Shadow Slave

1506 Heart of Twilight

The Crown of Twilight was more than a Supreme Memory. It was also the symbol of power that Daeron, the Serpent King, had wielded, as well as the key to the enchantment array enveloping his city.

Therefore, the person wearing it was immune to the influence of frozen time… in a way.

'Curse it all…'

There was a cost to remaining unaffected by the frozen time. Looking around, Sunny felt his essence being devoured at a frightening rate — the Crown was using it to protect him. Usually, his reserves would have been drained in a matter of seconds, turning him into another prisoner of Twilight… but, luckily, the Crown was also helping him replenish the spent essence.

He was still losing more than he was gaining, but at least the rate of attrition was not too great. Sunny would not have been able to traverse the entire city, but now that he was most of the way to the palace, he stood a good chance.

As long as he did not waste any time.

'I should hurry.'

Their exit from Soul Stealer's mirror realm must have been a violent one, because Sunny was not on the square anymore. Instead, he found himself somehow thrown a few hundred meters away from his previous position, at the edge of the inner district they had been aiming for.

He was protected by the Crown, but his shadows were not. Therefore, Sunny had kept them tightly wrapped around his body in advance, just in case disaster struck. Now that it had, he did not dare send them to search for his companions.

Mordret had to have sent everyone into the real Twilight. Here in the true version of the lost city, Soul Stealer was just as powerless as the rest of the frozen abominations… but the rest of the cohort had become frozen in time, as well. So had the Prince of Nothing himself.

It was all up to Sunny.

when

frozen battlefield, Sunny dashed forward. He ran as fast as he could, barely dodging the motionless figures of the warriors of Twilight,

very few rampaging Nightmare Creatures. However, the signs of destruction were everywhere, as if the city had withstood a devastating bombardment — many buildings had been entirely shattered, and numerous people had perished under the rubble. Blood was flowing like a river, frozen in time

city as best he could, but it was hard to maintain that speed on

people and objects frozen in time were completely

'Argh, damn it…'

people for him to run, and too many destroyed buildings to try moving across the rooftops. Using Shadow Step was

struggling for several minutes, Sunny finally pushed his way through the crowd of frozen warriors

separated from the buildings by a vast, ravaged park, stood the

to its magnificent grandeur and unique architecture. Raising his gaze, he looked at the grandiose dome of the palace and

'W—what the hell…'

midnight sky, appearing entirely black in the dim twilight of the early dawn. Its vast wings were open, obscuring the heavens. Its sinister eyes burned

It was a dragon.

open, frozen in the middle of a deafening roar. Porcelain fangs glistened in the dismal darkness,

utterly hideous. A vile, tyrannical aura emanated from the giant creature,

who were rushing toward the palace. They assaulted him like a sea, only to be broken, mutilated, and thrown back. Blood and mangled bodies were falling down like rain, frozen in the air by the halted

moment, enthralled by the eeriness of this

'The Dread Lord…'

had attacked the heart of the city directly. Daeron's palace was already partially destroyed,

his teeth and

is… something eerie about this

a hint of doubt or agitation made Sunny

really know no