Shadow Slave

The Crimson Spire… that eerie and everpresent shadow that had hunted him all this time. The cyclopean tower that stood at the center of the Labyrinth, or maybe was the source of it, emanating a harrowing sense of foreboding.

The background for the last part of Cassie's vision.

Of course, the damn Gateway just had to be in that damn spire!

Sunny sighed.

This was unwelcomed, but not unexpected news. After all, Inspector Rock did warn them that, should they ever find themselves in a region of the Dream Realm without an established human Citadel, they should look for the Gateway either around or inside the most prominent landmark there.

The Crimson Spire loomed over the entire Forgotten Shore like an axis connecting heaven to earth. It was hard to imagine anything more prominent. Ever since Cassie had first told them about it, deep down, Sunny always suspected that they were going to end up having to enter that creepy tower at some point.

After the revelation that there was no Gateway in the human castle, that suspicion only grew stronger.

But, wait. There was something else that Instructor Rock had told them…

'Work together to defeat the Gateway guardians… wasn't these his words? So who is guarding the Crimson Spire?'

Glancing at Nephis, he asked darkly:

"So what is inside the Spire? I gather that it's not something pleasant. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a thousand Sleepers choosing to live in a city full of vicious monsters instead of going there."

Changing Star nodded. Without changing her expression, she looked away and answered:

"A Fallen Terror."

Sunny's heart skipped a bit.

A Fallen Terror — the Nightmare Creature one whole class above the dreaded tyrants, with six mighty soul cores providing it with profane power — would certainly do the trick.

"So, going there is suicide."

No amount of Sleepers could ever hope to defeat a Fallen Terror. The possibility of surviving such an encounter, let alone emerging victorious, was zero. It was even less probable than breaking through Gunlaug's indestructible armor.

Impossible.

only be trapped in this hell, but also be forced to stare at the path to freedom every day, knowing that you'll never be able to reach it. That… that was such

the Tower of Dusk was so unpopular. Living

were really, truly

Nephis sighed.

find a way out of the Labyrinth. They all perished. The second ruler — the last member of the original cohort — tried to reach the Gateway instead. They all died, too. After that, no one tried to find a way out

of them remained silent for a long time, their mood grim and somber. Now that they had a chance to spend some time in the small human

the rest of their lives here…

then looked

"So… what's the plan?"

window. Sunny was sure that she had already thought a lot about their future.

a while, she

will create a hunting

that becoming independent hunters was going to be a long and perilous journey, it was at least

back of

City

then turned to

will need to recruit a

ropes… that would certainly speed things along and make

have someone

him a

of fact, I do. We will go see

gleamed

Ability and Flaw you've been able to glean. Every grievance people

Sunny smiled.

going to take

the first time since receiving his Aspect, Sunny had been able to do what he had planned to do from the start — gather information without risking his hide, as a real spy should. After months of

gave

"There's no hurry."

***

was finishing his winding report, his