Shadow Slave

A moment later, a deafening roar of massive iron links being torn apart rolled other the entire island, which then lurched up by a few meters and suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

Sunny yelped, feeling the Crushing assault him with even more obliterating force.

'The chain… the chain is failing!'

Why did it happen so soon?

For a few moments, he felt nothing but pure, bestial panic. Then, he forced himself to regain control over his mind and threw a desperate glance toward the not-so-distant edge of the Twisted Rock.

Would he be able to escape in time?

He lingered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and commanded one of the shadows to slide off his body onto the ground.

As soon as it did, a muffled scream escaped from his lips. It felt as though a giant hammer struck his body, making every bone in it shudder and groan. Sunny turned his head to the side and spat a mouthful of blood.

'Curse it all…'

The shadow flew to the edge of the island and slid over its edge, desperately trying to reach the dying chain.

…But it was too late.

As Sunny watched in horror, one of the links of the heavenly tether broke. Only one, the weakest of them all… but that was all it took.

'No!'

ten kilometers of gargantuan iron links slowly fell toward the Sky

'No, no, no!'

he couldn't even scream. He felt himself being

shadows… jump down and try to glide to the Shipwreck

were more than ten kilometers separating these isles from one another, which was far outside the Dark Wing's capabilities. He could try to

just an illusion caused by its colossal size. In truth, the torn end of it was flying through the air at

silhouettes of the gluttonous Chain Worms were growing smaller

already late to rush in pursuit of it, and every moment that

you fool! You finally let

at himself, but

sense. He was not on this island because of greed. Even though Sunny had made several risky decisions in order to get to the miraculous coins, at the end

that something on

but stone

supposed to do? How was

summoned his shadow back, and briefly regained the ability to

wasn't going to be for long, though. The Crushing was already overwhelming his physical ability to resist its lethal pressure.

will be affected by the Crushing. And even if not, what's the point? Even if the chest survives until the Twisted Rock itself is torn apart and plunges down into the Sky Below, I'll just be falling forever inside of a box instead of on my own…

Rock was going to be destroyed by the Crushing, inevitably and without a doubt. As it rose higher and higher, it was going to start to fall apart. When enough

going to remain of

lay motionlessly for a few seconds, then for a few seconds more. Another crack appeared on the corpse of the Mordant Mimic. Then, the stone beneath

not

on the stone widened and crawled in every