Shadow Slave

Awakened Luster was in a strange mood.

On one hand, his life and career were going better than ever. Not only had he managed to become a member of the special forces, he also received a chance to participate in the most exciting operation of the last several decades!

His status, citizenship rank, and even salary were now higher than he had ever hoped. It was hard to imagine that a guy like him managed to climb so far without being a Legacy or even possessing a combat Aspect. It was certainly better than working in a boring spelltech research facility, which he had been considering before joining the government army.

Plus, he was surrounded by tons of pretty girls every day. There were thousands of them in the port fortress, and even more in the greater encampment beyond. With his dashing uniform, reputation of a valiant elite, and irresistible personality, many of them paid Luster special attention.

Overall, things were great!

…On the other hand, the world seemed to be falling apart. The exciting operation he was so enthused about could very well become his last.

'What a bummer.'

Sitting on a broken panel of a discarded prefab building, Luster watched the swarm activity in the camp below and sipped his coffee. That was another thing… once they shipped to the Southern Quadrant, luxuries like coffee would probably become scarce. He would have to go back to synthetic substitutes, or even worse, drink something as disgusting as tea!

'The horror!'

Luster grimaced, then glanced at the plain-looking young woman sitting next to him.

"What do you think, Kimmy? Are we going to receive our assignments today?"

Awakened Kim hesitated for a bit, then said in an awkward tone:

"I, uh… I don't know?"

Luster shook his head. Kimmy was the strangest person he had ever met. This timid girl was the only Awakened he knew… who somehow managed to not look hot! As far as he was concerned, that was a bizarre accomplishment. Every Awakened was hot. That was just common knowledge.

…Every one except for Kimmy. She single-handedly destroyed Luster's whole worldview. He just did not know what to make of that fact.

Belle, who was perching on the same prefab panel, looked at them and flashed a smile.

"I think we will."

felt a

do you know

then said in a hushed

her unit yesterday. That means they'll start recruiting today. After that is done, the other elite units will be free to pick out the rest of

'Hell yeah!'

remained silent for a bit, and then sighed

the chances are slim, but wouldn't it be great to be picked by

his

of it was that all

read

Luster felt

"Kimmy? W—what is it?"

moment, and then showed

We've been assigned to Soul Reaper's unit!

***

training facility where they had been ordered to gather

a strange trio. Sure, each was considered an elite, but in usual circumstances, a combat specialist like Belle would not have

had changed a lot

currently happening in the Dream Realm. The Awakened assigned to the First Evacuation Army were hastily relocating to larger and better protected Citadels, so that a sudden attack of

government Citadels, while some were going to impregnable Legacy strongholds like Bastion or Ravenheart. All across the Dream Realm, thousands of Awakened were

of the Dream Realm. The Awakened serving the government banded together to brave the wilderness and reach Bastion, forming a large caravan

all traveled together while their physical bodies were being relocated to various ports, locked

woke up thousands of kilometers south of it. In any case, in the month that it had taken him to reach Bastion on foot, he and the two other elite specialists traveling with the caravan had become somewhat close.

three Awakened they met after reaching the

when he realized that two of

'Wow!'

unapproachable and older than him by a

lightly tapped the young man

your head out of the gutter,