Shadow Slave

Lowering his sword, Sunny stood in the silence of the empty room for a while. In the window, the distant axis of the Crimson Spire loomed, the light of dawn slowly painting it red.

A subtle smile appeared on his face.

"Aww. Thank you, Spell. What a nice birthday present."

Summoning the Endless Spring, he greedily drank delicious cold water and then sat on the floor, crossing his legs and drawing a few deep breaths.

'Let's take a look…'

Leaving his worries behind, Sunny dove into the Soul Sea and walked past the rows of motionless shadows.

A long time ago, there had been just a handful of them. Now, hundreds of dark silhouettes watched silently as he approached the tenebrous sun of the Shadow Core. Among them were all kinds of horrors, creatures whose appearance alone would drive weaker men insane. The Mountain King was there. The Black Knight was there, too. The terrifying Spire Messenger stood lifelessly on the tranquil surface of the water.

…And there were humans, too. Harus was among them, and so was Harper.

Sunny didn't pay them any attention.

Standing beneath the Shadow Core, he sighed and summoned the runes.

Name: Sunless.

True Name: Lost from Light.

Rank: Dreamer.

Shadow Core: Dormant.

Shadow Fragments: [977/1000].

…He was so close to accumulating the whole thousand. If Sunny really wanted to, he could have abandoned caution and pushed to reach it before the inevitable journey to the Crimson Spire. However, he was wary of delving into anything unknown right before the fateful confrontation.

He also felt that his time was better spent consolidating and perfecting everything that he had already learned and earned, not wasting it trying to acquire something new.

Still, it was not an easy decision.

With a sigh, he continued reading.

Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Midnight Shard], [Ordinary Rock], [Prowling Thorn], [Endless Spring], [Blood Blossom], [Moonlight Shard], [M… …old], [Weaver's Mask].

Echoes: —

Shadows…

an amused expression appearing on

...[Marble Saint].

…Marble?

'How fitting…'

of the Core. She appeared in a whirlwind of black

Sunny couldn't help but

more oppressive. Her graceful stonelike armor, which had looked as though it was cut from granite before, was

contrary, became smooth and as white as alabaster… at least

much stronger,

was not what made Sunny

Within the shadow that populated Saint's body, there used

now, there

her for a

to a

describing the Shadow appear. A moment later, his hopes

Shadow: Marble Saint.

Shadow Rank: Awakened.

Shadow Class: Demon.

She is a Shadow

[Battle Master], [Stalwart], [Spark of

not been there before.

Abilities: [Weapon Sage], [Underworld

lingered for a moment, trying to suppress a

that she would acquire an actual Ability before even becoming a devil… and not just one, but

with anticipation, he

Description: [Shadow Saint can effectively wield any weapon-type

armor can accommodate a charm Memory to inherit

head and stared at the taciturn monster… no,

Demon.

finally

"Ah. How wonderful…"

use any weapon he would provide for her, as well as reinforce her armor with all kinds of powerful

were truly endless. The potential combinations, the flexibility… all it took was to find proper

shook his head

he had sometimes thought that Saint was really suited to

now, he understood that he