Shadow Slave

There could not have been a tunnel that stretched under the Antarctic Center for hundreds of kilometers. Not only would a structure like that be a miraculous feat of engineering, but far too many people - especially the army strategist and someone as knowledgeable as Professor Obel - would be aware of its existence.

However, no one had been.

Sunny remained silent for a while, then looked at the old man. Professor Obel simply shook his head.

"I am afraid I can't explain. Which... is not too surprising. After the Nightmare Spell descended, there are many things in the world that science - or rather, our limited scientific understanding - fails to explain."

Sunny sighed.

'Great.'

What was he supposed to do now?

It was clear that the laws of nature were either broken or worked differently inside the tunnel. Space was not behaving as it was supposed to behave... or maybe they had simply traveled to some. strange pocket dimension that was filled with nothing but true darkness.

Maybe they were all under the influence of another mind hex. Maybe they had all been devoured by the swarm of Brood beasts, and were now condemned to an eternal purgatory.

Who could tell?

Sunny cursed silently, then wrapped all four shadows around the Undying Chain to ramp up its mental protection. Nothing changed. The oppressive darkness did not disappear... if anything, it seemed even more foreboding now.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Alright. Let's not panic yet."

of the tunnel and struck it with his fist. A startling bang rolled through the tunnel, echoing in the darkness. In the place where his

into

instructions without asking questions. The convoy continued to move forward. However, this time, Sunny made it

Moving much

for another ten tninutes. After that, Sunny commanded them to put the vehicles in reverse - the tunnel was not wide

a while, he gave the

'...This is bad.'

course, had not

possible to go back to a previously visited spot inside the tunnel - Belle, Dorn, and himself had walked for around six kilometers during the initial scouting, and then safely returned

sure that the same principle still applied. Indeed, he had been

stop was to test if something would change

but there was none. At some point in time. somewhere between five

could not return to the collapsed exit from the tunnel. The way back, and the second option he had of escaping to the surface, did

a cold shiver run down his

from the convoy forever? Would they be doomed to wander the darkness alone, for the rest

to disaster without

'I was lucky.'

fighting against enemies that he could strike down, even if their strength seemed overwhelming. However, he was as powerless as the rest against circumstances like the one they found themselves in right now - against threats that were both

Simply by existing.

far away, probably preparing

'...Damnation!'

then at the battered vehicles of the convoy. There were almost four hundred people in them that he had promised to rescue...

have always

took a