Shadow Slave

The [Evil Eye] seemed to suit Kim's Aspect very well. Of course, the cohort was only going to really learn how much it had been improved during their next battle. Which, without a doubt, would follow very soon.

…But not yet.

Sitting on the ground and watching snowflakes dance in the dim sky, Sunny rested and evaluated the performance of his soldiers — and his own — in the clash against the swarm of eyeless beasts. Overall, he was satisfied with the result. Why wouldn't he be, considering that the enemy had been destroyed while none of his subordinates had suffered a serious injury?

Everyone had performed well. Belle, Dorn, and Quentin had shown their value as elite combat specialists. Samara had confidently surpassed his already high expectations. Kim had been instrumental to their overall effectiveness and provided adequate support. While Luster's contribution had not seemed that spectacular, his presence actually made all the difference. The young man had also done well enough for himself as a second-line fighter.

However, things weren't that simple.

A subtle frown appeared on Sunny's face.

'How troublesome…'

The relative ease of their victory had been predicated on several factors. Firstly and most importantly, control over the terrain and the proper use of its advantages. Secondly, the immediate elimination of the Fallen commander of the swarm… without the Defiled Witness, none of the Nightmare Creatures had possessed fearsome unnatural powers.

The vile abilities that Devils and abominations of higher Classes possessed added an element of unpredictability to every battle. It was that instability that made any kind of strategy and planning unreliable. This time, Sunny had been able to remove the threat and maintain tactical superiority, but what about the next? He doubted that every future battle would be as orderly.

Lastly, the cohort had not held back and unleashed its full power to destroy the swarm. Sunny had avoided using his trump cards, but his reserves of essence were now depleted by more than a half. His soldiers were in an even worse situation. It was going to take a couple of days for them to recover… maybe less if Luster was involved.

Sunny did not regret going all out, since it allowed him to create a benchmark of what the cohort was capable of. However, he had a nagging suspicion that they would not be allowed the luxury of carelessly burning through their essence in the future. Who knew when the next combat engagement would come? There was no guarantee that the cohort would receive the time they needed to recharge.

'Conserving essence is going to be a priority… I feel it in my bones.'

darkened. The more his soldiers were constrained in how to express their

head slightly, Sunny threw a calculating glance at Luster. The young man suddenly shivered and looked

Why are you staring at

smile, which only

talking… take Kim and go collect us some soul shards. Don't bother with

would take care of

subordinates were… not to mention that he could make a rough estimate himself simply by taking a look. Actually, they did not need too many shards. Dorn and Samara had long reached full saturation, while

reach its full potential sooner rather

left — chaperoned by one of his shadows, just in case

Realm, he knew not

***

was calm and silent. Not too far away, behind the rugged slopes, the bleakness of the twilight sky was being torn apart by orange flashes of heavy artillery fire. The echoes of thunderous explosions reached the valley from time to time, but the mayhem itself remained somewhere in the distance, where the main body of the army division

rumbling drew closer, and subtle vibrations spread through the surface

eye, Sunny looked down, where a long column of army vehicles was climbing up the slope. At its front, a squad of war platforms marched, their wide metal feet sending cracks through the asphalt with each step. A

in their giant hands, the massive rifles looked small and lightweight, like modest sidearms at

finally arrived. They were going to follow the road and flank the

and his soldiers were done with

crest of the hill where Rhino was parked, lingered there for a moment, and continued down into the valley. The army vehicles and members of the

spot where the cohort was resting

for a while, then glanced at Belle, who was

killed all these abominations

The swordsman simply smiled.