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.

it, his

shot? I was aiming for its

he threw the

— and promptly lost — the lineage of Shadow

to use a bow. 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

Warbow, of course, reluctant to be seen with a Memory awarded to Mongrel — even if no one except for the terrifying Master knew what exactly

Blackhorn Bow, which Saint had used to wield back when he had been too weak to handle Nightmare Creatures

desire to give it a good kick. Dismissing it with a sigh, he retrieved the Cruel Sight from where

had a vastly better arsenal of Memories at his

after the damned and forbidden — rightfully so! — lineage of Weaver had swallowed the drop of Shadow God's blood, three of his Attributes evolved. The [Ember of Divinity] was now [Flame of Divinity], rising his divine affinity even more, which also increased the durability

had not changed in name, but became much more potent. Sunny was now much harder to break and kill. He probably couldn't bleed to death even

something, at

ground, hid it on his belt, and walked

turned its head and stared at the

'This guy…'

Sunny rolled his eyes.

stand there, pervert, come here

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

that would be it, but today Sunny needed to retrieve something else as well. Grimacing from time to time, he cut

"Should be enough… right?"

task, he stood up, picked up the Cruel Sight, and headed