Shadow Slave

The interior of the home was tasteful and minimalist, governed by a design philosophy that seemed stylish, spacious... and a little bit empty.

The first floor contained a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a pantry, a bathroom, and a guest bedroom. Everything was furnished and fully stocked, including a refrigerator that was stuffed with all kinds of expensive food.

Lanard looked around with a sense of pride and went on a long tirade about all the hidden security features the unassuming house actually possessed. There were thick plates of armored alloy hiding behind the siding panels, the wide windows were outfitted with titanium shutters that could come down at a moment's notice, and both air and water filters could withstand not only the usual environmental toxins, but also most known forms of biochemical threats.

Such extensive security measures might have seemed like overkill, but in fact, even mundane humans strived to turn their homes into compact fortresses. No one knew when the next Gate would open, and how close to them it would be. Even though most homeowners were never going to use these protective features, having them made for a big quality of life difference.

Lanard spent a weirdly long amount of time describing all the lighting fixtures his agency had installed, his voice bursting with enthusiasm. It seemed that the man had a thing about designer lamps. Sunny didn't have the heart to tell him that he would not be using any of them, most of the time. He could see perfectly well in the dark, after all.

"...the house is connected to the city electrical grid, but there's obviously an autonomous energy source for emergencies. Spelltech, of course. Power units are easily accessible for purchase and last for a very long time…"

By spelltech, he meant that the autonomous generator was built by combining modern technology with Awakened powers. The power units it required had to be either recharged or created by someone with a suitable Utility Aspect. Devices such as this were considered to be a luxury for the commoners, but in fact, a very large part of the city's infrastructure functioned on spelltech.

Not everything in the world was created by the Awakened, but almost all industries required their participation in one way or another. Even the air filtration systems Sunny's mother used to assemble in an underground factory on the outskirts contained fiber grown by one of the Nightmare Spell carriers.

That was why, while Utility Aspects were often useless in a fight, people who possessed them were so valued by society.

living room, scratched the back of his head after

contained the master bedroom and two smaller ones, each with its own bathroom, and a brightly lit home office. There was also the latch to the storage space in the attic. Lanard described a

and gave him a strange

nice, but he does know that I can't sleep in

into the basement, which was situated deep underground, as well as being the most heavily fortified and well-protected part of the house. In a sense, this was the

was one large space, with walls, floor, and ceiling covered by heavy plates of armored ceramic alloy. This was done so that an Awakened could train here without worrying about destroying their

his spars with Saint. He still remembered and mourned all the beautiful things he had lost during their previous

isolated from the rest of the house and from the outside world, turning into a heavily fortified, impenetrable alloy box. The reason for this level of additional security stood

expensive sleeping pod — the best money could buy. Sunny walked over to it and

'No more sore muscles…'

armored one was a real

Realm without subjecting his physical body to any damage. He wasn't planning on getting lost in the Spell for so long, of course, but it was better to be

Lanard chuckled:

environment, I can't help but feel a little scared.

at him,

really. What is

The short man shivered.

fiend that fed on human blood and slept