Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at the blind girl with surprise clearly written on his face. Allowing this surprise to seep into his voice, he asked:

"The vine creature? You want to kill that thing?"

Why would she want to attempt to do something that dangerous?

Cassie nodded.

"Yes."

He shook his head.

"That bastard sprawls through the entire island, its vines buried underground. It is Corrupted, which means that our weapons will barely be able to cut it. And, if that was not bad enough, the vines produce clouds of deadly poison. Are you sure that you want to attack it?"

The blind girl lingered for a few moments, then answered calmly:

"It is a Corrupted Monster, indeed. It is terrifying and lethal, yes. But I am sure that we can destroy it, with enough preparation. Everyone has weaknesses, after all. That creature is susceptible to fire, for example. There must be other things we might be able to exploit, too."

Sunny thought for a while, then shrugged.

"Fine. I will help your cohort fight the monstrosity on the Shipwreck Island. I will not promise that we will succeed, though."

Cassie sighed.

"Then we have a deal. My cohort and I will remain in the Desecrated Growth until our business here is done. I expect it to take a month, at least. Maybe more. After, we will return to the Sanctuary, recuperate, and proceed to the Shipwreck Island."

She paused for a moment, and then added:

"And then, I will help you challenge the Second Nightmare."

Sunny smiled.

don't die before that, you

to

If we don't die

***

Sanctuary, Sunny had a lot

was the fact that he would have to cooperate with Cassie again, which made him feel all sorts of complicated emotions. The manner of their relationship, at least, was set clear

for the sake of mutual benefit. After all, Sunny could be a

the island. Sunny knew very well how dangerous that thing was, so he had a lot of preparations to do if

divine flame augmentation of the Cruel Sight, however,

didn't even know what to think about that. However, Sunny was not

thing to do was to keep it in his mind, but continue to act as if nothing had changed. At least he

journey to and back from the Desecrated Grove, Sunny approached the Sanctuary of Noctis in the middle of the night. His shadow essence reserves were

and hearing the familiar sound of water falling over the edge of

about it, for now. First

sky, which meant that he was finally going to

miraculous coins the dead Chain Worm had brought with it to the Iron Hand Island started this whole ordeal, and now, the coins would

prize was waiting for him up

through the empty garden and approached the clear pond in its center. Stopping for a couple of moments to make sure that no

stood in the shade of an ancient tree, and an obsidian knife

'The moment of truth…'

took out one of the gold coins out of it, and placed it on

reflecting the

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

appeared on Sunny's

the runes, he

Shadow Fragments: [224/2000].

'It works!'

on the altar each

the reward was in his sight,