yet. Incomparably so… Then, Sunny sighed: "So, what do you want me to do? From how you kept avoiding the subject for these past days, I'm guessing that it's not something trivial." Changing Star smiled, then looked at him with white sparks dancing in her eyes. "A really small thing, really." Then, she turned to face the Crimson Spire, hesitated for a while, and then suddenly said: "...Give me your hand." When Sunny did, something traveled through her cool skin into his Shadow Core. He summoned the runes and looked at them, already knowing what he was going to see. And there it was, listed among his Memories: Oath Key: [7]. Somehow, she had gathered the remaining six keys from the rest. And now, she was entrusting them to Sunny. Still looking at the cyclopean tower, Nephis said: "...I want you to destroy the dark sea. Or banish it, at least." Sunny grinned. "A really small thing, indeed." \\\* Very soon, the sun rose higher, and the dark whirlpool surrounding the Crimson Spire became a little smaller. Several bridges of red coral rose from its depths, connecting the island to the rest of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. And out there on the island, countless silhouettes suddenly began to move, crawling out of the crimson mounds. They were the Nightmare Creatures guarding the cursed tower. All kinds of horrors were among them. There were members of the carapace legion: scavengers, centurions, and demons. There were colonies of carnivorous worms, giant centipedes that secreted corrosive oil, and eerie vines that crawled on the ground like snakes. There were creatures that looked like black ma.s.ses of rotten bones, and creatures that looked like humanoids made of rock, with terrible maws full of jagged fangs. There were swarms of translucent insects that devoured everything in their path and ma.s.sive spiders clad in iron armor. There were beasts that could shoot deadly bone spears from their bodies and beasts that could turn their prey to stone with their gaze. There were corpses with red flowers growing from the holes in their flesh and giant abominations that resembled praying mantises, if those were made of gla.s.s and bloodred clay. And many more that Sunny had never seen, fought, or could describe. All of them moved together in strange harmony, devoid of the usual territorial aggression that forced the Nightmare Creatures of different tribes to fight each other. They were subjugated by the Crimson Terror and now served to guard the Spire. Like a terrible wave, the horde of monsters rolled over the bridges of crimson coral and flowed toward the human army. From his position at the back of it, Sunny could clearly see the bodies of those standing in the front line tremble and take an involuntary step back. Someone even dropped their weapon. A moment later, Effie's loud voice rolled over the rows of Sleepers: "Stand your ground, wretches! If anyone runs, I'll kill you myself!" Strangely, her irritated shout calmed down the fear in their hearts. A moment later, however, it was drowned in the cacophony of the approaching horde. ...The battle for the Crimson Spire had begun. ReadNovelFull.me?
316	Chapter 316 Siege of the Crimson Spire (2) On the outskirts of the Crimson Spire, there were no more pa.s.sages and tunnels in the coral. It was just a solid red ma.s.s, an unbroken surface of the strange living substance that had devoured the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e thousands of years ago. Currently, Effie was standing on that surface. Several hundred people were standing beside her, staring at the approaching wave of Nightmare Creatures with horror and shock. All of them knew what was going to happen once they reached the Spire, but even then, the sight of it was terrifying. She was at the center of the front row of these frightened people, supposedly in command of them. With her tall stature and lean, powerful figure, Effie stood out among the rest of the Sleepers. Her archaic armor glistened in the light of the rising sun, and on her shouldered, there was a flowing white cloak weaved from starlight. She held Zenith in one hand and Dusk in the other. Effie seemed like a bastion of strength and resolve in the sea of fear. A mythical hero that had stepped into the mortal realm from an ancient legend. …But really, she was scared s.h.i.tless. Looking at the rolling horde of abominable horrors with a grim expression, the huntress lowered her head a little and summoned the helm of her armor, which was crowned with a tall crest of blue horsehair, and thought: ReadNovelFull.me 'f.u.c.k me sideways… f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k!' All around her, people were trembling. Some fool dropped his weapon and took a few steps back, as if considering running away. Even though she was currently seriously thinking of doing the same, Effie snarled and bellowed: "Stand your ground, wretches! If anyone runs, I'll kill you myself!" …What was the point of running, anyway? There was nowhere to run. If they were going to die, they might as well die like humans. Just like Princess had said. She was somewhat full of s.h.i.t, but also never wrong. "Get ready, b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!" Gripping her spear, Effie cast a sideways glance at the two men standing beside her. One of them was Caster, and the other one was Gemma. Who would have thought that one day she and the leader of Gunlaug's Hunters were going to fight side by side? Weirdly, the presence of her past enemy was now extremely rea.s.suring. However, even on his face, there were hints of fear. The only person who could have stayed nonchalant in this situation was probably Doofus. That pale miscreant was either too crazy or too stupid… or both… to be scared of anything. But he was currently nowhere to be seen. Effie sort of missed the tiny menace. But Sunny was probably either hiding someplace dark or doing something too insane to be entrusted to anyone else. In any case, she wished him luck. She wished herself luck, too. Looking at the approaching horde of monsters, Effie waited for a few seconds, and then screamed: "First mark!" Her shout was repeated by Seishan, who commanded the second line, and reached Night somewhere in the third. The plan of the battle was really simple. The first line had to hold off the monsters, changing places with the second once they grew tired. Meanwhile, the third was in charge of eviscerating as many creatures as they could. But first, they had to withstand the initial charge. Nothing was more important than breaking the momentum of the attacking horde. Somewhere behind her, the enchanting voice of their resident idol gave the command to fire the siege engines. These monstrous machines were constructed by the Artisans and were supposed to be able to pierce the armor of the most heavily protected Nightmare Creatures. As long as they were not Fallen, of course… A strange and melodic sound reached her ears, and a fraction of a second later, six heavy metal spears, each at least two meters long, flew above their heads with incredible speed. They streaked through the air and collided with the front of the horde, sending bits of chitin and streams of blood to the ground. She saw one of them behead a giant crab-like creature, the other pierce right through a bloodred mantis and skewer several monsters behind it. But the wave of horrors did not slow down one bit. There was just so many of them… Feeling a shiver run through her body, Effie gritted her teeth, then shouted: "Second mark!" Almost immediately, a rain of arrows fell on the monsters, wounding many and killing a few. There were many other projectiles mixed in with the arrows. Some Sleepers used slings, crossbows, or more exotic projectile weapons. Some used their Aspect Abilities, which allowed them to create all sorts of sorcerous attacks, like flying blades made of wind, fire, and ice. Some could even create bombs filled with soul essence, which detonated in the midst of advancing horrors and ripped many apart. But still, no reaction. The monsters only seemed to become more frenzied, the fury, madness, and bloodl.u.s.t in their eyes flashing even brighter. The second rain of arrows fell, and shortly after, six more spear shot from makeshift ballistae crashed into the horde. By then, the Nightmare Creatures were already too close to the front line of humans to change anything. Making a step forward, Effie strained her muscles and threw the Zenith Shard into the approaching ma.s.s of abominations. The beautiful bronze spear shattered the steel carapace of an especially tall creature and pierced its heart. How could it not kill, empowered by the miraculous enchantment of the Crown of Dawn? All of their weapons, and all of their armors, were currently being fed raw power by Changing Star. All around the steel demon, numerous abominations fell, killed in a similar fashion by the Memories thrown by the other Sleepers. Summoning the spear back, Effie watched as the first row of Nightmare Creatures fell into a deep ditch that the Artisans created just an hour earlier. Those moving behind them simply stepped on the bodies of their fellow abominations and continued moving forward. But finally, the speed of the horde was diminished, if only by a little. 'd.a.m.n thi…' "Brace!" That's all she had time to yell before the wave of monsters crashed into the line of humans. Then, the world was consumed by nothing but madness, havoc, and death. ReadNovelFull.me?
317	Chapter 317 Siege of the Crimson Spire (3) Putting her weight behind the Dusk Shard, Effie leaned into the shield and gritted her teeth. A moment later, a monstrous blow landed on it, strong enough to crush stone into dust. But unlike Sunny's marvelous Echo, she was not made out of stone. Instead, Effie was made out of something far more resilient. "Argh!" Pushing with all he strength, she felt the shockwave of the impact run through her entire body and then dissipate into the ground. Her bones groaned, but held together. Despite the terrible pressure, she held, too. A moment later, Effie growled and pushed even harder, throwing the carapace centurion that had crashed into her a couple of centimeters back. Simultaneously, her spear shot from behind the shield and pierced the black chitin, sinking deep into the flesh of the monster. She twisted it and severed the creature's spine, then slammed her shoulder into the Dusk Shard, sending the ma.s.sive corpse flying off the bronze blade. Just in time. A second later, and the tall b.a.s.t.a.r.d would have skewered her with one of its scythes from above. But as soon as the centurion fell to the ground, another abomination was already taking its place, with a terrible salivating maw and furious eyes that burned with madness. ReadNovelFull.me 'Curse it all…' All around Effie, the bodies of humans and Nightmare Creatures were entangled into an undulating, bleeding, roaring mess. Claws and steel weapons rose and fell, sending streams of blood, splinters of bone, and chunks of flesh to the ground. Screams of fear, pain, and fury mixed with the indescribable howling of the nightmare horde into a cacophonous litany of death. In this split second, she noticed one of her fellow hunters throwing the body of an iron spider that had jumped onto him back with a thunderous strike of his shield; a stone golem biting into someone's head with its terrible jagged fangs; a giant centipede wrapping its long segmented body around a screaming human and sinking its hundred legs into his melting armor. Then, she had no more time to stare. "Hold! Hold, you misbegotten waifs!" Taking a step forward, she dodged a harrowing slash of a three-meter tall mantis-like creature's scythe and brought the edge of her shield on the leg of the abominable thing. The thin limb practically exploded, sending the monster crashing down — right on the blade of her spear, which flew upward and turned the head of the mantis into a red smudge. Before the creature even fell to the ground, Effie had already spun, receiving a rain of blows on her heavy shield. Her spear lashed out from behind it, piercing the body of the attacker through the heart. 'Blood Flower…' Effie held her breath and kicked the rotting primate in the chest, sending it flying back before too much of the d.a.m.ned pollen escaped the wound. The body of the Blood Flower host collided with another monster and exploded into b.l.o.o.d.y chunks from the force of the impact. [You have slain…] Noticing a shadow move to her right, Effie turned and thrust her spear forward. But at the last moment, she pulled it back. The point of the bronze blade stopped just a few centimeters away from another human's face. For a fraction of the second, they stared at each other — Effie with confusion, the vaguely familiar young man with belated fear. Then, a ma.s.sive shadow moved behind him, and the youth's head suddenly separated from his shoulders in a stream of blood, cut off cleanly with one slash of a metal demon's blade. '...D—d.a.m.n!' Effie looked up at the terrible creature. But before she had time to react, something crashed into her from the side, sending a wave of pain through her body. With a grunt, she slid on the bloodied coral and twisted her torso to put Dusk Shard between herself and the attacker. A quick glance let Effie know that her armor was still intact, even if just barely. The point of impact was covered with seething acid, which was biting into the metal, trying to burn through it. Thanks to the enhancement of the Dawn Shard, however, the breastplate remained unscathed. She shifted her weight, preparing to deflect the next attack of the giant centipede. Before Effie could, though, something heavy landed on her back, trying to sink its teeth into her neck. She felt drops of blood streaming to her chest. A furious growl escaped from her mouth. Throwing the Zenith Shard into the maw of the charging centipede and practically severing the body of the creature down its length, she stretched her freed hand back, caught the monster that was trying to bite her head off, and through it to the ground. The body of the abomination hit with enough force to make the coral crack. Just to make sure that the b.a.s.t.a.r.d was dead, she stomped on it with her foot, shattering the head of the d.a.m.n thing into tiny pieces. But as soon as she did, four more were already around her, their sharp claws and fangs l.u.s.ting to taste her blood. Bringing the Dusk Shard down on one of them, Effie grinned, then twisted and summoned her spear back. With blood streaming from her wounded neck, she dodged a powerful claw and laughed: "b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! Are you… trying to eat… me?! Ha-ha-ha… let's see who's gonna eat who, fools!" All around her, the first line of the Dreamer Army was slowly buckling under the pressure of the nightmare horde. So many of them were already dead, and more were dying every second. Their bodies were torn to pieces and devoured, disappearing into the ma.s.s of monsters like morning dew. That sight was so harrowing and chilling that the mind simply refused to process it. And yet, the Sleepers of the first line — those who possessed the most powerful combat Aspects and the best Memories — had achieved their goal. They stopped the devastating wave of abominations in its tracks and tied it down with their blades and their lives. The horde failed to roll over the human army, obliterating it completely without even slowing down. More than that, the ma.s.sacre was not one-sided. For every human killed, several Nightmare Creatures were wounded, crushed, and cut to pieces. Arduously and at a great price, the first line was reforming itself, the survivors of the initial charge rallying around three champions. They were Effie, Gemma, and Caster. With each of them turning into a bastion in the sea of monsters and gathering fighters around them, the advance of the horde stalled. Whatever creatures managed to get past were met and eviscerated by the Sleepers of the second line, led by Seishan. …And throughout all of that, the archers and the siege engines of the third line never stopped firing. ReadNovelFull.me?
318	Chapter 318 Siege of the Crimson Spire (4) "Stand your ground, wretches! If anyone runs, I'll kill you myself!" Hearing Effie's voice, Kai flinched and forced himself to look away from the terrible visage of the horde of nightmarish abominations. Glancing down, he saw that his hand was shaking and clenched it into a fist. He had to calm himself, somehow, or his aim was going to suffer. That wouldn't do. …But honestly, how was a person supposed to not be terrified when a literal sea of Nightmare Creatures, each stronger and deadlier than anything anyone should ever be forced to face, was approaching them so fast? Kai prided himself on overcoming things like stage fright and social anxiety, as well as getting through many unpalatable situations with grace and elegance, not to mention managing to survive in the Dark City for three long years without losing his humanity. But this was just too much… '...What would Sunny say?' Thinking of his p.r.i.c.kly, but adorable friend, Kai couldn't help but smile a little. 'Probably something like… oh, a horde of Nightmare Creatures? Yeah I've met one a few days ago. They all died when I sneezed, though.' ReadNovelFull.me The strangest part was that he would be telling the truth. If Kai decided to dig deeper, he would discover something in the line of Sunny's sneeze causing a ma.s.sive avalanche that wiped all the monsters out. …Or, more likely, that his sneeze had awakened some ancient, much more terrifying creature, which then proceeded to devour all the monsters before turning its gaze on Sunny himself. That was just how Sunny was. ...Unpredictable. Strangely, these thoughts succeeded in calming Kai down. He only regretted that the cute scoundrel wasn't close by to rea.s.sure him in person. Gazing at the approaching horde, he sighed and gripped his bow tighter. The coral was sloping down in the place where Changing Star had chosen to face the guardians of the Spire. Because of that, the position of the third line was higher than the other two, which would allow them to continue firing long after Effie and the rest had engaged the Nightmare Creatures in melee. In theory. All around him, those Sleepers that had suitable Memories or Aspect Abilities were preparing to shoot, waiting for his command. The surviving Artisans and their a.s.sistants were busy loading the six powerful ballistae they had transported all the way from the Dark City and put together the last night. The sight of the mighty siege engines made Kai sigh wistfully. …Maybe they were going to survive this battle, after all. "First mark!" As soon as Effie's shout reached his ears, he turned to the Artisans and waved a hand, giving them the signal to fire. A second later, six heavy spears flashed through the air and crashed into the wall of monsters. Many of them were eviscerated, but these losses were like a drop of water in the sea of darkness. Kai gritted his teeth. "Second mark!" "Now!" As his melodic voice rolled over the third line of the Dreamer Army, he drew his bow and took aim. Back in the real world, archery was Kai's favorite hobby. Not the practical skill of shooting a bow which was taught to many in school, but the ancient practice known as kyudo, which was more of a meditative ritual than a real battle art. Its orderly nature, tranquil philosophy, and repet.i.tive motions appealed to something deep inside him. The more stressed Kai was, the more he practiced. Who knew that one day he would be relying on his marksmanship to survive? Not that aiming at a literal horde of monsters was hard. He didn't have to worry about missing a shot with the Blood Arrow, at least. Letting go of the string, Kai watched as the black arrow streaked through the air and bit deep into the body of a tall carapace demon. Its bone tip pierced the metal armor of the terrible creature with ease. Not only was it of the Ascended Rank itself, it was also enhanced by Lady Nephis. Very few creatures could resist his attacks. "Keep firing! Kill as many as you can!" The demon swayed, then fell to the ground. Kai felt the weakness that overtook him every time he summoned the morbid Memory dissipate, and called upon the Blood Arrow again. However, he didn't get to take his second shot before the wave of abominations crashed into the line of Sleepers. For a second, Kai was stunned by the harrowing sight. The scale of the ma.s.sacre that was happening below him was just too vast to comprehend. His heart was instantly constricted, full of worry for Effie… And all the other people he knew. With a desperate grimace contorting his face, Kai aimed and shot again. And then he did so again, and again, and again. Everyone around him was doing everything in their power to kill as many Nightmare Creatures as they could. Arrows, magical projectiles, and heavy lances launched by the ballistae rained on the ghastly horde, reaping countless lives. But it was not enough, not nearly enough… Seeing so many people be torn to pieces and devoured while trying to protect him and the other archers, Kai couldn't help but wish that he could do more. 'If only I could fly up and get a better shot… if only I could get closer!' …But he couldn't. While others lost themselves in the battle completely, Kai had to keep a cool head. After all, he was responsible for the third line of the Dreamer Army. The lives of all these young men and women depended on him. That was why he kept his eyes on the merciless grey sky. Just a few meters above them, almost invisible in the bright light of dawn, a vast net made out of sharp iron wire was drawn above the battlefield. The wire for this net was collected in the Labyrinth, from those areas where iron spiders were known to nest, and fashioned into the aerial barrier by the Artisans. It was meant to protect them from the terrifying creatures that could fall at any moment from the skies. After all, the Crimson Spire did not only have a Terror and a horde of guardians. It also had its Messengers… ReadNovelFull.me?
319	Chapter 319 Siege of the Crimson Spire (5) "Draw your bows! Take aim! Endure!" Kai's words were meant to keep the morale of his troops more than they were meant to serve as actual instructions. To tell the truth, he did not have to do much, at least not yet. There were no such things as coordinated volleys when it came to archers — everyone just had to send one arrow after another into the seething ma.s.s of Nightmare Creatures, as fast as they could. He had to do the same, too. On the ground near him, several quivers full of arrows waited for their turn. Kai was shooting without a respite, alternating between using the Blood Arrow and these mundane ones. It took time for the ghastly Memory to return to his hands, so he had to use something else in-between. A good archer had to be able to fire twelve times in a minute. An excellent one — twice that. Gritting his teeth, Kai drew his bow, took aim, held his breath, and fired. Every movement had to be efficient, quick, and precise. As soon as one shot was done, another one immediately started. Draw, aim, release. Draw, aim, release. Repeat, and repeat, and repeat... In these moments, he had become less of a human and more of a methodical battle machine that ran on all cylinders without stopping even for a moment. He put an arrow in the eye of a terrible abomination that looked like a giant snake made of seaweed and rotting flesh. Another pierced the chest of a ma.s.sive b.e.s.t.i.a.l primate and impaled him on the carapace of a mantis-like creature. The third bit into the neck of the mantis and greedily drank its tainted blood, causing the monster to stumble and fall. Kai felt like he was drowning. ReadNovelFull.me Back in the waking world, archers were always portrayed as nimble, graceful warriors, someone who excelled in agility and speed as opposed to brute strength and physical might. They were beautiful maidens, elegant youths, and cunning rogues. Maybe that was why he had been attracted to bowmanship, to begin with. The reality, however… couldn't be further from the truth. It took a lot of strength to pull the string of a combat bow. The draw weight of a good bow was as much as fifty kilograms, on average. Twenty times the weight of a sword… And Memory bows like his were much more monstrous. They were never meant for mundane humans, so pulling that string every few seconds burned through his stamina in mere minutes. Very soon, Kai's muscles screamed in pain, and his lungs seemed to be on fire. But he couldn't stop… he had to keep shooting, no matter what. "Keep at it! Draw, aim! Endure!" How could he allow this insignificant pain, this unearned exhaustion to slow him down when out there, below, so many humans were dying in agony to keep the enemy away from the line of archers? Letting loose another arrow, Kai drew in a hoa.r.s.e breath and glanced up, almost out of habit. However, this time, his gaze lingered on the indifferent grey skies. Then, his eyes widened. At some point, five black dots appeared high above the battlefield, flying in an eerily perfect circle above it. A cold chill ran down Kai's back. "Messengers…" Five Fallen Monsters were observing the ma.s.sacre that was happening below them with vile indifference. Even though he could not see their harrowing shapes too well, Kai could somehow feel their gaze. '...Why aren't they attacking?' As if to answer his question, a smaller dot appeared from the clouds and fell down through the circle created by the Messengers. And then, another. And another… Just a second later, countless Nightmare Creatures poured from the grey skies and dove down, swiftly approaching the ground. There were so many of them that their ma.s.s resembles a swirling black column of a colossal tornado. Kai trembled. His face paled. …However, he did not allow fear to prevent him from fulfilling his duty. "Skyward squads! Aim high!" At this point, about half of the Sleepers in the third line were supposed to switch their attention and repel the aerial threat. However, engrossed in the battle that was happening below, most of them didn't hear or understand his words. Kai grimaced. And then, his clear, enchanting voice rolled over the entire battlefield once again, this time easily piercing through the clangor and havoc of the terrible strife: "Skyward! Squads! Aim high!" This was the voice he had used to sing the most difficult notes in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Only the dead could not hear it. Brought back to reality by his voice, the archers quickly aimed at the sky. …Just in time. Kai let the Blood Arrow loose, then saw it fly upward and hit one of the winged abominations in the chest. The monster convulsed and dropped vertically down, hitting the sharp wires of the iron net with a sickening sound. A tremor ran through the entire net, and drops of black blood fell to the ground. Stretching his hand to grab a mundane arrow, Kai had a moment to take in the sight of the descending swarm. For a moment, his heart was squeezed by despair. There were so many of the flying Nightmare Creatures that it was impossible to count them all. Among the swarm of horrors, there were the giant locusts he had fought before, ma.s.sive abominations with hungry maws and bat-like wings, repulsive birds with fleshy tentacles growing from beneath their pale feathers, and many more. Horrors he had never seen and could have never imagined. …And above them, five black dots continued to circle in the sky. Putting the arrow on the string of his bow, Kai banished fear and doubt from his heart and drew it. Then, he aimed at the closest of the abominations and willed it to die. A moment later, his arrow hit the creature right in the eye. Most of the archers around him had already switched their targets. Only the siege engine crews and those with Abilities and Memories unsuitable for firing upward continued to pelt the nightmare horde with deadly projectiles. The quickest of the descending monsters were eviscerated, and soon, a rain of corpses fell on the iron net. …But a few lucky ones had avoided the arrows and dove down to devour the humans who stood on the ground. Kai held his breath when the first of them hit the iron wires at full speed. What if the net broke? But it did not… at least for now. The Artisans had done their job well. Instead, the creature was instantly sliced apart, its body disintegrating into a rain of blood and strangely symmetrical chunks of flesh. The sight of it was morbidly fascinating. '...Thank G.o.ds.' Reaching for another arrow, Kai found nothing but emptiness. Looking down in confusion, he saw that his quivers were empty. 'Have I… used so many?' Before he had time to process that thought, however, someone had already thrown two fresh quivers on the ground in front of him. Picking up an arrow with aching fingers, Kai inhaled through his teeth and raised his bow. "Draw! Aim! Endure!" ReadNovelFull.me?
320	Chapter 320 Siege of the Crimson Spire (6) "Draw! Aim! Endure!" Just as Night shouted these words, Aiko tripped and fell. The bundle of arrows she was carrying in her arms scattered on the ground. "Ouch…" Picking herself up from the coral, she hurriedly gathered the arrows and dashed to the nearest archer, then placed them near his feet. In this battle, the role of people like her — those who were too weak to fight and did not possess a useful Aspect — was simultaneously the most simple and the most chaotic. They were charged with supplying the Sleepers partic.i.p.ating in the battle with everything they needed, be it arrows, crossbow bolts, stones for their slings, or anything else. There were several teams of runners doing different things. Initially, she was supposed to help carry the wounded from the first and second lines to the makeshift hospital at the back of the formation. There, a few people with Aspect Abilities having to do with healing waited, ready to help. Her friend Stev was one of them. …But as it turned out, there wasn't a lot of wounded in this battle. Most simply died on the spot. So she was left with nothing to do and ended up here, helping to supply the archers. She had just brought two quivers to Night, and was on her way… …Wait, how crazy was that? ReadNovelFull.me Trying to catch her breath, Aiko glanced around and shivered. 'Crazy, this is crazy…' The scene in front of her was just too bizarre to be true. Several hundred Sleepers were besieged by a horde of Nightmare Creatures on the ground, with another falling on them from above. All that in front of an ugly, endless tower of crimson coral. Surely, she was dreaming… 'Of course you are! This is the Dream Realm, you dimwit!' And yet, the weirdest thing of all... was that she was stuck in all this craziness with none other than Night from Nightingale, the breathtakingly beautiful idol whose posters hung on the walls of most girls her age back home. Despite the fact that the two of them had known each other for more than a year and were even… uh… on friendly terms, this fact was the one that pushed the surrealism of the situation over the edge. This was exactly the kind of weird dream a teenage girl like her would have. Just as she thought about that, someone fell to the ground a few meters away from her. Turning her head to the sound of a m.u.f.fled curse, Aiko saw Stev and another Sleeper carrying a crude stretcher. On it was a young woman, covered in blood and pale as a ghost, her leather armor torn apart and on the verge of dissipating. A moment before, Stev's partner had tumbled down. It appeared as though he was wounded himself, albeit not too seriously. Running up to them, Aiko took over and helped the ample giant keep the stretcher even. Carrying that weight with her tiny body was not easy, but she gritted her teeth and persevered. Together, they hurried to the back of the formation. On the way, they had to run past the desperate archers and the exhausted crews of the siege engines, who were slowly but surely running out of the ma.s.sive lances to hurl at the rampaging horde. From the look of it, things weren't going well for the Dreamer Army. Down below, the first line was in the process of being completely eviscerated. Three islands of resistance still persisted in the sea of monsters, but Aiko didn't know how much longer those poor people would be able to hold. The second line was now entangled with the Nightmare Creatures, too. The initial plan had been for these two forces to switch positions to give the exhausted warriors time to rest, but now, it was never going to happen. Up above, more and more corpses were falling on the invisible iron net. Despite that, the number of the flying abominations did not seem to diminish at all. The metal wires were groaning, having to carry more and more weight. 'Are we all going to die?' Feeling cold dread spread through her body, Aiko trembled and involuntarily turned her head to the tallest point in the Dreamer Army camp. There, on a protruding mound of crimson coral, she saw three figures. One was Saint Nephis herself. The other was her blind oracle. And the third… 'Wait… what is that guy doing there?!' The third person was none other than Sunny, the strange young man who had gotten her into this mess to begin with. After joining the Changing Star's faction, Aiko had quickly learned who the important people were and what positions they held in the Bright Lady's cohort. Everyone's role was clear and easy to understand. …Except for Sunny. What role that pale youth played was entirely unclear. People seemed to consider him a member of Lady Nephis's cohort, but Sunny himself always insisted that he was not. He was thought to be a competent fighter, but actually, no one had really seen him fight. Most people just knew him for his tendency to keep to himself, ridiculous bragging, and carefree att.i.tude. They simultaneously respected him for being Changing Star's scout and considered him mostly harmless. However, Aiko did not think that Sunny was harmless. She had seen him appear from the shadows and kill the Guard who had been strangling her with one relaxed move, as though getting rid of an insect. In her mind, Sunny was very mysterious. He was a wild card. Seeing him with Lady Nephis now, she suddenly felt a tiny bit of hope. Maybe Changing Star had a plan. Maybe they were going to survive, after all… "Aiko! Move your short legs faster, will you!" Frowning at Stev's remark, she looked at the ground and concentrated on not slowing her giant friend down. Soon, they reached the hospital and placed the stretcher on the makeshift table. Stev dashed to retrieve his tools… But it was too late. The young girl on the stretcher was already dead. Aiko remained motionless for a bit, staring at the ground. After a while, Stev cautiously touched her on the shoulder. "Hey… are you okay, shorty?" She wiped her face, then nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Gotta run, though. Those… those arrows aren't going to carry themselves." Stev lingered for a bit, then tried to smile. "Alright. Uh... stay safe." She smiled and nodded again. "Yeah. You stay safe, too." With that, Aiko turned around and ran out of the tent. Outside, the battle was only growing more ferocious. ReadNovelFull.me?
321	Chapter 321 Siege of the Crimson Spire (7) Sunny stood at the peak of a tall coral mound, observing the battle that raged below. There was a slight frown on his face, but his eyes were calm. The Dreamer Army was besieged from two sides. One horde of abominations was slowly devouring its front line, while another had descended on them from above, stalled for now by the vast net of sharp iron wires. …It was like a scene from a fever nightmare. Every second, humans were dying, torn apart by the claws and fangs of the harrowing horde of monsters. Their cries and screams fused with the roaring wails of the Nightmare Creatures into a deafening wave of dissonant noise. That wave washed over the crimson coral, sending a chill running down his spine. Turning away from the bloodsoaked visage of the battlefield, Sunny glanced at Nephis. Changing Star was sitting on the ground. Her face was calm, and her eyes were closed. On her forehead, the gem of the Dawn Shard burned with furious white light, feeding hundreds upon hundreds of Memories with raw power. She appeared to be in the depths of profound meditation, seemingly not affected by the horrible decimation that was happening below them at all. Ca.s.sie was standing beside her, looking at the ground. Her hand rested on the hilt of the Quiet Dancer. The other two Echoes of the blind girl had been with the first line of the army during the initial charge; by now, they were already destroyed. Sunny wanted to say something, but then thought better of it. The time for conversations was over. Instead, he faced the Crimson Spire. His gaze lingered on it for a few moments, then slid back to the terrible sight of the slaughter. Straining his eyes, Sunny tried to distinguish the figures of Effie and Kai in the chaotic formation of the Dreamer Army. ReadNovelFull.me 'Don't die just yet, fools…' \\\* Down below, surrounded by those warriors of the first line that still stubbornly clung to life, Effie had long forgotten about anything else but bloodshed and strife. The scope of the world had narrowed to the suffocating confines of the furious battle, consuming both the past and the future. The was only the present, and the present consisted of nothing but violence and death. …And killing, of course. With a mad grin on her bloodied face, she faced one abomination after another, crushing, breaking, and tearing them apart. Her tall, lean body had turned into a lethal battle machine, moving with ferocious speed and devastating power, deadly precision and murderous will. Both Zenith and Dusk behaved like natural extensions of her limbs, alternating between attack and defense to reap one profane life after another. Her armor had been pierced several times, but she paid it no attention. It didn't matter. All that mattered was to kill as many Nightmare Creatures as possible, to obliterate as many of the hateful monsters as she could. Their corpses piled up, carpeting the crimson coral with an uninterrupted bleeding ma.s.s of broken flesh. After a while, Effie had to start watching her step carefully. Despite that, the number of abominations showed no sign of growing smaller. It was as though the horde was endless and boundless. But she wasn't scared… In fact, Effie was enjoying herself. Oh, this was so exhilarating! Dodging a serrated claw, she lunged forward and crushed the ribcage of an attacking monster with the rim of her shield, then used the remaining momentum to skewer another one on her spear. With no time to retrieve her weapon and turn, she used the shaft of Zenith Shard to deflect a blow from a mighty pincer of a carapace scavenger and kicked the beast viciously, shattering the adamantine sh.e.l.l of its armor. Other Sleepers were fighting around her, using the fearsome huntress as an anchor in the sea of death. They were still holding, still breathing. Two other islands of resistance had formed around Gemma and Caster, who were also in the throes of the battle trance. The proud Legacy had turned into a whirlwind of ghostly steel, eviscerating any creature that dared to approach him. His movements were so fast that his enemies' blood could not even fall to the ground. As the result, Caster was constantly surrounded by a cloud of red mist. The experienced Hunter fought with cunning and skill, sending one abomination after another into the embrace of death. Whatever wounds appeared on Gemma's body were soon gone, not even leaving a trace. Numerous fearsome creatures had been slain by his hand, unable to do the tall man any harm. …And yet, humans were dying. One after another, they fell, leaving less and warriors to hold back the gluttonous horde. As Effie fought, a sudden thought entered her mind, sending a slight shiver running through her body. '...Heavy. That d.a.m.n shield is so heavy…' She was growing tired. \\\* Kai had lost count of the number of monsters he killed. Because of the constant cycle of losing blood and magically getting it back, he felt slightly lightheaded. Luckily, he had yet to miss a shot… maybe?… and was able to continue firing. More and more corpses fell on the iron net, their blood flowing on the people below. It was as though they were now fighting in the rain. A red, fetid rain of blood… Blood, blood, blood. No matter where he looked, he saw nothing but blood. He was sick of it. Gritting his teeth, Kai drew his bow once again, aimed between two dead creatures above him, and sent an arrow flying. [You have slain an awakened…] They were running out of arrows. The siege engines were running out of lances, too. And the d.a.m.n Messengers were still circling high above, not even trying to descend. 'Why, why aren't they attacking?!' Looking down, Kai tried to catch his breath and muttered: "Curses…" Why was it so dark? He couldn't see where his quivers were. Something shifted in his mind, and then he blinked. Looking up again, Kai realized that the entire net was now covered with corpses. There were so many dead Nightmare Creatures that they formed a macabre carpet that veiled the battlefield from the sun. There wasn't a lot of daylight seeping through the net now, and it was growing darker and darker with each second. His eyes widened. Not because of the deep darkness, but because Kai suddenly heard the iron wires groaning under all that weight. Almost as if strained too much and on the verge of tearing apart. The protective net was going to break soon. His face paled. 'Oh no!' \\\* On the tall mound of crimson coral, Changing Star suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Sunny. "It's time." ReadNovelFull.me?
322	Chapter 322 siege of the Crimson Spire (8) Things were turning from dire to desperate for the Dreamer Army. The first line was almost gone, and the second was now completely engulfed by the horde of Nightmare Creatures. Seishan was still standing her ground, but just barely. The archers under Kai's command were doing their best to eviscerate as many monsters as they could, but with their attention split between those on the ground and those diving at the iron net from above, the results weren't as devastating as they had been during the initial stage of the battle. They were running out of arrows and ammunition, too. The siege engines were slowly disintegrating under the pressure of so many consecutive shots. The people were tired. …And the iron net itself looked as though it was going to break soon. It was covered with a carpet of dead Nightmare Creatures, submerging the battlefield into dim twilight. With every minute, that twilight was turning darker and darker. The human formation seemed to be balancing on the very edge of collapse. It was at that moment that Nephis, who had been calmly meditating through all of that, suddenly opened her eyes. In them, two blinding white flames were burning. Her pale face became illuminated by this radiance, like that of a merciless celestial creature. Turning to Sunny, she remained silent for a moment, and then said: "It's time." ReadNovelFull.me He sighed. Indeed, it was time for the two of them to enter the fray and play their roles. As Neph stood up and summoned her sword, he flexed his shoulders and stretched his neck. The Midnight Shard, however, remained hidden in the depths of the Shadow Core. Sunny glanced at Ca.s.sie, hesitated for a few seconds, and then smiled. "Hey, Cas. I'll… see you on the other side, I guess." She lingered for a bit, then nodded slowly and turned away. '...Don't die.' He sighed. "That's my cue, I guess." Together, he and Nephis walked over to the edge of the coral mound and jumped down, leaving the blind girl standing alone on its top. Softly landing on the ground, Sunny waved to Neph and said in an even tone: "I'll go first. Good luck." With that, he turned in the direction of the battlefield and inhaled deeply. In front of him, the desperately fighting Dreamer Army was intertwined with the nightmare horde in the darkness cast by the groaning net of iron wires. The whole battlefield had turned into a realm of blood, death… and shadow. The more corpses piled on the net, the deeper and darker the shadows became. This was Sunny's territory now. Stepping into the darkness, he suddenly became almost invisible. The shadows embraced him as one of their own, hiding his figure and movements. Veiled in their embrace, he steeled his will and dashed toward the battlefield. Moving forward, Sunny ran past the tent of the makeshift hospital where a group of people was supposed to be desperately trying to save those lucky few who had managed to receive a non-lethal wound. Right now, however, the tent was partially toppled and engulfed in chaos. One of the flying Nightmare Creatures had somehow managed to squeeze under the net and was now wreaking havoc inside of it, its black body pierced by several arrows, but still full of deadly power ReadNovelFull.me. Sunny moved past it without looking back. Stepping through the deepest, darkest shadows, he ran past the line of siege engines and noticed the small figure of Aiko helping an exhausted Artisan load one last spear into position. The steel lance was clearly too heavy for the delicate girl, but she was pushing it up with stubborn determination. Then, he was between the rows of archers. These people were continuing to fire, desperately trying to find clear spots between the numerous corpses piled on top of the trembling iron net. He saw Kai looking around with a lost look on his face. Sunny wanted to stop and rea.s.sure his friend, but couldn't. Sliding between these people without being noticed, he left the third line and dashed toward the second. Here, his task of remaining unseen became much harder. The second line had lost almost all pretense of order, but remained unbroken. With the warriors under Effie's command still taking the brunt of the horde and withstanding its pressure, Seishan had managed to prevent any abominations from reaching the archers. …At least for now. Dodging the defending humans and the attacking monsters, Sunny entered the crucible of battle. He wasn't here to fight, however. His goal was still ahead. Moving unseen, he evaded several vicious skirmishes. Somewhere along the way, he noticed Seishan herself. The beautiful woman was fighting with darkly fascinating grace. The Sunlight Shard rose and fell, guided by her slender hand. The amount of power delivered by these strikes, however, was nothing short of terrifying. Every time the war hammer stroke, a Nightmare Creature was broken apart, with bits of chiting, bone, and streams of blood flying into the air. It was still not enough, though. After another blow, a menacing figure of a carapace scavenger suddenly grasped the Memory in its powerful pincer and tore it away from Seishan's hand. In the next moment, a subtle change happened to the body of the graceful Handmaiden. It seemed as though she grew taller, her limbs elongating, her spine twisting. Her smooth grey skin became like that of a shark, and her eyes rolled back, revealing a second pair of pupils, these ones vertical and surrounded by a sea of red. Seishan's jaw unhinged, revealing several rows of terrible fangs. Dashing forward, she easily broke the carapace of the Nightmare Creature with her bare fist. A fraction of a second later, her jaws closed on the joint of the pincer, piercing the chitin, and tore the entire limb apart. Leaving that disturbing scene behind, Sunny moved into another layer of shadows and ran toward the first line. There, the ma.s.s of abominations and surviving humans was almost impenetrable. And yet, he had to pierce it. Drawing in a deep breath, Sunny dove into the sea of Nightmare Creatures. Moving between the endless horde of monsters like a dancer, he dodged and avoided their chaotically moving bodies, keeping to the shadows. If he was noticed, he was going to be torn apart in mere seconds. If he slowed down, he was going to be crushed and obliterated. Like a shadow, Sunny slid between them. A few times, he had to quickly dash beneath an especially tall abomination or jump over another. For a few seconds, he even ran on top of these horrible monsters, jumping from the shoulder of one to the carapace of another, and then back to the bloodied, slippery ground. On his way, he saw Effie. The huntress had either lost or dismissed her shield, and was now spinning her spear and using it to deliver both piercing and slashing attacks, drawing wide arks in the air with its bronze blade. Her body was covered in blood and her armor was broken and shattered. But on her face, there was a wide, joyful grin. Leaving it all behind, Sunny moved deeper into the horde of monsters. A few times, he thought that he would be noticed. But in the end, the shadows had kept him safe. And after a while… an eternity, maybe… he finally broke free of the endless ma.s.s of Nightmare Creatures. Now, there was nothing in front of him but the wide expanse of the cursed black water. …And the ma.s.s of the Crimson Spire stretching endlessly into the skies. ReadNovelFull.me?
323	Chapter 323 Siege of the Crimson Spire (9) Sunny froze for a moment, captivated by the all-encompa.s.sing expanse of the cyclopean spire that towered above the entire world. Almost at the same moment, the darkness behind him was suddenly annihilated by a blinding explosion of light. The noise of the battle changed, somehow growing even more intense. The howling of the nightmare horde grew louder, but also became slightly m.u.f.fled, almost… anxious. Changing Star had finally joined the fight. A moment later, hundreds of human voices rose in a deafening battle cry, their spirit lifted, their crumbling resolve restored. With Nephis arriving on the battlefield, the balance of the whole battle shifted. The Nightmare Creatures surged to destroy the radiant figure, only to be obliterated by it. They almost seem to melt under the furious a.s.sault of the incandescent blade, turning into cinder and ash. Neph's arrival brought a moment of relief to the exhausted warriors of the Dreamer Army. Instead of using it to catch their breaths and regroup, however, they chose to use this opportunity to launch into a ferocious attack, making the horde shudder and recoil. …Sunny was not paying any attention to what was happening behind his back, though. His eyes were locked on the bridge of crimson coral that stretched across the vast whirlpool of black water, creating a path to the island on which the cursed Spire stood. On it were countless abominations, each of them pushing, howling, fighting for their turn to taste soft human flesh. However, the harrowing ma.s.s of them wasn't endless anymore. He could actually see the tail of the nightmare horde, with the distant half of the bridge being almost empty. ReadNovelFull.me Not that it was going to make things easy for him. As soon as Sunny escaped from beneath the iron net, he became illuminated by the bright sunlight, with nowhere else to hide. Completely exposed. The eyes of numerous monsters were already on him, bloodl.u.s.t and hunger igniting in their depths. If he wanted to use the bridge, he was going to have to cut his way through the undulating ma.s.s of Nightmare Creatures. 'Saint.' Answering his call, the marble demon appeared from the shadows, her ruby eyes burning with cold menace behind the visor of the onyx helmet. The taciturn knight stood silently on the sh.o.r.e of the rushing black water, gazing at the horde of monsters across its dark expanse. Sunny took a few steps back and glanced at the ma.s.s of abominations who were already lunging in his direction. 'Here goes nothing…' Dashing forward, he crossed the distance to the Saint… and jumped. The Shadow raised her shield, allowing him to step on it, and then pushed away with all her incredible strength. Simultaneously, Sunny launched himself off this unlikely springboard and shot into the air. The wind whistled in his ears. Soaring above the ma.s.s of black water, and all the horrors that hid in its depths, he flew toward the Crimson Spire with terrible speed. The Dark Wing turned into a blur behind his back, making Sunny weightless, and thus prolonging this state of flight. It was still not nearly enough to reach the island, however. In a few short seconds, he crossed almost half of the wide surface of the dark whirlpool. But then, his momentum slowed, and soon, Sunny started to fall. Thanks to the transparent cloak, he didn't plunge straight down, instead gliding through the air, slowly approaching the seething black water. He was never going to make it. …But then, he was never planning to. Twisting his body, Sunny hurled the Prowling Thorn at the crimson coral of the bridge. As soon as the heavy kunai bit into it, he forcefully pulled on the invisible string, changing the direction of his flight. A few seconds later, Sunny landed on the bridge in a roll and jumped to his feet. Behind him, the tail end of the nightmare horde was still oblivious to his presence. In front of him was a clear path to the Crimson Spire. Dismissing the Dark Wing and summoning Shadow Saint back into his core, Sunny ran forward without wasting even a moment to look back. \\\* Soon, the Crimson Spire eclipsed the whole sky. It seemed as though the world suddenly made a ninety-degree turn, the ground itself becoming vertical instead of horizontal. Even craning his neck, Sunny couldn't see the top of the ominous tower anymore. It was as if the Dream Realm was like a box, and he had reached one of its walls. The edge of reality itself. Throwing all unnecessary thoughts out of his head, Sunny rushed toward the Spire. His goal was almost in sight. 'Seven severed heads… guarding seven locks…' This was what Ca.s.sie had told them a year ago, at the start of this cursed journey. Somewhere at the base of the Crimson Spire, there was a place where one could insert seven keys into seven locks to seal the curse of the all-consuming darkness underground once more, thus restoring the oath of the ancient heroes. Shard Memories had given ChangingS Star's cohort these keys, and now, Sunny held all of them in his soul. He just had to find the locks… And very soon, he did. Hidden behind a tall mound of crimson coral, a vast expanse of flat surface led all the way to the walls of the corrupted Spire. On it, arranged in a wide semi-circle, seven giant heads stared away from Sunny. Despite the fact that they were facing the other way, he recognized them immediately. These were the stolen heads of the seven colossal statues that stood across the desolate h.e.l.l of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, ones that had been torn off their shoulders by the Crimson Terror thousands of years ago and then brought here, to lay at the base of its citadel for all eternity. The Lord, the Priestess, the Knight, the Hunter, the Builder, the Slayer, and the Stranger. Their gazes were aimed at the gargantuan gates of the Spire. And there, on those gates, the image of seven shining stars was engraved into the ancient stone. Each star had a dark keyhole in its radiant center. ReadNovelFull.me?
324	Chapter 324 Siege of the Crimson Spire (10) Summoning Saint to stand side by side with him once again, Sunny glanced at the gates of the Spire, grimaced, and jumped down from the mound of coral. 'I don't like this at all…' Out there on the island, it was quiet. Too quiet. Even though all the Nightmare Creatures were now behind him, slowly devouring the Dreamer Army, the open s.p.a.ce pierced by the gazes of the severed heads of stone colossus was too ominous and foreboding to not spell trouble. But Sunny was done being afraid a long time ago. 'You fear me, instead.' Walking forward, he pa.s.sed between the giant heads and entered the empty s.p.a.ce in front of the cyclopean gates. Feeling as though someone was staring at his back, Sunny shivered and approached the seven locks. Halfway to the gates, he stopped, hesitated for a moment and then looked back, at stone heads. This was the first time he saw the faces of the seven heroes. ReadNovelFull.me The face of the Lord was n.o.ble and dignified, the face of the Priestess — beautiful and gentle. The Slayer was arrogant and cold, her lips twisted in a crooked grin. The Stranger wore a helmet, darkness nesting in the crack of its visor. '...People. They were just people.' Turning away, Sunny sighed, then shook his head in dejection. 'I won't judge you for what you have done. But I hope… I really that we will be able to do better.' With that, he took another step forward… and froze. Something had changed on the stretch of land between him and the gates of the Crimson Spire. A cold wind suddenly howled, throwing bits of coral into the air. Those pieces of did not fall down. Instead, more and more of the crimson shards flew up, slowly forming into seven twisted silhouettes. Sunny cursed and outstretched his hand, summoning the Midnight Shard into it. A few seconds later, seven golems of crimson coral stood in front of him and Saint, blocking the path to the star sigil. He recognized their shapes. The armored figure of the Knight. The slender figure of the Slayer. The graceful figure of the Priestess… Vile, corrupted facsimiles of the seven heroes slowly moved, raising their weapons to point at him. Their movements were crude and inhuman, but radiated a sense of terrible, profane power. Despite their outward appearance, he felt that these creatures were desecrating the memory of the ancient heroes instead of manifesting it. Sunny grinned and walked toward the coral golems, the blade of his sword pointed downward. "Seven of you? Do you really think this will be enough to stop me?" His dark eyes gleamed, turning cold and ruthless. "...Well then, fools, come and get me!" With that, he dashed forward and raised the Midnight Shard. Before Sunny could strike, however, the Stranger appeared in front of him as though out of nowhere and put his round shield in the path of the austere tachi. Hitting it felt like hitting a mountain. Sunny's eyes widened. 'Fast…' A fraction of a second later, he noticed a beak of a war hammer flying toward his temple with terrible speed. Gritting his teeth, Sunny shifted and blocked it with the blade of the Midnight Shard. As a painful shockwave rolled through his body, he was thrown backward and slid on the red coral, then groaned and spat a mouthful of blood. 'd.a.m.n it! How are they so strong?!' Looking up, he saw seven tall figures approaching him with steady, inevitable malice. Each of the golems was powerful enough to rip an entire cohort of Sleepers to pieces. To his side, Saint raised her shield and hit its rim twice with the blade of her sword. 'Whatever. Let's do this!' \\\* Back across the whirlpool of black water, the Dreamer Army was still furiously resisting the horde of Nightmare Creatures. By now, all of the monsters had left the coral bridge and descended upon the Sleepers, consumed by the mad desire for human flesh. There was no distinction between the first and the second line now. All those still alive were engulfed by the b.l.o.o.d.y chaos of the slaughter, desperately trying to survive in the midst of absolute chaos. Changing Star was at the center of the terrible bloodshed, shining like a radiant sun. She fought alone, because no one else could survive the devastating pressure that the horde exerted in the zealous attempts to extinguish that light. Any human that tried to approach and help her was immediately torn to pieces. Indifferent to everything, Nephis moved like a furious deity, eviscerating one abomination after another. All around her, burning corpses littered the ground, their cursed blood boiling and evaporating into the air. Not only was her presence relieving the pressure from the rest of the Sleepers, but they also found strength in it. As long as Changing Star fought for their salvation, how could they give up? As long as her light was there to banish the darkness, how could they lose hope? That was why no monster had managed to break through the remnants of the first two lines and reach the archers. Standing on the slippery surface of the crimson coral, Kai gazed at the terrible scene of the ma.s.sacre below him, and then raised his face to the sky. Instead of the sky, however, he saw the dark ma.s.s of bleeding corpses carpeting the iron net. His face paled, light disappearing from his eyes. As the last officer of the Dreamer Army to not engaged in the melee, he was the only one who could see the bigger picture. He was the only one who knew that the iron net was mere minutes away from breaking. When it did, the ma.s.s of sharp iron wires and all the crushing weight of countless dead monsters was going to fall on the remains of the human formation, spelling their doom. Someone had to do something… And that someone was him. Kai blinked, then closed his eyes for a moment. 'Of course. I am the only one who can.' Nothing could stop the collapse of the iron net. But the manner in which it collapsed could be controlled. All they had to do was to cut it at a suitable spot, allowing for the ma.s.s of dead Nightmare Creatures to fall down without burying the fighting humans beneath it. And who could cut the iron wires beside a person capable of flying? The only problem was that once the net was cut… nothing was going to stop the five Spire Messengers from entering through the breach. He was going to have to lead them away from the battlefield, too. '...Yes. Yes, this is what I have to do.' Dismissing his heavy bow, Kai stared at the ground for a few moments. An elegant falcata slowly appeared in his hand. And then, with an expression of dark resolve appearing on his face, he pushed himself off the crimson coral and flew to the strained iron net. ReadNovelFull.me?
325	Chapter 325 Siege of the Crimson Spire (11) "Argh! d.a.m.n it!" Effie stumbled back and swiped the Zenith Shard in a wide arc, cutting through the bodies of several Nightmare Creatures. With her other hand, she took hold of the oversized translucent tick that bit deep into her thigh and tore it away, losing a chunk of flesh in the process. Before the repulsive creature had time to sever her fingers with its sharp mandibles, she crushed it in her fist. Feeling hot blood streaming down her leg, she grimaced and unceremoniously wiped the pulverized remains of the tick on the fabric of the Sunlight Shard, then spun to follow the trajectory of her spear. Effie was tired. So, so tired. She was utterly exhausted. …But there was no end to the nightmarish horde. 'Can't you all just die, b.a.s.t.a.r.ds…' Catching the shaft of the Zenith Shard with both hands once again, she thrust it back and skewered another abomination with its sauroter, then tore the sharp spike away and dashed to the side. A moment later, a terrifying scythe of a carapace centurion sunk into the spot where she had just been. Effie spun the spear and lashed out with it, piercing the chest of the ma.s.sive creature and killing it on the spot. As the heavy body fell to the ground and sent tremors through it, she had a second to draw in a pained, raspy breath. Her wounded leg almost buckled. 'Why is no one covering my back…' ReadNovelFull.me Effie looked around to check on the fellow Sleepers who had been fighting by her side, but failed to see anyone. All around her, there was nothing but the endless ma.s.s of Nightmare Creatures. Everyone was already dead. …Except for her. "Ha. Ha-ha. Ha!" Effie was left alone in the sea of monsters, separated from the remnants of the Dreamer Army by an impenetrable wall of claws and chitin. She only knew that someone was still alive and fighting back there because of the radiant white light that continued to illuminate the vast expanse of the battlefield… of this tomb that they had built for themselves from iron wires and dead Nightmare Creatures. Not that the light could reach where she stood. Here, there was nothing but darkness. She didn't have much hope of reaching it, too. Effie looked at the ground and smiled bitterly. Then, she raised her head high and stared at the approaching tide of monsters, her eyes sparkling with dark amus.e.m.e.nt. "Come then, beasts. Oh, what a feast this will be…" \\\* Sunny barely avoided the blade of the coral sword and deflected it to the side with the Midnight Shard. Then, he tried to counterattack, but was forced to jump back with a m.u.f.fled curse. A sharp stiletto flew past his face, leaving a shallow cut on his cheek. 'd.a.m.ned abominations!' Currently, he was facing against three golems at the same time. The Knight, The Slayer, and the Priestess were trying to surround him. They moved with terrifying speed and possessed enough power to obliterate a Sleeper with laughable ease. Luckily, Sunny was not just any Sleeper. The shadow was wrapped around his body, making him faster and stronger. With its help, he was barely able to hold on and remain alive. …For now. Some distance away from him, Saint was facing off against the Stranger, the Builder, and the Hunter. Those three seemed to be even more ferocious than his own opponents, so the Shadow was having a lot of trouble, too. 'That doesn't make any sense…' Sunny was not surprised that these constructs were far more powerful than him. But Saint was an awakened demon, and one of the most dangerous Nightmare Creatures of her Rank he had ever seen, no less. And yet, she was barely able to remain in one piece. Good thing that the Lord had yet to join the fight. The seventh golem stood motionlessly some distance away, as though uninterested in the fight. Because of how fast his enemies were and their numerical advantage, Sunny had to summon the Moonlight Shard as well. Now, he was holding the tachi in one hand and the stiletto in the other. This wasn't what he was used to and made his offense weaker, but allowed him to bolster his defense. This was one of the reasons why Sunny was still alive. Suddenly, a blast of light hammered into his eyes, making him stagger and blinding him for a few short moments. In the next second, the Priestess lunged at him. She wielded no weapons, but her coral hands were deadly enough to serve as a pair of them. Trusting the Shadow Sense, Sunny dodged and brought the Midnight Shard down, hoping to catch the golem. His second hand moved, blocking a strike of the Slayer. Just as before, the impact almost shattered the bones in his wrist and sent Sunny reeling. He had successfully resisted the attack and bought himself enough time to regain his vision, only to be faced with the furious threat of another a.s.sault, this one coming from the Knight. Saint wasn't having any more luck. Her shield had been caught by the beak of the Builder's war hammer and pulled down, which gave the Hunter an opportunity to thrust his spear into the breach in her defense. At the same time, the Stranger was preparing to attack her from behind. 'This can't go on much longer… think, think!' Sunny felt as though he was missing some crucial fact about this arduous, lethal fight. He had to solve it before the last golem joined in… Twisting his body to deflect the incoming strike, he frowned. …Why had the Lord not attacked? There was something about it… Suddenly, Sunny's eyes narrowed. 'Can it be?' The golems were created in the image of the ancient heroes, and even wielded the same weapons. He had managed to resist his attackers for so long partially because he was intimately acquainted with their armaments. After all, he held the Midnight and Moonlight Shard in his hands. If their weapons were the same as his Shard Memories, just made out of crimson coral… was it the same for the Lard? Did the Crimson Terror create its own equivalent of the Crown of Dawn, and was it currently feeding the seven golems with power? The Lord was standing alone, seemingly indifferent to the battle that was happening in front of him. …Just like Nephis sat away from the battlefield at the start of the siege, the gem of the Dawn Shard burning brightly on her forehead. If the seventh golem was doing to the other six what Changing Star had been doing for the Dreamer Army… then, Sunny still had a chance. ReadNovelFull.me?
326	Chapter 326 Siege of the Crimson Spire (12) Glancing at the graceful figure of Saint, Sunny gritted his teeth and made a difficult decision. He had no choice but to do it. Too much depended on his success. A moment later, he feinted an attack and jumped back at the last moment, disengaging from the three menacing coral golems instead. At the same time, he sent the Shadow a mental command. The taciturn demon froze for a fraction of a second, as though hesitating. But in the end, she did not. Abandoning the measured cadence of her flawless technique, Saint allowed the spear of the Hunter to strike her in the chest. The force of that vicious attack was so immense that her onyx armor shattered, allowing the tip of the spear to bite deep into her stonelike flesh. Soon, a stream of ruby dust flowed out of the wound, painting the broken cuira.s.s red. But the Shadow did not pay it any attention. Catching the shaft of the spear with her shield hand, she twisted her torso and flung the towering coral golem away. And then, she suddenly dashed to the side. Before the terrible creatures could understand what was happening, she closed the distance and descended upon the three abominations attacking Sunny. Even though her attack was swift unexpected, they managed to react to it at the last moment. The obsidian steel of her dark sword was met by weapons made of crimson coral. It gave Sunny the second he needed to get past them, nevertheless. ReadNovelFull.me Dodging the hand of the Priestess, he appeared behind the three golems and ran toward the distant figure of the Lord. Behind him, Saint challenged all six of the golems, tying the down with a ferocious onslaught of attacks. She paid dearly to buy him time, however. Just a second later, another attack got past her defense, leaving a deep crack on the black armor. And then another, and another… Ruby dust flowed down like blood. With a terrible grimace contorting his pale face, Sunny rushed to reach the seventh of the Star Sigil guardians. \\\* Kai approached the dark ma.s.s of broken flesh and groaning iron wires, feeling cold drops of blood fall on his face. Changing the angle of his flight to move parallel to the ground, he clenched his teeth and lashed out with his sword. The heavy blade of the falcata collided with the iron wires and easily sliced them apart. This net was created from the same thin metal as the webs of iron spiders. As such, it couldn't resist the sharpness of his weapon Memory, which was elevated almost to the Ascended Rank by the miraculous Crown of Dawn. His hand, however, wasn't as strong. Even with his core br.i.m.m.i.n.g with soul essence, Kai was still just a Sleeper. As soon as he struck the net, a sharp pain pierced his wrist. He screamed, but did not let the sword fall from his hand. 'Almost…' As a long cut appeared on the net, many corpses fell down through the breach. Kai had chosen the target for his attack carefully, making sure that the rain of dead Nightmare Creatures would fall on the empty stretch of crimson coral between the largely intact line of archers and the remnants of the vanguard, which was embroiled in horrifying melee. But this was not enough. The number of dropping corpses was too small to relieve the pressure from the crumbling net. Dashing through the air, Kai made a turn and flew back. A few moments later, he delivered another strike. A second cut appeared on the net, crisscrossing the first one. With a strange and melodic noise, four triangular sections of the net collapsed, creating a wide funnel through which a flood of bleeding carca.s.ses fell. Even more slowly rolled in the newly formed depression, finally allowing sunlight back onto the battlefield. And through that breach, he saw the sky once again. Most of the flying Nightmare Creatures had been slain by the archers, with just a few still trying fruitlessly to break through the net. But high above them, five dark dots still circled in the clouds. As soon as Kai saw them, a cold shiver ran through his body. Because it felt as though they saw him, too. A moment later, the Messengers broke the perfect symmetry of their circle and plunged down. 'No!' Kai's eyes widened. Dashing through the breach, he dismissed his Aspect Ability and allowed inertia to pull him down. A moment later, he landed on the carpet of dead monsters and desperately looked for arrows sticking from the bodies. Tearing one, two, three… five of them from the flesh of the Nightmare Creatures, he simultaneously summoned his bow. He would have gathered more, but there was no more time. As soon as his bow weaved itself from sparks of light, Kai pushed himself off the carpet of carca.s.ses and shot upward. Then, he looked up. The five terrifying Spire Messengers were descending upon him, wind whistling through their gruesome black feathers. Hunger and madness were burning in their eyes. For some reason, it felt as though the heavens themselves were falling on him. Flying toward the Fallen Monsters, Kai desperately drew his bow and send an arrow in their direction… then two, three, four, and finally five. At that point, the Messengers were close enough to see every detail of their repulsive pale bodies. The arrows Kai shot were mundane ones, and thus unable to do much damage to these harrowing abominations. …Unless aimed perfectly by a master of the bow. All five struck the base of one of the Messenger's wings, damaging it enough to send the vile creature crashing down, out of control. Kai dodged to the side, missing the second one by just a few meters. The third one was now right above him, its beak opening in a gluttonous glee. That was when Kai made his sixth shot. Only this time, the arrow he sent flying was not mundane at all. It was the Blood Arrow. The hideous black Memory streaked through the air and hit the Messenger right in the eye, sinking in so deep that only its fletching remained seen. The terrible monster suddenly convulsed, and then fell down. The melodious voice of the Spell sang into Kai's ear: [You have slain a Fallen Monster, Cursed…] But he had no time to listen to it. Using the body of the creature he had just killed as a shield, Kai evaded the attack of the fourth Messenger. But the last one… The last one suddenly appeared right in front of him, leaving Kai no path to retreat, no hope of saving himself. It was too late. The terrifying black beak shot forward. \\\* Effie did her best. She really, really did. But in the end, there was only so much that a person could endure. After an eternity of refusing to give up, covered in terrible wounds, she made a mistake. It wasn't a mistake, even. Just the inevitable failure of a body put through too much pain. After delivering another lethal blow, she tried to dodge an attacking monster, but at the most crucial moment, her mauled leg suddenly buckled. With a short yell, Effie stumbled and fell to the ground. The creature didn't give her a chance to stand up again. It jumped atop the huntress, pressing her into the ground. All she had time to do was grab the jaws of the monster to prevent them from closing on her head. Effie wanted to throw the heavy abomination off her, but a moment later, another jumped on it, its mandibles biting into her shoulder. And then another, and another, and another. Soon, she was buried under a crushing pile of frenzied Nightmare Creatures, sharp teeth sinking into her flesh. 'Hurts… it hurts so much…' Effie gritted her teeth, remembering… What it was like, to see that distant, pure light. ReadNovelFull.me?
327	Chapter 327 Sieae of the Crimson Spire (13) At the last moment, the coral golem moved, disappearing from Sunny's view. A fraction of a second later, it materialized a few steps away, just outside of the Midnight Shard's reach. '...b.a.s.t.a.r.d!' It was too late to change the direction of his attack. Pulled forward and down by the inertia, Sunny was forced to finish his downward slash and stumbled, falling to one knee. He found himself in a dangerous position, wide open for an attack and with little ability to maneuver. The perverse simulacrum of the Lord towered above him, his powerful frame radiating a sense of harrowing strength. On the forehead of the artificial creature, a polished piece of coral shined with intense crimson light. That light seemed to sap the life from everything it fell upon. Feeling a sudden weakness permeate his body, Sunny gritted his teeth and dashed to the side. A split second later, the fist of the Lord pierced the air with a cracking sound and shattered the ground, sending a rain of debris flying in every direction. Twisting his body, Sunny spun and delivered a backhanded blow before his feet even touched the ground. The blade of the tachi sc.r.a.ped against the vambrace of the golem's armor, leaving a dip gash in it. However, it didn't do a lot of damage. Landing and sliding back on the coral, Sunny thrust his hand forward and send the Moonlight Shard flying at the golem's face. The creature easily swatted it away with its hand. ReadNovelFull.me By the time it did, however, Sunny was already near, delivering a high thrust with the Midnight Shard. As soon as the Lord moved to deflect the austere blade, he changed the direction of his attack and turned it into a vicious horizontal cut. Using every last bit of his finesse and prowess, Sunny brought down a rain of strikes on the golem. He was moving with astonishing speed and agility, his attacks and steps seamlessly flowing from one into another. It was as though the whole onslaught was just one fluid, continuous motion. But no matter how swift and skilled he was, it all turned out to be useless. The Lord was much faster, stronger, and more powerful. Even though he was temporarily forced to concentrate on nothing but defense, every second that pa.s.sed spelled doom for Sunny. Because somewhere behind him, Saint was being slowly destroyed by the six other golems. And as soon as she fell, he was going to die. "Curse you!" Pausing for a mere moment, Sunny gave the coral abomination a chance to attack. Its fist shot toward his chest with terrifying speed. Turning his torso, Sunny avoided the blow and caught the hand of the golem between his body and his arm. This position didn't give him any advantage, because the creature was much stronger than him. On the contrary, it immobilized one of his hands and forced him to let go of the hilt of the Midnight Sword with the other. …But it gave Sunny purchase. The Lord raised his second fist, ready to crush the human's skull with one deadly strike. \\\* High in the skies above the battlefield, Kai was just moments away from death. He had wounded one of the Messengers, killed another, and avoided two more. But the last one was now upon him, and there was no escape. Time seemed to slow down. With his eyes opened wide in terror, he stared at the swiftly approaching beak of the harrowing creature. No matter how fast Kai was, he knew that this time, he wouldn't be able to evade his end. If only he had one more second! A fraction of a second, even… Fully aware that it was hopeless, Kai changed the direction of his flight. Despite it all, he had to at least try. But it was hopeless. Until… At the last moment, something flashed through the air and collided with the black beak of the Messenger, throwing it slightly off course. That gave Kai the fraction of a second he was praying for. Twisting his body, he allowed the beak to pa.s.s mere centimeters away from it, crashed into the side of the Messenger and bounced off of it, then stumbled away through the clouds. A slender, graceful rapier suddenly appeared by his side and then circled around him, cutting a stray black locust in half. With its pommel facing Kai and its tip aimed at anyone who would dare to attack him, the Quiet Dancer glided through the air, forming a defensive sphere of sharp steel around the young man. Despite its inanimate nature, the flying rapier somehow managed to convey the feeling of mean, arrogant, and bad-tempered protectiveness. Staring at the elegant Echo, Kai couldn't help but smile. 'Thank you, Ca.s.sie…' \\\* On the bloodsoaked battlefield, a small hill of monsters was moving and shifting, every horrifying creature in it l.u.s.ting to taste the flesh of the person buried beneath. It seemed as though there was no hope. But what was hope? Hope was something that Effie had abandoned long ago. She didn't need it. All she needed was a roof over her head, delicious food on her plate, and the thrill of the hunt. The indescribable pleasure of being healthy, strong, and living. With a tiny bit of misguided pride mixed in to spice things up. He wasn't willing to die yet, not like this, not without giving it one last fight... Suddenly, a m.u.f.fled sound resounded from under the hill of monsters. It was a furious growl, full of rage, defiance, and a desperate will to survive. A moment later, the hill shuddered. And then exploded, bodies of Nightmare Creatures flying away and rolling on the ground. Straining her muscles to the point where it felt like they were about to explode, and then past that, Effie pushed the incredible weight away with her mighty shoulders and emerged from the seething ma.s.s of abominations. She was still holding the jaws of the first creature to jump on her with her bleeding hands. With a ruthless motion, she tore them apart and threw the broken body aside. Her fist flashed through the air, crushing someone's skull. Effie had lost the Zenith Shard somewhere, but it didn't matter anymore. With a b.e.s.t.i.a.l growl, she spun and fought, killing one monster after another with her bare hands. She was not going to surrender. She was not going to back down. She was not going to... After a while, no one was there to attack her anymore. Effie didn't know why. To be honest, by then, she couldn't see much. Her vision was blurry, and slowly growing dark. Met with the lack of resistance, she staggered and fell to her knees. She tried to draw in a breath, but something was blocking her throat, and something was wrong with her lungs. She couldn't. 'This... is... the end, I guess...' Through the blurry dark fog, Effie suddenly saw a radiant figure approach. She smiled. 'Is that you, Princess? Ah, I hate to admit it… but I… don't… think... I can...' It was getting hard to form thoughts. Effie sighed, then closed her eyes, ready to give in to the comfort of oblivion. But then, two cool hands softly touched her face, and purifying white flames rolled through her body, bringing the pain and the agony away. \\\* Sunny was entangled with the Lord, the abomination's hand trapped between his arm and his body. The golem didn't seem to care about it that much, however. Instead, it raised his other fist and prepared to deliver the final blow. Before he had the chance to do so, however, Sunny's empty hand shot forward. Grabbing the shining piece of crimson coral with his fingers, he strained for a fraction of a second. And then tore it from the creature's forehead. The polished gem came out of the coral flesh of the terrible creature, dragging countless red threads with it. Sunny pulled as hard as he could and then twisted his hand, forcing the red strings to snap. Something cracked inside the menacing Lord's body, and he suddenly staggered. Without wasting this opportunity, Sunny released the golem's hand, raised the Midnight Shard high above his head, and then delivered a devastating downward slash. The blade of the tachi collided with the crimson coral and shattered it, turning the towering figure of the Lord into a rain of crumbling shards. ReadNovelFull.me?
328	Chapter 328 Siege of the Crimson Spire (14) Left on the top of the tall mound of crimson coral, Ca.s.sie stood alone in the darkness. Now that the Quiet Dancer had left her side, she was back to her previous self. Lost. Weak. Frightened. Utterly helpless. The oppressive nothingness surrounded her from all sides. But that nothingness was full of sound. It swelled with the deafening cacophony of the nightmare horde's onslaught. Ca.s.sie heard howls, growling, inhuman screams, shrieks, and the sc.r.a.ping of chitin. ReadNovelFull.me She heard the clangor of steel and the sound of flesh being ripped apart. She also heard countless human voices calling out to any kind of deity that could save them. Full of fury, agony, bravery, fear, resolve, sorrow, strength, helplessness, hope, faith, despair, disbelief. She heard them dying. Standing above it all, Ca.s.sie shivered. She wanted to press her hands against her ears, but didn't. …Her terrible vision was coming true. And she was back to being lost in the darkness. Just like before. Worse than before. Almost like on that first day in this cursed, forsaken, lightless land. In this forgotten h.e.l.l. Back then, she had found herself stranded on a similar mound of coral. Only what surrounded her was the dark sea and not a horde of Nightmare Creatures. But Ca.s.sie didn't know that. She didn't know where she was, and what was hiding in the boundless darkness. She only knew that she was alone, and helpless. That she was going to die in that lonesome, cold nothingness. She had given up. Sitting down on the hard coral, she hugged her knees and tried not to cry. Abandoned and forgotten, she waited for death. But instead of death, a cold and indifferent voice came out of the darkness: "...What are you doing?" That was how she met Nephis, who saved and protected her ever since. Without even asking anything in return, not before, and not after learning of what Ca.s.sie's Aspect was able to do. Just because she wanted to. Nephis brought her out of the darkness and destroyed the bitter, all-encompa.s.sing prison of her loneliness. How was Ca.s.sie supposed to ever repay that debt? And then, she met Sunny. Sweet Sunny, who pretended to be callous and cruel, but was actually caring and kind. And then, she had to make a choice. …And now, she had to live with that choice. Or die with it... As Ca.s.sie stood, listening to the sounds of slaughter, a sudden gust of wind rustled her beautiful blond hair. She flinched, and slowly turned to face the wind. A moment later, her face paled, and her lips moved slightly. 'No!' Left alone, away from the battle and anyone who could have heard her, Ca.s.sie closed her eyes and whispered into the nothingness: "A storm… there is a storm…" \\\* The Dreamer Army became much smaller, but still held on. In fact, it was slowly pushing the horde of the Nightmare Creatures back. As the line of archers ran out of arrows and ammunition, those who had no suitable Memories to replace them summoned their melee weapons and joined the vanguard, reinforcing its dwindling numbers. The Artisans had done the same, abandoning their siege engines and throwing themselves into the crucible of combat. The nightmare horde, meanwhile, had depleted its seemingly endless reserve of fresh bodies. With no more abominations crossing the bridges of crimson coral and lunging forward to join the ma.s.sacre, its ma.s.s was slowly growing thinner. With Changing Star serving as the una.s.sailable core of the human formation and rallying fighters around her, with Effie stalling the entire horde to give the rest of the humans time to mend the breaches in their defense lines, for a few minutes, the flow of the battle froze in fragile balance. The two opposing forces seemed to finally be evenly matched. All it would have taken for the humans to turn that balance in their favor was one last furious push. "Come on! Hold strong!" "Lit yourself on fire!" "Follow the Immortal Flame!" As several people yelled, feeling that the fate of this battle was about to be decided, a gust of wind suddenly blew over the battlefield, bringing with it the smell of salt. The light dimmed slightly. Looking west, they suddenly stumbled and froze for a few moments. Their faces became as white as snow. …Behind the Crimson Spire, an impenetrable wall of darkness was slowly devouring the world. It was approaching the battlefield with terrifying speed, numerous bolts of lightning illuminating its furious depths. A storm was coming. As it drew closer and closer, the surface of the black water that swirled around the island of the cyclopean tower suddenly trembled. And then, it began to crawl upward. First slowly, and then faster and faster, the black whirlpool swelled and moved forward, swallowing the crimson coral meter after a meter, its dark vastness rising and seething. The cursed sea was coming to devour the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. The monsters that guarded the Crimson Spire, however, did not react in the same way as the usual Nightmare Creatures would have. Instead of scurrying away to find shelter, they howled and shrieked in eerie triumph, and then crashed into the Dreamer Army with renewed fury. Expressions of terror and despair appeared on people's faces. But there was nowhere to retreat, nowhere to run. All they could do was stand and fight. Even when the ground beneath their feet became slippery and slick, covered by a thin film of black water. Even when the water continued rising. \\\* [You have slain an awakened…] [Your shadow…] [You have received a…] Spinning as soon as the remains of the Lord crumbled to the ground, Sunny dashed toward the remaining six golems to reinforce the heavily damaged Saint. He didn't listen to the Spell, picking up only one piece of information from her words: the coral golems were of the Awakened rank. …Made sense. Just as a Fallen Tyrant was not supposed to be able to create minions of the same Rank, a Fallen Terror was most likely not capable of such feat either. Previously, the coral constructs were fast and powerful enough to make Sunny think that they were Fallen creatures. But it was just the effect of the profane gem burning in the Lord's forehead. Just like the Dawn Shard was able to elevate Awakened Memories to the boundary of the Ascended rank, so had the Lord enhanced his fellow abominations, bringing their power close to that of the Fallen. But now that he was destroyed, the augmentation disappeared with him. Sunny was confident in his ability to finish off six awakened Nightmare Creatures… for the most part. As he ran, a strong gust of wind suddenly hit him in the back, almost making Sunny stumble. 'What the h.e.l.l…' Throwing a glance over his shoulders, he stared at the skies, his eyes widening. An endless wall of darkness crashed into the Crimson Spire and swallowed it, painting the whole world black. Stunned, Sunny gritted his teeth and turned away from it, a cold feeling of dread permeating his entire body. '...Curse it all!' ReadNovelFull.me?
329	Chapter 329 Siege of the Crimson Spire (15) In front of him, Saint was barely holding on to life. Her armor was broken and painted red by the crimson dust that flowed from a dozen terrible wounds. The visor of the helmet was shattered, together with the side of her face. One of her ruby eyes was missing, replaced by a jagged black hole. As he ran, a vicious blow of the Knight's sword got past the Shadow's defense and bit into her shield arm, severing it at the elbow. Saint staggered and awkwardly lashed out with her sword. Then, she took a step back and fell heavily to one knee. The menacing figures of the golems towered above her, approaching to deliver the final blow. The war hammer of the Builder rose, ready to fall down like a herald of destruction. The spear of the Hunter flew forward like a hungry predator. The Shadow slightly tilted her head and faced her death. Her eerily beautiful alabaster face was calm and indifferent. The weapons of the profane constructs reflected in her one remaining eye, growing larger and larger as they drew closer. …But in the end, all they managed to pierce was emptiness. The wounded Saint dissipated into shadows, summoned back into the nurturing black flames of Sunny's core at the last second. In the next moment, a wall of darkness swallowed the empty s.p.a.ce in front of the Crimson Spire, bringing with it pelting rain and hurricane winds. The storm was now upon them. ReadNovelFull.me The six golems lingered for a few seconds, staring into the raging expanse of the terrifying tempest. They were submerged into its darkness, with only a rare flash of lightning illuminating the world. The wall of rain was so thick that it was almost impossible to see anything through it. Suddenly, they discerned a hint of a movement to their left and swiftly turned, ready to attack the enemy. However, there was no one there. A moment later, though, one of them suddenly shuddered, and then crumbled to the ground, its head flying off into the darkness. The flash of the blade that had decapitated it was so swift and unexpected that none of them had time to react. It also came from the wrong direction. The golems spun and raised their weapons… but instead of an enemy, all they saw was a heavy kunai appearing from the wall of darkness and hitting one of them in the neck. The blow was powerful enough to make the golem stagger, but not that dangerous. The wounded abomination simply raised its hand and tore the dagger out of its coral flesh. As it did, however, the figure of the Slayer that stood behind the rest of the golems suddenly fell to her knees. A moment later, her head slowly slid from her neck and tumbled down, revealing a perfect, smooth cut. Sunny, who hid in the darkness, bared his teeth in a vicious grin. 'This is my domain, wretches. You are my guests now…' Two dead, four to go. Realizing that their enemy was capable of hiding in the shadows and seeing in the dark, the golems changed their tactic. The Knight, the Stranger, and the Hunter shifted to stand in a circle, protecting the Priestess with their bodies. The Priestess, meanwhile, raised her hands to the skies. In the next moment, a blinding light shot into every direction from her open palms, revealing Sunny, who had been just a few meters away from them and preparing to launch another attack. '...d.a.m.nation.' \\\* On the b.l.o.o.d.y battlefield, the remains of the Dreamer Army were besieged from all sides. They continued to fight with doomed determination, abandoning all fear and doubt. Even though the black water was already high enough to reach their knees, the humans continued to resist the horde of the frenzied Nightmare Creatures, slaying three for every one of them killed by the terrifying abominations. Illuminating by the radiant light of Changing Star, not one of them tried to run. Instead, they stalwartly stood their ground and fought. Some were smiling, and some were even singing. …As more and more of them fell, forever disappearing under the cold surface of the cursed sea, the black water kept rising. \\\* High in the skies above the battlefield, Kai and the Quiet Dancer were flying through the nets of lightning, dodging the attacks of three relentless Spire Messengers. The terrible monsters were infinitely faster and more powerful than the two of them, but had to rely on their wings to propel their ma.s.sive bodies through the air. Both Kai and his graceful defender flew thanks to magical abilities, and as such, could maneuver better than the winged abominations. This was the only reason why there were still alive. As Kai dodged and evaded the onslaught of deadly attacks, he pelted the Messengers with precise shots of his bow. However, none were as lucky as his first one: the black arrow bit into the flesh of the powerful monsters again and again, drinking their blood, but all that achieved was slowing them down a bit. But he didn't care. He never hoped to defeat the harrowing heralds of the Spire, to begin with. He just wanted to keep them away from the people fighting on the ground… For as long as he could. Flying through the storm, struggling against the crushing pressure of the wind and dodging bolts of lightning, Kai gritted his teeth and kept doing just that. \\\* …Not pausing even for a second after his position was revealed, Sunny lunged forward and delivered a swift thrust, aiming at the closest golem — the Knight. The creature moved, deflecting the blade of the Midnight Shard with a coral parody of the n.o.ble weapon. Now that the Lord was destroyed, the artificial creatures became considerably less fast and strong. They were no better than carapace scavengers, or maybe centurions… Barely more powerful than Sunny himself, thanks to the shadow. However, they were just monsters, while he was something much more deadly. A kid from the outskirts who spent a whole year fighting for his life in the depths of h.e.l.l. He had the skill, the clarity, and the murderous will of a human. Allowing the Midnight Shard to slide along the blade of his enemy's sword, Sunny made a step forward and raised his hands. The tachi changed its angle and then easily moved past the Knight's defenses, piercing his neck. One twist, and it flew out of the golem's flesh, disintegrating half of his neck in the process. Continuing the motion, Sunny slammed his fist and the hilt of the Midnight Shard into the golem's face with enough force to break the remaining half. [You have slain…] Using the grounded footwork that he had learned in the countless spars with the Shadow Saint, he quickly repositioned himself and blocked the attack of the Hunter's spear. The Stranger was still trying to move past the Priestess to join the fight — Sunny had planned to use this to his advantage from the start. Before his current opponent could react, Sunny delivered a deadly counterattack, cutting off one of his arms. A moment later, he pulled the tachi back, thrust it forward, piercing the Hunter through the chest, and then pulled it up, cutting the cursed creature apart. [You have slain an awakened…] The Priestess lunged forward, wishing to rip him apart with her bare hands, but was suddenly pulled back by the invisible string that had wrapped itself around her neck at some point in the fight. That was all the time Sunny required. As pieces of coral fell to the ground, the Spell spoke once again: [You have…] With the Priestess dead, the Stranger was left in the darkness once again. He hesitated and raised his shield, looking at the spot where the enemy had been just a second ago and listening to the sound of water through the roaring storm. However, in the next second, something rustled behind him. The Stranger spun and delivered a wide horizontal slash with his sword, but then paused, staring down. His sword hand was gone, cut cleanly at the wrist. Then, something flushed through the rain and streaked across his body. The golem staggered, and then fell down, crumbling into halves as it fell. Breathing heavily, Sunny lowered the Midnight Shard and looked at the six piles of crimson coral that were disappearing beneath the black water in front of him. Then, he spat. "Who told you that you can hurt my Shadow, b.a.s.t.a.r.ds?" Turning around, he saw a bolt of lightning hit the gargantuan gates of the Crimson Spire. Arcs of electricity danced on its stone surface and then dissipated, leaving a ghostly afterglow in their wake. Only the shapes of the seven stars continued to shine, as though full of energy. Clutching his burning chest, Sunny looked at the black water that was already up to his knees and headed toward the Spire. ReadNovelFull.me?
330	Chapter 330 siege of the Crimson Spire (16) As the Dreamer Army was drowning in the rising waters of the cursed sea and the insatiable tide of monsters, Sunny approached the crimson tower. Far away from the rest of them, completely alone, submerged in roaring darkness, he struggled against the seething ma.s.s of black waves and the hurricane winds to cross the last few meters that separated him from the shining star sigil engraved into its gates. Finally, his hand touched the cold surface of the ancient stone. Wiping the rainwater off his pale face, Sunny stared at the radiant shapes of the seven stars. 'This better work…' Summoning the first of the Oauth Keys, he lingered for a moment, and then carefully inserted it into the black chasm of the keyhole. \\\* Separated from him by the vast expanse of the swelling sea of darkness, the surviving Sleepers desperately fought the advancing horde of monsters. The black water had already reached their waists, making it hard to move. The army was trying to retreat up the slope of the crimson coral, but the pursuing sea was much faster than them. Changing Star was still slaying one monster after another, her radiance only growing brighter in the tenebrous h.e.l.l of the furious storm. Raindrops were evaporating as they touched her brilliant skin, its incandescence making even arching bolts of lightning seem pale and bleak. …Suddenly, an almost imperceptible ripple ran across the surface of the black water. A gust of cold wind blew over the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, sending a shiver running through the hearts of countless creatures. ReadNovelFull.me \\\* Moving on to the next star, Sunny summoned the second key and put it into the lock. Nothing terrible happened, so he struggled through the water to reach the third one. 'Terrible… what would that even look like? What can be more terrible than my current situation?' As if to answer his question, somewhere behind him, a black tentacle suddenly rose out of the seething waves and blindly whipped through the air. Crashing into a mount of coral, it easily shattered it. A rain of debris fell into the water. Just a moment later, countless others followed the first one. Noticing this new development through the eyes of his shadow, Sunny cursed. 'Me and my big d.a.m.n mouth!' Luckily, the tentacles were some distance away, somewhere near the remains of the seven golems he had slain. But as the sea rose, they started slowly moving in his direction. Hurriedly inserting the third key, Sunny dashed to the fourth star. Another Oath Key slid into its lock. The water was now even higher, forcing him to struggle against its weight. A strong gust of wind hit Sunny in the back, almost causing him to crash headfirst into the stone gates. As he put the fifth key into the keyhole, the tentacles were already alarmingly close. 'Curse it all!' Sunny inserted the sixth Oath Key into the lock and dove into the black water, swimming toward the last one. Just a few moments before the ma.s.s of twisting tentacles descended on him, he found the last shining star and drove the seventh key into its center. Suddenly, the world shuddered. \\\* The whole Forgotten Sh.o.r.e trembled. Out on the battlefield, the surviving humans froze for a second, startled by the sudden change that rippled through the world. The furious onslaught of the wind died down. The torrential flood of rain stopped. The continuous, deafening roar of the thunderstrikes grew quiet. The terrible storm seemed to have ended as suddenly as it had appeared, dissipating into nothingness like a fragile mirage. Even the Nightmare Creatures attacking them stumbled and paused for a moment, staring at the sky. …And then, the dark veil of clouds was broken by a blindingly bright ray of sunlight. As soon as it happened, the restless black water stopped rising, and then flowed in reverse. The cursed sea was retreating. \\\* "c.r.a.p!" As soon as Sunny put the last Oath Key into the seventh lock, the whole Crimson Spire shuddered. An indescribable sound came from its depths, echoing through the darkness of the storm like a heavy, mournful sigh. And then, the gargantuan gates opened. The giant slabs of ancient stone moved for the first time in thousands of years… …The problem was, the gates opened outward, slamming into Sunny and dragging him through the ma.s.s of black water with terrible speed. The unexpected blow threw him off his feet and almost caused him to drown. Not to mention the fact that it hurt like h.e.l.l. The opening gate brought him away from the d.a.m.ned tentacles, at least. After a while, Sunny was thrown onto the slope of a tall coral mound. Coughing a few times, he tiredly crawled a few meters up, then fell on the rough surface of the coral and turned around. What Sunny saw made him blink, then open his eyes wide and stare in disbelief. The dark sea was being sucked into the Spire. The black water was flowing in reverse, rushing into the enormous doorway. The twisting tentacles and the harrowing creature they belonged to were carried away by that current, disappearing into that blackness, too. The strange thing was, the amount of water entering the Crimson Spire was much larger than what should have been possible. Sunny expected to see it fill the cyclopean tower, but instead, it simply flowed inside and seemed to… disappeared. As if swallowed by the Spire and banished into the depths of the earth. Just a few moments later, the lever of the dark sea began to fall. The storm died down, and the impenetrable veil of clouds was torn apart, allowing sunlight to illuminate the world once again. And in a few minutes… The cursed sea was no more. Sunny stared at the clear surface of the crimson coral, which had been covered by the black waves not too long ago. The bottomless dark ocean was gone without a trace. Even the black whirlpool that had surrounded the island was not there anymore, revealing a deep, uneven, empty semblance of a moat. Then, Sunny stared at the sky, where a furious white sun was hovering right above the tip of the Crimson Spire. A stunned thought entered his mind… 'Did we… did we do it?' ...Did he actually destroy the dark sea? ReadNovelFull.me?
331	Chapter 331 Siege of the Crimson Spire (17) The dark sea was gone. And all the horrors that dwelt in its cursed depths were gone with it, too. The world was bathed in pure sunlight. The surface of the Labyrinth suddenly became vibrant and bright, with stark shadows hiding under the jagged pillars of the crimson coral. The furious white sun burned above the Crimson Spire, as if frozen in the middle of the sky. Sunny even had to cover his eyes for a few seconds. Laying on the ground, he allowed himself a few moments of rest. A short laugh escaped from his lips. 'I actually did it?' Speak about the unlikely events... Unfortunately, he couldn't really rest yet. The battle wasn't over. The horde of Nightmare Creatures was not defeated yet. ReadNovelFull.me …And somewhere in the Spire, the Crimson Terror itself was not defeated, either. With a deep sigh, Sunny collected himself and rose to his feet. They were almost there. They almost escaped. Now, all that was left was to make one final push. Even if it was going to be the hardest one yet... Looking at the tall mound of coral towering above him, he squinted against the light and began climbing it. Was it always so bright? As Sunny climbed, he summoned the runes and glanced at them. Shadows: [Marble Saint]. 'Thank G.o.ds.' He knew that Saint was alright, but still wanted to check. The taciturn demon had been heavily damaged and was bound to spend a long time restoring herself, however, her existence was not in danger. Then, his eyes slid lower: Shadow Fragments: [999/1000]. '...c.r.a.p.' Sunny gritted his teeth. He was simultaneously excited and scared to find out what was going to happen once he saturated the Shadow Core. It was bound to be beneficial, but at what cost? Would he go into a slumber for several weeks, as Saint had? Or suddenly become incapacitated amidst furious combat, as Nephis had been after defeating Gunlaug? That could cost him his life… 'Not like I can do anything about it now.' Full of unease, he continued his climb and soon reached the very top of the coral pillar. Standing on it, Sunny looked in the direction of the Dreamer Army. Something wet suddenly fell on his hand. Looking down, he saw a drop of blood rolling off his skin. A moment later, another fell on the vambrace of the Puppeteer's Shroud. Surprised, Sunny raised his hand and swiped it across his upper lip. It came away wet with blood. '...A nose bleed? What the h.e.l.l?' Come to think of it, why did he feel so weak? As Sunny stared at his hand in confusion, a violent ripple suddenly ran through his shadow. \\\* Across the deep moat that surrounded the island, the remnants of the Dreamer Army were at the precipice of turning the tide of battle in their favor. Just a few minutes ago, they had been drowning in the rising flood of black water and the relentless onslaught of the horde, lost in the fury of a cataclysmic storm. But now, things were different. The storm was no more, and the dark sea had retreated. The sun shined brightly in the sky, drowning the battlefield in its light. Bathed in it, the Nightmare Creatures seemed to become hesitant… almost sluggish. They were not giving up, however. The monsters continued to attack the humans in a frenzied rage, their claws and fangs reaping one life after another. But the survivors of the Dreamer Army were repaying every loss tenfold. Reinvigorated by the exhilarating gift of sudden salvation, they steeled their hearts and fought with zeal, fervor, and murderous will. More and more Nightmare Creatures fell to their blades, and the horde did not seem to be endless anymore. The Sleepers did not know why the storm had dissipated and why the cursed sea had retreated, but their faith in Changing Star now burned even brighter. She had promised to guide them out of this h.e.l.l, and somehow, even the black water had capitulated to her radiant light… The victory was not impossible anymore. They could practically taste it… But Nephis herself suddenly stumbled and slowed her sword dance. A confused, alarmed frown appeared on her face. Dodging the claws of an attacking abomination, she thrust her sword into its maw, then jumped back. Free of the swarming monsters for a few short moments, she lowered her sword. And looked at the sky. \\\* High above her, Kai was still alive… somehow. 'What is happening?' He had spent so long flying at a terrible speed, struggling against the crushing wind, dodging bolts of lightning and the cursed Spire Messengers, pushing the limits of both his body and mind… the exhaustion was catching up with him now, making it hard to think. Let alone react… He really, really didn't feel well. His whole body ached, and his vision was slowly turning blurry. A sickening feeling of weakness permeated his body. The storm had come out of nowhere, and then disappeared without a trace. The skies were blindingly bright. …That was a relief. But the d.a.m.n abominations were still there. At least they didn't look tireless anymore. In fact, the Messengers seemed to be in as much of a sorry state as Kai himself. He wanted to flatter himself and a.s.sume that it was because of his arrows. He had wounded the d.a.m.ned monsters many times, after all… But no, it didn't make any sense. They seemed able to resist the effect of the Blood Arrow before, at least to a large extent, so why would it change now? 'Something is wrong…' Using the sun to blind his enemies, Kai dove into the light and dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding the claws of one of the Messengers. Or so he thought — in reality, it wasn't narrow at all. He dodged it with a lot of room to spare. The Quiet Dancer didn't even need to get involved. 'Are they… growing slower?' With a sudden feeling of unease, Kai hesitated for a split second, and then reduced his speed to take a good look at the terrifying creature. What he saw made him scowl. The Messenger looked… wrong. Its gla.s.sy black eyes were erratic and senseless. They were seeping with blood, which flowed down the black feathers like a crimson stream. There were two other similar streams, coming from the monster's ears. The muscles of his pale body were spasming, rolling under the white skin like panicking worms. As Kai watched, the Messenger suddenly opened its beak in a silent scream. A moment later, a flood of blood erupted out of it and dispersed in the wind like red mist. Then, the creature convulsed one last time and lost control of its wings. Not even trying to correct itself, the terrible abomination plunged down. Kai flinched and opened his eyes wide in terror. …The Spire Messenger was dead. ReadNovelFull.me?
332	Chapter 332 siege of the Crimson Spire (18) Sunny swayed a little, and then looked down at his shadow. The shadow seemed to be in pain. It was slumped, clutching at its chest with one hand and waving at him with the other. When it noticed that Sunny was staring at it, it desperately pointed to itself. 'What… what is this guy trying to say?' Was he having a heart attack? No, of course not. That would be ridiculous. Shadows didn't have hearts… What was it pointing at, then? Sunny scowled. The shadow was his reflection. So maybe it was not pointing at its own heart, but at his. But his heart felt fine. What else was there to point at? Suddenly, his eyes widened. ReadNovelFull.me The Soul Core. The Soul Core usually overlapped over a human's heart… With a shudder, Sunny dove into the Soul Sea. Instead of the usual peace and quiet, he was met by ominous chaos. The dark waters that were always tranquil and still were now restless and turbulent. They rippled and surged, as though under the a.s.sault of the invisible winds. Up above, the spheres of light that represented his Memories shimmered and blinked, as if about to be extinguished. The black sun of the Shadow Core was trembling. He could almost see tiny cracks appear on its transparent surface. Only the silent shadows were still the same, not disturbed by the approaching disaster at all. They stood motionlessly, staring at him with no expression on their black, lifeless faces. Sunny did not pay them any attention and stared at the Shadow Core with wide eyes, dumbfounded. '...Soul damage. I am receiving soul damage.' He was under the effect of a continuous soul attack. Escaping the unquiet sea in panic, Sunny wiped the blood off his face and looked around with a grim expression. He was even paler than usual. 'What the h.e.l.l is attacking me?' After a few moments, he suddenly shivered, stunned by a chilling revelation. And then looked up, at the blinding disсus of the sun. …He had not been wrong. Its light was indeed much brighter than it had been before. The skies of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, which had always been grey, were now almost white, full of merciless heat and radiance. It looked as though someone had erased reality itself, leaving behind nothing but an endless white void. With each second, it was growing more and more incandescent. 'The sun…' The source of the soul attack was not a Nightmare Creature. It was sunlight itself. Anywhere it reached, the souls of living creatures were being slowly eroded and destroyed. And since the sun was now directly above them, at high noon, there was almost nowhere where it couldn't reach. There was no escape from it. Except for… Turning around, Sunny stared at the opened gates of the Crimson Spire. Behind them, welcoming darkness promised shade and safety. This was the only place where he could hide from the annihilating sun. 'The army!' Spinning around, he peered across the moat. Out there on the battlefield, the Nightmare Creatures had stopped their endless onslaught. Now, they were stumbling and swaying, as though drunk. Many had already fallen to the ground, blood streaming from their orifices. Their souls had been destroyed, and they were dead. The surviving warriors of the Dreamer Army were staring at them in bewilderment, their distant figures full of both relief and confusion. Sunny wanted to scream, warning them of the terrible danger they were in, but knew that he was too far away for anyone to hear him. From the tall mound of coral he was standing on, he could see the graceful shining figure in their midst. He knew that Nephis must have figured out what was going on by now. But she didn't know that the gates of the Spire were open. 'Think, think!' Sunny lingered for a few seconds, and then raised his hand. A moment later, a clear ringing of a silver bell spread across the Labyrinth, rolling over the remains of the Dreamer Army. Far away on the battlefield, Nephis spun and looked in his direction. 'Come on! Come on, Neph!' Sunny rang the Silver Bell again and waved his hand in the air. However, there was no need. Changing Star had already moved, thrusting her sword toward the Spire. In the next moment, the Dreamer Army lunged forward. Sleepers were running with all the speed they could muster, following the command of their Lady. "Yes! Wait… what is she doing?!" Nephis herself did not follow her soldiers. Instead, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction. …To the distant pillar of coral that they had left at the start of this mess. Sunny's heart skipped a bit when he realized that she was going back for Ca.s.sie. But there was nothing he could do to help, not anymore. 'Good luck…' Jumping down from the mound, he rolled on the ground and ran toward the darkness of the Spire's doorway without looking back. …However, before Sunny could reach it, he saw something falling down from the skies. 'What the…' A ragged human figure slammed into the crimson coral and rolled several times before coming to a stop, then remained still. Sunny dashed toward it, quickly recognizing the bright colors of Kai's armor. To his relief, the charming young man was still alive, if barely conscious. A graceful rapier was worriedly zipping in the air around him, the steel of its blade bleak and devoid of the usual l.u.s.ter. The two of them must have been high up in the sky when the soul erasure had begun, much closer to its source, and so suffered more than those of them on the ground. Not wasting any time, Sunny grabbed Kai by the collar and dragged him toward the opened gates of the Spire. The Quiet Dancer followed. Soon, the three of them reached the border between light and darkness. Without hesitating even for a second, Sunny dove into the cool shade, made a few steps to get deeper into its shelter, and fell to the ground. "Ah…" Only now, protected from the annihilating sunlight by the solid ma.s.s of the ancient tower, he realized how terrible his condition had been. But no more. His soul was finally at peace once again, whatever wounds dealt to it already healing. Kai was still alive, too. "Lucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d." 'Thank G.o.ds… uh, I mean — that fool owes me big time now!' Breathing heavily, he checked on the unconscious archer, then sat down and stared at the blindingly bright landscape outside. Were the... were the others going to make it? A few seconds later, something suddenly flashed through the air. It was Caster: falling on his knees near them, he glanced at Sunny with tired eyes and then gently placed an unconscious Sleeper he had carried with him on the ground. Without saying anything, both of them then turned to the gates of the Spire and looked into the light. Seconds pa.s.sed in torturous silence. ...And then, a human silhouette appeared out of the brightness. And then another, and another. The survivors of the Dreamer Army had reached the island and dashed toward the life-saving darkness of the gargantuan tower. Soon, they crossed the distance separating them from the gates and dove into their shade. Sunny watched, something sharp moving in his chest. A torturous eternity later, he finally saw the familiar figure in white armor appear at the doorstep of the colossal structure. Carrying Ca.s.sie, Nephis entered the shadows. She was the last one to come. Looking at them and at the small crowd of Sleepers gathered at the border between darkness and light, Sunny was finally able to exhale. They made it. The battle for the Crimson Spire was over. Now all they had to do was find the Gateway hidden somewhere inside the ancient tower. …And survive the wrath of its master. ReadNovelFull.me?
333	Chapter 333 ln the Belly of the Beast Sitting on the cold stone floor, Sunny inhaled deeply and looked at the people that surrounded him. All of them were exhausted, wounded, covered in blood, dirt, barely staying conscious. Their armor was broken and torn, and their faces were deathly pale. They sat on the ground, too tired to move or talk, breathing heavily, and stared down with empty eyes. There were so few of them left… But also much more than he had expected. Around a hundred Sleepers had survived the battle of the Crimson Spire. They were the strongest, the bravest… but mostly, the luckiest warriors of the Dreamer Army. Four-fifths of it had been eviscerated in the slaughter. Not to mention another five hundred or so that had died during the b.l.o.o.d.y struggle for the throne of the Bright Castle. This hundred was all that remained of more than a thousand humans that had been surviving on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e before Changing Star had arrived in the Dark City like a brilliant omen of disaster. Like a herald of ruinous change. But Sunny was appalled and horrified as much as he was surprised and elated. He had honestly thought that the number of people who would make it this far was going to be in the single digits. ...Looking around, he searched for familiar faces. ReadNovelFull.me Nephis and Ca.s.sie were there, of course. So was Kai. Effie was slumped against a wall, dressed only in her white chiton, which was now torn and painted completely red with blood. Her armor seemed to have been completely destroyed. Caster was also there, bandaging a shallow wound on his shoulder. Compared to other survivors, he seemed strangely clean. However, his armor was seriously damaged, too. It seemed that even incredible speed had not been enough to avoid the fury of the nightmare horde. Seishan stood slightly apart from the rest of them, surrounded by a dozen surviving Handmaidens. The beautiful woman was heavily injured, the l.u.s.ter of her skin and sparkling eyes growing bleak and dim. From what Sunny could see, she was barely alive. He also noticed Aiko, who was sitting on the floor, wiping tears off her delicate face. But there were also many people whom he did not see. The scarred hunter who had welcomed them into the outer settlement after their long expedition was dead. So was Park, his nonchalant friend who had been responsible for turning Effie into a folk hero with his tales. The talkative watchmen who had asked Sunny about his opinion on who could have killed Harus were now dead, too. So was the young man who had thought that talking to Sunny was a headache. Stev, the ample giant that had been in charge of the Memory Market during Gunlaug's reign, did not make. Perhaps this was why Aiko, his friend, was now silently shedding tears. Even Gemma, the dauntless leader of the Dark City Hunters, had perished. Sunny did not know what could have killed the seemingly immortal man, but suspected that his last hunt had been a truly terrifying sight to behold. Most of the people Gemma had brought to Changing Star's faction with him were now dead, too. And so, so many more. Their absence pressed down on survivors like an unseen weight. But those who survived had no time for sorrow, at least not now. They weren't free of this nightmare yet. In fact, there had just entered the very belly of the beast. \\\* Turning away from the hundred Sleepers, Sunny looked into the depths of the Crimson Spire. Once, the entire tower must have been hollow, but now there were growths of coral everywhere inside. They resembled frozen waterfalls of blood, as if rivers of it had once streamed from the top of the Spire and then suddenly turned solid. Because of that, it was hard to see what hid in the depths of the cyclopic construct. Further away, the interior of the tower was shrouded in the cold darkness. Lingering for a few moments, Sunny decided not to send his shadow to explore. The Crimson Terror had already proven its ability to hurt the it, so he was unwilling to risk the well-being of his invaluable helper. Instead, he glanced at Neph. Changing Star was peering into the growing brightness that drowned the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. By now, the light of day outside was almost blinding. On her face, there was a strangely thoughtful expression. As Sunny watched, she turned around and raised her head, looking in the direction of the Spire's tip. After a while, she frowned, and then faced the surviving humans. Her calm voice echoed in the darkness of the ancient tower: "It's time to go. Gather your strength. We are almost there!" The Sleepers looked at her with tired eyes, the light of hope igniting in them with renewed strength. Slowly, they rose to their feet. Those who were relatively fine supported those who were seriously wounded. Those who had lost consciousness were being carried by their friends or fellow warriors. Soon, the procession of humans headed deeper into the Spire. Nephis was walking at the front, holding Ca.s.sie by the hand. Somehow, Sunny ended up side by side with them. Looking at the two young women, he wanted to say something, but no words came to his mind. Instead, Neph was the one who spoke. Glancing at Sunny, she hesitated for a while, and then said: "Thank you. For ringing that bell. And… for everything." He looked at her for a long time, and then shrugged. "There's no need to thank me. We are allies. Are we not?" She smiled slightly and remained silent after that. Soon, they pa.s.sed through the barrier of coral and approached the center of the Spire. There, the dark sea was imprisoned under an indomitable seal. In front of them was a vast pool of black water. Its surface was perfectly still and flat, like that of a harrowing mirror made from pure darkness. Although the water was opaque and no one could see how far down that gargantuan well went, Sunny felt as though it was unimaginably deep. He felt that it reached such depths that mere thought of light would be impossible there. As they watched in solemn silence, a subtle ripple spread across the surface of the imprisoned sea. It was as though it was straining to spill over the edges of the pool and break free. However, the invisible powers that held it down were too mighty to overcome, even for this vast, boundless, inconceivable creature. Turning away from the eerie black mirror, Sunny peered into the darkness and frowned. Hidden in the shadows, far away from the light of human lanterns, countless figures were standing motionlessly, staring at them. ReadNovelFull.me?
334	Chapter 334 Silver Sword At first, Sunny wanted to shout to warn everyone, but after observing the silent figures for a few moments, he changed his mind. Hidden in darkness, countless coral golems were staring mindlessly into the distance. They were very similar to the creatures he had fought to get to the Star Sigil, but also different. Because they weren't copies of ancient heroes… just that of mundane people. As such, they wouldn't be too dangerous. A single Sleeper could fight dozens with ease, let alone the experienced, powerful warriors of the Dreamer Army. More than that, the golems did not seem to be hostile. Some of them stood motionlessly, while some aimlessly wandered about. These sad, empty things were even more lifeless than Echoes. He felt that they weren't really creatures, even. Just… physical manifestations of the Crimson Terror's madness, perhaps. A representation of its broken psyche and scattered thoughts. He was sure that each of these golems represented one of the souls that had been sacrificed to the artificial sun and had once flowed through its vessel, becoming a part of it. Forever. …There were thousands of them, and even more had to be hidden somewhere out of sight. Lingering for a bit, Sunny informed Nephis of his discovery. She frowned and glanced into the darkness, then nodded. "We will be careful." ReadNovelFull.me Now that they had a better understanding of the ground level of the Crimson Spire, it became clear that the Gateway was not on it. To find it, the remains of the Dreamer Army were going to have to ascend higher. There were no stairs or lifting mechanisms in sight, but luckily, many of the twisting coral pillars were wide enough for several people to walk on them, and not as steep as to make things too difficult. The Sleepers could use them to easily reach the next level. …However, as soon as Sunny stepped forward, Neph suddenly pulled him back and shouted: "Everyone, back!" Just a moment later, a wide ray of blinding light fell from somewhere above and swiped across the interior of the Crimson Spire, annihilating the tranquil darkness. It didn't take a genius to realize that the ray was imbued with the same soul-destroying property as the deadly beams of sunlight outside… only this one seemed much more powerful. It was also different. Although its movements were erratic and strange, they were unmistakably aimed at the exhausted ma.s.s of human invaders and full of intent. "Hide in the shadows!" Swiftly, the Sleepers dove behind growths of coral and pressed themselves against them. A few unfortunate ones lingered for too long and were exposed to the light. They didn't scream or struggle, just fell down to the ground, their lives extinguished in a split moment. The rest froze, consumed by tense fear. Sunny found himself leaning against a slightly inclined pillar of coral, Nepth and Ca.s.sie by his side. Carefully looking out, he saw the deadly beam of light grow dim and dissipate. A moment later, however, several more fell from above, tearing the darkness apart. But that was not all. Guided by the light, the ma.s.s of coral golems suddenly surged forward, moving toward the place where the Dreamer Army was hiding. Their movements, which were aimless and mindless before, were now full of malevolent will. '...c.r.a.p.' Turning to Nephis, he summoned the Midnight Shard and asked: "What now?" She lingered for a bit, and then said evenly: "Someone will have to attack the Crimson Terror directly to draw its attention away." Sunny smiled, feeling a strong sense of deja vu. "And who might that be?" Changing Star sighed and took a step back, summoning her silver sword. "...Me. It has to be me." He frowned, feeling very reluctant to say his next words. But in the end, he still couldn't help but say them: "Are you crazy? That's a Fallen Terror we're talking about!" Nephis didn't answer, instead looking up, as though trying to discern the source of the blinding rays of annihilating light. Sunny gritted his teeth and added: "Alright, whatever. Say someone really needs to distract that thing. But why does it have to be you alone? Because you are the great daughter of the Immortal Flame clan? Don't tell me that you started to believe in your own bullc.r.a.p!" Neph gave him a strange look and then shook her head. "No. It can only be me because of my sword." Sunny stared at the silver longsword, confused. A lifetime ago, after their first meeting on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, Nephis and Ca.s.sie had told him about their Memories. The sword in particular had an extremely rare enhancement… "I am the only human on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e who has a Memory that grants them a measure of protection against soul attacks. So I am the only one who can approach the Terror and survive." It was hard to debate against logic. Still, Sunny was not done voicing his objections… only that Changing Star didn't give him a chance to. Turning to Ca.s.sie, she took the blind girl by the hand and said: "Cas. Give me your wing cloak." A few seconds later, the transparent fabric of the Dark Wing appeared on her shoulder. Without wasting any time, she then looked at Sunny. "Once I'm gone, lead the people to the Gateway. Make sure that everyone escapes." With that, Nephis bent her knees, and then jumped with all her might. Supported by the enchanted cloak, she shot up with considerable speed, then pushed herself off the pillar of coral and flew into the darkness. The ray of light swiped in her direction, but Changing Star somehow managed to dodge it, crashed into another coral growth, and launched herself off of it a moment before another annihilating beam of light had reached it. With most rays now pursuing Nephis as she leaped from one coral pillar to another, ascending higher and higher, the Dreamer Army could once again move. Gritting his teeth, Sunny glanced at the hundred frightened people and yelled: "Follow me!" ReadNovelFull.me?
335	Chapter 335 Ascent Sunny had never expected to become a leader of anyone, let alone of a hundred desperate people. But now, that was exactly the situation he found himself in. To add insult to injury, he was really the best person for the job. Not because of any kind of leadership qualities, but simply for the fact that he could see in the dark. Now that the rays of soul-destroying light were led away by Nephis, he could also let his shadow free and send it forward to explore and search for the Gateway. So if anyone could guide the remains of the Dreamer Army to it, it was him. 'How the h.e.l.l…' Hiding his unease deep inside, Sunny projected nothing but absolute confidence and shouted for everyone to follow him. Surprisingly, the Sleepers did just that without voicing any objections. 'Confidence is easily confused for competence, I guess.' Of course, the fact that he was affiliated with Changing Star in some capacity helped a lot, even if most people were not completely sure how and to what extent. Taking Ca.s.sie's hand, Sunny dove out of his cover and dashed toward a wide, spiraling coral root that reached high into the darkness above. He could hear the sound of footsteps following him from behind. ReadNovelFull.me The Dreamer Army was on the move once again. Jumping on the root, Sunny send the shadow forward and glanced at the approaching sea of coral golems. There was still time. He ran forward, using the coral growth as stairs. A second later, he yelled: "Those at the back! Ready your weapons!" They did so while the first rows of Sleepers followed Sunny up. Almost everyone had time to climb onto the root by the time the first of the golems showed up. The coral figure stumbled from the darkness, only to be met by a flash of a sword. It crumbled instantly, offering almost no resistance. But a moment later, several more appeared, and then more, and more. The Sleepers destroyed the first wave to buy themselves a few moments and then jumped onto the root, then dashed away, soon catching up with the rest of the survivors. At the head of them, Sunny hesitated for a moment. Thanks to the shadow, he knew that the wide coral growth they were ascending was soon going to twist upward at an almost vertical angle and grow much more narrow. Luckily, there was another one crossing it just a few meters ahead, separated by a very small gap. Picking Ca.s.sie up, he took a step forward and jumped, landing on the other root, then turned around and moved in the opposite direction to the one they had been going... but still upward. Behind him, the Sleepers repeated his jump. And down below, the wave of golems was already climbing on the twisting roots to pursue them. 'd.a.m.n it. I guess they can climb!' He ran forward, struggling against the steep incline, then suddenly froze and looked up. There, a few dozen meters away, a wide gallery circled around the empty expanse of the Crimson Spire. And on it, another ma.s.s of golems was surging in the direction of the Dreamer Army. Countless twisted figures were appearing from the chaotic mess of crimson coral and rushing forward, searching for a path to reach them. Many fell off the edge of the gallery and plunged down, to explode into shards once they hit the floor. But some fell right on the root he was standing on. Gritting his teeth, Sunny looked back and noticed a familiar tall figure close by. Effie stared at him tiredly and forced out a smile: "What is it now?" He put Ca.s.sie on the ground and gently pushed her toward the huntress. "Take care of her for me, alright?" Effie waved a hand, letting him know that she got it. Sunny watched the two of them for a moment, then turned around and summoned the Midnight Shard. A few seconds later, he reached the first golem and slashed it with his sword. The golem's body offered some resistance, but no more than a mundane creature would. It almost disintegrated under his a.s.sault, crumbling easily into a pile of broken coral. 'Not too bad…' Curiously, the Spell did not congratulate him on the kill. Just as Sunny had suspected, these things were not really living creatures. That was going to make things a tiny bit easier. Running past the destroyed construct, Sunny soon approached another one and pushed it off the root with one strike of the Midnight Shard's pommel. The golems were not that dangerous… At least not in small numbers. He led the Dreamer Army forward, climbing higher and higher. Every couple of minutes, they would have to leave one root and make use of another, sometimes moving across stone galleries that were situated here and there on the walls of the Crimson Spire. At some point, both the vanguard of the human procession and its rear became embroiled in a rolling melee with the sea of coral golems. Those in the middle only had to keep their eyes on the layers of coral and stone structures overhead to make sure that nothing fell on them. This battle was not too terrible, however. The constructs were slower and weaker than even the mundane humans whose visage they were meant to recreate, not to mention almost completely mindless. Not a single human had fell to their attacks yet. …That was not to say that surviving the onslaught of countless golems was easy. Somewhere high above, meanwhile, the flashes of white light slowly turned into one continuous, radiant halo. Nephis was probably already approaching the very pinnacle of the ancient tower. The fact that none of the annihilating rays had returned to attack the Sleepers served as proof that she was still alive, drawing the attention of the Terror away from them. 'Where are you… where are you…' At the head of the Dreamer Army, Sunny cut through another golem and suppressed a curse. Where was the d.a.m.n Gateway?! …And just he thought that, the shadow finally found what it had been looking for all that time. Their way back to the real world. ReadNovelFull.me?
336	Chapter 336 The Gateway Out there in the darkness, a vast balcony was built into the wall of the tower, reaching almost to the center of the gargantuan structure. On its surface, broken pillars of marble were overgrown by the everpresent streaks of crimson coral. They led to a circular dais, with a wide iron ring submerged into its stone surface. Around the ring, a beautiful pattern of runes was shimmering with familiar light. They were just like those runes that every Awakened had seen countless times when communicating with the Spell. But that wasn't the first reason why Sunny had noticed it. The most unusual thing about the dais was that unlike everything else inside of the Spire, it was utterly devoid of growths of crimson coral. The stone surface surrounding the ring was strangely clean and untouched by it. Looking at the shimmering runes and the iron rings through his shadow, Sunny felt something move in his heart. He was sure that this was the Gateway. They were so close… As he watched it, the whole Spire suddenly shuddered. Ma.s.sive pieces of coral broke off and fell down, crashing into other branches down below. Suddenly, the darkness that surrounded the Dreamer Army became less impenetrable. High above them, the radiant halo of light became several times more bright. …Nephis had reached the Crimson Terror. ReadNovelFull.me With a somber grimace, Sunny escaped from his reverie and dashed forward, slicing several golems as he went. The frightened Sleepers followed, entrusting their fates into his hands. As more and more tremors ran through the ancient tower and several enormous pillars of coral completely collapsed, they ascended even higher and approached the vast balcony. And then, finally, Sunny jumped down and landed on solid stone. Shattering a few golems, he cleared enough s.p.a.ce for others to follow and watched several more people reach the balcony. One after another, the Sleepers jumped off the treacherous coral and joined him. Those who were the first to catch up repelled the attacking golems to let the others come down. Soon, all hundred of them were on the balcony — and just in time. A few seconds later, a tremendous piece of debris fell from above, pulverizing the branch of coral they had used to get there. Sunny lingered for a few moments, watching as crimson pieces rained down, and then turned away with a determined expression. "Come on! We're almost there!" The remains of the Dreamer Amry cut through the ma.s.s of golems and escaped it. Running with all the speed they could manage, the crowd of young men and women approached the Gateway and froze, stunned by the sight of it. Hypnotized by it. In front of them... was the hope that they had forgotten for so long. The torturous promise of freedom that had taunted them every day, hidden away in the terrifying, looming silhouette of the Crimson Spire. Their way home. Salvation. Most of them had spent so long on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e that the thought of ever being able to escape it became nothing more than a distant dream. Even when they had followed Changing Star and chose to believe her promises, salvation was just a concept. An idea. Now that they saw it as a real thing, many did not know how to react. …Well, Sunny was there to make the process easier. "What are you staring at, idiots?! Pick up your jaws and move! Battle formation! Protect the rear! Wounded and non-combatants go first, everyone else holds off the d.a.m.n golems and then follows! One at a time, b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!" Coming back to their senses thanks to his angry shout, the Sleepers quickly reorganized themselves. Those who could still fight faced away from the Gateway and formed a defensive line, protecting the wounded with their bodies. Those who couldn't helped the people in the worst condition enter the iron ring. Sunny watched as the first human was placed in the center of the Gateway. A moment later, the runes surrounding the ring flashed with shimmering light. The body of the Sleeper suddenly shone, too. The ghostly shine was dim at first, but then grew brighter and brighter. Soon, it was hard to distinguish the shape of the human body at the center of that light. And then, the light dissipated, much like a Memory or an Echo would, leaving nothing behind. After all these years, all that suffering, all that loss, the first Sleeper had finally escaped the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. Looking through the emptiness left by the disappearance, Sunny realized that he had forgotten to breathe. A second later, an exhilarated cheer rose above the crowd of humans. The intensity of emotion in their voices… no words existed to describe the complicated, overwhelming conflagration of feelings burning in the chests of the survivors of the Dreamer Army at that moment. Well, at least Sunny had none. In the next moment, the pursuing wave of golems crashed into the defensive line, and the next human stepped into the Gateway. The defenders held their ground, throwing the coral creatures back. Sunny lingered at the edge of the dais, watching the crowd of humans. One after another, they were disappearing into the beautiful radiance of the Gateway, while the others continued to confidently repel the a.s.sault of the golems. They were going to survive. That meant that his job here was done. …And, just as he had expected, Caster was nowhere to be seen. Lingering for a few short moments, Sunny glanced at the Gateway one last time and then stepped away. As he moved through the crowd of humans and approached its edge, someone suddenly called out his name. Turning his head, Sunny saw Effie. The huntress was carrying the unconscious body of Kai on one shoulder, and keeping Ca.s.sie close to her own under another. The blind girl's face was ashen, confused, and empty. "Doofus! Where are you going?" Sunny stared at her for a few moments, and then suddenly smiled. "...There's just some unfinished business I need to deal with. Take care, you three. I will… see you later. I hope." With that, he took a step back and disappeared into the shadows. ReadNovelFull.me?
337	Chapter 337 n.o.body Summoning the Dark Wing and the Prowling Thorn, Sunny jumped off the edge of the stone balcony. In the next second, his dagger pierced the darkness and bit into a fractured coral branch high above. With a sharp pull, Sunny sent himself flying upward, the transparent cloak turning into a blur behind his back. All around him, the interior of the Crimson Spire that remained unchanged for thousands of years was shifting. The ancient tower continued to shudder and quake as it endured the calamitous consequences of the battle between Changing Star and the vessel of the artificial sun. Vast coral roots were shattering and plunging down, drowning the echoing expanse of the Spire with deafening clangor. As ma.s.sive slabs of coral collided against lower branches, they were pulverized in turn. Moving through all this destruction, Sunny struggled to stay alive. Before he could even reach the root he had been aiming for, it was obliterated by falling debris. The ma.s.s of coral then rained down, threatening to bury Sunny under its deadly weight. Not phased, he twisted and hurled the Prowling Thorn sideways, then flew out of the way of the collapsing coral. Just a second later, Sunny hit the side of an intact root and pushed himself off its surface, continuing to ascend. He spun and twisted, using the Prowling Thorn and every surface he could reach to dodge the falling slabs of coral, avoid being cut to pieces by deadly clouds of flying splinters, and soar higher and higher. As he did, the shadow jumped from one root to another, searching for Caster. The Legacy was much faster than Sunny, but was chained to the ground and didn't have the advantage of being able to see in the dark. Sunny was certain that he would be able to catch up to him before too long. ReadNovelFull.me And after a few torturous minutes, he inevitably did. Emerging from a cloud of coral dust, Sunny left a crimson trail in the air as he landed on a wide root in a nimble roll. A moment later, he jumped to his feet and stood silently in the darkness, waiting for Caster to appear. Up here, at the highest levels of the Spire, the chaos was not as p.r.o.nounced. Those branches of coral that were going to break had already fallen, and the few remaining ones were relatively stable. That allowed Sunny to predict which route the Legacy was going to take. The cool polished wood of the Weaver's Mask rested comfortably on his face, hiding his features. Sunny wasn't sure what resources and connections the Han Li clan possessed, so he chose to be extra careful. He was wary of someone tracing Caster's death back to him with the help of a prophetic Aspect Ability or some strange and powerful Memory… a vengeful Legacy clan was the last thing he would want to deal with after returning to the real world. And by now, he was sure that one of the two of them was going to die here, in this cursed and dreadful tower. This confrontation was long overdue. He was also wary of Caster himself. The proud scion was many things, but a fool was not one of them. There was a chance that he had long guessed Sunny's Flaw. The mask was his insurance against that eventuality. 'Let's see which one of us is better… let's see which one of us deserves it more…' For Sunny, this fight was not only about defeating Caster. It wasn't even about defending Neph. It was about defeating the world itself. A lifetime ago, when he and Caster had first met in the Academy, they were on the opposite sides of humanity. One was on the top, and the other was on the bottom. One was strong and surrounded by a circle of admirers, and the other one was weak and alone. One had the best education, the best mentors, the vast resources of his powerful family, the inherited a.r.s.enal of Memories, and plenty of soul shards to propel him forward to future success. The other had nothing. Sunny had always had nothing. No family and no home, no place to call his own, no one to care about whether he lived or died, no opportunity, no chance… no future. Thrust into the same h.e.l.l as Caster, he clawed and fought, suffered and endured, survived and bettered himself through will, intellect, and countless brushes with death. And now, a year later, he was ready to claim his rightful place. By defeating Caster, he was going to prove once and for all that he wasn't lesser than anyone. That he wasn't some inconsequential n.o.body to be discarded and forgotten, to be lost on the pages of history. That he mattered as much as those "real" humans did. That he was as exceptional as the best of them, despite the fact that he wasn't born into wealth and prosperity. …Much more so, even. As Sunny waited in the darkness, a light of a Memory lantern swiftly approached from below. \\\* Caster was rushing to the pinnacle of the Spire, using his incredible speed and training to avoid being killed by the falling debris. He was already getting close when, suddenly, the light of his lantern fell on a motionless figure that stood in the center of a wide coral root, barring his way. Dark armor weaved out of soft fabric, with l.u.s.terless black leather protecting vital spots. An austere blade held lightly, its tip turned to the ground. The wooden mask that resembled the face of a fearsome demon was new, but still, he had no problem recognizing who was in front of him. Slowing down and stopping a few meters away from the hateful little vagrant, Caster gritted his teeth and spat: "It's you." Hidden behind the mask, Sunny smiled. "No, no. You are mistaken. Actually, it's not me." Then, tilting his head, he stared at the proud Legacy and said, his voice full of surprise: "Oh! Hey, Caster. What a coincidence, to run into you here of all places. So unexpected! Ah, it must be fate…" ReadNovelFull.me?
338	Chapter 338 Rest of the Mongrels Caster remained silent for a while, then calmly looked up, at the furiously pulsating radiance of the Crimson Terror's light. Finally, he lowered his head and exhaled through gritted teeth. "Out of my way, Sunny." Sunny blinked a couple of times, then said in a humorless tone: "Or what?" The Legacy grimaced and stared at him darkly, his face full of resentment. "I am so tired of you and your insolence. Why must you always ruin everything? Why can't you just know your place?" Summoning his beautiful jian, Caster shook his head and said: "Stay out of this if you value your life. This is the last chance I am going to give you." Sunny did not move, watching the young man silently. There was nothing but darkness in the eyes of the disturbing black mask. A few moments later, his voice resounded from behind it, strangely hollow: ReadNovelFull.me "...Know my place? What is my place, in your eyes? Huh, Caster?" The Legacy smiled slightly and then said naturally, as though stating a fact: "Out of the sight of those better than you, with the rest of the mongrels. What else?" Sunny shifted slightly. When he spoke, his tone was unexpectedly carefree and friendly: "Ah, not exactly what I expected to hear. Well, never mind. Before we do this, though, can I ask you one question?" Caster snarled. "Sure. Go ahead." This was something that had been pressing on Sunny's mind for a long time. "Why do you even want to kill Nephis? What is so important that you are even willing to risk your life?" The Legacy looked at him with no humor in his eyes. After a few moments, he said in a strange tone: "This is not something that you, sc.u.m, will ever understand. Survival is all you creatures care about. Duty. Loyalty. Honor. Those are the words the likes of you know nothing about. So I will put it in a way that will be easy even for you to comprehend." He pierced him with an intense gaze and said, each word falling like an avalanche: "The Immortal Flame must be destroyed." And then, his voice ringing with profound inevitability, Caster added: "...This is the will of the Sovereigns." Sunny stared at him for a bit, engrossed in the solemn atmosphere of this proclamation. A few seconds later, in a sincerely confused tone, he asked: "Uh… who?" Caster's eyes widened. He looked at Sunny with a dumbfounded expression, then shook his head in disbelief. "Wait… you… you really don't know? She didn't tell you anything?" Sunny scratched the back of his head. "...Of course she did? Actually, I know exactly what you're talking about. I've been told everything. No one knows more than me on this topic, really." The Legacy stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed out loud. "Pathetic mongrel… you don't even know who you serve! You don't even know who rules the world you live in. Why am I even wasting my breath talking to a worm like you?" Sunny tilted his head, then said in a reproachful tone: "Ouch. That stings." Caster smiled darkly, then raised his sword. "Enough of this! I'm done trying to reason with you, fool. I have allowed you to sculk in the shadows, playing your vulgar games, for long enough. I only permitted you to live because there was no reason to get rid of you. What, do you think that you… you! Can defeat me? That your little schemes and secrets will give you a chance against a true Legacy? Sorry to disappoint, but I figured them out a long time ago." Sunny remained silent for a bit and then asked in an indifferent tone: "Oh yeah? Do tell. What are my secrets, exactly?" The Legacy grinned: "You hide your strength and pretend to be weak. You go around telling ridiculous tales, making everyone think that you are a lunatic. At first, I thought that you have lost your mind, too. But once I started paying attention, it was so obvious. The constant misdirections, the obnoxious bragging that no sane person would ever believe, the crazy act… this is you Flaw, isn't it?" As Sunny tensed, Caster smiled triumphantly and said: "...You are compelled to lie against your will. Did you really think that no one would see the pattern? You even bribed that idol friend of yours to try and mislead everyone. A pathetic attempt. Were you expecting that anyone would buy it?" Sunny stared at him for a few moments, and then exploded with laughter. "Ah, c.r.a.p. You got me! Yes, you are right. This is my Flaw. What sane person would go around telling such outrageous lies?!" Then, he pierced Caster with a murderous gaze and said: "...Sadly, it seems that I am at a disadvantage in that regard. It is such a shame that I have no idea what your Flaw is, huh? That I haven't figured it out a long time ago, too." Caster looked at him, a corner of his mouth turning downward. In the light of the Memory lantern, he looked handsome and confident. ...Mature. There was a short beard on his face, and a few grey hairs in his luscious mane. Hidden behind the mask, Sunny smiled: "It is so sad that I don't know that your powerful, incredible, amazing Aspect Ability shortens your lifespan every time you use it, and that you reverse its effect on your body with a charm Memory in the shape of a sandgla.s.s. Ah, if only I was more observant! Too bad I am not." The Legacy stared at him with a dark expression, his face slowly turning pale. After a while, he uttered: "...It doesn't matter. After I fulfill my duty and return to the real world, the Awakening will allow me to take back the years that had been stolen from me. While you, rat, will stay in this cursed place fo…" Before he was done talking, a heavy triangular blade suddenly flew into his face. As a hint of outrage gleamed in Caster's eyes, he easily swatted the kunai away… and turned into a blur, lunging at Sunny with astonishing speed. Invisible to a human eye, the string of the Prowling Thorn was wrapped around two coral outcroppings, drawn across the wide root right ahead of him. And the proud Legacy was about to… A green light flashed through the air, and Sunny felt his wrist jerk back, the tension of the string suddenly gone. 'Cr…' A fraction of a second later, Caster was upon him. ReadNovelFull.me?
339	Chapter 339 Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger 'Fast… too fast…' Caster was moving with astonishing speed, his figure turning into a blur. His Flaw was a cruel one, but the power of the Aspect Ability he possessed was also incredible. In fact, Sunny had never met anyone with an Ability as powerful as this, with the exception of himself and Nephis. Even the greatest warriors on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e would have had no chance against it. Gemma, Effie, Seishan… all of them would have been easily killed by the deadly scion of the Han Li clan. Perhaps only Harus could have fought him to a draw. But even then, Sunny wasn't sure. Not only did Caster possess a terrifying Ability, but he was also one of the most skilled swordsmen of their generation. He also had a whole a.r.s.enal of Memories hidden away inside his soul. Surely, he had a way to fight while blinded. …That's why Sunny did not waste any time trying to destroy the Memory lantern illuminating their surroundings. Instead, he just trusted his sword, and met Caster's attack with his own. Two swords collided in the air, and in the next moment, Caster flew past Sunny and slowed down, eventually coming to a stop. A drop of blood fell off the tip of his jian. Sunny staggered. 'Curse you…' ReadNovelFull.me The sleeve of the Puppeteer's Shroud was torn, and there was a shallow cut on his shoulder. He had managed to deflect the strike aimed at his heart, but wasn't fast enough to avoid being wounded after all. On Caster's face, there was a dark expression. Looking at Sunny, who was still alive, he grimaced and spat: "Not bad. This is going to be entertaining, at least." Hidden behind the mask, Sunny grinned. "Oh, yeah. I'm having a lot of fun myself, thanks." Of course, that was a lie. Back in the Academy, Caster had been the only person to defeat Nephis. Granted, all of them had been much weaker back then. Neph also had not used her Aspect Ability, while Sunny was using his to augment himself right now. Because of it, the gap in speed between the two of them was not completely lethal. And yet, he was incomparably slower. In terms of pure physical ability, Sunny had no hope of surviving this duel. …But he already knew the secret of how one had to fight against Caster. He had learned it from Changing Star herself, during that short and fateful spar. A year ago, Nephis had been in a similar situation, and yet almost defeated her swift enemy. She had antic.i.p.ated Caster's moves instead of reacting to them, and due to that, his speed advantage had been made less severe. This was what Sunny had to do now. Of course, to achieve such a feat, one had to possess an intricate understanding of the underlying laws of combat and a true mastery of both their mind and their body. Luckily, Sunny was one such man. He had obtained clarity a long time ago, and spent every waking hour sharpening his skill and instincts. His mind had entered into the state of flow, making his perception stark and all-encompa.s.sing, his thoughts quicker. His intuition was enhanced by the knowledge of the essence of battle. …That gave him a chance to win. A moment later, Caster attacked again, and Sunny jerked the Midnight Shard sideways, blocking the ghostly green jian at the last possible moment. 'Up…' He had begun to chain the next move even before the two blades collided. A split second later, the Legacy brought down his sword in a downward slash, aiming at Sunny's head. However, it was deflected… 'Thrust at the neck…' …once again, sliding down the length of the tachi and biting Sunny in the shoulder. This time, the leather pauldron of his armor held, but just barely. Almost instantly, Caster pulled the jian back and then immediately thrust it forward, aiming to cut the enemy's throat. The Midnight Shard awkwardly pushed the gleaming blade away, but not fast enough — another shallow cut appeared on Sunny's neck, seeping with blood. 'd.a.m.n it!' Infuriated, Sunny tried to counterattack, but was forced to concentrate on nothing but defense. Dozens of strikes rained on him in a span of a couple of seconds, filling the echoing expanse of the Crimson Spire with the clangor of steel. More and more cuts appeared on his body — none of them were too deep or dangerous, but that didn't make them less painful. No matter how cunning and perfect Sunny's movements were, he couldn't make up for his lack of speed completely. Months of training, hundreds of battles, countless hours spent gaining insight into the inner workings of swordsmanship... Caster had done all of that, too, and then some. And he was so much faster. But, somehow, Sunny was still alive. Not only was he alive, he wasn't even seriously injured… yet. At some point, he feinted a block and dodged the blade of Caster's sword instead, then whipped his empty head forward, as though trying to punch the Legacy in the head. At the last moment, however, a ghostly stiletto appeared in his hand. …Only to be thrown aside by a powerful hit of the jian. Sunny barely managed to save his arm from being severed at the wrist. Sparing him a contemptuous glance, Caster snarled: "Cretin! Have you forgotten that I was there when Changing Star gave you that Memory?!" Sunny gritted his teeth and lashed out with the austere tachi, buying himself a moment to regroup. "I guess it slipped my mind!" With that, he suddenly hurled the Moonlight Shard at the Legacy, then followed it with a fearsome thrust of his sword. Caster easily dodged the stiletto, deflected the tachi, and kicked him in the stomach, sending Sunny staggering back with a pained moan. For a fraction of a second, he was wide open. His enemy did not miss that opportunity, turning into a blur as he lunged forward. The gleaming jian flashed through the air, and at the same time, Sunny suddenly spun and twisted his body. The two of them almost brushed against earth other as Caster flew by. A moment later, Sunny shuddered and bent over, blood streaming from a deep wound on his side. The Legacy turned around and smiled cruelly, a hint of satisfaction reflecting in his eyes. "...Not so boisterous now, are you, worm?" Sunny groaned and slowly straightened his back, pressing one hand against his bleeding side. His voice sounded strained and solemn: "Ah, yes. That… that didn't go exactly as planned." Then, he t.i.tled his head and raised his other hand, staring at the object dangling from a torn chain that was gripped in it. Suddenly, Caster's hand shot toward his neck. "You…" Sunny grinned and dangled the sandgla.s.s charm in the air. "Wait… wow! How did this thing get here?" Caster's gritted his teeth, and the stolen Memory immediately began to radiate a subtle white glow. He was trying to dismiss the charm and return it to his soul core. …Before that happened, however, Sunny caught it and clenched his fist, ruthlessly shattering the crystal hourgla.s.s into tiny pieces. Caster's eyes widened. "b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" As his shout resounded in the darkness, the shards of the precious Memory flew to the ground, turning into sparks of light and disappearing as they fell. ReadNovelFull.me?
340	Chapter 340 Honor For a few seconds, both of them stood without motion. On Caster's face, shock and disbelief were mixed with fury, indignation… and fear. Slowly, he raised his head and pierced Sunny with a hateful gaze. "You sc.u.m..." His voice was trembling with suppressed rage. 'Good. Rage is good. Anything that makes him lose control is g…' In the next moment, Sunny got hit in the chest and flew back with a pained scream. Although he somehow managed to deflect the tip of the enchanted jian, the Legacy still ended up slamming into him like a speeding train. The blade of his sword pierced the Puppeteer's Shroud once again, slicing Sunny's forearm. 'G.o.dammit!' This was just unfair. The Shroud was a tier-five Memory of the Awakened Rank. Where did the b.a.s.t.a.r.d find a weapon that could cut through it so easily?! …Well, Sunny more or less knew where. Who was to say that the ghostly green jian wasn't of the same tier, if not higher? Legacy clans had a lot of powerful Memories in their treasuries. ReadNovelFull.me Unlike him. Hitting the ground in a roll, Sunny dashed to the side and used the pommel of the Midnight Shard to slam Caster's hand away. He barely saved himself from being decapitated. Shaken, Sunny threw a handful of coral dust into the air and retreated. A moment later, his enemy emerged from the dust like a vengeful demon. The d.a.m.ned jian was once again aimed at his heart. But… Caster looked different. It seemed that Sunny was right on the money with his guess about the proud scion's Flaw and the purpose of the mysterious charm Memory. Before, Caster had already looked slightly older that the other members of the cohort… which was strange, considering that both Effie and Kai were supposed to be the oldest among them. This was what had initially caught Sunny's attention, because back at the Academy, there had been no such difference. However, now that the crystal sandgla.s.s was broken, time seemed to be catching up with the Legacy. If anyone were to see him now, they would have a.s.sumed that he was in his late twenties, perhaps even early thirties. He still resembled the youth that Sunny had met just a year ago, but just barely. Instead, a handsome, mature, powerful man was attacking him, his dark skin still smooth, but already showing the signs of future wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth. There were several silver hairs in his beard. Straining every muscle in his body, Sunny stood his ground and parried the deadly thrust, then dodged to the left. Once again, he was a fraction of a second late, and another cut appeared on his body. 'Curses!' With a pained grimace, Sunny dodged, evaded, parried and blocked, continuing to retreat and create distance between himself and Caster. At some point, a furious roar made his ears ring: "Get back here, you rat! Why are you running like a coward?!" Hidden behind the mask and struggling to breathe, Sunny gritted his teeth and hissed: "No… reason… in particular…" The next time he and Caster clashed, the Legacy appeared to be in his late thirties. Now, he resembled a man in his prime. His powerful physique became even more formidable, his broad shoulders straining the metal of the st.u.r.dy scale armor. His temples were grey, and his beard had silver streaks running through it. He looked like the kind of older man young girls would be utterly smitten by. Sunny groaned as he felt another laceration appear on his body, pushed Caster away, then dashed back. The Midnight Shard flew from one side to another, from low to high, not stopping even for a split second. The ringing of steel fused into a continuous, deafening clamor. He felt as though his lungs were on fire, but couldn't allow himself to slow down ever for a moment. A momentary lapse was going to cost him his life. 'Come on… this… this is not much worse than facing… against… Saint…' But it was worse. So much worse… Even while augmented by the shadow, Sunny couldn't resist Caster's furious onslaught. He was stronger and much more resilient, but that was the thing about sharp weapons — they were created to make the amount of force required to kill someone much less demanding. A skilled swordsman that relied on speed could dispatch of an enemy with one well-aimed touch of the blade. To someone like Sunny, Caster was a nightmare. If not for the Blood Weave, he would have grown weak and slow from blood loss a long time ago, just from the numerous cuts on his body. And yet, he resisted and continued to retreat, desperately deflecting one lightning-fast strike after another. …The next time Sunny got a good look at the proud Legacy, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Attacking him was an old man. His gaunt face was laced with a spiderweb of wrinkles, and his hair and beard were completely grey. There was almost no sign left of the handsome youth he had known… and despised… for so long. Caster was still full of power and vigor, though. His fury was still as murderous and scathing as it had been before. His speed, however… was just a tiny bit slower. "Die, mongrel!" With a furious roar, Caster brought down the ghostly jian down on Sunny, who was still reeling from the previous blow. Desperate, Sunny raised his tachi into an awkward semblance of a block. When their swords collided, the Midnight Shard flew aside and almost slid from his hands. …What's worse, Sunny lost his balance and fell backward, landing on the ground in a heap. As a cruel smile appeared on the old man's weathered face, he lunged forward to finish the defenseless enemy. …But at the last second, a calm voice resounded from behind his back. The voice he hated, but knew so well. Standing somewhere behind him, Nephis ordered in a tone that denied refusal: "Back!" Caster's eyes widened. With an expression of utter terror, he spun around and raised his sword, ready to finally face the person he had dreaded and wanted to kill for so long. However, when he did, he saw nothing but emptiness. There was no one behind him. Just a simple rock laying on the ground. As Caster watched in confusion, his thoughts slow due to the debilitating effect of age, the rock shouted in Changing Star's voice: "Hide in the shadows!" Almost immediately, the proud scion's pupils narrowed. With a dark grimace, he spun back, moving his sword into a defensive position. ...He was just a fraction of a second late. Without making any sound, the tip of the Midnight Shard pierced his scale armor, his flesh… And then his heart. Staring at the stunned face of the feeble old man in front of him, Sunny scowled and sighed. Caster looked down, at the blade protruding from his chest and the blood streaming from beneath, then weekly grabbed the tachi with his hand. A pained, resentful grimace contorted his pale, wrinkled face. Straining to raise his head, he looked Sunny in the eyes and whispered: "You… you have no… no honor." Sunny stared at the dying old man with pity, then looked away. "...There is honor, indeed. Honor... is not just a word powerful sc.u.mbags invented to make young fools like you die for them. And kill for them. It's not a chain that they wrapped around your neck, to make you a slave." Caster looked at him for a few moments, trying to say something, but then slowly fell to his knees. In the sudden silence, the voice of the Spell whispered: [You have slain a dormant human, Han Li Caster.] [Your shadow grows stronger!] ReadNovelFull.me?
341	Chapter 341 One Thousand Standing above Caster's corpse, Sunny tilted his head slightly. Despite his expectations, there was not a lot of joy in his heart. Instead, defeating the powerful scion of a true Legacy clan left him feeling somber, and a little bitter. There was, however, a sense of… if not validation, then at least vindication. It was as though some profound need in his soul was finally satisfied, making it more solid. Steady. With a pained groan, Sunny took a step back, turned around, and dismissed the Weaver's Mask. He was in better shape than he had expected to be. Countless cuts on his body were painful, but not dangerous. Blood Weave was diligently doing its job, preventing him from losing too much of the precious red liquid. The cuts were already starting to scab over and close. The only serious wound was the gash on his side, but it, too, had already stopped bleeding. Very soon, it was going to start healing, too. Until then, it was not going to hinder his movements a lot, as long as Sunny was ready to endure a bit of suffering. After a year on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, dealing with pain was one of his best trained skills. '...I've been through worse. Much worse. This is nothing.' ReadNovelFull.me Then, another thought entered his mind. 'That shadow fragment… it should have brought me to a thousand, right?' A moment later, he realized that his whole being was somehow… weird. It felt as though there was intense heat in his chest, slowly growing more and more scalding. This sensation was not exactly physical, but more of a spiritual one. Like the core of his soul was undergoing a violent change. With a mix of antic.i.p.ation and dread, Sunny concentrated on this feeling. 'Here we go…' What was going to happen to him? Suddenly, he heard the voice of the Spell again. In the eerie expanse of the Crimson Spare, where ancient darkness fused with otherworldly light, it sounded solemn and almost… triumphant? [Your shadow is overflowing with power.] Sunny listened tensely, trying to guess what was it going to say next. [Your shadow is taking shape.] In the next moment, he staggered and fell to his knees. His eyes widened and lost focus. The heat that was building up in Sunny's soul had reached a critical point, and then exploded. It felt as though his core was being torn apart, drowning him with intense, indescribable pain. Disoriented and frightened, he tried to scream, but no sound came out of his mouth. Something was emerging from within his soul, ripping it into shreds. Sunny knew that he couldn't stop that process, and so, all he could do was endure. As Sunny convulsed on the ground, the Spell whispered: [...Your shadow is complete.] And then, something strange happened. The Spell was about to say something else, but then the entire Crimson Spire suddenly shuddered. This quake was much stronger than all the previous ones, making it feel as though the gargantuan structure was about to topple. Sunny heard the deafening sound of breaking stone. Almost at the same time, he was suddenly enveloped in absolute darkness, all light disappearing from the echoing interior of the ancient tower. …And the Spell abruptly fell quiet, its last proclamation left unsaid. The pain tearing his soul apart was also gone. It didn't feel as though the process was finished, though. It felt as though it was interrupted. 'Wha… what is happening?' Confused and disoriented, Sunny looked around. Why was it so dark? Following a premonition, he then raised his head and glanced up. '...What?' The furious light of the Crimson Terror was gone. As Sunny tried to wrap his head around this fact, two things registered in his mind. The first one was that he felt very strange. His chest was still full of ethereal heat, but there was also something else. Some kind of… interference? He was having trouble finding words to describe that sensation, but knew that it wasn't harmful. At least not immediately. The second one was that… 'c.r.a.p!' The second thing he noticed was that, currently, there were giant slabs of stone plunging down on his head. ReadNovelFull.me. Picking himself up from the ground, Sunny dashed to the edge of the wide root and jumped off of it. Just a second later, one of the slabs crushed into the coral, turning it into dust. A violent shockwave hit him in the back. The Prowling Thorn was currently restoring itself in the Soul Sea, its invisible string cut by Caster's enchanted jian, so, for a moment, Sunny found himself in free fall. Then, the transparent blur of the Dark Wing finally weaved itself from sparks of light on his back and allowed him to glide forward, following the momentum of the jump. As he reached the wall of the Spire, another deafening crash resounded from behind. Looking up and at the descending ma.s.s of broken stone, Sunny thrust the Moonlight Shard forward. The tip of the Fallen Memory easily sunk into the ancient granite, giving him purchase. Hanging on it, he pressed himself against the cold stones and gritted his teeth, waiting for the avalanche of debris to pa.s.s and praying that nothing hits him. A few moments later, the Spire shuddered again, and then grew still. Somewhere down below, destruction was still raining on the interior of the Spire, but this high, it was relatively quiet. Sunny opened his eyes. He was still alive. The dome of the Crimson Spire seemed to be broken, letting in beautiful sunshine. The darkness was not as impenetrable now, suffused with that light. Dust particles floated in the air, sparkling like tiny diamonds. 'Sunlight… sunlight?!' Panicking, Sunny looked around, searching for shelter… but then noticed that his shadow was utterly calm. Unlike before, when his soul was being destroyed by the artificial sun, it wasn't doing anything. …It did seem a bit confused, though. 'What the h.e.l.l is going on?!' Perplexed, Sunny decided to make absolutely sure that the annihilating power of the Terror was gone from the rays of sunshine and dove into the Soul Sea. What he saw there shocked him so much that he almost let go of the hilt of the Moonlight Shard and fell down. The entire landscape of the tranquil sea was changed. If before there was nothing but darkness, now, it was filled with blinding white light. The light flowed through Sunny's soul, making the silent waters ripple and swirl. Up above, the black sphere of the Shadow Core was burning with furious flames. It trembled and seethed, as though overflowing with power. However, that power was being suppressed by the current of light, which prevented it from spreading outward. Beneath it, there was a ma.s.sive whirlpool. Stunned, Sunny stared at the unrecognizable expanse of his soul and didn't know how to react. 'What the h.e.l.l is this?!' Full of unease and dark thoughts, he hesitated for a bit and then summoned the runes. Everything was the same as the last time he had glanced at them, except for one line: Shadow Fragments: [1000/1000.] …Not, not everything. In the cl.u.s.ter of runes describing his Attributes, a few new ones appeared. Concentrating on them, Sunny held his breath and read: Attribute: [Soul Conduit.] ReadNovelFull.me?
342	Chapter 342 Crimson Terror [Soul Conduit]. The Attribute had no description, nor was its acquisition announced by the Spell. Staring at the runes for a few more seconds, Sunny cast one last glance at the white void of his Soul Sea and left it. He had no answers for this mysterious sequence of events, but his intuition was ringing the alarm bell. He was almost sure that the strange and painful process that began after he had absorbed the last shadow fragment was somehow interrupted. The white light permeating the Soul Sea felt unnatural and wrong, like something external to it rather than natural. The mysterious new Attribute was most likely connected to this external influence instead of to the saturation of the Shadow Core. In fact, [Soul Conduit] was most likely the manifestation of the radiant force that was currently suppressing the core. In that sense, this Attribute was more akin to the mind hex of the Soul Devourer than to the Blood Weave. It wasn't something that Sunny had achieved or acquired. It was forced upon him, for reasons yet unknown. Gritting his teeth, Sunny shifted and changed his grip on the handle of the Moonlight Shard. Then, he summoned the Ordinary Rock and immediately dismissed it. Finally, he ordered the shadow to wrap itself around his body, then shift to the ghostly stiletto and back. ...At least the new Attribute did not seem to be directly harmful. Sunny was still in control of his body and mind, as well as having full access to his Memories and Shadow Control. All it seemed to be affecting was the Shadow Core itself, preventing it from… from achieving whatever it was that had failed to happen. At least for now. But how long would that safety last? Raising his head, Sunny stared at the pinnacle of the Crimson Spire. Something unexplainable had transpired there, causing this strange turn of events. ReadNovelFull.me Why was he trying to guess if all the answers were most likely waiting for him up above? To his side, a ma.s.sive slab of stone had lodged itself between stumps of broken coral roots. More debris piled on top of it at steep angles, forming a twisting path to the distant sunlight. Pushing himself off the wall of the tower, Sunny glided forward and landed on the inclined stone surface. Then, he lingered for a few moments and began climbing up. The higher he ascended, the more sunshine surrounded him. Eventually, the whole tower was filled with nothing but stark beams of light and deep, dark shadows. The world was black and white, as though no other color was allowed into this solemn s.p.a.ce. After a while, Sunny approached the broken dome of the Crimson Spire. There, a vast hall was hidden in the darkness, both its floor and roof now shattered, letting in the brightness of the sun. With a deep sigh, Sunny reached with his hands and pulled himself into the hall. He was now at the very pinnacle of the Crimson Spire. In the lair of the Terror of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. \\\* At the very tip of the ancient tower, there was once a vast and beautiful chamber. It seemed as though it had a large circular opening in its center, allowing sunlight to easily flow into the gargantuan structure at high noon. Then, however, that opening had become overgrown by crimson coral. And now it was gone. Due to something that had happened during Changing Star's battle against the Terror, the floor of the chamber partially collapsed, bringing the coral down with it. The ceiling was damaged too, although to a lesser extent. Through the chasm in the Spire's roof, Sunny could see the boundless white skies and the burning orb of the artificial sun. Lingering at it for a moment, he then lowered his gaze and looked at the chamber itself. The first thing he saw was Nephis, who was sitting on the floor, staring into the distance. Although her state was not as terrifying as on that terrible night when a dweller of the depths had pulled her beneath the waves of the cursed sea, she did not look too good. The Starlight Legion Armir was practically destroyed, revealing gruesome burns and cuts on her ivory skin. Just like then, white flames were seeping out of them instead of blood. These fires seemed strangely weak, though, as though on the verge of being extinguished. They were also failing to mend her mangled flesh. Neph's wounds appeared to be healing, but at a very slow pace — a far cry from the miraculous restoration that Sunny had witnessed so many times in the past. The furious power that had always burned deep within her soul seemed to be finally exhausted. Almost… Following her gaze, Sunny shuddered when he saw the Terror. The creature that had created the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e might have looked as a human once, but now, it was like a feverish nightmare. For some reason, Sunny had expected to see the familiar shape of the nameless G.o.ddess, whose statue was created in the likeness of the girl that had been made into the vessel of the artificial sun. What met him instead was a giant creature whose body was made out of a perverse fusion of crimson coral and mutilated human flesh. In a sense, it was similar to the crimson golems he had fought at the base of the Spire. It was a twisted approximation of a living being, one that radiated a horrifying sense of madness, wrongness, and loss. Instead of a human face, the Terror had hundreds of them, all contorted in expressions of blind agony and suffering. Their mouths were open, as though straining to scream. Their eyes were empty wells of pure darkness. At least now, they were. When the Terror was alive, they must have shone with blinding, annihilating light. …And it was, unmistakably, dead. The harrowing creature was sprawled on the floor, its limbs unmoving, its body fractured almost in half. The edges of the terrible wound were burned and melted, leaving no doubt that it was dealt by Changing Star's incandescent silver blade. 'How… how is this possible?' Stunned, Sunny stared at the vanquished Terror, failing to comprehend what he saw. How could Neph kill a Fallen Terror? No matter how powerful she was, she was still a Sleeper. Even with the tremendous augmentation of the Dawn Shard, she should not have been capable of slaying something this powerful. Something was very wrong here. 'This doesn't make sense.' ...But then again, this wouldn't be the first Terror Nephis had slain. Changing Star had killed one in her First Nightmare, too, earning her that name. Still, there was a vast difference between a dormant human killing an Awakened Terror and a Fallen one. One feat was impossible. The other... the other was simply unthinkable. Turning to her, Sunny hesitated and then said in disbelief: "You… you actually killed it." Neph flinched, as though noticing his presence for the first time. Then, she slowly turned her head and looked at him with empty, lost eyes. Only after a few seconds, a hint of recognition appeared in them. She remained silent for a while, and then said in a hollow voice: "...Sunny. You are finally here." ReadNovelFull.me?
343	Chapter 343 Soul Conduit He hesitated for a few moments, not sure how to answer. As seconds pa.s.sed by, the silence between them grew tense, full of untold meaning. Finally, Nephis blinked and looked away, staring at the corpse of the Crimson Terror. Her sword hand trembling slightly. "...Killed it? Yes… I did. Got lucky, I guess…" After a while, she added in a quiet voice: "It was just a fake star, in the end." Sunny smiled slightly, but his eyes remained cold. "Lucky… I know a thing or two about being lucky, Neph. A creature like this would not have died just because of bad luck." She remained silent for a bit, then sighed and looked down. "It was evolving… trying to become a t.i.tan. The burden of transformation made it vulnerable. I just happened to attack while the Terror was at its weakest. That's why it died…" ReadNovelFull.me 'Evolving… into a t.i.tan?' Noticing a surprised expression on his face, Changing Star grimaced and pointed to the artificial sun. "Have you not thought about what we have done?" Sunny looked up, at the radiant sphere of light, and frowned. In all the chaos, he had indeed forgotten to consider the full scale of what had transpired after the battle, as well as the reasons for and consequences of it. Come to think of it… why would the light of the artificial sun destroy the souls of every living creature it touched? It had not been like this before the fall of the ancient civilization, for many generations, at least. But then, the Vessel had become corrupted and turned into a Nightmare Creature. The Terror. And at the same time, the seals imprisoning the curse of the all-consuming darkness had been destroyed, letting it free. …So, in fact, the corrupted sun had never existed without the dark sea keeping it company. Until today. Sunny had always thought that the sun was restraining the dark sea. Could it be… that it had always been restrained by the darkness, as well? And when he banished the ancient curse and locked it underground… the sun was finally liberated from its shackles. That's why its light suddenly changed, turning into the annihilating white radiance. It had become free to do whatever it wanted. But there was something else… As his eyes widened, Nephis nodded. "Yes. The artificial sun does not just illuminate the vicinity of the Crimson Spire. It illuminates the whole of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. Its light reaches everywhere. So… as we were fighting our way through the tower… most of the living creatures on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e had been wiped out. All that death, all those countless souls… guided into the Spire by the Labyrinth, like a colossal hecatomb, to fuel the evolution of the Crimson Terror." And Nephis just happened to attack while the Terror was in the throes of that terrifying transformation. Well… that wasn't a coincidence, most likely. Sunny had not forgotten the thoughtful look on her face as Neph had peered out of the gates of the Spire before giving the Dreamer Army the command to advance. He shivered, only now realizing that this whole region of the Dream Realm was now almost completely empty of life. Only a few Nightmare Creatures must have survived… those who were lucky enough to hide from the deadly sunlight in time, or were powerful enough to resist it. Such a boundless influx of souls would indeed be enough to push the Crimson Terror to the next step of its evolution… devolution? Whatever it was that happened to Nightmare Creatures as they grew more powerful. Not that Sunny knew anything about this matters — but if anything could cause something like that, then the evisceration of an entire region of the Dream Realm would certainly do the trick. Now, however, the Terror was dead, and its corrupting influence was gone, turning the artificial sun back to its normal self. It couldn't be that easy, though… As if answering his thoughts, the Spire shuddered again. Another slab of stone broke off from the floor of the chamber and plunged down. Suddenly, the light of the sun grew a little bit dimmer. Looking up, Sunny noticed that the artificial sun looked not as bright as it had just a few minutes ago. It was as though it was slowly dying. …Was it dying? There was no vessel to channel soul essence into its furnace anymore, after all. Interrupting his thoughts, Nephis suddenly spoke, her voice hoa.r.s.e and tired: "What happened to the others?" Sunny shifted and looked down through the chasm in the chamber's floor. Far below, he could see the vast balcony and the shimmering ring of the Gateway on it. Somehow, its shine seemed… weaker. The balcony, however, was empty. There were no humans there, and even the coral golems lay unmoving, their semblance of life snuffed out when the Terror died. "Everyone has escaped." Neph sighed slowly, as if with relief. After a long pause, she moved slightly and asked: "What about Caster?" Sunny glanced at her and shrugged. When he spoke, his voice was cold and indifferent: "...I killed him." Changing Star remained silent for a long time. Then, she whispered, seemingly addressing no one: "So that's why…" Suddenly, a bitter laugh escaped from her lips. Nephis raised her hands and pressed them against her face, as if overwhelmed by some deep, dark emotion. After a few seconds, her m.u.f.fled voice reached his ears: "You shouldn't have killed him, Sunny…" Sunny snarled. "Yeah? Why, exactly?" She remained motionless for a few seconds, and then slowly lowered her hands and put them on her knees. Her face was pale and bleak. "Have you checked your Attributes?" He nodded and looked at her with a curious expression. "I did. There's a new one there. Soul Conduit." Changing Star stared into the distance and nodded. "Yeah. Same for me." Sunny raised his eyebrow and asked, his voice calm and steady: "Any idea what it means?" She did not say anything for a while, and then turned her head to look at him. "Have you not figured it out?" He shrugged. "I was a bit preoccupied. Why? What is it?" Nephis sighed and looked at the walls of the chamber. Finally, she said: ReadNovelFull.me. "This whole tower is a giant soul machine. It was created to collect soul essence and funnel it into the artificial sun. However… it can't function without one small, but crucial gear. A human to serve as the fulcrum of all that power, the conduit for all those souls." And then, in a much quieter voice, she added: "...The vessel." Sunny shuddered, then stared at the corpse of the repulsive creature. The previous vessel of the artificial sun. Nephis had killed it, destroying a crucial part of the Spire's mechanism… and so, the Spire found it a replacement. The two of them. The only two humans left on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, conveniently hiding from the obliterating sun inside the ancient tower. One would be tempted to say that it was fate… "What does it mean for us, exactly? Are we going to turn into something… like that thing?" Neph slowly shook her head. "...Not yet. Not for a long time. The Terror had absorbed most of the souls it had reaped after the battle, and there's no one to make sacrifices to the sun now. The Labyrinth, too, is now dead." Echoing her words, the Spire trembled once again, and somewhere down below, a deafening sound of crushing stone could be heard. Sunny tilted his head. "So what's the problem? Can't we just… get the h.e.l.l out of here and never come back?" Changing Star looked at him, her eyes full of cold, bitter emotion. "You don't get it, do you?" After that, she gritted her teeth and said: "The Crimson Spire is a machine, and the Gateway is a part of that machine. The Spire can't function without a human serving as the Soul Conduit… and neither can the Gateway. There has to be a Vessel inside the tower for the Gateway to work." She slowly rose to her feet, swayed slightly, and finally pierced him with a dark gaze. "Which means that only one of us can escape." Sunny stared at her for a few seconds, then looked down at the distant ring of the Gateway. Finally, he turned back to Nephis and said: "I don't suppose you'll stay behind and let me go?" Changing Star looked at him, her striking grey eyes full of intensity and nascent white flames: "...I was about to ask you the same." Sunny lingered for a moment, then grinned. "Not a chance." ReadNovelFull.me?
344	Chapter 344 sorrow,Pain, and Rage Slowly walking away from the edge of the chasm, Sunny stopped opposite Nephis and looked at her. In his dark eyes, there was nothing but coldness. "Well… it's not like we didn't know for a long time that this would be how things end. Did we?" She stared at him for a while, then smiled bitterly. "...We did." Indeed, they knew. From that terrible day when Sunny had first understood the meaning behind Ca.s.sie's vision, he suspected that one day, in order to survive, he would have to kill Nephis. This was the truth he had chosen to hide from, even if it meant losing his mind. The final and most unbearable reason for why he had spent months alone in the Dark City, hunting monsters and slowly turning into one of them. How does one come to terms with the knowledge that, one day, they will have to kill the person they care for the most? ReadNovelFull.me …Knowledge, indeed, was the heaviest thing in the world. Back at the beginning of it all, far away from the Dark City, before they had even known that the Crimson Spire existed, Ca.s.sie had shared with them a terrible vision. She said: "At first, I saw a… a boundless darkness locked behind seven seals. Something vast was churning in the darkness. I felt like if I directly saw it, I would lose my mind. As I watched, terrified, the seals broke one after another, until only one remained. And then that seal broke, too." The first part of her vision described the day when the Vessel of the Artificial Sun had gone mad, and the curse of the all-consuming darkness had escaped the prison created for it by the seven ancient heroes. "I saw the human castle again. Only this time, it was at night. There was a lonely star burning in the black skies, and under its light, the castle was suddenly consumed by fire, with rivers of blood flowing down its halls. I saw a corpse in a golden armor sitting on a throne; a woman with a bronze spear drowning in a tide of monsters; an archer trying to pierce the falling sky with his arrows." The lonely star shining in the black skies was Nephis, the herald of ruinous change, who had drowned the halls of the Bright Castle in blood to become its ruler, and then watched as it burned to the ground. The corpse in the golden armor was Gunlaug, who had died on his white throne, killed by her hand. The woman with a bronze spear and the desperate archer were Effie and Kai, who had almost perished fighting against the nightmare horde during the siege of the Crimson Spire. "In the end, I saw a colossal, terrifying crimson spire. At its base, seven severed heads were guarding seven locks. And at the top, a… a dying angel was being consumed by hungry shadows. When I saw the angel bleed, I suddenly felt as though… as though something so precious that it can't be described with words was taken from me." Seven severed heads guarding seven locks were the heads of the giant statues, who stared at the Star Sigil that Sunny had used to banish the dark sea. And the last part of the prophecy… it wasn't that hard to understand, too. Nephis was the dying angel, the precious thing that was going to be taken from Ca.s.sie, and Sunny was the hungry shadow that consumed her. It was their fate. "Then, I felt so much sorrow, pain and rage that what little remained of my sanity seemed to disappear. That was when I woke up… I think." This was the last thing Ca.s.sie had said. …Looking at Nephis, Sunny sighed and turned away. "I warned you, didn't I? I told you that this story won't have a happy ending. That there will be only sorrow, pain, and rage. Do you remember what you answered me?" These were the words he said on the day Neph had asked him to join her expedition. Back then, his suspicion that they would inevitably end up as enemies had already grown, becoming almost a certainty. Almost… that cursed word. This was the word that had given him hope, no matter how small. Hope that he was wrong. But despite that hope, Sunny had been preparing for this moment for a long, long time. It was because he had known that he would have to face Nephis in combat that he had decided to incorporate Saint's methodical style into his technique, why he trained without rest, day and night, not sparing himself from the pain and hardship. If his only skill was one that she herself had taught him, what chance did he have of defeating her? It was for that reason that he had climbed to the highest point of the Hunter's statue and spent a night alone there, steeling himself for the inevitable future. Forcing himself to accept the terrible truth that, soon, he would have to kill Nephis. It was because of this that he had refused Changing Star's offer to heal him. How could he allow her to endure the terrible pain of the white flames, knowing that she would be suffering for the sake of her future killer? And it was because of this that he had not tried to learn all of her secret plans, remaining comfortable in his role as a hired mercenary. An outsider. He had known that, no matter what, they would end up here, in this moment, forced to fight each other. Fate… fate was a terrifying enemy to fight against. He knew it better than most. Fate always won, in the end. Defeating it was almost impossible. …Shifting slightly, Nephis looked at him and answered, her voice strangely wistful: "...Life is not a story. It only ends when you die." Sunny smiled. "So… are you ready to die?" As white sparks ignited in the depths of Changing Star's eyes, she answered with another question: "What about you?" Instead of answering, Sunny summoned the Midnight Shard and raised it, a.s.suming a battle stance. Opposite of him, Nephis did the same, her silver sword weaving itself from blinding light. …Of course, neither of them planned to kill the other. They needed the other to remain alive, at least until the victor pa.s.sed through the Gateway. How long would the loser survive after that, though? Especially if they were beaten terribly enough to lose the ability to resist further. Staying behind meant death. …As the ancient, gargantuan tower quaked around them, balancing on the edge of collapse, Lost from Light and Changing Star prepared to cross their blades. ReadNovelFull.me?
345	Chapter 345 Shadows and Light Sunny and Nephis looked at each other, the air practically crackling with tension at the point where their gazes met. The white flame seeping from Changing Star's wounds suddenly flashed in a furious outburst, closing some of her wounds and making others seem less severe. After that, however, it grew weak and disappeared, retreating back into the furnace of her soul. As a pained grimace contorted the young woman's face, a dim radiance then slowly shined from beneath her ivory skin. At the same time, the shadow flowed up and wrapped itself around Sunny's body, making it brim with power and vitality. He inhaled deeply and slightly moved, shifting his weight from one leg to another. 'How… how can it end…' Before the thought could fully form, Sunny ruthlessly destroyed it and banished it from his mind. This was the last obstacle on his way back to the real world… and the most deadly. Sunny had fought many terrible creatures in the cursed h.e.l.l of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, but none of them were as fearsome and dangerous as Changing Star. This was going to be his hardest battle yet. To win it, he had to be absolutely clear, absolutely focused. He couldn't allow himself to feel anything, be distracted by anything. No doubt, no fear. No regret, no compa.s.sion. Only determination. Only resolve. ReadNovelFull.me Only murderous will to prevail. As dust particles shined in the beams of white light that fell through the broken roof of the ancient chamber… as stark shadows swelled with dark antic.i.p.ation… Nephis brought the pommel of her sword to her shoulder. White flames ignited in her eyes. And then, suddenly, she lunged forward. 'Fast!' But not fast enough to not give Sunny enough time to react. Raising the Midnight Shard, he dashed forward to block her furious a.s.sault… and shuddered, the force of the impact sending a shock through his entire body. It felt as though his sword had collided with a mountain. Their blades got entangled for a moment, and then separated. Almost immediately, the silver longsword lashed out again, appearing from an unexpected direction…. and then again, and again, and again. Sunny feverishly defended, chaining blocks and deflections into one uninterrupted sequence of swift moves. Despite his best efforts, he reeled slightly after each strike. It was as though he was being hit by a hurricane of adamantine sledgehammers, each hit making his bones tremble and groan. 'How… how is she that strong…' How was Nephis so strong? How was she so fast? How was she so resilient? It didn't make sense. By now, Sunny had fully saturated his core, bringing him to the pinnacle of what a human of his Rank could achieve in terms of physical ability. His power was further doubled by the augmentation of the shadow, making him more akin to one of the Awakened than to a mere Sleeper. No dormant human should have been able to match his power in every regard. And yet, Changing star did. More than that, she was more powerful than him, tremendously so. She was more like a Nightmare Creature than a human; her movements were fast as lightning, her strength was terrifying, and her technique was flawless, leaving him no chance to exploit even the smallest of mistakes. …No Sleeper should have been that powerful. It was simply impossible. And yet, somehow, it wasn't. 'Impossible, impossible…' Deflecting another blow, Sunny gritted his teeth and dashed to the side, hoping to exploit the momentary opening in his enemy's defense. However, he was met by the ruthless flash of the silver blade instead. The opening was just a ruse, one which almost cost him his hand. 'Something is very wrong here…' Either the augmentation of the white flame was much more powerful than that of his shadow, or something else was at play. However, Sunny didn't think that the radiance emanating from Neph's skin was stronger than his own physical enhancement. From what he had observed during her battle against Gunlaug, it was roughly the same or only slightly more forceful — it shouldn't have given her this big of an advantage, especially in its seemingly exhausted state. Somehow, Nephis had grown much stronger between then and now. But how? …At least the silver sword was not burning with the annihilating, incandescent light. If it was, the Midnight Shard might have already been if not destroyed, then at least severely damaged. In that regard, luck was still on Sunny's side. They exchanged several more blows and disengaged for a fraction of a second, then closed in again. Changing Star's sword shot forward, missing Sunny's face by a few millimeters… or so he thought before sensing warm drops rolling down his cheek. A thin cut appeared on it, swelling with blood. Just a little bit to the right, and he would have lost an eye. Shaken, Sunny deflected the sword away, preventing Nephis from slicing his neck with a reverse cut, and leaned forward in an attempt to ram her with his shoulder. Changing Star easily sidestepped around Sunny and brought her weapon down, forcing him to block from a disadvantageous position and stagger back. 'Curse it!' Their violent clash must have looked furious and morbidly beautiful. Both moved with incredible speed and possessed ferocious strength, both were skilled and experienced, forged into formidable killers by hundreds of deadly battles. One was darkness and shadows, while the other was radiance and light. But the true combat was happening somewhere else, invisible to the naked eye. This fight was as much about strategy and insight as it was about physical prowess and technique. After all, to excel as a fighter, one had to master both their body and mind. Nephis might have been unnaturally fast and strong, but what really made her devastatingly deadly was her own battle genius, her incredible level of understanding of the laws and principles of combat. Armed with it, she was able to predict what her enemy was going to do even before they themselves knew it. But that was not all. The scariest thing about Nephis was that, through that understanding, she was even able to manipulate and dictate her opponent's actions, turning them into her puppet. She was in absolute control of the flow of combat. Combat was her domain, just like shadows were his. But Sunny was not a novice, either. He was a master of manipulation, too. But more importantly, he had enough insight and knew Nephis well enough to if not deceive her, then at least not allow her to lure him into an inescapable trap. That was why, for a dozen torturously long seconds, neither of them had been able to seriously wound the other. Even if Sunny was locked into desperate defense and outmatched in every regard, he still managed to hold Changing Star's monstrous onslaught off. …At least for now. Finally, the two of them disengaged and stepped back, pausing for a few moments. Sunny was breathing heavily, his bloodied face turning even more pale than usual. Nephis stared at him with a grim expression, her own breathing laborious and pained. If this was a cliche drama, at that point, they would have exchanged words, expressing their resolve and determination. Admiring their enemy or humiliating them with disparaging insults, showcasing their fearlessness by making a carefree joke. …But it was not. Everything that could have been said had been said already. There was no way back. All that remained was violence. Looking at Nephis, Sunny suppressed a devious smile. Something had changed about the proud daughter of the Immortal Flame clan. Something that he had been waiting for from the start of their vicious battle. The wounds that had been partially closed by the white flame were beginning to seep blood again. And as they did, the Blood Blossom charm hanging on a thread tied around his neck finally rose from its slumber, filling the Midnight Shard with boundless hunger. ReadNovelFull.me?
346	Chapter 346 Promise of Blood Enhanced by the Blood Blossom, the austere tachi suddenly felt lighter in his hands, full of cold, frightening determination. It was almost as though it had a mind of its own now, a mind focused on one goal: to find the enemy and get a taste of their blood. 'Finally…' A moment later, Nephis attacked again, her beautiful face cold and indifferent like an alabaster mask. Only the flames in her eyes moved, burning furiously, white as the empty void of the G.o.dless heavens above their heads. Sunny gritted his teeth and moved to meet her. Their blades clashed once again. Just like before, he was shaken by the force of the impact… only now, he had managed to intercept her strike a fraction of a second faster. It was as though the Midnight Shard was ever so slightly pulling his hand, making it move with a bit more speed, aim a little better, withstand the pressure of the strikes with a subtly less strain. In the next few seconds, that change had become more apparent. Before, he had no chance to launch an offense. Changing Star was reveling in her flowing and unpredictable battle style, her every movement oppressive and unpredictable. This unpredictability alone made him wary of committing to an attack. Of course, Sunny was using the same style. But even though he had mastered it to an admirable degree, his technique was by no means equal to that of Changing Star. What was worse, she knew it far better than him, so his moves could potentially be predicted with terrifying ease. ReadNovelFull.me The only reason why Sunny was still on his feet was because of the elements of the Saint's grounded style that he had incorporated into his own. Measured and precise, but also capable of explosive counterattacks, it allowed him to both defend against Neph's ruthless a.s.sault and restrain her to a certain degree, using the threat of a sudden reversal to keep her from going all out. More importantly, she was less familiar with that style, which allowed him to diminish the predictability of his movements. And now, with the help of the Blood Blossom, Sunny was able to resist Nephis more efficiently, even if it was just by a tiny amount. But the measure of that difference didn't really matter. Because the longer their fight went on and the more she bled, the stronger he would become. …It wasn't long before he finally managed to land a hit, the tip of his sword scratching against one of her gauntlets. 'This is just a begin…' However, his thought was instantly interrupted. 'What…' Nephis suddenly changed her behavior. Perhaps she had sensed the shift in the dynamic between the two of them, or perhaps she was just desperate to end this fight before her powers ran dry and her terrible wounds finally caught up with her. Or maybe there was some other reason, one that Sunny failed to account for. But regardless of it, Neph suddenly abandoned her previous calculated attack pattern and instead descended on him in a rain of deadly steel, her defense crumbling and leaving her open to retaliation. Caught by surprise, Sunny barely had time to shift his stance and block. The Midnight Shard was thrown down by a violent blow, pressing against his shoulder. The silver longsword slid across its length and scratched against the guard of the tachi, mere centimeters away from Sunny's throat. For a few heartbeats, the two of them struggled desperately, trying to overpower the enemy. Their bodies were so close that Sunny could feel Neph's breath on his cheek, as well as the heat radiating from her skin. 'd.a.m.n it!' She was just stronger… so much stronger… Little by little, her sword angled forward, and then bit into his skin, blood flowing on its silver blade. With an angry growl, Sunny let go of the hilt of the Midnight Shard with one hand. His fist shot toward Changing Star's body, the ghostly stiletto appearing in it at the last moment. But, of course, Nephis had antic.i.p.ated that. She twisted her torso, allowing the Moonlight Shard to leave a deep but harmless scratch on her breastplate. In doing so, she had to relieve pressure on the tachi, allowing Sunny to push her sword away from his neck. But before he could jump back, Neph finished her attack by delivering a devastating blow to his head with the pommel of her sword. Disoriented, Sunny staggered back. He felt blood streaming into his eyes and lost his vision for a moment. Even Shadow Sense was useless, because he simply couldn't differentiate up from down right now. Suddenly, his heart was full of dread. 'Think, think!' He had maybe a fraction of a second left before suffering a complete defeat. 'What is she going to do…' The silver longsword was currently… currently… raised slightly above him after the upward strike. The fastest way to finish the fight would be to bring it down, possibly with its flat on his head, or with its edge on his shoulder, thus severing one of his arms… yes, the second option was the easiest to execute and the most advantageous… But it was Nephis he was thinking about. What would she do? Faced with the choice of protecting his head or his shoulder, Sunny instinctively threw the Midnight Shard up to block a vertical blow aimed at his skull. His body moved on its own, following the memory of countless hours of training. Thanks to that, he was able to perform the block even in this stunned state. His judgment was correct. The tachi collided against Changing Star's sword and was thrown aside. But thanks to that, the strike missed his head completely. Instead, it fell on his clavicle and bit deep into his flesh, sc.r.a.ping against bone. Sunny's world exploded with pain. …But instead of letting it overpower him, he leaned forward and caught Neph's hand in a trap, entangling it with his own. Then, he drove the Midnight Shard forward and felt it pierce soft flesh. Nephis shrieked, her voice full of agony and shock. Then, she pushed him away. Sunny fell to the ground. 'd.a.m.n… d.a.m.n, this hurts…' Regaining some semblance of control over his mind, he raised a hand and wiped the blood away from his eyes. Then, he rose to his knees and looked in the direction where Nephis had been. She was standings a few meters away, leaning on her sword for support. There was a deep gash in her abdomen, just below the lower edge of the fractured breastplate of the Starlight Legion Armor, and a grimace of pain on her face. Blood was flowing from the wound he had caused her like a crimson stream. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Sunny lowered his gaze, at the austere tachi that lay on the floor between them. In all the mayhem, he had lost his sword. Both of them froze for a second. Then, ignoring the terrible pain pulsating in his wounded shoulder, Sunny lunged forward and grabbed the hilt of the Midnight Shard. At the same time, Changing Star rushed forward, raising her sword. …However, neither of them got a chance to deliver a strike. Because right at that moment, the Crimson Spire shuddered once again, this time much more terribly than before. And in a deafening thunder of breaking stone, the floor beneath their feet suddenly shattered and collapsed into the darkness, pulling them down with it. ReadNovelFull.me?
347	Chapter 347 Free Fall Sunny fell down in a rain of broken stone, the floor beneath his feet suddenly crumbling like shattered gla.s.s. The Crimson Spire shuddered and moaned, like a giant creature convulsing in the throes of death. The light of the artificial sun grew dim and weak, causing another tremor to run through the ancient tower, wide cracks appearing on its granite walls. Sunny had banished the darkness that devoured the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e every night, and Nephis had killed the vessel of the sun that rose above it every day. Together, they had brought destruction to this cursed land. Today was the end of days for the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, one that the two of them had ushered in. And one of them was going to have to endure the fallout of this cataclysmic change. Surrounded by a rain of falling shards of stone, Changing Star twisted and somehow managed to aim her sword in Sunny's direction. Even more miraculously, he managed to intercept it with his own. Both were thrown away from each other, the transparent wings weaving themselves behind their backs. For a couple of second, Sunny felt his body plunging down into the darkness. Then, finally, the Dark Wing fully manifested and turned into a blur, supporting his weight. Dodging a ma.s.sive slab of granite that threatened to crush him, Sunny used it as a step and propelled himself through the air. The Midnight Shard flashed, aiming at Changing Star's wings, but was blocked by the blade of the silver longsword. As the debris fell down, two human figures collided against each other and spun in the air. With nothing to serve as a support, the only chance they had to exert any force was to use the body of the enemy as one. Their bodies entangled, almost as if they were lovers. But in reality, of course, the purpose of this intimate closeness was not love; it was violence. ReadNovelFull.me Grabbing Nephis with one hand and using his legs to trap hers, Sunny twisted his torso and delivered a devastating blow with his forehead, feeling the brittle bones of her nose shatter under his strike. …But at the same time, her armored fist crashed into his side, aimed cruelly at the half-closed wound left behind by Caster. Sunny screamed. In the next second, her other fist slammed into his face. Augmented by the weight of the silver sword, that blow caused Sunny to lose himself for a short moment. When he came to his senses, the first thing he saw was a ma.s.sive slab of granite falling on them from above. Feeling blood stream down his face and from the newly opened wound on his side, Sunny bent his knee, and then used Neph's body to push himself away. The two of them flew into opposite directions, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the enormous piece of stone. Gliding with the help of their enchanted cloaks, Sunny and Nephis circled around each other, moving down in a wide spiral. Both were too preoccupied with dodging the falling pieces of stone to launch another attack, even if they wished too. Around them, the Crimson Spire was quaking and convulsing, more and more cracks appearing on its walls, whole layers of stone separating from them and plunging down. It felt as though the ancient structure would not be able to hold on for much longer. Above them, the dying sun was growing weaker with each minute. …And down below, the runes surrounding the perfect circle of the Gateway were shimmering in the darkness, their light slowly becoming unstable. Concentrating at the distant balcony, Sunny hesitated for a moment, then threw a glance at Nephis. Then, he dismissed the Dark Wing and plunged down, abandoning the safety of flight. Instead, he chose to fall. With air whistling in his ears, Sunny plummeted through the darkness, approaching the vast balcony with terrible speed. …Deadly speed. He had to calculate everything perfectly. When the Gateway was close enough to discern separate runes shining in a circle around it, he summoned the enchanted cloak again. As the Memory began to weave itself into existence, Sunny continued to fall, the stone balcony growing closer and closer. A second later, it was already close enough to see the shapes of the dead coral golems in the darkness. A second more, and a b.e.s.t.i.a.l fear took hold of his heart… he was about to die, to splatter on the ground like a crushed bug! Almost at the last moment, the Dark Wing finally came into existence. Immediately, Sunny activated the enchantment and tried to turn his vertical fall into a horizontal glide. As inertia pulled him down with dreadful speed, he cut a smooth arc in the air and hit the stone surface of the balcony, turning the violent impact into a roll. Then, without losing even a moment, he jumped to his feet and ran toward the Gateway. Consumed by pain, Sunny limped over the shimmering runes and entered the ring. Almost immediately, a strange feeling overtook him. It was like… like that strange and indescribable feeling you get a few seconds before realizing that the reality surrounding you is just a dream, and that you are about to wake up. The light of the runes grew stronger. Simultaneously, Sunny's own body began to glow, emanating the same ethereal light. …Before that glow had a chance to become bright, though, a shadow fell from above in a deadly rustle of sharp steel. 'No!' Sunny threw his hands up, deflecting the blow of Changing Star's silver sword. Nephis descended upon him like an avenging angel, the fierce white flames burning in her eyes with frightening intensity. As soon as her feet touched the stone inside the iron ring, the shimmering runes blinked… and disappeared. Both Conduits were cut off from the Crimson Spire, thus breaking the flow of soul energy. Without it, the Gateway could not function. Only if one of them was thrown outside would the runes ignite once again. Sunny gritted his teeth and thrust his sword forward, hoping to get Nephis before she had time to regain her balance. But she was too fast, too cunning; before he could even get close to piercing her flesh, Changing Star was already moving, trapping his blade under her own and throwing it aside. Sunny rammed into her, throwing all of his weight into one devastating blow. At the same time, he felt cold steel brushing against his ribs, causing more blood to stream down. The two of them collided with frightening force and fell out of the iron ring of the Gateway, rolling down the steps of the dais. As soon as the first of them crossed the circle of runes, they shimmered and shined once again. Sunny fell on the cold stones and remained lying there, consumed by pain and exhaustion. A low, tortured moan escaped from his lips. Something was broken inside of him. He felt weak. And cold. He didn't want to stand up. 'I'n not done yet… I'm not…' ReadNovelFull.me?
348	Chapter 348 Unbroken Sunny lay on the ground, gulping air like a dying fish. It felt as though he was drowning. His body was a map of pain. He couldn't even remember how many injuries he had received… there was the gash in his side left by Caster's jian, the gruesome wound that almost severed his clavicle, the long cut across his ribs… and many smaller ones. But he was still alive. He was still able to fight. He was still not willing to give up. …All around him, the Crimson Spire was trembling and groaning, slowly starting to collapse. Gritting his teeth, Sunny tiredly pushed himself off the ground. His body protested, but he forced it into silence and slowly rose to his feet. The blade of the Midnight Shard sc.r.a.ped against the stones as he pulled it up. Nephis was doing the same. The young woman stood up and staggered, then regained her balance and grew still. Her posture was slumped, with one hand pressed tightly against the deep wound on her abdomen. ReadNovelFull.me Changing Star looked weak and beaten, her fearsome presence diminished. Her face was pale, bloodied, and grim, contorted by a grimace of suffering. …Only her eyes, which burned with dimming white flames, were still the same — striking, cold, and full of unshakable resolve. Both of them were washed in the ethereal light of the Gateway. Looking at Neph through that light, Sunny slowly inhaled and said in a hoa.r.s.e voice: "...Let's finish this." She stared at him for a few moments, then grinned. Her teeth were painted red by blood. In the next moment, Nephis raised her sword and dashed forward, sending a cloud of dust into the air with her feet. They clashed beneath the dais of the Gateway, their swords whistling through the air like hungry fiends. The clangor of steel drowned the sound of breaking stone, resounding in the darkness of the Crimspon Spire once again. Both Sunny and Nephis were gruesomely wounded, but neither allowed their agony and pain to make them weaker. Instead, they fought with ruthless ferociousness, throwing everything they had left at the enemy, not holding anything back. Now that Changing Star was bleeding heavily, the Blood Blossom hanging on Sunny's neck entered a state of frenzy. At times, it felt as though his sword moved on its own, helping him strike faster, harder, with deadlier precision. He had never been as powerful as he was now. …And yet, it was not enough. Nephis was still too much for him to handle. She was still too strong, too fast, too overwhelming. She was more like a monster than a human. A demon of silver steel wreathed in pale white flames. Sunny managed to add several deep cuts to her harrowing collection of injuries, but the damage he received in return was twice as terrible. His left arm was slowly growing numb, weakening his grip on the hilt of the Midnight Shard. His lungs were burning, and it was getting harder and harder to inhale. With each breath, a wet, disturbing sound fell from his lips. His eyes were burning, too, his vision becoming blurry because of all the blood streaming into them. He had to rely on Shadow Sense a lot to make up for this debilitating affliction. 'I can't… I can't go on like this…' He had to think of something. Something devious and smart, something that would work… But, for the first time, Sunny's bag of tricks was empty. No matter how much he thought, he couldn't imagine anything that would defeat Nephis. She knew him too well. Better than anyone in the entire world. Two worlds, even… And yet, Sunny felt that he had no chance of victory if everything continued as it had. He was already just one step away from death. And so, he did the one thing he could think of. A desperate gamble with little chance of success. Summoning all of his remaining strength and resilience, he forced his perception to shift… and started weaving the strange, taxing movements of the incomplete Shadow Dance into his technique. He allowed his mind to become formless and shapeless, and then aimed it at Changing Star, trying to mimic her incredible battle art to the smallest detail. And use it as a weapon to destroy her. After all, if not Neph, then who could he ever imitate? He was the person who knew her best in the world, too. He was her companion, friend, and pupil. He was already practically her shadow, her compliant little helper. Caught in the net of her schemes, in her insane, insatiable desire, and incapable of breaking free — not only because there was no other choice, but also because he didn't really… didn't really want to be apart from her. He knew her flowing, deadly battle style better than anyone except for Nephis herself. After all, he had practiced it as well, spending countless hours to master its foundation and gain insight into its principles. From repeating the same downward slash hundred of thousands of times to this terrible battle, he had never stopped learning from her. If he had a chance to make that one final step to mastering the first level of Shadow Dance, it was in a fight against her. And so Sunny fought, summoning the memory of the beautiful slave girl dancing with her seven shadows. He strained his already failing body to its limit, past the limit, trying to force it to perfectly reflect Changing Star's deadly grace and fearsome elegance. Put under that strain, his body began to collapse. Sunny felt as though there was something brittle in the center of his chest, a small part of his body that was slowly cracking under the pressure. With each move he made, a new crack appeared on its surface. He just hoped that he would make the breakthrough before that small part exploded… if he could endure just a little more, do a little more, understand a little more… But in the end, he didn't. After another strange and excruciating move, one that somehow felt different from all the rest, the delicate thing in his chest suddenly shuddered, and broke. For a moment, Sunny felt as a marionette whose strings had been cut. His eyes widened in horror. And then, the Midnight Shard shivered slightly. In the next second, the invisible well of power hidden in his souls opened, and a flood of rejuvenating strength carried his exhaustion away. ReadNovelFull.me?
349	Chapter 349 Fate When something in Sunny's chest shattered, the hidden enchantment of the Midnight Shard, [Unbroken], came into effect and opened the floodgates of power to support him in the desperate, defiant last stand. …Of course, the Blood Weave was enhanced by it, too, boosting its restorative powers. The virtuous cycle was complete, simultaneously making him much stronger and bringing him away from death's doorstep. Changing Star's sword whistled through the air, aiming to pierce his flesh… and was thrown aside by the forceful push of the austere tachi. For the first time since the beginning of their brutal fight, Sunny didn't reel because of the violent shock reverberating through his bones. Now, he had reached the absolute pinnacle of his power potential. With his core fully saturated, the shadow wrapped around his body, the Blood Blossom filling his Memories with frenzied might, and the Unbroken enchantment of the stalwart blade doing the same for his body, Sunny was as strong as he would ever be before becoming an Awakened. Now, he was finally able to match Nephis… Almost. Astoundingly, incredibly, irrationally, she was still stronger. 'How?! How, d.a.m.n it?!' Sunny moved and fought, blood seeping from his terrible wounds. Although the gap in power between him and Changing Star had diminished significantly, it was still there, making him miss his attacks by a fraction of a second, be too late to block and deflect by a hair's breadth. ReadNovelFull.me He was still losing. As the two of them clashed furiously, sparks of burning metal flying into the air from the point where their swords met, the light of the artificial sun had grown dim and unstable, and the Crimson Spire continued to break apart. At some point, an enormous piece of granite crashed into the vast balcony, showering them with a rain of sharp splinters. A net of cracks appeared on the stone surface beneath their feet, slowly widening as more debris fell down. Both of them were thrown to the ground by the shockwave of the collision, but immediately got up, lunging at each other with dark, murderous determination. Sunny dodged the tip of the silver longsword and thrust his tachi forward, leaving a deep cut on Neph's forearm, slicing her muscles apart. At the same time, she made a step forward and slammed the pommel of her sword into his mauled clavicle, making Sunny's mind explode with pain. He heard someone scream, their voice hoa.r.s.e and full of indescribable suffering, then realized a moment later that that b.e.s.t.i.a.l voice was his own. Soon, the scream turned into a growl. He wasn't done yet. He refused to be defeated, he refused to give up… He still had a chance to win. …Because through all of this, Sunny had continued to push himself toward mastering the first step of the Shadow Dance. Just before something shattered in his chest, thus causing the Midnight Shard to open the well of hidden power, he had sensed an approaching epiphany. It was already there, at the precipice of his mind. But his body was not strong enough, not malleable enough to manifest it into reality. Or at least it had not been before receiving the boon of the [Unbroken]. Now, everything changed. Sunny felt that he would be able to make a breakthrough with the help of the powerful enchantment. Every strike, every block, every step brought him closer to finally being able to complete the foundation of his elusive battle art, to bring his vision of it to fruition. Taking a pained breath, he deflected another vicious attack, hesitated for a split second… and looked away from Nephis. Instead of watching her body and her movements, he instead gazed at her shadow. The shadow shifted slightly, facing away from the glowing ring of the Gateway. Its shadow hands moved, raising a shadow sword. The shadow sword fell, aiming to cut the shadow's enemy down. And suddenly, it felt as though a door opened in his mind. Everything suddenly fell into place. Everything connected. What was fragmented and obscured before now became clear and whole. It was… Complete. Before Neph's sword could reach him, Sunny evaded it with a slight shift and raised the Midnight Shard. A moment later, he delivered an identical strike, forcing her to retreat. '...Like that?' Changing Star was already attacking again, moving with speed and precision that seemed inhuman. Sunny mirrored her movements, and their blades collided in the air, causing a rain of sparks to fly down. His style changed slightly, growing more graceful. Smooth, flowing. Deadly. Just like hers. 'No, this is wrong.' The point of Shadow Dance was not to mirror every movement, to become a literal copy. It was to understand the very essence of the enemy's style and turn it against them. Sunny scowled and changed his grip on the Midnight Shard slightly, then attacked, manifesting the essence of Changing Star's technique into his own body. Suddenly, he was able to see her intentions with more clarity, understand the pattern of her steps better. He was able to perform every action she had performed, but also those that she had not used yet. After all, he was not a reflection, but a shadow. He wasn't replicating Changing Star's movements; instead, he was replicating Changing Star herself. The very heart of her battle technique. Neph's eyes widened when she felt the sudden change in his style. When they clashed again, Sunny seemed to be able to mirror her every move, throwing the flow of combat into a violent turmoil. His movements were sharper, faster, filled with more meaningful intent. Her attacks slowed down for a few moments, then grew even more violent and ferocious. Only now, they seemed to be less measured, less… controlled. It was as though she had lost her absolute grasp on the cadence of the battle, and was now compensating for it with brute strength. Sunny suspected that the small advantage he had gained wasn't going to last long. Nephis was too smart and too gifted to allow this lack of understanding to persist. Soon, she was going to see through the guiding principle of his newly established style and adjust to resist it. Even he couldn't predict what was going to happen then. That is why, despite his best judgment, Sunny gritted his teeth and escalated his attacks, sacrificing any semblance of defense in the process. This had to end fast. ...At first, he was able to see Neph's intentions with a considerable measure of clarity, allowing him to react to her attacks slightly before she started to move. When possible, he mirrored her strikes to throw the flow of the battle into chaos. His own came with a tiny delay, lagging behind the enemy by a fraction of a second. Then, they happened at the same time. And then, miraculously, his attacks started to come in advance of Changing Star's, even if the difference was barely perceptible. That was all Sunny needed. In the terrible crescendo of their merciless duel, blood fell to the cracking stone of the Gateway balcony like crimson rain. He dashed forward, turning his torso sideways to let the silver longsword miss his chest and rip through his bicep instead. As a blinding wave of pain flooded his mind, Sunny caught Neph's arm with his own. And then, twisting it, brought his fist on her elbow, shattering it. As pieces of bloodied bone tore through her skin, Nephis shrieked terribly and made an awkward move, trying to smash him in the head with the flat of her sword. But because it was now only held in one hand, the force and speed of that strike were not as formidable as that of her previous attacks. Diving under the blade of the silver longsword, Sunny fell to one knee… And pushed the Midnight Shard forward in a horizontal cut, its blade tearing through Neph's abdomen and exiting in a flood of blood from her back. Pulled by the inertia of her attack, Nephis made a step forward and came to a sudden stop. As the sword slid from her grip and clattered to the cold stones, she swayed a little. And then fell heavily to the ground. The radiance of her skin was slowly fading away. With his back to her, Sunny stared into the darkness. After a few moments, he closed his eyes and sighed. '...Over.' A second or two later, he stood up, turned around, and walked toward the broken figure of the young woman, who was still trying to reach for her sword, blood spilling from her mouth. As Sunny's shadow fell on Nephis, she gritted her teeth and spat: "It's… it's not over yet… I still can… I can…" Ruthlessly throwing the silver longword away with the tip of his boot, Sunny looked at her from above and said in a tired, listless voice: "You can't. It's over, Neph." Then, he looked away, at the shining dais of the Gateway. His face was hidden in the shadows. "You're done." \\\* He won. Looking at the shining Gateway, Sunny tasted that word. Why was it so bitter? Why was it so painful? Why wasn't it sweet and joyous? With a dark grimace, he glanced at Nephis, and then turned away. What could he say to her that had any meaning? One of them was going to escape this h.e.l.l, and the other was going to stay. One was victorious, and the other was defeated. One of them was going to live, and the other was going to die. Any words he could find would be empty... But not empty enough to express the hollow sense in his heart. His feet trembled as he made the first step toward the Gateway. '...To h.e.l.l with this!' Why did his heart have to feel so heavy?! Why wasn't he celebrating?! He deserved to be saved. He struggled and suffered to get to come this far, enduring countless horrors that would have broken and destroyed anyone else. He bled and fought, clawing his way to this point, never allowing himself to rest or stop growing. He — he! — was the strongest. He was the last one left standing! Not the countless Nightmare Creatures of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. Not Harus, that d.a.m.ned hunchback. Not Gunlaug, the mighty Bright Lord. Not Caster, the strongest even among other Legacies. Not even Changing Star, the last daughter of the legendary Immortal Flace clan. No, it was him. A homeless kid from the outskirt with no place to call his own, someone whom no one had ever expected to survive, let alone thrive in the ruthless embrace of the Nightmare Spell. Whom everyone considered to be below them, an inconsequential n.o.body with no chance of ever becoming anything else. Well… he showed them all, had he not? Gritting his teeth in anger, Sunny made another step. 'To h.e.l.l with you!' …Behind him, Nephis had finally abandoned her hopeless attempts to reach her sword. As Sunny walked away, she slowly crawled a few steps, then arduously pushed herself and sat up, leaning on a piece of rubble. The light of the Gateway reflected in her eyes as she watched him go, hunched, seemingly unable to move anymore. Stepping over a wide crack in the stone that was slowly approaching the shimmering circle of runes, Sunny came to the iron ring. Now, only one step separated him from freedom. …But instead of making it, he suddenly froze, looking into the distance with a grim expression on his face. A second pa.s.sed by, then another. The Crimson Spire shuddered once again, sending more stone falling down. As the light of the artificial sun grew so dim that it was almost impossible to see, Sunny swayed a little, then turned around and walked back to Nephis. Stopping above her, he lingered for a moment, then kneeled, so that their faces were on the same level. Looking Neph right in the eyes, Sunny raised his hands and clapped several times. Finally, he said in a terrible, furious voice: "Congratulations. You almost fooled me…" ReadNovelFull.me?
350	Chapter 350 End of the Nightmare Nephis stared at him tiredly, straining to understand his words. The radiance was gone from beneath her skin, and instead of it, white flames had once again appeared, licking weakly at her wounds. However, their power was almost gone: instead of healing, all they could do now was stem the bleeding and prevent Changing Star from dying right there and then. A few seconds later, she opened her mouth, letting blood flow over her lips, and said in a low, barely audible voice: "What… are you talking about?" Sunny snarled. "Drop the act. Your performance was, indeed, masterful. But don't forget who taught you how to lie in the first place. Did you really think that you would be able to deceive me?" She was silent for a few moments, then whispered: "I don't… understand." He looked at her and asked, his voice shaking with anger: ReadNovelFull.me "Why did you do it? Why?" Nephis blinked and drew in a shaky breath, but didn't say anything, looking at him with pain and confusion. Realizing that she wasn't going to answer, Sunny spat: "Why did you throw the fight?!" She lingered for a moment, then said quietly: "...I didn't." A bitter smile appeared on Sunny's lips. Shaking his head, he said: "You almost made it work, you know. I almost bought it! But after all of it was done and I could think clearly, some things really didn't add up. They didn't make any sense! No matter how I looked at it, something felt wrong." The Spire swayed, drowning their voices in the sound of breaking stone. Not paying it any attention, Sunny continued: "First! I know for a fact that you are somehow able to support two augmentations at the same time. You did so while fighting Gunlaug. One to enhance your sword, the other to enhance your body. I rarely forget things, so how could I not remember this? Once you were heavily injured, you summoned back the flames from the sword and were able to simultaneously strengthen yourself and heal those wounds. And yet, you only used one when fighting me. Funny, isn't it?" Nephis stared at him, not saying anything. Then, she uttered: "My powers were exhausted…" Sunny spat. "I would have believed that, maybe, if not for your other mistakes. Back at the top of the Spire, you had an opportunity to cut off my arm, ending the fight right there and then. That was the best course of action, the swiftest and most effective attack you could have performed. But instead, you chose a less advantageous method and went for my head, striking with the flat of the blade." A grim expression appeared on his face. "Someone else might have made that choice, but not you. Not Changing Star, the sword saint. The only reason for you to pa.s.s on that golden opportunity is that you never really wanted to win. Didn't you?" He looked up and grimaced, pain a.s.saulting his mind like a furious sea. "...And finally, why did you even stay there at the top of the tower, waiting for me to come? If you wanted to escape, you could have gone to the Gateway as soon as you realized what the Soul Conduit was, not even giving me a chance to save myself. But you did not. You just sat there quietly and waited, ignoring your chance to reach the Gateway first. So… why?" He looked at her and shouted, the pain finally finding its way into his voice: "Why the h.e.l.l did you pretend to go all out on me while planning to lose from the start?!" Nephis stared at him for a while, her face pale and inexorable. Then, she sighed and looked away. After a moment, she said quietly: "Maybe it is because I am far away from home, too." \\\* Sunny stared at her for a couple of moments, then snarled. "What? What the h.e.l.l is that supposed to mean?" Changing Star turned her head and looked at him calmly, then smiled. "Alright, Sunny. You caught me. Now go. This tower won't last much longer." As she said that, the white flames flowing from her wounds suddenly flashed, growing stronger and brighter. Her injuries started to heal once again, not as fast as in the past, but still with considerable speed. Her eyes shined with fearsome radiance. He gritted his teeth. "Like h.e.l.l I will! Not before you give me an answer." Nephis shrugged tiredly, then looked him in the eyes. "What it is that you want to know?" Sunny clenched his fists. "Why even fight me if you wanted to let me win all along?" She sighed. As he stared at her with burning intensity, Neph said: "Isn't it obvious? Because if I didn't, you wouldn't go." Turning away, she lingered for a moment, and then continued: "People… people are usually either cruel or kind. But not you. You can be both, depending on the situation. Either ruthless or compa.s.sionate. Either cruel or kind. So that's what I did. I created a situation that would allow you to be ruthless and cruel. To leave me behind without showing any mercy." Sunny stared at her, his fists trembling. "But why? Why would you doom yourself to save me? What happened to your G.o.dd.a.m.ned goal?! Didn't you tell me that you will sacrifice anything, anyone, to achieve it?!" Nephis looked at him and smiled bitterly. "Why? Are you the only one who is allowed to grow and change? Can't I change too, Sunny?" She turned away and said tiredly, her voice full of invisible, but crushing weight: "...Yes. I did say such a thing. But saying and doing are two different things, Sunny. Once it all started… once all those people were dying because of what I have done… once I suffered defeat after defeat… it was more difficult than I could ever imagine. It was… distasteful." He shook his head in shock. "So… that's it? You just gave up? After all that c.r.a.p, you just decided that it was too much for you?" Changing Star remained quiet for a bit, then slowly shook her head. "...You don't really understand me at all, do you, Sunny?" Facing him, she grinned. "Give up? No, I didn't give up. I didn't abandon my goal. I just realized that I was not ambitious enough." As white flames grew brighter in her eyes, Nephis said: "I am going to destroy the Spell, and all those who stand in my way. I will accomplish everything that I want. But I will also do it in the way that I want. I will do it in a way that suits my desire, without compromising anything. Without sacrificing my sense of right and wrong." Illuminated by white radiance, her pale, bloodied face seemed like a face of a demon. "Manipulating all those people, causing their deaths? I would do it again. I would kill more if I needed to. Because it was fair and right. I gave them the chance to save themselves, or die fighting against the Spell. There is no better way." For a moment, her eyes were aflame with pa.s.sion. However, then, her expression suddenly changed. Looking down, Nephis added in a quiet voice: "...But abandoning you here would be vile, and wrong. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Just like leaving a helpless blind girl to die alone would. I won't do it. If I do, I would be no better than those who I want to destroy. What's the point of reaching my goal if, in the process, I become the same as those whom I hate?" She pierced him with a burning gaze and said: "No, Sunny. My goal hasn't changed. It's just that reaching by using a wrong path is worse than not reaching it at all. But why do you care, anyway? Don't you think that it is insane? Don't you think that I am despicable and vile? So, go! Why are you hesitating?!" Sunny stared at her, a deep frown appearing on his face. Finally, he asked: "I'm hesitating because of you, fool. What about you?" Nephis smiled. "What about me? Do you think I will die here, in this tower? No. I will… I will be fine. I will escape it and survive, somehow. I'll find another way out. No matter how long it's going to take me, I will. Nothing will stop me. You know it won't…" He stared at her for a while, then glanced at the shimmering Gateway. The crack traveling through the stone balcony was already almost upon the circle of runes, threatening to destroy them. …Salvation was so close. He could almost taste it. Turning away from the dais, Sunny shook his head. "That is a horrible plan. You want to travel around the Dream Realm battling Nightmare Creatures? Fine. Let's do it together. We can try to go through the Hollow Mountains and reach the human Citadels on the other side. And that's just the south. With can also try north, east, and west, searching for an unclaimed Gateway. Two of us will have a better chance to survive. The two of us, together… it's better than being alone. Right?" She hesitated for a long time, then closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. When she spoke, her voice was wistful and tired: "...No. I can't. I can't let you stay, Sunny. Go! Go and meet your sister. There's something waiting for you in the real world, at least. All that's waiting for me is emptiness, bloodshed, and graves. If I return, the same thing that happened in the Bright Castle will repeat itself, over and over again, until there's nothing else. So go while you can." The runes of the Gateway shimmered, as if on the verge of disappearing. He gritted his teeth. "...No." Nephis opened her eyes and looked at him, a sense of sorrow appearing on her face. "Leave me, Sunny. Please. Go." He shook his head stubbornly. "I don't want to." Changing Star was silent for a moment, looking at him with a pained expression. And then she said, making his world crumble: "Go… Lost from Light." His eyes widened. Deep within his soul, something moved and rose from slumber, triumphant. Unbreakable, eternal, irresistible. Complete, perfect, and sweet. …Before Sunny knew what he was doing, his hand shot forward, the ghostly blade of the Moonlight Shard appearing in it. "Stop." His hand froze, the tip of the stiletto mere centimeters away from Neph's eye. Trembling, he looked at his arm and willed it to move forward. But it didn't. It didn't move at all. It was as though that hand did not belong to him anymore. As deep horror drowned his heart, Sunny moved his gaze and looked at Nephis, his eyes wide with shock. "H… how…" A sad smile appeared on her lips. "How did I know? …Ca.s.sie told me." Neph sighed and looked away. "She was the first one to understand the meaning of her vision. She knew that the two of us will end up fighting each other, and that I was going to lose. Maybe even die. She just didn't know how, when, and why. So, Ca.s.sie told me your secret, in hopes that it will save my life one day. But I… I hoped that I would never have to use it." Sunny stared at her, too shocked to say anything. She smiled sadly. "So, then. I guess… I guess this is goodbye. Ta… I hope that you'll take care of yourself, Sunny. Now, go. Escape before it is too late.' Even though Sunny didn't do anything, his body moved on its own. Standing up, he turned around and walked toward the shining ring of the Gateway. Step, step. Another step. 'Stop. Stop!' But his body would not listen. It just continued to move forward, indifferent to his commands. A dull ache settled somewhere in the center of his heart. 'Stop!' There was nothing he could do. He was a miraculous shadow bound to a master; once the master gave a command, he had no choice but to obey. Sunny slowly walked up the steps of the dais and approached the circle of runes, then crossed the iron ring without slowing down. As soon as he did, the runes shone with intense light. His body began to glow, too. 'No! I refuse!' The ethereal radiance grew brighter and brighter, until it became hard to discern the human figure in its middle. 'No!' …And then, suddenly, it disappeared, leaving only emptiness behind. Sunny was gone, finally free of this long and arduous nightmare. The journey back to reality that had taken him more than a year was now over. He made it out alive. Just a few seconds after he disappeared in a flash of light, the crack in the stone reached the circle of runes and broke it. The shine of the Gateway grew unstable and swiftly faded away. At the same time, the artificial sun of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e ignited one last time with a bright, intense explosion of light, and then extinguished. ...Left alone in the collapsing tower and with no more light to shine upon her, the beaten, broken figure of Changing Star disappeared into the shadows. [End of volume two: Demon of Change.] ReadNovelFull.me?
351	Chapter 351 Once Again Once again, Sunny found himself in the endless s.p.a.ce between dream of reality. All around him, there was nothing but a boundless black void, which was illuminated by a myriad of bright stars. Between those stars, countless strings of silver light were woven into a beautiful and inconceivably complex pattern. Once again, he felt as though he had glimpsed the inner workings of the Spell. Was it just an illusion, or was he able to see more now? It was almost as if his eyes were now able to discern a hint of meaning behind the unimaginable, t.i.tanic brilliance of the ethereal weave. …He had the eyes of Weaver now, after all. With a pained moan, Sunny forced himself to look away from the strings of silver light. The magnitude of the secret hidden in this cosmic pattern was so immense that just thinking about it could drive him mad. The Forgotten Sh.o.r.e had taught him an important lesson, and it was that one had to be careful about what they looked upon. Some things were not meant to be seen by humans. …Not to mention that he had other things to think about. "Curse it! Curse it all! Curse all of you!" His voice disappeared into the darkness, full of indescribable fury, bitterness, and sorrow. No one was there to hear it… except for the Spell, which chose to tactfully remain silent. Breathing heavily, Sunny clenched his fists and closed his eyes. ReadNovelFull.me He didn't know what brought him more rage and pain — the fact that he had lost Neph, or the fact that his secret had been revealed. Both were too bitter to swallow. All that time, all that suffering… and for what? He had outsmarted and defeated so many powerful enemies, only for his True Name to be discovered by an ungrateful, weak, blind girl?! After everything he had done for her... Ca.s.sie's betrayal, perhaps, had hurt him the most. "Curse her…" Once again, he was a slave. He made a full circle and returned exactly to where he had started. In shackles. Only instead of nameless slavers, Nephis had become his master now. Nephis… Sunny gritted his teeth and groaned, a storm of conflicting emotions tearing his heart apart. 'Why did she have to do it… why…' The pain of losing her, the hope of finding her again… was just as strong and overwhelming as the hope that she would die and disappear forever in the unforgiving h.e.l.l of the Dream Realm, so that they would never have to meet again. So that he would be free. He clawed at his face, not knowing how to process this conflagration of feelings. For someone who had spent most of his life alone, not caring for anything, this was all just too much. Luckily, time in this boundless void was a strange concept, so he had an eternity to try and come to terms with his new reality. The Spell kept silent, as though giving him a chance to do just that. After a while — maybe hours, or maybe days, or maybe just a single second — Sunny sighed. Some time later, he opened his mouth and whispered: "...I won." He had survived. Who could have thought? Slightly more than a year ago, he was thrown into a region of the Dream Realm that no human had ever escaped, and now, he was not only returning to reality, but aslo doing so as one of the most powerful Sleepers in the history of the human race. Maybe even the strongest one. …Or the second strongest. He had survived countless horrors, crossed a cursed sea on a boat made of demon bones, slew hundreds of Nightmare Creatures, gained experience and scars worthy of a lifetime, touched the hidden knowledge of the G.o.ds, saw a tyrant die and a new one be crowned, banished an ancient curse into the darkness of oblivion and watched as a sun died. And now, he was about to become an Awakened. An elite among elites, a person at the very top of society, one with access to the best food, the most wealth, the highest forms of prestige. The highest… everything. All his dreams were going to come true. All his suffering would now be rewarded. "I will not be sad, I will not be bitter, I will not be angry. Who should I?" Had he gone through this nightmare to be left heartbroken on the other side? No. He had earned this joy, this delight, this triumph... And he was going to enjoy it. Slowly, a shaky smile appeared on Sunny's face. At first, he had to force himself, but after a while, the smile became sincere. "That's right. Victory is supposed to be sweet. So, let's see… what should I start with?" As if answering him, the Spell finally spoke. Its voice sounded a little strange, as if it was continuing a sentence after being interrupted: [...Your shadow is overflowing with power.] [Your shadow is taking shape.] Suddenly, Sunny felt his soul begin to radiate a strange heat once again. 'c.r.a.p…' [Your shadow is complete.] Something inside of him exploded, drowning his whole being with indescribably suffering. With a startled yelp, Sunny fell down. \\\* 'How come… how come I end up on my a.s.s every time I come to this place…' The first time Sunny had appeared in the void, he was so shocked to discover the Divine Rank of his Aspect that his legs buckled. And now, due to the painful transformation happening to his soul, he ended up in the same situation again. Because he had left the Crimson Spire, the [Soul Conduit] Attribute was gone. And without its interference, the strange process that had begun due to the saturation of the Shadow Core was finally able to continue. It was just as painful as Sunny remembered. Gritting his teeth to prevent himself from screaming, Sunny tried to endure that terrible agony. He was no stranger to physical pain, but this was something different. It came from the soul itself, and for that reason, was so much worse. 'Argh, d.a.m.n it all!' However, it was still not nearly as bad as the chilling torture he had gone through after consuming the drop of Weaver's blood, or the nightmare he had endured after meeting the Black Knight for the first time. And it didn't last as long. After a while, the pain lessened, and then finally disappeared, leaving him feeling refreshed and whole again. Sunny carefully stood up and looked down, checking to see if he was still in one piece. He felt… stronger. Much, much stronger. Stronger, faster, more resilient. Very much so. He felt so powerful, in fact, that for a moment Sunny even entertained the idea that he had subconsciously commanded his shadow to wrap itself around his body, and was now enjoying the effect of its augmentation. To make sure that this wasn't the case, he habitually glance down to check on the shadow. …And froze. 'What… the h.e.l.l?' The shadow was not wrapped around his body. It was where it was supposed to be, on the unseen surface Sunny was standing on, somehow visible despite the darkness of the black void. But it wasn't alone. Two identical shadows were currently staring back at Sunny. One seemed sulking and morose, and the other appeared to be joyful and friendly. ReadNovelFull.me?
352	Chapter 352 Monster Core Sunny stared at the two shadows, dumbfounded. After a while, he said in an uncertain tone: "Am I… am I seeing things, or are there two of you?" The shadows, of course, did not answer. They had no vocal cords, after all. However, the sulking one looked at him with contempt and shook its head in derision. The friendly one, meanwhile, looked down shyly and slightly shrugged. 'What is going on?' Frowning, Sunny lingered for some time, and then dove into the Soul Sea. With the [Soul Conduit] Attribute gone, it was back to its usual, tenebrous appearance. The surface of the water was tranquil and still, and hundreds of motionless shadows stood silently in the darkness. Above him, shining spheres containing the Memories were circling around the… Sunny raised his head, then flinched. Where the black sun of the Shadow Core had once loomed above the quiet sea, there was now… two. Two identical Shadow Cores hovered in the dark sky, shining with lightless black radiance. He blinked. ReadNovelFull.me 'Two… there's two of them.' A few minutes pa.s.sed, or at least something that felt like a few minutes. 'There's two… I have two cores… why do I have two cores?' Humans only ever had one soul core. That was a fact. Only Nightmare Creatures had more... Sunny looked down at his hands, then made them into fists, feeling newly gained strength course through his muscles. Then, he scowled and looked up again. "Your shadow is taking shape, your shadow is complete…" So the Spell was not speaking about the bad-tempered shadow that had accompanied him for so long. Initially, Sunny had a.s.sumed that the shadow — and his core — were going through a transformation due to the acquisition of the thousandth fragment, perhaps evolving or even Awakening. But the Spell actually meant to say that his second shadow, and thus a second Shadow Core, were complete. They had been a.s.sembled from the thousand shadow fragments he had collected. Making him a… what? Sunny hesitated for a bit, then ordered the shadows to wrap themselves around his body. The sulking one seemingly rolled its eyes before obeying the command; the friendly one seemed extremely delighted to do as he asked. Both flowed up and covered his body. Immediately, Sunny felt his already considerable strength double… And then triple. His mouth hung open. 'Too powerful… this is too powerful…' This was incredible! To experiment further, he commanded one of the shadows to return to the surface of the tranquil water. A moment later, he had a shadow once again, but still enjoyed the familiar augmentation, even if it grew weaker, returning to its previous strength. He then summoned the Midnight Shard and ordered the second shadow to wrap itself around its blade. Now, both his body and his sword were augmented. Then, he sent the sulking shadow to join the friendly one. His body was not enhanced anymore, but the austere tachi felt much sharper, more lethal, more... deadly. Finally, he commanded one shadow to leave the Midnight Shard and cover the Puppeteer's Shroud. Two Memories were augmented at the same time. 'Holy h.e.l.l...' This was just too good. Sunny stood silently for a while, staring into the distance. So this was it… this was the most unique, most powerful side of his Aspect. A Divine Aspect, after all, was not necessarily more powerful than a lesser one. But it had much more potential. With the second core and a second shadow, the gap between Sunny and the other Awakened was going to increase. And if he was right about it… if he was right, this was only the beginning. Because if there was a second core, there would most like be the third one, and then the fourth… Suddenly, it all made sense. Why Nephis never seemed to be able to saturate her soul core, no matter how many shards she absorbed, no matter how many Nightmare Creatures and humans she slew. Why she had been incapacitated after killing Gunlaug. Why she was so much stronger, faster, and more powerful than him, even at his peak. ...It was because her Aspect was Divine, just like his. But she had discovered its secret much sooner than him. As a dull pain appeared in his heart, Sunny banished the image of Changing Star from his mind and summoned the runes. He had to make sure that his guess was right. Name: Sunless. True Name: Lost from Light. Rank: Dreamer. Below that, new runes were shimmering in the darkness. Sunny's eyes widened. Cla.s.s: Monster. Shadow Cores: [2/7]. He stared at the glowing runes, his face calm, his heart engulfed by a dark fire. …Monster. Two out of seven. He was right, after all. His progression path was indeed different from all of humanity. It was harder, larger... but also so much more promising. The promise of it was as vast as it was frightening. He was reluctant to even try to imagine the pinnacle of what he would potentially be able to achieve. The possibilities were simply limitless. What would a human with seven cores and the might of a t.i.tan be capable of? What obstacles would they be unable to conquer? Who would dare to stand in their way? ...Who would dare to call them their slave? Of course, the road to creating five more cores would be long and arduous. It would take him years, if not decades. If he even manages to live that long. In fact, the magnitude and scale of such an ambition were nothing short of insane. After all, the stronger he grows, the stronger enemies he would have to face to collect their shadow fragments. It seemed all but impossible. ...Almost. Was he really going to try? After some time, Sunny lowered his gaze and continued to read the runes. His face looked like that of a madman — there were simultaneously a deep frown and a wide smile somehow coexisting on it, making for a strange sight. But then, the wide smile disappeared, leaving only the frown behind. There was something even more important waiting for him in the glow of ethereal runes. Something even more frightening. Reaching the lowest part of the field of runes, he read: Aspect: [Shadow Slave]. Aspect Rank: Divine. Aspect Description: [You are a miraculous shadow left behind by a dead G.o.d. As a divine shadow, you possess plenty of strange and wondrous powers. However, your existence is empty and lonesome; you mourn the pa.s.sing of your former master and long to find a new one.] Right beneath it was the description of the part of the Aspect that had cursed his life, turning it into a nightmare: Innate Ability: [Shadow Bond]. Ability Description: [Find a worthy master and let them know your True Name. Once they recite it out loud, you will be bound to their will, unable to disobey any command. It is improper for a shadow, let alone a divine one, to walk around without a master.] …However, the runes describing Shadow Bond were grey and lifeless, as though the Ability was now inactive. '...Makes sense.' He had a master now, after all. He wasn't free to walk around without one anymore. And speaking of it… Right below, new runes were now shining in the darkness: Master: Changing Star. Sunny stared at those three words for a long time. Who knew that just three words could bear such a crushing weight? Such a vast and complicated meaning... Finally, he shook his head slightly and concentrated, making the runes shine brighter, new ones appearing out of nowhere as he watched: Name: Nephis. True Name: Changing Star. Rank: Dreamer. Cla.s.s: Demon… ReadNovelFull.me?
353	Chapter 353: Light Bringer The runes shimmered in the tranquil darkness of the silent sea. Name: Nephis. True Name: Changing Star. Just as Sunny had suspected, that True Name hid many meanings. It didn't describe a star that was always changing, but instead a star that caused change. However, there were a lot of words for change in the runic language, each hiding a unique meaning. The one used here meant a cataclysmic change that brought ruin and disaster; sometimes bad and sometimes good, but always cruel and calamitous, wreathed in misfortune. So, in a sense, Nephis was neither a Star of Change nor a Star of Ruin, but both; the two went hand in hand, inseparable, destined to bring both salvation and d.a.m.nation to those touched by her light. …Just like what had happened to the doomed Dreamers of the Dark City. The Spell was really good at giving names, it seemed. Thinking of his own True Name somberly, Sunny read further: ReadNovelFull.me Rank: Dreamer. Cla.s.s: Demon. Soul Cores: [3/7]. Soul Fragments: [2749/3000]. He stared at the last two strings, a dark expression written on his face. 'So this… this is how far ahead of me you are.' Then, with a heavy sigh, he looked away. Many events of the past few months made sense now. During the fight against Gunlaug, Nephis had already been a Dormant Monster — just like he was right now, a Dreamer in possession of two Cores. It was because she had known that killing the Bright Lord would push her toward the third that she asked him to prevent Caster from attacking her in that moment of weakness. …And in the time since, Changing Star had almost reached the fourth. 'How was she so fast?' Sunny had made a conscious choice to avoid saturating his core during the civil war in the Bright Castle. In hindsight, this decision had turned out to be a wrong one… or maybe not. If he had collected all thousand shadow fragments back then, he might have been dead already, killed by one of Tessai's Guards or a Nightmare Creature while completely incapacitated by the formation of the second Shadow Core. h.e.l.l, he would have been crushed to death by a piece of falling granite if not for the [Soul Conduit] suppressing the process at the best possible moment. …Just as always, terrible misfortune had come together with incredible luck. But even if he had come to possess the Monster Core back then, he would have never managed to create a third, let alone get this close to the fourth one. It was because Nephis had one big advantage over him in the matter of collecting essence. Like every Awakened except for Sunny, she received a certain portion of the enemy's acc.u.mulated soul essence when killing a fellow human, while he received only a single shadow fragment… or a few, at best, if the enemy was of the higher Rank than him. Which hadn't happened yet, but was inevitably going to, considering his luck. The war against Tessai and Gemma must have been a true feast for Changing Star. Especially when slaying those experienced members of the Host that had long saturated their cores themselves. She was always on the frontline, after all. Fighting, killing, leading her followers… Sunny grimly stared into the darkness for a while, then slowly turned back to the runes. His eyes slid lower… Memories: [Dream Blade], [Starlight Legion Armor], [Dawn Shard], [Dark Wing], [Nameless Sun]... There were a few utility Memories, too, including [Evertwine] — the golden rope he knew so well. But Sunny did not pay them a lot of attention. His sight was attracted to the Nameless Sun. What was that Memory and why hadn't he seen or heard of it before? Memory: [Nameless Sun]. Memory Rank: Ascended. Memory Tier: VI. Memory Type: Weapon. Memory Description: [For a long time, the Nameless Sun suffered in solitude, longing for all the things that were lost. Only when she lost that longing, too, was the Crimson Terror of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e finally born.] His eyes narrowed. 'So… she received a Memory after killing the Vessel, after all.' An Ascended weapon of the sixth tier… Sunny wished that he could see its weave and learn what enchantments that terrible Memory held. Whatever they were, however, the Nameless Sun was bound to be extremely powerful. But was it enough to help Nephis survive in the ruthless h.e.l.lscape of the Dream Realm? He did not know. Frowning, Sunny continued to read the runes. Echoes: — Attributes: [Dreamsp.a.w.n], [Nephilim], [Flame of Divinity], [The Fire]. [Dreamsp.a.w.n] Attribute Description: "You are born of two worlds, belonging to both, but welcomed in neither. Your soul exists on the edge between nightmare and reality." [Nephilim] Attribute Description: "There once were terrible creatures born of an unholy union between the divine and the profane. Nephilim were the most beautiful, and the most harrowing of them all." [Flame of Divinity] Attribute Description: "Your soul is aflame with the light of divinity." [The Fire] Attribute Description: "You have inherited the lineage of Sun G.o.d." He hesitated for a bit, studying Neph's Attributes. 'So that's how it is…' Sunny had always wondered what was her innate Attribute — the one that was at the center of all the rest, the core of her being, just like his [Fated] trait. He often thought that it was tied to drive, battle prowess, or will. But it was not. Instead, Neph's innate Attribute was called [Dreamsp.a.w.n] and tied to her nature as a child of a Hollow mother. In a sense, she was connected to the Dream Realm — and the Nightmare Spell — from before she had even been born. Her core trait was duality. If his guess was correct, that duality was further expressed after Nephis had conquered her First Nightmare and received her Aspect, as well as a new Attribute — [Nephilim]. Once again, it described a half-blood creature: half divine, half profane. Half deific, half… Unknown? Suddenly, he remembered how Changing Star had stopped and stared at the depiction of a radiant being engraved into the walls of the ancient mine below the Hollow Mountains. Was that creature one of the nephilim? Or a fallen angel, from whom nephilim were supposed to be born? After all, the similarity between that creature and her own powers was hard to deny. And then there was the last Attribute, [The Fire]. Sunny rubbed his face. A Lineage Attribute, somewhat similar to his own Blood Weave. Finally, the meaning behind that word became clear: Lineage Memories akin to the [Drop of Ichor] were able to impart Awakened with unique Attributes that, unlike the usual ones, seemed to be hereditary. They could be pa.s.sed down through a bloodline, and at least one of the great Legacy clans — the almost destroyed Immortal Flame — possessed one. Did all great Legacy clans — like Song or Valor — possessed one, too? Was that what allowed them to rise to the very top of humanity and claim their place as great clans, in the first place? 'Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds have so many secrets.' Sunny also couldn't help but notice a slight difference between [Blood Weave] and [The Fire]. While the latter was described simply as "lineage", the former was described as a "forbidden lineage". What exactly made Blood Weave forbidden? Was it because it didn't come from a proper deity like Sun G.o.d, but from mysterious Weaver, who was a daemon? Had no one except for G.o.ds been allowed to leave behind a Lineage? The Blood Weave was also described as a "partial" lineage, while The Fire was not. "Questions, questions…' With a sigh, Sunny turned to the runes once again. Aspect: [Light Bringer]. Aspect Rank: Divine. Aspect Description: [You are a creature of light that was banished and doomed to exist in the darkness. You bring radiance and warmth to wherever you go, but with it comes indescribable longing.] Aspect Ability: [Soul Flame]. Ability Description: [Your soul burns with the purest of flames. That flame can both restore and destroy, and is both a blessing and a curse.] Innate Ability: [Halfbreed.] Ability Descriptions: [You can directly absorb a portion of the soul essence of any Nightmare Creature destroyed by your flames, as well as of any human.] Flaw: [Pristine Soul]. Flaw Description: [You must suffer to use your power.] Sunny dismissed the runes and was motionless for a while, thinking. The name of the Aspect, Light Bringer, could be translated in several ways. The first rune could mean both light and fire, and the second meant either to bring or to bear, depending on context. So it could have been Fire Bearer as well, not that it made any difference. The rest he had already known or suspected, so it didn't surprise him much. Only the strange Innate Ability, Halbreed, was somewhat new. Nephis had mentioned once that she was capable of doing something like that, but without sharing any details. It was also funny that the name of her Flaw was Pristine Soul, while his was Clear Conscience. What a pair they were, one lost from light, the other the source of it. …One a master, the other a slave. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a second. What else was there to note? The [Soul Conduit] Attribute was gone. It seemed that the artificial sun or the Crimson Spire itself had sustained too much damage and collapsed, thus removing it. He had escaped just in time. 'I guess there's not a lot of secrets left between us now.' Sunny was sure that there was a new rune that Nephis could summon, one reading "Slave". Just like he now had access to all the information about her, she was going to learn everything about him. The unique nature of his cores, the shadow fragments, the true ident.i.ty of the Marble Saint, the Weaver's Mask… she was going to know it all. That could potentially complicate… Before he could finish that thought, however, the Spell spoke again, its voice filling the black void with melodious whispers: [The Second Seal is broken.] [Awakening dormant powers…] 'Oh, c.r.a.p! I almost forgot!' Sunny stared into the void with wide eyes. He was about to Awaken. ReadNovelFull.me?
354	Chapter 354 Awakening Just like after the First Nightmare, Sunny suddenly sensed something waking up within him. Back then, it felt as though this new power came from inside his soul as opposed to some external source. This time the feeling was very similar, only more intense, more defined. It was coming from his Shadow Cores. They were radiating an ethereal, but almost palpable heat. The energy was circulating through his entire body, changing it, making it stronger. It was somewhat similar to the strange feeling he got every time he received a shadow fragment, but so much more powerful. …A thousand times more powerful. And deeper, too. With a barely audible gasp, Sunny slowly sat down and crossed his legs, then closed his eyes, concentrating on the transformation. Every fiber of his being was soon full of the mysterious energy. The familiar euphoric feeling overwhelmed him, washing over his mind like a warm wave. However, Sunny wanted to feel more, understand more. He wanted to remember this moment in every detail. It was his triumph, after all. Beneath the physical changes that his body was undergoing to become better, stronger, more perfect… was another, subtle, but equally incredible change. ReadNovelFull.me It was happening to his soul. Sunny had no words to describe it, but knew that he had never experienced anything as wonderful. The transformation of his soul was not at all painful, like the creation of the second Shadow Core had been, and not nearly as torturous as the agony that consuming a drop of divine blood had caused him. It felt… natural, right, and profound. As though he was coming one step closer to becoming complete, to what he had always been meant to be. A better being. Soon, the pulsating waves of heat retreated, replaced by a wave of soothing coldness. The dull ache in his heart that had remained there, unnoticed, ever since leaving the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e lessened a little. His mind became calm and tranquil. Sunny felt like... like a sword that had been tempered and fortified in a fiery crucible, a being made of cold, pure, resilient steel. He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. His body felt stronger, faster, and more enduring, similar to how he felt when wrapped in the shadow. The change was sufficiently p.r.o.nounced, and he knew that it would only grow greater if he used one or both of the shadows to actually augment him. But it wasn't the main difference. Sunny knew that the actual quality that separated Awakened from the Dreamers was not physical might, but a new innate ability. Just like Dreamers gained the ability to sense and interact with soul cores, the Awakened could do the same with soul essence. But knowing and feeling were two different things. Before, he could vaguely feel his Shadow Core. The feeling was elusive and ethereal, but unmistakable. He felt its emptiness at the start of his journey, and felt it br.i.m.m.i.n.g with power near the end. Now, that power wasn't contained inside the Shadow Cores anymore, but broke free, flowing naturally through his entire body. It circulated slowly, coming and going from the cores, pa.s.sively saturating his bones and muscles with power. Sunny instinctually felt that, with some practice, he would be able to direct the flow of shadow essence to concentrate it in a certain area. He could expend some amount of essence to give his arms incredible, explosive strength for a short amount of time, or feel his legs with the power to jump a dozen meters into the air. In short, it wasn't as though he had become monstrously strong and would be all the time, crashing through walls and breaking delicate things by accident. Instead, by wisely controlling his shadow essence, he would be able to gift himself short bursts of truly inhuman physical might. The rest of the time, he would enjoy a much smaller, but still considerable pa.s.sive effect of his body being saturated with freely flowing essence. 'More training…' Sunny could now control the shadow essence by instinct, but if he wanted to truly master it and do it more efficiently, he would have to learn from experienced Awakened. Some instructors at the Academy existed for the sole purpose of teaching newly Awakened just that, after all. And then there was a whole another layer of combat strategy that he would have to understand and master. Sleepers thought much like mundane humans, only with more power and tools. But battles of the Awakened were much more tactical. While essence always restored itself to the core's maximum capacity, it took time. In the reality of a battle, it was a finite resource. Because of it, one had to be smart and careful about how and when to use it. He would also have to absorb as many shadow fragments as possible to increase the capacity of his cores. Luckily, he now had two of them, which already gave him a big advantage over the rest of the Awakened. But this new amazing quality he had received was not the end of the Awakening. The main event was yet to happen… The Spell spoke again, filling him with antic.i.p.ation. [Awakening Aspect Ability…] [...Aspect Ability acquired.] [Aspect Ability Name: Shadow Step.] Sunny blinked, then hurriedly summoned the runes. Name: Sunless. True Name: Lost from Light. Rank: Awakened. Cla.s.s: Monster. Shadow Cores: [2/7]. Shadow Fragments: [0/2000]. Just as expected, both of his cores were not Dormant anymore, instead becoming Awakened. The shadow fragments were consumed to fuel the Awakening, bringing him to a stark and sad zero. 'A thousand fragments, gone just like that…' He wasn't really disappointed, though. The amount of essence consumed during the Awakening directly corresponded to the starting capacity of the core, and thus, the extent of the physical transformation that a Sleeper would go through. By collecting a thousand fragments and fully saturating his first core, Sunny not only received a second one, but also made sure to gain the best benefits a Sleeper could dream of. Very few Awakened had ever fully saturated their cores before returning from their first journey to the Dream Realm, and now, Sunny was one of them. The difference was not drastic, but every little bit of power counted in a life-and-death situation. 'Enough stalling!' Impatient, he banished the thoughts of cores and shadow fragments and found the description of his new Aspect Ability. Aspect Ability: [Shadow Step]. Ability Description: [You can move freely between shadows, traveling from one to another in an instant.] Looking at the shimmering runes, Sunny soon discovered that there was a stupid grin on his face. 'Teleportation… that's teleportation, right?' That was, without a doubt, a form of teleportation. An ability such as this was a game changer. His mobility would become truly incredible. Not only would he be able to apply it to traversal, making his future ventures into the Dream Realm easier and safer, but it could also play a decisive role in a battle. What was more deadly than an a.s.sa.s.sin capable of appearing out of nowhere and disappearing from sight in a blink of an eye? Not many things, really... Of course, he would have to experiment and learn the true extent of this amazing Ability… what was its range, for example? Would he be able to jump to any shadow in sight, or to any shadow in the range of his Shadow Sense? Did a shadow have to be deep and large enough for him to fit through, or would even the smallest and faintest of them do? And what about his own shadows? Would he be able to send one to a certain spot, and then step out of it, just like Saint usually did? He couldn't wait to learn. But before that, there were two other things he had to see. One was the new Memory he acquired. The other one — and the one that filled him with nervous antic.i.p.ation — was much more important. It was the relic he was supposed to receive for mastering the first step of the Shadow Dance. With a Legacy Relic in his hands and a Lineage Attribute coursing through his blood, Sunny would be theoretically eligible to create his own Legacy Clan. A great clan, even! …Not that he was planning to. But before Sunny could glance at the corresponding runes, the Spell suddenly whispered into his ear: [Wake up, Sunless!] And instantly, the black void full of bright stars and silver light disappeared. ReadNovelFull.me?
355	Chapter 355 Back to Reality On one of the underground levels of the Academy hospital complex, in a small room that was filled with the ma.s.sive rectangle of the dream pod and various pieces of medical equipment, a delicate girl with pale blond hair was sleeping beneath the transparent gla.s.s lid, her face surrounded by wisps of cold vapor. Suddenly, a series of lights ignited on the surface of the pod, and the medical machinery in the room came to life, producing various noises. A few moments later, the girl opened her striking blue eyes and screamed. …On a top floor of a private care facility in the center of a city, in a s.p.a.cious room with tall windows and a luxurious interior, a state-of-the-art sleeping pod stood silently, bathed in sunlight. An attending nurse sat in a comfortable chair beside it, monitoring the vital signs of a beautiful young man who slumbered inside. For the past three years, there had not been a single minute when the young man was left alone. His pod was surrounded by fresh flowers, and someone was always there to keep watch. For three years, the flowers and nurses came and went, but the young man had remained the same. Nothing about him ever changed. Suddenly, the nurse opened her eyes wide. A second later, the sleeping pod shone with bright light. Its lid swiftly slid sideways and hid in a special housing slot. The figure inside was slowly raising in the air, as if pulled up by an invisible force. The beautiful young man was… levitating. ReadNovelFull.me The nurse remained motionless for a few seconds, stunned. Then, she hastily ran to the panel on the wall and pressed a call b.u.t.ton. …In a small apartment in one of the less prestigious areas of the city, in a tiny room, a tall young woman was lying in an old and barely functioning pod. This one was possibly the last representative of its model, taken out of production a long time ago. Still, it seemed like the most luxurious thing in the apartment, by far. The door of the room was open, letting in the sound of a news broadcast. A pleasant and confident tone was currently saying: "...unusual number of Awakenings! Dear viewers, we… we are currently receiving a report from our correspondents, and will be able to update you on this event shortly. The representatives of the great Legacy Clans, meanwhile…" Suddenly, the sound of the broadcast was cut out, replaced by a heavy, hopeless silence. Soon, the sound of tentative steps could be heard, approaching the room where the pod stood. Just a second later, however, a fist slammed into the armored gla.s.s of its lid from inside, sending a net of cracks through it. …Back in the Academy, in a room identical to the first one, the lights suddenly blinked and then went out. It was now shrouded in absolute darkness. Something crashed down with a thunderous noise, and then, a pained human voice hissed: "d.a.m.nation!" A moment later, the lights came back, revealing the figure of a lithe young man with pale skin and dark hair standing near an overturned medical monitor. There was a disoriented, confused expression on his face. The lid of the sleeping pod was still closed. However, it was empty. …And a few hundred meters away, hidden even deeper underground, there was another room. This one was slightly bigger, and much better guarded, than all the others. In it stood a simple sleeping pod. Beneath its transparent lid, a young woman with ivory skin and long silver hair slept, undisturbed by anything. Despite the growing commotion outside, inside the tranquil room, it was quiet and peaceful. Nothing changed. The pod did not shine with bright lights, the medical equipment remained silent. Imprisoned in the gla.s.s coffin of the sleeping pod, the young woman continued to dream, as if cursed to remain in her nightmares forever. \\\* Sunny looked around the small room, slowly realizing where he was. …Academy. He was back at the Academy. He had returned to the real world. He looked around, noticing the medical equipment and the sleeping pod, all of which were currently ablaze with the light of alarms. The pod was still closed. 'How the h.e.l.l did I get out?' Speaking of which… Looking down, Sunny realized that he was naked. To avoid any awkward situations, he summoned the Puppeteer's Shroud. Once the armor weaved itself out of black strings and covered his skin, he felt a lot better. …He did, however, have to force himself to not summon the Midnight Shard as well. His instincts screamed, demanding him to arm himself in an unfamiliar environment. But this was the real world. He had to adjust his behavior. The decision to cloth himself turned out to be the correct one. Just a few moments after he had made it, the door of the room opened, and a woman in a white coat rushed inside. Noticing Sunny, she froze. Her eyes widened in horror, and she raised a hand to cover her mouth, as if suppressing a scream. 'What's wrong with her?' Sunny frowned, blinked a couple of times, then looked at his reflection in one of the medical machines. '...Oh.' Since both Sleepers and Awakened traveled to the Dream Realm in spirit, his actual body was whole and pristine, without even a single scar. However, the same could not be told about the Puppeteer's Shroud. The silk armor was torn and dirty, looking like rags. What's more, it was covered in so much blood that it was hard to tell that its fabric was once grey. Looking at the doctor in embarra.s.sment, Sunny forced out a smile and said in a raspy voice of someone who had not spoken in more that year: "Uh… hi? Can I maybe get some clean clothes?" The woman stared at him for a few moments, then said in a trembling voice: "Slee… Awakened Sunless? Sir, you are awake?" 'Sir… did she just call me sir?' Sunny grinned. "I sure hope so. I've been sleeping for a year and two weeks, after all." The doctor finally seemed to relax and looked at him with a relieved, joyous expression in her eyes. A few moments later, she smiled slightly and said, her voice full of sincere admiration: "Welcome back to the real world, sir!" ReadNovelFull.me?
356	Chapter 356 Interview with the Shadow The hospital complex and the administration of the Academy were in complete chaos today. Weeks following the winter solstice were always a busy time for all the people working on the periphery of the Awakened society, since most of the Sleepers who had ventured into the Dream Realm that year usually returned in a span of one to two weeks, very rarely a month. …Those who had survived, of course. The sudden Awakening of so many Sleepers who had been gone for years, counted as irrevocably lost, created a shockwave that spread through entire humanity. And people at the Academy were at the epicenter of that storm. It was a joyous chaos, nevertheless. In a small office at the surface level of the hospital, a young woman dressed in black slacks and a white blouse was sitting behind a desk, hastily compiling a short report. She had dark-brown hair, neatly tied into a high ponytail, and thick gla.s.ses that were constantly sliding down her nose, forcing her to push them back up. The young woman was one of the administrative workers tasked with the initial debriefing of returning Sleepers. As such, she had seen a lot of incredible things, and heard a lot of incredible stories. And, sadly, even more heartbreaking ones. But today was like no other day in her career. The Sleepers that she was debriefing today were all anomalous, each and every one of them. The things they told her made her blood run cold, and her imagination fail. She even had an urge to dismiss their reports as false, but knew that it was nearly impossible — the lie detection technology built into the walls of the office would make lying very hard to pull off. ReadNovelFull.me 'Incredible… they are incredible, every single one of them…' To survive for that long in a region of the Dream Realm completely cut off from the rest of the human territory, one populated by Nightmare Creatures much more powerful than any Dreamer could ever become… the achievement of these brave young men and women was truly remarkable. It filled her with a sense of compa.s.sion, pride, and hope. Humanity received an unexpected, but wonderful gift today. Finishing the report and sending it to her superior, the young woman pressed a b.u.t.ton to let the next Sleeper know that it was their turn to come in. The door of her office opened, and a pale young man with dark hair entered the office. Because of the nature of her job, she was accustomed to interacting with incredibly attractive people — almost every Awakened was pleasant to look at, after all. The young man in front of her was far from being the most outstanding in terms of appearance among them, and yet, for some reason, she was unable to look away for a couple of moments, a natural smile somehow finding its way onto her face. There was something elusive about the young man that attracted attention, almost demanded it. He was of small height, with a delicate, slender build and perfect white skin. His dark eyes had a humorous, slightly mischievous spark in them. The young man wasn't exactly handsome, but due to his small stature, pale complexion, and dark hair, he looked like a beautiful porcelain doll. And there was a… a subtle strangeness about him. The young woman couldn't quite put it into words, but it seemed as though his every move, every word was ever so slightly not exactly how they should have been. Not really wrong, but also not completely right. This quality was equally as disturbing as it was magnetic. It was the reason why she couldn't stop paying him a bit more attention than to all the other Sleepers she had interviewed today. The young man smiled and sat down opposite her. In response, her own smile widened a little. "Good day. My name is Teddy, and I will be your interviewer today, Awakened… uh…" Of course, she already knew his name. His file was opened on the screen in front of her, containing all the information the Academy had on the pleasant young man. But it was important to create a friendly environment to allow the Sleepers to relax. After their experiences in the Dream Realm, most were tense and on edge. 'Second to last place in the ranking… poor kid, I can't even imagine what horrors he had to survive…' The young man answered in a pleasant tone: "Sunless. But people usually call me Sunny. So, uh… Awakened Sunny, I guess? No, that sounds weird. Just call me Sunny." Teddy nodded, then typed a few words on her pad. "I will ask you a series of questions about your time in the Dream Realm. The purpose of this briefing is to enrich our base of knowledge about it, as well as let us know how to better a.s.sist you in the future. Any little bit of information you can provide might help future Dreamers in their own trials, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course." Awakened Sunless… Sunny… nodded seriously. "I understand. I promise to be honest and tell you only the truth. I am a very honest person, you see." Teddy smiled and asked the first question: "How long have you spent in the Dream Realm?" Sunny sighed. "A year and a few weeks. Although, uh... it felt much longer." That matched the information in the file. 'This is so terrible. A whole year out there…' She smiled with encouragement. "I see. You did very well, Sunny. Very few Dreamers had managed to survive for that long, especially in a region such as the... the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, right?" He shivered slightly before answering: "Yeah. That's what we called it." Teddy typed a few more words. "From the interviews with the other Dreamers, we have confirmed that the region of the Dream Realm you were sent to is populated with Nightmare Creatures of the Awakened Rank and above. Can you confirm that information?" The young man grew a little paler and nodded again. "Yeah. Awakened, Fallen… Corrupted, too, although those only appeared at night." Teddy added a couple of lines to her report and asked: "Have you partic.i.p.ated in the battles against such Nightmare Creatures? If so, how many have you killed?" Sunny was silent for a second, then raised his hand and began counting on his fingers with a thoughtful expression. "Uh, three or four…" She began to type and thought: "Four Awakened creatures. That poor kid looks so weak, and yet he managed to defeat four abominations much more powerful than him, despite being in second to last place of the ranking. Good job, Sunny. You are truly admirable." But Sunny didn't finish speaking. "...hundreds." Teddy froze, staring at the monitor. "Excuse me?" The young man thoughtfully scratched his chin and said: "Yeah, I think that's right. Around four hundred." After a long and awkward silence, he asked: "I am sorry, Teddy, is everything alright?" She nodded slowly, then forced out a smile. "...Everything is fine, Sunny. I… I am sorry. We'll have to pause the interview now." He looked at her with sincere surprise and blinked a couple of times. "Really? Why?" She cleared her throat, then answered in a small voice: "I'm... afraid that I am not qualified to conduct this interview. My… my superior will be with you shortly, Sun… Awakened Sunless. Please wait for a few minutes." Sunny sighed. "Oh, well. Alright. It's been nice to meet you." With that, he gave her a bright smile. ReadNovelFull.me?
357	Chapter 357 Risk and Reward Sunny left the office of the government agents in a strange mood. The conversation went exactly as he had planned. Even after a higher-ranking specialist had been called in, he managed to steer the interview in the right direction, manipulating both answers and questions to achieve the desired result. In the end, he wanted everyone to know that he was someone exceptional… but not so exceptional as to overshadow the best of the best. Someone who was in the very highest tier of young Awakened, but also at the very bottom of that tier. Even though he had kept his most outrageous accomplishments to himself, it felt weird to give away so many secrets about his skill, power level, and achievements. Sunny had grown so used to pretending to be a pathetic clown that removing that mask to reveal another, less outlandish mask was not easy for him. And yet, it was something he had to do. After he had Awakened, there was not a single moment for him to properly think things through. He had to go through a series of medical and psychological tests, followed by a lengthy debriefing. However, he had been able to realize one thing very clearly. His situation had fundamentally changed. Now that his most important secret was revealed and Nephis had become his master, it was as though a crushing burden had been removed from his chest. ...Replaced by another, even more terrible weight. ReadNovelFull.me In any case, he could finally allow himself to relax a little… for a while, at least. Not because he trusted her that much, but because she was currently imprisoned in the Dream Realm, unable to enforce her control over him even if she wished to. In a sense, as far as his worst nightmare becoming reality went, this was the absolute best version of how things could happen. He had a lot of time time to think about countermeasures and prepare for whatever the future held, after all. Walking through the corridors of the hospital complex, Sunny was engrossed in thought. One thing he was sure about was that a divine shadow like him could only have one master. So, he didn't have to worry about someone else finding out his True Name and enslaving him, not anymore. The guillotine blade that had hung above his neck all that time was now gone. However, he still kept the existence of his True Name a secret, for one simple reason — he didn't know what was going to happen if Nephis died. Would he be free forever? Or die with her? He felt that neither of these theories was correct. Firstly because the description of the Aspect described him as a divine shadow that had lost its master… which probably meant that he could lose another one and remain alive. Secondly, because the runes of the Shadow Bond had become grey and lifeless, but did not disappear. Which meant that they might shine with ethereal light once again in the future. So, the most probable explanation was that he would be safe as long as Nephis remained alive, and if she was killed, anyone would be able to use the True Name against him once again. A deep scowl appeared on his face. How long could anyone survive in the decimated remains of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e? The dark sea was gone, but so was the sun. Most of the Nightmare Creatures were dead, but the strongest ones survived. It seemed that Changing Star had escaped the collapsing Crimson Spire, at least. What was she going to do now? Try to cross the Hollow Mountains to reach the human Citadels, or try her luck in the unexplored regions to the north, west, or east? What were the chances of her making it back to the real world alive? If it was anyone else, Sunny would say that the probability was zero. But it was Nephis, after all. For some reason, he was sure that she would survive, somehow. So, yes. Even though many things remained unclear, his situation had fundamentally changed. He was an Awakened now, which meant that there were countless possibilities in front of him. To get access to the best opportunities and the most advantageous treatment, he needed one thing: status. At this point, continuing to pretend to be a weakling would only be a hindrance. Sunny wanted to reap as many rewards as he could without putting himself at risk. That's why he shifted his usual pattern of behavior and gave the government agents enough information to paint himself as an exceptionally talented Awakened. Not that he had a lot of choices. Sooner or later, people were going to learn at least some things about his time on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e and see that a weakling simply would not have survived all that. Luckily, there was no shortage of exceptionally talented individuals who had Awakened today. On any other day, Sunny's description of his prowess would have made a huge splash. But currently, he was just one of a hundred. Speaking of that hundred… Turning a corner, Sunny suddenly found himself in the middle of a small crowd of people. Dozens and dozens of young men and women were standing in the middle of a small hall, most dressed in the simple training clothes provided by the hospital, just like he himself was. On their faces, there was an indescribable kaleidoscope of emotions: joy, sorrow, worry, antic.i.p.ation... Most were looking at a small screen displaying a long list of names. These were the survivors of the Dreamer Army. Not everyone was here, of course. Some spent many years on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e and had been transferred to other facilities by the government or their families. Sunny didn't see Seishan, Kai, or Effie. …Or Ca.s.sie. His face darkened. The absence of the first two made sense. Kai was probably being cared for in an expensive VIP care facility, while Seishan had to be kept in the stronghold of her clan. However, he had no idea where the other two were. Sunny hesitated for a moment, then looked at the list of names displayed on the screen. Before he could read anything, however, someone quickly approached… and hugged him tightly. 'What the…' Looking up, Sunny saw a vaguely familiar young man holding him in a pa.s.sionate embrace. A moment later, the young man let go of him and looked down with glistening eyes: "Sunny! You are here, too!" Before he could even answer, a somber expression appeared on the young man's face. In a voice that trembled with emotion, he said: "Thank you! Thank you so much, Sunny. If it wasn't for you and your shadow, we would have never made it to the Gateway." At the sound of these words, the others turned around. As soon as they saw Sunny, bright smiles ignited on their faces. A hum of voices rose from the crowd: "Guys! It's Sunny!" "Thank you, man!" "We will never forget what you did for us!" Sunny stared at them, dumbfounded. 'Weird… this is so weird…' Ever since he had come to his senses near the sleeping pod, mundane humans were treating him with the utmost respect. They even went so far as to use honorifics, calling him "sir" or "Awakened Sunless". And now this… why was everyone so friendly and happy to see him? He had never experienced anything like this before. Was this what it was like, to be an Awakened? After dozens of young people came closer to shake his hand or happily pat him on the shoulder, he awkwardly smiled. "Uh… it's nice to see you too, guys." The young woman who was currently facing him smiled in response. Then, however, her face turned dark. "Have you heard anything about Lady Nephis after coming back?" He stiffened, then shook his head. "No. Have… have you?" She turned back to the screen, tears appearing in her eyes. "Nothing. None of us did. Out of everyone who made it to the Spire, only two are unaccounted for. She… we think she is still inside." Sunny remained silent for a while, then asked: "Who is the second?" The young woman sighed. "Sir Caster. No one had seen him near the Gateway. He must have gone to help her hold back the Terror, and… and…" Her voice trembled. "...someone said that he died. Oh, G.o.ds! What if Lady Nephis dies, too?" Sunny lingered for a few seconds, a grim expression on his face, then squeezed her shoulder lightly and quietly walked away. ReadNovelFull.me?
358	Chapter 358 Shadow Step The hospital staff had provided each of the newly Awakened with a small room at one of the underground levels of the complex, to have a place to rest and get accustomed to their new abilities while waiting for more permanent accommodations — if they were going to remain at the Academy, of course. It was also a place they could take their families to talk and spend time together in privacy. Currently, many emotional reunions were taking place in similar rooms around Sunny's, made especially joyous and heartbreaking because the survivors of the Dreamer Army had spent long years on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. They had gone through h.e.l.l, indeed, but their loved ones in the real world had suffered a great deal as well. ...Not that Sunny would know anything about that. No one had been waiting for him to return, after all. In any case, the room he had been provided with was sufficiently comfortable. There was an area for training, a desk with a pitcher of water and some snacks, a sofa, and even a bed. None of the returned were going to sleep, of course. Not for a few days, at least. At the very end of the field of shimmering runes, Sunny could now see a new string of symbols: Gateway: — Usually, the name of the Gateway that an Awakened had last used would be written there. This was their anchor in the Dream Realm. ReadNovelFull.me Every time an Awakened fell asleep, they would be transported to the Gateway they were anch.o.r.ed to, spend some time in the Dream Realm — either as much as they wanted or as little as possible, only until their soul was ready to travel between worlds once again — and then go through that Gateway to wake up back in reality. However, the Gateway of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e had been destroyed. For that reason, every single survivor of the Dreamer Army now had no anchor in the Dream Realm. That didn't mean that they would remain in the waking world forever, though. Rather, it meant that they were going to be transported to a random one as soon as they fell asleep, just like during their first journey into the land of nightmares. The prospect of being at the mercy of the Spell once more was nothing short of terrifying. Especially for Sunny, who had the misfortune of always finding himself in only the most extreme of circ.u.mstances. However, the situation wasn't really that bad. There was a way for a newly Awakened to change their anchor without relying on chance. It was to acquire the services of a Saint, who would be able to take them to the Dream Realm without involving the Spell, appearing near the Saint's own anchor. Of course, that anchor would most likely be situated in one of the human Citadels, allowing the Awakened to anchor themselves to a Gateway in human territory. There were just a few dozen Saints alive across all of humanity, so for an average Awakened, their help was not easy to get. However, Sunny was not an average Awakened. In fact, none of the survivors of the Dreamer Army were. Every year, the most promising of the newly Awakened were recruited by powerful Citadels and provided the means to anchor themselves to their Gateways. Everyone profited from this arrangement — the talented Awakened received a chance to change their anchor if they wished to do so, while Citadels received new powerful defenders or useful craftsmen to enhance their living conditions and infrastructure. With how extraordinary the hundred survivors of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e were, and how unusual their circ.u.mstances turned out to be, there was going to be a small recruitment war happening in the next few days. Prosperous Citadels were going to fight for the right to add these outstanding young people to their populations, promising better and bigger rewards, as if during an auction. The government would inevitably get involved, too, helping those who for some reason failed to find a Citadel to call home. The survivors of the Dreamer Army just had to remain awake long enough to make a choice and settle the details of their future anchors. Since their physique was far superior to that of mundane humans, they didn't have to sleep every day, so two or three were not going to be a problem. …Sunny had a lot to do in these few days. The first thing he had turned his attention to after retreating to his personal room was test the limits of Shadow Step. The result of these tests left him pleasantly surprised. Just like he had suspected, the ability to travel between shadows was akin to a weird form of teleportation. He could enter a shadow that was large enough to encompa.s.s his body and instantly appear from another. The distance of that jump, however, was not too large. Currently, it was even smaller than the range of his Shadow Sense, around a dozen meters or so. However, he knew that it would increase as he absorbed more shadow fragments, just like the range of Shadow Control had increased back on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. There was an exclusion from that rule, too. He was able to travel between his own shadows no matter how far apart they were. By now, he could control his shadows from as much as a couple of kilometers away. That meant that, if both were sent into opposite directions and reached the limit of the Shadow Control range, he could potentially instantly cover about four kilometers of distance in less than a second. And that was just one side of Shadow Step. The other was, arguably, even more miraculous and unexpected. Before, Sunny could move through shadows as though he was one of them, becoming practically undetectable. But now, he could literally become a part of the shadows, diving into them and becoming incorporeal. Not only did it make him completely undetectable by means of sight, hearing, and smell, but it also allowed him to move with incredible speed through any uninterrupted shadow, no matter how long and vast it was. In that state, he was invulnerable to physical attacks, but also unable to perform physical attacks of his own. It also felt very strange. Sort of... peaceful. Sunny had to constantly remind himself to concentrate and not forget what he was doing. That ability would become truly incredible at night or in the depths of some terrible cave system, like the one they had traveled through on their expedition to the Hollow Mountains. In short, Shadow Step was incredible. However, it came at a price. Unlike Shadow Control, which was as natural to Sunny as breathing, using Shadow Step required him to expend essence. The more distance he covered with a jump and the more time he spent as an incorporeal shadow, the more essence he would have to consume. Sunny suspected that the theoretical four-kilometer jump would eat through all of his essence, leaving both of his cores dry as a desert. Spending essence was not the same as spending shadow fragments, of course. His soul always slowly generated essence, eventually filling his cores to their maximum capacity, while shadow fragments increased that maximum capacity and were used to create new cores, as well as turn Echoes into Shadows. Still, he also needed essence to fight effectively and use the more powerful enchantments of higher rank Memories, so balancing its expenditure was an intricate task. Truly, becoming an Awakened had opened a whole new layer of both incredible opportunities and insidious problems. It was a lot to take in. …But he was going to get there, eventually. Sitting on the floor of his temporary quarters, Sunny sighed and summoned the runes. Finally, it was time to reap his reward. He had worked so much, and done so much, to get here. First, repeating the same sword strike thousands of times, day after day, until his hands bled and his muscles screamed from the pain. Learning the basic katas and movements of Neph's flowing battle style, then gaining enough insight into it to make it his own. Almost dying to receive the gift of clarity, then fighting against the Shadow Saint and slowly incorporating her grounded technique into his. Studying the movements of his shadow to catch the slight difference in how it held itself, then spending countless hours trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind it, until his mind was ready to boil. Solving that mystery and traveling into the past to observe the birth of the nameless temple slave, and the beautiful dance of his mother. And then, torturous practice and arduous process of turning his vision of the elusive and wonderful battle art into reality. Only to finally succeed in the middle of the furious, b.l.o.o.d.y battle against Nephis. Of all his achievements, this was perhaps the one he was proud of the most. Because Shadow Dance was entirely his. It was something he created out of almost nothing, something that bore and expressed his individuality. Sunny had never received any type of inheritance, so this legacy, which was created by himself and for himself, held a special place in his heart. ...Looking at the shimmering runes, he read: Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]. Shadow Dance Mastery Level: [1/7]. First Relic: [Claim]. Second Relic: Unearned. Third Relic: Unearned… Holding his breath, he concentrated on the runes describing the first relic and whispered: "Claim." As Sunny watched, the runes glowed brightly for a few seconds, and then changed. First Relic: Claimed. And a moment later, the Spell spoke softly into his ear: [You have received an Aspect Legacy Relic.] [You have received a Shadow: Soul Serpent.] ReadNovelFull.me?
359	Chapter 359 Soul Serpent Sunny stared at the runes for a while, then slightly tilted his head. 'A Shadow…' What an unexpected boon. Usually, a Legacy Relic came in the form of a Memory, or very rarely an Echo. Perhaps there were some other types of Relics out there, but he had never heard of them. That didn't mean much, though. By now, Sunny was reasonably certain that there were a lot of things that he, as well as the rest of mundane humans, had never heard about. Awakened kept a lot of secrets. Nevertheless, receiving a Shadow pleasantly surprised him. Looking up, he saw new runes appearing out of thin air: Shadows: [Marble Saint], [Soul Serpent]. Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then furtively looked around. The small room was empty and quiet. ReadNovelFull.me Feeling a little bit stupid, Sunny shook his head and summoned his new Shadow to take a good look at it. A slight breeze moved his hair, and in the next second… Nothing happened. 'Huh?' Sunny frowned and looked around the room, then scratched the back of his head. 'What the h.e.l.l? Where is the d.a.m.n snake?' He had hoped to see a giant serpent made out of shadows appear in front of him, with black scales as thick as plate armor and a mouth wide enough to swallow his enemies whole. Or an average-sized snake, at least! But there was nothing. He even checked to see if a new shadow joined his two invaluable helpers, but no. Both rested on the floor, one seemingly content, the other bored and in a perpetually bad mood. 'Weird…' He raised a hand to rub his eyes, but froze at the last moment. "What is that?" There was something dark on the skin of his wrist, peaking out slightly from beneath the sleeve. Following intuition, Sunny hastily stood up and took off the top of the training suit provided to him by the staff of the hospital complex. Left naked to the waist, he then looked at himself through the eyes of the shadow. '...Huh?!' Out there on his pale skin, an intricate image of a black serpent was tattooed, so detailed that it almost seemed alive. The serpent coiled around his arms and his torso, its tail resting just above his right hand, its head just above his left. "...What? I have… a tattoo now?' In the darkness of the small room, the serpent almost seemed to move under his skin, two curved fangs threatening to break its surface. It was striking, beautiful, and disturbing. Of course, Sunny recognized the serpent immediately. Both the nameless temple slave and his mother had a very similar image marking their skin, after all. It was the Shadow G.o.d's mark. But why did his new Shadow turn into a tattoo? Confused, Sunny listened to his body and soul, trying to feel if something had changed about them. And soon, he did notice a small difference. The flow of the shadow essence through his body had changed. If previously it had circulated naturally, now, it seemed to follow the coils of the serpent, moving faster and with more intent, as if directed by them. 'Soul Serpent… does that thing enhance my shadow essence control?' To experiment, Sunny poured essence into his limbs and then performed several movements of Shadow Dance. After that, he jumped from one shadow to another a few times, expending even more essence. He felt the difference instantly. Not only was he able to control the essence better, but it also seemed to be consumed at a slightly slower pace, and restore at a faster one. Soul Serpent served as a channel for it, existing both on the material and the spiritual plane. As such, it was connected both to his cores and to his body, creating a strange bridge that allowed Sunny to use his shadow essence with better efficiency. 'This is… a very useful Shadow.' Those words were an egregious understatement. Sunny had already understood how important and vital managing essence was for the Awakened — any tool that could enhance that aspect of their power was truly precious. And he got such a marvelous one, practically for free. He was also sure that the Serpent would only get more powerful in the future, provided he kept it well-fed, of course. …But how was he supposed to feed Memories to a tattoo? Perplexed, Sunny thought for a bit, then finally concentrated on the runes once again. Shadow: [Soul Serpent]. Shadow Rank: Dormant. Shadow Cla.s.s: Monster. Shadow Attributes: [Shadow Guide], [Soul Weapon]. Shadow Description: [When the end came, Shadow was the last of the G.o.ds to be destroyed. Many have resented him for creating death, but in the end, death embraced all.] Noting the interesting detail of a connection between Shadow G.o.d and death, Sunny lowered his gaze. However, the last string, the one he had been accustomed to paying the most attention to when it came to Saint, was missing. There was no indication of how many shadow fragments it would take to make the Serpent evolve. Sunny frowned. Come to think of it… That strange Shadow was clearly connected to his soul. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that it was a monster — Sunny was a monster himself, after all. So, maybe, the Serpent would not evolve its Cla.s.s like Saint had, by consuming the soul core of a suitable Nightmare Creature. Most likely, it would grow alongside Sunny himself. But why was it of the Dormant Rank, while Sunny had already become an Awakened? 'Huh…' Maybe… maybe its Rank was not tied to Sunny's soul, but to his comprehension of the Shadow Dance? Currently, he had mastered only the first of the seven steps of the battle art, and the Serpent belonged to the first of the seven Ranks. Would it evolve to a higher Rank if he mastered more steps? Full of thoughts, Sunny sighed and turned his attention to the Shadow's Attributes. [Shadow Guide] Attribute Description: "Soul Serpent guides shadow essence as it flows through your body." [Soul Weapon] Attribute Description: "Soul Serpent can a.s.sume the form of a weapon." 'The form of a wea… wait, what?' Sunny blinked a couple of times, then stared at his left wrist, where the head of the Soul Serpent was drawn under his skin. Its scales were so intricate that it almost seemed as if the creature was moving. Now… it really was moving. Following Sunny's mental command, the Soul Serpent slithered up to his hand, and then escaped from it, turning into a dark blade. As the coils moved across his body, the blade grew longer and longer, until a hilt wrapped in black leather rested comfortably in his grip. The tattoo was gone. Sunny found himself holding a l.u.s.terless greatsword. It was a menacing, formidable, foreboding odachi. Including the hilt, the odachi was as long as he was tall. It was surprisingly light for its length, but heavy enough to inflict truly devastating wounds. Almost invisible on the dark steel, an lifelike image of a coiling serpent was etched into its blade. He weighed the greatsword in his hands for a while, then smiled darkly. '...Truly, this is a weapon worthy of a shadow.' It was still weak, though. If it was a Memory, it would have been only a Dormant one of the second tier. Sunny was going to have to put in some work to make the dark odachi really fearsome. With a sigh, he commanded the Serpent to slither back onto his body, and then to disappear entirely. A few seconds later, his skin was clean and empty once again. 'What a bountiful harvest I had today.' Sunny stared at the darkness for a few minutes, then sighed heavily. It was time to do something that he had dreaded doing ever since returning to the real world. He couldn't put it off any longer. ReadNovelFull.me?
360	Chapter 360 Broken In a heavily guarded underground room, a young woman with silver hair was sleeping in a transparent machine that kept her body alive. Her face was pale and thin, painted by the ghostly glow of machine lights and deep, angular shadows. The room was peaceful and silent, the hum of machinery creating low background noise. From time to time, a piece of medical equipment produced a sound and grew quiet again. A blind girl with piercing blue eyes stood quietly near the sleeping pod, an empty expression written in the delicate lines of her beautiful face. If it wasn't for the fact that her hand rested on the hilt of an elegant rapier, a person would easily mistake her for one of the Hollows that were cared for on another level of the hospital complex. The door of the room did not open, however, there was suddenly another presence inside. A young man with pale skin and dark, cruel eyes appeared out of the shadows and walked over to stand on the opposite side of the sleeping pod. His steps were soft and quiet. He lingered for a while, then looked down, at the young woman sleeping beneath the gla.s.s lid of the mechanical coffin. For a second, his face became contorted by a terrible grimace. Grief, anger, fear, and longing mixed in his eyes, then disappeared, hidden behind a mask of cold indifference. Sunny stared at Nephis for a long time, trying to get his emotions under control. He knew that seeing her like this, weak and helpless, would affect him. But he didn't know just how much it was going hurt him. …He also had not antic.i.p.ated how dark the thoughts entering his mind would be. '...I can kill her right now. One strike of the Moonlight Shard, and I'll be free again.' ReadNovelFull.me But no, he couldn't. Firstly, because there was no guarantee that Nephis would die if her body was destroyed. Just like there were Hollows, people whose souls had been destroyed while leaving an empty body behind, there were Lost — people whose bodies in the real world had died, leaving their souls wandering the Dream Realm. He suspected that this was the reason why the people who wanted Changing Star dead had sent Caster to kill her in the Dream Realm instead of infiltrating the Academy. And secondly, and maybe more importantly… he simply could not bring himself to harm Nephis. Not again, not anymore, and not… not like this. 'Ca.s.sie, on the other hand…' With a dark grimace, Sunny slowly moved his gaze to the blind girl. As if noticing it, she turned slightly and said: "h.e.l.lo, Sunny." He stared at her, his eyes burning with fury. "What, you can see now?" Ca.s.sie lingered for a moment, then shook her head. "No. But… something like that." A wild grin appeared on his face. "Congratulations. Really, good for you! You won't be useless anymore, at least." He knew that his words were going to hurt her, and was glad to say them for that reason The blind girl didn't react, and just continued staring into the emptiness, her eyes cold and distant. But he wasn't fooled. He knew her well enough to recognize the ocean of pain hiding behind that coldness. 'Good… suffer! You deserve this!' Sunny opened his mouth, wishing to accuse her, but then forced himself to stop. He had to keep himself under control... Swallowing his angry words, Sunny gritted his teeth and spat: "How? How did you even know?!" Ca.s.sie hesitated for a bit, then answered quietly: "When you killed that spy from the Castle. You said it out loud then. I saw it… in a vision. After that, the rest was not impossible to figure out." His eyes widened. Sunny remained silent for a long time, trying to deal with the shock that her words had caused him. 'Harper… when I killed Harper?' The memory of that horrible day sent a shudder through his soul. He remembered it so vividly… the blood streaming down his hands as he held the pitiful young man down, murdering him, giving in to the agony of the Flaw. And whispering in a hoa.r.s.e, barely audible voice: "Lost from Light! I am… Lost… Lost from Light…" Standing in the underground room of the hospital complex, Sunny wanted to both laugh and cry. 'So this is it… this was what did me in… one mistake, I only made one mistake, and it was all it took to undo me!' It was almost as if Harper had managed to avenge himself from beyond the grave. Well… he had never gotten a grave, really. Sunny just dumped his body in the ruins, for the Nightmare Creatures to feast on. A lot of good it did him, in the end. Piercing the blind girl with a burning look, he said through gritted teeth: "So that was why you were waiting for me back then, why you gave me the Eternal Spring? You were… you were ready to say goodbye. You knew?" Ca.s.sie slowly faced him, then said in a steady, even tone: "Yes. I did." Sunny looked down, clenching his fists. "You knew... if you knew… then why didn't you try to change anything?! Why, curse you?!" Ca.s.sie stared at him, her calm expression finally collapsing. Pain, sorrow, and anger contorted her face, and with a voice so hurt that it almost sounded as if she was bleeding, she answered: "Didn't try?! Of course, I tried! I tried everything I could to make the future I saw change! But no matter how much I tried, it never did. It always remained the same! Even worse, my attempts only made it... appear even more inevitable..." Turning away, she gritted her teeth and remained silent for a while, her hands trembling. "I… I… I was the first one to understand what my vision of the Crimson Spire meant. Shadows devouring a dying angel… I understood it on that very day." Ca.s.sie closed her eyes for a moment, then spoke again, her voice quiet. "Don't you remember? I even asked you to promise to always protect her. And what did you say?" Sunny stared at her, remembering. Yes, at the very start, there had been a conversation like that. "...No. I said no." A fragile smile appeared on Ca.s.sie's face. "Yes. You said no. And on that day, I knew that I had to make a choice. And I made it. I chose Neph." She shivered and hugged herself, as if dying of cold. "I had to betray one of my best friends to save the other. And I did. I chose to sacrifice you to save Neph. Of course, I fooled myself for a while, telling myself that nothing bad would happen. That if I help Neph, maybe both of you would survive. But deep down, I knew that it was just one of the possible outcomes, so what was the difference? I betrayed you. And you know what?" A small, bitter laugh escaped from her lips. "It was for nothing. I betrayed my best friend, and nothing still changed. I sacrificed you, but couldn't save anyone. Despite it all, I couldn't… couldn't change fate." Sunny stared at her for a while, then snarled: "...That's it? That's your speech? That's what you have to say for yourself? What do you want me to do, pity you?" A furious gleam appeared in his eyes. "After everything I have done for you, after I saved your life countless times, took care of you as if you were my sister, this is how you chose to repay me? By giving my biggest secret to Neph, so that she could use it against me when the time came?" Ca.s.sie remained silent, not saying anything. "Do you even know what you've done?! Do you even know what you've taken from me?!" She hesitated for a bit, that answered quietly: "I didn't know why, or how my vision would come true. I only knew that it would happen in the Spire. So I gave your secret to Nephis, hoping that she would survive thanks to it." Sunny laughed, then grew quiet. An oppressive silence settled between them, and remained unbroken for several minutes. After a while, he finally said: "...I can understand. Rationally, I do. You were forced to make a terrible decision, with both choices being a betrayal. And you chose to help Neph, who was with you first. Who saved you when I would have just left you to die." But then, a cold gleam appeared in his eyes. "But that doesn't mean that I can forgive it. You go to h.e.l.l, Ca.s.sie. Go to h.e.l.l and die there, for all I care. I hope that I will never see you again." With that, Sunny turned around to leave, but then stopped. He couldn't help but be cruel to her one last time. "Oh, and that secret? It was the reason why she got stuck there all alone. So, in a sense, you have doomed both of your friends." As he spoke those words, Ca.s.sie flinched. A satisfied, vindictive smile appeared on Sunny's face. ...But why did it hurt him so much to say those words? "So, congratulations. You've made it back, Ca.s.sie. Go back home, spend time with your family. Didn't you tell me that your mother makes the best eggs? Eat your fill. Try to enjoy them, knowing what you did." As the blind girl paled and turned away with a broken expression on his face, he smiled bitterly and dissolved into the shadows. Bonds of friendship were such a fragile thing. They were so hard to create, but so easy to break. All it took was a moment... ReadNovelFull.me?
361	Chapter 361 The Goal Sitting with his back against the door of his room, Sunny stared ahead, his heart empty. He had lived most of his life alone. One year ago, he had entered the Dream Realm alone. And now, he was alone once again. But not having something was very different from losing it. Now that he knew how precious true friendship and affection were, existing without them felt like torture. It felt like there was a bleeding wound on his soul, left there after he had so cruelly severed the tether connecting him to Ca.s.sie. One of the very few people he cared for in this world… Hurting her felt good and justified, but instead of relief, it only brought him more pain. Nevertheless, he did not regret what he had done. Sometimes one had to endure suffering. Sometimes, pain was necessary. Now, Sunny was completely alone. So was Ca.s.sie. And somewhere in the Dream Realm, Nephis was alone, too. ReadNovelFull.me The three of them had done the impossible, but paid a heavy price for it. 'What a fiasco.' Who would have thought that one day, he would not only escape the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, but also become vastly more powerful than he had ever dreamed… only to sit on the floor in a dark room, feeling miserable? With a resentful grimace, Sunny shook his head and sighed. 'Enough of wallowing in self-pity.' He had a lot of things to do. A lot of plans to make. The horrors of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e were now behind him, but new threats already loomed in the distance. Firstly, he was now at the mercy of another person. Despite the fact that his master was lost in another world with very low chances of ever making it back, Sunny felt that they were fated to meet again. He didn't know how to feel about that. Or rather, he both desperately longed for Nephis to return and wished that she died. His emotions for her were intense, overwhelming, and an absolute mess. Despite all that, Sunny didn't think that she would die. Somehow, he was sure that Nephis would not perish in the Dream Realm and eventually make it back. Maybe in a few months, maybe in a few years, but she would achieve the impossible once again and return to the real world. The question was… how? Would she travel to the human territory through the Hollow Mountains, or head in another direction? They didn't know much about what surrounded the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e from the east, west, and north. He doubted that those places were better than the horrifying, misty mountains, though. That doubt was based on one simple fact: there was no information about them, which meant that no human had ever returned from those regions of the Dream Realm to tell the tale. Although deadly, Hollow Mountains were at least known to mankind. Chances were, Changing Star would choose to try her luck there instead of venturing into the unknown. Nothing was more dangerous than that you knew nothing about, after all. 'Unknown…' Sunny frowned. That was another problem he had to face… or rather, an opportunity he would potentially be able to exploit. Due to his [Fated] Attribute, Sunny had stumbled onto the legacy of a creature named Weaver and got a glimpse into the secrets of the G.o.ds. What he saw there left him both terrified and breathless. There was a boundless mystery hiding in the ruined land of dreams and nightmares, a tapestry that connected the dead G.o.ds, the Unknown, the daemons, and the Nightmare Spell together. The former rulers of the Dream Realm were gone, but the Spell remained, and humanity — including Sunny himself — had now become an unwilling part of that tapestry through it. Sunny's most ardent desire was to control his own fate, and he couldn't achieve it without knowledge. Now that he knew what to look for, he had to deepen his understanding of the fate of the G.o.ds and the origins of the Spell. Who knew, maybe that was where the keys to his freedom were hidden. …And then, there were the Sovereigns. His face grew dark. 'Honestly, why is everything so complicated…' Why couldn't he just open a Memory Store, become wealthy and fat, and leave peacefully ever after? That was his plan all along. However, the recent revelations made Sunny doubt the validity of such plans. Judging from what Caster had said, there were some figures hiding in the shadows, ruling over the human world. And not only were they there, but Sunny was also, apparently, unwillingly doing their bidding. He still remembered the warning Nephis had given him once. She told them that there were words that could get him killed simply if he learned of their existence. Well… now he knew a lot of those words. Sovereigns, Domains, Lineage Memories… Was he going to pretend to know nothing and hope that those powerful beings would not turn their gaze to him one day, or was he going to do something to prepare for the day they do? Did he even have a choice, knowing what he did, with his fate hopelessly entangled with that of Changing Star… who was embroiled in these clandestine machinations just by virtue of her birth? 'So bothersome…' What was he supposed to do? What was the plan of action? Sunny sighed. Well, it was simple, really. Learn as much as he can about the Sovereigns, but in a way that would never lead back to him. Explore the past of the Dream Realm to gain insight into the daemons, the G.o.ds, and the Unknown. But first and foremost, grow stronger. Much, much stronger. When Nephis returned, he had to be ready for the worst. Sunny didn't really think that Changing Star he knew would abuse her power over him… in fact, he was almost sure that she wouldn't. Not only because of the bond between them, but also because in Neph's warped mind, doing so would simply be beneath her. However, he wasn't going to let this sweet hope prevent him from creating contingencies. If she ever decided to truly make him a slave, one of them was going to die. Standing up, Sunny walked over to the desk and wrote on a piece of synthetic paper: [0/2000]. Then, he summoned the runes, glanced at them, and added a second string of numbers: [2749/3000]. However, the runes shimmered and changed before he was done writing. The number of soul essence grew bigger. Sunny stared at the runes for a few seconds, then corrected the number. Then, he put the pen done and looked at the piece of paper in front of him: [0/2000] [2773/3000]. "Alright." So, this was it. This was the plan. From now on, this was his life's goal. ReadNovelFull.me?
362	Chapter 362 Breakfast lnvitation The initial series of tests, the interview with the government specialists, the somber conversation with Ca.s.sie, and the hours Sunny had spent pondering about his past, present, and future took up almost an entire day. A new dawn was already bathing the world in soft sunlight, which Sunny knew because one of the walls in his underground room was made into a false window, with a vista of one of the parks in the Academy being projected onto it from a remote camera. He was experiencing mild mental fatigue, but was not sleepy at all, at least not yet. Truly, the physique of an Awakened was much more resilient than that of a mundane human. There were still a few things he had to do. In all the turmoil of the past twenty-four hours, he had not gotten a chance to take a proper look at his Memories, for example… Sunny was about to summon the runes when, suddenly, there was a knock on his door. He flinched. '...What? Who can it be?' For a moment, a mental picture of Effie and Kai appeared in his mind, but then he dismissed it. The two of them must have been as busy after their Awakening as he was. Much more, most likely, considering that they probably had friends and families to deal with, too, on top of everything else. With them being in different facilities, coming to the Academy just to pay him a visit was not a likely scenario. Certainly not that soon. Hiding one of the shadows on his body to appear like a normal person, Sunny walked to the door and opened it. Standing there was a striking, confident woman in her late twenties. ReadNovelFull.me Immediately, it seemed as though the temperature inside of the room dropped by a couple of degrees. She had short, raven-black hair and icy blue eyes. Her flawless skin was smooth, supple and as white as snow. The woman was dressed in a dark blue uniform with silver epaulets and black leather boots. The jacket of the uniform was casually unb.u.t.toned, revealing a tanktop that was currently drawn taut against her full… 'c.r.a.p!' "...What are you staring at, Awakened Sunless?" Sunny looked up with wide eyes. "Master Jet! I was just… uh… appreciating your fashion sense." Indeed, it was Soul Reaper Jet — the Ascended who worked for the government and had welcomed him back to the real world after the First Nightmare. Sunny had sometimes thought about this beautiful woman during his journey into the Dream Realm. Not only because the three pieces of advice Master Jet had given him ended up saving his life on multiple occasions, but also because she was from the outskirts, just like him. Knowing that someone as unfortunate as that had managed to not only survive, but even thrive in the ruthless reality of the Nightmare Spell had given fuel to his determination, as well as providing vital perspective. …But what was she doing at his door? Sunny studied Master Jet, suddenly full of doubt. She looked exactly as she had a year ago, the only difference being that her uniform had more wrinkles, and there were now dark circles under her eyes. As he watched, she grinned. "My fashion sense? Why, thank you! If you want, I can introduce you to my tailors. You will have to sign a few thick contracts to receive a comfy suit such as this, though." Sunny forced out a smile. "Ah, I see. Those tailors are slightly out of my price range, I'm afraid. But thanks for the offer." After a short pause, he cautiously asked: "Uhm, Master Jet? It is very nice to see you again, but… to what do I owe the pleasure? I am sure that you are too busy to visit every random returnee." She looked at him for a couple of seconds, then suddenly yawned and shook her head to chase away sleepiness. ReadNovelFull.me. "...Correct. But since there's some procedure you still have to go through and we already know each other, I thought that I'd do the honors." With that, she looked around the deserted corridor of the hospital complex with a dubious expression, lingered for a couple of seconds, and then asked: "Wanna eat?" \\\* Some time later, the two of them were walking through the ground level of the Academy hospital. Sunny had thought that Master Jet would take him to the cafeteria there, but instead, she headed toward the exit. "Uh… where are we going? I thought that cafeteria was this way?" She looked at him with confusion, then grimaced slightly. "Hospital food? No thanks. Let me take you to the Instructors Lounge. That's where they keep the really good stuff." Sunny coughed. "But, Master Jet… you're not an instructor?" She smiled, then pointed to the three-star insignia on her left sleeve. "Technically, I'm not. But the Academy is a government facility, so I outrank most of the people here. What are they going to do?" He blinked a couple of times, then shrugged. Indeed, what are they going to do? Tell a Master to get out? Who would be that suicidal? As they exited the hospital complex and walked across the Academy grounds, Sunny couldn't help but throw furtive glances at the confident young woman. Not because he was mesmerized by her, but because seeing her again was a strange experience. Back when they first met, he was just fresh from the First Nightmare, barely accustomed to his new status as a Sleeper. Being in the presence of a Master was like standing in front of a legend. He remembered vividly how much fear and awe this beautiful stranger inspired in him. How acutely he felt the measure of ease with which she would be able to kill him, if she wished. All it would take was a flick of her finger. Now, slightly more than a year later, so much had changed. He was still pretty sure that he had no chance of taking her in a fight, a fair one at least, but the reverent fear was gone, replaced by simple respect. Sunny knew that he had it in himself to if not win, then at least survive a confrontation with someone like Jet. In a sense, he was now half a legend himself. As he thought about how different things had become, the two of them approached a small, picturesque building near the center of the Academy. Without slowing down, Master Jet walked past a few people that were staring at her with a strange mix of regard and disdain, and entered the Instructors Lodge. 'Oh, right… I remember Teacher Julius mentioning that she has a terrible reputation. To be exact, he described her as a "murderous savage", "barbarian", "having a problematic personality", and "psychopathic killer". Uh…' No wonder people were giving them weird looks throughout the whole walk. For some reason, Sunny suddenly felt annoyed. Maybe because Jet was someone he knew, or maybe because she used to be an outskirt rat just like him, but he found himself feeling… protective. 'Stare away, b.a.s.t.a.r.ds… see if we give a d.a.m.n.' Master Jet clearly didn't, so why would he? Sunny looked at the next person to give her a dirty glance coldly, activating the murder math to its fullest potential. Immediately, the onlooker paled slightly and turned away. Sunny smiled. 'That's right, look away. Now... the most important part. Let's see what the Instructors eat!' ReadNovelFull.me?
363	Chapter 363 Citizen Sunny At first glance, the interior of the Instructors Lounge seemed simple and cozy. Most of the furniture was made out of wood, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Bright sunlight streamed through the tall windows, which were open slightly to let in the chilly winter air. However, his eyes widened slightly when Sunny realized that all the wood around him was natural, not synthetic. 'Extravagant! Wasteful!' Noticing his expression, Master Jet smiled slightly. "Let me guess, you have never seen that much real wood in one place?" Sunny hesitated, then gave her a nod. "Only in the Dream Realm…" The young woman grinned, moved a chair back with her foot, and sat down at one of the tables. "Where do you think all this came from?" ReadNovelFull.me He looked around, seeing the Instructors Lounge of the Academy from a completely new perspective, then silently sat down, lost for words. Master Jet summoned the menu, made a selection, then leaned back and tiredly rubbed her face. "Believe it or not, the chair you're sitting on is made out of a dead t.i.tan." Sunny stared at her, shocked. Suddenly, he had a strong impulse to jump out of the chair. "...What?" She chuckled and gestured around: "All of this, actually. Back when Bastion was first established, it was surrounded by a vast — and very hungry — forest. The whole thing was one giant Nightmare Creature. Clan Valor spent decades at war with it, losing many knights. In the end, the forest was destroyed, leaving behind a lot of high-quality lumber. And here we are." Sunny scratched the back of his head, then cautiously knocked on the wooden table. The thing seemed dead, but he decided to remain alert, just in case. ...It had once been a part of a t.i.tan, after all! Soon, their food arrived. Sunny half-expected for it to be delivered by an actual Echo, but luckily, it was brought by a mundane automated server. Taking his plates off the motorized tray, Sunny stared at the feast in front of him with wild eyes. There were fried potatoes, baked beans, juicy roasted meat, a salad made out of real vegetables, a bowl of fragrant soup, several pieces of oven bread, b.u.t.ter, jam, and even chocolate pudding for dessert. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. It was also his first time seeing some of these things in real life. Suddenly, the position of a research a.s.sistant once promised to him by Teacher Julius did not seem so unattractive. "Uh… please excuse me…" Master Jet waved at him and concentrated on her own food. Not wasting any time on manners, Sunny a.s.saulted his breakfast with the same level of ferocity as when battling Nightmare Creatures. …Some time later, with his belly on the verge to bursting open, he pushed away empty plates and leaned back with a satisfied smile on his face. 'Ah… this is life!' Master Jet glanced at him with a dry smile. "What did I tell you? This is where they hide the good stuff." Sunny looked at the empty plates with regret and sighed. "Yeah. Although after a year of eating almost nothing except for monster meat, I would have been satisfied even by synth paste." Her smile dimmed at the mention of the most common food in the outskirts. As two gla.s.ses of beautiful dark tea steamed in front of them, Master Jet sighed, then took out something from the inner pocket of her uniform. It was a small metal box with a sensor on its lid. Placing the box on the table, she looked at Sunny and asked: "You must be wondering why I visited you, right?" Sunny tilted his head slightly, stared at the metal box for a few seconds, and then answered in a cautious tone: "...Yes. To be honest, I am very curious." She nodded, then smiled rea.s.suringly. "Don't be nervous. It's just a formality, and a very beneficial one, at that. Put your finger on the sensor." He hesitated, then did as she had told. The sensor buzzed for half a minute, and then a small green light ignited on the metal box. With a quiet click, it unlocked. Master Jet opened the box and took out several objects — a slick communicator made out of flexible gla.s.s, a memory chip with the government seal etched on its surface, and a small iron badge with two stars engraved into it. Pushing them toward Sunny, she lingered for a moment, and then said in a light tone: "Congratulations, Awakened Sunless. You are now officially a citizen. Of the seventh rank, no less." Her words struck Sunny like a hammer. Silent, he stared at the three objects in front of him, his face not betraying even a hint of emotion. A citizen… Back in the outskirts, people lived and died dreaming of becoming one of the true citizens. That simple word hid so much meaning. Access to proper food, human rights, and better life. To all the things that none of them really had. To having a future. Very few of these people had ever gotten the chance to hear the word "citizen" in connection to their name. Being poor and lowly only led to becoming dest.i.tute and falling to the bottom. It rarely led to rising higher, let alone soaring to the peak. And here he was, not only becoming a citizen, but even jumping over all the steps and arriving at the very pinnacle of the social hierarchy in one go. Not just a citizen and not even one of high rank, but of the highest. 'Seventh rank… there's literally nothing higher.' Finally, his expression changed, becoming grim. Looking up at Master Jet, he asked in a somber tone: "I get it that I would be made a citizen after Awakening. But… seventh rank? Isn't that a little too much?" Master Jet laughed. "Sunless… you don't really know what you did, do you?" Sunny looked at her without humor, then said: "I'm pretty sure that I do, but please, enlighten me." She shook her head and sighed. "Listen… of all the Sleepers that had returned from the Dream Realm in the last few years, there are only five whose files were marked as SS. And you are one of them." ReadNovelFull.me?
364	Chapter 364 SS Cla.s.s Sunless Sunny stared at Master Jet, a strange expression frozen on his face. After a while, he asked: "...That's great, but... what the h.e.l.l does "SS" mean?" She smiled and sipped her tea, looking at him across the table. Placing the cup back down, she then shook her head slightly and said: "The government — and the powerful Legacy clans, of course — keeps track of every Awakened in the world. That shouldn't be a surprise for you, right?" Sunny slowly nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense." Master Jet shifted slightly, then continued: "Firstly, because every Awakened technically has a duty to respond when a Gate opens near their location — that's what the special communicator is for. In exchange for all the privileges we receive, we have to protect this world from the Nightmare Creatures." A dark grimace appeared on her face. ReadNovelFull.me "Of course, realistically, no one can force you to actually fulfill that duty, or at least no one is going to. Many Awakened turn around and run as soon as they receive a Gate Crisis alert." Sunny grimaced. On one hand, he understood such a reaction perfectly. Why would they want to risk their lives for random strangers? Not every Awakened was good in a fight, too. Not everyone was like the Artisans of the Dark City, who had gone into battle side by side with those Dreamers who possessed combat Aspects. ...But on the other hand, the idea of running away while monsters were devouring mundane humans and wreaking havoc in the real world simply rubbed him the wrong way. It seemed as though Sunny had somehow developed a bit of pride in the past year. He didn't want to run from the Nightmare Creatures and capitulate to the Spell. He might have even been infected with having morals… 'Better squish this lunacy fast...' Oblivious to his thoughts, Master Jet continued: "Secondly, newly Awakened are monitored because everyone wants to recruit the best of them. Talents need to be nurtured, and for that, they need to be recognized first. So the most promising Awakened receive a mark on their file. Usually, it's SA, or simply S. Do you know what that means?" Sunny shook his head. She grinned. "SA means "strategic a.s.set". There's not a lot of Awakened who are considered to be important enough to be a.s.signed that designation. Having one means that you are viewed as a person who can potentially be important to the very survival of humanity, or at least make an impact on the global scale. Simply put, it's either someone whose Aspect can be extremely useful to society or someone who has a high chance of becoming a Master, maybe even a Saint." Master Jet took another sip of tea, then gestured lazily at herself. "Like me. Not to brag, but people with the S designation are few and far between. That's why we usually receive a lot of attention and support from either the government or the Legacy faction we decide to align with. But here comes the best part…" She grinned. "Currently, everyone is running around and foaming at their mouths because of you guys. All hundred of those who returned from the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e were marked as strategic a.s.sets. That is… that is an unprecedented event in human history. A sudden appearance of a hundred powerful Awakened is not that important in the grand scheme of things. But if those Awakened all have a very high chance of becoming Masters, maybe even Saint… that would be enough to completely shatter the current status quo." Sunny stared at her, thinking. Up until now, everything that he heard was in accordance with how he had imagined things to be. But… "I get it. However, what's that about me being marked as SS? What does SS stand for?" Master Jet nodded. "I was about to explain. Above those marked as strategic a.s.sets, there are those marked as special strategic a.s.sets. SSA, or SS for short. This designation is even rarer. Actually, very few people had ever gotten it. What it means is that you are considered to have a very high chance of becoming a Saint. You know how rare Transcendent are, right? So, of course, everyone now wants to be your friend. Including the government. Hence the seventh rank citizen status." She looked at him with an apologetic smile and added: "...Granted, out of the five people with the SS designation, you are the least outstanding. No offence." Sunny glanced at her and smiled slightly. "None taken. Who are the other four?" Master Jet shrugged. "Three of them are the only ones who received True Names from the Spell after leaving the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e — Awakened Athena, Awakened Kai, and Awakened Ca.s.sia. The fourth one is Awakened Song Sei Shan, who is… well… from one of the great clans. To be honest, your own achievements — while still incredible — pale in comparison to theirs. But someone had noted that you went from being the second to last in the Academy rating to leading a hundred Sleepers to the Gateway during the last leg of the journey. You are seen as someone with great growth potential, in short." He nodded, somewhat satisfied by that answer. 'It's not as bad as I thought.' Actually, it was perfect. It was exactly the result he had hoped for — to be considered one of the best, but also the worst of the best. He needed status to receive all the best opportunities in this world. He needed to have value. Looking at the beautiful Ascended in front of him, Sunny took a sip of the tea, then smiled brightly. "So, uh… that really sounds great. A great honor, and so on. But what I really want to know is what exactly can I get thanks to being the fifth most incredible person of an entire generation?" Master Jet laughed and glanced at him with approval. "Good. Straight to the point. Well, that depends. What is it that you want the most?" Sunny didn't hesitate before answering, his tone steady and firm: "To be free." The smile disappeared from her face. Looking down at her tea, Master Jet lingered for a while, and then said wistfully: "Then you're out of luck. I am sorry, but freedom is just a myth, Sunless. No one is free in this world. Mundane humans have to toil and struggle to remain alive. Even if they are fortunate enough to reach the height of success and acquire great wealth, their lives still belong to the Awakened who protect them from the Nightmare Creatures. But the Awakened… we are not free, too. Our lives belong to the Spell." She paused, then added with slight sadness: "If we want to survive its trials, we need to tether ourselves to others, be it powerful clans, or the government, or even just the members of our cohort. We have to depend on our allies and companions, and they in turn have to depend on us. All of us are chained to one another, Sunless, and that is the only way we can survive. So… think again about what you want. Think carefully." Sunny stared at her for a long time, his eyes full of a dark, deep, heavy emotion. After a while, he sighed slowly, then said: "If that is the case, then I want to be strong." ReadNovelFull.me?
365	Chapter 365 Young Prospect Master Jet looked at him for a while, then smiled. "Perfect. That is a good goal to have... especially for people like us." She took a sip of tea, then closed her eyes for a few moments. "...Alright. There are many ways to become strong, some more straightforward than others. Ideally, you would want a powerful organization backing you up, but that is not the only way. In fact, such a partnership is a double-edged sword. You gain a lot, but also have to give a lot in return. I'll provide you with the basic information, and you can decide for yourself." Sunny straightened a little and listened to her attentively. Master Jet thought for a few seconds, and then said: "In this next few days, you will have to decide what Citadel to go to. That is not the same as joining a faction, but closely tied to it. Usually, young Awakened have to compete for the right to join a desirable faction and therefore be taken to the Citadel it operates from. Your case is different, though. Everyone wants you… and I mean everyone. So you can pick any of the human Citadels in the Dream Realm to call home." She paused, yawned, and then continued: "As you should already know, there are three great human Citadels in the Dream Realm, as well as many smaller ones. The primary Citadels belong to the great clans, while the smaller ones can be either ruled by a lesser clan or remain independent. Regardless, all of them are situated around the three main human enclaves and tied to them in one form or another. No matter where you go, you'll be in the sphere of influence of one of the great clans, it's just that you can be either in its center, close to the center, or on the periphery." Sunny scratched his head. ReadNovelFull.me "What about the government? Doesn't the government control many Citadels?" Master Jet shook her head. "Out there in the Dream Real, the government has less influence than the great clans. It does, however, maintain a presence in all the important Citadels, which allows us to play a unique role. In the Dream Realm, we serve as a… connective tissue between the three factions, I guess. That flexibility has its own benefits, if you ask me." She knocked lightly on the table and said: "In any case, even if you decide to refuse the obvious choice of settling in one of the great Citadels, you'll have to select one of the three territories. They are not connected, as some people think. In fact, there are deadly and extremely hazardous regions separating each of the human dominions from each other. So, that is going to be your first decision — which territory to choose. That made sense. If Sunny chose to go to Bastion, for example, he would have the opportunity to build a relationship with the great clan Valor, which ruled it, or any of the lesser clans in its sphere of influence. He would lose the opportunity to be recruited into the great clan Song, though, or any other clan that existed in a separate human territory. And so on. Master Jet finished her tea and looked at the empty cup with a solemn expression. "Oh, yeah. This is where I was supposed to give you the recruitment speech and try to convince you to join the government forces. But I'm not going to… you are smart enough to figure out the pros and cons of that path by yourself. All I will say is that you will never be truly accepted as an equal by the members of the Legacy clans — SS designation or not. Maybe they won't say it to your face, but you'll always be treated as someone… a tiny bit lesser. At best." Sunny's expression darkened. Caster's face suddenly appeared in his mind, eyes full of disdain. What had the proud scion called him… a mongrel? '...Well, that mongrel got to your throat. Who's laughing now?' Master Jet had a similar kind of expression on her face. Had she experienced her own share of hardships because of her lowly background? Most likely. As Sunny was pondering what Master Jet's path to becoming an Ascended must have looked like, she sighed, then smiled with irony. "Not that entering a Legacy clan is a bad deal. Actually, it's a dream come true for many, most even. With your renown, Sunless, any clan would be happy to give you patronage. Some might even adopt you. h.e.l.l… with your looks, even marriage is not out of the question!" As Sunny choked on his tea and did an actual spit take, Master Jet laughed. "Marriage… what marriage?!" She shook her head. "How do you think Legacy clans recruit talents? There are patronage contracts, adoptions, and matrimony, the latter being the preferred method when it comes to true gems. Anything to enhance the bloodline, you know." As Sunny stared at her with wide eyes, Master Jet chuckled and continued: "In any case, these are your options. You can go with the government, one of the three great clans, or a lesser clan. Each will provide you with plenty of incentives to join them instead of others. The most wealthy factions will even shower you with soul shards. You and I both know how important those are. Few people can refuse such an offer." She sighed wistfully, lingered for a bit, and then added: "Of course, you can also remain independent. In that case, you won't have any special support outside the usual benefits of being a highly regarded Awakened — be it in the form of training, resources, or access. But you also won't be tied down by any obligations, free to travel around the Dream Realm as you wish, making a living by hunting Nightmare Creatures or providing useful services to your Citadel of choice. There are plenty of independent Awakened out there, although few who are truly successful. It's a tough way to live." Sunny rubbed his face, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the cornucopia of choices in front of him. He had no need for soul shard, but being showered in them still seemed like a great experience. Master Jet grinned. "...So? What do you think?" He hesitated for a while, then said: "I don't know. That's a lot to take in. I'll… have to think about many things before making a decision." She nodded, as though that was an expected answer. "Good. Nothing good can come from rushing such a matter." With that, Master Jet took a small, secure plastic container out of her pocket and pushed it to Sunny. He took it and raised an eyebrow. "What's that?" She shrugged. "A pack of military-grade stimulants to keep you awake for a while. Don't use more than one patch at a time… wait, why am I explaining this to you? You're from the outskirts, so your knowledge of stimulant use must be extensive. In any case, with that, you'll be able to stay lucid for about a week. Contact me when you're ready to make a decision, and I'll arrange the rest. Oh, also feel free to call me if you have any questions… scratch that. Not any questions, just important ones." She stood up, stretched a little, and gave him a little smile. "Well… it's been nice seeing you, Awakened Sunless. You did well, staying alive out there. Warms my heart to know that another one of us did. I'll be off, then. Time waits for no one, and all that." She turned around to walk away, but Sunny stopped her: "Uh… Master Jet?" She glanced at him in confusion. "Yeah?" Sunny hesitated for a bit, then raised his newly issued, expensive, slick communicator: "I, uh… I don't have your contact?" Master Jet stared at him for a while, then grinned. "Want to get my number, huh?" Feeling his ears turning slightly red, Sunny coughed, but then took hold of himself and said with an easy smile: "Yes. How else am I going to call you when I've made a decision?" The beautiful woman shook her head, then took his communicator and entered her contact information into it. Returning the communicator to Sunny, she looked at him and said: "...Can't wait to hear from you, Awakened Sunless. See you later, then." With that, Master Jet walked away, leaving Sunny alone at the table. Looking around, he sat in silence for a while. Finally, he said quietly: "I wonder… can I get another of everything I ate? That'd be great…" ReadNovelFull.me?
366	Chapter 366 Lessons of History Some time later, Sunny exited the Instructors Lounge. The clear winter day welcomed him with chilly wind and tiny snowflakes dancing in the sunlight. Despite being dressed very lightly — his skin was covered only by the soft fabric of the simple training suit provided to him by the staff of the Academy hospital complex — Sunny did not feel too cold. 'That's being Awakened for you, I guess.' If it had been a year and a few months ago, he would have been desperately searching for shelter, hoping that he would not freeze to death overnight or, even worse, get sick. But now, Sunny felt great. He wasn't even uncomfortable. Pulling down his sleeves to hide the serpent tattoo, he inhaled the cool, perfectly filtered air, smiled, and started walking. 'Decisions, decisions…' The conversation with Master Jet had been useful, but left him with more questions than answers. Each of the choices presented to him had alluring benefits, but also very serious drawbacks. 'Great clans, lesser clans, government, or independent?' Sunny tried to imagine himself as a Legacy and silently shook his head. All that prestige, all that wealth, the admiration of the ma.s.ses… being a Legacy meant being a part of the n.o.bility, the elite above all elites. It was the exact opposite of what Sunny had been all his life. …But who said that he had to remain the same in the future? From a pauper to a prince, that would be a nice transformation. Lord Sunless… that had a nice ring to it, didn't it? ReadNovelFull.me There were serious disadvantages to making such a choice, of course. Working for the government offered its own advantages, but at the cost of not receiving as much funds and resources, while being tied down by too many obligations. Both times Sunny had met Master Jet, she seemed busy and overworked. He couldn't imagine pursuing his goals with such a schedule. One of the functions of the Awakened forces in service to the government was hunting down rogue members of their own kind. Awakened were people, after all, and there were criminals among them, too. Especially because many were traumatized and driven to the edge of madness by their experiences in the Nightmares and the Dream Realm. If Sunny could absorb the essence of those humans he killed like all the other Awakened, that path could have offered him a faster track to saturating his cores. But as it was, he didn't see himself putting on the uniform, unless there were new Gates opening every day, thus providing him with the endless supply of Nightmare Creatures to hunt. ...By the way, how many Gates were opening in a given year, on average? Suddenly, Sunny realized that he had no idea. The propaganda never mentioned concrete numbers, only the fact that valiant Awakened had the situation under control. Did they, really? The last option was to remain independent. That choice was seemingly in contradiction to his desire to acquire status and as many benefits as possible, but only on the surface. In fact, Sunny had already received most of what he wanted by becoming a high-ranking citizen and getting a free pick of any Citadel. Of course, not having the vast resources of a Legacy clan or the government would be a huge loss... but it would also provide the best chance he had to keep all his secrets to himself. All three options were worthy of being considered. In the end, it all came to the fact that he simply didn't have enough information to make a decision. So, getting information was his first priority. But… how? 'What was it called… a library? The Academy has to have one of those, right?' Sunny, of course, had never been to a library, but he was familiar with the concept. There were similar types of public terminals in the outskirts, too, although using them cost credits. He had never had any to spare, so his visits were few and far between. And he went there for entertainment, not to study. Now that Sunny had himself a state-of-the-art communicator, he could access a lot of information from the network, but doing so would doubtlessly leave a digital trail behind. Considering that some of the topics he wanted to research were rather dangerous, he wanted to remain as anonymous as possible. 'A library it is…' Ten minutes later, he approached a square white building. Like most of the Academy, its walls were made out of smooth, pristine alloy, with wide windows that could be covered at any moment with reinforced shutters. There weren't many people in sight, so Sunny a.s.sumed that the library was not a popular destination among the Awakened. Why would it be, if most of the information stored there could be accessed remotely? He was the weirdo for coming here in person. Entering through an automatic door, Sunny looked around and blinked a couple of times. Everywhere he looked, tall shelves full of paper books stretched into the distance. Between them stood tables meant for study, with several young men and women reading behind them silently. Most of them were using terminals to take notes, but some were actually writing by hand. 'What… the h.e.l.l… is that?' All those books, of course, were printed on synthetic paper… but why have them printed at all?! Wouldn't it be way more convenient to read from a terminal, like all normal people did? He had never seen a physical book in his life. The very idea of using one was mind-boggling. …But then, it made sense. Digital data storage technology was highly advanced, but susceptible to various types of damage. During the dark times… which came before the even darker times of the Nightmare Spell… back when humanity had been consumed by an endless series of devastating wars and cataclysmic natural disasters, a lot of knowledge had been lost due to overreliance on digital mediums. Whole layers of culture were irrevocably gone as the result. Paper was still the safest way to preserve knowledge. It's just Sunny had never thought about it before. 'Still weird…' Trying to not show his confusion, Sunny furtively looked around and noticed a member of the library staff. It was a young man… no, wait… a young woman? A young person, with short black hair and intelligent brown eyes, who was currently reading a vintage-looking book. There was a badge on her chest, with the name "Ren" written on it. At least Sunny thought that it was a name. Maybe it was some weird t.i.tle among the librarians. Who knew what kind of strange customs they had here? Approaching the young librarian, he stopped a couple of meters away and waited patiently to be noticed. However, "Ren" continued to read, fully engrossed in whatever story the book told, eyes full of deep emotion. Curious, Sunny looked at the t.i.tle on the cover. 'Free Fall… sounds familiar. Must be a really great book. Maybe I should read it someday...' "Uh… hey? Can I get some directions?" Ren lingered for a couple of seconds, then reluctantly put down the novel and looked at him with a neutral smile. "Of course. How can I help you?" He lingered for a bit, then said with uncertainty: "How can I read about the Dream Realm and the current state of human expansion into its various regions?" Ren blinked a couple of times, then asked politely: "Uh... can you be more specific?" Sunny sighed. "I want to see a map and a list of all the Citadels out there, as well as learn who owns what and why. I guess." The librarian smiled brightly: "Ah, you are a lover of history as well! Of course, of course. You have come to the right place. We have all the records you'll ever need here. Nickel!" Sunny flinched. "Nickel? What does nickel mean? What is happening?" Suddenly, another young librarian appeared out of nowhere. This one was definitely a guy, wearing a wrinkled white shirt and a brown vest. He was tall and handsome, with slightly disheveled red hair, scruffy bristle on his chin, and a friendly face. There was a badge on his vest, too, with the word "Nickel" written on it. The two were a strange pair. "Nickel, could you please escort this young man to the Dream Realm History section?" The tall librarian glanced at Sunny and gave him a wide smile. "Sure. Please, follow me." They headed into the depths of the library, leaving Ren behind. A few moments later, Sunny heard the rustle of paper pages coming from behind. The smaller librarian was once again engrossed in the book. 'Yeah, I should definitely check that novel out. A citizen of the seventh rank should be well-read, right?' Nickel led him through the library, asking a few questions to narrow down the search. Soon, they arrived in front of a particular set of shelves, full of books having to do with the Dream Realm and the history of humanity's slow exploration of it. The young man helped Sunny select a few, wished him luck, and disappeared as quietly and swiftly as he had appeared. Sunny looked at the spot where Nickel had been just a few moments ago, then slowly shook his head. 'A librarian… that guy could have been an a.s.sa.s.sin, instead.' Well… maybe he was. Come to think about it, working in a library could be a perfect cover for clandestine operators. 'Maybe I should become a librarian, too…' Making sure that no one was watching him, Sunny put his books on a nearby table and walked back to the shelves. There, he stared at a certain book that he had noticed a few minutes ago. Its t.i.tle was simple: "The Immortal Flame" Sunny hesitated for a bit, and then took the book off the shelf. He was pretty sure that the Sovereigns were at least partially responsible for the fall of Neph's clan. If so, there had to be some hints of their ident.i.ty in the history of the Immortal Flame. 'This has to be a good place to start looking for some answers… right?" ReadNovelFull.me?
367	Chapter 367 Fog of Time Sunny brought the book back to the table and sat down, looking at the plain cover with a complicated expression. Of course, he knew a few things about the Immortal Flame clan. Everybody did, considering how prominent the achievements of its members were — even though Sunny missed out on receiving a proper education, the legendary figures of Changing Star's father and grandfather had long ago found their way from the pages of history into the popular culture. Their names were pretty much synonymous with heroism and the indomitable nature of the human spirit, famously painted with a tinge of tragedy. Immortal Flame was the first Awakened to become a Master, and Broken Sword, his son-in-law, was the first Master to become a Saint. Of course, they had not done so alone — each had a group of powerful companions to share the burden of challenging the Spell. So, a more proper statement would have been that they were the leaders of the first cohorts to conquer the Second and Third Nightmares. However, the names of their comrades were not as well known. Sunny was sure that kids learned about them in school, but a street rat like him only had a general impression of who they were. Mostly, he just remembered that some of them would go on to establish the great clans. But that was the thing about heroes. Suny had once told Effie that one had to die to become a hero, and that was not a joke. A person could possess renown and respect for achieving something incredible, but it was the act of making the ultimate sacrifice that elevated one to heroic status. That's why the Immortal Flame clan was revered much more than the other great clans — not only because the leaders of those cohorts came from it, but also because it had a tragic end. …Or had it? If Nephis did manage to return to the real world, the fame of her clan would burn bright once again, perhaps even brighter than ever before. The survivors of the Dreamer Army already treated her like a deity... ReadNovelFull.me With a sudden frown, Sunny awkwardly opened the book and started reading. Accustomed to reading off a screen, he struggled for a bit with the printed text, but then quickly got used to it and engrossed himself in the ill.u.s.trious history of the famed clan. The first part was dedicated to Immortal Flame himself, and although it was interesting, there was not a lot of information there that Sunny could use. He already knew that Neph's grandfather had been among the first wave of people infected by the Nightmare Spell, and that he fought against the Nightmare Creatures during the initial mayhem that followed its appearance. Back then, millions of people were suddenly thrust into the First Nightmares and died, resulting in millions of Nightmare Creatures entering the real world. Of course, almost all of them were only of the Dormant rank, but even that turned out to be too much for the armies of the already reeling humanity to handle. Whole nations were destroyed, and for a while, the planet was submerged into absolute chaos. It was only thanks to people like Immortal Flame — who had not earned his True Name yet back then, of course — that the situation changed. There were those who had survived the First Nightmare, then entered the Dream Realm and carved their path to Gateways. After returning to the real world, they united and fought back against the tide of Nightmare Creatures, eventually establishing a new world order. The one that existed to this day. 'They were tough, tough people.' Becoming an Awakened was hard enough even today, with all the acc.u.mulated knowledge about the Spell being freely accessible to everyone. Back when it first appeared, people like Immortal Flame didn't know anything. They didn't know what an Aspect was, how many ranks and cla.s.ses of the Nightmare Creatures were there, what they meant, what the Memories and Echoes were, what a Gateway was... Most important of all, they didn't even know if saving humanity was even possible. And yet, somehow, they learned and fought back. Sunny couldn't imagine how dark and h.e.l.lish that time must have been. Truly, they deserved his respect. …But, sadly, they didn't deserve his time. At least not now. He had much more pressing things on his plate, so Sunny just skimmed through the pages describing Immortal Flame's life, his eventual triumph over the Second Nightmare, and heroic death. The legendary Master died defending the evacuating cities from the onslaught of terrible creatures that entered the real world through a Category Five Gate. That happened just a year or so before Sunny was born, and had cost humanity an entire continent. It was also the event that led to Neph's mother becoming Hollow, although that tragedy was not described in the book in great detail. All that was said about it was that Smile of Heaven died during the disaster while protecting civilians. Sunny sighed, then concentrated on reading about Broken Sword. Neph's father was not a Legacy by birth. In fact, he came from a very humble background, and rose from absolute obscurity to the very pinnacle of prominence thanks only to his talent and battle genius. He was a pauper who had won the heart of a princess and became the heir of the most venerated clan in human history. The narrative of the book framed the history in a way that suggested that Broken Sword had been heartbroken by the death of his wife, and that it was this loss that drove him to rise even higher and challenge the Third Nightmare. Miraculously, Broken Sword succeeded, becoming the first Saint. There was no happy end to his story, though. Just a few years later, he perished in the Dream Realm while exploring a region that would later be categorized as a Death Zone. The book ended with a long-winded tribute to the two legendary heroes and an explanation of how important their contributions were to the survival and future prosperity of the human race. Sunny closed the book and shook his head. '...What a load of c.r.a.p.' He might not have been educated, but like most people in the outskirts, Sunny had the instinctive skill of recognizing propaganda and reading between the lines of official statements. And this was what the book was — an embellished, partially fictional version of events that the government liked to feed to people. The truth was hard to come by. There were several things about the supposed history of the Immortal Flame clan that didn't make a lot of sense to Sunny. The first one was the circ.u.mstances of Smile of Heaven's tragic death. On paper, everything seemed fine, but Sunny knew that she was not, in fact, dead — not in the traditional sense of the word, at least. She was Hollow. But how could she become Hollow? According to the book, at that point in time, Broken Sword had already become a Master. The two of them were partners both in life and in battle, leading their cohort together. That would suggest that Smile of Heaven was a Master, too. But Masters traveled to the Dream Realm physically as opposed to in spirit, like Sleepers and Awakened did. There would have been no soulless body left behind if she had died there, so… how was it possible? 'The timeline doesn't add up...' The second questionable point was Broken Sword's own death. Saints were extremely powerful beings, and killing one was not an easy task. Even when met with an overwhelming foe, a Saint should have been able to at least escape. Saints simply did not die unless they had a reason to stand their ground and fight to the last breath. The only creatures that could kill them instantly were too powerful and rare to stumble on one randomly, even when exploring an unknown region of the Dream Realm. Would Broken Sword have been so reckless and stubborn, knowing that he had a daughter who needed his care and protection? The legendary swordsman didn't strike Sunny as someone who would allow himself to die easily… unless some other forces were involved. And finally, there were the other members of his cohort. Sunny whispered their names: "Broken Sword, Smile of Heaven, Asterion, Ki Song, Anvil of the Valor clan." Asterion, Ki Song, Anvil of Valor… 'Aster, Song, Vale?' ReadNovelFull.me?
368	Chapter 368 Aster, Song, Vale Sunny spent several hours reading the book about the history of the Immortal Clan book, and now, finally, he was starting to feel sleepy. Not to the point of needing to use the stimulants provided to him by Master Jet, but enough to make it harder for him to concentrate. Rubbing his face, he mentally repeated the names of Broken Sword's companions — the brilliant warriors who had become the first Saints of the human race. 'Asterion, Ki Song, Anvil of the Valor clan.' Were they the Aster, Song, and Vale? While not exactly the same, the names of the members of the legendary cohort were too similar to the three words that Nephis had once told him to never say out loud — among a couple of others — to be merely a coincidence. 'Let's see. What do I really know about all that stuff?' Sunny knew that the three words held enough meaning to free Neph from the haze of the Soul Devourer's mind hex, at least partially. She had reacted to them very strongly… so much so that Sunne had actually been afraid for his life for a bit there. She had also asked him a strange question… He repeated it mentally, careful to not say anything out loud: ReadNovelFull.me 'Which Domain do you belong to?!' Sunny had had no idea what a capital letter Domain was back then, and he didn't know now. But he was, indeed, sure that there was a capital letter there. He also suspected that people who had been trying to kill Nephis for most of her life were connected to these mysterious Domains. Which meant that Caster had been, too. From that, it wasn't hard to conclude that Domains and Sovereigns — who apparently willed the destruction of the Immortal Flame clan — were tied together, or more likely the same. And all of it had something to do with Lineage Memories and the Attributes they bestowed, like [The Fire] Attribute that was described as the lineage of the Sun G.o.d. Or his own [Blood Weave], which was apparently both incomplete and forbidden. Sunny ma.s.saged his temples and sighed. For a long time, he had no clue about what Aster, Song, and Vale meant. But after meeting Seishan, an adopted daughter of the great clan Song, he began to suspect that they were the names of the three Legacy Clans responsible for the numerous attempts on Neph's life… and maybe even the deaths of her parents and the downfall of the Immortal Flame clan. Not only because of his inherent dislike of Legacies, but also because of how peculiar Changing Star had described her relationship with the Handmaiden: 'Trusted? Not really… never, actually.' Why would Nephis say that she would never, ever trust Seishan? Maybe it was because Seishan belonged to one of the clans responsible for the undoing of her family. That was a logical a.s.sumption. …But now, Sunny saw that, maybe, he was wrong. Maybe Aster, Song, and Vale weren't the names of clans — maybe, these were the nicknames belonging to three people. Asterion, Ki Song, and Anvil of clan Valor. They were Broken Sword's companions, and as such, Nephis had to have met them a lot before her father died. Neither Broken Sword himself nor his daughter would have been addressing them by their full names, either. What would she call them? Uncle Aster? Auntie Song? Sunny looked down, a dark expression appearing on his face. If these were really the people that had later sent numerous a.s.sa.s.sins to hunt down the little girl who trusted them… then the hatred Nephis had for them would be easy to explain. …It would also be easy to explain how a Saint of Broken Sword's talent and might had died. Maybe... maybe he had been stabbed in the back by the people he trusted the most. Even though there was no proof, it all made too much sense. Sunny felt that he was on the right track. But how were Asterion, Ki Song, and Anvil of clan Valor connected to the mysterious Sovereigns? Did they serve them, or… His eyes widened. A terrible suspicion entered his mind... not, not a suspicion. A certainty. '...It's them. They are the Sovereigns!' The revelation hit him like a hurricane squall, too vast to comprehend all at once. And the key to it was a simple sentence that Nephis had once told him while overwhelmed by intense emotions. How did he miss it? Back when they had their falling out in a deserted alley of the outer settlement, Neph said: '...You think Gunlaug can stop me? You think a Fallen Terror can stop me? Those three ghouls can stop me? No, Sunny. Nothing will stop me. Anyone who dares will die. I'll kill them all.' She had listed her enemies! She listed them in the order of magnitude. First Gunlaug, then the Crimson Terror. And then, the Sovereigns. Three ghouls. Aster, Song, and Vale. Just as he was trying to cope with that idea, another frightening realization appeared in Sunny's mind. He shuddered. Recalling another thing that Nephis had said, he then mumbled quietly: '...No, I won't be the first one to conquer the Fourth Nightmare. I will be the first one to conquer every Nightmare.' Back then, he had understood her as wishing to be the first one to beat the Fourth Nightmare, as well as all the rest. But her words could have been interpreted in a different way… Among the Awakened, there was a general agreement that the names of the Ranks were not coincidental. Many people thought that the words used by the Spell described the ascent toward G.o.dhood… or the descent into profanity, as far as Nightmare Creatures were concerned. In many ways, these two paths were reflections of each other. A person of a third Rank was described as Ascended, since they were rising above their human nature. A creature of the same Rank was called Fallen. This step had to do with ascension, or the opposite of it. A person of the fourth Rank was described as Transcendent, since they had transcended the mundane and a.s.sumed some qualities of the divine. A creature of the same Rank was called Corrupted. This step had to do with transformation… it was no coincidence that the Aspect Ability the Saints received was called a Transformation Ability, after all. The next step also had a special meaning to it. It represented authority and reign. Be it Supreme or Great, beings of that level were meant to consolidate their power and exert it upon the world. The fifth step of the Cla.s.s hierarchy was much the same, allowing Nightmare Creatures to create and control armies of lesser minions. Such creatures were called Tyrants… What would a human who had reached the Supreme Rank be called, then? Sunny trembled. 'A Sovereign…' Nephis had not meant that she would not only be the first human to conquer the Fourth Nightmare, but also all the rest. She had meant that she would be first to conquer the Fifth, the Sixth, and the Seventh. Because the Fourth Nightmare had already been conquered! 'G.o.ds...' Ki of the great clan Song, Anvil of the great clan Valor, and a person called Asterion had conquered it. And Broken Sword of the Immortal Flame... Broken Sword had been mysteriously killed in the process. Aster, Song, and Vale had returned from the Fourth Nightmare wreathed in new authority, while Broken Sword perished. What was a Domain? Possibly the expression of the fifth Aspect Ability they had received, a special one, just like the special Transformation Ability the Saints possessed. And, for some reason, they had chosen to keep their accomplishment a secret, instead exerting their influence on humanity from the shadows. Wasn't it strange, that their names seemed to practically disappear from the pages of history after Broken Sword died? They, too, were the first to become Saints, after all. Not if they had chosen to keep them hidden. Wasn't it strange that Caster of Han Li clan seemed so loyal to the mysterious Sovereigns who had ordered him to kill the last daughter of the Immortal Flame clan? Not if they were the real power behind the great Legacy clans, to which his own lesser clan was beholden. Wasn't it hard to believe that there were words that could kill just by becoming known to a person? …Not if those words were the names of the three Supreme rulers that preferred to remain nameless. Sunny moaned slightly, then covered his face his hands. '...c.r.a.p. c.r.a.p. c.r.a.p! Why did I have to go and get myself involved in all this c.r.a.p?!' He had a feeling that his life had just become much more complicated. ReadNovelFull.me?
369	Chapter 369 Hidden Forces Sunny spent some time staring at the pile of books in front of him with a dark expression. After a while, he sighed heavily. So, there were hidden forces out there that exerted influence over the entire human race. The authority was as invisible as it was frightening. And now, he knew their names. The Sovereigns were at least as powerful as the government, or maybe even more so. The exact relationship between these two hegemonic powers — one official, the other secretive — was not clear, but for now, knowing the full extent of the authority resting in the hands of the Sovereigns was not that important. However, it was important to know that the world was not at all as he had imagined. It was much more dangerous. Why? Because if there was one thing that all wielders of authority shared, it was the animosity toward others encroaching on their power. That was just human nature — among the strong, only one ent.i.ty could be the strongest. And so, that ent.i.ty was always apprehensive of others growing stronger. Bosses of criminal gangs in the outskirts were always paranoid of their lieutenants usurping them, and tended to violently get rid of those who were too successful. In the Dark City, Gunlaug reigned with an iron fist, destroying anyone who dared to be strong without submitting to his rule. And Sovereigns would be much the same. Since Sunny was already powerful beyond reason, for a person of his age at least, and had an even more frightening potential, the Sovereigns would never allow him to exist outside their control. ReadNovelFull.me Luckily, they did not know the true extent of his strength yet. But since his main goal was to become stronger — as strong as he possibly could, as fast as he possibly could, to not fall behind Nephis — that… was going to be a problem. Suddenly, some things about the Awakened society became more clear. A long time ago, Sunny had learned that Master Jet had no chance of ever becoming a Saint. Apparently, one had to have a team of outstanding companions and a lot of support to attempt conquering the Third Nightmare, and she lacked both due to her "problematic personality". Would Sovereigns allow someone outside their grasp to become a Saint? Most resources and knowledge about the Dream Realm belonged to the Legacy clans, especially when it came to anything having to do with higher Ranks. And the clans were controlled by the Sovereigns… which basically meant that they could prevent anyone from becoming a Saint simply by refusing their support. How many talented Masters like Jet were being suppressed from growing more powerful because they didn't serve one of the Supremes? There were a couple of Saints serving the government, at least. Whom were they really loyal to? 'Hate it… I hate it so much…' Of course, Sunny knew that all of this was just his conjecture. And yet, one thing was certain: the choice presented to him by Master Jet was not as straightforward as he had thought. In truth, he wasn't deciding between the great clans, the lesser clans, the government, and independence. He was deciding between entering into the service to the Sovereigns or refusing it. And that choice was strained even further by his connection to Changing Star. '...d.a.m.nation!' With a sigh, Sunny stared at the bookshelves surrounding him, and then stood up. He had to get a few more books to read… Many hours later, he tiredly put the last one away and rubbed his face. Now that he had absorbed a lot of knowledge about the current geography and situation of the Dream Realm, a seed of a plan began to form in his mind. However, he still needed more information. He wouldn't be able to find it here, however. For that, he would have to visit an old acquaintance. One thing he did find, nevertheless, was a bit more information about the Sovereigns. Asterion, Ki Song, and Anvil of Valor. The last one was possibly the most renowned. An heir of the great clan, he was mentioned many times in the texts describing the human expansion into the northern territories of the Dream Realm, as well as the history of Bastion — one of the three central human Citadels in the Dream Realm. In fact, he had apparently been responsible for slaying the t.i.tan whose remains were then used to create the chair Sunny was currently sitting on. 'Strong...' Later, though, the traces of Saint Anvil disappeared. There was no mention of his death, but the reigns of clan Valor were now in the hands of his cousins… at least officially. Ki Song was only slightly less famous. Unlike Anvil of Vale, she had come from one of the lesser Legacy clans, and it was by her hand that it was elevated to the status of a great one. The stronghold of clan Song, Ravenheart, was the second major human settlement in the Dream Realm. Its sphere of influence was separated from the other two territories by especially dreadful regions. The border with the Valor clan was especially deadly, but also rather thin. From what Sunny was able to learn, Ki Song was still the ruler of her clan, although she rarely appeared in public. She was known as a benevolent and charitable person, but that was pretty much all the information he could find. It seemed that it was her adoptive daughters who mostly acted on her behalf. Seishan was one of them, although she was trapped on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e for too long to be mentioned anywhere. And lastly, there was a man named Asterion… he was the most mysterious of the three. No one seemed to know where he came from and where he went after the Broken Sword's cohort was disbanded. In fact, there was barely any mention of him at all. Asterion was not connected to the third great Legacy clan, at least from the looks of it. Or any lesser clan, for that matter. Sunny couldn't even find out when and where he had been born, let alone if he was still alive. Even in the texts describing the deeds of Broken Sword and his companions, the name Asterion was only mentioned in pa.s.sing, as though he had never made any important contributions. Sunny shook his head and scowled. 'Let me guess… he's the most terrifying of the three.' That was an easy conclusion to make, because… it took one to know one. Sunny himself was barely mentioned and tended to hide his contributions. 'Ugh, my head hurts…' The worst part was that this was only half of all the research he had to do. He had learned enough about the human position in the Dream Realm and the Sovereigns. Now, he had to learn as much as he could about the G.o.ds, the daemons, and the Unknown. …It was time to pay Teacher Julius a visit. Of course, Sunny couldn't visit his old instructor with empty hands. Pushing the books aside, he activated the terminal embedded into the table, lingered for a few moments, and then typed: "...All of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e is separated into three parts, one of which…" ReadNovelFull.me?
370	Chapter 370 Exploration Report It took Sunny the rest of the night to compile all of the information he had gathered about the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e into a succinct, comprehensive report. Knowing how pa.s.sionate Teacher Julius was about researching the Dream Realm, Sunny tried not to miss any important detail. He had described the geography and environment of the region to the best of his ability, including all the notable landmarks he visited or heard about, as well as the peculiar nature of the dark sea and the Labyrinth. He also described most of the Nightmare Creatures he had seen, met, or fought, writing down everything he knew about their powers, behavior, and weaknesses, writing through the lens of his own experience where he could. When possible, he included the information received directly from the Spell, complete with the descriptions of Memories and Echoes he knew about. Of course, he provided those texts both in the human tongue and in the runic language. Lastly, he had written down the results of his exploration and studies into the history of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, describing in detail every engraving, every mosaic, and every mural he had seen. He also added his theories about what had happened to the ancient civilization, as well as his observations on how the ancient people of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e had lived before the fall. …Of course, there were things that he had kept to himself. Sunny omitted anything having to do with the nest of the Vile Thieving Bird, the Weaver, and the underground chamber beneath the ruined cathedral. He did not mention the Stone Saint, firstly because he wanted to keep her existence a secret, and secondly because she was connected to the Unknown. He also avoided mentioning his battle against the coral golems and the banishment of the cursed sea, as well as the eventual fate of the Crimson Terror and the destruction of both the artificial sun and the Spire itself. As far as everyone was concerned, Sunny had left through the Gateway with the rest of the Dreamers. No one had paid attention to his whereabouts in those last minutes, and he wanted to keep it that way. Well… no one except for Effie and Ca.s.sie, but he was reasonably sure that they would be discrete about certain things. And even if they failed to keep their lips sealed, Sunny had ways to explain his actions without revealing the truth. ReadNovelFull.me Finishing the report, Sunny leaned tiredly on the back of his chair and glanced at the screen. There, a long t.i.tle was shown: "Exploration Report on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, by: Awakened Sunless" 'I think that's good enough.' Sunny had no idea how to write an academic paper… or a proper field report, for that matter. So he had written and structured this doc.u.ment in a way that would have been the most helpful for his younger self a year ago, when he had entered the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e without knowing anything about it. A manual such as this would have made so many things easier. With a sigh, Sunny sent the report to his communicator, then turned off the terminal and stood up. Stretching his tired body, he swayed a little and yawned. It was already two days since his return to the real world, so the fatigue was slowly acc.u.mulating. Soon, he would have to start using the stimulants provided to him by Master Jet… but that moment had not come yet. Sunny walked away from the table, then hesitated a little and came back. Picking up several books from the orderly pile, he returned them to the proper shelves. After every book was back to its intended place, he nodded with satisfaction and finally left the library. 'What a fascinating place. I like it there…' Looking back at the una.s.suming building, Sunny breathed in the cold winter air and remembered the description of Weaver's Mask: 'Weaver believed that knowledge was the origin of power, and so always hid behind numerous lies…' What would the Demon of Fate think about this place? It was, after all, a palace of knowledge. Sunny remembered the deceptive pages that presented a washed, polished version of history and smiled. 'Yeah… but it is also a palace of lies...' \\\* It was weird returning to the Sleeper compound. The low, fortified building was much like he remembered, only weighed down by more snow. Sunny had not spent a lot of time here, but those days before the winter solstice were some of the most memorable in his life. So much excitement, so much dread… Who knew that he would not see it again for more than a year? Entering the familiar hall, he looked around, half-expecting to see a crowd of nervous Sleepers. But, of course, there was no one around — everyone had already left for their first venture into the Dream Realm, and it was too early for the next year's Dreamers to arrive. Walking through the empty halls, he found his way to the lower levels of the compound and approached the Wilderness Survival cla.s.sroom, which also served as Teacher Julius's office. Opening the door, he saw the s.p.a.cious and tastefully decorated room where he had spent most of his short stay at the Academy. Suddenly, Sunny was overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia. '...Are you crazy? You're too young to be nostalgic about the good old days!' His mentor was not at his usual place, sitting behind the wide wooden desk. Instead, the old man was standing in front of a gla.s.s case, studying the skull of a ferocious creature stored inside and taking notes. He hadn't changed at all. Teacher Julius was still old, with messy grey hair, absentminded eyes, and a pair of bushy eyebrows that seemed to have a life of their own. His posture and expression were full of quiet melancholy. …However, as soon as he heard someone entering the cla.s.sroom, his face changed, becoming lively and curious once again. Turning around, the old man stared at the visitor with confusion. Then, his face suddenly lit up with a bright, infectious smile. "Sunny, my boy!" ReadNovelFull.me?
371	Chapter 371 Academic Achievement Teacher Julius was just the same, but Sunny's perception of him had changed. Not only because of how instrumental the things he had learned from the old instructor turned out to be for his survival, but also because of the history books he had just read. 'How old is Teacher Julius, anyway?' Sunny had never thought about it, but after learning more about Immortal Flame and the first generation of the Awakened, he couldn't help but see his mentor in a new light. Teacher Julius must have been if not of the same age as those legendary figures, then at least of the same generation. Those people had lived through much darker, much more violent times. They had survived the end of the world, and built a new one from the ruins. "...Sunny, my boy!" Before Sunny could react properly, he was subjected to a pa.s.sionate hug. Then, Teacher Julius unceremoniously pushed him to the nearest chair. "Finally, you're back! I never doubted that you would return, not even for a moment. No student of mine would allow himself to die easily, you know! Wait, what am I talking about… of course, you know. You're one of my students yourself, after all!" Sunny couldn't help but smile while listening to the excitement in the old man's voice. Before coming here, he was slightly worried that Teacher Julius would not even remember him. Despite the fact that his course was not the most popular at the Academy, the eccentric instructor must have mentored thousands of Sleepers throughout his career. What was one more? ReadNovelFull.me But, luckily, Sunny had been wrong. "But, my boy… a whole year! Did you like it in the Dream Realm so much that you didn't want to return? Did you not think that your old teacher would be worried sick? In the name of the G.o.ds, what happened?" Sunny hesitated a little, then said apologetically: "Well, Teacher Julius… you see… I ended up in an unexplored region of the Dream Realm. And the only Gateway there was guarded by a Fallen Terror…" The old man blinked. "Heavens! How horrible. So what did you do?" Sunny shrugged. "Uh, well. In short... I met two beautiful girls, escorted them to an ancient castle, spent a few months exploring a cursed city, went on a long and arduous quest to find a magic crown, killed a devil, helped a princess become a queen, partic.i.p.ated in a war or two, climbed and evil tower, and finally ended up near the Gateway. Basically… I survived. Just how you taught me to." Teacher Julius listened to him very carefully, then nodded a few times "Great! You did great! Just as expected from one of my students. But, Sunny…" The old man's eyes suddenly shone brightly, full of excitement. "Did you say… did you say something about an unexplored region?" Sunny smiled, then activated his communicator. "I did. In fact, I have compiled a lengthy report about things I have seen, fought, and discovered there. Would you like to take a look? I can send it to you." Teacher Julius looked down with embarra.s.sment. "A report? Oh, you shouldn't have… you must be so terribly busy right now…" However, even while he was saying that, the old man was already opening the file. As soon as he started reading, his eyes widened, and a delighted smile appeared on his face. "...brilliant! This is brilliant! Wait, what's that… you even remembered to include citations in the original runic? That's my boy! Marvelous! Huh… well-preserved ruins? A whole city?! Is there a… there is! Oh, my!" \\\* It took Teacher Julius some time to skim through the report. Throughout the whole process, he continued to mumble under his nose in an increasingly excited tone. Some remarks Sunny understand, while some went completely over his head. Like: "Greystone architecture... possible connections to the Third Wandering Archon?". Or: "Which era of the Babel Script would that correspond to?". Or: "Rats! That'll show that smug b.a.s.t.a.r.d Sando how wrong his Universal Origin of Rituals ramblings were!". The old man's eyes gradually grew wider and wider. Finally, he deactivated his communicator a looked at Sunny with an expression of profound exhilaration. "You've... done exceptionally well, Sunny. Of course, your report is rough around the edges and needs a lot of work to be published, but this… this is going to make so many people happy! I can name at least a dozen theories that can be expanded, confirmed, or refuted thanks to all the new data you provided. And that's just off the top of my head! Not to mention all the good that will come from the detailed descriptions of so many new types of Nightmare Creatures you included." Teacher Julius smiled proudly: "You truly have a heart of an explorer, my boy! Very few people do, and out of those, even less have a keen mind such as yours. Not to mention the ability to venture into the deadly expanse of the Dream Realm and not only come back alive, but also remember to look at more than just what's in front of them. But it is thanks to such people that we can deepen out knowledge of the Spell." He sighed. "Most of the Awakened only know how to hack and slash. They tend to look at us with very little regard, but it is only because of us that they know how to hack and where to slash. Luckily, there are few bright minds here and there." Sunny stared at his mentor with a bit of surprise. He had not expected such a intense reaction. He just wrote down his findings about the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e to please the old man, considering they shared a hobby. "Uh… I'm sorry? Published? What do you mean by that, exactly?" Teacher Julius glanced at him with a humorous spark in his eyes. "Oh, don't worry. This old man is not going to rob his own student of the reward. I'll help you bring this paper to a proper state free of charge. I don't even need to be put down as a coathor, although it would make me happy if you did. What do I need money for? I have more money than I could ever spend already…" Sunny tilted his head, then blinked a couple of times. His heart was suddenly grasped by burning emotions. "Excuse me, Teacher Julius. But. Did you… did you say something about money?" The old man stared at him with confusion. "Yes, I did. Isn't it why you have compiled this marvelous report? To receive the contribution points from the government?" Sunny lingered for a bit, then slowly shook his head. "No? I, uh… I just though you would like to read it? I don't even know what these contribution points you mentioned are." Teacher Julius looked at him for a while, then burst out laughing. "Oh, oh my. What a good student I have! Ah, you really delighted me today, Sunny. Such pure dedication to the n.o.ble calling of an explorer! I wish more people were as selfless as you…" 'Selfless?! What do you mean selfless?! There's not a single selfless bone in my body… is there really money to be made from my stupid report?!' The old man shook his head and said: "The government rewards those who enrich the base of knowledge we have about the Spell, the Dream Realm, and the Nightmare Creatures quite generously. The more rare and more vital the information you submit is, the more contribution points you receive. These points can then be exchange for a variety of useful things, or simply turned into credits. Considering that no one has ever explored the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e before, and how comprehensive your report is… I'd say you'll receive a pretty sizable sum. You really didn't know this?" Sunny slowly shook his head. "How... how sizable are we talking? Like if I want to rent an apartment… no, a house! If I want to rent a house in an area of the city with clean air, how many weeks would this reward buy?" Teacher Julius gave him a strange look. "Rent a house? What a strange example. Sunny, with how unique the data you contributed is, you don't need to rent a house. Wouldn't it be easier to just buy one? Uh, Sunny?!" Sunny couldn't respond immediately, though. He was in the process of falling out of his chair. ReadNovelFull.me?
372	Chapter 372 Names of the G.o.ds After a while, he regained enough composure to continue the conversation. Sunny and Teacher Julius chatted for a while, discussing the exact process of publishing the report, what changes would have to be made, and how they would work together to bring the project to fruition. All of it, of course, was going to have to happen only after Sunny had settled in the Dream Realm and found a Citadel to anchor himself to. Right now, he did not exactly have time to work on an academic paper. Teacher Julius also shared some of his knowledge about the human settlements in the Dream Realm and his views on how to decide on a proper Citadel. All his advice, however, could be described in one sentence: "Find one with good plumbing." Sunny wasn't sure what to make of it, but judging by the pained expression on the old man's face, it was indeed an important factor. Finally, he managed to turn the conversation toward the things he really wanted to learn about. "Speaking of that… I am really unclear on one thing. While exploring the Dark City, I found a few places of worship. However, the deities they worshipped seemed to be different from the ones I heard about in my First Nightmare. Did the native humans of the Dream Realm all have different G.o.ds?" Teacher Julius looked at him and smiled. ReadNovelFull.me "Ah! The G.o.ds. That is an interesting subject indeed." He thought for a few moments, then said: "Yes and no. The G.o.ds worshipped in different regions had different names, but from what we can tell, those names all described the same ent.i.ties. The current consensus is that the "G.o.ds" of the Dream Realm were, in fact, actual beings, perhaps creatures of the Divine rank." Sunny nodded. "Really? Then… where are they now?" The old man sighed. "That is the strange thing about the G.o.ds. They are dead, just like everything else in the Dream Realm is dead. They seem to have been alive in the time periods of many of the Nightmares, but the ruins we have encountered and explored mostly describe them as being destroyed… by what or whom, we do not know. We also don't know if they existed before or after the Nightmare Spell itself appeared." He lingered for a bit, then added. "But we do know a few things about the G.o.ds. For example, how many of them there were…" Sunny smiled. "Let me guess… seven?" Teacher Julius chuckled. "You would think that, right? But no, there were only six G.o.ds. Their most common names were Sun, War, Beast, Storm, Heart, and Shadow. Although those names don't do them justice, truth be told" Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Really? How so? His mentor rubbed his chin, then said doubtfully. "Well, a G.o.d is too vast of a being to be described with one word. Take the G.o.ddess of War… oh, yes, their gender seems to be very mercurial… the War G.o.d is supposed to be the deity of warfare, and in a sense, he — or she — is. But he is also the G.o.d of life." 'Uh… what?' "How does it make any sense?" The old man smiled. "War is synonymous with struggle, and what is life if not a constant struggle for survival? So the G.o.ddess of War can also be called the G.o.ddess of Life. She is also the G.o.ddess of progress, technology, craft, intellect, and through all of this, the patron G.o.ddess of humanity." Teacher Julius got engrossed in his favorite field and went on a small tangent: "Or take the Beast G.o.d. He is also often described as the G.o.ddess of the Moon, as well as hunting, carnal desire, blood, beauty, and the cycle of birth and death. The Sun G.o.d is also the Lord of Light, a manifestation of fire, pa.s.sion, creation, and destruction. The Storm G.o.d is also the G.o.d of the depths, of the oceans, of darkness, stars, travel, guidance, and disaster. And so on…" Sunny coughed. "Uh… what about Shadow G.o.d?" The eccentric instructor shrugged: "Uh… I'm not too familiar with that one. As far as G.o.ds go, Shadow is not very prominent. Well, as a shadow should be, I guess. He is sometimes called the G.o.d of peace, death, solace, and mysteries. That's about it, I think." Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then asked carefully: "I see. Hard to imagine that only six ent.i.ties were responsible for all that. Were there perhaps any other divine beings?" Teacher Julius thought for a few moments, then shrugged. "There certainly were many beings that were either partially divine, or even almost as powerful as the G.o.ds themselves. We don't know much about them, though. Take daemons, for example…" Sunny held his breath. "Daemons were such mysterious creatures! They were described as having power almost equal to that of the G.o.ds, but of a different nature. They also seemed to have created themselves, or at least appeared out of nowhere. Almost nothing is known about them, except for the fact that there were seven of them... one more terrible than the other." He raised an eyebrow. "Terrible? Why were they terrible?" The old man smiled: "What can be more terrifying than a creature that came out of nowhere, wielding enough power to wage war against the heavens? Don't forget that what humans fear the most is the unknown. Perhaps the G.o.ds were much the same." Sunny hesitated for a long time, then finally asked: "Teacher Julius... have you ever heard about the Unknown?" His mentor gave him a weird look, then laughed. "What kind of a question is that? Haven't I dedicated my whole life to exploring the unknown? I think the lack of sleep is getting to you, my boy. Come, I have wasted enough of your time. A newly Awakened like you should be running around, trying to find patronage or ingratiate themselves to a welcoming clan. I'll recommend you several books on the G.o.ds and divinty, to read once you have settled out there in the Dream Realm..." Sunny smiled weakly, realizing that Teacher Julius did not know anything about the Weaver, the reasons for why the G.o.ds were dead, and the Unknown. Strangely, he felt relieved. ReadNovelFull.me?
373	Chapter 373 Reunited Leaving the Sleeper Compound, Sunny felt as though even the winter cold could not keep him from feeling sleepy anymore. Wondering what time it was, he looked up out of habit and glanced at the sun. The sun was all wrong. Suddenly, Sunny was wide awake, his hand instinctively outstretched to summon the Midnight Shard. It took him a few moments to recognize his error. 'Oh. The sun is normal. It's just not the same as on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e.' He also didn't have to measure time by observing the sky anymore. He had a communicator that could show him what time of day it was, up to the exact nanosecond. Shaking his head, Sunny headed back toward the hospital complex. He was late for a… a memorial. Of sorts. The survivors of the Dreamer Army were supposed to gather today to celebrate those who remained alive and remember those who had fallen. Entering the medical center, he headed toward the conference hall, but then lingered for a moment in front of a monitor attached to the wall. There, a hundred names were shown, listing everyone who had made it back. And on the very top of it, there were three very special ones: ReadNovelFull.me "Raised by Wolves" "Nightingale" "Song of the Fallen" Effie, Kai, and Ca.s.sie… Sunny stared at the three True Names for some time, then slowly lowered his gaze. Right beneath was his own name. With a grim expression on his face, Sunny opened the doors and entered the hall. The former Sleepers of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e were all there, at least those who had awoken at the Academy or could make it there for the memorial. He looked around the crowd, searching for familiar faces. It was strange to see all these people back in the real world. Especially without Nephis. Now that they were out of danger and had lost their leader, there wasn't a lot to keep them together, and so much to split them apart. Before, they were united by necessity and the irresistible will of Changing Star. Now, nothing remained to prevent the old grievances from pulling them apart… And yet, the hundred survivors seemed strangely united. Perhaps it was the shared trauma of their harrowing experience in the Dream Realm, or something else that Sunny couldn't quite understand, but there was no division between them. On the contrary, every Awakened gathered in the hall seemed to share an invisible bond with all the others. '...Weird.' Many people welcomed his arrival with warm greetings. Sunny smiled awkwardly and did his best to reciprocate their goodwill. After a few such encounters, he finally noticed Kai at the back of the crowd. Sunny stumbled and stared at his friend for a couple of seconds. 'I'll be d.a.m.ned…' How could that guy become even more gorgeous? The Awakening made Kai's slender figure even more graceful, his perfect face even more handsome, and his electric green eyes even more mesmerizing. His luscious dark auburn hair was now neatly cut and styled, his clothes were simple and exquisitely fashionable, and the several pieces of jewelry he wore somehow managed to enhance every one of those features by bringing it just the right amount of attention. 'Such… such injustice!' With a resentful sigh, Sunny made his way through the crowd and approached his friend. Kai noticed him from afar, and then, the conference hall suddenly seemed to become much brighter due to his brilliant smile. "Sunny! You are finally here!" Sunny wanted to answer, but then froze for a second, noticing a stranger next to the charming young man. A sickly, terribly gaunt young woman was sitting in a wheelchair, staring at them with a tired expression. There was clearly something defective about her body. She was unhealthily thin, with pale skin stretching over brittle bones and a strange twist to her spine. Her legs seemed lifeless and weak, tucked awkwardly on the step of her wheelchair. Her neck was clearly struggling to support the weight of her head. …It was only when the young woman smiled mischievously did he finally recognize her. "What's the matter, doofus? You've been struck dumb by my beauty?" With a giggle, Effie spun her wheelchair, as though giving him the chance to take a good look. 'Effie… that's... that's Effie?' Sunny stared at her for a couple of moments, trying to connect the image of the mighty huntress he knew — tall, strong, beautiful, and full of vigor — to this weak, gaunt young woman. He only spoke when the pain of the Flaw pierced his mind: "Not really. What… what the h.e.l.l happened to you?" Effie smiled and shrugged. "Nothing. That's how I've always been, in the real world." Something moved in Sunny's memory. He remembered how the two of them sat on the support beam of the ruined cathedral, talking in whispers. '...for some of us, the real world was more of a h.e.l.l than the Dream Realm.' That was what Effie had said, back then. Noticing the strange expression on his face, she grinned. "Ah, don't worry about it. At least now that I'm Awakened, I can move my hands. Look at this…" She grabbed the handles of the wheels, then balanced her chair at an angle and spun it around again. "See? Ain't that the coolest thing you've ever seen?" Sunny hesitated for a bit, then said quietly: "...Yes. One of the coolest, by far." Effie gave him a smile, then glanced at Kai: "See, Night? Your celebrity aura got nothing on my burning charisma." The young man looked at her, but didn't say anything. Instead, he suddenly took a step forward and gave Sunny a big hug. "Sunny! Thank G.o.ds you're alive!" Sunny squirmed a little, but then surrendered to being embraced. With a resigned expression, he endured for as long as he could and then said through gritted teeth: "Why shouldn't I be alive, fool? I wasn't the one whose unconscious, lanky body had to be dragged all the way to the Gateway!" Kai squeezed him even tighter, then finally released his hold on him. Taking a step back, the charming young man hesitated for a couple of seconds and sighed. "Still. With your luck, I am surprised that the whole Spire didn't just fall on your head." Sunny froze, then forced out a smile. "Yeah. That… would have been terrible, wouldn't it…" ReadNovelFull.me?
374	Chapter 374 Dinner with Friends Soon, several instructors appeared. In a solemn and sonorous atmosphere, each of them gave a small speech, congratulating the survivors of the Dreamer Army on overcoming the immeasurable hardships and returning to the real world alive. They also spoke about those who had fallen, and offered words of solace, saying that their sacrifice would not be forgotten by mankind. After all, mankind only continued to exist because of young men and women like them. To Sunny, those words rang hollow and empty, but they affected many people in the crowd. He saw a few people crying, the others trying to keep a brave face. Everyone had lost a friend, a companion, or a loved one during the tumultuous last days on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. Finally, Instructor Rock took the stage and spoke in length about the meaning of being an Awakened, their duty to safeguard humanity, and what they should do and expect in the next few days. However, at some point, he was interrupted. "Lady Nephis! Tell us what happened to her!" A hum of voices rose above the crowd, everyone joining in that plea. Instructor Rock sighed. "Calm down, Awakened. I'll tell you everything we know." The survivors of the Dreamer Army grew silent, staring at him with piercing intensity. The mighty man hesitated for a few seconds, then said: ReadNovelFull.me "As all of you know by now, the Gateway of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e seemed to have been destroyed. Changing Star, who took it upon herself to distract the Fallen Terror to allow her people to escape, did not make it through in time." A heavy, tortured tension hung in the air. The young men and women gathered in the hall kept silent, but their faces betrayed the storm of painful emotions raging in their hearts. Instructor Rock continued. "However, she is still alive out there, in the Dream Realm. Her vital signs and brain activity readings are all stable. It seems that Lady Nephis managed to escape the Terror, at least." He didn't need to say the rest. Everyone understood what it meant: she was trapped in the Dream Realm, with no way to come back. Sunny glanced at the newly Awakened around him, wondering what their reaction would be. Guilt? Sorrow? Fury? However, he was surprised by what he saw. A few moments later, a voice resounded from the crowd, full of adamant belief: "She will return! If anything can do it, it's Lady Nephis!" A wave of voices then joined that first one, all expressing their agreement. "That's right! She is Changing Star of the Immortal Flame! She won't die!" "Who says that she escaped from the Terror? I bet that Lady Nephis is currently roasting its meat, looking at a map and thinking where to find another Gateway!" "Exactly! Immortal Flame cannot be extinguished!" There was no guilt, sorrow, or furry. Only hope. Only faith. Uncomfortable, Sunny turned to Effie and Kai. Both seemed to be a little bit sad, but strangely calm. "What, uh... what do you guys think?" Effie hesitated for a few seconds, then shrugged. "I sort of agree. If anyone can make it out alive from there, it's Princess. It sounds impossible, but… I mean, it's her. You know how she is." Kai remained silent for a bit, then nodded. "That's what I believe, too. Or… or at least try to believe." Saying those words, he looked around with concern and said: "But Ca.s.sie must be devastated. Have you seen her?" Sunny stared at him grimly, then turned away. "...I did earlier. She is." Strangely, today the blind girl was nowhere to be found. To his relief. Kai sighed, then rubbed his face. "Ah, I really want to sleep. It's tough, staying awake for that long. What about you, guys?" Sunny shrugged. "I'm fine for now. I also have a pack of military-grade stimulants to keep me awake for a few more days." Effie glanced at them and grinned. "I am not sleepy at all. However… to be honest… I am dying from hunger. There has to be food here somewhere, right?" \\\* Some time later, they were in the cafeteria of the hospital complex. Sunny and Kai were already done with their dinner, and observed with dark fascination as Effie was finishing her fourth serving. There was a small mountain of empty plates in front of her. Finally, the huntress was done with the food and leaned back tiredly in her wheelchair, full of satisfaction. "Ah! That's life. Sunny, go bring me something to drink." He stared at her with a dark expression and asked: "...I already brought you the last three trays. Why don't you ask Kai?" Effie grinned. "Aren't you the youngest? Respect your elders, brat! Also, Kai and I are bigshots now. Way out of your league. Why would I ask a valiant True Name Awakened to serve me food when there's a nameless gremlin like you loitering around?" Sunny gritted his teeth, then obediently stood up and went to bring the young woman a few drinks. When he returned, Kai looked at him apologetically. "Sorry about that, Sunny. Actually, I am really surprised that you didn't receive a True Name as well. No one deserves it more than you, in my opinion. Really." Sunny shifted uncomfortably and said: "Yeah, well… you're not wrong! I do deserve a True Name, don't I? What a travesty." Effie giggled. "Hey, Night. What do you think Sunny's True Name would be?" Kai blinked a couple of times, though for a bit, then said with a smile: "I'm not sure. Something like… Famous Last Words?" He chuckled lightly, and then added: "Or "No Really, That Happened"! What about you, Effie? What do you think?" Effie glanced at Sunny, then smiled with mischief. "...Looks Good in a Dress." He stared at her with murder in his eyes. "Hey!" While the gaunt young woman was laughing, Sunny turned to Kai and frowned. "Speaking of True Names. Effie I can understand, but… Nightingale? You were really named just like your band? What's up with that?" Then, he looked at the charming archer with suspicion and said in a grave tone: "Kai, tell me honestly… the Spell… is also one of your fangirls, right?" His friend choked on his drink, then wiped his face awkwardly and gave Sunny a reproachful look. Finally, he looked down and sighed. "Uh… if it is, then not in a good way. At best, it's a sasaeng…" ReadNovelFull.me?
375	Chapter 375 Separate Paths Sunny smiled and leaned back on his chair, then looked at his friends with curiosity. There was a question he really wanted to ask, but tried not to up until now. "...What's your second Ability, anyway?" His words hung in the air for a few moments. Suddenly, Kai coughed with embarra.s.sment and looked away. After a couple of seconds, he said in a strange tone: "I, uh… can see really far now, when I want to. Even when there's no light. I am also supposed to be able to see through illusions and all forms of obfuscation, whatever that means. And… uh… I can also see through objects. Sunny and Effie stared at him and asked almost simultaneously: "Like, through walls?" "Like, through clothes?" Kai hid behind his gla.s.s, lingered for a bit, and then answered in a small voice: ReadNovelFull.me "...Yes. But I would never!" While Sunny tried to imagine why would Kai refuse to look through walls, Effie laughed out loud. "I see, I see. What a great Ability!" She shook her head, then turned to Sunny and asked: "Hey, doofus. I bet you often wanted to stab me with something sharp. Wanna try?" He frowned in confusion, then raised an eyebrow. "No. Why would I stab you?" Effie looked at him with expectation clearly written on her face, then sighed in disappointment when he didn't move. "Ah, that's a shame. I wanted to demonstrate my second Ability to you. Basically, it makes my whole body invulnerable. Well… comparatively, of course. Skin of steel, that sort of deal. A very sweet comprehensive defense boost, if I do say so myself!" Sunny blinked and looked at the gaunt young woman with a bit of awe. Indeed, that was a very powerful Ability. Combined with Effie's previous one, it turned her into an exceedingly formidable presence on the battlefield. As if she had not been a real menace already… Effie glanced at him and asked curiously: "Well, what about you?" He shifted slightly. "A very neat type of conditional short-distance teleportation. Kai can see through walls, I can go through walls… while you can just plow through them, I guess. In your usual barbarous fashion…" Effie grinned. "Plowing, huh? Interesting choice of words. I wonder if…" Sunny hurriedly changed the subject. "So, uh… what are your plans, guys? What Citadels are you going to?" His sudden question changed the mood of the conversation. For a while, a strange silence settled among them. All three had contemplative, wistful expressions on their faces. This situation was inevitable, really, but they tried to avoid the discussion for as long as possible. Mostly because it was both slightly awkward and slightly sad. Back on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, the three of them had forged a bond, and now, depending on their choices, that bond would most likely either weaken or break. The future was going to lead each on their own path, perhaps in opposite directions. For better or worse, they were about to go their separate ways. Perhaps fate would bring them together again, one day... or perhaps not. After a while, Effie sighed. "I don't know, really. I have received invitations from both clan Valor and clan Song, but… you know me. I don't do well with authority. Plus, none of them have moved a finger to help me when I really needed it. Only now that I am a hot commodity are they all suddenly kind and friendly. Rubs me the wrong way, to be honest." She looked at her wheelchair, then slumped in it tiredly. "Anyway… I might take them up on the offer, or I might not. It depends on what the fastest way to get ready for the Second Nightmare would be. Maybe I'll have a better chance of becoming a Master soon if I stay independent and don't have to compete against the actual heirs for resources and attention." After the Second Nightmare, one's spiritual body became their physical body. Reaching the rank of a Master would free Effie from her terrible disability, so Sunny understood her motivation perfectly. Now he knew why she had said that for her, striving to conquer the Second Nightmare was the only way. ...Funnily enough, through no wish of his own, Sunny had ended up in a similar situation. Kai remained silent for a few moments. Then, he too sighed. "As for me… my agency has secured me a very good position in Bastion. So I'll be going there soon. I won't have to fight another Nightmare Creature for a long, long time. I guess. Maybe even never." For someone who was speaking about being safe and comfortable for the rest of his life, he didn't sound too happy. There was a note of reluctance in his voice. Even… shame. Sunny frowned. "You drop that tone immediately, Kai. There's nothing wrong with living like a person should, not having to worry about being eaten every G.o.dd.a.m.n day. Don't even think about feeling bad about it. Got it?" The charming young man smiled sadly and nodded. "I do. Please forgive my ungratefulness. But what about you, Sunny?" Sunny scratched the back of his head, then shrugged. "Well… I am rich now. You won't believe it, guys, but as it turns out, scribbling a few words about the things you see in the Dream Realm can actually earn you money. And! I think I can weasel my way into receiving a salary from the Academy as a research a.s.sistant, whatever that means. So, uh… actually, I haven't decided on a particular Citadel yet. But I can pick pretty much any of them, since the government is being very friendly." Both Effie and Kai stared at him with incredulous expressions, clearly trying to imagine Sunny as an academic, or even an Instructor. Then, both shook their head simultaneously. "Can't imagine." "Yeah, sound wrong." "About the Citadels, though..." "So which one are you going to choose?" He thought for a bit, then shrugged. "Don't know yet. But I can tell you a secret… something that very few people know or think about. A very wise man told me to base my choice on it." Sunny lingered for a moment, then said seriously: "Plumbing! The secret to a happy life is to find a Citadel with great plumbing…" \\\* Soon, it was time to say goodbye. Their parting was both warm and bittersweet. After seeing Kai and Effie off, Sunny lingered outside for a bit, and then returned to his room on one of the underground levels of the hospital complex. It was already evening, and his eyes were full of sand. With an irritated snarl, Sunny took one of the stimulant patches out of the pack and plastered it on his skin. Immediately, a cold fire flowed through his veins. His heart accelerated, and his mind cleared. Sunny felt refreshed, energized, and ready to chew on mountains. Of course, there was a price to pay for such a boost. It would be inevitably followed by a debilitating crash of the same magnitude. Unless he used another stimulant, that is, and then another, and another. Only with each new one, the duration of the effect would shorten, and the strain on his body would increase. If he was a mundane human, his heart would have probably exploded just from one of these una.s.suming patches. The government didn't joke around with its military tech. …But he wasn't ready to make a decision just yet. He had to do a few more things. Like finally checking on his new Memory… ReadNovelFull.me?
376	Chapter 376 Broken Oath Summoning the runes, he glanced at a particular cl.u.s.ter. Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Midnight Shard], [Ordinary Rock], [Prowling Thorn], [Endless Spring], [Blood Blossom], [Dark Wing], [Moonlight Shard], [M… Un…old], [Weaver's Mask], [Broken Oath]. The last one, [Broken Oath], came from the twisted simulacrum of one of the seven ancient heroes of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, the Lord. Even though the coral golem had turned out to be just an Awakened Monster, Sunny had high hopes for this Memory. But before he concentrated on it, Sunny stared at the rest of his a.r.s.enal. 'One, two, three…' Twelve. After a year of constant battles and bloodshed, he only had twelve Memories. Of course, he would have had much more if not for the need to feed Saint. The taciturn creature demanded a vast amount of resources to get her to the two hundred shadow fragments, which was one of his goals. If not for that, he would have made a real windfall. Sunny already considered himself wealthy thanks to the contribution points Teacher Julius was going to arrange for him. But if he had a dozen or two extra Memories to sell… well, he would have been not just wealthy, but extravagantly so! Enough to buy several houses, if he wished to. Maybe he still could sell some… ReadNovelFull.me Looking at his trusty weapons and tools, Sunny hesitated. Now that he could use Shadow Step to blink from one place to another, he didn't need to enhance his mobility that much. So, Prowling Thorn and Dark Wing were potential candidates to be auctioned off… maybe? They still had their uses, though. The rest he couldn't even imagine selling, at least not before finding better alternatives. Even the Silver Bell, which wasn't really all that useful, but had something of a… sentimental value. The little bell was the first Memory he had ever received, after all. And its description was, sort of… it touched something in his heart… 'Curses, I just used the stimulant. Why is my mind so scattered?' With a frown, Sunny finally concentrated on his new Memory. Memory: [Broken Oath]. Memory Rank: Awakened. Memory Tier: I. Memory Type: Charm. His eyes widened slightly. 'Jackpot!' Another charm… such luck! Excited, Sunny read further: Memory Description: [They made a terrible oath to destroy the curse, or be consumed by it. Those who have broken the oath were consumed by the curse, and those consumed by the curse have broken their oath. In the end, none could escape their promise.] 'Huh… morbid. I guess... I guess that's how the carapace legion was born?' He looked at the next string of runes: Memory Enchantments: [Oathbreaker]. Enchantment Description: [The Broken Oath erodes souls of all those who approach it.] Sunny held his breath for a few moments. 'A soul attack!' Both the Nightmare Creatures and the Awakened had many ways to destroy their enemies. Kinetic damage — called physical for simplicity — was the most common, but there were many others. Among them, soul damage was the rarest and hardest to defend against. It was no coincidence that Soul Reaper Jet, whose Aspect allowed her to strike directly at the soul, was so feared. And now, Sunny had a soul attack of his own in the a.r.s.enal. There was one problem, however… 'Wait… erodes souls of all who come near? Will it affect me then, as well?' A deep scowl appeared on his face. Sunny hesitated for a while, then sighed, and summoned the Memory into existence. Soon, a glistening gem made out of polished crimson coral appeared in his hand. A second later, he suddenly shuddered and groaned. As soon as the Broken Oath appeared, a sickening sensation permeated his entire being. It was as though someone was slowly draining the very life out of him… not only that, but he also felt weaker. Looking down, Sunny saw his shadows ripple and react. The surly one stared at him with outrage and waved its hands in the air angrily, while the friendly one was hugging itself pitifully and pacing. 'd.a.m.nation…' He had recognized the debilitating feeling that the gem produced. It was the same aura that had weakened him when he fought the coral golem. It was also the infinitely weaker version of the annihilating soul attack of the artificial sun. Gritting his teeth, Sunny dismissed the Broken Oath. Only when it disappeared completely could he breathe freely again. "c.r.a.p…" That was one serious side effect. How was he supposed to use his new charm if it would be slowly killing not only his enemies, but also Sunny himself? Drop it on the ground, use Shadow Step to blink away, and hope for the best? Sunny sat quietly for a while, thinking. Then, a tentative smile appeared on his face. 'Wait… that should work, right?' Turning away from the runes describing the soul-destroying gem, he concentrated on the description of his loyal Shadow Demon. Shadow: [Marble Saint] Shadow Rank: Awakened. Shadow Cla.s.s: Demon. Shadow Attributes: [Battle Master], [Stalwart], [Spark of Divinity]. Shadow Abilities: [Weapon Sage], [Underworld Armament]. Shadow Fragments: [80/200] Concentrating on the [Underworld Armament] Ability, Sunny read: [Shadow Saint's armor can accommodate a charm Memory to inherit its enchantments.] His smile widened. 'Good... that's the first part...' Looking a bit higher, he found another string of runes: Attribute: [Stalwart]. Attribute Description: [The Stone Saint is highly resistant to all forms of damage, as well as being fully immune to mind and soul attacks.] Fully immune to mind and soul attacks… 'Yes!' Sunny let out a satisfied sigh. The Broken Oath was pretty useless by itself, but when combined with Saint's special Ability and Attributes, it would make his Shadow even more lethal. That was because Saint was a very special kind of demon. One whose will couldn't be intruded upon or shaken. Both her mind and her soul… well, the shadow that inhabited her body instead of a soul… were utterly indomitable. He only had to make sure to not be anywhere near the living statue while she had the crimson gem set into her armor. Tricky, but doable. And speaking of armor… He was not done exploring his Memories yet. In fact, he had left the best for last. Looking at the shimmering runes, Sunny concentrated on a particular string. One that looked broken and incomplete: Memory: [M… Un…old]. Now that he was Awakened, he could finally restore the broken onyx armor he had bought from Stev for a measly handful of soul shards. The Ascended suit of armor of the Sixth Tier — the most powerful Memory he owned. Or seen, even… Summoning the [M… Un…old], Sunny strained his muscles and, with some effort, managed to place it on the floor in front of him. Even now that he was an Awakened, the weight of the stone Memory was not something he could endure easily without using both of his shadows or wasting essence to enhance his strength. Breathing a bit heavily, Sunny studied the damaged Memory. The suit of ancient plate armor was jet black in color. Its design was intricate and solemn, radiating a feeling of dark resolve and stalwart, adamantine grace. Its glossy surface seemed to absorb and devour any light that fell on it. All parts of the armor were perfectly fitted to one another, creating an almost seamless barrier of impenetrable steel. Well… not steel, yet. Stone. The ancient armor looked extremely similar to the one Stone Saint had worn, and now that the Shadow was a demon, they were even more alike. The onyx armor in front of Sunny was still more impressive, though. More… regal. As if created for a being of a higher status. And just like the armor worn by the Saint, it would only transform from actual stone into the miraculous stonelike alloy if risen from its pa.s.sive state. It couldn't be done yet, though, because its spellweave was damaged. To repair it, the self-restoring properties of the broken Memory had to be activated by an infusion of essence. Which no one back on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e could do. Now, however, things were different. Now, Sunny was an Awakened. Not only could he control the flow of shadow essence inside his body, he even had the Soul Serpent to help him guide it. Placing his hands on the cold surface of the onyx breastplate, Sunny closed his eyes… And sent the essence into the onyx armor… ReadNovelFull.me?
377	Chapter 377 Mantle of the Underworld The shadow essence flowed through the coils of the Soul Serpent into his left hand, then surged into the cold black onyx. There was no resistance that Sunny had to overcome to transfer it from his body into the stone armor — after all, the armor was his Memory, and as such, could be considered to be a part of his soul. The surge of energy rushed through the ancient armament, then returned to his body through his right hand. Soon, a stable cycle was established, with a constant current of shadow essence circulating through both Sunny himself and the onyx armor. It was a strange feeling. As if there was an ethereal river flowing through him, moving endlessly in a circle. Thanks to the [Shadow Guide] Attribute of the Soul Serpent, its current was especially swift and powerful. Soon, the onyx armor became saturated by shadow essence. As Sunny watched, it slowly began to change. This was the fundamental trait of both Saint and her armaments, with which the Memory shared a common origin — both were made out of a strange living stone. When imbued with soul energy, the taciturn demon's body turned from stone to bizarre stonelike flesh, while her weapons turned to stonelike steel. Sunny knew this because he had seen the remains of both the original Stone Saint and her fellow stone warrior after they had been defeated by the monstrous iron spiders. After being destroyed, the living statues had turned back into inanimate stone. The Memory was transforming right in front of his eyes. Soon, its glossy black surface felt different to the touch. Colder, lighter, more resilient… closer to metal than stone. The living armament had a.s.sumed its true form. 'And now, the most important part…' ReadNovelFull.me Sunny gazed through the dark metal and peered at the ethereal weave hiding beneath it. The pattern of the diamond string was much more complex and vast than any that he had ever seen… with the exception of the Weaver's Mask. But then, nothing could compare to that miraculous Memory. There were six bright embers serving as anchors for the countless threads of light inside the onyx armor. …However, the weave was damaged and chaotic. Thousands of strings were torn and disconnected from the rest of the pattern, breaking its flow and logic. Because of that, the armor couldn't repair itself before — it needed to be imbued with essence and turn from dead stone to enchanted metal for the self-repairing properties that all Memories possessed to come into effect. And now, it was. With an expression of wonder on his face, Sunny observed as the spellweave started to repair itself. The diamond string moved against the invisible winds that had been playing with them before. The torn ends turned whole again, the separated threads became connected to the rest of the pattern once more. Thousands upon thousands of ethereal strings moved in unison, their motions full of strange symmetry and grace. Watching the beautiful weave restore itself filled Sunny with a deep feeling of satisfaction. He smiled. '...This feels right.' He continued to pour essence into the ancient armor and watched as it slowly returned to its intended state. And then, it was finally whole once again. With a content sigh, Sunny removed his hands from the breastplate of the onyx armor and retrieved the shadow essence back into his body. After the Memory turned back into stone, he dismissed it. After that, not wasting any time, Sunny dove into the Soul Sea, walked to stand between the two Shadow Cores, and summoned the Memory down. As soon as the silhouette of the ancient armor appeared from the sphere of light, he glanced at the runes surrounding it. 'Come on… be good… be great! I've waited for this moment for so long…' He read the first string of runes: Memory: [Mantle of the Underworld]. 'Whoa... sounds awesome. But, Underworld? That word again.' One of Saint's Abilities was called [Underwolrd Armament]. Her own runes also described the creator of the living statues as residing in the cavernous halls of a dark domain… as well as being the last child of the "unknown". 'Was… was Saint made by the ruler of the Underworld, or something?' Sunny shivered slightly, then glanced at the intricate black armor with a solemn expression. Well… if her creator was indeed one of the seven daemons and a sibling to Weaver, the Demon of Fate, then ruling the Underworld might not have been out of the question. Shaking his head, Sunny returned to reading the runes. Memory Rank: Ascended. Memory Tier: VI. Memory Type: Armor. Memory Description: [Vowing to never look upon the G.o.ddes of the Black Skies again, the prideful demon retreated into the darkness beneath an una.s.sailable mountain chain. He wasn't the first to lead his army against the G.o.ds. However, he was the first to shed their blood, as well as learn the secrets of his own.] 'Huh… lead an army against the G.o.ds?' When Teacher Julius mentioned that daemons had enough power to wage war against the heavens, Sunny had thought of it as a figure of speech. But maybe it was not? Perhaps a few of them had really tried. And what was that about the secrets of the blood… 'Ah, endless questions, like always…' Shaking his head again, Sunny turned away from the description and continued to read: Memory Enchantments: [Living Stone], [Feather of Truth], [Stalwart], [Underworld Armament], [Prince of the Underworld]. Sunny stared at the long list of Enchantments for a while, his heart beating wildly in his chest. 'Can't be…' [Living Stone] Attribute Description: "This armor can repair itself while being worn." [Feather of Truth] Attribute Description: "The weight of this armor can be changed at will." [Stalwar] Attribute Description: "This armor provides extremely high protection against physical attacks, high protection against elemental attacks, and a moderate amount of protection against mind and soul attacks." [Underworld Armament] Attribute Description: "This armor can accommodate a Charm Memory to inherit and enhance its enchantments." [Prince of the Underwolrd] Attribute Description: "This armor grows stronger according to the amount of opponents its wielder defeats." Vanquished Foes: [1213/6000]. Sunny remained silent for a while. His dark room, which was situated deep underground, was silent for a long time. After a while, he shifted slightly and said in a low voice: "Well, I'll be d.a.m.ned…" ReadNovelFull.me?
378	Chapter 378 A New Beginning Sunny sat in the darkness for a while, thinking. At first, he wanted to immediately put on his new magnificent onyx armor, but then dismissed that idea. There would be time later… for now, he was too tired. The effects of the stimulant were slowly wearing off, and he had spent too much shadow essence already. He did, however, note a few things about the Mantle of the Underworld. The first fact he noticed was that it shared two enchantments with Saint. However, there were subtle, but important differences between the versions of [Stalwart] and [Underworld Armament] possessed by the onyx armor and the taciturn demon. The Memory offered better protection against physical and elemental attacks, but lacked the complete immunity to mind and soul attacks, possessing a moderate amount of protection against those rare and fearsome types of damage instead. Overall, this was an advantageous trade-off, since most Nightmare Creatures relied on more common ways of destroying Awakened. ...Unless they didn't. The more interesting difference, however, was hidden in the description of the [Underworld Armament]. While Saint's armor could accommodate a Charm Memory to inherit its enchantments, the Mantle of the Underworld could both inherit… and enhance them. Just one word made for so much difference. Sunny couldn't wait to explore this subtle trait of his new Memory. [Living Stone] and [Feather of Truth], meanwhile, were pretty obvious. That didn't mean, however, that these enchantments did not have a lot to offer. He could already see many interesting ways to apply both in battle. The downside was that both were active enchantments, and as such, would require a constant flow of essence to function. What's worse, the armor couldn't even be used without activating the first one. But the most interesting enchantment was, without a doubt, [Prince of the Underworld]. 'A growing Memory…' ReadNovelFull.me Pondering about that strange and miraculous enchantment, Sunny couldn't help but think about the First Lord of the Bright Castle, who had supposedly been the first master of the Mantle of the Underworld. What tier and Rank was the onyx armor when he had first found it? How many of the vanquished foes had been defeated by his hand? Was the Mantle of the Underworld one of the reasons for his legendary achievements? For the longest time, Sunny had wondered about how an Ascended Memory of the Sixth Tier had ended up in the hands of humans in the Dark City. It had to have come from destroying a Fallen Terror… or so he had thought. Now, there were other possibilities. But all these questions were doomed to be left unanswered. Sadly… The First Lord and his companions had taken the answers with them to the grave. Remembering the lonely cairn in the Hollow Mountains, Sunny sighed. Then, his thoughts wandered to something else. 'The G.o.ddess of the Black Skies… Storm G.o.d?' Teacher Julius had described Storm G.o.d as being the deity of the depths, of the oceans, of darkness, stars, travel, guidance, and disaster. He also said that the gender of the G.o.ds was subject to change. Stars, darkness, and storms were somewhat related to black skies… Frowning, Sunny remembered the runes describing the Mantle of the Underworld. Indeed, "black skies" could also be translated as skies covered by storm clouds, or the night sky. 'Interesting...' Translating the runes reminded him of something. Opening his communicator, Sunny found a note he made during his conversation with Effie and Kai. There, their True Names were written down in runic language. 'Nightingale…' Kai's True Name was pretty simple to understand, but the Spell chose to interpret it rather creatively. Even though Sunny had no idea if the Dream Realm had actual nightingales, the runes described a pretty similar bird… probably. Translated literally, they meant Sings Beautifully from the Night Skies. Which could mean either Enchanting Siren of the Night, or simply a nocturnal bird. 'Huh…' Effie's True Name was more straightforward, but also far more morbid. Raised by Wolves could mean just that, but a more direct translation had a different meaning. Born from Wolves, or... Born from Being Eaten Alive. Sunny shivered, then deactivated the communicator and closed his eyes for a second. There was one more thing he could do… Summoning the runes once again, he found the description of Weaver's Mask and read: Memory Enchantments: [Mantle of Lies], [???], [Simple Trick]. Now that he was an Awakened, he could try to activate the mysterious enchantment marked by three question marks. Even if all of his essence would be only enough to keep it working for a split second, he could. …But he was reluctant to. Sunny knew nothing about the enchantment, but from the boundless, inconceivable pattern of the mask's weave, he got a feeling that it was somehow connected to eyes, vision, and sight. He suspected that the Vile Thieving Bird was a Cursed Devil — at least... and it had been driven mad by just one glance at the reflection in the Weaver's eye. Would something similar happen to him? There were things, after all, that humans weren't meant to see. Even G.o.ds struggled with looking at some truths, it seemed. '...No. Not now.' Sunny was somewhat willing to risk it, but doing so right now would have been really unwise. What if he pa.s.sed out from shock? That would transport him to a random spot in the Dream Realm, and knowing his luck, that spot would be populated by horrors beyond imagination. With a sigh, he dismissed the runes and took out another stimulant patch. 'Some other day… when I am much, much stronger.' With that, he removed the old patch and put another one in its place. 'Time to put all I learned together and make the final decision. What should I choose? Stability or danger?' Safer road... or an unknown path? \\\* Two days later, Sunny was sitting on a bench opposite the entrance to the Academy hospital complex with a cup of bitter dark coffee in his hand. In his other hand, he was holding a slick communicator. Taking a sip of the terrible drink, Sunny grimaced, then lingered for a few moments and sighed. Finally, he pressed the call b.u.t.ton to contact Master Jet. She answered after a couple of seconds. Her voice sounded a little tense, and there were strange, barely audible whispers mixing with the background noise of the call. "Ah! Awakened Sunless. What… wait, give me a second…" Something crackled violently, and in the next moment, the background noise was gone. "Much better. So… have you decided?" Sunny took another sip of coffee and said: "Yeah." He hesitated for a bit, then added: "As far as joining the Legacy clans or the government… I've decided against it. I don't know enough and have no leverage to ensure a good deal. Plus, that option will remain open for me in the future even if I stay independent for now. The reverse, however, won't necessarily be true. In any case, it's a serious matter, one that should not be decided upon in a span of just a few days, while suffering from sleep deprivation and stimulant abuse, to boot." Master Jet turned on the video function of the call and smiled. The smile was bright and beautiful, but Sunny couldn't help but notice that right behind her, something was currently on fire. "Makes sense. So then… which Citadel?" That was the real question. While Sunny decided to remain independent for now, while leaving himself an opportunity to join a powerful faction later, his choice of an anchor was going to limit which factions he would be able to interact with later on. He was silent for a bit, then said: "Clan Valor territory." Master Jet nodded. "Solid choice. Bastion? Or a smaller Citadel?" Sunny drank some more coffee, then spoke the name of the Citadel he had chosen into the communicator. Jet's eyes widened slightly. She didn't say anything for a while, then asked with a bit of surprise in her voice: "Are you… absolutely sure?" He nodded. "Yeah. I thought about it long and hard." Master Jet stared at him with a slight frown for a few moments, then shrugged. "Well, okay then. But, uh… that might take a couple of days to arrange. The place is too far north, and there's not a lot of Saints in those parts. But I'll find a way." Sunny smiled. "Thanks. I really owe you one." She smiled in response and then winked at him. "Be careful with what you say, Sunless. I might just take you up on the offer and come knocking on your door one day, asking for a favor." He took a sip of coffee and shrugged. "Sure. No problem. Oh… and call me Sunny, please. Everyone does." Master Jet blinked a couple of times, then grinned. "Alright." Turning away from the camera, she quickly glanced at something beyond the screen, and then added: "...Chained Isles, huh? Good luck, Sunny. I hear it's a real h.e.l.l." ReadNovelFull.me?
379	Chapter 379 Chained lsles In the vast empty darkness, myriads of distant stars were shimmering with ethereal light. The vista of the night sky was boundless and stark, full of promise and mystery. Above it was another sky. This one blue and bright, full of sunlight and gentle winds. White clouds flowed across it, telling enchanting stories with their movement and shapes. Between the bright sky and the dark sky, an island floated in the air. It was surrounded by freely levitating pieces of rock and ancient masonry, its surface awash in the soft radiance of the sun, its underbelly veiled by impenetrable darkness. Several gargantuan chains stretched away from the island, cracking thunderously as it slowly rose and fell. The clangor of iron was almost loud enough to drown Sunny's voice… almost. "...Argh! Drop dead, b.a.s.t.a.r.d! d.a.m.n you! c.r.a.p!" Sunny had a good reason to be screaming b.l.o.o.d.y murder, because he was seconds away from being eaten alive. Near the edge of the flying island, where the forest covering its surface made way for a narrow expanse of patchy gra.s.s, a ma.s.sive wolf-like beast was currently trying to swallow him whole. The Nightmare Creature was the size of a small truck, with fur as tough as steel wire and a long, terrifying muzzle. Its jaws were wide enough to bite a human in half, and strong enough to crush both bones and armor into dust. ReadNovelFull.me Currently, those jaws were trying to close on Sunny, and the only thing preventing them from doing so were his hands — he held the upper jaw of the beast with one, and the lower jaw with another, trying with all his strength to keep them open. His muscles felt as though they were about to explode. The abomination was also trying to bite down on the hateful human with all of its tremendous might, but for the moment, neither of them could overpower the other. It was just a matter of time, though. Sunny was burning through his essence to augment his physical strength, and those reserves were not endless. When the well of power ran dry, he would lose this contest. 'Not good…' About two months had pa.s.sed after he had chosen to come to this place, and now, Sunny was starting to seriously doubt his decision. Why didn't he just go to Bastion? He would be safe and sound behind its walls right now. Maybe even in the embrace of a beautiful... As though trying to add insult to injury, the Nightmare Creature interrupted his thought by leting out a deafening growl and doubling its efforts to devour him. Sunny felt a putrid wind brush past his face and grimaced miserably. The stench coming out of the beast's maw was unbearable. 'Just... don't feint...' His hands trembled, and the terrible fangs of the beast came a few centimeters closer to sinking into his flesh. Sunny gritted his teeth, and then yelled: "Saint! A little help here, dammit!" But the taciturn demon was nowhere to be seen. She was a good couple hundred meters away, standing atop a low hill. Sunny groaned and tried to push the jaws of the abomination away, but it was useless. The d.a.m.n creature was just too strong... A few seconds later, though, something hissed past his shoulders, and two menacing black arrows sunk into the feral eyes of the beast. They arrived almost simultaneously. 'Thanks!' Using the momentary shudder that ran through the wolf's body, Sunny pushed the jaws sideways, allowed them to close with a loud crack, and poured as much essence as he could into a vicious throw. The ma.s.sive body of the Nightmare Creature flew for good ten meters and crashed into a trunk of an ancient oak, plowing straight through and turning it into splinters. Sunny fell to his knees and drew in a shaky breath. Then, he quickly glanced back. Far in the distance, a graceful dark silhouette was outlined against the bright sky. Saint held a powerful Memory bow in her hands, its limbs made out of horn and polished black wood. Two ruby eyes burned behind the visor of her helmet, and a crimson coral gem was set into the center of her obsidian breastplate. 'Nice shots…' She wouldn't be able to help him any further, though, at least not for a dozen seconds. Sunny was pretty sure that the Shadow had spent all of her arrows while they were fighting with the pack, and now, she had to dismiss and summon them anew. At least the leader of the monstrous wolves was now blind… probably. Not that it was going to stop the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. The Nightmare Creature was already rising from the ground, howling furiously. 'Curse you…' Panting, Sunny crawled a few steps and picked up the Midnight Shard. The austere tachi was as sharp and deadly as ever… The problem was, that the last remaining abomination was clearly of the Fallen Rank, so the stalwart blade was having trouble breaking through its hide. Still, Sunny had to work with what he had. Making sure that the sun was behind him, he stood up and leaned on his sword, watching tiredly as the ma.s.sive beast turned its ugly head and faced him. The dreadful wolf lowered its muzzle to the ground, then growled with murderous rage. Bits of saliva flew from its maw and fell to the ground. Then, pushing with its mighty hind legs, the Nightmare Creature lunged at Sunny. Covering the distance between them in an instance, the beast brought its terrible jaws on the tiny human once again… and bit on emptiness. In the place where Sunny stood just a moment ago, there was now nothing but air, light… and shadows. Appearing from the Nightmare Creature's own shadow, Sunny dove between its hind legs and thrust the Midnight Shard upward, aiming at the soft belly of the fearsome beast. The tachi pierced the pale skin without much problem and sunk into the flesh of the abomination. As blood poured to the ground, the creature staggered and fell. A low whine escaped from its mouth. Very soon, it was all over. Falling onto the ground in complete exhaustion, Sunny tried to catch his breath and listened to the silence. Soon, he heard the sweet sound of the Spell whispering: [You have slain a Fallen Monster, Dread Wolf.] [...Your shadow grows stronger.] ReadNovelFull.me?
380	Chapter 380 Above and Below Sunny lay still for a while, then summoned the runes and looked at the dreadful number: Shadow Fragments: [197/2000]. He sighed. The task of pursuing power had turned out to be much more difficult than he had antic.i.p.ated, and for one simple reason: after becoming an Awakened, he now received fewer fragments from killing Nightmare Creatures. If before he could get two by slaying an Awakened Monster, now it was one. If before he could receive four by slaying a Fallen Monster, now it was two. What's worse, his hopes of growing strong by hunting down scores of Dormant creatures had been mercilessly crushed, because he didn't receive any fragments from killing those weaker than him at all. Which was a real disappointment. Who didn't love punching down? Sunny was at the very bottom of the power structure for most of his life, so he had been really looking forward to having an opportunity to bully something weaker than him, for a change. Alas, it had turned out to be a waste of his time. Of course, Sunny had also become tremendously more powerful. He could handle himself in a fight with Fallen Beasts, and even Monsters… especially with the help of Saint. That was the only reason why he had not fallen off behind Nephis, who was still alive somewhere in the Dream Realm, and growing more powerful with each day. He had not managed to diminish the gap between them by a lot, but at least he was not worse off than at the start of this. Thinking of Changing Star, Sunny looked into the distance. A somber expression appeared on his face. ReadNovelFull.me '...Think about something else.' There was only one bright side to all of this. While Dormant creatures did not bring him any shadow fragments, they did bring him Memories. And those Memories could be fed to Saint. Her own counter now showed: Shadow Fragments: [157/200]. 'Not bad…' A low, eerie sound of giant iron links sc.r.a.ping against each other interrupted his thoughts. The island Sunny was currently on seemed to have entered the ascending phase, so his time here was running short. Standing up with a sigh, Sunny summoned the Moonlight Shard and walked over to the corpse of the Dread Wolf. He had to retrieve the soul shards before it was too late. The Chained Isles… the Chained Isles were a strange place. Situated at the very north of the territories claimed by humans, they bordered the Hollow Mountains. That was one of the reasons why Sunny had chosen that region as his hunting grounds. But it wasn't the only one… The whole region consisted of numerous islands that somehow floated in the air, connected to each other by gargantuan iron chains. It was mostly unexplored, and the Awakened population here was not very large. Notably, there were not a lot of Masters and Saints here, especially those a.s.sociated with the Legacy clans... be it great or lesser. What the Chained Island had in abundance, instead, were the Nightmare Creatures of all kinds, from Dormant ones, to Awakened, Fallen, and terrifying Corrupted abominations. Each island had its own menagerie of horrors, and the level of threat differed from one to another. Most were utterly deadly, though. Much more deadly than an average Awakened was supposed to be able to handle. But Sunny was not an average Awakened. To him, this was a perfect hunting ground, a place where he could sharpen his blade without being seen by those who served the Sovereigns. Or at least he had thought that way, at the start… right now, he was starting to suspect that it was more of a place where he could die terribly without being seen by anyone who would have been able to help. Just like Master Jet said, the Chained Islands were a h.e.l.lish land. And not only because of the Nightmare Creatures. The place itself was capable of killing a person… or, rather, its sky could. High above the floating island, there was the usual sky with the sun, the moon, and beautiful stars that shined brightly at night. However, there was another sky in this strange land, the one that was below the islands. It was always dark, and the ethereal lights burning at an unimaginable distance in its vast expanse only looked like the stars. No one really knew what they were. The only thing that humans knew was that the Sky Below was seemingly endless. On his first day on the Isles, Sunny had asked what was down there. The answer he received was simple: "Nothing." Descending into the Below was not immediately dangerous, but there was nothing there. Some crazy daredevil had once fought his way through the hunting grounds of Nightmare Creatures that dwelled beneath the islands and spent a whole week flying straight down. He had to turn back, eventually, because out there in the boundless darkness, his mind began to show signs of breaking apart. Even the winged Echo he used to descend into the Below had almost gone insane. But other than being absolutely empty, the Sky Below did not seem to pose a threat. …Flying above the Chained Isles, however, was rather deadly. The higher one went, the more crushing their weight would become, until they would either fall down, or their body would simply implode. That was why every human on the Chained Isles knew to pay attention to the sound of rattling chains. Every island in the region went through cycles of ascending and descending, and as they rose too high, the pressure on their surface grew tremendously, to the point where it was impossible to move... or breathe. Ideally, Sunny had to get off the ascending island before that happened. He should not have been lingering to retrieve the soul shards from the corpses of the monstrous wolves he and Saint had killed, really. But… His eyes glistened with avarice. Soul shards meant money, and if there was one thing Sunny really enjoyed, it was making money. No amount was ever enough. An independent Awakened like him had a lot of expenses… 'Fine. It's fine. I'll be off this thing in no time…' He quickly cut the dead beasts apart and fished out the soul shards from inside their bodies. Hiding the beautiful crystals in his pack, Sunny hesitated for a little, then sent his essence flowing and tossed the first corpse off the edge of the island. He was planning to come back here soon, and leaving so much meat lying around could make the future visit rather problematic. ...Sunny only had one more carca.s.s to dispose of when he suddenly noticed a swift silhouette descending from the skies. Commanding Saint to hide herself in the shadows, he summoned the Midnight Shard and looked up tensely. '...What the h.e.l.l?' Surrounded by a halo of sunlight, a majestic griffin was quickly approaching the island. At first, Sunny a.s.sumed that it was a Nightmare Creature, but then noticed a human figure on the monster's back. A human rider meant that the magnificent griffin was an Echo. Sunny's face grew dim. Very few people could have such an Echo on the Chained Isles. And out of those... He was pretty sure that he knew the ident.i.ty of the unwelcomed visitor. ReadNovelFull.me?
381	Chapter 381 Roan of white Feather The griffin folded its white wings and dove down, then opened them up near the ground to slow its fall. Sunny raised his hand to cover his eyes from the dust that was sent into the air by the powerful gust of wind. '...Strong.' The mighty beast shone with ethereal light and disintegrated into a rain of sparks, letting the rider land nimbly on the ground. He regained his balance swiftly and straightened, then turned to Sunny. The man in front of him was tall and had broad, powerful shoulders. He was wearing a light armor crafted from the adamantine scales of an unknown monster, with a blue scarf wrapped carelessly around his neck. His hair was the color of straw, as was his manly beard. The stranger's eyes were bright blue, and dangerously attentive. Sunny stared at the man for a moment, then bowed respectfully, hiding his face in the process. "Master Roan." Indeed, the man in front of him was none other than Ascended Roan of the White Feather clan — one of the only three Masters on the Chained Isles. Well… there were probably only three. ReadNovelFull.me Unlike the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, this region of the Dream Realm had several Gateways. Two were found, conquered, and turned into Citadels by humans. Both Sunny and Master Roan — as well as pretty much everyone else on the Chained Isles — belonged to one of them, the Sanctuary of Noctis. That Citadel was ruled by the White Feather clan, which was one of the va.s.sal clans to the great clan Valor. The second Citadel was rather mysterious. It was situated at the very edge of the region, near the dreaded Hollow Mountains, and belonged to Valor itself. Only those in direct service to the great clan were anch.o.r.ed at its Gateway, so Sunny had no idea what went on there, and how powerful the Awakened stationed at the Citadel were. He did, however, know a bit about Master Roan. The man was married to the only Saint on the Chained Isles, after all! ...Roan looked Sunny up and down, then gave him a friendly smile. "Do we know each other?" Sunny shook his head. "No, sir, we haven't met before. I have just Awakened a couple of months ago, so… uh... I am new to the Chained Isles." The strapping Master nodded and then glanced at the carca.s.s of a Fallen wolf that Sunny had failed to throw over the edge of the island in time. When Roan turned to him again, there was a measured look in his piercing blue eyes. "Did you kill that beast?" Sunny lingered for a few moments, then nodded. "Yeah. I… well, I can be very lucky, on occasion." The tall man shook his head. "This is a Fallen Beast… ah. You must be Sunless, then. From the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e." Sunny smiled. 'Curses. He knows my name...' He had nothing against the older man, but preferred to remain unknown and underestimated. Especially when dealing with Legacies. "Yeah. That's me." Master Roan nodded, as though everything suddenly made sense, and then briefly looked at the sky. "You should know that it is dangerous to remain on an ascending island, right? Why are you still here?" Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then shrugged. "I was just about the leave and escape to the next one over when you appeared… sir." The tall man sighed. "Yeah, that's what I figured. You've spent all your luck on that beast, though, it seems. All three of the island connected to this one are also ascending. You wouldn't have been able to escape even if you left on time." Sunny stared at him for a while, a sour expression appearing on his face. '...d.a.m.n it.' "Uh… what about that beautiful griffin of yours, sir? Surely, it can bring us both away to safety?' Roan grinned. "He is rather beautiful, ain't he? Well, not that it matters. In theory, we can dive below the islands and escape through the Sky Below, but believe me, you wouldn't want to meet the things that dwell on the dark side of the Isles. Even I prefer to avoid those things." Sunny blinked. "Then what do we do?" The tall man laughed. "I guess you're about to experience your first Crushing, Sunless. Don't worry, though! The chains of this island are on the shorter side, so it won't ascend too high… well, most likely. And I'll be here to bring you back to the Citadel if you pa.s.s out. Provided that we survive, of course." 'Great…' This wasn't Sunny's first Crushing, actually. And that was exactly why he didn't want to experience it again. But there was no other choice, it seemed. With a sigh, he dismissed Saint, who had been hiding in the shadows all along, and took off his pack. Then Sunny found a soft-looking patch of gra.s.s and placed it on the ground. Behind him, Master Roan dismissed his scale armor and unwrapped his scarf, then tied it around his waist. The less weight was on the human body during the Crushing, the easier it was to endure, and the more chances of survival there were. However, the Puppeteer's Shroud was made mostly out of soft fabric, so Sunny left it on. He also wanted to neither reveal nor dismiss the Soul Serpent. As the giant chains groaned and rang thunderously, and the island rose higher and higher, the two of them lay on the gra.s.s and prepared to be crushed. Master Roan stared at Sunny's slender physique, then at his own mighty muscles, and sighed with envy. The Chained Isles was one of the very few places in the Dream Realm where being small and light was an advantage. "...If you feel like pa.s.sing out, turn your head to the side. Wouldn't want to suffocate on your own spit or vomit, right? Uh… sorry for being cra.s.s, kid." Sunny grimaced and thanked the older man in a suppressed voice. He was already feeling an invisible force pushing him into the ground. 'This... is going to suck.' As if answering his thoughts, the invisible force suddenly grew stronger, crashing into him like a giant hammer. ReadNovelFull.me?
382	Chapter 382 The Crushing Laying on the soft gra.s.s, Sunny felt his body grow heavier, and heavier still. The island continued to rise into the sunlit sky, and with each minute, the crushing pressure became slightly more unbearable. The ancient forest covering its surface bent, a rain of leaves falling to the ground. The mighty trees lowered their branches, almost as if trying to touch the ground. With a loud crack, a few weaker ones broke and plunged down, showering everything around with sharp splinters. Sunny grimaced, feeling his whole body struggle under the strain. He could still move and breathe without too much trouble, at least… for now. Soon, the island would rise high enough to make any kind of movement almost impossible. …And if he was especially unlucky, it would continue to ascend, eventually making it hard to even inhale. Hopefully, the chains would draw taut long before that. The skies above the Chained Isles were beautiful, but also forbidden. Nothing could survive their crushing embrace — neither humans, nor Nightmare Creatures. Nor anything else… Well, except for one thing. Shifting his gaze, Sunny looked straight up and found the shape of the Ivory Tower drifting high above the world, wrapped in a veil of clouds. The Ivory Tower was the only thing that seemed to be capable of withstanding the deadly pressure of the forbidden sky. It was a tall, magnificent paG.o.da built out of flawlessly white material that was neither stone nor wood. The island on which it stood was very small, barely wider than the base of the tower itself, and surrounded by drifting slabs of shattered marble. Seven broken chains hung from the soil of the island, swaying as it moved. ReadNovelFull.me The Ivory Tower was visible in the sky both during the day, bathed in sunlight, and at night, glowing beautifully with the reflected radiance of the moon. No one knew what the mysterious structure was and why it remained untouched by the obliterating force that destroyed everything else that dared to rise above the Chained Isles, since no one had ever managed to withstand the ever growing Crushing to get anywhere near it. Many even believed it to be a mirage. 'c.r.a.p…' The island on which Sunny had the misfortune of getting stuck had finally reached the highest point of its ascent and shook violently as the chains connecting it to other isles drew taut. The pressure at this height was torturous… but not deadly. His bones were not breaking under the a.s.sault of the Crushing, and he could still breathe, even if with great effort. It would have been better if Sunny could wrap the second shadow around his body, but he didn't want to appear too strong in front of Master Roan. Speaking of the devil… The mighty rider chose that exact moment to speak. His voice sounded a little strained: "Hey, Sunless. Can you breathe alright?" Sunny gritted his teeth and struggled to speak. In the end, all he could manage was an affirmative grunt. "Good, good. This is actually not that rough, as far as Crushing goes. If we rose by another hundred meters, though, even I would be having a bad time." '...Good to know.' At this point, Sunny was regretting that they had not climbed on the griffin and dove into the Sky Below. The Chained Isles was a dangerous place, and the Nightmare Creatures living on them were fearsome and powerful beyond belief. However, the creatures living under the islands were much, much worse. Sunny had seen them from afar a couple of times, and the mere memory of those horrors was enough to send a shudder running through his entire body. Still, they could have fought their way through… probably… It would have been better than this diabolical torture, for sure. 'Argh…' But there was nothing he could do now except grit his teeth and endure. Minute after minute, hour after hour. Sunny couldn't even think properly because of how terrible the pressure of the boundless skies was. All he could do was suffer silently and stare at the Ivory Tower. His shadow, on the other hand, was having a great time. It didn't move, reluctant to get noticed by Master Roan, but he could feel it stare at him gloatingly. 'b.a.s.t.a.r.d… I'm going to wrap you around the Ordinary Rock and make it scream without rest for twenty-four hours straight… let's see who's going to be gloating then…' The shadow hesitated for a bit, then awkwardly pretended to be interested in something else and looked away. 'Yeah, that's right...' Somewhere in the forest, another tree exploded with a loud crack. Sunny tried to turn his head to look in that direction, but it demanded too much effort. He didn't have to worry about being attacked by Nightmare Creatures in this helpless state, anyway. They were currently hiding in their lairs, enduring the Crushing the same way he was. Who could fight under this h.e.l.lish pressure? Sunny felt as if there was a mountain on his chest. Every breath demanded his utmost effort to make. His whole being ached, and his vision had become blurry. Exhausted, he closed his eyes and circulated the shadow essence through the coils of the Soul Serpent to keep his slowly breaking body going. 'd.a.m.n it… I'll be late to wake up, won't I? When were they going to call… in the morning? Such an important call, and I'm about to miss it…' He was starting to feel really hurt when the blessed sound of rattling chains finally reached his ears once again. 'Oh, thank G.o.ds…' After about four hours, the island had finally begun to move again, entering its descent phase. Little by little, the crushing pressure began to grow weaker. Master Roan sighed with relief by his side. "The worst part is over. Just wait a little bit more, kid. You're almost there." Sunny glanced at the older man and sighed. He used to hate it when people called him kid, but not anymore, at least not as much. He just felt a little wistful. He didn't feel like a kid. Not for a long time now... not since coming back from the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. A dozen long and torturous minutes later, the island descended enough for them to move, and then slowly stand up. The Crushing was over. ReadNovelFull.me?
383	Chapter 383 Cowardly Researcher Sunny slowly rolled on his stomach, then rose to his knees. He was breathing heavily, and his whole body felt as if it had just gone through a meat grinder. Master Roan, on the other hand, looked almost unperturbed. The rider was already on his feet, tying the blue scarf around his neck with a relaxed expression on his face. The forest around them let out an almost human sigh of relief. The ancient trees creaked and cracked, rising their brancher back toward the sun. Those that had broken remained on the ground, adding to the nearly impenetrable layer of deadfall. Sunny glanced at the older man with a bit of envy, then stood up and tried to shake off his exhaustion. After spending a few minutes resting and drinking greedily from the Endless Spring, he almost felt alive again. Glancing at the tall man, he asked: "How are you able to fly up there on your griffin? I mean… no offense, but that seems like something only a crazy person would do." Roan laughed. "I don't rise too high unless I really have to. Usually, you can fly above the descending islands without experiencing too much pressure. After a while, you develop a sense of how much your body can handle, and for how long." He ma.s.saged his broad shoulders and added, a note of pride in his voice. "Plus, I am a Master, after all. I can withstand much more than an Awakened would. You did exceptionally well, however. To be honest, I was pretty sure that I would have to abandon my patrol to bring your bleeding body back to the Sanctuary at full speed, then throw it into the Gateway. I guess it's true what they say about you Forgotten Sh.o.r.e kids." ReadNovelFull.me Sunny blinked a couple of times and asked cautiously: "...What do they say?" The older man smiled. "Tough as nails, disturbingly indifferent to pain and fear, strong… almost scary. Scary children, that was the exact phrase I heard." Sunny lingered for a few moments, then scoffed. "Indifferent to pain and fear? What nonsense. I pride myself on being a coward — as one should. What's wrong with being a coward? Fear keeps people alive, while bravery gets them killed. As for pain, no thank you. I have been beaten, burned, crushed, drowned, cut, stabbed, pierced, bitten, chewed, and gutted enough times for several lifetimes already." As Master Roan gave him a strange look, Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Uh… what?" The tall man shook his head, then scratched his chin and said in a wondering tone: "No, nothing. It's just... if that is true, Sunless… then what are you doing here on the Chaines Isles? Shouldn't you be having a nice time in a safe place like Bastion?" Sunny looked away in embarra.s.sment, then coughed. "That… uh… there are several reasons for that, actually. Not the least of which is that…" He looked side to side, then lowered his voice and said in a gravely serious tone:ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕ(ꪫ)ꪣꫀꪶ "...You won't believe it, but the government actually pays you money for writing down things about the Dream Realm. And since the Chained Isles are largely unexplored, they pay me premium for going around dusty ruins here and scribbling down a thing or two. I am technically a contracted researcher, believe it or not!" He grinned and watched as Master Roan stared at him with an incredulous expression. After a while, the older man said: "You are a strange fellow, you know that?" Sunny shrugged. "Huh? Everyone knows that, I think. Anyway… don't tell anyone about what I've just said. I don't want the compet.i.tion." The tall man blinked a couple of times, then smiled: "No problem. Do you need me to take you back to the Sanctuary? Or will you be fine returning on your own?" Sunny thought for a bit, then said: "I'll be fine. It's not that far, anyway. If I make haste, I'll be back before morning and go straight back to the real world. I have business to attend to there, actually." Master Roan nodded and patted Sunny on the shoulder. "Alright. Then I'll be on my way. It's been nice meeting you, Sunless. If you need anything in the future, don't hesitate to find me in the Sanctuary." With that, he summoned his Echo. A sea of white sparks appeared out of thin air and swirled, slowly turning into the figure of the mighty griffin. The winged beast towered above Sunny like a gargantuan mix between a lion, an eagle, and a pure nightmare. Slowly, it lowered its head, staring at him with two beautiful, inhuman eyes. Its beak looked about as fearsome and terrifying as that of a Spire Messenger. Sunny tensed a little and took a couple of steps back, prepared to dissipate into the shadows at any moment. He didn't really think that Master Roan would suddenly attack him, but being paranoid was better than being dead. The tall man summoned his armor, then easily jumped on the griffin's back and raised a fist to bid Sunny farewell. In the next moment, the Echo stretched its wings and pushed itself off the ground, sending a squall of hurricane wind in all directions. Sunny struggled to remain on his feet, and then looked as the griffin flew into the distance. Slowly, a friendly expression disappeared from his face. 'Well, what do you know…' The famed Master had turned out to be a rather pleasant person. Granted, he was a Legacy by marriage, and not by birth… still, Sunny had expected to be treated with a lot more disdain and contempt, at best hidden behind a mask of false courtesy. Come to think of it, the Saint governing the Chained Isles herself was pretty down to earth, if a bit cold. Not that Sunny had a lot of opportunities to interact with her after that first day when she had brought him to the Sanctuary. With a sigh, he walked over to the carca.s.s of the monstrous wolf and sent it flying over the edge of the island with a frustrated push. The corpse of the abominable beast plummeted down and soon disappeared into the darkness of the Sky Below. Making sure that nothing appeared from beneath the island to s.n.a.t.c.h it, Sunny lingered on the edge for a couple of minutes, then sighed… And jumped into the bottomless abyss himself. ReadNovelFull.me?
384	Chapter 384 Traversing the lslands Falling through the boundless blue skies with the wind whistling in his ears, Sunny threw his hands to the sides and summoned the Dark Wing. As the translucent Memory weaved itself from light behind his back, he shifted his weight and allowed the air resistance to push him off course, effectively turning left. A few seconds after that, he activated the enchantment of his cloak and slowed down his fall, simultaneously turning the downward momentum into a forward push. In these past two months, Sunny had become somewhat proficient in navigating the sky. Cutting a smooth arc in the air, he swiftly approached one of the gargantuan chains connecting the Forest Island to another, flew above it for a few minutes, and landed nimbly on one of the ma.s.sive links. The giant chain swayed lightly beneath his feet. Somewhere behind him, it rose and merged with the soil of the island. In front of him, there was a vast expanse of empty heavens. Here on the border to the Sky Below, it was currently twilight. The chain stretched into the distance, disappearing into the darkness of the void a few hundred meters away. As the Dark Wing turned from a blur back into a transparent cloak, Sunny sighed and walked forward. Each link of the heavenly chain was as wide as a road, so he didn't need to be afraid of falling off. Approaching the connection between two links, Sunny either jumped down or glided up to the next one. Walking across the length of the chain that was drawn between the bottomless abyss below and the boundless sky above, he soon left the light of the sun behind and entered into the eternal darkness of the Below. Here, there was no wind and no sound, only silence. If not for the swaying of the chain, Sunny would have thought that he had entered a completely new world. A myriad of ghostly lights were burning somewhere far below, pretending to be stars. ReadNovelFull.me Making sure that no one was watching him, Sunny lingered for a few moments… and then dove into the iron surface of the chain. His body turned into an incorporeal shadow and merged with the darkness enshrouding it. Here in the Sky Below, he was in his natural element, after all. Sunny couldn't travel through the empty darkness itself, but the chains were covered by an impenetrable veil of shadows. He could swim through them for as long as he had essence to spare, safe from the terrible creatures that lived on the dark side of the Chained Isles. Rushing forward with terrible speed, Sunny slid over the surface of the chain and flew through the darkness like a ghost. He went faster and then faster still, circling around the chain several times and leaving the Forest Island far behind. Covering the distance to the next isle in mere minutes, he escaped from the shadows the moment the sunlight touched the iron chain once again and shot upward in a spin. The Dark Wing turned into a blur, pushing him even further up. Sunny soared above the floating island and then glided smoothly to its surface, landing on solid ground with a light step. This one was much different from the one where he had fought the monstrous wolves. Instead of a forest of twisted trees, the isle was covered by jagged rocks, with an ancient ruin standing lonesomely in its center. Sunny had explored the ma.s.sive structure already, and wasn't interested in visiting it again. Jumping from one shadow to another, he avoided the Nightmare Creatures populating the island and soon approached its other edge. Technically, from here, he only needed to cross two more isles to reach the Sanctuary. However, one of those isles was home to a dreadful and utterly terrifying Corrupted Monster, so he was going to have to make a big detour. Sunny looked at the sun, and then jumped off the edge once again. Just like that, he traveled from one island to another for a few hours. When possible, Sunny turned into a shadow and rushed along the lengths of heavenly chains, then emerged from the darkness and traversed the islands themselves on foot. Each island was different from another. Some were desolate and bleak, some covered by gra.s.s and vegetation. One was full of beautiful white flowers, while another hid a clear, tranquil lake. A few were covered by ash and flames, while several were covered by the ruins that some ancient civilization had left behind. If there was one thing that united all of them, it was that each was dangerous in its own way. The desolate islands were home to swarms of monstrous, gluttonous ants. The gra.s.s covered the maws of giant abominations that hid beneath, waiting for prey to step into their trap. The vegetation was predatory and deadly if one wasn't careful to not get too close. The beautiful white flowers could put a person to sleep from which they would never wake up. The tranquil lake was home to a creature so terrifying that Sunny did not even dare to approach its clear waters. And these ones were on the safer side, as far as the Chained Isles went. Due to their proximity to the Sanctuary, they were well explored, and anything dangerous enough to pose threat to the Citadel had long been destroyed by Saint Tyris herself. Sunny had been to these islands already, too, so he knew his way around them. Each was either descending or ascending. The former were easier to cross, while the latter forced him to walk while suffering from the early stages of the Crushing. If an island he wanted to use was to high, Sunny had to change his plan and seek out another way. After a while, his reserve of shadow essence became dangerously low. Knowing that he will have to make a stop, Sunny chose a relatively safe island and headed toward it. Gliding to the surface, Sunny tiredly dismissed the Dark Wing tiredly and looked around. The island he was currently standing on was rather close to the Sanctuary, and usually empty of any Nightmare Creatures. However, it was wise to make sure. Sending his shadows in different directions to scout for potential danger, Sunny sat on the ground and summoned the Endless Spring. When his thirst was satiated, he crossed his legs, put his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes, concentrating on the coils of the Soul Serpent. With a part of his mind observing the world through the shadows and another concentrated on hastening the acc.u.mulation of shadow essence, he meditated for a while, and then suddenly opened his eyes. One of the shadows had noticed something interesting. ReadNovelFull.me?
385	Chapter 385 lron Hand lsland The island Sunny was resting on was a strange one. It was rather large and covered in soft gra.s.s, with ancient stone columns protruding from the ground here and there. Most of them had long toppled and been shattered to pieces by some unknown disaster. The ground itself was full of depressions and generally uneven, as if it had served as a battlefield for giants once. The reason why Sunny had come up with such a metaphor was not coincidental. The main feature of the island was situated at its center, and appeared to be a giant, rusty metal hand. Hence, the isle was unimaginatively called the Iron Hand Island. It was well known to the Awakened anch.o.r.ed in the Sanctuary because very few Nightmare Creatures ever came here, and thus, many humans used it to rest during their journeys. However, today, Sunny wasn't the only visitor to the peaceful island. A rather ugly monstrosity lay dead in the shadow of the giant iron hand, its blood forming a large pool. It had a body like that of a snake, two powerful hands protruding from a human-like torso, a head with a long and toothy muzzle, and two leathery wings. From the looks of it, the creature had landed on the island due to heavy injuries, and then succ.u.mbed to the most recent Crushing. Its body seemed broken and flattened, with sharp bone splinters protruding from the torn scales. Sunny's interest was naturally piqued, because it wasn't every day that he stumbled on free soul shards. Additionally, and more intriguing, the shadow had noticed something glinting on the ground near one of the abomination's hands. 'Huh…' Standing up, Sunny looked around, and then headed to the center of the island. ReadNovelFull.me Soon, he reached the rusty metal arm and dove into the shadows, emerging on top of it. Standing a good ten meters above the ground, he stared at the carca.s.s of the dead Nightmare Creature to make sure that the shadow didn't miss anything. …Everything seemed to be fine. With a shrug, Sunny jumped down and landed softly on the gra.s.s near the ma.s.sive monster. Walking around it, he approached the spot where the abomination's hand lay on the ground, its five long fingers ending in terrifying claws. "Gee. You were a scary one, weren't you?" He didn't need to wonder about who had done the monster in. On the Chained Isles, Nightmare Creatures constantly fought each other. Winged ones like this one were often caught by the inhabitants of the dark side, torn to pieces, and devoured. This one had been relatively lucky, all things considered. Bending down, Sunny picked up the small object that seemed to have fallen out of the creature's hand and stared at it with a dubious expression. "...A coin?" Indeed, he was holding a heavy golden coin. Which didn't make any sense. Nightmare Creatures were not exactly known for partic.i.p.ating in commerce, and humans did not use coins. If they needed to trade, they either bartered with suitable items or used credits — of course, credits didn't exist in the Dream Realm, but the transaction would be honored when both parties returned to the real world. So where could a gold coin come from? Sunny stared at the coin for a while, then turned it around. There was a depiction of an archaic ship on one of its sides, with a tall mast that had an actual tree growing around it. A beautiful human face stared at him from the other side, a carefree smile on its lips. The person had high cheekbones, long hair, and exquisite features. Sunny couldn't say if they were a man or a woman, just that they seem rather charming. There was a crescent moon drawn on their forehead, and… well, that was about it. Sunny studied the coin some more, and then thought despondently: 'That thing is definitely cursed, right?' It just had to be. What else was he supposed to think after finding a mysterious coin near the corpse of a monster that had died a violent death? …But it didn't seem to be cursed. Sunny had a rather good intuition about these things. He also had the sight of a person who had inherited a part of Weaver's forbidden lineage. Looking under the surface of the coin, Sunny expected to see a malevolent spellweave, or at least something strange, but there was nothing. From the looks of it, the coins… was just a coin. The only strangeness about it was that it seemed a little bit warm to the touch. "Huh…" Teacher Julius would have been delighted if he brought him a sketch of a genuine Dream Realm coin. Cultural artifacts like this were few and far between. It wouldn't result in Sunny receiving any contribution points, but the old man was easy to please. With a shrug, Sunny shoved the coin into his pack and turned to the dead monster. "Let's see how many shards you're hiding, ugly lizard…" He summoned the Moonlight Shard, enhanced it with two shadows, and cut into the tough hide of the Nightmare Creature. For a while, luck was on his side. He quickly retrieved two bright soul shards… so quickly, in fact, that Sunny grew sure that there had to be a third one inside the carca.s.s. "A demon, huh?" That was where his luck ended. The body of the demon was too heavily damaged, so when he tried to fish out the third crystal, its stomach burst open and spilled its contents all over the ground. "Argh! Curses!" Sunny was so disgusted by the idea of being doused in the putrid slimy ma.s.s that he instinctively teleported a few meters away. Then, he tilted his head and stared down. Covered in repulsive, acidic liquid, three more coins — as well as something that resembled a piece of a wooden chest — lay in the quickly melting gra.s.s. 'Did this guy… try to eat a treasure chest?' Sunny shook his head, walked around the disgusting mess, and quickly retrieved the last soul shard. Since golden coins were rather useless to him and he already had one to sketch, he had no intention of retrieving the rest. 'No thank you…' By that time, he had recovered enough shadow essence to return to the Sanctuary, so nothing was holding him on the island anymore. Throwing one last look at the giant metal hand and wondering what terrible strike could have separated it from the rest of the theoretical giant, he turned away and walked toward the edge of the island. The sun was already setting, so he didn't have a lot of time left to return to the Citadel and use the Gateway before the morning came. ReadNovelFull.me?
386	Chapter 386 Sanctuary of Noctis Soon, Sunny was walking on the last chain he had to traverse as he approached the Sanctuary of Noctis. By then, it was already night. Up above, the pale disk of the crescent moon shone softly, its light reflecting off the white walls of the Ivory Tower. Countless stars shimmered on the dark velvet tapestry of the night sky. Without the light pollution that the giant city where Sunny had grown up produced, they were beautiful and bright. There had not been any stars on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, as well, so this sight was still new and breathtaking to him. Now that it was night, the border between the Sky Above and the Sky Below was almost invisible. The empty void beneath the Isles had stars of its own, so it seemed like the reflection of the real sky during these hours. The only difference between them was that it lacked both the moon and the ethereal silhouette of a graceful white tower floating through the clouds. The chain swayed lightly as Sunny walked. He felt reluctant to use Shadow Step this close to the Sanctuary and enjoyed the sight of the night sky, the smell of clean air, and the cool embrace of the wind. So he tended to complete this last part of the return journey on foot. …Even h.e.l.l could be beautiful, sometimes. A few minutes later, Sunny heard the murmur of flowing water and knew that the Sanctuary was already close. The Citadel that served most Awakened of the Chained Isles as the home was situated on a tiny island of its own. That island, however, was rather anomalous: unlike all others, it never rose and never fell, always remaining at a stable height, away from the torturous pressure of the Crushing. ReadNovelFull.me There was a gra.s.s field, and in its center, ma.s.sive menhirs stood in a perfect circle, which encompa.s.sed another, smaller one. This larger circle formed the outer wall of the Citadel, while the smaller one formed the inner. Inside the circle, there was a tranquil park with a pool of clear water in its middle. A path of stones led to a small island at the center of the pool, where, in the shade of an ancient tree, an altar cut from a solid piece of white marble stood. The altar had three special things about it. The first one was an obsidian knife that lay on its surface. The knife did not seem very special, with the exception of the fact that no one — not even Saints — was able to lift it even by a centimeter from the altar's surface. The second special thing about the altar was that it appeared to be, itself, the Gateway. One simply had to touch it to be transported back to the real world. Once anch.o.r.ed to it, the Awakened would appear near the altar when they fell asleep in reality. The third thing was that a seemingly endless stream of water flowed from the altar, feeding the pool that surrounded it. No one knew where the water came from or why the altar produced it, just that it was cold, sweet, and safe to drink. Seven streams flowed out of the pool and eventually fell over the edges of the small island, turning into water dust in the wind. On a bright day, the whole Sanctuary was surrounded by rainbows. It was the murmur of these waterfalls that Sunny had heard as he approached the Citadel. Using the Dark Wing to glide upward and land on the soft gra.s.s of the island, he walked over to a stone post that stood nearby and rang the bronze bell that hung on it. This was to let the watchmen know that he was a human and not a Nightmare Creature that needed to be destroyed. Soon, a whistle came out of the darkness, and Sunny walked forward on a path that led to the towering menhirs. A few minutes later, he had walked between two ma.s.sive stones and entered the Sanctuary of Noctis. No one really knew who Noctis was, and why this place was called in their honor… if that name even belonged to a living creature. It was just what the Spell called this place, so humans followed suit. In any case, the s.p.a.ce between the two rings of menhirs had been made into a place for the Awakened to rest and recuperate between their ventures into the wild expanse of the Chained Isles. The White Feather clan had built walls to close the s.p.a.ces between the standing stones, and recruited several people with useful utility Aspects to make living conditions better for those who chose to come here or were sent to this region by the Spell. Currently, there were about two hundred Awakened populating the Sanctuary, which was enough to keep it functioning and safe. This late at night, most people were either sleeping, resting, or had already returned to the real world, so Sunny did not meet anyone as he headed toward his a.s.signed living quarters. Like everybody else here, he was a.s.signed a small room after becoming anch.o.r.ed to the Sanctuary. It was situated near one of two entrances, so he didn't have to walk for a long time. Entering the room, Sunny quickly took off his pack and placed his trophies — a scattering of soul shards, a few weird-looking fruits, and the golden coin — into a chest standing near the bed. Then he threw the pack on the floor, lingered for a few moments, and left. Usually, he would have stayed until the morning and went to either the kitchens or the improvised marketplace at the park to trade the shards for Memories or credits, chat with other Awakened to learn the latest news and important information about the Isles, or simply relax… but today, he had to hurry to the real world. Entering the park, Sunny approached the deep pool of clear water and stepped onto the first stone of the path that led to the Altar Island. Soon, he was standing in front of the white altar, surrounded by the tranquil sound of rustling leaves and running water. Glancing at the obsidian dagger, Sunny resisted the urge to try and lift it. He had already done so many times before, all with no result whatsoever. '...Maybe one day.' With a sigh, he took a step forward and placed his hand on the altar. The marble felt cool to the touch. In the next moment, the darkness of the night was momentarily illuminated by a flash of ethereal blue light. When it dissipated, there was no one standing under the branches of the ancient tree. Sunny had left the Dream Realm and returned to the real world. ReadNovelFull.me?
387	Chapter 387 Withered Flowers Sunny opened his eyes in the cool cradle of the sleeping pod. The lid was already sliding away, and the lights in the room were gradually turning brighter. The panoramic wall in front of him opened to a view of one of the Academy parks. The eastern horizon was already painted lilac by the rising sun, but the world was still shrouded in darkness. '...Made it.' With a sigh, he rose from the pod and lowered his feet to the cold floor. These first moments after leaving the Dream Realm were still strange to him. It just… it just seemed weird to be able to escape it so easily, without having to fight through a sea of monsters and struggle against terror, desperation, and pain. How could something so meaningful be so simple? And yet, it was. In the past two months, coming and going from the Dream Realm had almost become a routine for him. Not that he had done it as often as most Awakened did. Standing up, Sunny grimaced, then ma.s.saged his shoulders and glanced at the sleeping pod darkly. Now that he was an Awakened, the Academy had granted him a personal living s.p.a.ce in one of the dormitories. These quarters were much the same as the room he had lived in during his preparations to enter the Dream Realm for the first time, but with one significant difference: there was a smaller room adjacent to the main one, housing a humble meditation s.p.a.ce and an individual sleeping pod. The problem was, that pod was not at all as advanced and state-of-the-art as the ones used for the Sleepers. It did its job fine as long as an Awakened remained in the Dream Realm for about eight to twelve hours, as most of them did. However, Sunny was in the habit of spending much, much more time there. ReadNovelFull.me His recent adventure, for example, had lasted three whole days… he had to work hard to not fall behind, after all. As a result, his muscles felt sore and heavy. Circulating essence through his body to chase away the remnants of sleep, Sunny walked to the bathroom and got into the shower. As streams of water caressed his skin and flowed down the scales of the black serpent coiling around his lithe body, he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. At least his mind felt refreshed. Visiting the Dream Realm was not exactly equal to good sleep, but it was somewhat similar. Mental fatigue still acc.u.mulated little by little, but it was easy to remove by meditating or actually sleeping on the other side of the Gateway. Few Awakened ever did, however, since no place there was really completely safe. Exiting the shower sometime later, Sunny finally felt wide awake and full of energy. He dressed himself, sat at the table, and quickly compiled a report about his recent exploration. Then, he picked up the communicator and checked its log. No missed calls, a few messages from Effie with photos of all the delicious food she was eating and several memetic jokes of questionable nature, and a few more from Kai, describing his experiences in Bastion. Sunny waited for a bit, then sighed and put the communicator down. "Time for breakfast." Commanding one of the shadows to wrap itself around his body so that he appeared like a normal person, Sunny left his room and headed out. On the way to the cafeteria, he met a few other Awakened. No one paid him too much attention, though. In recent months, the images and True Names of Ca.s.sie, Kai, and especially Effie had been plastered all over the media, but luckily, he had avoided becoming a poster boy for the government's insatiable propaganda machine. As the result, random strangers had no idea who he was, which suited Sunny just fine. Entering the cafeteria, he got himself a full tray of food, sat at one of the tables, and placed the communicator on its surface. The call was supposed to come any minute now. He enjoyed a decadently delicious breakfast in peace and quiet, glancing at the communicator from time to time. No one bothered him, and there was no danger to be worried about. A content smile found its way to his lips. 'Ah. Life is good…' Finally, the communicator rang. Sunny answered the call and listened to the respectful voice on the other side of it. "Everything is ready? Wonderful. So, when can I… oh, really? Well… great! Then I will… be there at noon? Right. See you later, then." Finishing the call, he put the communicator down and stared into the distance for a long time, a strange look on his face. After receiving the contribution points for his Forgotten Sh.o.r.e report and making some money by selling soul shards to other Awakened on the Chained Isles, Sunny had done something that he had never thought that he would be able to do in this life. …He had bought a home. A nice, beautiful home in the district of the city with clean air and green lawns. And now, after several long weeks of waiting, everything was finally ready for him to move in. Looking down at his cantankerous shadow, Sunny lingered for a few moments, and then smiled. "...I think we've made it, buddy. We really, really did." \\\* The person in charge of renovating his home and bringing it to the desired specifications was going to meet him there at noon, so Sunny had a few hours of free time to kill. He wandered around the parks for a bit. Now that the spring had come, the air was warm and pleasant. The melodic drip-drop of melting snow disturbed the peaceful silence of the early morning, making Sunny feel balanced and relaxed. Even the shadow seemed to enjoy this tranquil landscape. Eventually, he visited one of the kiosks scattered around the Academy and spent a bit of credits to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers. Then, Sunny found himself standing in front of the hospital complex. With a sigh, he lowered his head and walked through the automatic doors. Using an elevator to reach one of the lowest levels, he pa.s.sed several increasingly strict security checks and approached an unremarkable white door. Inside, it was cool and dark. Changing the withered flowers with fresh ones, he lingered for a bit, then sat on a chair that stood near the softly glowing sleeping pod. Entombed within, a young woman with silver hair was dreaming soundly, her face pale and unmoving. "...Hey, Nephis. How have you been?" ReadNovelFull.me?
388	Chapter 388 Vigil The was no one in the room besides the two of them. Well… Nephis wasn't really there, either. In a sense, Sunny was alone. In more senses than one, really. There were two small tables standing on both sides of the sleeping pod, each bearing a vase with fresh flowers. Sunny only ever changed flowers in one of the vases, while Ca.s.sie tended to the other. They had yet to b.u.mp into each other while visiting Neph after that first fateful day, though, which suited Sunny fine. He didn't really want to see the blind girl now… or ever again. Glancing at Changing Star, Sunny sighed and kept his mouth shut. He didn't know what kinds of recording equipment were installed in the room, so his one-sided conversations with Nephis had to happen in the safety of his mind. 'I've just returned from the Dream Realm. Spent a whole three days there, exploring ruins and hunting down a few Nightmare Creatures. My shadow fragments… well, you already know. I've been working hard to not let you leave me completely in the dust. Oh… I met a Master from the White Feather clan yesterday. He seems like a nice enough guy. You would have liked him, I think.' He paused for a few moments and wondered if this was considered crazy behavior… talking to a person that wasn't really there, pretending that they were. Maybe it was. But despite how much Sunny hated to admit it, he wasn't as fine and stable as he pretended to be. He was angry, guilt-ridden… and lonely. He missed Nephis much more than he had ever expected. Out there on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, she had somehow become a fundamental part of his life. It was strange to exist without her occupying a place in the same world as him. …Painful. ReadNovelFull.me He missed Ca.s.sie, too. Or rather, the version of her that had lived in his mind before everything they had turned to ashes. He missed their friendship, their camaraderie, their trust in each other... things that had been broken and lost. Sunny sighed. 'You know, these days I often think about the time we spent in the Labyrinth. The three of us. It was a… a simpler time, don't you think? A wonderful time. It seemed so terrible back then, but now… now, I miss it a lot. I wonder if you do, too.' He grimaced, then looked away. 'Anyway… what else? Oh. That house I bought is ready. Kai and Effie are doing fine. They are both very busy, though. I… hear that Cas is doing well, too. She had become the leader of those Forgotten Sh.o.r.e Awakened who remained independent. People are calling them the Fire Keepers. Funny, right?' Sunny lingered for a while, gathering his thoughts. '...I have visited your mom, by the way. I remember that you didn't like the thought of her being alone, so I went to see her. She is fine, too. Well… I mean, you know. For a Hollow. Oh, and the funniest part…' He looked around, then thought: "Do you remember how you told us that you wanted to dye your hair? You won't believe it, but I actually bought a little Memory that allows me to change the color of my hair at will. Not because of you, it's just something that I needed for a thing I'm about to do. Still, I think that it's sort of hilarious." Nephis remained still and absent, her ivory face looking lifeless in the white glow of the sleeping pod. He gritted his teeth. '...Where are you? How are you doing? Are you hurt? Are you f.u.c.king happy?! I imagine that you would be, free of everything, with nothing to do but slaughter Nightmare Creatures and battle against the thing you hate the most.' Sunny looked down and clenched his fists, then remained still for a long time. 'Are you... coming back?' There was no answer. He sat by Changing Star's side for a while, staring at her still face. Then, he nodded heavily and stood up. "Alright. Figures. I'll see you later, then." With that, Sunny turned around and left. \\\* Exiting the Academy, Sunny lingered for a bit, then turned around and looked back. The ma.s.sive red gates looked very different from how they used to, back when he and Nephis walked through them sixteen months ago. The s.p.a.ce in front of them had been empty then, but now, it was filled with tens of thousands of burning candles. These candles were an altar to Changing Star. After the survivors of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e had returned to the real world, their story spread like wildfire and captured humanity's attention for a few weeks. Both the independent media and the government propaganda machine added fuel to the fire, spinning it as an inspirational epic of human resilience, heroism… and sacrifice. And Nephis, of course, was the protagonist of that epic. Most of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e Awakened were her willing apostles, after all. In their hearts, she was their savior. They were also under the impression that Changing Star had become trapped in the Dream Realm in order to give them a chance to escape. Their voices fell into fertile soil. Nephis already had the established mythos of the Immortal Flame clan to raise her into the spotlight of glory, and with her extraordinary accomplishments on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, it only grew brighter. The thing that really elevated and exalted her, however, was something else. It was martyrdom. People loved nothing more than a martyr. Just like Sunny had said, a person had to die to become a true hero. Changing Star, however, had done something strange. She was now, somehow, neither dead nor alive, which only made the whole thing more gripping and emotional. Nephis had become a martyr without actually dying. ...Which was, coincidentally, very fitting, considering her clan's name. All of humanity was now entranced by the story of the last daughter of the legendary Immortal Flame clan, the heiress to two most prominent warriors in human history, who had been thrust into h.e.l.l, stormed the citadel of a Fallen Terror that ruled it, and fought the creature off long enough for a hundred Sleepers to escape back to the real world, staying behind to ensure their survival. From the outside, she seemed like a paragon of humanity. Sunny didn't know who came up with the idea of placing candles near the gates of the Academy, but it was rather ingenious. People seemed to believe that the Immortal Flame would not be extinguished as long as at least one candle continued to burn for Changing Star. So the Academy had unexpectedly become a place of pilgrimage for thousands of humans who wished for her to do the impossible once again and return alive. The idea was so poignant that even Sunny himself had felt compelled to light a candle a couple of times. '...Zealots.' With a dismissive shake of his head, he turned around and walked away, leaving the sea of candles behind. None of them really knew Nephis. Only he did. She didn't need their candles to escape the Dream Realm. Perhaps it was the Dream Realm that needed help escaping from her. ReadNovelFull.me?
389	Chapter 389 A Place to Call His Own Sunny spent some time in a crowded carriage of a public train. Since personal transport vehicles were rare, expensive, and demanded a special government license to purchase, most people in the city used public transportation to move around. Magnetic trains, usually simply called trams, were the cheapest and most popular form of it. During his time in the outskirts, Sunny rarely had a reason to use one, but when he did, people didn't pay him any attention. Sometimes they even went out of their way to not notice him. But now, things seemed to have changed. Sunny had his eyes closed, observing the carriage through the shadow in case there was danger. There wasn't… however, he was surprised to notice that people, especially young women, threw curious glances at him from time to time. 'Huh… is the Soul Serpent showing?' But no, his sleeves hid the coils of the Shadow completely. 'Strange. Must be the clothes, then.' Sunny had not ventured out of the Academy a lot during the past two months, but on one of those expeditions, he had bought himself some una.s.suming, but pricey civilian clothes. According to Kai, they were "understated" and "stylish", whatever that meant. Sunny basically just went for the only comfortable thing the store had in dark colors. He sighed. 'That just shows how shallow people are. A simple change of wardrobe, and suddenly, I'm at the center of attention. Why are girls so materialistic?' ReadNovelFull.me …To be fair, many guys stared at him, too. By the time Sunny reached his stop, he was a bit fl.u.s.tered. Leaving the crowded train behind, he sighed with relief, hid his hands in his pockets, and walked out of the familiar tram terminal. The part of town he came to was somewhat near its center, as far removed from the outskirts as one could imagine. It was peaceful, quiet, and green. The air was almost as fresh as that of the Dream Realm. The houses in this district were also the opposite of the human hives Sunny was accustomed to — weirdly, they were all very low, no more than two or three stories high. The ground itself rose and fell in artificial tiers, each street existing on its own wide terrace. Out here, the snow was already gone, revealing beautiful lawns and greenery. The whole district looked like a garden. Obviously, not everyone could allow themselves to live here. Most of the locals were either reasonably wealthy or worked for the government… however, as far as citizens went, they were not of the highest ranks. There were other, much more affluent districts in the city, and the real elites — as well as most Awakened — lived there. But that was one of the things Sunny liked about this place. He could do without being around other Awakened all day, every day. Or anyone, really. It took him around fifteen minutes to walk from the terminal to the desired address. Of course, Sunny could have reached it much faster by jumping through the shadows, but he preferred to not use his Abilities outside of the Dream Realm and the Academy. It made him feel more human. Finally, he stopped in front of the home that was going to be his, and stared at it for a few minutes. The house in front of him was two stories high, with grey walls and a slanting tile roof. It had a synthwood porch, a lawn, and a big window opening to the view of a s.p.a.cious living room. There was even a garage for a PTV, and a hedge fence to separate it from the neighboring homes. …It was like something out of a fairy-tale. 'Extravagant…' "Ahem… Awakened Sunless? Sir?" Sunny was aware, of course, that a PTV had just parked nearby and that a man got out of it, approaching him from behind. He was just too consumed by the weight of the moment to show it. Turning around, he glanced at the person who called out for him. It was a short, overweighed man wearing a very expensive tailored suit and an antique luxury watch. Despite his outward appearance, the man was full of confidence and had a wide, polished, professional smile plastered to his face. Sunny stared at him with a dubious expression, then said: "...Lanard, right?" The man — who was the representative of the agency responsible for outfitting Sunny's new home — nodded with enthusiasm. "That's me. Ah, the fact that you have remembered my name is very flattering, sir. Really." With that, he gestured to the home and smiled. "How do you like it?" Sunny hesitated, then feigned indifference and shrugged. "It's fine, I guess." Lanard lingered for a moment, then smiled even wider. "Of course, a person of your caliber must be accustomed to much more luxurious accommodations. But I can a.s.sure you, you won't be disappointed by our work! This home might not be as high cla.s.s as what you're used to, but we did everything per your specifications. Although… I must admit, your choice of location gave us a challenge, especially with the need to keep the exact nature of the modifications discrete." Sunny kept a straight face and tried to understand what the h.e.l.l Lanard was talking about, and who he thought Sunny was. To be honest, when he had decided to buy a home, he just contacted Master Jet, told her where he wanted the house to be located and a couple of things he hoped to fit inside, and instead of giving him advice on how to proceed, she simply arranged everything with a couple of phone call. And now, here he was. Meanwhile, Lanard glanced at him with a bit of curiosity, hesitated for a couple of moments, and then asked cautiously: "By the way… if you don't mind me asking, sir… how does this beautiful house stack against your previous place of residence? I am interested from a purely professional standpoint, of course. Think of it as a client survey!" Sunny looked at the cozy grey home, thought for a bit, and then answered honestly: "Well… my previous place was about a hundred times bigger, built mostly out of natural stone and marble, with antique wooden furniture and a very special secret dungeon. Oh, and security was taken care of by a Fallen Devil." Lanard stared at him for a while with the same wide smile. His face, however, had slowly turned grey. After a while, he coughed a couple of times and said hoa.r.s.ely: "Wonderful… that's wonderful…ahem. Shall we take a look inside?" ReadNovelFull.me?
390	Chapter 390 My Castle The interior of the home was tasteful and minimalist, governed by a design philosophy that seemed stylish, s.p.a.cious... and a little bit empty. The first floor contained a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a pantry, a bathroom, and a guest bedroom. Everything was furnished and fully stocked, including a refrigerator that was stuffed with all kinds of expensive food. Lanard looked around with a sense of pride and went on a long tirade about all the hidden security features the una.s.suming house actually possessed. There were thick plates of armored alloy hiding behind the siding panels, the wide windows were outfitted with t.i.tanium shutters that could come down at a moment's notice, and both air and water filters could withstand not only the usual environmental toxins, but also most known forms of biochemical threats. Such extensive security measures might have seemed like overkill, but in fact, even mundane humans strived to turn their homes into compact fortresses. No one knew when the next Gate would open, and how close to them it would be. Even though most homeowners were never going to use these protective features, having them made for a big quality of life difference. Lanard spent a weirdly long amount of time describing all the lighting fixtures his agency had installed, his voice bursting with enthusiasm. It seemed that the man had a thing about designer lamps. Sunny didn't have the heart to tell him that he would not be using any of them, most of the time. He could see perfectly well in the dark, after all. "...the house is connected to the city electrical grid, but there's obviously an autonomous energy source for emergencies. Spelltech, of course. Power units are easily accessible for purchase and last for a very long time…" By spelltech, he meant that the autonomous generator was built by combining modern technology with Awakened powers. The power units it required had to be either recharged or created by someone with a suitable Utility Aspect. Devices such as this were considered to be a luxury for the commoners, but in fact, a very large part of the city's infrastructure functioned on spelltech. Not everything in the world was created by the Awakened, but almost all industries required their partic.i.p.ation in one way or another. Even the air filtration systems Sunny's mother used to a.s.semble in an underground factory on the outskirts contained fiber grown by one of the Nightmare Spell carriers. ReadNovelFull.me That was why, while Utility Aspects were often useless in a fight, people who possessed them were so valued by society. …Sunny asked a couple of questions about the entertainment system built into the living room, scratched the back of his head after receiving the answers, and expressed his desire to see the second floor. The second floor contained the master bedroom and two smaller ones, each with its own bathroom, and a brightly lit home office. There was also the latch to the storage s.p.a.ce in the attic. Lanard described a few things about the furniture they chose, and then mentioned the soundproofing of the master bedroom several times, for some unknown reason. Sunny frowned and gave him a strange look. 'I mean… sleeping in peace and quiet is nice, but he does know that I can't sleep in the real world, right? What a strange man…' Finally, they descended into the bas.e.m.e.nt, which was situated deep underground, as well as being the most heavily fortified and well-protected part of the house. In a sense, this was the heart of the una.s.suming grey home. The whole bas.e.m.e.nt was one large s.p.a.ce, with walls, floor, and ceiling covered by heavy plates of armored ceramic alloy. This was done so that an Awakened could train here without worrying about destroying their own home or alerting the neighbors. Sunny paid extra to make sure that every piece of training equipment here could survive his spars with Saint. He still remembered and mourned all the beautiful things he had lost during their previous duels. Like his favorite table... or his comfortable chair... or his pride... The bas.e.m.e.nt could be isolated from the rest of the house and from the outside world, turning into a heavily fortified, impenetrable alloy box. The reason for this level of additional security stood in a small alcove at the far end of it. It was a state-of-the-art, beautiful, incredibly expensive sleeping pod — the best money could buy. Sunny walked over to it and stared at the softly illuminated, luxurious cradle for a while, then smiled. 'No more sore muscles…' In its closed state, the pod looked like a steel monolith. As far as high-tech coffins went, this armored one was a real beauty. Sunny couldn't even call it a coffin, really. That thing… that thing was a whole sarcophagus. With its help, he would be able to spend entire months in the Dream Realm without subjecting his physical body to any damage. He wasn't planning on getting lost in the Spell for so long, of course, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Lanard chuckled: "I am not going to lie, every time I find myself in such an environment, I can't help but feel a little scared. Have you ever heard about Dracula, sir?" Sunny glanced at him, then shrugged. "Not really. What is that?" The short man shivered. "Just a legend, thankfully. Dracula was a fiend that fed on human blood and slept in a coffin underground. Hence the…" Sunny smiled: "Oh, a vampire? Yes, I've met one or two." Lanard grew pale, remained silent for a while, then squeaked: "M—m… met?" Not paying him any attention, Sunny turned to the second pod that stood near the first one. This device looked similar enough to a sleeping pod to be mistaken for one, but had nothing to do with sleeping. Well… not technically. It also had a cradle and a heavy lid, but unlike Sunny's new sarcophagus, it wasn't designed to accommodate a human body for long periods of time. In fact, there was a plaque on the inside of the lid advising people against overusing the equipment and asking them to behave responsibly. It was the best available Dreamscape pod, allowing one to enter the advanced virtual reality simulation that existed on the edge between technology and magic. …Sunny had big plans for that thing. ReadNovelFull.me?
391	Chapter 391 Dreamscape Dreamscape was a place that was neither real nor a part of the Dream Realm, but instead existed somewhere in between. It was created and maintained by a combination of advanced modern technology and a very special Aspect Ability that a certain Master — now already a Saint — possessed. Their power had to do with illusions, and so, that was what Dreamscape was. A ma.s.sive illusion that countless people could share. However, that illusion was not entirely malleable, and functioned according to a set of absolute rules. It reflected reality instead of being a complete replacement for it. As the result, a person entering it was bound by the same laws that existed in the real world. And since one of those laws was the Nightmare Spell, a person's Aspect, Abilities, Memories, and Echoes would function in the illusion the same way they functioned outside of it, with one important difference. One couldn't be hurt, wounded, or killed in the Dreamscape. Neither Memories nor Echoes could be destroyed. Which meant that Awakened were able to battle each other there without having to risk their lives and keep the destructive force of their duels out of the real world. This application was the primary use of the Dreamscape… well, in a sense. At the dawn of it, the Dreamscape was mostly used by the Legacy Clans and the government to train elite Awakened that served them, but it was quickly deemed as only being marginally useful. While such training could facilitate safe duels between the human carriers of the Spell, its simulation of the Nightmare Creatures was not that close to reality. The illusory monsters lacked the will and mind of actual abominations, after all. So, the Dreamscape had failed to become a successful training tool and was thus largely abandoned. It had, however, unexpectedly found incredible success in the entertainment segment. Those Awakened that were not part of elite strike forces deemed it to be very engaging, useful… and fun. The duels in the Dreamscape became very popular, and that popularity simply exploded once the company behind it came up with the idea to integrate a broadcast function into the simulation pods, thus making these duels available to a much broader audience — the mundane humans. ReadNovelFull.me Today, Dreamscape was a whole industry with both amateur and professional leagues, famous celebrities, and pa.s.sionate fan clubs. There was even a version of it for non-Awakened, with its own set of environments and adventures that allowed people to experience a facsimile of what it meant to travel across the Dream Realm while battling Nightmare Creatures. Sunny, however, wasn't interested in the fame, glory, and money that becoming a renowned Dreamscape champion could bring him. No matter how lucrative, it was just a toy, at the end of the day. He was, nevertheless, extremely interested in that toy for three very important reasons. The first reason was the anonymity that Dreamscape offered. It was all but impossible to track a person entering the illusion if they didn't wish to be tracked, which was very much to his liking. The second reason was Shadow Dance. Sunny needed to fight against a mult.i.tude of opponents skilled in wielding different weapons and using various styles to sharpen his battle art and make it — as well as the Soul Serpent — stronger. In a sense, he needed to create a library of mirrored styles to enrich his own. Was there a better place to find thousands upon thousands of Awakened who were willing and ready to cross blades with him? All without having to risk his life, to boot. The third reason was rather unexpected. In fact, Sunny had stumbled upon it by pure accident. Back when he had just arrived on the Chained Isles, he secretly tested the Mantle of the Underworld in battles against several Nightmare Creatures. The onyx armor had turned out to be even more remarkable than he had antic.i.p.ated, so he easily hunted down several abominations. And yet, one creature had managed to escape from him after being thoroughly defeated, mostly because of the approaching Crushing. That was when he discovered how the [Prince of the Underworld] enchantment really worked. Its description said that the onyx armor grew stronger according to the number of opponents its wielder defeated… and it did exactly that. The enchantment didn't care whether the opponent lived or died, all that mattered to it was that the enemy lost. After the Nightmare Creature Sunny had beaten escaped, the counter of the enchantment still changed from [1215/6000] to [1216/6000]. He tested it in a battle with another abomination, bringing it to the door of death and then walking away without delivering the last blow. The counter went to [1217/6000]. So, Sunny hoped to kill two birds with one stone in the Dreamscape — to both elevate his technique and satiate the requirements of the [Prince of the Underworld] with a constant stream of victories. Now that he had finally bought his own home and gained access to a sufficiently secure simulation pod, the chance to do so was finally in his grasp. ...But first, he needed to send Lanard away. The two of them returned to the ground floor. The short man looked around and asked with a somewhat forced smile: "I… I hope that everything was to your liking, sir?" Trying not to show how weird it was for him to be addressed as "sir", still, Sunny gave him a curt nod and answered evenly: "Yes. It will do." Lanard hesitated for a few moments, then said: "Good. Great! Ahem… would you like to subscribe to our active security service? Many Awakened find it beneficial to have a dedicated security… team… guarding… uh…" The short man started to give him an obviously practiced sales pitch, but under Sunny's indifferent gaze, his voice grew quieter and quieter, until eventually disappearing completely. Sunny smiled slightly. "I would not, Lanard. Do you really presume to be able to guard… me?" Lanard gulped, then shook his head. "Ha! Ha-ha. No, of course not. What I was thinking about, even? Please forgive me, sir." He looked away, then hurried to change the subject: "In any case, as you can see, the interior is rather empty. We left s.p.a.ce for your to fit your… ahem… things. If you don't mind me asking, when are the movers arriving?" Sunny stared at him, then shrugged. "They're not. I don't own a lot of... things." By which he meant that the clothes on his back and the stuff in his pockets were the total sum of his worldly possessions. Lanard sighed, then nodded: "How profound. Indeed, people these days are too preoccupied with material possessions. They define themselves through the ownership of things, not noticing that those things actually own them. I envy your wisdom, sir." '...What on earth is that guy going on about?' Sunny stared at Lanard's tailored suit and antique watch with hidden envy. Those had to be expensive… The short man caught the direction of his gaze, and blushed with embarra.s.sment. "Anyway! If no one is coming, then we can conclude the deal right here and now. I wouldn't want to… take too much of your precious time!" They signed a few doc.u.ments. All payments had been made in advance, so this was just a formality... but, despite that, completing this meaningless ritual made Sunny feel a deep and powerful emotion. In a few minutes, Lanard was gone, leaving him alone in his new home. The first home he had in many, many years. ReadNovelFull.me?
392	Chapter 392 Birth of a Legend For a while, Sunny stood motionlessly in the living room. Then, he slowly wandered around the house, looking at its walls and tastefully furnished rooms. Finally, he found himself near the refrigerator and took out a gla.s.s bottle full of clear, pure water. With it in hand, Sunny walked outside and sat down on the porch. The terrace district was quiet and peaceful. The air was still cold, but the sunlight was already full of warmth, promising a vibrant spring. The wind rustled the leaves gently, and streams of melt.w.a.ter murmured softly as they ran down the pavement. Sunny stared at the piece of land that he now owned and opened the gla.s.s bottle. He spent quite a while there, sipping water and looking at nothing in particular. As hours pa.s.sed, several PTVs drove by. He saw a few people in clean and warm clothes. A bit later, droves of children and teenagers in school uniforms walked past, on their way home from their studies. After that, he sighed, retrieved his shadows, and went back inside. Bringing the empty bottle back to the refrigerator, he stared at it for a few moments. Inside, there was food… so much food. Enough food to last him for a month. All easily accessible, delicious, and well within his means. …Before Sunny knew it, his fist slammed into the door of the refrigerator, easily piercing the thin metal sheets and turning the vegetables stored on the other side into vapor. Pieces of metal and plastic flew in the air, and the whole house trembled slightly. The refrigerator itself cracked and deformed, nearly bursting apart from the force of the impact. Sunny stared at his hand in shock, then awkwardly retrieved it from inside the devastating device and looked at the broken thing with dismay. ReadNovelFull.me "...c.r.a.p!" Now he was going to have to buy a new one. And replace all the food. And clean up all the mess… 'What the h.e.l.l is wrong with me?' Shaking his head, he put the empty gla.s.s bottle on the counter, sighed, and went to find a mop. \\\* Some time later, Sunny returned to the bas.e.m.e.nt and approached the Dreamscape pod. He looked at it for a while, then turned around and paced around the armored dojo, frowning. 'Come on now… you've been preparing for this for a long, long time.' As he paced, his whole presence slowly changed. The way Sunny walked, the way he held himself, the way his hands moved all became slightly different. "There are six G.o.ds. The War G.o.d, also known as the G.o.d of Life. The Beast G.o.d, also knowns as the G.o.ddess of the Moon. The Sun G.o.d…" As he recited the names of the G.o.ds and their various aspects, the manner in which he spoke also changed. The difference was subtle, but noticeable. One after another, Sunny changed every little bit of behavioral traits that could be traced back to him. He had spent a lot of time training for this moment, using the physical malleability of a Shadow Dance pract.i.tioner to make himself unrecognizable. Surprisingly, the task had turned out much easier than he had thought. It was basically his specialty, anyway. Weaver's Mask could protect his ident.i.ty from all who would wish to learn it through magic, but he had to deal with mundane forms of identification on his own. After a while, when he was ready, Sunny undressed, approached the simulation pod, and climbed into its cradle. As the polished mask of black wood appeared on his face, the lid closed. A string of shimmering letters appeared in front of him. "Enter Dreamscape?" "Yes" "No" He sighed, then concentrated on the "Yes". A few moments later, his vision darkened. \\\* Sunny found himself standing in a boundless, black void. All around him, countless stars burned with ethereal light, an inconceivably complex weave of strings connecting them together. …There was, however, no logic or sense in the pattern. He didn't feel any meaning hidden in the beautiful weave of the strings of light. It was just a pretty backdrop, and nothing more. A fake. Other than that, though, the simulation was pretty realistic. He looked down and saw his naked body, the Soul Serpent coiling around his arms and torso. The Dreamscape recreated his appearance to the sma… uh… in great detail. '...Huh.' Shaking his head in bewilderment, Sunny summoned the Mantle of the Underworld. It weaved itself from black threads and covered his body. As soon as it did, a pleasant voice resounded in the darkness. "Challenger! Welcome to the Dreamscape." Sunny summoned the Autumn Leaf — a small charm that allowed him to change the color of his hair. After a short hesitation, he made them appear white. 'What next? How do I fight people?' The pleasant voice promptly responded: "Before proceeding further, please choose an alias." He blinked a couple of times, then scratched a back of his head. 'Oh, right. An alias…' After some though, Sunny remembered the legend of Odysseus that Neph like to talk about, and smiled. "n.o.body." That would be a good alias… he could already imagine how funny it would be, to hear something like "n.o.body has defeated the enemy!" or "n.o.body has won!". His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the voice of the Dreamscape: "Alias "n.o.body" is taken. Please choose another." "Uh…" He did not expect that. What would be a better… "Alias "Uh" is taken. Please choose another." "What? No, wait!" "Alias "What? No, wait!" is taken. Please choose another." Sunny shut his mouth, then thought for a while. His alias had to not only sound nice, but also be the opposite of what he would ever call himself in real life. Just like his movement and speech patterns, it had to be a part of the disguise. That's why coming up with one was not that easy… In the next few minutes, he tried a dozen different aliases, all to the same result. The level of coolness of the aliases he could come up with rapidly dropped, while the level of his irritation quickly rose. He felt as if the d.a.m.ned simulation was mocking him. Finally, Sunny growled in frustration and said the first word that came to his mind: "...Mongrel!" The Dreamscape was silent for a while. Then, it said: "Welcome, Mongrel. Please, choose a dream of your liking." 'Really?! Mongrel?! Well… mission accomplished, I guess! This is indeed the last thing I would want to be known as!' Oh, the irony… As Sunny huffed and puffed from frustration, several images appeared in front of him. All contained depictions of different environments, although most looked like an arena of some sorts. From his research, Sunny knew that the choice of an arena decided what type of opponents he would get to fight against. Some were available to everyone, some required a certain number of victories to be accessed. Professional duelists all spent their time in those elite dreams. 'Dreams… what a stupid name. If I was dreaming, I would be on the Chained Islands right now, wouldn't I?' His body was, indeed, awake right now. It's just that his mind was inside of an illusion. Regardless, what he needed was a place where he could fight sufficiently skilled amateurs without drawing too much attention. He knew just the place. Pointing at one of the images, Sunny said. "There." A moment later, the black void disappeared, and he was suddenly somewhere else. A loud voice thundered from somewhere above: "Challenger Mongrel has entered the Colosseum!" ReadNovelFull.me?
393	Chapter 393 Mongrel Sunny was standing on the floor of a vast oval arena. It was covered by sand, which had long ago turned red from all the blood spilled between these ancient walls. The merciless sun burned in the incandescent sky, and the smell of sweat, blood, and death a.s.saulted his nostrils. 'How... realistic.' A little disturbed, Sunny looked around and saw tall amphitheater stands rising high above the blood-soaked arena. Those were the spectator seats. A crowd was cheering from them, their voices full of macabre fascination, cruelty, and glee. Both men and women were dressed in archaic robes that left their arms and shoulders bare. With bloodthirsty smiles contorting their features, they looked like a horde of l.u.s.tful demons. Well… not all of them. Here and there, a strangely clothed person could be seen, observing the fights with a less barbaric expression. The people in archaic clothes were illusions, while the rest were actual observers. One didn't have to be connected to the Dreamscape to spectate the duels, but some quirky fans preferred to be there in person to achieve the feeling of maximum immersion. 'Lunatics. Those d.a.m.n simulation pods are too costly to use them for spectating…' Even though Sunny wasn't poor anymore, seeing such extravagance still pained him. Shaking his head, he finally turned his attention to the arena itself. Obviously, this illusory environment wasn't very original, but on the other hand, it was a cla.s.sic. More advanced dreams had vastly different decorations, ranging from realistic to completely fantastical, but for this low-level one, the company running Dreamscape chose a pretty basic narrative. It was an ancient coliseum — a place where slaves had once fought to entertain their masters, often to the death. ReadNovelFull.me Sunny didn't like it one bit. The Colosseum was based on a historical structure, but was much larger. Hundreds upon hundreds of warriors roamed the sand of the battle arena, some engaged in fights, some searching for an opponent. Out here in the Colosseum, most of the partic.i.p.ants were Awakened of high enough skill to be considered the elite among the amateurs, but not skillful enough to enter the professional leagues. Just what Sunny was looking for... maybe. Overall, while many of the duelists in the Dreamscape were talented fighters, at the end of the day, there were very few true masters among them. Real elites spilled blood in the Dream Realm, not in an illusion that had been conjured for the purpose of entertainment. So the level of competency of these people remained to be seen. Commanding the Soul Serpent to a.s.sume the form of the fearsome odachi, Sunny put the blade of the great sword on his shoulder and waited to be challenged. Due to his menacing black armor and fearsome mask, however, people seemed to be reluctant to approach. At least for a while. Soon, a young swordsman in a striking bloodred armor approached, a long and graceful espadon resting on his shoulder. With a smile, he looked at Sunny and said: "Haven't seen you around before… Mongrel? Are you new to the Coliseum?" Sunny tilted his head and studied the letters that appeared around the swordsman. "Paradise in Red" "Victories: 157" "Defeats: 103" 'Good enough.' Lowering the odachi, he answered in an even tone. "...I was born in the Coliseum." The swordsman smiled, then stepped forward. "Let me welcome you back, then." The voice of the Dreamscape immediately spoke, announcing the start of the fight: "Paradise in Red has challenged Mongrel!" They clashed on the bloodied sand, moving with enough speed to cause the wind to howl through their armor. Sunny had left one of his shadows on the ground, and wrapped another one around the Autumn Leaf, where it could do him no good — he didn't want to be too strong, so that his opponents were not completely outmatched and could properly showcase their styles. As for himself, he had completely abandoned both the flowing style that Nephis had taught him and the grounded technique that he had learned from Saint, relying only on his ability to shadow the enemy's movements. Paradise in Red was not a master of swordsmanship, but his skill level was not bad. Still, the young man wasn't a match for Sunny, even though he had to forego his practiced techniques and wasn't used to wielding the great blade of the odachi. The material form of the Shadow Serpent was truly formidable, but due to its size and nature, using it required a lot of adjustment. It was potentially far more devastating than any shorter blade could ever hope to be, but at the same time, demanded much more skill and strategy to be wielded efficiently. Any strike it delivered was potentially deadly, but so was every mistake made in the process. Sunny prolonged the fight for as long as he could, learning as much as possible from how his opponent moved and wielded the sword. In the end, however, the strain of the duel turned out to be too much for the other fighter — he wasn't very strategic at how he spent his soul essence, so after five minutes or so, his speed and strength decreased sharply. Sunny sighed and ended the duel with one precise slash of the Soul Serpent. The great sword flashed across the enemy's neck, sending his head flying into the air. The beheaded corpse fell to the ground in a rain of blood, then disappeared in a stream of sparks. The voice of the Dreamscape thundered from above: "Mongrel has won!" 'Too bad…' Five minutes was not enough to truly learn the essence of a battle style. However, Sunny was certain that he would face another pract.i.tioner of this battle art eventually. There were not that many popular styles among the amateurs, after all. A few days or weeks later, he was bound to fight against someone with a similar technique again. Attracted by his flashy victory, a few more challengers approached. Sunny flourished the Soul Serpent, then stopped it abruptly midair. Drops of blood flew to the sand, leaving the dark blade perfectly clean. Under the mask, he grinned. 'Ah, so cool. Good thing that I learned this trick from Saint, too…' \\\* "Argh! Are you even human?!" Another Awakened fell to the sand, blood flowing from his mouth. Sunny took a step forward and slashed down with the Shadow Serpent, easily cutting through the opponent's light armor and splitting his body in half. The great sword he wielded... was truly devastating. As the corpse disappeared, he cleaned the curved blade of the odachi with a swift flourish and answered with a dejected lie: "Human? I am not, and have never been, a human." By that time, a small crowd of Awakened had gathered around to spectate the fights and wait for their turn to challenge him. Hearing his words, one of them laughed: "If you are not human, then what are you?" Sunny glanced at him, then shrugged. "A mongrel." Internally, though, he was thinking: '...What the heck?!' In the past several hours, he had fought twenty-seven people. And out of them, twenty-five — twenty-five! — had been using the same battle style. It was a practical, but rather simplistic art that relied on straightforward, efficient movements and attacks that were optimal in terms of lethality and energy expenditure, but for the same reason very predictable. In the hands of a master, the style could have been a real menace, but with these talented amateurs, it was useless against anyone with a tiny bit of clarity. Several of the Aspects the challengers possessed had thrown him for a loop, but in the end, he had defeated them all one after another, gaining a solid grasp of the essence of their style by the twentieth pract.i.tioner he fought. These people were not exactly untalented, but Sunny felt the difference between them and himself sharply. He had to remind himself that, unlike him, they had not spent a whole year fighting for their lives in the h.e.l.l of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e. Most of these young men and women had probably only experienced a handful of real battles in their entire lives: a few in the First Nightmare, and a few on their way to the Gateway. After that, they lived in well-protected Citadels and only ventured outside the walls in large cohorts... if ever. 'Disappointing…' Although the counter of the [Prince of the Underworld] had grown by twenty-seven victories, Sunny was slightly irritated. This was not what he had hoped for. Variety, he needed variety. He needed to create a truly versatile library of styles to allow Shadow Dance to be more efficient in the future. The more basic styles he learned, the easier it would be for him to shadow a truly unique technique if he needed to. ...As he was thinking that today was a complete bust, a sudden wave of whispers ran both through the crowd of the Awakened fighters and the human spectators observing them from the stands. A dozen or so meters behind Sunny, a tall figure suddenly appeared out of thin air. When people saw the new arrival, their eyes widened. ReadNovelFull.me?
394	Chapter 394 One Strike Leo Striker appeared on the Colosseum and looked around with a bit of nostalgia. A few years ago, at the very start of his career, he had been a frequent visitor of this arena… this was where it all had started for him. Times had changed, of course. Using the few moments before he was recognized, Leo smiled widely and said: "Well, well, well. Did you really think that I would forget about the Public Mondays, guys? Of course not! This is a sacred tradition… SACRED, guys. Some of the Strike Force veterans might remember how I started in the amateur arenas, and now that I am a brilliant, famous, and incredibly handsome celebrity, I have to return here from time to time. To, you know… stay humble." There were currently around twenty thousand people watching his broadcast, and pretty much all of them immediately exploded with a flood of mocking messages. Glancing at the Broadcaster Interface that Dreamscape provided to popular duelists like him, he grinned and winked, humored by some of the good-natured jabs thrown his way. Leo Striker was not the most extraordinary fighter in the Dreamscape, but over these past few years, he had gathered a rather large following thanks to his skill, flair, and boisterous personality. He was so popular, in fact, that thousands of younger Awakened became enamored with the battle style he and a few of his duelist buddies practiced. As the result, the Roaring Lion Strike style had become all the rage among the amateur duelists, and his old mentor was now flooded by a deluge of new pupils. That fact really warmed Leo's heart… he was glad to be able to repay the old man for all his patience. Leo spent most of his days partic.i.p.ating in top-level duels on the professional league arenas, but on Mondays, he liked to visit a public dream or two, chat with fans, fight a few amateurs and provide them with pointers as a way to give back to the community. Today was one such Monday. ReadNovelFull.me Looking around the Colosseum, Leo noticed a small gathering a dozen or so meters away from him and headed over. As he walked, he heard excited voices: "Hey… isn't that Leo Striker?!" "No way… wait! It's him! I can recognize that gorgeous armor with my eyes closed!" "Leo! Love you, man! Keeping it real like always!" "Strike Force Roar! I've been watching your broadcasts for two years, Leo!" A friendly smile appeared on his face. Waving at several fans, he approached the crowd of challengers and glanced at the lone figure standing in the empty s.p.a.ce in the middle. 'Woah! This dude has style!' The man in the middle of the crowd wore a beautiful onyx armor that radiated a sense of solemn, dark menace. His face was hidden behind a fearsome black mask, with three twisting horns rising from it like a jagged crown. His hair was stark white, and there were two pools of impenetrable darkness in the place where his eyes were supposed to be. His weapon of choice was a long, curved odachi forged of l.u.s.terless black steel. It rested on his shoulder, seemingly devouring the bright light of the illusory sun. The stranger looked more like a demon than a human being. Leo let out an approving whistle. 'Is he also a broadcaster? Huh, I don't recognize those Memories.' He checked the stats of the demonic warrior. "Mongrel" "Victories: 27." "Defeats: 0." 'A newbie… but a talented one! A perfect KDA, what a rarity!' In any case, that guy was incredibly photogenic. A duel with him was not going to be interesting due to the gap in their skill, but it would definitely look stunning. Leo felt a little ashamed to break Mongrel's perfect streak, but this talented amateur would receive useful advice in return, which was far more useful. Who knows, they might meet again in the professional arena one day… Looking at the invisible camera, Leo raised an eyebrow and asked: "What do you say, Strike Force? Should we challenge that dark and handsome guy other there?" As the viewers expressed their approval, he approached Mongrel and gave him a friendly smile. "Hey there, friend. That's a big sword you got there. Do you even know how to use it?" Teasing the opponent was another sacred tradition of the Dreamscape, and Leo was rather good at it. Mongrel shifted slightly and faced him. The disturbing mask stared at Leo, making him shiver slightly for no apparent reason. "No." Leo laughed. "No? You don't know how to use your sword? Well, would you like me to teach you?" The demonic warrior stared at him and didn't even move. "No." 'What's up with that dude? Does he not know other words? Come on, work with me here, buddy! I am dying here, trying to make this duel entertaining…' With a sigh, Leo stepped forward and unsheathed his own blade. The viewers once again exploded with a flood of messages, and at the same time, the voice of the Dreamscape announced: "...Leo Striker has challenged Mongrel!" \\\* 'G.o.ddammit!' Sunny stared at the young man in a beautiful azure armor, cursing his luck. 'Why can't he get a hint?!' Even though Sunny couldn't say a word of truth while wearing Weaver's Mask, he tried to communicate his reluctance to fight this guy... to no result whatsoever. He didn't have anything against the new challenger… what did the Dreamscape call him, Leo?... but there was one problem. Just from the way the young man walked, Sunny could tell that he practiced the same d.a.m.ned battle style that everyone else here seemed to practice. And Sunny had more than enough of it for one day. 'Ugh…' His time in the real world was limited, so he really hoped to experience a more diverse collection of opponents before it ran out. 'Maybe there's still hope. Maybe the next one is going to be different.' It was better to finish this fight quickly, then. Sending the happy shadow from the Autumn Lief to his body, Sunny lowered the Shadow Serpent and took a step forward. His opponent, meanwhile, smiled. "Let me teach you the first lesson. You should always…" '...wear a helmet into the battle, fool.' Dashing forward, Sunny easily deflected Leo's blow and pierced his head clean through by continuing the same motion. As the corpse of the eloquent young man fell down and disintegrated into a rain of sparks, he flourished the odachi to clean it from blood, returned to his previous spot, and indifferently put it on his shoulder. 'I swear to G.o.ds. The next person to challenge me better be using a different style. Otherwise… I might get angry!' \\\* Leo Striker found himself standing in a boundless black void, his mouth agape. His viewers, too, were uncharacteristically silent. 'One strike… one strike! He killed me in one strike?' He lingered for a few moments, then turned to the invisible camera and forced out an awkward smile. "That was… uh… that was really unexpected, right guys?" Then, his smile grew wide and sincere. "That, Strike Force, is what people call finding a diamond in a pile of… uh… dung! Incredible luck! Yeah, definitely a stroke of luck. Oh, by the way... has anyone clipped it?" ReadNovelFull.me?
395	Chapter 395 Roaring Lion,Hidden Dragon Leo sent the clip to a couple of his buddies and waited in the dark void, chatting with the viewers and laughing about his terrible performance in the duel against the demonic newbie. 'That Mongrel... there's something about him...' Just as he had expected, his friends joined him in the Dreamscape almost immediately after receiving the message. Yes, his defeat was rather embarra.s.sing… but there was an opportunity in every disaster! This was going to be a very special broadcast. A rare and bombastic… crossover episode! Answering the invitations, two figures joined him in the black void. The viewers grew silent for a moment, and then sent so many reactions that the Broadcast Interface almost crashed. Well, as expected. Both guests Leo had invited were very prominent duelists, at least as popular as he was himself, or perhaps even more. One wore a heavy plate armor. There was a castle engraved on its breastplate, and four dragons depicted on his pauldrons and vambraces. This was Daoist Saifer, a renowned swordsman who possessed a powerful Aspect that allowed him to control fire. ReadNovelFull.me The other was a taciturn warrior in a grey silken robe. His alias in the Dreamscape was the Fool, and he was known to be one of the most peculiar and persistent duelists in the professional league. Leo grinned. "Hey there, Saifer. Hey there, Fool. Long time no see!" Saifer scoffed, then pointed at him. "Leo, my friend. What the h.e.l.l was that? You got killed by an amateur… in one strike!" The Fool simply shook his head and remained silent. Leo coughed in embarra.s.sment and looked down. "Yeah, well… it's not like the two of you never tasted a piece of humble pie, is it? If I remember correctly, Queen Bee decimated both of you just last week…" Saifer grinned. "I am ready to be killed by our n.o.ble Queen every day. But a newbie? Come on..." Leo shrugged, then pointed to his sword. "Alright, alright. But there's a reason the two of you arrived so quickly, right? You saw it too?" The two duelists glanced at each other, then slowly nodded. Leo turned to the camera and smiled brilliantly. "What? None of you battle geniuses have noticed it? Well, well, well. It's this rare moment when I get to mock my dear viewers and their insufferable expert advice!" He gestured to his friends, then continued: "For those Strike Force veterans who still remember the early days of my broadcasting… as you might know, these two distinguished gentlemen are actually not only my colleagues, but also disciples of the same cranky old man who taught me swordsmanship. Basically, the three of us are childhood friends, and we practice the same ingenious battle style. The Roaring Lion Strike style." He paused, and then sighed mysteriously. "And while it hurts my pride a little to have been defeated by an unknown novice, the real reason why I was so shocked by our duel… IS… YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT... oh yeah, before we do this, I should mention the sponsor of today's…" Saifer rolled his eyes and interrupted him. "Cut it, Leo! What he was going to say is that the masked guy used the Roaring Lion Strike style to defeat that dolt. And while there are many — lots and lots, really — people who can beat that loud nuisance in a heartbeat, the fact that someone done so while using our own style is very interesting." Leo glanced at his friend with vitriol, but then gave up on the ad break and nodded. "Indeed. So, the three of us are going to go and see who that Mongrel really is, and what is he really capable of…" \\\* Sunny felt that something weird was going on in the Colosseum after he dispatched the young man in azure armor. The other Awakened seemed to stare at him with a bit of confusion… shock, even. The same went for the human spectators in the amphitheater. Many had changed seats to get closer to him. 'What's the matter with all these people? Did I go overboard and move too fast?' But no, he had measured his dash to not appear too powerful. Maybe they just liked the spectacle? Sunny was, indeed, giving them a good show. Not that doing so was his intention... 'Anyway… why is no one challenging me? Stop wasting my time, people! I'm on a tight schedule!' Indeed, no one in the small crowd of Awakened that had been waiting for their turn to fight him seemed willing to step forward now. Sunny stared at them in boredom for a few minutes, trying to understand what was going on. They had been very eager just a few moments ago, no? Then, someone finally walked toward him, unsheathing a formidable-looking sword. The guy was wearing plate armor, with an intricate engraving of a castle and four dragons decorating its polished surface. He looked strong, n.o.ble, and experienced. 'You. Must. Be. Kidding me!' The same style… he was obviously practicing the same d.a.m.n style! As Sunny's eyes narrowed, the voice of the Dreamscape announced: "Daoist Saifer has challenged Mongrel!" Before the guy in plate armor could even attack, Sunny unceremoniously bashed him in the face with the pommel of the odachi, swiped his foot, and then viciously thrust the tip of the great sword into the narrow crack of his visor. As blood flowed from the steel helmet, the voice of the Dreamscape thundered once again: "Mongrel has won!" The faces in the crowd grew a bit pale. 'What the h.e.l.l is wrong with these people?! Is there no one here who knows a different style?!' Before Sunny could even clean the blade of the Shadow Serpent, a new challenger approached. This one was wearing a grey silken robe. "The Fool has challenged Mongrel!" The b.a.s.t.a.r.d was wielding a heavy saber… and using the same cursed battle art! Sunny let out a low growl and dashed forward. The Fool turned out to be more nimble and aware than the last two fighters. He managed to sidestep the attack… sadly, it had turned out to be just a feint. Before he could correct his footing, the odachi pierced his chest and exited from his back. Sunny tore the great sword out of the enemy's body and stepped back in frustration. The man in the grey silken robe swayed and stared at the growing red patch on his silk garment. Looking up at Sunny, he silently gave him a thumbs up, then collapsed to the sand in a rain of sparks. "Mongrel has won!" 'Curse it all! Do I need to go to a professional arena to find a proper opponent?!' These people were not, exactly, bad fighters… the three last ones especially… but why on earth were all of them so similar to each other? Sunny looked around and noticed that the Colosseum was deathly silent. Everyone was staring at him with strange expressions. 'Wait… don't tell me…' He scowled behind the mask, a terrible suspicion entering his mind. 'Is… is this whole arena meant for pract.i.tioners of a single style? Was I breaking some unspoken taboo this whole time? That would be a b.a.s.t.a.r.d move… no, wait, that doesn't make any sense. I was using the same style as them…' Suddenly, a familiar face approached him from the crowd. It was the young man in the azure armor. Lion Beater, or whatever… 'No… oh G.o.ds, please no! I don't want to fight him again…' The young man stopped a few meters away from Sunny, hesitated for a few moments, then smiled and asked in a light tone: "Mongrel, my friend... if you don't mind me asking… what are you even doing here, in this amateur arena?" Sunny rolled his eyes behind the mask. The answer was really simple: he was here to learn. But he couldn't say that, of course. He was also too frustrated to come up with a creative lie. Staring at the young man, he allowed the Soul Serpent to disappear and become a tattoo again, then said somberly: "I am here to unlearn." Lion Beater blinked a couple of times, then shifted his weight slightly, clearly intending to unsheath his sword. 'Enough of this!' With an irritated huff, Sunny commanded the Dreamscape to eject him from the arena and disappeared from the Colosseum in a shower of white sparks. Climbing out of the simulation pod, he stared at it with resentment, then suddenly flinched and grabbed his hand with another. "No, no… we don't want the refrigerator accident to happen again, not to this beautiful, shiny, extremely expensive pod… right? Right! I should… I should probably go and get some fresh air… try it again next time, on a more challenging arena…" With that, he threw the last glance at the high-tech device, and walked away. …What Sunny did not see, though, was the crowd of Awakened back in the Colosseum, all staring at the empty s.p.a.ce where he had stood a minute ago. Leo Striker stared at it, too, a thoughtful expression on his face. A few seconds later, he said quietly: "To… unlearn? Huh." ReadNovelFull.me?
396	Chapter 396 Viral Sensation Sunny salvaged some food from the destroyed fridge, had a very late supper, and went down to the bas.e.m.e.nt again, this time to travel to the Chained Isles. By then, all shadow essence he had spent during the duels and to keep the Mantle of the Underworld from turning back to stone had already been restored. Wearing the onyx armor required a constant flow of essence to maintain the [Leaving Stone] enchantment active, and with the Soul Serpent a.s.suming its weapon form, Sunny couldn't use the Shadow to keep the expenditure to a minimum. Wearing the Mantle for prolonged periods of time was rather draining... however, it was also a perfect way to train himself on how to manage essence most efficiently. He had no complaints. ...It was funny, though, that the Dreamscape required a person to expend real essence despite being just an illusion. 'Oh well.' Climbing into his new, state-of-the-art sleeping pod, Sunny lay comfortably in the soft cradle and smiled. 'No more sore muscles! Finally.' With that, he closed his eyes, and very quickly fell asleep. While his soul wandered the Dream Realm and his body slept, locked in an underground bunker behind multiple layers of protection, though... several things happened in the real world. ReadNovelFull.me The clip of his short duel against Leo Striker had unexpectedly gone viral. All around the planet, countless people watched it with a wide range of reactions. Some found it funny, some fascinating, while some simply scrolled past it as they watched their feeds. Even those who did not have any interest in the Awakened duels found it striking, though. The image of an infernal wraith clad in black onyx armor defeating a charming, n.o.ble human warrior with one swift and ruthless strike was, indeed, very cinematic… just how Leo had predicted. Even if, to his dismay, the roles had ended up being switched. What's more, even though Sunny had not even known that their fight was being broadcasted, he accidentally looked directly at the invisible camera right after cruelly putting the tip of his odachi through the opponent's eye. The image of the fearsome black mask staring emotionlessly directly at them, two pools of darkness hiding the eyes of the human being behind it, sent shivers down the spines of people watching the clip. It was chilling, arresting, and strangely hypnotic. Many of them had the same question after watching the clip on repeat several times… Was there even a human there, behind the scary mask? People who followed the Dreamscape leagues, however, had an entirely different reaction. Although they, too, appreciated the undeniable aesthetic value of the short and striking duel, they paid more attention to the actual meaning of it. How could a completely unknown novice defeat an established and well-regarded duelist, someone as famous as Leo Striker… in just one strike? The exact moment when Sunny delivered the deadly blow was a.n.a.lyzed, disa.s.sembled, and put under the microscope. Was it skill or pure luck? Was it intentional or accidental? Did Leo make a mistake, or was his mysterious adversary just that much better? The answer was rather confusing: no one had the slightest idea. Obviously, once people became curious, they didn't stop on just that one viral clip. Rather swiftly, every fight and every word that Sunny had uttered during his infuriating visit to the Dreamscape were found and published for everyone to see. ...Once people saw the contents of those recordings, the whole duelist circle was violently shaken. One shock was followed by another, and then by yet another, still. The first thing that people found during their investigation was two more short clips. One showed Mongrel killing Daoist Saifer in the span of a single second. The other showed Mongrel killing the Fool… once again, with a single ruthless strike. All in all, it took him less than a minute to easily crush three of the most renowned young duelists in the world. They weren't the absolute elite, but still some of the best the Dreamscape had to offer. The conclusion was obvious: his victory over Leo Striker was neither lucky nor accidental. Mongrel was, indeed… just that much better. But how could that be?! Was he some other famous duelist in disguise? People continued to dig, coming to a bewildering conclusion: the man who called himself Mongrel had never entered Dreamscape before that day. His profile showed only two pieces of information: "Victories: 30." "Defeats: 0." And: "Status: Offline." After that, many theories appeared postulating that Mongrel was, in fact, a Master who had visited the Dreamscape to have fun. There weren't that many Masters in the world, and all of them had much more crucial things to do than spend their time having illusory duels. Even if they did, however, those duels transpired in private arenas that were created specifically for the occasion, away from the public eye. Still, if Mongrel was a Master, that would explain it all. He was just much stronger... But he wasn't. That theory was debunked when the recordings of his other twenty-seven duels were unearthed. After watching them, the investigating enthusiasts became truly shaken — and for a very strange reason. It was because those recordings showed Mongrel actually struggling against much weaker opponents. Now wait a minute… what the h.e.l.l did that mean?! How could a man struggle against novices, fighting them for an average of five to ten minutes, and then kill three experienced professionals in three seconds? The answer was simply mind-boggling. While people who did not know much about combat techniques a.s.sumed that Mongrel had been just pretending to be weak, more knowledgeable experts came to a stunning conclusion… Mongrel only used the styles of his opponents to fight against them. He came into the Colosseum not knowing anything about the popular Roaring Lion Strike style, and mastered it in the span of a single evening to such degree that even the Fool, Daoist Saifer, and Leo Striker himself — the three fighters who had popularized the style in the first place — couldn't resist him even for a couple of seconds. Now, it was the experts' turn to shiver. Ironically, after understanding what exactly had transpired, they were left with the same question that the people who knew knowing about Awakened duels had after watching the viral clip. …Was the being wearing the black wooden mask even human? And all of them, regardless of their interests and level of knowledge about battle arts, were now wondering the same: "...Who the h.e.l.l is Mongrel?" ReadNovelFull.me?
397	Chapter 397 Mongrel's Wisdom ed his every action and every word, trying to find some hint to his ident.i.ty, background, and standing. Although there was not much to learn, they gradually came to perceive his sayings as rather meaningful. ...In fact, people ended up finding too much meaning in them, even though there was none. It was all just awkward lies Sunny had come up with on the spot to fulfill the requirements of the [Simple Trick]. He had never, ever intended to say something profound. But when had good intentions ever stopped people from over-complicating things? Without Sunny knowing anything about it, Mongrel had gained a… philosophy. "Are you new to the Coliseum?" "...I was born in the Coliseum." Sitting in a school cafeteria, two students stared at a cheap communicator, their eyes burning with enthusiasm. One of the boys frowned, then asked in confusion: ReadNovelFull.me "I don't get it… what does he mean? Isn't the Colosseum just a Dreamscape arena? How could a person be born there?" His friend shook his head with disdain: "Idiot! Don't you get it? Mongrel doesn't mean that he was born in the Dreamscape! He means that he was born in battle. Those ancient gladiators were slaves forced to fight to the death against their will. Aren't Awakened the same? They are infected by the Spell and have no choice but to battle Nightmare Creatures to survive. In a sense, all Awakened were born in the Colosseum…" Somewhere in the outskirts, several workers had gathered together during their short break. "Are you even human?" "What is a human? I am not, and have never been, a human." One of the workers shivered. "Scary… do you think that Mongrel is actually a Nightmare Creature that infiltrated the real world?" Another shook his head. "No, of course not." The first sighed: "Then why would he say that he's not human?" The second worker looked at the dirty tunnel of the industrial air filter exhaust they were cleaning, then at his own calloused hands. "What the h.e.l.l does it even mean, to be a human? Do you think that you and I are really humans? No, you fool. That Mongrel has more brains than you, I swear. He at least understands that just having two legs and two hands does not make you a human. He gets how it is…" The third listened to their conversation and grimaced. "So what? Yeah, he gets it, but I don't see him complaining. That guy took the hand he was dealt and turned himself into a... a d.a.m.ned sword demon. What have you done? That's the lesson he is trying to teach us, I think. No one will treat you as a human unless you behave like one…" Far away, in the Sleeper compound of the Academy, a group of young men and women were looking at a screen. "That's a big sword you got there. Do you even know how to use it?" "No." "No? You don't know how to use your sword? Well, would you like me to teach you?" "No." One of the Sleepers scratched the back of his head, then asked: "I don't get it. Why did Mongrel lie about not knowing how to use a sword? He is obviously a very experienced fighter. Maybe even a Legacy! Was he trying to trick Leo into underestimating him?" A girl standing near him chuckled. "He didn't lie. Why would Mongrel need to trick Leo? He would win against him fair and square, regardless. No, there's a deeper meaning in his words." The other Sleeper raised an eyebrow: "What meaning?" The girl smiled knowingly. "Only a boastful duelist like Leo Striker would claim to know his way around a sword. A true master, one who battles Nightmare Creatures in the Dream Realm instead of playing games with pampered Awakened in the Dreamscape, would know that they have infinitely more yet to learn than they already know. That's what Mongrel meant. No matter how good he is, he understands that in the grand scheme of things, his skill and power are like that of an infant." Her friend was quiet for a while, then asked: "If that's the case, then why did he say that he doesn't want to learn more?" The girl shook her head. "He didn't say that he doesn't want to learn. He said that he doesn't want Leo to teach him. The true enemy of an Awakened is the Spell, not other humans. That's why Mongrel doesn't want to be taught by battling humans... even if he has to. And also, if someone is strong like Mongrel, they can end a fight with one strike. But true strength… true strength is not needing to strike at all. Maybe that's what Mongrel wants. To become powerful enough so that he never has to bare his sword again…" And just a few hundred meters away from them, on her way to the Academy hospital complex, a young woman in a wheelchair was staring at her communicator with an amused expression on her face. "What are you doing here, in this amateur arena?" "I am here to unlearn." This quote, especially, had become a topic of heated discussion across the network. Among the duelist, it caused a whole philosophical storm. Countless Awakened were pa.s.sionately debating its meaning. No one knew what exactly Mongrel meant, but everyone had at least a theory. The only thing everyone agreed on was that his short statement hid profound, fundamental wisdom about the nature of combat and ways to become a master of it. …Not Effie, though. Looking at her communicator, she shook her head and said: "To unlearn? Huh, that guy must have hit his head one too many times. What a dimwit." Then, she looked at the image once again, and added: "And also, what's up with that armor? It looks so familiar. For a moment, I thought that Sunny's Echo has run wild. Ha, what a fun idea… the look on his face would have been priceless!" With that, she shook her head, deactivated the communicator, and continued on her way. Effie had more important things to do than waste her time thinking about mongrels... The rest of the world, though, apparently did not. ReadNovelFull.me?
398	Chapter 398 Master of his Trade Blissfully oblivious to the storm his visit to the Dreamscape was causing back in the real world, Sunny opened his eyes on the Altar Island of the Sanctuary. Because of how much time he had spent fruitlessly searching for worthy opponents on the Colosseum, he arrived on the Chained Isles much later than he usually would. The sunset was still a few hours away, and the sky was clear and bright. He was welcomed by the familiar murmur of flowing water, the rustling of leaves, and a cool breeze. Sunny flinched slightly and threw a resentful glance at the deep pool of clean water surrounding the small piece of land on which the altar and the ancient tree stood. During his first visit to the Sanctuary, Saint Tyris herself had brought him here from the real world. Both of them had appeared near the altar… there had been a small problem, though. Sunny had materialized a bit further than people usually did, and as the result, plunged straight into the pool instead of landing on solid ground. Not a big setback. However, in a moment of disorientation, he almost had a heart attack. Falling into water reminded him of his first minutes on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e just too much. For a second, he had thought that he was back in that G.o.dforsaken place… Ever since that day, Sunny never ended up in the water instead of on the soil of the Altar Island again, but the scare that first time had given him was still fresh in his memory. 'Not today!' With a triumphant smirk, he left the white altar behind and headed toward the ring of tall menhirs. ReadNovelFull.me Now that it was day, the Sanctuary looked more populated. Groups of Awakened rested on the gra.s.s of the park, some discussing upcoming ventures into the wilderness, some simply killing time until they were able to return to the real world. One couldn't just enter the Gateway immediately after appearing in the Dream Realm. Perhaps because the soul wasn't able to withstand traveling between worlds too often, perhaps because the Spell did not wish for them to return too quickly, or perhaps for some another, unknown reason, Awakened had to wait several hours before being allowed to use a Gateway again. The exact time they had to wait was slightly different from person to person, but in general, it was somewhere around ten hours. During these hours, those Awakened who did not wish to risk their lives in the wild expanses of the Dream Realm usually went about their business or fulfilled their duties to the Citadel. A lot of work went into keeping human enclaves in the Dream Realm going. Apart from the obvious demand to keep watch on the walls and fight off attacking Nightmare Creatures, mundane tasks like cleaning and preparing food were also shared among the inhabitants of the Citadels. In a sense, each Citadel was a settlement — some were small, some large enough to house thousands upon thousands of the Awakened. The population of the three Great Citadels was even higher, with hundreds of thousands of humans visiting them every day. The Sanctuary was a rather tiny Citadel, in comparison, so each of the Awakened anch.o.r.ed here had to do their share of work to preserve it. Luckily, Sunny had been a.s.signed a role of an advanced scout — in exchange for his reports about the things he noticed during his expeditions and the movements of Nightmare Creatures across the Isles, he was all but freed from other tasks, only occasionally having to do a small ch.o.r.e or stand watch during the darkest hours of the night. He was rather happy with that situation. Sunny greeted a few people he was on somewhat friendly terms with, entered the interior of the Sanctuary, then headed to his room. Now was a good time to finish the things he had not done during his last visit. Namely, exchange the soul shard he had collected for Memories or credits… oh, and to properly study the ancient coin to draw and describe it for Teacher Julius later. But the useless coin could wait. Right now, Sunny really wanted to satiate his avarice. Unlocking the chest that stood at the foot of his bed, he fished out the soul shards off its bottom and unceremoniously threw them into the pack. The strange fruits he had gathered during his last journey also went there, leaving the chest more or less empty. Noticing the golden coin glinting between a few curios that Sunny had collected in the past two months, he hesitated for a moment, then shrugged, picked it up, and hid it under one of the Puppeteer Shroud's vambraces. 'All set…' It was time to haggle. Returning to the park contained within the inner circle of the Sanctuary, Sunny glanced at the Awakened gathered there, walked over to a big, sun-washed rock, and sat down on it. Taking out the soul shards, he placed them on its surface and waited patiently, pretending to be bored and indifferent. It almost looked as if he was simply enjoying the sun, while the soul shards had somehow appeared near him by accident. In the beginning, Sunny had to walk around and initiate trades, but by now, the inhabitants of the Sanctuary had already caught wind of the fact that he often had soul shards to trade. Sunny just had to keep his trading operation seemingly humble, at least on the surface. If people knew how many Nightmare Creatures he really killed, things would become a bit difficult. He was known to be from the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, which gave him a bit of leeway of how deadly of a hunter he could appear to be, but it was still wise to keep the full extent of his competency to himself. Of all the people on the Chained Island, only Saint Tyris and her trusted aids knew about his SS evaluation. So whatever soul shards Sunny didn't sell to the local Awakened, he sold directly to the White Feather clan, leaving all parties satisfied by the arrangement. Soon, the first customer approached, looking at the gleaming crystals with burning eyes. Sunny smiled brightly. "Oh, hey there. Looking to trade for a shard or two? Well, you're in luck, my friend... Sunny's Brilliant Emporium is currently open for business!" ReadNovelFull.me?
399	Chapter 399 Golden Coin If there was one thing Sunny missed about the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, it was how scarce the resources out there were. As the result, the value of soul shards was way higher there than back in the real world. Well… the parts of the Dream Realm that were better connected to the real world, at least. Not that shards were cheap here. It's just that the deals Sunny was able to make were not as lucrative as the ones he had made in the Dark City. He was also not able to bring the soul shards back to the real world with him, which also affected the final price. In the end, the collection of crystals he had gathered during his last trip through the Chained Island — including those retrieved from Fallen creatures — only landed him three Memories of questionable utility. He fed them to Saint, bringing her shadow fragment counter to [163/200]. 'Not bad, I guess.' After concluding his business in the park, Sunny went to the kitchens and traded the fruits he had found for a bunch of credits. The fruits were a very rare commodity on the Chained Isles — they could not be made into anything even remotely useful or advantageous, but some bright mind in the Sanctuary had once come up with a method to make them into a very hard-hitting and tasty wine. Sunny himself had sworn off alcohol after his experiences on the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, but he wasn't against making some money from it. In the early days of the Sanctuary, the wine was all the rage among the local Awakened. Not too long after it had been established, most of the man-eating vines that grew the fruits had been hunted down to extinction on the island surrounding the Citadel. Now, only people who went further and risked their lives more had a chance to find several fruits, so the cost was rather substantial. 'That should… uh… buy me a new fridge, I think.' ReadNovelFull.me Sunny had only a very vague idea of how much refrigerators cost, but suspected that this recent exchange would be enough to cover the expenses of shopping for a new one. All in all, he was satisfied with the result of his recent expedition. He was progressing at a steady pace and slowly gathering everything he needed to make it even faster. ...Just in time, considering that Nephis was days away from becoming a devil. With a slight frown, he exited the ring of menhirs and looked up. The trades took him several hours to complete, so it was already night. The crescent moon was visible in the dark sky, and the winds grew cold and forceful. Up above, heavy clouds were gathering. 'I think it's going to rain.' Suddenly in a sullen mood, Sunny sighed and thought about his plans. Usually, he would be charting out a route for his next venture into the Isles, either going for a yet unexplored ruin or a habitat of the Nightmare Creatures he was preparing to challenge and kill. But these excursions took several days to complete, and he had a lot of business to take care of in the real world right now. 'Can I return already?' He had only spent around four hours in the Dream Realm, but sometimes, that was enough — for him, at least. Sunny had no idea why his experience with the Gateways was different from most other people, but suspected that it was either because of his two cores or because of the fact that he had spent an entire year in this dead world even before becoming an Awakened. Maybe the [Spark of Divinity] had something to do with it, too. In any case, he tended to avoid returning to the real world too fast too often, in order to not attract unnecessary attention. Today, however, he was willing to forego extra caution… the things waiting for him back there were very important, or at least pressing. With a shrug, Sunny headed toward the Altar Island. Walking on the stone path in complete darkness, he looked up at the veil of clouds hiding the moon and sighed. 'Not like I would really want to venture out in the rain, anyway.' Approaching the white monolith of the altar, Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then put his hand on it. Nothing happened. '...Oh. I guess it's too early, after all.' What a disappointment. With nothing to do but kill time and wait for the opportunity to activate the Gateway, Sunny paced a little, stared at the depths of the clear pool, then paced some more. Finally, he returned to the altar and grabbed the handle of the obsidian knife laying on its surface… purely out of boredom. Sunny strained every muscle in his body and tried to lift the d.a.m.ned thing, but no matter how hard he pulled, the knife didn't move even by a millimeter. 'Move, d.a.m.n you!' However, there was no response. Giving up, Sunny grimaced and let go of the knife. 'Well, that's a bust… again...' As he did so, though, a heavy gold coin slid out from under his vambrace and fell on the polished surface of the altar with a melodic ring. It rolled a few times and then landed flat, the face of the beautiful person with the image of the crescent drawn on their forehead looking at him with a carefree smile. 'Oh, right… I have forgotten about that thing…' Sunny moved his hand to pick up the coin, but at that moment, the veil of clouds split slightly, letting through a beam of pure, pale moonlight. The light fell on the coin and made it gleam. …A moment later, the surface of the coin suddenly shone with ethereal radiance. The features of the person etched on it became sharper, then disappeared into the light. When the light dissipated, the coin was gone. Sunny stared at the empty spot where it had been just a few seconds ago with a bewildered expression. It was then when the Spell suddenly whispered into his ear: [Your Shadow grows stronger.] ReadNovelFull.me?
400	Chapter 400 Call of Treasure [Your Shadow grows stronger.] Sunny stared at the place where the coin used to be, then blinked. 'What just happened?' He dropped the coin on the altar, it was illuminated by the moonlight, and disappeared. And then, he received a shadow fragment. 'No way…' Holding back excitement, Sunny summoned the runes and read: Shadow Fragments: [198/2000]. The last time he checked, there was only one hundred and ninety-seven. He had definitely, without a doubt, just received a shadow fragment from the strange golden coin. 'So it wasn't an ordinary coin, after all!' ReadNovelFull.me A satisfied smile appeared on his lips. Not only was the coin special, it was even not cursed. On the contrary, it was blessed! 'Well, that was the easiest shadow fragment I have ever received…' Suddenly, his eyes widened. 'Wait…' Weren't there more coins he had left behind on the Iron Hand Island? Three more, at least, had been swallowed by the dead monstrosity. Before the thought fully formed in his mind, Sunny was already leaving the Altar Island. 'Two things… there are two things…' The first one was that other coins could, potentially, turn out the same as the first one and reward him with free fragments. The second one was that where there were three, there could be more… much more. The Fallen Demon he had discovered could have come from a place where a whole treasure trove of miraculous coins was hidden. A whole mountain of them, even. If Sunny was right and managed to somehow trace the path the creature took before dying… Who knew how much more powerful he would become? Trying to suppress the giddy feeling of discovering a huge and tantalizing secret, Sunny left the Sanctuary and headed toward the edge of the island. As the sound of waterfalls grew louder and the first drops of rain fell to the ground, a dark silhouette suddenly took a step towards him. It was one of the watchmen. "Huh… Sunny, right? Are you really going to go out in that weather?" Most of the watchmen here in the Sanctuary already knew that he was comfortable in the dark, so their initial surprise about seeing someone leave the Citadel at night had more or less disappeared by now. It was still strange for some of them, though. Sunny halted for a few moments, then smiled. "Yeah. Don't worry, I will be fine. I'm not going far, anyway. Just want to check something on the Iron Hand Island." The watchman hesitated, then shrugged. "Alright. Be careful out there. Night vision or not, this is not the time for humans." Sunny thanked the man for his concern, then walked past him. 'Not the time for humans? Good thing I am a monster, then…' Approaching the edge of the Sanctuary Island, he didn't waste any time and summoned the Dark Wing. Sunny was tempted to simply turn into a shadow and rush toward his goal, but he didn't want to show his powers near the Citadel so openly. 'Patient. Be patient…' Since the Dark Wing couldn't really allow him to fly, he glided above the chain for as long as he could, then landed on it and continued forward on foot. By that time, the rain was already falling rather heavily. The iron surface beneath his feet was treacherous and slippery, so Sunny had to be careful and watch his step, lest he plummeted down, into the Sky Below. He shivered, trying to think of a more terrible fate. With no means of real flight, he would just be falling through the darkness, endlessly, until his mind was gone and his body consumed itself from hunger, then slowly turned into dust. People on the Chained Isles loved to tell horrible stories about unfortunate souls who fell into the Below, and Sunny could easily understand their fear. For that reason, he was very careful not to slip. 'Only fools fall down, knowing what waits for them below. I would never…' As if to answer his thought, a gust of wind suddenly crashed into him from the side, and a distant bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. '...To h.e.l.l with this!' Not wishing to tempt fate, Sunny dove into the shadows and continued his journey as one of them. Soon, he arrived on the Iron Hand Island. The severed arm of the unknown metal giant was still there, making Sunny wonder once again what force could have torn it off the creature's body. Judging by the size of that thing, the owner of the arm must have been of monstrous proportions itself. Not really on the same scale as the walking colossus of the Forgotten Sh.o.r.e, but still undeniably gigantic. The remains of the winged demon that had swallowed the mysterious coins were there, too. However, they did not look the same. By now, only the bones of the fearsome abomination remained, all its flesh long devoured by the gluttonous scavengers of the nightmare world. The gra.s.s around the carca.s.s was now higher, too, and had changed its color from the usual green to bright red. The gra.s.s looked… satiated. Sunny grimaced. Out here in the Dream Realm, no creature or plant was really what they seemed. Otherwise, the thick forest on the island where he had battled the pack of Fallen Wolves would have been long ago destroyed by the Crushing. Even the most innocent things were twisted, corrupted, and predatory. Without sufficient caution, even a blade of gra.s.s could be deadly. …But he wanted those coins. Approaching the wide patch of bloodred gra.s.s, Sunny hesitated for a bit, and then took a step forward. He felt the ground moving slightly beneath him, the rustling of the raindrops changing tone as they fell on the gra.s.s. With a deep frown, Sunny summoned the Moonlight Shard and circulated his essence, sending it flowing furiously through the coils of the Soul Serpent. He also collected both his shadows and wrapped them around his body. The gra.s.s swayed slightly, and then grew still. A subtle smile appeared on Sunny's lips. Indeed, everything in the Dream Realm was dangerous and deadly… including humans. In fact, Awakened were perhaps one of the most fearsome tribes of creatures in this world, if not in terms of raw power, then at least due to their cunning, wickedness, and unpredictability. For something as weak as a blade of gra.s.s, it was wise to avoid angering one of the Awakened, especially one as dreadful as Sunny. 'Ah. It feels nice to be feared.' With nothing threatening him anymore, he walked over to the spot where he had seen the coins last and bent down, trying to find the alluring golden disks. They were just where he had left them. ReadNovelFull.me?

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