"The spell…"
This was supposed to be the first time meeting, so why?
"Why are you EXCITED!? You remember me, don't you?
What was even the point then? I should've regressed further, much further, damnation!"
'Calm down. No sense in getting angry now, my objectives haven't changed.'
Sunny dreamt of a mountain.
Just like he remembered, it dwarfed other peaks of the chain. A radiant moon was high in the sky. An old road could be seen; to the right of it, an impregnable wall, and on the left, a dark sea of nothing, indicating an endless fall.
Time started to go in reverse. In an instant, hundreds of years flew by. The moon fell below the horizon as the sun rose. Multiple times in fast succession. The road changed; what was once old and unmaintained was now only old.
Red berries began to bloom on its surface, along with cluttered bones.
Bones became muscles, muscles became flesh, flesh became corpses, and corpses became living humans.
Step. Step. Another Step.
He was back in the vessel of a temple slave, with a dull ache across his body; he was in chains, his feet hurt, and his hands were cold. Marching towards the unknown. This time, he felt different. His steps didn't falter; he was stronger now, sturdier, not by a large margin but enough to be of help.
A year of concentrated preparation had not been in vain.
Sunny opened his runes.
'Not getting whipped this time, sorry, not sorry.'
Shimmering runes appeared.
Name: Sunless.
True Name: -
Rank: Aspirant
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories: -
Echoes: -
Attributes: [Fated], [Mark of Divinity], [Child of Shadows], [Watched].
Aspect: [Forsaken Slave]
Aspect Description: [Slave is a useless wretch with no skills or abilities worth a mention. A forsaken one is a treacherous slave who has been touched by divinity in the past but refused it.]
'First thing you do the moment you can is call me treacherous.'
[Watched] Attribute description: [A being beyond its grave is watching you closely].
'So you're watching me? Good. I'll give you a worthy show, don't worry.'
He took his eyes off and started studying the environment, spotting both Shifty and Scholar. Then they landed on him. Auro of the nine, "Hero".
He wanted to kill him now, jump at his body, and stab his eyes until the brain beneath it became nothing but mush.
All of it had been their fault; the gods were dead because of them, the nightmare spell existed not because of them but thanks to them. Entire realms fell due to their actions. His future existed because of their plans.
Not yet. Unfortunately, he was needed now, but when the time was right? absolutely.
The caravan stopped, a fire was made; the slaves were seated and given rations. Sunny made sure to stay far away from the fire, as much as his chains allowed. He was shivering from the cold, but he had to distance himself from the group.
They were going to be the first to die at any moment now.
Staying close to a specific guard, he started going over his plan again. Everything had to be perfect.
Ice and snow started falling from above.
A roar permeated the air, the ground shook, screams reached his ears, the soldiers shouted orders, and everything was coming undone. The Mountain King had arrived.
Sunny did not hesitate; he sprinted towards the guard, making him fall on the ground, before he could gather his bearings, Sunny took the man's dagger and cut his throat cleanly. Agony and confusion on his face, he tried to scream, but no sound escaped him.
[You have killed a Dormant Human, name unknown.]
[You have received a Memory: Silver Bell.]
Sunny smiled, happy to have the nostalgic bell back in his soul sea. A grim scene, to say the least.
He took the keys attached to the corpse's belt and freed himself. The battlefield was a mess; there was no order, and the soldiers were unable to deal with an awakened beast of this caliber.
On the ground, the remains of the dead were already starting to mutate. Larvae were being born, tearing the corpses open from the inside.
Each the size of a bear, their bodies hunched and matted with coarse fur, their limbs too long, with claws that looked like sickles. Their jaws split too wide, teeth layered and wet.
Three Larvae charged at once. Sunny didn't meet them with strength; he has little and needs to maintain it for later.
As the lead beast leaped, jaws wide enough to snap his torso in two, Sunny dropped, sliding beneath the creature on the slick stone, his dagger biting deep into its soft underbelly and opening it.
[You have slain a Dormant Beast, Mountain King's Larva.]
He reached out, his fingers closing around the hilt of another blade gripped by a frozen corpse. He wrenches it free just as the second beast swung a claw the size of a shovel.
Sunny parried, the impact vibrating through his bones. The broadsword whirled through the air, shearing through the Larva's thick neck. Black viscous blood sprayed across the mountain wall.
[You have slain…]
He slammed his back against the impregnable wall to protect his blind side. The third Larva lunged. Sunny thrust the heavy broadsword into its open mouth, but his wrists snapped under the weight. He lets go of the sword and kicks it deep into its skull.
[You have slain…]
Sunny is down to his dagger again. His breath is ragged. Another larva circles him, sensing his exhaustion. It swipes, scratching Sunny across the ribs. Not enough to deal damage, he had dodged at the last second, but enough to send him to the other side of the road. He staggers, the edge of the cliff crumbling beneath his heel.
The beast closes in for the kill. Sunny lunges forward, not away. He drives the dagger into the creature's eye socket and uses the beast's momentum to pivot.
Grabbing a spear on the ground, he lunges again, impaling it. One step back followed by a flawless kick sends the creature screaming into the fog below.
[You have slain…]
Sunny was trembling, not from fear, but because his lungs were burning and his muscles were failing him.
He studied what was happening again. Both Shifty and Scholar were still alive, freed from their shackles, most likely a courtesy from Auro. It seemed they were fated to survive this harrowing experience no matter what.
The "mighty" Hero was engaging with the tyrant alone; they could probably kill it if he supported him now. Which was not going to happen, he needed Shadow's blessing, and he could get it only by sacrificing himself on the altar of the Nameless Temple.
"You two with me now!" He screamed with confidence.
They looked at him, uncertain. When they saw the carnage he had caused, they changed their minds immediately and rushed to where he was.
"Run to the caravan, at my signal, start pushing it towards the abyss."
They nodded, and the three of them took off sprinting.
Sunny stopped earlier, caught the broken chains, and knotted them in a circle. He waited for the perfect opportunity and aimed at the tyrant. They whistled through the air and fell perfectly on its neck.
"NOW!"
In a second, Sunny was already there to help. It wasn't enough. Still, Sunny did not worry. Auro saw what they were planning and dashed at high speed, crushing into the caravan.
The caravan tilted and fell, bringing the Tyrant that was still trying to break the chains down with it.
Sunny immediately collapsed on the ground. He was tired, incredibly so; his body might be slightly stronger now, but it was still the body of a slave.
They were all staring at him.
Auro spoke first.
"Good thinking on the caravan. Who are you?"
"Just an ordinary temple slave of Shadow god."
"There's nothing ordinary about what you did, boy!" Shifty quickly added, implying that Sunny was lying.
"And what do you know exactly about us to say so?"
He fell silent and kept staring unfriendly.
Scholar spoke next.
"It doesn't matter how or why, let's just be glad he was here to help."
Sunny was already getting nauseated.
'This fake sympathy makes me sick.'
Auro seemed to buy it. If he had seen the Larvae Sunny slaughtered, he might've said more; fortunately, he was too busy to have noticed anything.
Auro spoke again, this time addressing not him but everyone.
"We should sleep and go back in the morning. Don't worry, once we reach the foot of the mountain, we can go our separate ways. I will not force you into slavery again."
"We can't go back down."
They raised their eyebrows; it almost looked comical. Before they could say anything, Sunny continued.
"The tyrant is still alive. It had jumped at us from high above on purpose and didn't even get scratched from the fall."
Everyone was silent. His words made sense, and they didn't have the luxury of finding out.
"Then we cross the mountain, we have little time at our disposal, we'll move at sunrise.
Gather food, water, and firewood."
It angered Sunny to think that he dared order him around. He did not show it; instead, he said:
"I'll start gathering the water."
He moved among the shadows without any light, unseen by the others. He took the berries with a cloth and crushed their juices into the water, making sure to add more juice to Auro's flask this time. Thankfully, they had no taste.
He took a heavy fur coat and hid a dagger tied behind his back.
The night passed quickly; obviously, no one managed to sleep. Auro passed the night sharpening his sword. While Sunny chose to meditate, resting his mind.
They started the long journey together along the first rays of sunshine. While proceeding, they could hear only the wind's echoing and the distant munching of a beast feasting.
The road was no more, and they decided to find the ancient trekking path.
Shifty was the first to fall; both Auro and Scholar blamed the mountain.
'Good'
After hours, the climb was getting harder. The three survivors continued struggling, slowly moving higher and higher. Being certain the path existed helped Sunny greatly. They weren't far.
After some more excruciating moments, they finally reached it.
Scholar dropped his rucksack and sat down. He was deathly pale; the poison was doing its job. Despite that, there was a slight grin on his face.
"Told you."
Hero gave him a nod and looked around. He turned back to the triumphant slave:
"Stand up. It's not time to rest yet."
"Just… just give me a few minutes."
Sunny took the chance to speak.
"It's gone, the other guy's body is gone."
Simultaneously, they moved to the edge and looked down, trying to spot the place where Shifty had met his end.
"It's the monster." Scholar said, "It's following us."
Auro gritted his teeth.
"You are right. And if it is that close, we will inevitably be forced to fight it soon."
The older slave did not look panicked.
"Not necessarily." He paused and continued.
"The beast traced us this far in just a day. That can only mean two things. Either it is smart enough to realize where we are going, or it is following the scent of blood."
Auro nodded, agreeing.
"So?"
"Whether it is one or another, we can throw him off our trail and buy some time. Listen, kid, I'm thankful for what you did to us, but you're the weakest one here.
We'll just have to… make the boy bleed. Drag him down the path, then leave him there as bait and go up instead. His sacrifice will save our lives."
'There he is!'
Hero stood motionless, his eyes jumping between Scholar and Sunny.
"I see your logic." He said, unsheathing his sword. "However, you failed to account for one thing."
"What might that be?" Scholar responded nervously.
"It is that I know who you are, Your Grace. I also know what you've done and how you ended up a slave. Just one of the revolting crimes you have committed would be enough to make me want to kill you. So if there is someone among us who deserves to be sacrificed… It's you."
'Damn bar for bar, huh? His words are just like I remember.'
The "hero" moved and easily used the pommel of the sword to crush the seated man's knee. Not content, he also stomped on his other leg, shattering his bones.
The soldier gave Sunny a calm look and said in a placid tone:
"Wait for me here."
Dragging the older slave down the path. Scholar's screams filled the space, the terrifying screams of a man who was looking at death without being able to do anything.
Some time later, Auro was back.
"Let's go. We need to hurry."
The sun was setting, and below them, a sea of clouds was passing amidst the mountains. It was beautiful.
It also meant that the temperature would drop further.
They found the small cave and settled inside. Sunny sat in front of Auro; he could reach him in one motion if needed.
After a while, Auro suddenly spoke in a quiet voice:
"You know it's strange. Usually, I can feel someone's presence even in absolute darkness. But with you, there's nothing. It's like you are just one of the shadows."
With only silence to answer him, he smiled.
"Are you asleep?"
"I am not. You know it's strange. I can't help but feel like we are similar."
Sunny was lying, even then, he felt disgusted at his own words.
"It's probably because we're both fated. You are fated to carry a heavy burden, while I am fated to die at your hands here."
Auro lowered his face in shame.
"So you knew… Are you really fated as well?"
"Yes.
Since I'm about to die, do you care tell me the burden you carry?"
Auro's shoulder sagged; not only because he had lowered his guard, relieved that the slave in front of him understood his motives, but also because he was fighting the venom inside his veins.
"My life… does not belong to me alone. There is an unencompassable duty I am sworn to fulfill. Until it's done, I cannot allow myself to die.
I can't tell you exactly what my mission is, but I can confidently say it is the best course of action to destroy the empire and the world that put you in chains.
I'm sorry."
Auro started coughing. Blood smeared his hand. That was what Sunny needed, in that instant, while he was busy looking at his hand. Sunny moved.
One precise motion, no useless movements, the experience of someone who had done this motion countless times. The dagger found its mark on the right eye of the sick soldier; it bit deep into his brain, killing him instantly.
Even in that situation. He had managed to grip his sword by pure reflex.
"You can rest now, your nightmare is over."
And just like that, Auro of the nine, a man fated to destroy the world, met his death. While it's true that Sunny hated the man, a part of him understood the soldier.
'What would I have done? Did I not risk millions of lives while fighting Anvil? Had we not been ready to gamble them as if they were numbers?
I won't excuse myself by saying that my mission was loftier than his.
The things a man can do if he believes it to be the "right" thing to do… that mentality can get dangerous.'
The spell spoke, breaking his thoughts.
[You have slain an Awakened Human, Auro of the Nine]
[You have received a Memory: Mighty Resolve]
'No time to check now.'
Sunny hid [Silver Bell] in the cave, activating its enchantment with a delay.
'This will make the tyrant come back here, giving me more minutes.'
He took the deceased hero's body, dragged it down the path, turned around, and started sprinting once again.
The end was near, but the hard part was starting now.
He reached the Nameless Temple and stopped in its tracks. Back then, he had not sensed it; he could not sense it now either. But he knew there was something here. Judging him.
'No, not me. He's judging my soul. Recognizing the mark of divinity.'
Sunny walked towards the building, sure of being worthy.
In front of him, a vast expanse of flat rock was covered with snow. In the center stood a magnificent temple. Lone and forgotten, just like he had been once.
The temple was in ruins: fractures and cracks could be seen on the black stones. Its tall gates were broken.
A grandiose hall appeared after traversing its entrance. Deep, ancient shadows surround the room.
At the far end of it, a large altar was cut from a single piece of black marble.
'It's go big or go home now.'
Sunny started dancing.
A beautiful, graceful, and elusive dance. Performed in the most perfect of ways. His movements were simultaneously firm and flowing, sharp and gentle, clear and unpredictable.
The shadows inside the room moved. Pleased to be remembered through his performance.
[You have unlocked your Aspect Legacy!]
Grinning Sunny opened his runes.
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance]
Shadow Dance Description: [Once an elegant dance, now wielded as a deadly battle art. This mysterious style was created by the treacherous forsaken man in the depths of a harrowing nightmare. Who else could have taken something so beautiful and turned it into something so vile?]
Shadow Dance Mastery Level: [2/7]
First Relic: [Claim]
Second Relic: [Claim]
Third Relic: Unearned…
"Claim all"
[You have claimed an Aspect Legacy Relic.]
[You have received a Shadow: Soul Serpent.]
[You have claimed an Aspect Legacy Relic.]
[You have received a Memory: Drop of Ichor.]
Below his coat, an intricate tattoo of a serpent was taking form.
Shadow: [Soul Serpent.]
Shadow Rank: Awakened.
Shadow Class: Dormant.
Shadow Attributes: [Shadow Guide], [Soul Weapon], [Soul Beast].
Shadow Abilities: [Serpentine Steel].
Memory: [Drop of Ichor]
He looked at it with apprehension. There was no going back if he chose to continue.
'Ah, to hell with it!'
As soon as Sunny willed the drop of ichor to manifest itself into reality, the shadows came to life. Countless shadows moved and danced around him, forming an invisible whirlpool. Their movements were strange and erratic, fraught with anticipation, excitement, and longing.
Golden sparks of light appeared in the air in front of him and then shot toward a single point in space. This continued for almost an entire minute.
"Come on now, I'm kinda in a hurry, you know?"
A brilliant drop of golden liquid was floating in the air in front of Sunny. The shadows around it were so deep they could be mistaken for true darkness.
[You have acquired a drop of ichor. Do you wish to consume it?]
"Yes"
[Are you sure?]
'You want me to confirm?'
Sunny didn't want to show it, but he was worried about what this action could mean for the future. Still, he needed power.
"Not really, but yes."
[...So be it.]
"Don't worry, I'll get the others aswell."
[...You'd better.]
Sunny shivered. His pants risked becoming slightly wetter than before.
'Did the spell just answer me?'
Before he could ask anything, he felt something enter his bloodstream, a cold, unfamiliar energy that brought with it pure euphoria. It spread through his entire body, reaching every corner of it. It surged and began assimilating into the very essence of his being.
There was none of the pain that Sunny was accustomed to. He was whole now.
[You have received a new Attribute.]
[Mark of Divinity has evolved.]
[Child of Shadows has evolved.]
[Fated has evolved.]
All shadows around him knelt.
He felt stronger; his muscles were more defined, almost chiseled; his soul was more potent; his injuries were healed; and his divinity had increased.
He wanted to check the runes and see the changes in detail but…
The Tyrant had arrived.
"Couldn't you have waited a little longer?"
Sunny summoned Serpent in its Soul Weapon form. Gripping a menacing, foreboding odachi.
He had a weapon and no injuries now. But Sunny wasn't stupid. Auro, an awakened of renowned strength, wasn't able to kill the Mountain King, so how could he?
"Guardian of this Temple!
Are you really just gonna watch?
Does my soul not shine brighter than his?!
Will you let this corrupted Tyrant extinguish me? Extinguish one of those you swore to protect? A man who bears the Flame of Divinity?
I for sure won't accept it.
This sacred place has already suffered enough.
I will vanquish this creature before he can defile this Temple further!
Will you help me deal the killing blow? Or will you watch as my kind gets slaughtered?!"
Sunny dashed towards the creature.
The Guardian had listened to his words. He had watched a drop of divine blood bond with the boy who was now questioning him. The shadows of the temple were looking at him and demanding his aid. Not intervening would be equal to blasphemy.
The Guardian moved, glad to finally follow the commands of those he was created to protect.
Sunny was just about to reach the creature when suddenly the air changed, a fast wind passed beside him, and the Tyrant was lying on the ground. All his limbs were gruesomely cut from the body.
Sunny did not waste his chance and decapitated the struggling King.
[You have slain an Awakened Tyrant, Mountain King.]
'Insane. I have gone completely insane.'
He quickly cut his own hand and ran to the altar. The nightmare was about to collapse. Blood fell on its black stone.
A mad laugh escaped his lips. Sunny began shouting.
"HAVE YOU ENJOYED IT?
AM I WORTHY OF YOUR ATTENTION?!
YOUR BLOOD FLOWS IN MY VEINS.
I REFUSE TO BE A SLAVE.
I AM FIT TO LEAD THE BATTLE AGAINST CORRUPTION.
I AM THE RIGHTFUL HEIR OF DEATH.
TREAT ME AS SUCH!
IF I DO NOT SUCCEED, THE WAR AGAINST THE VOID WILL BE LOST.
YOUR VERY EXISTENCE WILL BE FOR NAUGHT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WISH, SHADOW?!
GRANT ME STRENGTH, STRENGTH WORTHY OF YOUR NAME!"
[You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.]
[The gods are dead, and can not hear you.]
[You soul bears the Flame of Divinity.]
[You are a Forsaken Slave.]
[Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.]
[Shadow God is proud of his son.]
[He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.]
[Prince of Shadows, receive your blessing!]
[Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is over.]
[Prepare for appraisal…]