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 is

matter. 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

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

Dream Realm. It was no wonder that he dropped everything to come and wait with the rest of them.

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

Cassie! Is it true? Princess is

at her for a bit,

her to the

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

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

help but smile a little, infected by

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

appeared on the young man's beautiful face. Kai

"Gods… thank the gods…"

person for this vile world, and infected by a misguided sense of nobility to boot.

them huddled together and waited. Sunny silently observed the faces of his friends, seeing sincere happiness

feel a strange ambivalence about Changing Star's

to ignore the darker

a slave, he would. If

to just share this

of their cohort was back,

and one of the Awakened healers in the employ

waiting area held their breaths. Even Morgan of Valor

government agents couldn't contain herself and

how is she? Lady Changing Star is really