Shadow Slave

'Crap, crap, crap...'

Sunny did not know what the creature pursuing them was, exactly. He had hoped that the possessed corpses were not the vessels of a single being, but instead separate abominations, akin to minions of a tyrant... but even if they were, there was obviously a way for them to share information.

He knew it because his hopes were being crushed right in front of his eyes.

If there was no way for the puppets of the Gate Guardian to share knowledge, then he could have pretended to be oblivious to their presence and bought some time. But the seven taken Masters were all seemingly aware that Sunny could tell what they were.

They slowly started to move. At first, their movements seemed inconspicuous, but it quickly became apparent that they were encircling those Ascended who remained human.

There were eerily human smiles brightening their faces.

On one side, there were seven possessed corpses with the power of a Great abomination.

On the other side, there were Sunny, Nephis, Kai, Effie, Jet, Seishan, Morgan, and eleven more unaffected Masters.

Morgan had three Transcendent Echoes left. Seishan had one.

Sunny had Saint and Nightmare.

...And Imp.

In fact, the scrawny goblin was the linchpin of their survival.

[Get everyone to come closer.]

Sunny had already explained the situation to Morgan and coordinated with the rest of his allies. Their only chance to survive was to run... but escaping from the ring of possessed corpses seemed impossible.

Nevertheless, they had to try.

Knowing what to do, Morgan calmly looked at the eleven Ascended who had not been taken by the Gate Guardian yet and called:

"You there! Come here. I have questions about our rations and water reserve... you, too. How many tents can we make from that hide?"

The Masters left what they had been doing and walked over. By that time, even they started to notice that something strange was going on.

One group of people was standing in the center of the hollow tower. The other group had spread out, surrounding them.

The ancient steel was groaning as it was assaulted by the wind.

'That is all. There are also three Ascended outside... but only two of them are human.'

"Lady Morgan? What, uh... what is going on?"

human Masters seemed

the other humans were slowly shifting, assembling into a loose

was the only one who remained

point of trying

almost time... I just need a few

her subordinates, then

"Come closer."

then hesitantly

At the same time...

took

"Kai, now!"

was drowned out by the

then, that groan was drowned

but it enveloped the space within the hollow

"Stop."

'Argh... hell...'

never been the subject of its negative influence. His friend usually used the power of his voice to inspire soldiers and ignite their desire to fight, win,

that was not the only thing he could

power was to compel living things and

had commanded everyone to stop, it was as though

as though a mountain had fallen on him... it was

some effort, he

affected, resisting the command with varying

the command almost instantly... still, it bought Sunny the

at that moment, the whole tower

And collapsed.

shrill screeching noise, and then wind and light

gnawed through the outer layers of the tower, of course, going most of the way

the lookouts of the survivor group. While he was greeting Effie, talking to Morgan, informing her of danger, and observing the seven vessels of the Gate Guardian slowly

tower finally couldn't support its weight

interior was instantly torn apart

of shadows

tentacles. Some of them wrapped themselves around the bodies of those corpses that had not been buried under countless tons of

was just a

out of the way of falling metal, into

manifested into Transcendent Echoes, who threw themselves at the abominations. Everyone used their own means to

flame, and the sharp sound of the air being cut by countless blades. Blood

white sand, Sunny rolled and jumped to

"Run!"

them had made it out of the tower, but five out of the eleven Ascended that