Shadow Slave

…The autumn was in full swing. Out in the waking world, the skies were grey and the winds were turning cold. The trees were showering the wet ground with a fragrant carpet of dead leaves.

But under the boundless, lethal expanse of the Sky Above, the world was still warm and bright. On an especially large island, one covered with emerald grass and moss-covered ruins, a frightening Nightmare Creature was stalking its prey.

It had four mighty paws, a lean body covered in black fur, and a wide maw full of sharp fangs. Above it, two furious red eyes burned with hatred and madness.

The abomination noiselessly moved through the tall grass, approaching the source of loud noise. A human's voice was screaming, full of indignation:

"I'm right here! Come and get me, damned bastards! Curse you all!"

The creature snarled and prepared to jump.

…Before it could, however, a slender arrow fell from the sky and hit the abomination right in the eye, instantly killing it.

[You have slain a Fallen Beast, Black Ravager.]

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

Several hundred meters away, safely hidden in the shadows cast by a fragment of an ancient wall, Sunny lowered his bow and frowned.

The happy shadow jumped up and down several times, then turned to him and applauded.

at it, his frown turning into a

do you mean, great shot? I was aiming for its leg,

he threw the

two months since the day he had gained — and promptly lost —

it was also

course, reluctant to be seen with a Memory awarded to Mongrel — even if no one except for the terrifying Master knew what exactly that Memory was, people could recognize the brand of clan Valor on its surface, which

which Saint had used to wield back when he had been too weak to handle Nightmare Creatures populating the Chained

it with a sigh, he

now. He had a vastly better arsenal of Memories at his disposal, an additional Shadow Core and a third shadow, and his

swallowed the drop of Shadow God's blood, three of his Attributes evolved. The [Ember of Divinity] was now [Flame of Divinity], rising

more potent. Sunny was now much harder to break and kill. He probably couldn't

something, at

to shut up, he picked it up from the ground, hid it on his belt, and walked over to the carcass of the

creepy shadow slowly turned its head and stared at the carcass with disturbing

'This guy…'

Sunny rolled his eyes.

pervert, come

blade of the Prowling Thorn, which was then used to cut the tough hide of the

the Covetous Coffer, which hopped into the air and swallowed it with a metallic click. Usually, that would be it, but today Sunny needed to retrieve something else as well. Grimacing from

"Should be enough… right?"

up the