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.

about the fallout

with the government. If things turned from bad to worse with the great clans, the authorities were the only force influential enough to shield him… for a

Sunny grimaced.

I need to collect my

leaned back and studied the familiar, peaceful landscape of

Masters now, and exceptional ones at that… not only had they conquered the Second Nightmare, but they had also done it at an abnormally young age and after

of the Forgotten Shore were already famous, and this latest accomplishment was bound to stir up a real storm, both

mention that each of them

her new power appeared to bolster her allies as long as they could see her. It was as though

to admit that it

any number of people as long as they maintained the line of sight with the huntress, without an additional cost

simply not enough Masters and too much for them to do to form full cohorts of Ascended. However, that did not mean that one could not build supporting teams of Awakened or even mundane soldiers

about to get very, very popular among the great

was in a similar situation,

frightening. None of them, not even Kai himself, had the chance to explore the full

a supernatural quality that compelled people who heard it to follow his commands. The result and the consequence depended on how much essence

were hard to force on people with strong willpower or high resistance to mind attacks. For example, if Kai commanded another Ascended to drop their weapon,

grip might grow weaker,

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

valuable for those who held power, as well. The government propaganda machine especially was going to lose its collective mind over Nightingale and his enchanting

was more… Kai's Aspect had evolved after he had faced and slain the Ivory Dragon. Instances like that were known to happen, but were also incredibly rare. His Awakened Aspect was now

so his friends had no idea what the evolution entailed. They only knew that their friend had grown stronger, although perhaps in a way that

then there