Shadow Slave

Chapter 698

Sunny landed on the very edge of the island and froze there, looking forward with a dark expression on his bestial face. The others remained silent, too, feeling his unease and tension.

The land in front of them seemed tranquil… beautiful, even. There was an expanse of vibrant green grass, and some distance away, it made way for the calm waters of a vast lake. Its surface was perfectly still and reflective, making it seem as though a piece of the blue sky above had somehow gotten embedded into the ground.

A gentle wind caressed their faces, and nothing broke the peaceful silence except for the rustle of grass and the distant rattling of chains.

…And yet, Sunny couldn't help but feel a sense of imminent danger.

He sighed, and then glanced at his friends with uncertainty.

"...Should we summon our armor and weapons?"

Kai hesitated for a moment, then said:

"Wouldn't that be seen as a sign of distrust and hostility? Pure heart, pure thoughts… whatever that means… does not seem to fit with being armed and ready for a fight."

Sunny grimaced.

"Yeah… however, what if we do have to fight?"

Effie smiled.

"The four of us should be able to at least retreat safely, should things go wrong. I mean, how terrible can that thing be?"

Sunny shivered, then shook his head.

"Terrible enough for Saints to fear it. I've… I've been to this island a few times, in the future, but stuck to the edges, never approaching the lake. So I don't actually know what kind of a creature lives in its depths. However… I did see bones laying on the shore. And just those bones alone looked like they had belonged to things I would not want to meet."

He hesitated for a while, then glanced at Cassie.

"What do you think?"

The young woman tilted her head a little, then said calmly:

"I don't feel any danger. Maybe Noctis was honest, this time."

Sunny sighed. Cassie's intuition had guided each of them through countless dangers unscathed… if she felt that it was safe, there was a good reason to listen.

mean that he had to

no weapons or armor, for now. Just... pure

Because of how still and reflective it was, no one could peer beneath the surface… however, Sunny could feel something deep

He shivered.

cleared his throat and, feeling

to retrieve the Ruby Knife. Please…

gust of wind…

is it because of Harper? Or all the things I've done to survive

few moments later, Effie

are not pure, Sunny… who

teeth, then growled

and try yourself,

shook her head

no… no one has ever accused me of

for a bit, and then

I am in the body of

from Sunny's shoulders, approached

please have the knife, uh… Aunty from

again, nothing happened. Effie remained there for a few moments, then sighed

"...Figures."

both of them turned and stared at

man hesitated for a

think Cassie

Effie glanced at each other, a little surprised, then shrugged and made way for the blind

a few moments, then sighed and walked toward the shore. Stopping mere centimeters from the calm water,

am here for the Ruby

well… but then, the young woman suddenly paled and took

on the surface of the lake… and although the vast shadow hidden within it did not

a long knife,

water and offered it to Cassie, who suddenly trembled with her whole body and took another step back,

she stopped. Her bloodless lips turned into a straight line, and, gritting her teeth, the young woman returned to the shore. There, she knelt and leaned forward, taking the

into the water, and soon, nothing but a slowly dissipating ripple remained to

of this

didn't move… the shadow did not

nothing. It slowly moved toward Cassie, then rose, and softly caressed her cheek. The young woman flinched when the black flesh touched her, but

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