Shadow Slave

The Ebony Tower was just like the last time Sunny had seen it — floating ominously in a boundless black void, with a sea of fire burning above it relentlessly.

The Fire Keepers had established an outpost here, but after the Chain Breaker gained the ability to brave the Crushing, they only maintained a token presence in the Sky Below. Now that Neph's followers had left to challenge the Nightmares, there was not a soul around.

He stepped out of the black arch on the highest level of the obsidian pagoda and remained there for a while, staring into the distance. Somewhere far away, in a different world, one of his shadows was following Rain… Sunny had to think of a way to approach her openly, but his current mental state was too volatile to try.

«…I'll think of something later.»

Nothing moved in the Sky Below. Nothing disturbed the cold silence. Rid of the suffocating pressure of human company, he felt… comfortable, for the first time in a while. Or at least numb.

There was consolation in solitude.

Sunny exhaled slowly, then allowed the Onyx Mantle to retreat back under his skin. With his military bodysuit in tatters, he was left practically naked — after hesitating for a bit, Sunny allowed the wild shadows to envelop his lithe body, and manifested them into a semblance of soft fabric.

Summoning the Endless Spring, he satiated his thirst and left the sixth level of the Ebony Tower.

The fifth level consisted of one large chamber. It was shrouded in darkness, with countless runes covering the obsidian walls. These runes were the reason why Sunny had chosen to come to this place.

He stared at them emotionlessly.

«I knew it.»

Before, Sunny had been unable to read the forbidden runes. In fact, simply beholding them had almost killed him… but things were different now. Not only had he grown vastly more powerful since his day as an Awakened, but he had also received the revelations of madness from the Sin of Solace.

Thanks to that, he glimpsed the secrets that Ariel had left behind, and was seemingly inoculated against the power of the forbidden runes by the knowledge of the Forgotten God.

Sunny did not feel repelled by the runes carved into the walls of the

well plant seeds of Corruption

a bit of

used the runic alphabet Sunny was most familiar with while leaving the notes on the wall, and since the Spell never translated the forbidden runes, he could not do it himself from memory. After years of wandering the Dream Realm and exploring ancient ruins, he could somewhat decipher the meaning, but a proper translation would take

Which was fine.

nothing but

to work immediately, though. What was the

level behind and descended lower. He passed the solemn shrine on the fourth floor, the workshops on the third floor, the divine flame reservoir on the second floor where Weaver's arm had once been left to burn, devoured by the harrowing rot — and finally reached the first level of the

Fire Keepers had

now, it was brightly lit

here for a reason. For as long as the master of the lantern was alive, their lantern would continue to glow. If they perished, the

Ivory Tower, which could tell if

Second Nightmares. The number

Sunny walked over to one of the cots and fell on it heavily. As soon as his

He was tired…

time

as an

—— —— ——

up

such moments, his consciousness seemed to split, one part of it functioning normally, the other drifting in the comforting embrace of slumber. He even dreamed sometimes, while simultaneously observing his dreams

lessened no matter which incarnation slept, as long

cot,

was nothing pressing he had to do, so he was not in a hurry. He summoned the Covetous Coffer, took out some supplies, and seasoned some monster meat. While it was roasting, Sunny