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?'

was no mistake. The first two enchantments were just as before, [Mantle of

Enchantment: [Where is my

my eye?] Enchantment Description: "Helps the

deadpan expression for a few moments, and then laughed so hard that it threw him out of the

gods… where

strange naming sensibility, the cycle

smiled, then stood up

white radiance, turning the somber black hall into a stark tapestry of darkness and light. It seemed as if the air inside

with the tip of the silver spear. Once again, his

time, however, only half

raised a hand to shield them. A cool breeze caressed his face, and he could suddenly

Life.

the brightness, Sunnyslowly lowered his hand and looked at

was as though a rift in reality appeared inside

around the portal, the hall was just as it

however, was a clear blue sky. Sunlight had suddenly invaded the Ebony Tower after thousands of years spent in utter darkness, and brought with it the sounds of the wind and the rustling

continued from where the obsidian floor ended, full of vibrancy and life.

wall rose higher than Sunny could see through the portal. Surrounded but the blue skies, clouds, and vibrant green grass, it seemed

whole sight was like

He swallowed.

Tower. Mordret

judging by how softly the grass swayed under the wind and how lazily the branches of the tree moved, the heavenly island was really…

that regard, at least, it was

'Yes!'

The portal was burning through the meager amount of divine

"Curses!"

There was not much to be done here, to begin with. Time had destroyed every possible trophy he could have found, and the most valuable treasures — the Bone Weave and the knowledge of the map

just had

both shadows around his body… and

don't be