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…

head and read, an amused expression appearing

...[Marble Saint].

…Marble?

'How fitting…'

She appeared in a whirlwind of black flames, standing in

Sunny couldn't help

armor, which had looked as though it was cut from granite before, was now entirely black and glossy, like obsidian… or onyx.

as alabaster… at least the small portion of it he could see through the visor

seemed much

that was not what made

thing that stunned him was what hid beneath the armor. Within the shadow that populated Saint's body, there used

there

at her

she… rise to a higher

and made the runes describing the Shadow appear. A moment later, his hopes

Shadow: Marble Saint.

Shadow Rank: Awakened.

Shadow Class: Demon.

is a Shadow Demon

Master], [Stalwart],

line had not been there

Abilities: [Weapon Sage],

trying to

But to think that she would acquire an actual Ability before even becoming

with anticipation,

Description: [Shadow Saint can effectively wield

can

then turned his head and stared at the taciturn monster…

Demon.

smile finally

"Ah. How wonderful…"

had the ability to use any weapon he would provide for her, as well as reinforce her armor with

possibilities this could provide her were truly endless. The potential combinations,

shook his head and

he had sometimes thought that Saint was really

now, he understood that he had been