Shadow Slave

For the next few days, Sunny's life became rather monotonous. He would meditate while circulating the shadow essence through the coils of the Soul Serpent to enhance the speed of its recovery, pour it into the obsidian arch… and repeat the process.

With each cycle, the runes surrounding the portal became brighter and brighter. The portal was slowly coming to life, feeling Sunny with hope so intense that he struggled to contain it. He had no doubt that he would be able to activate the arch.

And then… he would go to the Ivory Tower, find a way to descend back to the Chained Isles, somehow, and return to the real word.

And by a new refrigerator.

'And stock it with all kinds of food!'

Sitting on the stone floor of the highest level of the Ebony Tower, Sunny looked at the Covetous Coffer, which stood nearby, with a resentful expression. He knew full well that there was no meat left there, or any other kind of food.

Who knew he would miss the vile flesh of the Mordant Mimic one day?

'I guess one should never say never…'

Sunny was close to fully replenishing the shadow essence, so his thoughts began to wander.

Out of boredom, he dove into the Soul Sea, stared at the shadows for some time, then paced around, then summoned some of his Memories and read their descriptions for the hundredth time, then stared at the looming black suns of his Shadow Cores, then paced some more, the summoned a few other Memories.

'Boring… so boring…'

After a while, something finally attracted his attention.

The runes of Weaver's Mask... had apparently changed a little.

Before, there was a [???] in place of the name of its third enchantment. After Sunny had activated that enchantment… almost frying his brain in the process… the name changed, however.

He blinked a few times, then looked at the runes again.

'Did I... did I read it right?'

as before, [Mantle of Lies] and [Simple Trick]. The third one, however, now had

[Where is

"Helps the wielder peer

deadpan expression for a few moments, and then laughed so hard

oh gods… where

he was done laughing at Weaver's strange naming sensibility, the cycle of restoring the shadow essence

head, smiled, then stood up and summoned the Cruel

was burning with a furious white radiance, turning the somber black hall into a stark tapestry of darkness and light. It seemed as if the air inside the arch was rippling slightly, hazy from

touched it with the

however, only half

he took an involuntary step back and raised a hand to shield them. A cool breeze caressed his face, and he could suddenly smell... bark,

Life.

brightness, Sunnyslowly lowered his hand and looked at the arch with

was as though a rift in reality

around the portal, the hall was just as it had been — dark, somber, cut from

Tower after thousands of years spent in utter darkness, and brought with it the

meadow continued from where the obsidian floor ended, full of vibrancy and life. A shadow of a tall tree shaded the proximity

the portal. Surrounded but the blue skies, clouds, and vibrant green grass, it seemed to be the epitome of beauty and

was

He swallowed.

Ivory Tower. Mordret

by how softly the grass swayed under the wind and how lazily the branches

regard, at

'Yes!'

had expected, it was already growing dimmer. The portal was burning through the meager amount of divine flame Sunny had been

"Curses!"

had not been prepared to go through the arch as soon as it opened. He had done everything he wanted to do in the Ebony Tower, given the circumstances. There was not much to be done here, to begin with. Time had destroyed every

had to escape

of his Memories, Sunny wrapped both shadows around his

don't be