Shadow Slave

After the ominous mountain disappeared from view, hidden by the snowy slopes and darkness... the mundane darkness of the polar night, not the unfathomable true darkness that they had just barely escaped from... the convoy finally came to a stop.

Around them was the familiar landscape of the Antarctic Center. Deep in the mountains, they were temporarily protected front the wind by an overhanging cliff, and had reaclted a wide area that was somewhat fit to serve as a campsite. The vehicles needed to be checked after the recent mad dash, and the people needed time to come to their senses.

Pitts, they had no idea where they were. Sunny had to scout the area, determine their location on the map, and come up with a route forward. He also needed to make sure that there were no swarms of Nightmare Creatures close by or heading in their direction, and do a thousand other things.

'Ah... I don't want to...'

Creating a bridge of shadows had cost him a lot of essence, but the mental strain had been far worse. Sunny felt tired and lazy, but he had no choice except for to get busy right away. Rolling off the roof of the military vehicle, he landed on the snow, sighed, and sent his shadows to explore.

By then, the members of his cohort and other people had already emerged from their transports. Some went about establishing a camp and searching for good watch posts, while some headed toward him with complicated faces.

Pretty soon, he was surrounded by the Irregulars. A few of them looked relieved to find him safe and relatively sound, others were mostly full of questions. Luster, who had witnessed more titan the rest, was the first one to speak:

"Captain, sir! That... that was something else."

Sunny simply nodded, in agreetnent with the young man, for a change.

Luster hesitated for a few moments, then asked cautiously:

"But, uh... what was it, exactly?"

He stared at Sunny, and added in a suddenly hoarse voice:

"I don't mean that amazing bridge you made, I mean the... the other thing. The one that almost gobbled its up."

Sunny did not answer for a while. Eventually, he shook his head and looked south with a dark expression.

"I do not know."

had a few ideas,

being that had dwelled in the old tunnels was too vast and powerful to be a simple Nightmare Creature. it reminded him a lot of the Crimson Terror of the Forgotten Shore... so, perhaps, it was also a terror, one that had gone into a slumber to evolve into a titan. Or maybe a titan that was in the

it was a creature that had entered the process of evolution, only to

Sunny was certain that he and Saint had messed the whole process up,

closer to the eerie black dimension - whether it was

sword had

Saint was not destroyed, since he had felt her return back into his

the Irregulars, checked on Professor Obel, and then found a quiet place to find out. Somewhat: nervous, he summoned Saint... but

Just as i thou...

felt different from how it usually was when wounded Shadows

almost could not feel her

the four dark suns of his shadow cores for a few moments, and then summoned the

[Marble Saint],

runes describing the Serpent were lifeless, indicating that it was outside his control. Saint's, however, appeared normal.

Shadow: Marble Saint.

Shadow Rank: Ascended.

Shadow Class: Demon...

the field of shimmering runes, a new

heart skipped

[...Marble Saint is evolving]

'...What!'

for a

how it

the cold air of the polar night, and smiled crookedly. He