Shadow Slave

It was already morning, so he didn't bother going to sleep and just brewed himself more coffee, poured it into a cup, and went to sit on the porch.

The mental fatigue of the long planning session made his thoughts a bit slow, but Sunny knew that he would be able to remain awake and lucid for a couple more days without any problem. He wasn't going to return to the Dream Realm until all his business in the waking world was taken care of.

So, Sunny just rested for a bit, watching the dawn and unhurriedly thinking through all the things that had to be done.

"...say goodbye to Teacher Julius… talk to Aiko about the Emporium…"

The Second Nightmare could take a lot of time to conquer, so there was a question of how long the supply of soul shards he had given her would last. Sunny didn't want to return and discover that his store had closed doors and lost all its clients.

He took a sip of coffee and looked down.

…Of course, there was a very real possibility that he would not return at all.

Sunny did not delude himself. No matter how powerful he was and how swift his progress had been, this Nightmare was going to be nothing except for absolutely deadly… like all Nightmares were. Better people than him had ventured inside and never returned. The possibility of death was very real...

Was there even a point in planning for the future?

As he thought about it, suddenly, a sound of light steps could be heard on the path leading to the porch. Sunny smiled a little, and then looked up.

Rain was standing a few steps away, looking at him with a bit of awkwardness.

"I, uh… are your guests still here?"

He shook his head.

"Good! I mean… bad? I just wanted to talk to you… alone… that's all."

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What about?"

Rain was obviously trying to be apologetic and respectful, a familiar angry

about! I mean, uh…

few moments, and then asked in a more polite

tell me that you are a big

Rain for a bit,

I not told you that I am probably the strongest Awakened in the world, the best

Rain scowled.

"I'm being serious!"

a few moments. Slowly, the smile disappeared from his face.

squashed. So I

looked at him in

I don't understand. How would Nightmare Creatures know that you are considered strong?

Sunny's face. He glanced at Rain, and

anything about the Nightmare

cup on the floor, then

have searched the network for all the information about the Forgotten Shore you

blushed, and then

He nodded, too.

know that around four hundred Sleepers died during the Siege of the Crimson Spire. So many. But do you know how many were killed in the months before?

Her eyes widened slightly.

girl, no levity in his voice

killed by other humans while I was out there, in that hell, than they were by monsters. Well… other monsters, to be precise. And that is a

He sighed.

Realm and not starve, and how to kill your enemies. But I can't teach you how to be strong, Rain. That is something that you can only learn yourself. This world… it is a cruel and ruthless place. Some people are lucky enough to never learn its truth, but some do. And out of those, soft ones never survive. You are very, very soft… but are you lucky? I don't know.

was a bit too serious and somber for a girl her age appearing

think I

Sunny smiled.