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 passionate 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?
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 gods, 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, participated 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 embarrassment.
"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 bastard 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 Shore 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 noble 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 Shore 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.
Chapter 372: Names of the Gods
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 gods?"
Teacher Julius looked at him and smiled:
"Ah! The gods. That is an interesting subject indeed."
He thought for a few moments, then said:
"Yes and no. The gods worshipped in different regions had different names, but from what we can tell, those names all described the same entities. The current consensus is that the "gods" 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 gods. 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 gods. 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 gods. 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 god is too vast of a being to be described with one word. Take the Goddess of War… oh, yes, their gender seems to be very mercurial… the War God is supposed to be the deity of warfare, and in a sense, he — or she — is. But he is also the god 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 Goddess of War can also be called the Goddess of Life. She is also the goddess of progress, technology, craft, intellect, and through all of this, the patron goddess of humanity."
Teacher Julius got engrossed in his favorite field and went on a small tangent:
"Or take the Beast God. He is also often described as the Goddess of the Moon, as well as hunting, carnal desire, blood, beauty, and the cycle of birth and death. The Sun God is also the Lord of Light, a manifestation of fire, passion, creation, and destruction. The Storm God is also the god of the depths, of the oceans, of darkness, stars, travel, guidance, and disaster. And so on…"
Sunny coughed.
"Uh… what about Shadow God?"
The eccentric instructor shrugged:
"Uh… I'm not too familiar with that one. As far as gods go, Shadow is not very prominent. Well, as a shadow should be, I guess. He is sometimes called the god 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 entities 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 gods 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 gods, 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 gods 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 gods 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 gods were dead, and the Unknown.
Strangely, he felt relieved.
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 Shore.'
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:
"Raised by Wolves"
"Nightingale"
"Song of the Fallen"
Effie, Kai, and Cassie…
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 Shore 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 damned…'
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 hell 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 hell 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 gods 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…"
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 Shore.
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:
"As all of you know by now, the Gateway of the Forgotten Shore 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 Cassie 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…"
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 embarrassment 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 glass, lingered for a bit, and then answered in a small voice:
"...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 Shore, 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 goddamn 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 assistant, 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 unassuming 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…
Chapter 376: Broken Oath
Summoning the runes, he glanced at a particular cluster.
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 Shore, 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 arsenal.
'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…
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 arsenal.
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.
'Damnation…'
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.
"Crap…"
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 Class: 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 passive 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 Shore 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…
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 assumed its true form.
'And now, the most important part…'
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 Goddes of the Black Skies again, the prideful demon retreated into the darkness beneath an unassailable mountain chain. He wasn't the first to lead his army against the gods. However, he was the first to shed their blood, as well as learn the secrets of his own.]
'Huh… lead an army against the gods?'
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 damned…"
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…'
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 Goddess of the Black Skies… Storm God?'
Teacher Julius had described Storm God 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 gods 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 gods 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 passed 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 button 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 hell."
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, bastard! Damn you! Crap!"
Sunny had a good reason to be screaming bloody 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 grass, a massive 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.
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 passed 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 damn 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 massive 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 bastard.
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 massive 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.]
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 anticipated, 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.
'...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 scraping 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 associated 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 hellish 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 carcass 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 hell?'
Surrounded by a halo of sunlight, a majestic griffin was quickly approaching the island. At first, Sunny assumed 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 identity of the unwelcomed visitor.