Shadow Slave

Before the Terror could swallow them all, Nephis appeared in its way. Her pike was already pressed against the uneven floor of the cavern, supported by her foot, the sharp tip pointed at the approaching monstrosity. Her eyes were calm and full of resolve.

A moment later, Saint was by her side.

Sunny, Cassie, and Fiend were not far behind.

'Will it work?'

Before Sunny could even finish the thought, the Terror plunged into the row of pikes.

There was a deafening sound, and he felt a terrible force wrenching his arms. If not for Bone Weave, his bones would have probably snapped and shattered into a thousand fragments.

'Ah...'

Sunny had already increased his weight as much as he could, turning into an immovable monolith. Still, he was thrown back. Cassie had been flung back, as well - the blind girl twisted in the air and nimbly landed on her feet.

One of the pikes actually broke despite the Supreme material it had been made of, forcing Fiend to stagger back with a dumbfounded expression.

However, Nephis and Saint somehow withstood the terrible impact. More importantly, the charge of the Terror had been stopped, at least temporarily. The creature had only partially emerged from behind the broke wall, most of its revolting body still hidden from view. Neph's Pike had become stuck between two of its mandibles, while the one held by Saint was pushed against the black, glossy membrane of its eye.

And yet, there was still not even a crack on the impregnable chitin.

'Damn it...'

Even weapons crafted from Supreme material were not able to break through the Terror's armor, it seemed.

However, most of them had not shattered from the impact, and the cohort was momentarily a safe distance away from the trembling mandibles. The pikes were doing their job.

Rushing forward, Sunny put his whole weight into his own, joining Nephis and Saint. At the same time, he called upon the shadows. Tenebrous chains rose from the floor of the cavern and fell from its ceiling, wrapping around the Terror to immobilize it.

The Terror snapped its mandibles, trying to break the pikes. Its massive body moved, making the black chains groan.

"Jet!"

Right at that moment, a black steed leaped over their heads. Landing on the back of the giant creature, it rushed forward - its rider had already slid out of the saddle, the long pike held in her hands disappearing into the depths of the Terror's body.

let out a terrifying,

chains holding it down snapped, and the giant insect-like horror tried to throw Jet off its back. But at that time, Neph's

been augmenting her body onto the pike, as

crude weapon finally managed to break through the enemy's armor, cracking it slightly. The damage done to

enough time to catch the pike that Cassie had tossed into the air before Nightmare even landed on the creature's back. Soul Reaper

by harrowing pain, it continued trying to resist... but it

the Terror, Sunny remembered his first meeting with Undying Slaughter and smiled spitefully. He knew better than anyone what

"Kill it!"

too long, the battle

a Corrupted Terror without losing a single member of

so much easier when I'm

and shook his head, perplexed by his own

thinking? Of course it

on the floor, catching his breath. Nephis was massaging her forearms with a small grimace. Cassie had retrieved the Guiding Light from the sling on her back and was now

massive carcass. There

would you know... I received a

Sunny smiled weakly.

"Congratulations."

the loop, as well as a fair number of fragments. Sadly, none of them remained.

to its previous

the wear and tear

at the giant

we dig out

Sunny shook his head.

"No point."

Retrieving the shards would take too long, and their benefits

out a sigh and stood

be no more abominations until we leave the caves... at least on the route I chose. Once we reach the chasm, though, it's going

his description, their faces

followed him without voicing

little rough. Cassie had to sacrifice one of her Echoes to

of blood attracted a few Nightmare Creatures in the forest, as well. Luckily, Sunny knew which paths

wasted