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.

looked at it, his frown turning

great shot? I was aiming for its leg, you

he threw the bow

months since the day he had gained — and promptly lost — the lineage of Shadow

By now, his aim wasn't terrible, but it was also not nearly as impressive as what he had seen Kai do. The fact that his archery was improving so slowly only added

except for the terrifying Master knew what exactly that Memory was, people could recognize the brand of clan Valor on its surface, which would lead to a

back when he had been too weak to handle Nightmare Creatures populating the Chained

to give it a good kick. Dismissing it with a sigh, he retrieved

a vastly better arsenal of Memories at his disposal, an additional Shadow Core and a third shadow, and his combat

God's blood, three of his Attributes evolved. The [Ember of Divinity] was now [Flame of Divinity], rising his divine affinity even

kill. He probably couldn't bleed to death even if he wanted to, and it would take

was something,

up from the ground, hid

creepy shadow slowly turned its head and stared at

'This guy…'

Sunny rolled his eyes.

pervert, come here and

eagerly wrapped itself around the blade of the Prowling Thorn, which was then used to cut the tough hide of the

swiftly fished out the soul shard and threw it to 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 time to time, he cut several large slabs of meat off

"Should be enough… right?"

up, picked up the Cruel Sight, and headed toward the