Shadow Slave

NQSC was still shivering in the embrace of winter, but the smell of spring was in the air. The deserted alleys of the outskirts were drowning in dirty snow and deep shadows, with no one to clean the former and no lights to dispel the latter. Many of the decrepit human hives stood empty, their tall walls forming lightless wells.

The people who used to populate the hives had long abandoned the cradle of humanity for the vast and dreadful expanse of the Dream Realm.

Sunny was leaning against a wall in one of the alleys. He was clad in the fearsome carapace of the Onyx Mantle, hiding his face behind a mask — not exactly a suitable attire for the waking world. His appearance would have probably frightened the mundane passersby, if there were any. Granted, he was standing in the shadows, so no mundane human could see him anyway.

«Feels so strange. I can barely recognize the place.»

The outskirts of today were too different from the overpopulated, suffocating slums where he had grown up. Times were changing, and NQSC was changing with them.

Sunny had believed that the world was unchanging, once upon a time. The great upheavals of history — the decimating wars, the descent of the Nightmare Spell, the legendary achievements of the First Generation — had happened long before, reshaping the ways of humanity. But by the time he was born, everything seemed lasting and stable, and so, he simply took that stability for granted.

It was a strange feeling, to realize that he was living in the very thick of history instead. Who knew that there had never been any stability, and that the reality he knew was fleeting like a mirage?

He sighed and touched his mask briefly.

The mask he wore was the Memory he had created, [Definitely Not Me]. Unlike Weaver's Mask, which resembled the ferocious face of a demon, this one was quite human, and entirely expressionless. With impenetrable darkness nestling in its eyes, the emotionless mask was quite eerie.

It was also not as comfortable as Weaver's Mask, which hurt his craftsman's pride a little.

He sighed.

«That lazy guy in Bastion is really worthless.»

Calling himself names was perhaps not very healthy, but certainly amusing.

Sunny looked down.

Many things were happening at the same time. Nephis had received the orders of the Clan Valor elders and was supposed to meet him today to relay their will. In the distant Song Domain, Rain had made her way to the roving camp of the road construction crew and was hired as a laborer. The guy in Bastion… truth be told, there was no time to be lazy.

From playing the role of the Memory Purveyor for the Fire Keepers to preparing to forge a sword for Nephis, that incarnation of his was the busiest right now. Not to mention that he had to craft a few Memories for Rain in advance of her Awakening.

The war was drawing closer, and time was running out.

…Nephis, meanwhile, was running late.

Sunny was growing bored. To dispel the boredom, he sent some essence into the Handy Bracelet and summoned the runes.

He studied them for a while, went over his Memories, and finally settled his gaze on the list of his Shadows.

the runes describing the Soul Serpent ignited

Shadow: Soul Serpent.

Shadow Rank: Transcendent.

Shadow Class: Terror.

Shadow Description:

came, Shadow was the last of the gods to be destroyed. Many have resented him for creating death, but in the end,

lingered on the

then, it all seemed so strange and mysterious. Now, however… although he knew more about how

great mysteries that

the daemons had started, and why. But how did it end? How were the gods destroyed? What could

now, there was no

head a little, Sunny

[Shadow Guide], [Spirit Guide],

the first enhanced Sunny's essence control when Serpent was in its tattoo form,

the [Soul Companion] Attributes

He concentrated on them.

Attribute: Spirit Guide.

[Spirit Guide] Attribute Description:

at which

he did not know if this new power of Serpent's was

it was the tattoo, the Soul Weapon, or the Soul

that Attribute, but he did not know. In any case, it

and description, likewise, included some guessing on Sunny's part. He had assumed that it was an evolution of the [Serpentine Steel] Ability at

Attribute: Soul Companion.

with its master's Shadow Shell, granting

Serpent could augment his body as a tattoo, it could also enhance his Shadow

And speaking of Abilities…

while, then continued to read the

of Shadows], [Formless], [Mark

the second granted Sunny a portion of essence of those slain by its Soul Weapon or Soul Beast forms, the third

and the sixth

the least

Ability: Mark of Shadows.

of Shadows] Ability

allows the Lord of

know how it worked, exactly, so he had allowed himself a few liberties when composing that description. He had been able to find out that Serpent could…