May 30, 2025 • 48 mins
Brace yourself for a dark and intriguing journey into the world of Shadow Slave on Pocket FM: https://click.pocketfm.in/2IE7/aavexcqu
In this electrifying episode of "Shadow Slave," the chilling mystery of Jacob's survival deepens as he faces his supposed allies, Gregor and Fraser, in a brutal confrontation. Having secretly poisoned them, Jacob revels in his cunning, believing he's outsmarted their attempts at betrayal. But the tables turn when Gregor reveals his own formidable supernatural power: an awakened soul core that renders him immune to the poison, transforming him from a perceived victim into a terrifying threat.
The suspense reaches a fever pitch as Jacob, cornered and facing certain death, unleashes a desperate gamble, a silver bell whose ringing summons the very tyrant they had sought to escape. In a shocking twist of fate, the Mountain King, blind but drawn by the sound, brutally dispatches Gregor. Wounded and on the brink of collapse, Jacob stumbles upon a ruined temple atop the mountain, where his desperate plea for survival is answered by a long-dormant Shadow God. Through a breathtaking divine intervention, the tyrant is annihilated, and Jacob is not only saved but transformed. He receives a "Glorious" appraisal, a "True Name" of Sunless, and most astonishingly, a Divine Aspect: Shadow Slave. This revelation of immense, unheard-of supernatural power comes with a dark catch: an innate ability that binds him to a master. Jacob's journey into the treacherous world of the awakened has truly begun, fraught with immense power, hidden dangers, and the constant specter of betrayal and heartbreak should his secret be revealed.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
The smile. Froze on Gregor's face.
He lowered his. Head as though in shame.
After a minute or so. Passed, shrouded in heavy
silence, he finally answered. Yes, I thought that if I do it
when you sleep, you won't have to suffer.
Unseen to him, a bitter grin appeared on Sunny's face.
(00:25):
A long sigh escaped from the young soldiers.
Lips he rested his. Back against the caves wall,
still not looking up. I don't expect you to forgive
me. This sin too will remind to
bear. But please, if you can find it
in your heart to understand. If things were different I would
(00:46):
have gladly faced that monster to let you escape.
But my life does not belong to me alone.
There is a duty I'm sworn to fulfil.
Until it's done, I cannot allow myself to die.
Sonny laughed. You people look at you planning
(01:08):
to kill me and still insist on having a good excuse.
How very convenient. I hate hypocrites like you the
most. Why don't you be honest for
once? Don't give me that crap, just
say it. I'm going to kill you because
it's easy. I'm going to kill you because I
want to survive. Gregor closed his eyes.
(01:29):
His face full of sadness. I'm sorry, I knew you wouldn't
be able to understand, Sonny scoffed.
What's there to understand? He leaned forward, anger
coursing through his. Veins tell me, why do I have to
die? The young soldier finally looked
(01:50):
up, even though he couldn't see in the dark.
He turned his face in the direction of Sonny's voice.
That man was a villain. But he was also right.
The scent of blood is. Too.
Heavy on you, it will attract the beast.
Sonny swallowed a lump in his throat.
He couldn't. Believe he let himself.
Feel rescued for a. Second, this man was even worse
(02:14):
than the openly Craven men like Benny and Frazier.
You can just let me go, you know.
We'll part ways after that. Whether or not the monster finds
me won't be your. Problem.
Gregor shook his head. Dying in that creatures maw is
too cruel to fate. It's better if I do it myself.
(02:38):
You are my responsibility after all.
Sonny rolled his eyes. How noble of you.
He leaned back, dejected. A long.
Silence hung in the air. For a beat.
Eventually, Sonny. Raised his voice again.
You know, when I just came here,I was ready to die.
(03:00):
After all, in this whole world, 2 worlds actually, there's not a
single soul who cares whether I live or die when I'm gone.
No one will be. Sad no one will even.
Remember that I existed. There was a forlorn look on his
face. A moment later.
However, it was gone, replaced by mirth.
(03:24):
But then I changed my mind. Somewhere along the way I
decided to survive and must survive no matter what.
Gregor gave him a thoughtful. Look to.
Live a life worth remembering. Sunny grinned.
A dark gleam appeared in his eyes.
(03:45):
No, to spite you all. The young soldier was.
Silent for a few moments, then nodded, accepting this answer.
He rose to his feet. Don't worry.
I'll make it quick. Sunny scowled at him.
Aren't you overly confident? What makes you think you'll be
(04:07):
able to kill me? Maybe I'll kill you instead.
Gregor shook his head. I doubt that, but in the next
second. He staggered.
And fell on one knee. The young man's face turned.
Deathly pale. And with a pain.
Groan, He suddenly vomited blood.
(04:35):
A. Satisfied smile appeared on
Sonny's face. Finally, unable to stand, Gregor
remained on his knees. He braced himself against The
Cave wall. The lower part of his face was.
Covered in blood. Astonished.
He was. Staring at his hands, trying to
understand what was happening tohim.
(04:58):
What? What magic is this with?
Wide eyes and a pale face, he turned to Sunny.
Was was that thief right? Did you put the curse of the
Shadow God on us? Sunny sighed.
I wish I had the ability to throw divine curses around, but
no, to tell you the truth, I don't have any abilities at all.
(05:23):
Gregor struggled to stand. Then how?
The young slave shrugged. That's why I poisoned you.
All. Gregor flinched, trying to
comprehend his words. What?
Sonny shrugged. After the tyrant first attacked,
you sent me to search for. Water.
(05:43):
While gathering flagons from thedead soldiers, I squeezed Blood
Bane juice into each one. Except my own, of course.
Not enough to taste it, but enough to slowly kill anyone who
would drink from them. The soldier gritted his teeth.
Struggling through the pain, a sudden realization appeared on
his face. So that's why the other two were
(06:06):
in such bad shape? Sonny nodded.
Then he drank the most, so his condition worsened the fastest.
Frazier was also not long for this world, but you finished him
off before the poison could yourself.
However, it was as though blood bane did not affect you at all.
I was really starting to get worried.
(06:28):
Gregor's face darkened. I see, I understand.
He thought about something, thenlooked at Sunny with surprise.
But back. Then you didn't know.
That we would turn on you. Sonny just laughed.
Oh please. It was obvious Benny was the
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kind of man who would kill for apair of boots.
Frazier was like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
People are selfish and cruel in the best of situations.
I was supposed to believe that those two weren't going to do
something terrible to me when faced with certain.
Death, Gregor spat more blood. Then what about me?
(07:13):
You. A disdainful expression appeared
on Sunny's. Face you are the.
Worst of them. Gregor clutched his chest.
Why? Sunny looked at him and leaned
forward. I might not have learned much in
my short life, but I do know one.
Thing, he said. All traces.
Of humor gone from his voice, now there was only cold, callous
(07:37):
contempt. Sunny's face.
Hardened, there is nothing more pathetic than a slave who begins
to trust his slaver. Hearing these words, Gregor
lowered his head. I see.
Then suddenly, he laughed. You you are a wicked.
(08:00):
Little shit, aren't you? Sonny chuckled.
There's no need to. Be rude, but Gregor.
Wasn't listening to him. Good.
This is good. My conscience will be clearer.
(08:22):
The young slave sighed in irritation.
What are you mumbling about? Just die already.
Gregor chuckled and suddenly pierced him with a stare.
Somehow. He didn't look so sick anymore.
You see, that plan would have worked if I was a normal human.
But alas, my soul core has awakened long ago.
(08:45):
I've slain countless enemies andabsorb their power.
Blood Bane poison, unpleasant asit may be, can never kill me.
Sunny's eyes went wide. The situation had suddenly
become. Very, very bad, Sunny turned.
Around and tried to run. Away, but it was already too
(09:06):
late something. Hit him in the back.
Sending his body. Crashing into the Rockwall.
With a scream, he felt a sharp. Pain piercing his left side,
rolling out of The Cave, Sonny clutched his chest, scrambled
back onto his feet. And ran trying.
(09:26):
To escape the narrow crevice, hemanaged to reach the old path
finally. Being able to see the.
Stars and the pale moon shining brightly in the night sky.
But it was as far as he was ableto get as the cold.
Voice. Sounded behind him.
Sunny froze. Stop.
If. Gregor had an awakened soul.
(09:47):
Corps he had no. Chance of getting.
Away from him in a. Fight.
He had no chances at all. Turn around.
The young slave obediently turned, holding his hands up.
He looked at Gregor. Who is?
Wiping the blood off. His face with a displeased.
Look in his eyes. The two of them.
(10:07):
Stared at each other, shivering in the murderous cold.
Gregor's lip. Curled up at the side.
Was it worth it? You know what, never mind.
Despite it all, I will be true to my promise.
I'll make it quick. The soldier unsheathed his
sword. Do you have any last?
(10:29):
Words. Sunny did not answer.
However, a small silver bell. Suddenly appeared in his hand.
Gregor frowned. Where were you hiding that
thing? Sunny shook the bell.
A beautiful clear ringing sound flowed over the mountain,
filling the night with an enchanting melody.
(10:52):
Panic rose in Gregor's voice. What are you doing?
Stop. The young slave dutifully
stopped. The soldiers.
Eyes darted around the room, trying to determine what had
just been done. What was?
Right under Gregor's bewildered.Eyes.
The silver bell disappeared. Into thin air, he looked at
Sonny, stumped and suspicious. Tell me, what did you just do?
(11:18):
But Sonny didn't answer. He hadn't said a single word
ever since escaping the. Cave, right?
Now he wasn't even breathing. Gregor, on the other hand,
continued to speak. Tell me right now.
Or you will regret it. Sonny would not be scared.
He would not be intimidated. He was a child.
(11:39):
Of the shadow, and they were wrapped in darkness.
He looked past Gregor and staredinto the darkness.
A. Small smile grew and it spurred
panic and Gregor. What is it?
What did you do? Tell me you little fit.
Sonny raised his eyebrows. You'll.
Find out. Soon, Sunny had no choice but to
(12:07):
resort to one last desperate gamble.
He knew that he'd never best Gregor in a physical
confrontation, at least not without an advantage.
Blood Bane. Poison was supposed to be his
hidden card, but it turned out to be nearly useless.
Being able to see in the dark did not help that much either.
Somehow, Gregor was able to perceive their surroundings
(12:29):
without any light. Whether he was using his sense
of hearing or some magical ability, Sunny did not know.
Not that it mattered now that they had left The Cave and were
standing under the moonlit sky. Now, Sunny had only one
advantage left. Unlike Gregor, he knew that the
Tyrant was blind. Acting on that knowledge,
(12:49):
however, was easier said than done.
That's why he tried to stay quiet and rang the silver bell.
If the description did not lie, it's ringing could be heard from
miles away. Surely the tyrant was going to
hear it too. Now Sunny only had to stay
silent, stall for time and hope that the monster would come and
(13:11):
hear the young soldier. Sunny's lack of response sent
Gregor into a fit of bewilderment and anger.
Gregor stepped closer to Sunny. Tell me right now or you will
regret it. His voice was quite threatening,
but still the young slave did not answer.
(13:32):
He just shivered in the cold andtried not to groan despite the
pulsing pain in his chest. Rage flashed in the soldiers
eye. Why are you not answering?
But Sunny did not dare to answer.
He held his breath and watched, horrified, as the familiar
(13:55):
colossal figure appeared behind Gregor.
His lungs were on fire and his heart was beating like crazy.
It was beating so loud that he was afraid the blind tyrant
would hear it. But of course, it couldn't be
louder than Gregor's voice, who was still only talking, turning
himself into the only source of noise on this mountain.
(14:19):
At the last second, a hint of understanding appeared in the
young soldiers eyes. He began to turn around, his
sword rising with lightning speed.
But it was too late. A massive hand appeared from the
darkness and caught him in an iron grip.
The bone claws scraped against the armor, pulling it apart.
(14:44):
Mountain King dragged Hero back,paying little attention to the
sword biting into its wrist. Viscous saliva was streaming
from its open maw. Petrified by fear, Sunny slowly
turned his back to them and tooka couple of steps up the old
winding path. Then he darted away, running as
(15:06):
fast as he could. Behind him, a desperate scream
tore apart the silent night. Then a hungry roar followed.
It seemed that Gregor wasn't going down without a fight.
Even though his. Fate was already sealed, but
Sonny didn't care. He was running away, climbing
(15:29):
higher and higher. I'm sorry, Gregor.
He thought. I did say that I will watch you
die, but as you know, I am a liar, so go on and die on your
own. Sonny looked at the tableau
ahead of him. A lonesome, dark mountain stood
tall against the raging winds. Jagged and proud, it dwarfed
(15:52):
other peaks of the mountain chain, cutting the night sky
with its sharp edges. A radiant moon bathed its slope
in the ghostly light. Under that light, the young man
with pale skin and black hair reached the peak of the
mountain. However, his looks didn't match
the magnificence of the scene. Wounded and staggering, he
(16:15):
looked pathetic and weak. Sunny looked like a walking
corpse. His coarse tunic and cloak were
torn and smeared with blood. His sunken eyes were cloudy and
lifeless. His body was bruised, beaten,
and cut. There were specks of bloody foam
on his lips. He was hunched over, cradling
(16:37):
the left side of his chest. Each step caused him to moan,
ragged breath barely escaping through his gritted teeth.
Sunny was hurting all over, but most of all, he was cold.
So, so cold. He just wanted to lie down in
the snow and fall asleep, but doing so would be certain death.
(17:02):
If the temperature didn't kill him, the tyrant would.
He used this time to put as muchtime between himself and that
thing is possible. Sunny continued walking, hoping
that the nightmare might end if he reaches the peak.
Step, step, another step. Finally, he had made it.
(17:24):
At the highest point of the mountain, a vast expanse of Flat
Rock was covered with snow. In the center of it, illuminated
by moonlight, stood A magnificent temple.
It's colossal columns and walls were cut from black marble, with
exquisite reliefs decorating thestygy impediment and broad
(17:44):
fries. Beautiful and awesome, it looked
like a palace of a dark God. At least it did once.
Now the temple was in ruins. Fractures and cracks marred the
black stones, and parts of the roof had collapsed, letting in
ice and snow. It's tall gates were broken, as
(18:08):
if smashed into pieces by the hand of a giant.
Still, Sonny was satisfied. Found you.
His voice was hoarse. Gathering the last of his
strength, the young slave slowlylimped in the direction of the
ruined temple. His thoughts were muddled and
confused. See this, Gregor, he thought,
(18:30):
forgetting for a second that thesoldier was already dead.
I've made it. You were strong and ruthless,
and I was weak and timid. Yet now you are a corpse and I
am still alive. Isn't it funny?
He stumbled and groaned, feelingthe edges of his broken ribs
cutting deeper into his lungs. Blood was dripping from his
(18:53):
mouth. Dead or not, Gregor had gotten
him good with that single strike.
A laugh escaped Sonny's lips. The outcome was predictable.
What did any of them know about being ruthless?
Poor fools. In my world, people had
thousands of years to turn cruelty into art, and as someone
(19:16):
on their saving end of all that cruelty, don't you think I would
know more about being vicious than anyone ever could?
He was getting closer to the temple.
Truth be told, they never stood a chance.
Wait, what was I thinking about?A moment later, he had already
forgotten. There was only pain, the dark
(19:38):
Temple, and the overpowering desire to sleep.
Don't fall for it, it's just hypothermia.
If you fall asleep, you'll die. Finally, Sunny reached the steps
of the Black Temple. He started to climb them, not
noticing thousands of bones thatwere scattered around.
These bones once belonged to humans and monsters.
(20:00):
All of them were killed by the invisible guardians still
lingering around the temple. As Sunny was climbing the steps,
one of the shapeless guardians approached him.
It was ready to snuff out the spark of life that was burning
weakly in the defiler's chest, but then stopped, sensing A
faint, strangely familiar scent coming from his soul.
(20:23):
The scent of divinity, sorrowfuland lonesome.
The Guardian moved aside, letting Sunny pass.
Oblivious, he entered the temple.
Sunny found himself in a grandiose hall.
Moonlight cascaded through the holes in the partially collapsed
roof. Deep shadows surrounded these
(20:45):
circles of silver light, not daring to touch them.
The floor was covered in snow and ice.
At the far end of the hall, a large altar was cut from a
single piece of black marble. It was the only thing inside the
temple, untouched by snow. Forgetting why he came here,
Sunny headed for the altar. He just wanted sleep.
(21:08):
The altar was dry, clean and as wide as a bed.
Sunny climbed on it and lay down.
It seemed like he was going to die.
He was OK with it. Sunny tried to close his eyes
but was stopped by a sudden noise coming from the direction
of the temples entrance. He turned his head to look, not
even a little bit curious. What he saw would have sent
(21:32):
chills running down his spine ifhe wasn't so cold, tired and
indifferent. Mountain King was standing there
looking at him with its five blind eyes.
He was still massive, terrifyingand revolting.
Worm like shapes were still moving frantically under its
skin. It was sniffing the air,
(21:55):
salivating. Then it opened its maw and moved
forward slowly approaching the altar.
Sunny suddenly clutched his chest, convulsing in a fit of
torturous coughing. His final thought was simply
what an ugly bastard. Bloody foam flew from Sunny's
(22:16):
mouth and fell on the altar. However, the black marble
instantly absorbed it, returningto its pristine state.
The tyrant was just about to reach Sunny.
It was already stretching its hands to grab him.
Sunny didn't fight or flee, He'dgone as far as he could.
(22:36):
He thought, I guess this is the end.
But at that last second, suddenly the voice of the spell
resonated in the dark temple. You have offered yourself as a
sacrifice to the gods. The gods are dead and cannot
heal you. Your soul bears the mark of
(22:57):
divinity. You are a temple slave.
Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.
He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.
Child of Shadows, receive your blessing.
Under Sunny's astonished eyes, the shadows.
Crowding the Great Hall suddenly.
Moved as though coming alive. Tentacles of darkness surged
(23:21):
forward, entangling the MountainKing's arms and legs.
The mighty Tyrant struggled, trying to get free, but how
could it resist the power of a God?
The shadows dragged Mountain King back, pulling it in
different directions. The Tyrant opened its maw, and a
furious howl escaped it. The next second, its body
(23:44):
ruptured, torn apart into pieces.
Blood, viscera, and severed limbs fell on the floor in a
Crimson torrent. Just like that, the horrible
creature was dead. Sunny blinked once again.
He was alone in the ruined temple.
The Great Hall was dark and silent.
(24:08):
And then the spell whispered. You have slain and awakened.
Tyrant. Mountain King, wake up sunless.
Your nightmare is over. Prepare for appraisal.
Sonny's first reaction wasn't relief, but disbelief.
He had survived. He had made it through the
(24:28):
nightmare, even though he had toface a tyrant.
He knew he should be happy, and in some ways he was.
He hadn't wanted to die, even though he expected and accepted
it, but surviving this way was bound to have complications.
He just pledged himself to a Godhe knew nothing about.
(24:48):
What was expected of him? And who was this powerful and
dangerous shadow God? Sunny feared he'd find out soon.
The voice of the spell echoed inSunny's ears.
Prepare for appraisal, Sunny found.
(25:10):
Himself in a space between dreamand reality.
It was an endless black void illuminated by a myriad of
stars. Between those stars, countless
strings of silver light were woven into a beautiful and
inconceivably complex net, forming various nexuses and
(25:31):
constellations. It was truly breathtaking.
Somehow, Sonny understood that he was seeing the inner workings
of the nightmare spell. He also couldn't help but think
that it looked a lot like the celestial equivalent of a neural
network. Did that mean the spell was
alive? What did it want from him?
(25:53):
How was it going to appraise him?
And what would it mean if the spell was still unsatisfied?
His questions were endless, and for decades people had been
speculating about the source andnature of the nightmare spell.
The best answer they had come upwith was that there was no way
to know. The spell was neither alive nor
(26:15):
dead, neither sentient nor mindless.
It was more of a function than acreature, but Sonny was in no
mood to ponder philosophical questions.
He was eagerly awaiting his boon.
That was the promise of surviving the first nightmare.
Every awakened is granted something, and Sonny was long
(26:37):
overdue to receive some help from life.
The spell was still appraising his performance, however, the
first reward seemed unrelated tothe challenge Sonny had faced.
You have received a memory puppeteers shroud.
Sonny felt incredibly elated. Yes, memories were useful items
(27:00):
that dreamers could summon in times of need.
This puppeteers shroud apparently belonged to the
Mountain King, and by slaying the beast Sunny had taken
ownership of the item. Sunny was almost ready to do a
happy dance. The Mountain King was a
high-ranking monster, an awakened tyrant by Sunny's
(27:22):
estimation. Therefore, Sunny could conclude
the creatures memory was also ofawakened rank.
Getting a strong tool like that was a stroke of incredible luck
for Sunny. He'd now be well armed in any
future nightmares, and he'd needany advantage he could get.
The nightmare spell got increasingly difficult every
(27:45):
time a dreamer was faced with a trial.
Under the nightmare spell, Memories, attributes, aspects,
and even a dreamer's soul core were classified by 7 ranks of
increasing power. Dormant, Awakened, Ascended,
Transcendent, Supreme, Sacred, and divine.
The power gap between different ranks simply could not be
(28:08):
overestimated. Similarly, nightmare creatures
were classified by 7 ranks of increasing depravity, Dormant,
awakened, fallen, corrupted, great, cursed, and unholy.
From the spells point of view, Sunny was a dormant human.
Having a memory of a higher rankthan his soul core would be of
(28:32):
great help once he enters the dream realm.
Sunny wanted to take a look at the puppeteers shroud, but there
was no more time. The spell was done with its
appraisal here in the void. It's voice didn't sound subtle
and familiar anymore, rather it seemed like the universe itself
was speaking. Sunny held his breath,
(28:53):
listening. Appraisant, your trial is over.
A nameless slave ascended the Black Mountain.
Both heroes and monsters fell byhis hand, unbroken.
He entered the ruined temple of a long forgotten God and spilled
his blood on the sacred altar. The gods were dead, and yet they
(29:18):
listened. Sonny blinked at the statement.
From his perspective he had beenscrambling from one disaster to
the next trying to survive, but to hear the nightmare spells
evaluation, he sounded bad ass. The voice continued.
You have defeated A dormant Beast Mountain King's larvae.
(29:40):
You have defeated 3 dormant humans.
You have defeated an awakened human, Gregor of the 9, Sonny.
Blinked in confusion and thought, The 9:00, The nine.
What was there more to Gregor than he had realized?
The voice didn't Grants any timeto dwell.
(30:02):
You have defeated an awakened tyrant Mountain King.
You have received the Shadow God's blessing.
You have achieved the impossible.
Final appraisal. Glorious.
Your treachery truly knows no bounds.
That final part was not necessary as far as Sunny was
(30:23):
concerned, but he was still pretty satisfied with the praise
from the Nightmare spell. He felt like his chances of
evolving his aspect to an Awakened or even an Ascended one
were pretty high. His overall power was still
dependent on the rank of his Soul core, which would remain
dormant until much later, but the rank of the aspect itself
(30:44):
would do wonders for his overallpotential.
The voice boomed. Dreamer, Sunless, receive your
boon. He was an aspirant no more.
Sunny grinned with a flourish. The Voice announced.
You have been bestowed a true name lost from light.
(31:07):
Sunny's jaw dropped. A true name.
He had received a true name. Never in his wildest dreams did
Sunny dream of becoming one of the chosen few to accomplish
such a feat, and he'd accomplished it on his very
first nightmare to boot. Not even all of the Saints could
(31:28):
boast of having one. He was an elite now, a bona fide
cream of the crop. He was going to be rich.
But the rewards kept coming. Your aspect is ready to evolve.
Evolve aspect. A smile broke across Sunny's
face. He couldn't believe the
Nightmare spell would even ask such a question.
(31:50):
Of course he wanted to improve his aspect.
Sunny crossed his fingers. Yes.
There was a loud rumbling noise.Dormant.
Aspect temple slave is evolving.New aspect acquired Aspect rank
divine. Sunny fell over.
Divine was the highest possible rank for an Aspect.
(32:14):
Whatever this new power was, it was one of the strongest in the
game. The voice barreled along, not
giving Sunny any time to processthis huge revelation.
Aspect name Shadow slave. Sunny was standing on his knees,
stupefied. The shock was so great that for
(32:36):
a second there he lost all control over his limbs and fell.
Divine, it said. Divine, right?
He raised a trembling hand and rubbed his eyes, making sure
that he was awake, or rather conscious, since technically he
was still sleeping in the underground vault at the police
station. Overwhelmed by all this
(32:57):
terminology, Sunny silently summoned the ruins and found the
lines describing his Aspect. Aspect Shadow Slave Aspect Rank
Divine Aspect Description You are a miraculous shadow left
behind by a dead God. As a divine shadow, you possess
(33:18):
plenty of strange and wondrous powers.
However, your existence is emptyand lonesome.
You mourn the passing of your former master and long to find a
new one. Sonny took a deep breath.
Sounds a little melancholy, but at least I'll have some real
power for once in my life. He continued reading.
(33:40):
Innate ability. Shadow Bound ability
Description. Find a worthy master and let
them know your true name. Once they recited out loud, you
will be bound to their will, unable to disobey any command.
It is improper for a shadow, letalone a divine one, to walk
around without a master. That was a lot to digest.
(34:05):
First of all, Sonny felt his heart beating faster.
He heard it right. All the suffering and horror he
had experienced in the first nightmare paid off in the end.
A divine aspect. He had received a divine aspect.
Anything above awakened was rareand immensely valuable.
People with ascended aspects were uncommon enough to be
(34:28):
fought over by various factions.The factions themselves were
built around singular powerhouses with transcendent or
supreme aspects, and he had never ever heard of anyone
acquiring a divine one. Never.
Anything with the divine prefix was so hard to find that it
(34:48):
mostly lived in the realm of myths and legends.
After all, the human race had not reached that high yet.
It was only slightly more than adecade since humans managed to
finally conquer the Third Nightmare and received the
ability to evolve their cores totranscendent rank.
As Transcendence or Saints as they were called in the real
(35:11):
world, powerful Awakened ruled over the Dream realm, but even
they did not dare to face nightmare creatures of higher
ranks. Everyone knew that
theoretically, you could have a memory, echo or aspect of
Supreme, Sacred, or Divine rank,but to Sunny's knowledge, no one
had ever earned one. Until now.
(35:34):
Sunny grinned, driven half mad by joy and arrogance.
However, his jubilation was a little muddied.
After all, there was that weird innate ability.
Of course, he had no intention of becoming someone's magical
slave with no free will of his own.
To hell with that. All he had to do to avoid that
(35:55):
fate was conceal his true name. No one except for him could see
his status. That meant that Sonny just had
to keep his mouth shut, and no one would know that he even had
one. It meant giving up on all the
benefits that someone who has bestowed a true name after the
first nightmare was entitled to,But none of those benefits were
(36:17):
worth his freedom. Besides, the honor of a true
name was overshadowed by his divine aspect.
The Nightmare spoke again. The first seal is broken,
awakening dormant powers. Sonny braced himself, eager to
discover what his strange and wondrous powers would be.
(36:42):
Sunny felt something waking up inside of him.
With a startled cry, he clutchedhis chest and stared into the
darkness, trying to understand what was happening.
The feeling was not painful or unpleasant, yet it was like
nothing he had ever experienced.It was as though his soul was
being shaken awake, infused withstrange new energy.
(37:06):
However, that energy did not come from some outside source.
Rather, it was coming from within, as though it had always
been there, sleeping. The energy filled every fiber of
his being. Sonny felt his emotions becoming
clearer and sharper. Then his body began to change
too. He felt as though a miniature
(37:28):
star was burning in the center of his chest.
Waves of heat were radiating from it, slowly reaching his
stomach and shoulders, then his arms and legs, then his hands
and feet. Under the heat, his bones,
muscles, organs, and blood vessels were being rebuilt and
revitalized. He felt his muscles burn and
(37:51):
tingle as they grew. His lungs took a deep, sharp
breath of air. His eyesight sharpened.
Sonny felt like he was being reborn.
He was becoming stronger, faster, healthier.
It was euphoric with each second.
His transformation was becoming more profound.
(38:13):
New confidence settled in Sonny's heart.
He was not a weak, frail St. kidanymore.
He was not as vulnerable againstanyone who would wish to bully
him as he was in the past. With his powers awakened and his
will tempered by the horrors of the first nightmare, he was now
someone you would not want to cross.
(38:35):
After some time had passed, the star burning in his chest
finally cooled down. The heat was replaced with a
soothing coldness. That coldness washed over
Sunny's body, taking away all the aches and discomforts that
had accumulated there over the years.
(38:57):
His new large muscles relaxed, and it was as if his body was
dipped into a VAT of balm. The wave of relaxation moved up,
reaching his brain and finally, his eyes.
His vision strangely doubled. He could still see the void,
populated by an endless pattern of stars, but he could also see
(39:20):
something different. A silent, calm, dark sea
illuminated by a lonely black sun.
From his previous knowledge, Sunny knew that this was his
so-called sea of soul, but he also knew that it was supposed
to look quite different. For starters, it was supposed to
(39:43):
be much more lively. The star above Sunny was a
visual representation of his Soul Core.
The Soul Core was a manifestation of a dreamer's
soul, and it held a special energy called Soul Essence.
Individuals had their own natural soul essence, but a soul
core could also trap and absorb soul essence they accumulate
(40:05):
during a nightmare. Based on all he'd ever heard,
Sunny expected his soul core to be burning bright, filling the
soul sea with a warm, blinding light.
However, Sunny's soul was dark and lightless.
Sunny frowned. That's strange.
(40:26):
He took a look at the black sun at a closer examination.
The orb wasn't dark at all. Quite the opposite.
It was transparent. It's just that with no other
major source of light around, the star appeared to be as dark
as its surroundings. Also, no one was supposed to be
here except for him. It was his soul, after all.
(40:50):
But Sunny had a nagging feeling that somewhere just beyond the
periphery of his vision, hidden in the darkness, shapeless forms
were constantly moving. No matter how he turned his
head, he couldn't catch a clear glimpse of them.
And yet, the feeling would not go away.
Sonny wasn't sure if he was paranoid imagining these
(41:13):
intruders, but regardless of thevalidity of his suspicions, he
wasn't getting anywhere focusingon them.
Part of him hoped he'd forget all about that nagging feeling
if he forced himself to move on.Sonny turned back to the black
sun and finally spotted 2 spheres of light orbiting around
it. As though caught in the Soul
(41:35):
Corps gravity well, a subtle smile appeared on his face.
He somehow innately recognized these orbs.
They were his memories. Silver Bell.
Puppeteers Shroud. Over time, he hoped to acquire
dozens of such spheres to store in the Sea of Souls.
(41:57):
If he was lucky, he would even acquire an Echo or two.
Echoes operated in much the sameway as memories, only rather
than summonable tools, they weremagical creatures forged from
the sole essence of slain nightmare creatures.
Dreamers who had Echoes could call forth these companions to
(42:18):
aid them in the trials. The spell's voice suddenly
pulled Sunny out of the Sea of Seoul.
Awakening aspect ability. Sunny took a dead breath and
thought this. Is it the moment of truth?
Divine aspect or not, his immediate future still depended
(42:39):
on the 1st aspect ability he would receive.
His role in the Dream Realm would be based on its
characteristics. If it was a combat ability, he
would be most useful on the front lines of the bloody
battles against the Nightmare creatures.
If it was tied to sorcery, he would likely become a powerful
but fragile ranged fighter. If it was something having to do
(43:05):
with utility, he would be a vitally important part of the
behind the scenes workings of the Dream Realm.
Utility abilities were also extremely valued in the real
world, where Awakened performed many tasks that kept it going.
If he was lucky, he could even become a healer.
Healers were very rare and as such sought after specialists.
(43:29):
The Nightmare spell rang out once more.
Aspect ability acquired. Aspect ability name Shadow
control. Sonny squinted.
What did shadow control mean? Was that combat or sorcery?
He'd not heard of this aspect before, and he was dying to
(43:50):
learn what his fate might be. Was he going to be a frontline
warrior or a cunning strategist?Sonny hurriedly summoned the
runes. He wanted to go to the
description of his new ability right away, but ultimately
decided to give his overall information a look first.
His eyes flip over the runes, which mostly reinforced what
(44:11):
he'd already known. Name Sunless.
True name lost from light Rank Dreamer Shadow Core Dormant
Shadow Fragments 12 out of 1000.Sunny tilted his head to the
side. What?
That's not right, is it Where the rank of his soul core was
(44:35):
supposed to be written, a mysterious shadow core appeared
instead. Sunny looked at it, blinking.
He had never heard of anyone having a different kind of core
before. Was he that unique?
This enigmatic shadow core wouldcertainly explain why his sea of
soul looked so strange. And also he moved his eyes down,
(44:58):
noticing the shadow fragments counter.
Usually, there was supposed to be an indicator of the number of
Soul shards consumed. However, it was nowhere to be
seen. Soul Shards were the pieces of
broken Soul cores that could be collected.
Sunny's best guess was the Shadow Fragments were the
equivalent of this with respect to his mysterious Shadow Core.
(45:21):
Sunny shook his head. Do I?
Do I actually have a completely different progression path than
all the Awakened? The idea was as exciting as it
was frightening. Not having to fight for
resources with anybody else was an incredible advantage.
Most of the human society in thedream realm was built around the
(45:42):
acquisition of soul shards. If he had no need to gather them
to evolve, not only would he be able to become more powerful
with incredible speed, he would also be completely
self-sufficient. On the other hand, he had no
idea how to acquire these shadowfragments.
However, he had gotten 12 of them somehow already, so
(46:05):
whatever it was that he had to do, he had already done it in
the first nightmare. He figured if he retraced his
steps closely, he could learn the answer.
Sonny's resolve hardened. I'll have to explore this
carefully. Satisfied with this decision,
Sonny continued went back to reading the rest of his profile.
(46:28):
Memories, Silver bell and puppeteers.
Shroud echoes. None.
Attributes, fated, Mark of Divinity and Child of Shadows
aspect, Shadow slave aspect rank, Divine aspect abilities,
Shadow control. Sonny held his breath in
(46:51):
anticipation. He remembered the way the shadow
tendrils in the temple rose up and attacked the Mountain King.
They had incredible strength andwere able to RIP the massive
monster limb from limb. Sonny hoped that his shadow
control ability would grant him that skill.
He read the aspect ability description.
(47:13):
Your shadow is more independent than most.
It is an invaluable helper. He cocked his head to the side,
disappointed. What is that supposed to mean?
Before he could Mull that question too long, the nightmare
spell spoke up. All power has a price.
You have received a flaw. Sonny scoffed.
(47:38):
Oh come on, like the risk of being enslaved isn't enough of a
drawback already. A new set of runes appeared on
his profile. Sonny read the runes and his
eyes widened in horror. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
(48:01):
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The smile. Froze on Gregor's face.
He lowered his. Head as though in shame.
After a minute or so. Passed, shrouded in heavy
silence, he finally answered. Yes, I thought that if I do it
when you sleep, you won't have to suffer.
Unseen to him, a bitter grin appeared on Sunny's face.
(00:25):
A long sigh escaped from the young soldiers.
Lips he rested his. Back against the caves wall,
still not looking up. I don't expect you to forgive
me. This sin too will remind to
bear. But please, if you can find it
in your heart to understand. If things were different I would
(00:46):
have gladly faced that monster to let you escape.
But my life does not belong to me alone.
There is a duty I'm sworn to fulfil.
Until it's done, I cannot allow myself to die.
Sonny laughed. You people look at you planning
(01:08):
to kill me and still insist on having a good excuse.
How very convenient. I hate hypocrites like you the
most. Why don't you be honest for
once? Don't give me that crap, just
say it. I'm going to kill you because
it's easy. I'm going to kill you because I
want to survive. Gregor closed his eyes.
(01:29):
His face full of sadness. I'm sorry, I knew you wouldn't
be able to understand, Sonny scoffed.
What's there to understand? He leaned forward, anger
coursing through his. Veins tell me, why do I have to
die? The young soldier finally looked
(01:50):
up, even though he couldn't see in the dark.
He turned his face in the direction of Sonny's voice.
That man was a villain. But he was also right.
The scent of blood is. Too.
Heavy on you, it will attract the beast.
Sonny swallowed a lump in his throat.
He couldn't. Believe he let himself.
Feel rescued for a. Second, this man was even worse
(02:14):
than the openly Craven men like Benny and Frazier.
You can just let me go, you know.
We'll part ways after that. Whether or not the monster finds
me won't be your. Problem.
Gregor shook his head. Dying in that creatures maw is
too cruel to fate. It's better if I do it myself.
(02:38):
You are my responsibility after all.
Sonny rolled his eyes. How noble of you.
He leaned back, dejected. A long.
Silence hung in the air. For a beat.
Eventually, Sonny. Raised his voice again.
You know, when I just came here,I was ready to die.
(03:00):
After all, in this whole world, 2 worlds actually, there's not a
single soul who cares whether I live or die when I'm gone.
No one will be. Sad no one will even.
Remember that I existed. There was a forlorn look on his
face. A moment later.
However, it was gone, replaced by mirth.
(03:24):
But then I changed my mind. Somewhere along the way I
decided to survive and must survive no matter what.
Gregor gave him a thoughtful. Look to.
Live a life worth remembering. Sunny grinned.
A dark gleam appeared in his eyes.
(03:45):
No, to spite you all. The young soldier was.
Silent for a few moments, then nodded, accepting this answer.
He rose to his feet. Don't worry.
I'll make it quick. Sunny scowled at him.
Aren't you overly confident? What makes you think you'll be
(04:07):
able to kill me? Maybe I'll kill you instead.
Gregor shook his head. I doubt that, but in the next
second. He staggered.
And fell on one knee. The young man's face turned.
Deathly pale. And with a pain.
Groan, He suddenly vomited blood.
(04:35):
A. Satisfied smile appeared on
Sonny's face. Finally, unable to stand, Gregor
remained on his knees. He braced himself against The
Cave wall. The lower part of his face was.
Covered in blood. Astonished.
He was. Staring at his hands, trying to
understand what was happening tohim.
(04:58):
What? What magic is this with?
Wide eyes and a pale face, he turned to Sunny.
Was was that thief right? Did you put the curse of the
Shadow God on us? Sunny sighed.
I wish I had the ability to throw divine curses around, but
no, to tell you the truth, I don't have any abilities at all.
(05:23):
Gregor struggled to stand. Then how?
The young slave shrugged. That's why I poisoned you.
All. Gregor flinched, trying to
comprehend his words. What?
Sonny shrugged. After the tyrant first attacked,
you sent me to search for. Water.
(05:43):
While gathering flagons from thedead soldiers, I squeezed Blood
Bane juice into each one. Except my own, of course.
Not enough to taste it, but enough to slowly kill anyone who
would drink from them. The soldier gritted his teeth.
Struggling through the pain, a sudden realization appeared on
his face. So that's why the other two were
(06:06):
in such bad shape? Sonny nodded.
Then he drank the most, so his condition worsened the fastest.
Frazier was also not long for this world, but you finished him
off before the poison could yourself.
However, it was as though blood bane did not affect you at all.
I was really starting to get worried.
(06:28):
Gregor's face darkened. I see, I understand.
He thought about something, thenlooked at Sunny with surprise.
But back. Then you didn't know.
That we would turn on you. Sonny just laughed.
Oh please. It was obvious Benny was the
(06:48):
kind of man who would kill for apair of boots.
Frazier was like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
People are selfish and cruel in the best of situations.
I was supposed to believe that those two weren't going to do
something terrible to me when faced with certain.
Death, Gregor spat more blood. Then what about me?
(07:13):
You. A disdainful expression appeared
on Sunny's. Face you are the.
Worst of them. Gregor clutched his chest.
Why? Sunny looked at him and leaned
forward. I might not have learned much in
my short life, but I do know one.
Thing, he said. All traces.
Of humor gone from his voice, now there was only cold, callous
(07:37):
contempt. Sunny's face.
Hardened, there is nothing more pathetic than a slave who begins
to trust his slaver. Hearing these words, Gregor
lowered his head. I see.
Then suddenly, he laughed. You you are a wicked.
(08:00):
Little shit, aren't you? Sonny chuckled.
There's no need to. Be rude, but Gregor.
Wasn't listening to him. Good.
This is good. My conscience will be clearer.
(08:22):
The young slave sighed in irritation.
What are you mumbling about? Just die already.
Gregor chuckled and suddenly pierced him with a stare.
Somehow. He didn't look so sick anymore.
You see, that plan would have worked if I was a normal human.
But alas, my soul core has awakened long ago.
(08:45):
I've slain countless enemies andabsorb their power.
Blood Bane poison, unpleasant asit may be, can never kill me.
Sunny's eyes went wide. The situation had suddenly
become. Very, very bad, Sunny turned.
Around and tried to run. Away, but it was already too
(09:06):
late something. Hit him in the back.
Sending his body. Crashing into the Rockwall.
With a scream, he felt a sharp. Pain piercing his left side,
rolling out of The Cave, Sonny clutched his chest, scrambled
back onto his feet. And ran trying.
(09:26):
To escape the narrow crevice, hemanaged to reach the old path
finally. Being able to see the.
Stars and the pale moon shining brightly in the night sky.
But it was as far as he was ableto get as the cold.
Voice. Sounded behind him.
Sunny froze. Stop.
If. Gregor had an awakened soul.
(09:47):
Corps he had no. Chance of getting.
Away from him in a. Fight.
He had no chances at all. Turn around.
The young slave obediently turned, holding his hands up.
He looked at Gregor. Who is?
Wiping the blood off. His face with a displeased.
Look in his eyes. The two of them.
(10:07):
Stared at each other, shivering in the murderous cold.
Gregor's lip. Curled up at the side.
Was it worth it? You know what, never mind.
Despite it all, I will be true to my promise.
I'll make it quick. The soldier unsheathed his
sword. Do you have any last?
(10:29):
Words. Sunny did not answer.
However, a small silver bell. Suddenly appeared in his hand.
Gregor frowned. Where were you hiding that
thing? Sunny shook the bell.
A beautiful clear ringing sound flowed over the mountain,
filling the night with an enchanting melody.
(10:52):
Panic rose in Gregor's voice. What are you doing?
Stop. The young slave dutifully
stopped. The soldiers.
Eyes darted around the room, trying to determine what had
just been done. What was?
Right under Gregor's bewildered.Eyes.
The silver bell disappeared. Into thin air, he looked at
Sonny, stumped and suspicious. Tell me, what did you just do?
(11:18):
But Sonny didn't answer. He hadn't said a single word
ever since escaping the. Cave, right?
Now he wasn't even breathing. Gregor, on the other hand,
continued to speak. Tell me right now.
Or you will regret it. Sonny would not be scared.
He would not be intimidated. He was a child.
(11:39):
Of the shadow, and they were wrapped in darkness.
He looked past Gregor and staredinto the darkness.
A. Small smile grew and it spurred
panic and Gregor. What is it?
What did you do? Tell me you little fit.
Sonny raised his eyebrows. You'll.
Find out. Soon, Sunny had no choice but to
(12:07):
resort to one last desperate gamble.
He knew that he'd never best Gregor in a physical
confrontation, at least not without an advantage.
Blood Bane. Poison was supposed to be his
hidden card, but it turned out to be nearly useless.
Being able to see in the dark did not help that much either.
Somehow, Gregor was able to perceive their surroundings
(12:29):
without any light. Whether he was using his sense
of hearing or some magical ability, Sunny did not know.
Not that it mattered now that they had left The Cave and were
standing under the moonlit sky. Now, Sunny had only one
advantage left. Unlike Gregor, he knew that the
Tyrant was blind. Acting on that knowledge,
(12:49):
however, was easier said than done.
That's why he tried to stay quiet and rang the silver bell.
If the description did not lie, it's ringing could be heard from
miles away. Surely the tyrant was going to
hear it too. Now Sunny only had to stay
silent, stall for time and hope that the monster would come and
(13:11):
hear the young soldier. Sunny's lack of response sent
Gregor into a fit of bewilderment and anger.
Gregor stepped closer to Sunny. Tell me right now or you will
regret it. His voice was quite threatening,
but still the young slave did not answer.
(13:32):
He just shivered in the cold andtried not to groan despite the
pulsing pain in his chest. Rage flashed in the soldiers
eye. Why are you not answering?
But Sunny did not dare to answer.
He held his breath and watched, horrified, as the familiar
(13:55):
colossal figure appeared behind Gregor.
His lungs were on fire and his heart was beating like crazy.
It was beating so loud that he was afraid the blind tyrant
would hear it. But of course, it couldn't be
louder than Gregor's voice, who was still only talking, turning
himself into the only source of noise on this mountain.
(14:19):
At the last second, a hint of understanding appeared in the
young soldiers eyes. He began to turn around, his
sword rising with lightning speed.
But it was too late. A massive hand appeared from the
darkness and caught him in an iron grip.
The bone claws scraped against the armor, pulling it apart.
(14:44):
Mountain King dragged Hero back,paying little attention to the
sword biting into its wrist. Viscous saliva was streaming
from its open maw. Petrified by fear, Sunny slowly
turned his back to them and tooka couple of steps up the old
winding path. Then he darted away, running as
(15:06):
fast as he could. Behind him, a desperate scream
tore apart the silent night. Then a hungry roar followed.
It seemed that Gregor wasn't going down without a fight.
Even though his. Fate was already sealed, but
Sonny didn't care. He was running away, climbing
(15:29):
higher and higher. I'm sorry, Gregor.
He thought. I did say that I will watch you
die, but as you know, I am a liar, so go on and die on your
own. Sonny looked at the tableau
ahead of him. A lonesome, dark mountain stood
tall against the raging winds. Jagged and proud, it dwarfed
(15:52):
other peaks of the mountain chain, cutting the night sky
with its sharp edges. A radiant moon bathed its slope
in the ghostly light. Under that light, the young man
with pale skin and black hair reached the peak of the
mountain. However, his looks didn't match
the magnificence of the scene. Wounded and staggering, he
(16:15):
looked pathetic and weak. Sunny looked like a walking
corpse. His coarse tunic and cloak were
torn and smeared with blood. His sunken eyes were cloudy and
lifeless. His body was bruised, beaten,
and cut. There were specks of bloody foam
on his lips. He was hunched over, cradling
(16:37):
the left side of his chest. Each step caused him to moan,
ragged breath barely escaping through his gritted teeth.
Sunny was hurting all over, but most of all, he was cold.
So, so cold. He just wanted to lie down in
the snow and fall asleep, but doing so would be certain death.
(17:02):
If the temperature didn't kill him, the tyrant would.
He used this time to put as muchtime between himself and that
thing is possible. Sunny continued walking, hoping
that the nightmare might end if he reaches the peak.
Step, step, another step. Finally, he had made it.
(17:24):
At the highest point of the mountain, a vast expanse of Flat
Rock was covered with snow. In the center of it, illuminated
by moonlight, stood A magnificent temple.
It's colossal columns and walls were cut from black marble, with
exquisite reliefs decorating thestygy impediment and broad
(17:44):
fries. Beautiful and awesome, it looked
like a palace of a dark God. At least it did once.
Now the temple was in ruins. Fractures and cracks marred the
black stones, and parts of the roof had collapsed, letting in
ice and snow. It's tall gates were broken, as
(18:08):
if smashed into pieces by the hand of a giant.
Still, Sonny was satisfied. Found you.
His voice was hoarse. Gathering the last of his
strength, the young slave slowlylimped in the direction of the
ruined temple. His thoughts were muddled and
confused. See this, Gregor, he thought,
(18:30):
forgetting for a second that thesoldier was already dead.
I've made it. You were strong and ruthless,
and I was weak and timid. Yet now you are a corpse and I
am still alive. Isn't it funny?
He stumbled and groaned, feelingthe edges of his broken ribs
cutting deeper into his lungs. Blood was dripping from his
(18:53):
mouth. Dead or not, Gregor had gotten
him good with that single strike.
A laugh escaped Sonny's lips. The outcome was predictable.
What did any of them know about being ruthless?
Poor fools. In my world, people had
thousands of years to turn cruelty into art, and as someone
(19:16):
on their saving end of all that cruelty, don't you think I would
know more about being vicious than anyone ever could?
He was getting closer to the temple.
Truth be told, they never stood a chance.
Wait, what was I thinking about?A moment later, he had already
forgotten. There was only pain, the dark
(19:38):
Temple, and the overpowering desire to sleep.
Don't fall for it, it's just hypothermia.
If you fall asleep, you'll die. Finally, Sunny reached the steps
of the Black Temple. He started to climb them, not
noticing thousands of bones thatwere scattered around.
These bones once belonged to humans and monsters.
(20:00):
All of them were killed by the invisible guardians still
lingering around the temple. As Sunny was climbing the steps,
one of the shapeless guardians approached him.
It was ready to snuff out the spark of life that was burning
weakly in the defiler's chest, but then stopped, sensing A
faint, strangely familiar scent coming from his soul.
(20:23):
The scent of divinity, sorrowfuland lonesome.
The Guardian moved aside, letting Sunny pass.
Oblivious, he entered the temple.
Sunny found himself in a grandiose hall.
Moonlight cascaded through the holes in the partially collapsed
roof. Deep shadows surrounded these
(20:45):
circles of silver light, not daring to touch them.
The floor was covered in snow and ice.
At the far end of the hall, a large altar was cut from a
single piece of black marble. It was the only thing inside the
temple, untouched by snow. Forgetting why he came here,
Sunny headed for the altar. He just wanted sleep.
(21:08):
The altar was dry, clean and as wide as a bed.
Sunny climbed on it and lay down.
It seemed like he was going to die.
He was OK with it. Sunny tried to close his eyes
but was stopped by a sudden noise coming from the direction
of the temples entrance. He turned his head to look, not
even a little bit curious. What he saw would have sent
(21:32):
chills running down his spine ifhe wasn't so cold, tired and
indifferent. Mountain King was standing there
looking at him with its five blind eyes.
He was still massive, terrifyingand revolting.
Worm like shapes were still moving frantically under its
skin. It was sniffing the air,
(21:55):
salivating. Then it opened its maw and moved
forward slowly approaching the altar.
Sunny suddenly clutched his chest, convulsing in a fit of
torturous coughing. His final thought was simply
what an ugly bastard. Bloody foam flew from Sunny's
(22:16):
mouth and fell on the altar. However, the black marble
instantly absorbed it, returningto its pristine state.
The tyrant was just about to reach Sunny.
It was already stretching its hands to grab him.
Sunny didn't fight or flee, He'dgone as far as he could.
(22:36):
He thought, I guess this is the end.
But at that last second, suddenly the voice of the spell
resonated in the dark temple. You have offered yourself as a
sacrifice to the gods. The gods are dead and cannot
heal you. Your soul bears the mark of
(22:57):
divinity. You are a temple slave.
Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.
He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.
Child of Shadows, receive your blessing.
Under Sunny's astonished eyes, the shadows.
Crowding the Great Hall suddenly.
Moved as though coming alive. Tentacles of darkness surged
(23:21):
forward, entangling the MountainKing's arms and legs.
The mighty Tyrant struggled, trying to get free, but how
could it resist the power of a God?
The shadows dragged Mountain King back, pulling it in
different directions. The Tyrant opened its maw, and a
furious howl escaped it. The next second, its body
(23:44):
ruptured, torn apart into pieces.
Blood, viscera, and severed limbs fell on the floor in a
Crimson torrent. Just like that, the horrible
creature was dead. Sunny blinked once again.
He was alone in the ruined temple.
The Great Hall was dark and silent.
(24:08):
And then the spell whispered. You have slain and awakened.
Tyrant. Mountain King, wake up sunless.
Your nightmare is over. Prepare for appraisal.
Sonny's first reaction wasn't relief, but disbelief.
He had survived. He had made it through the
(24:28):
nightmare, even though he had toface a tyrant.
He knew he should be happy, and in some ways he was.
He hadn't wanted to die, even though he expected and accepted
it, but surviving this way was bound to have complications.
He just pledged himself to a Godhe knew nothing about.
(24:48):
What was expected of him? And who was this powerful and
dangerous shadow God? Sunny feared he'd find out soon.
The voice of the spell echoed inSunny's ears.
Prepare for appraisal, Sunny found.
(25:10):
Himself in a space between dreamand reality.
It was an endless black void illuminated by a myriad of
stars. Between those stars, countless
strings of silver light were woven into a beautiful and
inconceivably complex net, forming various nexuses and
(25:31):
constellations. It was truly breathtaking.
Somehow, Sonny understood that he was seeing the inner workings
of the nightmare spell. He also couldn't help but think
that it looked a lot like the celestial equivalent of a neural
network. Did that mean the spell was
alive? What did it want from him?
(25:53):
How was it going to appraise him?
And what would it mean if the spell was still unsatisfied?
His questions were endless, and for decades people had been
speculating about the source andnature of the nightmare spell.
The best answer they had come upwith was that there was no way
to know. The spell was neither alive nor
(26:15):
dead, neither sentient nor mindless.
It was more of a function than acreature, but Sonny was in no
mood to ponder philosophical questions.
He was eagerly awaiting his boon.
That was the promise of surviving the first nightmare.
Every awakened is granted something, and Sonny was long
(26:37):
overdue to receive some help from life.
The spell was still appraising his performance, however, the
first reward seemed unrelated tothe challenge Sonny had faced.
You have received a memory puppeteers shroud.
Sonny felt incredibly elated. Yes, memories were useful items
(27:00):
that dreamers could summon in times of need.
This puppeteers shroud apparently belonged to the
Mountain King, and by slaying the beast Sunny had taken
ownership of the item. Sunny was almost ready to do a
happy dance. The Mountain King was a
high-ranking monster, an awakened tyrant by Sunny's
(27:22):
estimation. Therefore, Sunny could conclude
the creatures memory was also ofawakened rank.
Getting a strong tool like that was a stroke of incredible luck
for Sunny. He'd now be well armed in any
future nightmares, and he'd needany advantage he could get.
The nightmare spell got increasingly difficult every
(27:45):
time a dreamer was faced with a trial.
Under the nightmare spell, Memories, attributes, aspects,
and even a dreamer's soul core were classified by 7 ranks of
increasing power. Dormant, Awakened, Ascended,
Transcendent, Supreme, Sacred, and divine.
The power gap between different ranks simply could not be
(28:08):
overestimated. Similarly, nightmare creatures
were classified by 7 ranks of increasing depravity, Dormant,
awakened, fallen, corrupted, great, cursed, and unholy.
From the spells point of view, Sunny was a dormant human.
Having a memory of a higher rankthan his soul core would be of
(28:32):
great help once he enters the dream realm.
Sunny wanted to take a look at the puppeteers shroud, but there
was no more time. The spell was done with its
appraisal here in the void. It's voice didn't sound subtle
and familiar anymore, rather it seemed like the universe itself
was speaking. Sunny held his breath,
(28:53):
listening. Appraisant, your trial is over.
A nameless slave ascended the Black Mountain.
Both heroes and monsters fell byhis hand, unbroken.
He entered the ruined temple of a long forgotten God and spilled
his blood on the sacred altar. The gods were dead, and yet they
(29:18):
listened. Sonny blinked at the statement.
From his perspective he had beenscrambling from one disaster to
the next trying to survive, but to hear the nightmare spells
evaluation, he sounded bad ass. The voice continued.
You have defeated A dormant Beast Mountain King's larvae.
(29:40):
You have defeated 3 dormant humans.
You have defeated an awakened human, Gregor of the 9, Sonny.
Blinked in confusion and thought, The 9:00, The nine.
What was there more to Gregor than he had realized?
The voice didn't Grants any timeto dwell.
(30:02):
You have defeated an awakened tyrant Mountain King.
You have received the Shadow God's blessing.
You have achieved the impossible.
Final appraisal. Glorious.
Your treachery truly knows no bounds.
That final part was not necessary as far as Sunny was
(30:23):
concerned, but he was still pretty satisfied with the praise
from the Nightmare spell. He felt like his chances of
evolving his aspect to an Awakened or even an Ascended one
were pretty high. His overall power was still
dependent on the rank of his Soul core, which would remain
dormant until much later, but the rank of the aspect itself
(30:44):
would do wonders for his overallpotential.
The voice boomed. Dreamer, Sunless, receive your
boon. He was an aspirant no more.
Sunny grinned with a flourish. The Voice announced.
You have been bestowed a true name lost from light.
(31:07):
Sunny's jaw dropped. A true name.
He had received a true name. Never in his wildest dreams did
Sunny dream of becoming one of the chosen few to accomplish
such a feat, and he'd accomplished it on his very
first nightmare to boot. Not even all of the Saints could
(31:28):
boast of having one. He was an elite now, a bona fide
cream of the crop. He was going to be rich.
But the rewards kept coming. Your aspect is ready to evolve.
Evolve aspect. A smile broke across Sunny's
face. He couldn't believe the
Nightmare spell would even ask such a question.
(31:50):
Of course he wanted to improve his aspect.
Sunny crossed his fingers. Yes.
There was a loud rumbling noise.Dormant.
Aspect temple slave is evolving.New aspect acquired Aspect rank
divine. Sunny fell over.
Divine was the highest possible rank for an Aspect.
(32:14):
Whatever this new power was, it was one of the strongest in the
game. The voice barreled along, not
giving Sunny any time to processthis huge revelation.
Aspect name Shadow slave. Sunny was standing on his knees,
stupefied. The shock was so great that for
(32:36):
a second there he lost all control over his limbs and fell.
Divine, it said. Divine, right?
He raised a trembling hand and rubbed his eyes, making sure
that he was awake, or rather conscious, since technically he
was still sleeping in the underground vault at the police
station. Overwhelmed by all this
(32:57):
terminology, Sunny silently summoned the ruins and found the
lines describing his Aspect. Aspect Shadow Slave Aspect Rank
Divine Aspect Description You are a miraculous shadow left
behind by a dead God. As a divine shadow, you possess
(33:18):
plenty of strange and wondrous powers.
However, your existence is emptyand lonesome.
You mourn the passing of your former master and long to find a
new one. Sonny took a deep breath.
Sounds a little melancholy, but at least I'll have some real
power for once in my life. He continued reading.
(33:40):
Innate ability. Shadow Bound ability
Description. Find a worthy master and let
them know your true name. Once they recited out loud, you
will be bound to their will, unable to disobey any command.
It is improper for a shadow, letalone a divine one, to walk
around without a master. That was a lot to digest.
(34:05):
First of all, Sonny felt his heart beating faster.
He heard it right. All the suffering and horror he
had experienced in the first nightmare paid off in the end.
A divine aspect. He had received a divine aspect.
Anything above awakened was rareand immensely valuable.
People with ascended aspects were uncommon enough to be
(34:28):
fought over by various factions.The factions themselves were
built around singular powerhouses with transcendent or
supreme aspects, and he had never ever heard of anyone
acquiring a divine one. Never.
Anything with the divine prefix was so hard to find that it
(34:48):
mostly lived in the realm of myths and legends.
After all, the human race had not reached that high yet.
It was only slightly more than adecade since humans managed to
finally conquer the Third Nightmare and received the
ability to evolve their cores totranscendent rank.
As Transcendence or Saints as they were called in the real
(35:11):
world, powerful Awakened ruled over the Dream realm, but even
they did not dare to face nightmare creatures of higher
ranks. Everyone knew that
theoretically, you could have a memory, echo or aspect of
Supreme, Sacred, or Divine rank,but to Sunny's knowledge, no one
had ever earned one. Until now.
(35:34):
Sunny grinned, driven half mad by joy and arrogance.
However, his jubilation was a little muddied.
After all, there was that weird innate ability.
Of course, he had no intention of becoming someone's magical
slave with no free will of his own.
To hell with that. All he had to do to avoid that
(35:55):
fate was conceal his true name. No one except for him could see
his status. That meant that Sonny just had
to keep his mouth shut, and no one would know that he even had
one. It meant giving up on all the
benefits that someone who has bestowed a true name after the
first nightmare was entitled to,But none of those benefits were
(36:17):
worth his freedom. Besides, the honor of a true
name was overshadowed by his divine aspect.
The Nightmare spoke again. The first seal is broken,
awakening dormant powers. Sonny braced himself, eager to
discover what his strange and wondrous powers would be.
(36:42):
Sunny felt something waking up inside of him.
With a startled cry, he clutchedhis chest and stared into the
darkness, trying to understand what was happening.
The feeling was not painful or unpleasant, yet it was like
nothing he had ever experienced.It was as though his soul was
being shaken awake, infused withstrange new energy.
(37:06):
However, that energy did not come from some outside source.
Rather, it was coming from within, as though it had always
been there, sleeping. The energy filled every fiber of
his being. Sonny felt his emotions becoming
clearer and sharper. Then his body began to change
too. He felt as though a miniature
(37:28):
star was burning in the center of his chest.
Waves of heat were radiating from it, slowly reaching his
stomach and shoulders, then his arms and legs, then his hands
and feet. Under the heat, his bones,
muscles, organs, and blood vessels were being rebuilt and
revitalized. He felt his muscles burn and
(37:51):
tingle as they grew. His lungs took a deep, sharp
breath of air. His eyesight sharpened.
Sonny felt like he was being reborn.
He was becoming stronger, faster, healthier.
It was euphoric with each second.
His transformation was becoming more profound.
(38:13):
New confidence settled in Sonny's heart.
He was not a weak, frail St. kidanymore.
He was not as vulnerable againstanyone who would wish to bully
him as he was in the past. With his powers awakened and his
will tempered by the horrors of the first nightmare, he was now
someone you would not want to cross.
(38:35):
After some time had passed, the star burning in his chest
finally cooled down. The heat was replaced with a
soothing coldness. That coldness washed over
Sunny's body, taking away all the aches and discomforts that
had accumulated there over the years.
(38:57):
His new large muscles relaxed, and it was as if his body was
dipped into a VAT of balm. The wave of relaxation moved up,
reaching his brain and finally, his eyes.
His vision strangely doubled. He could still see the void,
populated by an endless pattern of stars, but he could also see
(39:20):
something different. A silent, calm, dark sea
illuminated by a lonely black sun.
From his previous knowledge, Sunny knew that this was his
so-called sea of soul, but he also knew that it was supposed
to look quite different. For starters, it was supposed to
(39:43):
be much more lively. The star above Sunny was a
visual representation of his Soul Core.
The Soul Core was a manifestation of a dreamer's
soul, and it held a special energy called Soul Essence.
Individuals had their own natural soul essence, but a soul
core could also trap and absorb soul essence they accumulate
(40:05):
during a nightmare. Based on all he'd ever heard,
Sunny expected his soul core to be burning bright, filling the
soul sea with a warm, blinding light.
However, Sunny's soul was dark and lightless.
Sunny frowned. That's strange.
(40:26):
He took a look at the black sun at a closer examination.
The orb wasn't dark at all. Quite the opposite.
It was transparent. It's just that with no other
major source of light around, the star appeared to be as dark
as its surroundings. Also, no one was supposed to be
here except for him. It was his soul, after all.
(40:50):
But Sunny had a nagging feeling that somewhere just beyond the
periphery of his vision, hidden in the darkness, shapeless forms
were constantly moving. No matter how he turned his
head, he couldn't catch a clear glimpse of them.
And yet, the feeling would not go away.
Sonny wasn't sure if he was paranoid imagining these
(41:13):
intruders, but regardless of thevalidity of his suspicions, he
wasn't getting anywhere focusingon them.
Part of him hoped he'd forget all about that nagging feeling
if he forced himself to move on.Sonny turned back to the black
sun and finally spotted 2 spheres of light orbiting around
it. As though caught in the Soul
(41:35):
Corps gravity well, a subtle smile appeared on his face.
He somehow innately recognized these orbs.
They were his memories. Silver Bell.
Puppeteers Shroud. Over time, he hoped to acquire
dozens of such spheres to store in the Sea of Souls.
(41:57):
If he was lucky, he would even acquire an Echo or two.
Echoes operated in much the sameway as memories, only rather
than summonable tools, they weremagical creatures forged from
the sole essence of slain nightmare creatures.
Dreamers who had Echoes could call forth these companions to
(42:18):
aid them in the trials. The spell's voice suddenly
pulled Sunny out of the Sea of Seoul.
Awakening aspect ability. Sunny took a dead breath and
thought this. Is it the moment of truth?
Divine aspect or not, his immediate future still depended
(42:39):
on the 1st aspect ability he would receive.
His role in the Dream Realm would be based on its
characteristics. If it was a combat ability, he
would be most useful on the front lines of the bloody
battles against the Nightmare creatures.
If it was tied to sorcery, he would likely become a powerful
but fragile ranged fighter. If it was something having to do
(43:05):
with utility, he would be a vitally important part of the
behind the scenes workings of the Dream Realm.
Utility abilities were also extremely valued in the real
world, where Awakened performed many tasks that kept it going.
If he was lucky, he could even become a healer.
Healers were very rare and as such sought after specialists.
(43:29):
The Nightmare spell rang out once more.
Aspect ability acquired. Aspect ability name Shadow
control. Sonny squinted.
What did shadow control mean? Was that combat or sorcery?
He'd not heard of this aspect before, and he was dying to
(43:50):
learn what his fate might be. Was he going to be a frontline
warrior or a cunning strategist?Sonny hurriedly summoned the
runes. He wanted to go to the
description of his new ability right away, but ultimately
decided to give his overall information a look first.
His eyes flip over the runes, which mostly reinforced what
(44:11):
he'd already known. Name Sunless.
True name lost from light Rank Dreamer Shadow Core Dormant
Shadow Fragments 12 out of 1000.Sunny tilted his head to the
side. What?
That's not right, is it Where the rank of his soul core was
(44:35):
supposed to be written, a mysterious shadow core appeared
instead. Sunny looked at it, blinking.
He had never heard of anyone having a different kind of core
before. Was he that unique?
This enigmatic shadow core wouldcertainly explain why his sea of
soul looked so strange. And also he moved his eyes down,
(44:58):
noticing the shadow fragments counter.
Usually, there was supposed to be an indicator of the number of
Soul shards consumed. However, it was nowhere to be
seen. Soul Shards were the pieces of
broken Soul cores that could be collected.
Sunny's best guess was the Shadow Fragments were the
equivalent of this with respect to his mysterious Shadow Core.
(45:21):
Sunny shook his head. Do I?
Do I actually have a completely different progression path than
all the Awakened? The idea was as exciting as it
was frightening. Not having to fight for
resources with anybody else was an incredible advantage.
Most of the human society in thedream realm was built around the
(45:42):
acquisition of soul shards. If he had no need to gather them
to evolve, not only would he be able to become more powerful
with incredible speed, he would also be completely
self-sufficient. On the other hand, he had no
idea how to acquire these shadowfragments.
However, he had gotten 12 of them somehow already, so
(46:05):
whatever it was that he had to do, he had already done it in
the first nightmare. He figured if he retraced his
steps closely, he could learn the answer.
Sonny's resolve hardened. I'll have to explore this
carefully. Satisfied with this decision,
Sonny continued went back to reading the rest of his profile.
(46:28):
Memories, Silver bell and puppeteers.
Shroud echoes. None.
Attributes, fated, Mark of Divinity and Child of Shadows
aspect, Shadow slave aspect rank, Divine aspect abilities,
Shadow control. Sonny held his breath in
(46:51):
anticipation. He remembered the way the shadow
tendrils in the temple rose up and attacked the Mountain King.
They had incredible strength andwere able to RIP the massive
monster limb from limb. Sonny hoped that his shadow
control ability would grant him that skill.
He read the aspect ability description.
(47:13):
Your shadow is more independent than most.
It is an invaluable helper. He cocked his head to the side,
disappointed. What is that supposed to mean?
Before he could Mull that question too long, the nightmare
spell spoke up. All power has a price.
You have received a flaw. Sonny scoffed.
(47:38):
Oh come on, like the risk of being enslaved isn't enough of a
drawback already. A new set of runes appeared on
his profile. Sonny read the runes and his
eyes widened in horror. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
(48:01):
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