[SHADOW SLAVE] / Clash With Fate

The thirteen days passed quickly for Sunny. He spent his time having fun and enjoying himself, but he also trained and wove Memories to feed the Saint and the Crab, as well as sparring with Nephis or sitting and chatting with Kai. But all of that was over now.

The cohort stood at the remains of the old bridge, with Nephis standing in front of them waiting for the sun to set and the dark sea to rise so that the moving statue would come from the depths. No one was comfortable with the idea except Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie, for they knew it would work and that it was very safe. Well, for the most part, it would be for Sunny.

After a period of waiting and restlessness, the sun set behind the horizon as the tide of the dark sea began to rise. The group felt the water under their feet.

At that moment, Nephis raised the Dreamblade high, bringing it into the cohort's line of sight. Then the Dreamblade glowed with white fire. The darkness retreated several times and tangled with the white flames but was quickly defeated and pushed back.

Below them, the valley disappeared, swallowed by the waters of the dark sea, leaving only the base of the old bridge. The cohort was very tense. They did not know what was going to emerge from the water, and even Sunny clenched his fists. The black water was already covering his ankles, but nothing had emerged yet.

But it didn't take long. A ripple spread across the water, and from it emerged a massive body following the light emanating from Nephis's sword. Water cascaded off its body and was pushed aside. When Nephis glimpsed the approaching creature, she closed her eyes, tears already streaming down her cheeks. Then the white flames expanded, growing larger and stronger, pushing back the darkness for dozens of meters.

"There it is! Don't panic and get ready!"

The creature—a gigantic statue—approached the cohort, and soon its shape became clear to them. Its shoulders rose above the water like small hills, and its head was missing, just like the other statues, and cracks spread across the surface of its massive body. The giant statue raised its arm and smashed the remnants of the old bridge that were in its way, raining debris onto the water that flooded the valley.

"It's coming! Get ready to jump!"

The water was already at their knees, restricting their movements. Sunny was well-prepared for this situation and summoned the Saint to throw him onto the statue.

The statue entered the circle of light created by Nephis's sword, and without hesitation, she ran toward the giant and leapt. She stabbed her sword into the surface of the statue, anchoring herself, then began to climb. As for Caster, he disappeared from beside them and reappeared on one of the giant's shoulders. Kai was carrying Cassie, heading toward the platform, and landed there safely.

As for Sunny, the Saint grabbed him by his head and hurled him onto the platform, then vanished into the shadows.

"Ah, what a sign of love and loyalty. Now let's see if I'm going to break my neck or not."

Sunny's back slammed into the platform, but surprisingly, he didn't break his neck. Next to him landed Effie, with a wide grin on her face. Sunny didn't know whether she was enjoying this madness or not, but he decided not to ask. Effie wanted to say something, but the statue moved, causing them to stumble as it headed south.

The giant statue marched through the dark sea without a care. On its surface, six figures stood gathered in a circle. No one spoke, fearing to attract something from the dark sea, so they remained silent. But fortunately for them, they had a shelter from the wind. They didn't know if Sunny was an idiot or what, but he summoned his shadow, which was the size of a house, and made it into a screen that blocked the wind. But it soon disappeared.

"Sunny, did you cancel the summoning of your shadow?"

"Get ready! We're going to dive underwater to cross the valley!"

Everyone groaned from exhaustion, but they obeyed and clung to the cracks so they wouldn't be swallowed by the dark sea. Sunny suggested that they tie themselves together with Nephis's rope so that no one would slip away if they dove into the sea, and they did so.

The waters of the dark sea submerged the platform. Everyone held their breath and didn't even try to open their eyes. Sunny was reinforced by four shadows and held onto the cracks so tightly that he was afraid they would break under the force he was exerting.

Minutes passed, and the giant had not yet crossed the valley. Sunny felt Kai's shadow shifting and slipping away, but he wasn't worried about him since he was tied with the rope. Thus, the Handsome archer kept slamming into the stone like a corpse.

Sunny felt his face pressed tightly against the platform. When he tried to lift his head, he saw the giant raising its arms and grabbing the edge of the valley, then hurling itself upward. After they emerged from the valley, they felt the air and the invisible weight vanish from them, and they allowed themselves to rest.

Kai recovered, then flew to the platform in obvious embarrassment, but he quickly lay down, forgetting everything, to rest. And so their journey to the Hollow Mountains continued