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.

anything. The important part is that she

To him, it was of paramount importance. His obsession 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 anything else than the

pushing her way through the crowd. She was not shy about using her prodigious strength, so people did not really have any choice except

It was no wonder that he dropped everything

huntress finally reached them and froze for a moment, then asked

it

her for a

I… I passed her to the

seconds. Then, a wide grin split her face. It

never had a doubt! No Nightmare Creature

smile a little, infected by her

as well. Usually, his appearance would have caused a stir,

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

"Gods… thank the gods…"

his 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.

seeing sincere happiness and relief written all over them. Some… Kai

feel

ignore the darker part of his

with it then. If he had to die to avoid becoming a slave, he would.

just share

of their cohort was back,

Awakened healers in the employ of the Academy appeared

Valor looked up from

agents

Lady Changing Star