Shadow Slave

Sitting inside the Vile Thieving Bird's nest, Sunny frowned and clenched his fists.

Something unnatural was happening to them ever since they came to the Ashen Barrow. Now that he had remembered Cassie's warning, it was apparent that their minds were affected, making them forgetful and easily distracted.

Even now that he knew about it, thinking straight was strangely hard. It took all of his will just to keep the knowledge of the anomaly in his memory.

The events of these past few days were still hazy. Remembering something else, Sunny closed his eyes in frustration.

Had they really spent mere days on this island? The number of shadow fragments he received from eating Soul Tree fruits suggested otherwise. It was quite possible that as much as a whole month had passed since the first time they ate them.

And their minds were corroded a bit more with every day that passed. Pretty soon, there would be nothing left of them at all. Only empty shells, walking around wearing their faces.

Sunny's face paled.

With a growing feeling of dread, he realized that there were large gaps in his memory. He could not remember how they got to the Ashen Barrow, and where they were going. Other things, too, were unclear and blurry.

'Stay calm.'

Despite how compromised his memory was, there were still ways to understand what was going on, and then maybe undo it. After all, he was able to remember Cassie's warning. That meant that their memories were not gone, just obfuscated.

'First step: resist the impulse to forget everything again.'

Not succumbing to the constant pull on his mind was not an easy task, but he was able to manage, at least for now.

'Second step: try to understand the reason why you were able to remember these things.'

When Cassie begged him to remember the number five, she must have already known that he would receive a new Attribute. He had noticed the existence of the mysterious fifth Attribute as the result, which triggered the frightening revelation.

However, why was he able to not forget about the existence of the fifth Attribute altogether?

What made him so special? Cassie had even said that he was the only one who could do it. Why him and not Changing Star?

Sunny massaged his temples. Then, a sudden realization came to him.

'Doubtless!'

One of the enchantments of the Puppeteer's Shroud was providing him with a small amount of resistance against mind attacks. That's why he was slightly less susceptible to the frightening forgetfulness that infected them on the Ashen Barrow.

reason why he had been the last one to agree to eat the "miraculous" fruits. Why he had often felt that things were wrong. He was also the only one who had managed to remember Cassie's warning,

that's why she had chosen him instead of

'Smart girl.'

was the result of a mind attack. But who could attack

answer was

'That damned tree!'

cold sweat

was, in fact, a colossal, ancient and utterly horrifying Nightmare Creature. If he was right, then its power had to be simply unimaginable. He was afraid to even think about what its rank and

wonder it was able to drain a whole area

and thrive in this hellish place. Of

the reason why no other Nightmare Creature dared to approach the Ashen Barrow. Even monsters were

that dwelled beneath

was just too big, old and powerful. For a moment, Sunny entertained the idea of setting it on

'So… what to do?'

time, Sunny decided not to be

he had to know the exact situation with

again to read the description of the hidden fifth

it was there, but could not remember what it

'Figures.'

it was still impossible for him to solve that mystery on his own, Sunny moved his attention to the Mark of Divinity. New runes appeared

scent of divinity, as though someone briefly touched by

is ready to evolve.

time,

description of

Attribute: [Spark of Divinity].

Description: "Every fire starts from a spark. Somewhere deep within your

of whether or not he wanted to proceed was just a formality, and the Attribute already evolved back when he had

affiliation to divinity has increased. Neat. Although I'm not sure how it

to see the inner workings of Memories, as well as some other stuff like the shadows in his Soul Sea? If

the drop of ichor from a being called Weaver, and then became able to see the strings that were weaved

divinity? And he inherited a small amount of

There was Shadow God, War God… well, that's it. He had never heard the names of any

name was

was not a deity at

he, she or it was