On the last day they would spend in the Dark City, Nephis led a small group of her most powerful warriors on one last hunt.
The members of her cohort were all following behind her. Sunny, who stubbornly refused to accept his status as one of them, walked apart from the group, idly looking around and observing the ruins.
Gemma and Seishan were also with them, as well as ten or so of the most experienced hunters — some of them formerly from the Host, some formerly from the outer settlement. There was no difference between the two anymore.
All of them were simply Changing Star's people now.
As they were walking, Gemma approached Sunny and glanced at him with curiosity.
After Tessai had fallen to Neph's blade, the tall man seemed to have found some measure of peace. Somewhere deep in his eyes, however, there always was a hint of sorrow.
Sunny stared at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
The hunter smiled slightly and asked in a friendly tone:
"You're Sunless, right?"
Sunny shrugged.
"Yeah, that's me."
Gemma silently measured him and then asked with interest:
"I've heard that you lived for months alone in the city. Is that true?"
'Ah, makes sense.'
The tall man was perhaps the most experienced hunter on the Forgotten Shore. He had survived countless battles on the streets of the cursed city. It was natural for him to be curious about this matter…
Sunny gave him a nod.
"Sure. A little over three months, I guess."
Gemma rubbed his chin, then asked bluntly:
"How did you survive?"
Sunny grinned.
How had he managed that, indeed?
hiding, lots of killing. A modicum of madness, and a little bit
at him for a bit,
about right,
forward at Changing Star
know what we are
at him with
"She didn't tell you?"
man hesitated, then
did. I'm just not sure that
smiled and looked
first thought was that she had lost her mind. What can I say… get used to that
a few moments of silence,
how can
'Poor guy…'
lingered for a bit,
my guess is correct, you know more
like that,
the eastern edges of the city and climbed the imposing monolith of the great wall. Standing on top of it, they saw the colossal crater and the headless statue that stood not too far away, its one
a vast underground chamber beneath
to hunt
***
ago, it had broken off and fell, crashing through the dome of the underground chamber. Now, there was a chasm in the ground that led into the
that breach to escape from the catacombs.
wasn't really surprised that Nephis had chosen to return to this place. After all, the mountainous abomination was most likely
he was really curious about how exactly she was
around the hole in the mud, Changing Star glanced at him
take a
It slid on the mud and entered the dark hole, then hid in the palm of the giant stone hand and cautiously looked
bones was still there, in the middle
looked very different from how
mass of bones, some of them comparatively thin, others as thick as a human body. They weren't growing
Dead seemed… weaker. More brittle. As though it was sick, sapped of its strength and infected by a terrible
to look closer, and finally noticed the thing that he had expected to
underground chamber, open and empty. The exact same box Nephis had mysteriously entrusted to Caster as soon as they were
note had been written by Changing Star's spy — Seishan. And
the Artisans. Her Aspect Ability
as it turned out, was her last creation
and then spoke, his words causing
heavily infected by Kido's vine. It seems
remained silent for a few moments.
the Dead will attack us. Now that its power is reduced, and with the help of the Dawn Shard, we should be able to survive the onslaught. We should also be able to
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