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.

change anything. The important part is that she is

with becoming more powerful than Nephis was not born out of simple vanity or empty pride. Someone else might have been tempted to chase power just for the sweetness of it, but to Sunny, being

sat in stunned silence, the sound of hurried footsteps resounded near 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,

big man had been the person to send Nephis into the Dream Realm. It was no wonder that he dropped everything to come and wait with the rest of them. Sunny felt a

reached them and froze

Is it true? Princess is

for

I… I passed her to the healers with

not move for several seconds. Then, a wide grin split her face. It looked

yes! I never had a doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists that can keep that

a little, infected

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

on the young man's beautiful face. Kai swayed a little, and then leaned on the wall to

"Gods… thank the gods…"

friend must have been blaming himself for leaving Nephis behind all 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 hell of the Forgotten Shore because of someone else's sacrifice must have

his friends, seeing sincere happiness

had no reason to feel a strange ambivalence about

to ignore the darker

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

to just share

founder of their cohort was

one of the Awakened healers in the

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

agents couldn't contain

Lady Changing Star is