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Chapter 756: Navigation
Shadow Slave

Master Jet studied the map for a few moments, and then traced a line across the ocean that lay between the four continents. Then, she suddenly asked:

"Do you know a lot about seafaring, Sunny?"

He slowly shook his head.

"As much as the next guy, I guess."

She smiled.

"Understandable. In truth, navigating the oceans is not an easy task. If it was, we could have just used the Pacific or the Atlantic to transport food from South America. But trying to sail them is pure suicide, for now."

Soul Reaper leaned back and took a sip of coffee.

"Most of our planet is covered by water, and most of that water is infested with dreadful Nightmare Creatures. That is because most Gates open underwater. And since we have very few methods of battling them below the sea — and very little reason to — we just leave those Gates be. Humanity might still hold four and a half continents, but we have surrendered all of Earth's oceans to the enemy."

She sighed, then dejectedly shook her head.

"Still, no civilization can exist without efficient transportation, and shipping cargo across water has been the mainstay of transportation since the dawn of time. So, we maintain a presence in the Indian ocean. Navigating it is not easy, however, because there are unspeakable and uncountable horrors dwelling in the depths."

Sunny hesitated for a moment, then asked with a bit of curiosity:

"Wouldn't it be easier to ship stuff through space, then?"

Soul Reaper grimaced.

"It is not cost-efficient. Getting to orbit requires considerable resource commitment, more so with heavy cargo, and resources are something we desperately lack. Plus… space is rife with its own dangers."

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"What dangers?"

She simply shrugged.

"That… is above even my pay grade. So I don't know. Suffice it to say that simply maintaining a scattering of satellites that support the network and the Obel Scale is already a dire challenge. Whether you like it or now, water is the only way."

He frowned.

"So how do we manage to make use of the ocean if it's so dangerous?"

Master Jet smiled.

"Ah, well. The answer is pretty simple… House of Night."

Sunny blinked a couple of times.

"The Great Clan?"

She nodded.

"The representatives of the House of Night excel in guiding ships through turbulent waters. They are not called Nightwalkers just to honor the clan founder, after all. To move across the ocean, convoys that consist of massive, heavily armored ships employ the services of Nightwalker navigators…"

Sunny leaned back, thinking. He knew a bit about the third and the least prominent Great Clan, but not too much.

Unlike Valor and Song, which resembled most Legacy clans and had originated from a single family, House of Night was born from an alliance of several prominent clans. They resided in a dire region of the Dream Realm known as Stormsea, and controlled one of the three Great Citadels — which, as far as he knew, resembled a giant ship and was most likely left behind by one of the seven daemons.

Sunny also knew that the House of Night did not possess a Sovereign of their own. Anvil of Valor and Ki Song ruled their families, but Asterion was seemingly not related and had nothing to do with the third Great Clan.

It was not clear why the other two powers did not consume the weaker one. Now that Sunny learned of the pivotal role Nightwalkers played in sustaining human civilization, he guessed that they simply offered too much utility to be pressured into submission.

Alternatively, the nature of the region they controlled might have simply been too hazardous for either Valor or Song to invade, or their existence created a bit of much-needed balance and deterrence between the two dominant Great Clans.

…What was clear, however, was that the House of Night was deeply connected to Storm God. There were just too many coincidences between their powers and the deity of depths, oceans, darkness, stars, travel, guidance, and disaster.

Did… did Nightwalkers bear the lineage of Storm God?

'That would certainly explain a lot…'

Master Jet, meanwhile, continued:

"The scions of the House of Night allow naval convoys to reach their destinations, which is both a blessing and a curse. The problem with that situation is that while there are more Nightwalkers than there are descendants of the other two Great Clans, their number is still limited. And so, the number of convoys we can operate simultaneously is limited, as well."

She sighed.

"We can only evacuate people across water. By our calculations, it will take at least two years to evacuate the population of Antarctica that way. That is even if we commit the bulk of our navy to the operation. However…"

Her voice grew dim.

"The chain reaction is going to start in a few months, at most. It won't be too severe at the beginning, but quickly ramp up, drowning the entire archipelago in Nightmare Creatures."

Sunny remained silent for a bit, then asked:

"So what is going to happen?"

Master Jet finished her coffee and offered him a smile.

"Well… the government is going to transfer a very substantial part of its forces to Antarctica. Pretty much everyone who can be spared without leaving the rest of humanity completely defenseless will be transferred to the expeditionary force. They will try to stall the Nightmare Creatures for as long as possible to allow as many people as we can save to escape. Oh, also... I will be on one of the first ships myself."

Sunny looked away, not knowing what to say. Master Jet herself had judged that many of those who were going to take part in the evacuation would not be coming back.

Still, she was Soul Reaper Jet, was she not? Surely, she of all people was going to be okay…

Master Jet sighed, then looked around once again. Then, she said calmly:

"Of course, that will never be enough. In a couple of months, the government will announce a voluntary mobilization, both among the Awakened and among mundane humans. Many people will answer the call, while most will not. As I've said, the loss of Antarctica is not a world-ending event. Dying there is not really worth it."

Sunny gritted his teeth.

"So why are you going? With your position, I am sure that you could have chosen to stay behind. Did you let the propaganda get to your head? Honor, duty, and sacrifice… do you actually believe in that crap?"

Soul Reaper laughed.

"No. I am as cynical as you, Sunny. However, I have my own reasons."

She lingered for a few moments, and then added in a suddenly serious tone:

"...And I think that you might understand my reasoning very well. We've known each other for a while, Sunny, and I always shied away from giving you the recruitment speech. However, times have changed. So, tomorrow, when the representative of Valor tries to invite you into their great and illustrious clan, I want you to refuse."

She leaned forward, looked him in the eyes, and added:

"Instead, I want you to leave everything behind, enlist… and come with me."

Shadow Slave

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حمد

حمد 4 Mar 2023, 16:57

+ 3 ⋅ 1 -

The news of Changing Star's return spread across the world like wildfire. The network practically exploded with an endless amount of discussions. Everyone wanted to share their excitement and celebrate the homecoming of the young hero who, without a doubt, was going to become one of the most powerful champions of humanity soon.

While exaggerated, the reaction of both mundane humans and Awakened alike was easy to understand. In this dark and fragile world that balanced on the verge of destruction, everyone longed for something to illuminate their lives and chase their fears away. Everyone desperately searched for hope.

Thinking about it, Sunny couldn't help but remember the description of Neph's Aspect. Light Bringer…

[You are a creature of light that was banished and doomed to exist in the darkness. You bring radiance and warmth to wherever you go, but with it comes indescribable longing.]

Was hope the longing it talked about? Longing was just another word for desire, after all…

In any case, the government had long used Nephis to satiate that desire. They had constructed an uplifting narrative around the events of the Forgotten Shore and made her the linchpin of the story.

No matter how much Sunny hated the abhorrent movie adaptation that had been rushed through production soon after their Awakening, he had to admit that it was a sign of how deeply the survivors of the Dreamer Army and their leader had affected the public.

To be fair, the government had not needed to work too hard to turn Changing Star into an iconic figure. Her achievements had truly been singular and remarkable. Her perceived martyrdom had truly been compelling.

What was more, Nephis had inherited an already established and powerful legend simply on account of her birthright. Her grandfather was the first human to conquer the Second Nightmare and become a Master. Her father was the first to conquer the Third and become a Saint. Both of them were great warriors, pioneers, and revered heroes of humanity.

…And now, she had joined their ranks by becoming the first human to Ascend directly from being a Sleeper.

Considering all that, he was not surprised to see how intensely people reacted to the news. Already, there were a lot of discussions on the network predicting that Changing Star would inevitably become the first to conquer the Fourth Nightmare and push humanity one step closer to salvation, as her parents and grandfather had done.

If only they knew…

If only they knew that Sovereigns had already given up on their world, and that very soon, hundreds of millions of people would probably die for it.

And that the hero they were praising had much grander ambitions.

Conquer the Fourth Nightmare? No, that was too trivial for Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan. She was going to conquer all Nightmares. She was going to destroy the Spell itself…

Or at least try to, even if the waking world had to burn as the consequence.

While the government agents ran around with panicked expressions and most of the waiting crowd dissipated, Sunny found himself leaving the group and walking away to find something to eat. Morgan of Valor had left some time ago, so he did not feel too threatened.

'Oh, right… the true negotiations ended up never happening. I wonder what it means for my future…'

Eventually, he settled in the hospital's cafeteria and forced himself to swallow some food. A few years ago, he would have been ecstatic to be able to feast on high-quality food like that. But now, he did not even feel the taste of various dishes. They might as well have been mimic meat or synthpaste.

Sunny sat quietly, consumed by thoughts, when Effie suddenly appeared nearby and landed on a chair near him. There was a mountain of food on her own tray. The huntress looked at him with a smile:

"Great minds think alike, huh?"

She took a bite out of a small cake, then swallowed it entirely and said with satisfaction:

"The healers want us four to come help them when Nephis wakes up. You know, in case she becomes... agitated again."

Sunny silently nodded.

Effie sighed.

"I can't believe that she just went and Ascended… well, I can actually. It is still amazing, though! Neph must have one hell of a crazy story to tell. It might even be more unbelievable than our own."

He shrugged, then put a spoonful of something mildly spicy in his mouth.

The huntress studied him for a while, then suddenly said:

"You know… for someone who was just reunited with their first and best friend, you don't look too happy, doofus."

Sunny glanced at her.

"Who said that we are friends?"

Effie scoffed.

"Don't lie to me, Sunny. I know how you feel about Nephis, and how much of it you feel. What's up with you?"

He grimaced.

"Lie? How can I lie?"

Sunny lowered his eyes, hesitated for a while, and then said quietly:

"Stronger… I wanted to be stronger than her. I really, really tried. And to be honest, I am very annoyed that all of it was for nothing."

The huntress looked at him with a strange expression.

"Is that why you were in such a hurry to challenge the Second Nightmare?"

He leaned back and turned away.

"...Yeah. That was a big part of it."

Effie lingered for a bit, then slowly shook her head.

"Listen, Sunny. I am really sorry to say this… but you will never be stronger than Nephis."

He looked at her sharply, sparks of anger igniting in his eyes:

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

She sighed.

"It's very simple, really. Both of you are exceptional, talented, and have great will. Both of you are incredibly strong. But, Sunny… it doesn't matter how fast you gain a new Rank, how many Nightmare Creatures you kill, how many soul fragments you absorb. She will always be ahead."

She looked him in the eyes and said soberly:

"It's because she has something that you lack. Nephis, she has... conviction, Sunny. And you don't. As long as that doesn't change, you will always be behind."

As he stared at her with resentment, Effie suddenly grinned and shrugged.

"But hey… who cares? I have even less conviction than you, and I'm doing great. Who needs it, anyway… I would much rather have a full belly than something like that!"

With that, she laughed and returned to her food, not paying the conversation any more attention.

Sunny, however, remained still for some time.

A somber expression appeared on his face.

After a while, he sighed and silently resumed eating his meal.

'Conviction… conviction... who needs it, indeed…'

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  حمد
  
  حمد 4 Mar 2023, 19:16 ➥ حمد
  
  + 1 ⋅ 1 -
  
  Eventually, the four of them were invited into the room where Nephis slept… this time on a hospital bed instead of inside of a closed coffin of a sleeping pod. The administrators of the Academy wanted to avoid any more damage, so asking the members of Changing Star's cohort for help was a logical step.
  
  Seeing familiar faces first after waking up would probably calm her down. And if not… having four Masters at hand would be enough to deal with any unforeseen complications.
  
  Most likely...
  
  Sunny stood in the corner, looking at Nephis with a somber expression. Her pale face, her silver hair. For the past two years, he had often seen her through the transparent lid of the sleeping pod, bathed in its ghostly light. Now that she was out and returned to the real world, Changing Star seemed much more… material. And strangely vulnerable.
  
  She was truly back.
  
  He sighed.
  
  Cassie was sitting on a chair beside the bed, while Effie and Kai were resting on a sofa. None of them knew when Neph was going to wake up, and they had already spent a couple hours waiting. Without having to discuss it, all four decided to stay quiet. So… by now, they were pretty bored.
  
  Sunny, on the other hand, was filled with more and more tension.
  
  The corner of his mouth twitched.
  
  'This anticipation is killing me. It's pure torture.'
  
  He did not think that Nephis would abuse her power over him. But it was better to prepare for the worst. For that reason, Sunny was mentally going over all the clever ways he had thought of to undermine her absolute authority as his master. There were always ways... owning an unwilling slave was not an easy endeavor. Especially one as powerful and resourceful as him.
  
  That had been one of the reasons why he had chosen to kill the Mirror Beast instead of subjugating it, all that time ago.
  
  Still, Sunny could not help but feel a hint of fear.
  
  ...After a while, he shook his head and moved slightly. Then, without being noticed by anyone, Sunny silently merged with shadows.
  
  Hidden in their dark embrace, he hesitated for a few moments, and then called upon Nightmare. A vast shadow appeared near him, all around him… this was the dark destrier in his true, shapeless form.
  
  Sunny allowed himself to be enveloped by the larger shadow, and then gave it a silent command. What happened next… was hard to describe.
  
  He had only done this a few times in the past, and each time was as strange. It was a bit like traveling to the Dream Realm, but also different.
  
  Tired of waiting, Sunny had decided to travel to Neph's dreams. There was no sense in prolonging his anxious anticipation, anyway. He had to see if Changing Star was still sane. He had to know that she was still... herself.
  
  Soon, Sunny found himself on a dark shore.
  
  Beneath him was a vertical slope, with furious waves crashing against the cliffs far below. Some distance away, a tall and beautiful lighthouse stood, illuminating the absolute darkness with its radiant flame.
  
  Sunny studied it for a while, and then nudged Nightmare to walk along the edge of the cliff. Sitting in the saddle, he rode the black steed and tried not to look around too much.
  
  Dreams were a strange place. They did not adhere to the logic of the real world and were always flowing, always changing. The more powerful a dreamer was, the more solid they sometimes appeared.
  
  They were also dangerous for Dreamwalkers such as Nightmare and Sunny. The threats contained within them might not have been real, but by invading this subliminal space, the uninvited guests had to treat them as such.
  
  This was why Nightmare often returned wounded from his travels. If an Ascended dreamt of a powerful abomination, the dark destrier had to battle the abomination as if it was real. However, not only dreadful fiends posed a threat. His opponents were empowered by the dream itself, so their strength depended on the strength of the dreamer. Their actual shape did not matter that much.
  
  Nephis… was very strong. So her nightmares were bound to be terrible, as well.
  
  Soon, the landscape around them changed. The dark shore and the lighthouse disappeared, and instead, the streets of a ruined city appeared from nowhere. With a bit of apprehension, Sunny recognized the familiar shapes of the stone buildings of the Dark City. However, they were simultaneously the alloy towers of the Siege Capital. Their facades were broken, with smoke and fire escaping from the cracks.
  
  A wide road was littered with burning debris, and a luxurious PTV lay overturned some distance away, its armored frame bent and riddled with holes. Blood was spilling on the melting asphalt from the shattered windows.
  
  Sunny slowly approached the PTV and then jumped off Nightmare's back. After hesitating for a moment, he bent down and looked inside the cabin.
  
  There were several corpses inside, all wearing mundane clothes. Most disturbingly, these people lacked faces, and instead looked like smooth-faced mannequins. Their flesh, however, was quite real… and terribly mangled.
  
  With a frown, he looked away and studied the surroundings. It did not take him long to notice a trail of blood leading away from the burning PTV.
  
  Leaving Nightmare behind, Sunny followed the trail.
  
  He crossed the street and entered the foyer of a business tower through a large hole in its wall. Looking around, Sunny noticed that the foyer strangely resembled the silent shore of the dark river they had crossed once, a long time ago, while searching for the remains of the First Lord.
  
  White fog swirled above the water, full of silent whispers.
  
  There was only one thing that did not seem to fit — a large reception desk stood not too far away from him, drowning in shadows.
  
  Sunny slowly walked to it and then moved around.
  
  Behind the desk, leaning on it with her back, a young woman with silver hair sat on the ground. Her face was pale and tired, and her striking grey eyes were devoid of any light. She was wearing mundane clothes, which were marred with blood.
  
  Sunny sighed, and then said:
  
  "Hey, Neph."
  
  The young woman slowly looked up... and then smiled.
  
  "Hey, Sunny."
  
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kenjigar

kenjigar 28 Feb 2023, 07:16

+ 20 ⋅ 0 -

This could spell the return of Lord Mongrel! Wherever gates open, he will be there!

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Sed

Sed 28 Feb 2023, 05:39

+ 8 ⋅ 0 -

NightWalker Vlan.. the name itsrlf like calling Sunny.. especially when they dont have sovereign... not much pressure from above. n in the sea , sunny can send his shadow to harvest deep under the dark sea

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Xiao zhan

Xiao zhan 27 Feb 2023, 08:26

+ 24 ⋅ 0 -

lots of fighting yet more power for Sunny.

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Wheat

Wheat 27 Feb 2023, 04:41

+ 31 ⋅ 0 -

Ayooo we all know where this is going

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  Wheat
  
  Wheat 27 Feb 2023, 05:04 ➥ Wheat
  
  + 30 ⋅ 0 -
  
  All jokes aside im hoping Sunny does go with her, maybe he'll(we) learn more about the waking world than the dream world
  
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    LordMr
    
    LordMr 27 Feb 2023, 05:14 ➥ Wheat
    
    + 9 ⋅ 0 -
    
    Concordo. Atualmente não sabemos quase nada do mundo desperto ("mundo real"), e isso deixa um buraco no senário atual.
    
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  zigzagzarf
  
  zigzagzarf 27 Feb 2023, 07:17 ➥ Wheat
  
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  Im assuming she’s going to end up taking the third nightmare with him
  
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    SilvaSteins
    
    SilvaSteins 27 Feb 2023, 08:19 ➥ zigzagzarf
    
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    Which is the first nightmare?
    
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      Wheat
      
      Wheat 27 Feb 2023, 09:10 ➥ SilvaSteins
      
      + 15 ⋅ 0 -
      
      When he's infected and becomes a dreamer... I think
      
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        SilvaSteins
        
        SilvaSteins 27 Feb 2023, 09:37 ➥ Wheat
        
        + 4 ⋅ 1 -
        
        And the Nightmare to awaken? Isn't that supposed to be the 2nd nightmare?
        
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        KisaraxD
        
        KisaraxD 27 Feb 2023, 10:18 ➥ SilvaSteins
        
        + 5 ⋅ 9 -
        
        1st nightmare = when he became the Sleeper
        2nd nightmare = when he became Awakened
        3rd nightmare= when he became Master
        
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        SilvaSteins
        
        SilvaSteins 27 Feb 2023, 12:18 ➥ KisaraxD
        
        + 1 ⋅ 1 -
        
        That's how I believe it should be...but from the novel the nightmare to become a master is the 2nd nightmare...
        It's been "implied" multiple times in the novel that the first nightmare is getting the dormant core (becoming a sleeper), and it's "confirmed" mostly by Sunny and Master Jet that the "2nd nightmare is the ascended nightmare" which makes one Master.
        
        What has been confirmed:
        A: Getting dormant core (Sleeper)
        B: Getting Awakened core (Awakened)
        C: Getting Ascended core (Master)
        D: Becoming a Saint
        
        2nd nightmare: Surviving "C" to become a Master
        3rd nightmare: surviving "D" to become a Saint
        
        1st nightmare: ?? Not confirmed, just implied...
        
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        KisaraxD
        
        KisaraxD 28 Feb 2023, 05:46 ➥ SilvaSteins
        
        + 0 ⋅ 4 -
        
        Actually, the 1st nightmare or nightmare that sunny went through to become a sleeper isn't called or referred to as a nightmare... it's referred as something else...I don't remember what
        
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        zigzagzarf
        
        zigzagzarf 27 Feb 2023, 14:46 ➥ SilvaSteins
        
        + 12 ⋅ 0 -
        
        First nightmare makes you a dormant and sends you to the dream realm you become an awakened after you leave the dream realm for the first time…second nightmare you ascend and become a master…third nightmare you transcend and become a saint
        
        It’s all explained in like the first or second chapter
        
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    floki
    
    floki 27 Feb 2023, 15:45 ➥ zigzagzarf
    
    + 3 ⋅ 0 -
    
    I thought the same thing because after this arc they will probably fight together and gain each other's full trust and since nobody is willing to help her challenge the 4th nightmares it makes sense for her to challenge it with sunny and the others
    
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Turnc4406

Turnc4406 27 Feb 2023, 02:32

+ 32 ⋅ 0 -

This book is so much better than JksManga's stuff. I like My Vampire System and the others well enough, but this book is on another level.

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  floki
  
  floki 27 Feb 2023, 06:57 ➥ Turnc4406
  
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  My vampire system's writing gets very cringe sometimes not to mention the terrible names author gives to the characters
  
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    Turnc4406
    
    Turnc4406 27 Feb 2023, 13:36 ➥ floki
    
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    What are you talking about, Bloki? 😉
    
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      floki
      
      floki 27 Feb 2023, 15:48 ➥ Turnc4406
      
      + 6 ⋅ 0 -
      
      Im telling others how great of an author JksManga is Burnc :D
      
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        Big bloc
        
        Big bloc 1 Mar 2023, 16:21 ➥ floki
        
        + 5 ⋅ 0 -
        
        Both of u are making me have second thoughts about my name now😩
        
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  Panda
  
  Panda 27 Feb 2023, 08:22 ➥ Turnc4406
  
  + 17 ⋅ 0 -
  
  I agree. This author has far superior world and story building skills. It’s basically incomparable.
  
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Marflex

Marflex 27 Feb 2023, 01:56

+ 24 ⋅ 0 -

Oh wow.
I very much love this book.

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Chapter 756: Navigation | Shadow Slave

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Chapter 756: Navigation
Shadow Slave