[SHADOW SLAVE] / Clash With Fate

Sunny had spent the last two months in a repetitive routine of hunting and weaving Memories. Occasionally, he would visit the outer settlement and give them materials he didn't need from monster corpses, or some Memories that could benefit them. As for the Bright Castle and Nephis, the conflict between them had reached a critical point where the fortress's gates were shut. No Sleeper could enter or leave unless they had soul shards—otherwise, they would be forced to live a life resembling that of slaves.

Sunny would sometimes sneak in to check on the situation and talk with Seishan

, Kido, and Gima. These three lieutenants were his ears and eyes—any news or orders from Gunlaug would be passed on to him. They even promised that the servants and most of the hunters would be on their side, as well as all the craftsmen. Sunny was very happy with this news.

As for the outer settlement, Nephis had led the cohort to acquire Shard Memories. Sunny told her that Seishan had one, he had one, and Effie had one too. Four Shard Memories remained: the Dusk Shard, the Moonlight Shard, the Dawn Shard, and the Starlight Shard. The Dawn Shard was located in the Hollow Mountains, where the First Lord had died and his expedition had ended.

As for the Dusk Shard, it was guarded by a Siper Messenger that Sunny had killed in his previous life. As for the Moonlight Shard, Sunny believed Nephis had acquired it. The Starlight Shard was the hardest one and the one Sunny had to acquire before they departed for the Hollow Mountains.

The Starlight Shard was guarded by a Fallen Tyrant that lived in the Catacombs. Sunny was very familiar with him.

"Lord of the Dead… ah, killing you will be difficult. How can someone kill a pile of bones?… but I'll find a way."

"Hello, Sunny."

"Hey, Neph… where are the others?"

"They'll be here soon… why did you want to meet us?"

"Well, I just wanted to kill a Fallen Tyrant… don't worry, it's just a pile of bones. We can kill it quickly."

Nephis opened her mouth slightly—she wanted to say something but fell silent when she remembered who Sunny was.

"You were going to say I'm crazy, right?"

"Yes."

"I am. Have you ever seen a Sleeper wanting to kill a Fallen Tyrant without being nervous?"

"You're not a Normal Sleeper, and neither am I… Did you know I became a demon?… I bet we're not even in the same league anymore."

"You're right. You've already become A Devil, and I'm halfway to becoming a Tyrant."

"I guess there's no hope for me to catch up to you…"

"Come on, don't be like that. You have terrifying talent. The only thing is, you were leading the Sleepers while I was wandering and hunting in the Dark City… actually, if you were as selfish as I am… maybe you would have become a Terror or a Tyrant by now."

"You mean that?"

"Yes, and I believe it."

A smile appeared on Nephis's lips, and a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. The reason was simple: to anyone else, Nephis was like a mountain that dwarfed everything around it. But when she was next to Sunny, she felt like he was a spear piercing the sky—she could only see what was below, unable to peer past the clouds hiding his summit. His acknowledgment of her was something that genuinely made her happy.

Especially when that acknowledgment came from someone she considered a companion and a partner… somewhere in her heart, she loved him, but she hadn't realized it yet. The gate of the outer settlement opened, and four people came out: Effie, Caster, Cassie, and Kai. Effie waved happily at Sunny, while Caster carried a subtle expression of tension. Cassie was reserved, but a smile found its way to her face when she sensed Sunny's presence. As for Kai, he only displayed a sickened expression upon seeing Sunny.

"Welcome, everyone! What a beautiful day to reunite!"

"Say what you need quickly, Dofus!… I'm starving—I didn't eat because of you!"

"Ah, alright. Our mission today is to kill a Fallen Tyrant. It's a very simple mission! We can finish it quickly and without effort."

Kai frowned, while Effie's jaw dropped to the ground. As for Caster, he began staring at Sunny with absolute fear. Cassie smiled widely. Kai broke the silence.

"Sunny, did you mean an Awakened Tyrant?… Honestly, I think you're mistaken."

"Not at all. It's a Fallen Tyrant living in the Catacombs."

"That bastard!… Dofus, I'm coming—I don't care if I get hurt, I'll kill that abomination!"

"Crazy! Crazy!"

Kai kept muttering while staring at Effie, who had become just as crazy as Sunny. Nephis didn't speak, enjoying the scene. As for Caster, he didn't dare to speak at all in Sunny's presence. No one knew what Sunny had done to Caster, but the proud Heir had become very afraid of him—almost terrified.

"Don't waste time. Come on, let's go. We have a Fallen Tyrant to kill. Sunny, lead the way."

Sunny led the group through the streets of the Dark City. They didn't move through the heart of the city where most of the Corrupted monsters were, but around the edges until they reached the Catacombs—or more accurately, its private exit.

The group was surprised by Sunny's boldness, walking through the streets of the Dark City as if he were in his own home. But after a while, they didn't hear the usual noise of battles between monsters or feel the usual stifling atmosphere filled with tension.

That's when they realized the part they were moving through was completely devoid of monsters.

"Excuse me, Sunny, but is this area empty of monsters?… If so, is the road ahead also clear?"

"You're right, Cass. This area is empty of monsters, and the road ahead of us is as well. We're heading east now—we'll bypass the Catacombs' entrance and go to the private exit. The Fallen Tyrant is located at the exit."

"What happened to the monsters that used to live in this part of the city?… I mean, such a huge number couldn't just disappear."

"Isn't it obvious?… I killed them all."

Kai choked on the water he was drinking. As for Effie, she looked a little blank—she was used to it. No one spoke afterward. They moved quickly through the city. Sunny was holding onto Cassie in front, with Kai and Nephis behind them, followed by Caster and Effie. Cassie spoke to him with a worried expression on her face:

"Sunny, I want to tell you something."

"What is it? Does it have to do with the vision you told me and Neph about in the Labyrinth?"

Cassie hesitated, looking shocked. "Yes, that's the one. I think you know what it means… the star and the angel—they're a sign of Nephis. And the giant shadow… that's you!… In the vision, I saw you helping Nephis from the shadows. You killed Gunlaug for her, made blood flow for her, and also… You died for her."

Cassie's body trembled, a full shiver running through it. Tears streamed from her eyes, but no one behind her noticed. Sunny tried to calm her down.

"Do you think, Cass, that I don't know what the vision means? Fate is mysterious, and even the revelations we receive are mysterious. You saw me protecting Nephis atop the Crimson Spire and fighting something horrifying—probably the tower guardian… and you didn't see me die. You felt the cold and darkness of the shadows fading. Do you know what sets my Aspect apart?"

"No."

"My Aspect has authority over death. There was a passage in one of my Memories that said: 'Everyone hated the Shadow because it created death. Everything that died was devoured by the Shadow, and everything the Shadow devoured died…' Believe me when I say, I don't plan on dying in the Crimson Spire—so I won't. Sure, maybe I'll get wounded badly—so badly it might look like death—but I won't die. I promise."

"Do you promise, truly?!"

"Of course. I'm the most honest person in the world—in both worlds!"

Life returned to Cassie's face, even though the tears in her eyes kept flowing. But Sunny noticed the deep worry hidden in her pupils.

"Want a piece of advice, Cassie?"

"Have you started giving advice now?"

"I'm very wise! But I seem crazy. Alright, back to the advice… if you ever feel the weight of knowledge pressing down on your shoulders, don't try to isolate yourself or directly change what you saw. Instead, start with the smallest thing—fires start with a spark. Or… sometimes, it's the other way around."

Sunny handed Cassie a Memory of a self-cleaning handkerchief to wipe her tears. The rest of their journey continued in silence until they reached the slope where the Fallen Tyrant awaited below.