Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at the two shadows, dumbfounded. After a while, he said in an uncertain tone:

"Am I… am I seeing things, or are there two of you?"

The shadows, of course, did not answer. They had no vocal cords, after all. However, the sulking one looked at him with contempt and shook its head in derision. The friendly one, meanwhile, looked down shyly and slightly shrugged.

'What is going on?'

Frowning, Sunny lingered for some time, and then dove into the Soul Sea. With the [Soul Conduit] Attribute gone, it was back to its usual, tenebrous appearance. The surface of the water was tranquil and still, and hundreds of motionless shadows stood silently in the darkness. Above him, shining spheres containing the Memories were circling around the…

Sunny raised his head, then flinched.

Where the black sun of the Shadow Core had once loomed above the quiet sea, there was now… two.

Two identical Shadow Cores hovered in the dark sky, shining with lightless black radiance.

He blinked.

'Two… there's two of them.'

A few minutes passed, or at least something that felt like a few minutes.

'There's two… I have two cores… why do I have two cores?'

Humans only ever had one soul core. That was a fact. Only Nightmare Creatures had more...

Sunny looked down at his hands, then made them into fists, feeling newly gained strength course through his muscles. Then, he scowled and looked up again.

"Your shadow is taking shape, your shadow is complete…"

So the Spell was not speaking about the bad-tempered shadow that had accompanied him for so long. Initially, Sunny had assumed that the shadow — and his core — were going through a transformation due to the acquisition of the thousandth fragment, perhaps evolving or even Awakening. But the Spell actually meant to say that his second shadow, and thus a second Shadow Core, were complete.

They had been assembled from the thousand shadow fragments he had collected.

Making him a… what?

Sunny hesitated for a bit, then ordered the shadows to wrap themselves around his body. The sulking one seemingly rolled its eyes before obeying the command; the friendly one seemed extremely delighted to do as he asked.

Both flowed up and covered his body. Immediately, Sunny felt his already considerable strength double…

And then triple.

His mouth hung open.

this

This was incredible!

of the tranquil water. A moment later, he had a shadow once again, but still enjoyed the familiar augmentation, even

itself around its blade. Now, both his body and his sword were augmented. Then, he sent the sulking shadow to join the friendly one. His body was not enhanced

leave the Midnight Shard and

were augmented at the

'Holy hell...'

was just too good. Sunny stood silently for

side of his Aspect. A Divine Aspect, after

had much more

second shadow, the gap between Sunny and the other Awakened was going to increase. And if he was right about it… if he was right, this was only the beginning. Because if

it all

many shards she absorbed, no matter how many Nightmare Creatures and humans she slew. Why she had been incapacitated after killing Gunlaug. Why she was so much stronger, faster, and

was because her Aspect was Divine, just like his. But she had discovered its secret much sooner than

dull pain appeared in his heart, Sunny banished the image of

to make sure that

Name: Sunless.

Name: Lost from

Rank: Dreamer.

were shimmering in the

Class: Monster.

Shadow Cores: [2/7].

his face calm,

out

all of

reluctant to even try to imagine the

possibilities were

with seven cores and the might of a titan be capable of? What obstacles would they be unable to conquer? Who would

would dare to call them

and scale of such an ambition were nothing short of insane. After all,

...Almost.

he really going to

like that of a madman — there were

the wide smile disappeared, leaving only the frown