Shadow Slave

It only took Sunny a split second to understand what had happened. One of the scientists locked in the shelter had fallen asleep... in their sleep, that person had been pulled into the First Nightmare.

And died.

Perhaps the trial of the Spell was especially harsh, or perhaps the scientist was especially weak. Perhaps luck was simply not on their side. In the end, it did not matter.

What mattered was that the Seed of Nightmare in their soul bloomed, and a deadly abomination was unleashed into the waking world.

Crimson blood on the white lab coat. A grotesque figure that resembled a ghastly amalgamation of a human and a monstrous mannequin made of flesh. Screams of fear, eyes full of shock. Even though the Nightmare Creature had just been born, it already unleashed its murderous madness on the defenseless civilians in the shelter.

Everyone was late to react - the automated defense systems, the sentries posted in the bunker... even Sunny himself.

Although he was already diving into the shadows, he knew that the short moment it would take him to travel the vast distance between the bloodsoaked battlefield and the shelter could mean the difference between life and death for Professor Obel.

Summoning Saint was a fast affair, but it, too, took a second or two to complete.

So, he went for a measure that would be immediate... using Shadow Manifestation, he commanded the shadow that had been observing the old scientist to assume a tangible form and resist the frenzied Nightmare Creature.

Almost instantly, a sharp pain pierced his very being. The shadow sustained damage, which meant that his soul did, too.

... No matter how many times Sunny had endured soul attacks, the sheer agony of them was still a shock.

A single heartbeat later, he rolled out of the shadows nestling in the corners of the underground shelter and looked around, trying to evaluate the situation through the pain.

several seconds since the unfortunate scientist turned into a grotesque abomination. Still, several people that had been close to the transformed monstrosity were already dead. Their severed

trying to shield the old man with her body, which was useless, considering that the creature would not be

to be stuck

the scientist, pushing it back with a hand. Its other hand was wrapped around

breaking decorum because of a small and inconsequential thing like being skewered by a Nightmare

in two worlds

'That guy...'

abomination in the abdomen, sending it stumbling back. Then, it disappeared, turning

shelter and attacked the Nightmare Creature before it could regain

raise their rifles, and the turrets mounted on the ceiling came to life, swinging in

had been faster than

have slain an

But still... still...

the dead creature, Sunny scowled, a dark expression

it. He had been distracted, and lost awareness of what was

not

'How did this happen?'

been keeping an eye on the Professor even while fighting the Myriad Eater, but then, at some

of Solace? Or simply because of the accumulated exhaustion of

wounded soul served as a reminder of

Countless people had almost

helmet of the Undying Chain, revealing his pale face and hair, which was damp

in just a few seconds. It could have been much, much