[SHADOW SLAVE] / Clash With Fate

In the darkness of Sunny's soul sea, three black suns stood above him, shining down on the shadows below. Around them, fields of light had gathered—some strong, some weak. And beneath them stood Sunny himself, gazing at the Echo of the Saint.

Echo: [Stone Saint]

Echo Rank: Awakened

Echo Class: Monster

Echo Traits: [Battle Master] [stalwart] [Mark of Divinity]

"You're back… oh, how I missed your silent company. Honestly, Saint, I won't be as stupid as I was before. You'll be my greatest investment."

Sunny reached out and touched the Saint, and as he did, new runic letters appeared:

[Convert Echo to Shadow?]

"Yes."

An imperceptible change spread across his soul sea. Two dark rays burst forth from his third core—one fell upon the Saint, the other headed toward one of the silent shadows in his soul sea. The light from the shadow core began to seep into the Saint's flesh, gradually altering her essence. Her flesh was replaced by darkness, leaving only two crimson flames glowing in her eyes.

When her transformation ended, the Saint regained consciousness. Standing at Sunny's height, she turned her gaze toward him and gave him a long look that said—I know you! The Saint moved through his soul sea, approached Sunny, and placed a hand gently on his face.

"Huh?… I see, you do remember me. I wasn't lying, Saint, when I said you'd have another chance."

The Saint nodded silently. Sunny slumped his shoulders in mild disappointment, then exited his soul sea.

Sunny had spent the previous days hunting in the Dark City alone. He wanted to gather enough shadow fragments to convert the Saint into a shadow. The problem with the Dark City was that Awakened creatures were relatively rare or tended to gather in groups. So he had to hunt alone. Crab was healing in his soul sea after the battle with the Stone Saints—his wounds were extremely severe, so he would remain there for a while.

Sunny moved through the Dark City, heading toward the hill—or more precisely, the Bright castle. He wanted to obtain the mantle of the underworld. Although [ShiRelth Armor] was good, it couldn't compare to the Mantel of the Underworld. As for how Sunny would obtain it without permission? It was simple. What could be more tempting to a merchant than soul shards?

Sunny had hundreds of Awakened soul shards—he even had some Ascended ones, though he wouldn't use those for purchases, lest he arouse suspicion in Steve.

Sunny traveled through the shadows. It would take him a while to reach the Bright castle—maybe a few hours before sunset. He didn't want to waste time, so he moved quickly, ignoring any monster in his path. Luckily, he didn't encounter any Fallen beasts—those would've delayed him.

When Sunny reached the base of the hill, tall walls—seven meters high—rose before him, with several towers of equal or slightly greater height above them. This was the outer settlement. Since many of the Sleepers had Aspects unsuited to combat or industry, Nephis had put them to work building walls and towers using materials gathered from the Dark City. These walls surrounded the outer settlement and gave them a sense of safety.

Sunny hadn't visited the outer settlement since leaving. The reason was that he'd been immersed in strengthening himself and didn't focus on the Sleepers' development. Frankly, he didn't want to interfere with how they grew or be their caretaker. He wanted them to become stronger through hardship. He could help them at the Crimson Spire—and even significantly reduce the number of monsters there. He already had a plan for that.

He ignored the outer settlement—he didn't want to see Nephis or the others just yet. He'd meet them and check on their status after obtaining the Mantel of the Underworld. Sunny soon reached the gate of the fortress, where he was stopped by the guards stationed there.

"What are you doing here, rat? There's nothing for your kind here. Now scram!"

Sunny didn't speak to him. He summoned the new storage Memory he had crafted, [Massive Bag], and pulled out three soul shards, tossing them to the guards.

"Keep the rest for you and your friend."

When he passed through the gate and reached the guest registry office, he let himself think: Keep the rest?… Man, that sounds badass! I bet Nephis would love that!

"Ah, a new guest. Here to renew your stay?… Oh, you look kind of familiar."

"Yes, I came here three weeks ago… or maybe a month? I'm not sure, but I stayed for a week, then left. Now I want to book another week."

Harper scribbled on paper while Sunny sent his shadows to monitor the people in the fortress. Having three shadows was simply amazing. He could send two to scout while keeping one nearby to avoid suspicion.

Sunny stood before a wooden door marked with a sword and shield. He was now in one of the restricted areas of the fortress, but no one noticed because he was hidden in the shadows. He opened the door, and upon entering, was greeted by a tall young man with a round face. He might've been handsome if not for his chubbiness. When Steve saw a stranger walk in, he grabbed one of the weapons on the shelves and pointed it at Sunny.

"Who are you and what do you want? I won't give up any Memory unless you have permission! And just so you know, I won't cave under torture!"

"Calm down, man. I don't mean any harm. I just came to buy some Memories."

"You don't mean harm? Then why did you sneak in like a thief, huh?"

"How do I explain… It's my Attribute. It makes me feel hidden when I'm in the shadows. You can't sense me, so I come off like a sneaky intruder."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm the most honest person in the world—no, in both worlds!"

Steve lowered his weapon and stared at Sunny. Then he realized the boy looked decent—his clothes were clean, though dusty from travel, and his hair was tied in a loose knot. So he didn't feel disgusted. On the contrary, he was somewhat relieved that Sunny didn't seem desperate or murderous.

"Alright, what kind of Memories do you want? You know I can't give you anything too valuable or I'll get in trouble."

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'll pick out some Memories, and I'll pay a very good price."

"You mean it?"

"Absolutely."

Steve's eyes sparkled with greed, which Sunny liked. Where there was money, there was a solution. Well, that's how it worked most of the time. The room lit up as a Memory hanging in the center glowed. Sunny walked among the Memories, pointing out any that were useless and of no use to Steve, until he stopped in front of a black armor, staring at it with interest.

"That's damaged armor. Just gathers dust, despite looking cool."

"Then why display it here?"

"How do I say this… it just looks impressive. Plus, it belonged to the First Lord, so I put it up despite being worthless."

"I want the armor. Don't the dead deserve to be honored by the living—by carrying their weapons and continuing what they started?"

"I suppose you're right… But it'll cost you four soul shards. And with the other Memories you took, that's thirty shards in total. Honestly, I'm impressed by your wealth. I didn't know someone like you lived in the fortress."

"Oh, I don't live in the fortress. Or the outer settlement."

Steve furrowed his brow and asked, "Then where do you live—in the Dark City?… Hahahaha!"

"Correct! I live there."

"You're joking, right?"

"Nope. Why would I lie?"

"Hahaha, good joke, kid. You're funny."

"You're such a strange man… You don't even believe me. Didn't I tell you I'm the most honest person in both worlds?"

Steve didn't respond—he thought Sunny was crazy. But at least he gave him all the Memories he'd selected. Sunny bought a total of thirteen Memories, all Awakened, and also obtained the [The Mantle of the Underworld].

When he left the Radiant Fortress, the sun was about to set. The guards had gathered at the gate. As they watched him walk through, some showed expressions of disdain and pity—but no one tried to stop him. As he descended to the base of the hill, the outer settlement came into view with its high walls. Some Sleepers standing on the towers spotted him, but no one moved until he stood directly beneath the wall. One of them spoke.

"Who are you?"

"Me?Sunless, or Herald Of Death, or Sunny—whichever you prefer."

"Herald Of Death? Are you joking with me?"

"No, I don't. I'm Herald of Death. DEATH of everything I Suppose?.. Never mind just open the gate The night is Dismal although I like it"