Shadow Slave

On a dark desolate highway, a black steed and its bleak rider emerged from the shadows. Adamantine hooves rang on concrete as they flew forward through the falling snow, soon catching up with a small column of battered vehicles.

Overtaking one transport after another, Sunny briefly evaluated their condition. The convoy was roughly halfway to its destination, and none of the vehicles had failed... yet. Each looked as if it had gone through a meat grinder, but whatever the technicians had done to the transports was still keeping them from breaking down on the road.

Hopefully, that would continue to be the case.

His soldiers were doing a good job of warding off the Nightmare Creatures, as well. Nothing had managed to attack the column in his absence. The refugees were all intact.

Glancing at the military vehicles, Sunny sent a short communication to Gere:

"How much ammo do you have left, Sergeant?"

The response came in a crackle of interference:

"Glad... you back, Captain... sufficient... or two... nearly spent..."

Sunny frowned. The worsening quality of the signal could mean only one thing. They seemed to be approaching a powerful Gate.

He concentrated for a moment to sense the Call, and felt that it was gradually growing louder.

'Goddammit...'

With a grimace, Sunny sent Nightmare forward and soon reached the head of the convoy, galloping alongside the Rhino. He caught a glimpse of Luster, who was concentrating on driving the APC, and then looked into the darkness ahead.

were enough to deal with them. However, in the distance, still a few kilometers

inconsequential from distance,

A Nightmare Gate.

was... how long ago

away in search of prey, or were still lingering around.'There

Sin of Solace in one of his hands. He was tensely looking at the swiftly approaching Gate, trying to notice the shapes of Nightmare Creatures

no enemies on the road. However, the mountain slopes made him feel tense, for some reason. Disturbed, Sunny studied the cliffs rising above the highway to understand what he had missed.

slope itself moved, unfurling long limbs and turning away

a stifled

resembled wide pillars. It looked like a giant

Sunny's mouth turned dry.

'...A tyrant.'

not know what Rank the creature was, but it had to be a tyrant... one that carried an army of minions within its body, no less. The towering abomination

of all, the convoy had no

the damned whispers of the cursed sword were not making it any easier

hell do I

and its Guardian, so that was how long he had to come up with a

considered his best options. He could send Nightmare charging forward and attack the tyrant with his most powerful weapon, the Sin of Solace, to either cripple, kill, or lead the creature

spider, that could

severe wound or outright killing the tyrant on the spot. The minions could be dealt with if he

if that did not work, he would be risking the