Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at Nephis, stunned by her answer. He didn't expect her to admit it so easily.

Meanwhile, she just shrugged.

"What? Was I supposed to deny it? Why should I? You are the one who is obsessed with lies, Sunny, not me."

The corner of Changing Star's mouth twitched.

"Actually, I have to thank you. If it wasn't for you, I would have never learned how to deceive people so easily. I had a very sheltered upbringing, for obvious reasons. Communicating with others had always been something I knew very little about."

She smiled darkly.

"How fortunate it was to meet you, of all people, on this forsaken shore. Lucky me. Right?"

Sunny blinked. What was she talking about? He remembered how, during their journey to the Dark City, Nephis had tried to mimic Cassie in how she spoke to people. Had she been studying him, too?

Neph took a step forward and pierced him with an intense, burning gaze.

"No one survives in the Dream Realm alone. I knew that I won't be an exception to this rule, so I watched Cassie and you and tried my hardest to learn from you both. That's when I noticed that nothing you ever said — or did — was true. Wasn't it?"

'Crap.'

Sunny felt a cold shiver running down his spine.

She scoffed.

"No matter what happened, you somehow always managed to keep your real thoughts, desires, and reasons hidden. I've never seen anyone so adept at deception. Congratulations, Sunny! The mind games you played with us were almost as devious as the mental hex of the Soul Devourer. It was nothing short of inspiring."

and shook

that such a thing was possible. Silly me. I didn't know a lot of

She smiled.

see… while you were learning how to use a sword from me, I was learning how to use people from you. So please, Sunny, accept my sincere

and stabbed a finger at him.

audacity to blame me for doing the

she telling the truth? Did Neph actually learn how to be this manipulative and

'Oh, no…'

they tried. What a cruel twist of fate, to be sent into the Dream Realm together with a

Sunny gritted his teeth.

"That's not the same…"

Changing Star scowled.

what I am doing different? I haven't told a single lie to these people. I gave them just enough truth to make them deceive themselves, just like you taught me. But

She smirked.

are right. There's going to be fire and rivers of blood. That is my plan. So what? How is it worse than this pathetic, hopeless existence? It isn't. I am going to kill Gunlaug. After he is dead, the Bright Castle will become engulfed in a civil war, with each of the five lieutenants vying for the

Her eyes glistened.

to the people of Dark City — a chance to return to the real world or die like a human should, standing tall and with a sword in their hand, instead

at her in disbelief. How could… how could she be so nonchalant about the idea of causing the deaths of so

that he was looking at it all wrong. He was looking at it from his own perspective, the perspective of someone who was used to surviving at all costs, to putting survival above all else. However, that was how his old self had viewed

Sunny had learned that there were things more valuable than staying alive. And he learned it

was not worth living was that much worse than a worthy death. Maybe, in her

right to make that decision

his head, he

so terrible to live here? Is Gunlaug really so bad that you would rather see all of us

on Changing Star's face. With cold contempt ringing in her voice,

I won't judge him for those. Who knows if any of us would have done any better? Keeping a thousand hopeless people alive in this hell is the kind of task that can turn a saint into

Sunny raised an eyebrow.