Shadow Slave

The next day, Sunny left the Sanctuary in the company of the Fire Keepers. Traveling across the Chained Isles with Cassie and her cohort proved to be somewhat inconvenient — after all, they couldn't all turn into shadows and swiftly glide across heavenly chains as he could — but also a much more safe and pleasant experience than he was used to.

In fact, this was probably the most relaxed and serene journey Sunny had ever undertaken in the Dream Realm.

Even if the party moved slower, it was also much more battle ready and capable than any solitary Awakened could ever dream to be. Each of the Fire Keepers was a talented fighter with years of experience under their belt, and more than that, they fought together like a singular, finely tuned battle machine.

Even though Sunny didn't want to admit it, he had to give Cassie credit. Under her leadership, the cohort had become a beautifully cohesive battle unit in less than a year. She must have learned well from how Nephis had built her cohort, and then her army, back in the Dark City.

The fact that these young men and women shared a common past and had gone through a harrowing hell together must have helped a lot, too.

Whenever the party encountered Nightmare Creatures, Sunny felt a very strange and unfamiliar sensation… it was almost as if he didn't have to do anything. He could literally remain still, and nothing would happen to him — his temporary companions were more than capable of dealing with the abominations themselves.

Of course, that was only because the route they were taking had been carefully chosen to avoid the really dangerous places. There was another reason for why this expedition was going so smoothly… Cassie herself.

Traveling with a powerful oracle was a very convenient thing, indeed. Not only was she able to steer the cohort clear of anything they were not equipped to deal with, she also had a supernatural intuition when it came to predicting which islands were going to enter into a descent, and which were going to rise instead.

Thanks to that, they were able to avoid being caught by the Crushing and having to either endure it or scramble to escape to the nearest isle — which could have landed them into the hunting territory of extremely powerful Nightmare Creatures.

Just like before, Sunny and she worked together to make sure that nothing unexpected happened. With Cassie's intuition and his shadows scouting ahead, the cohort always had plenty of time to avoid a confrontation with dangerous abominations or thoroughly prepare for it.

...It was almost like the good old times.

The fact that Sunny — unlike the Fire Keepers, who had spent most of their time on the Chained Isles up north — knew this part of the region pretty well also helped. On the way, they had passed through many islands that he had explored and hunted on before.

rest stops and meals much more enjoyable. So,

a calm and comparatively uneventful week, they finally reached

***

and vile. Sunny and the Fire Keepers were currently on the island he had visited before — the one with dozens of stone towers

were now approaching the edge of the isle. Soon, the sight of the gargantuan chain stretching into the distance opened to them, and

Shipwreck Island... and the corpse of the metal giant that was entangled in the remnants of a broken chain, swaying slowly above the dark abyss of the Sky Below. They were as stunned

a while, one of

force could have shattered such a creature? And his arm… we saw it already, didn't

didn't respond, since the question wasn't directed at him,

lingered, then

down and investigate, after taking control of

at her, then shook

"I wouldn't recommend that."

young woman raised an

"Why?"

found its way

the island is much, much worse. Believe me. And that giant is well within its reach. In fact, I think that it uses him as bait to feed on the Chain Worms… those

attention to the underside of the Shipwreck Island, which was shrouded in darkness.

"But what is it?"

Sunny shrugged.

saw the tip of its root. That is why I am still alive, most likely… if I saw the whole thing, we wouldn't be having this conversation