Shadow Slave

As it turned out, Nephis had not found a Gateway to escape the Dream Realm and Awaken.

Instead, after two long years of solitude and relentless battles for survival, she had found a Seed of Nightmare and conquered the Second Trial of the Spell as a Sleeper.

She had done it alone.

At least that was the only way Sunny could explain the runes he was staring at.

Ascended.

'That is impossible.'

Surviving the Second Nightmare was already not easy for a cohort of prepared Awakened. More people perished while trying than returned victorious. How could a lone Sleeper accomplish the same?

No one had done it before.

However… no Sleeper had been a Tyrant before.

No Sleeper had escaped alive from a battle with a Corrupted horror of the depths before.

No Sleeper had slain a Fallen Terror before.

Nephis had long established her penchant for accomplishing the impossible. Why was Sunny so surprised that she had done it again?

No, he wasn't surprised. He was… dismayed.

A deep, unsettling emotion nestled in his chest, making his face grow dark and his eyes grow dim. The shadows around him seemed to become deeper.

is that she is back. Who

importance. His obsession with becoming more powerful than Nephis was not born out of simple vanity or empty pride. Someone else might

him. Looking up, Sunny saw Effie pushing her way through the crowd. She was not shy about using her prodigious strength, so people did not really have any choice except to let her pass. Even Instructor Rock, who had appeared ten minutes earlier, had

been the person to send Nephis into the Dream Realm. It was no wonder that he dropped everything

them and froze for a

Is it true?

her for a bit,

passed her to the healers with my own two

a wide grin split her face. It looked as if she was on the verge

doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists that

a little,

too long, Kai arrived, as well. Usually, his appearance would have caused a stir, but right now, no one paid the former

he received the confirmation, an expression of profound relief appeared on the young man's beautiful face. Kai swayed a

"Gods… thank the gods…"

that time. He was truly too decent of a person for this vile world, and infected by a misguided sense of nobility to boot. Knowing that he had escaped the

waited. Sunny silently observed the faces of his friends, seeing sincere happiness and relief written all

reason to feel a strange ambivalence about Changing Star's

looking at them, Sunny decided to ignore the darker part of his

he had to die to avoid becoming a slave, he would. If he had to kill in order

for now, he chose to just share this rare moment of joy with

founder of their cohort was back, after

the armored doors finally opened, and one of the Awakened healers in the

in the waiting area held their breaths. Even Morgan of Valor looked up from her communicator, strange sparks igniting

government agents couldn't contain herself

she? Lady