Shadow Slave

A stunned silence settled over the resplendent arena. A sea of spectators was staring at Sunny with wide eyes, not sure if they had heard it right. Even the Saint seemed shocked and uncertain about what to do.

Surely, Mongrel had not just… challenged a Master of the Great Clan Valor to a fight?

In that silence, a bright laughter suddenly rang, rolling over the vast courtyard. It was Morgan. She was laughing with a delighted expression on her face, her striking vermilion eyes full of mirth and amusement.

A few moments later, she looked down and asked, her raspy voice relaxed and steady:

"Oh, really? You want to fight me?"

Sunny stared at her from below, and nodded.

"Yes."

…But of course, he didn't. He might have been a little bit crazy, but not nearly crazy enough to wish to fight an Ascended serving one of the Sovereigns. Hell, that Morgan girl could have been Anvil's own daughter, for all Sunny knew.

However, the fact that he would rather avoid such a confrontation didn't mean that fighting Morgan would be of no benefit to him. In fact, Sunny felt that it could push him to finally mastering the second step of Shadow Dance. A member of a Great Clan had to have a lot to teach him.

'Plus… who knows? If I win, she might give me the reward anyway. Anything else would just look petty…'

So, even if Sunny was against the idea, it was the best bad idea he had managed to come up with.

As for how he was supposed to win against a Master… that depended on Morgan herself. If Sunny was right, she would not unleash her full power on him, be it out of pride, a sense of fairness, or simply to save face.

The young woman, meanwhile, was still looking at him from above. Her scarlet lips were curved into a slight smile.

"...Such an audacious wish."

She leaned back… and in the next moment, the crowd gasped.

the parapet and plunged down, soon landing on the floor of the arena dozens of meters below. A whirlwind of rose petals rose into the air from the force of the impact, but the young woman herself seemed unperturbed. She

He instantly tensed.

'Curses… she actually accepted?'

that Morgan would refuse

seemed pleased by it, instead. Stopping opposite Sunny, the young woman studied him for a bit, and then

Thane… if you

for a few moments,

"Uh, yes… of course…"

the pleasant

Morgan has entered

"...Morgan has challenged Mongrel!"

smiled, then turned back to

"...That's better."

him for a moment, and then

work. As an Ascended, I can't expect an Awakened — even one as skilled and distinguished as you — to really have a chance in a duel against me. Huh. What

bit, and then smiled

I have an

a torrent of scarlet sparks. The young woman was left standing in a simple black tunic, her feet bare. She then proceeded to hide one

dormant weapon. One minute… if you survive against me for one minute, the win will be yours. That should

behind

an arrogant… and pretty… wait,

way, he really stood a

and try to learn as much as he could in that short time. And if he happens to win, maybe the prize would still

at his Ascended