Shadow Slave

Some time later, Sunny left the house and sat on the porch by himself.

His thoughts were in disarray.

So much had changed, so much had happened. So much was going to happen in the next few days, as well. His life was inevitably going to transform… hopefully, for the best.

However, there were many obstacles he was going to have to overcome and many decisions he was going to have to make in order to avoid being destroyed by the changes instead. Although Sunny had grown considerably stronger, and obliterating him was not as easy anymore, there were still threats out there that he did not dare to face.

He sighed, and looked down.

'I am a Master.'

The knowledge rested in his mind, but he was yet to truly comprehend it. Ascended had seemed so distant and glorious to him, once. Not quite demigods, but also not mere mortals anymore. But now, he was one of these venerated beings himself. He could feel inhuman power coursing through his veins.

That was something he couldn't process that fast.

And yet, time waited for no one. Sunny knew that there would be no opportunity to properly get used to his swiftly shifting circumstances. He had a lot to do, and he had to do it now.

'Just take it one step at a time.'

What did he have to do immediately?

Call Aiko, for one. He had to let his business partner know that he was back and get an update on how Rain was doing.

out about the fallout of the destruction of the Night Temple… although

worse, she was his handler and his point of contact with the government. If things turned from bad to worse with the great

Sunny grimaced.

yet… I need to collect my thoughts

leaned back and studied the familiar, peaceful landscape of the

now, and exceptional

was bound to stir up a real storm, both in the media and

that each of them

perhaps, the most remarkable in how useful it was. Sunny had expected the huntress to receive another combat Ability, but instead, her new power appeared to bolster her

had to admit that it was… powerful. Not comparable to what the young woman herself could

of people as long as they maintained the line of sight with the huntress, without an additional cost in essence. That basically meant that

one could not build

was about to get very, very popular among the

was in a similar situation,

was… strange, and a little bit frightening. None of them, not even Kai himself, had the chance to explore the full range of its

the consequence depended on how much essence he poured into the compulsion and the target's resistance, as well as some other

were hard to force on people with strong willpower or high resistance to mind attacks. For example, if Kai

their grip might grow weaker, and their attacks might grow

principle worked the other way around, too. The compulsion did not have to be aimed at an enemy. Kai could call upon his allies to fight with more fervor or to hold their ground no matter what. He could invoke any feeling he wanted in large groups of people, or lure them to their deaths like a

well. The government propaganda machine especially was going to lose its collective mind over Nightingale and

and slain the Ivory Dragon. Instances like that were known to happen, but were

what the evolution entailed. They only knew that their friend had

there