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Chapter 1570: Writ in Water.
Shadow Slave

Sunny did not really believe that the fairy tale Ananke had told him was literal. The magical Well of Wishes did not really exist, and neither did the remnant of the primal desire from which the gods had been born exist in the Estuary. Cassie had told him herself — not everyone's wish would be fulfilled here. But his would, through some unknown process.

Still, looking at the mysterious lake surrounding him, Sunny could not help but wonder if both of them had, perhaps, been wrong. Wouldn't it be nice, for something that magical to exist?

But, of course, the dark and seemingly endless lake was not the Well of Wishes Ananke had told him about. Sunny realized it when faint lights ignited in its depths, and a nauseating feeling assaulted his senses. 'Argh… damn it!'

He staggered slightly, barely keeping himself from plunging into the cold water. Regaining his balance, Sunny stared at the distant lights. A strange expression appeared on his face.

'Don't tell me…'

There, deep beneath his feet…

More runes shined, weaved from light. He could not read them, and felt dizzy from merely looking at them, but they were not the same harrowing runes that covered the walls of the tunnel. Instead, they were the second kind of runes that the Spell refused to translate. The runes that had to do with the Unknown, the progenitor of the daemons. At least these writings did not threaten to corrupt his soul.

Sunny studied the runes for a few moments, having no idea what they meant. However, strangely… he felt that he was on the cusp of grasping their meaning. It was as if the secrets described by the shining runes were just outside his reach.

'I wonder if Aletheia got that far…'

And the Mad Prince. And all the previous versions of Sunny that had entered the Estuary. Had any of them learned the secrets written by the Demon of Dread in the depths of a mystical lake? The lake that was hidden behind a tunnel full of Corruption, almost as if guarded by it. Sunny took a deep breath…

And then, following an impulse, summoned the Sin of Solace.

[Hideous Truth] Enchantment Description: "The more the wielder's sanity is shattered, the more powerful this blade becomes. It bestows revelations of madness on those who give in to its will."

Sunny was not entirely mad, but through the paradoxical nature of the Sin of Solace, the spirit of the cursed sword had long ago reached completion. Therefore… he was long overdue to receive revelations as a reward for reaching the pinnacle of madness. The hilt of the jade jian landed comfortably in his hand. And the moment it did, Sunny felt the thin barrier separating him from understanding the nauseating runes dissolving. Finally, their true meaning was revealed to him.

Looking down, Sunny shuddered as he read:

[Hail Weaver

Demon of Fate

Firstborn

of the Forgotten God]

***

Sunny stared at the familiar runes, dazed. 'Hail… Weaver…'

His mind was in a state of shock… or maybe epiphany. He couldn't tell. 'The… Forgotten God?'

So the Unknown, the progenitor of the daemons… was a god?

The seventh god?

How could it be?!

He raised a hand and wiped his face, suddenly feeling cold. There were only six gods. Sun God, War God, Beast God, Storm God, Heart God, and Shadow God. Which was strange, considering how obsessed the Spell — and the Dream Realm as a whole — seemed with the number seven. But who was the Forgotten God?

Where had another god come from, and how could he be the parent of the daemons?!

Daemons were said to have appeared out of nowhere, creating themselves…

'No, wait.'

If there was a seventh god — which was rather unbelievable, considering that Sunny had never seen him… her… it?... mentioned anywhere — then why would the Spell refuse to translate his name? And why did Sunny feel dizzy and nauseated when encountering the few, exceedingly rare mentions of him, written in the strange runes? And why was the name of Weaver written in the runes at the heart of the Tomb of Ariel? Sunny hesitated for a while, then walked further, heading for the next set of runes shining underwater some distance away. 'Forgotten God, Forgotten God…'

A seventh god existed, huh? That was… very strange. Soon, he reached the next set of shining runes. They read:

[Hail Hope Demon of Desire

Daughter

of the Forgotten God]

He frowned a little, then continued walking. Soon, he walked over the runes mentioning all seven of the daemons: Demon of Fate, Demon of Desire, Demon of Oblivion, Demon of Dread, Demon of Imagination, Demon of Repose, and the Demon of Choice — as well as Destiny. It seemed that even Ariel had forgotten to mention the name of the Demon of Oblivion. Or perhaps he had, but Sunny had already forgotten reading it. In any case, all seven daemons were called the children of the Forgotten God. It was at that moment that a startling realization ignited in Sunny's mind, making him sway a little. 'Desire, Dread, Repose, Imagination, Oblivion, Destiny, Fate…'

The seventh god… the Forgotten God… was the progenitor of the seven daemons. In hindsight, it was all so obvious. 'Wouldn't it make him… Dream God?'

Dream God — the god of dreams, nightmares, restoration, imagination, oblivion, and fate.

People dreamed about what they desired. They saw nightmares about things they dreaded. Sleep brought with it rest, and was full of fantastical things. Dreams were easily forgotten, disappearing into oblivion. And, sometimes, dreams brought with them visions of fate… like the prophetic visions Cassie received when she slept.

Destiny, meanwhile, was the other side of fate. It all made sense. The seven daemons… each represented one of the Aspects of the seventh god, Dream God. Who had been forgotten and erased from history, for some reason, only mentioned in forbidden runes that could not be read by most people, and repelled anyone who tried.

Thus becoming...

 The Forgotten God.

 

Shadow Slave
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  1. Online Offline
    Deathseeker
    + 33 ⋅ 0 -
    Dream God seems a nice ring to it peepo005
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  2. Offline
    ZEXOS
    + 27 ⋅ 0 -
    1577. Past, Present, and Future


    Limping across the dark expanse of still water, illuminated gently by the pure radiance of the Guiding Light, Sunny stared at his battered reflection. A dark grin twisted his lips into a crooked line.

    "Look at us... nearing the finish line, and not anywhere near dropping dead."

    The situation was quite unfamiliar. Usually, Sunny would have been at the very doorstep of death, or even past its threshold with one foot by now. But he was strangely in one piece. Sure, he had been mauled and mangled by plenty of dreadful Nightmare Creatures on the way to the Estuary —however, his state was nowhere near as rough as the norm in such moments.

    Had he been lucky, or had his tenacity finally reached such an unreasonable level that it was simply too hard for anything to truly bring him down without outright killing him?

    "Well, in any case... I'm not complaining. Let's finish this, then..."

    His reflection did not answer, leaving Sunny in tranquil silence. He was momentarily unnerved by the lack of a mocking retort, but then remembered that the Sin of Solace was gone. His mind was free of the voice that had haunted it for so long with maddening whispers.

    It felt... very strange.

    'Sort of... peaceful?'

    Now that the curse that had plagued him was gone, Sunny realized that he had been under constant pressure without even noticing it. His mental resistance had prevented the insidious whispers from truly driving him mad — but the act of resisting the loss of sanity itself had been putting a burden on his mind.

    That burden was no more, filling him with a sense of levity.

    However, he was also exhausted, drained, and deeply shaken by the secrets he had learned. It was a strange mixture of emotions.

    'One step at a time.'

    Sunny continued walking toward the vague shape rising from the water in the distance. As he did, he wondered about himself and the Mad

    Prince... about all the versions of himself and the Mad Prince that had reached the Estuary in the previous cycles.

    How was it that Sunny — the current him — was the only one who had made it that far?

    'I guess it's simple, really.'

    It was already indescribably hard to find the entrance to the Estuary within the Source. Beyond that, though...

    To get to the heart of the Estuary, one had to possess three things. The first one was a soul that was free of Corruption — made possible by the Estuary Key. That requirement itself demanded that he succumbed to the Defilement, invaded another cycle of the Great River, and spent centuries accumulating power and knowledge.

    However, it was also the easiest of the three.

    The second requirement was the ability to pass the stone maze that served as the border of the inner lake without falling back into the cycles of the Great River. Sunny did it without much trouble, but that was only because of the Guiding Light and the True Name that Torment had delivered to Cassie. How many cycles had it taken for the duo of conspiring Plagues to learn that True Name?

    He did not know. What he did know, however, was that the story of this Nightmare was the story of the gradual accumulation of knowledge. The more cycles the Mad Prince and Torment had survived, the better they had been able to prepare for the last one.

    The third requirement was, perhaps, the most dire one, and depended entirely on that accumulation. It was to have no desire to turn back and start a new cycle.

    Even now, Sunny could turn back, return to the stone maze, and dive back into the Great River. However, he did not want to, and had no reason to... because the Mad Prince and Torment had already arranged for the Nightmare to end perfectly, with every member of the cohort — and Nephis — surviving its dreadful challenge.

    How many attempts had it taken before they learned to manipulate all the events of the cycle in their favor? Too many to count, perhaps. And it was for that reason that Sunny was not tempted to try anew, aiming for a better, and less heartbreaking result.

    In short...

    Sunny made it that far because he was the inheritor and beneficiary of all the countless past versions of himself that had failed.

    It was somewhat poetic, then, that he could only reach the heart of the Estuary by forgetting them all.

    And a little bit sad.

    ...Soon, he could see the dark shape more clearly. As it revealed itself, a strange expression appeared on his face.

    Out there in front of him... a mountain of black rock rose from the still water of the hidden lake, rising into the darkness. Its rough slopes were almost vertical, and it had two peaks, one of them broken, one of them as sharp as a spear.

    Surrounded by water, the dark mountain looked lonely and forlorn in the empty expanse of the Estuary.

    It also exerted a palpable pressure, making Sunny groan and shudder in dread.

    'What the hell is this...'

    Sunny lingered for a few moments, staring at the peak of the mountain and wondering if he would have to scale it. But then, he noticed a wide vertical crack at the base of the slope.

    It looked like an entrance.

    Taking a deep breath, Sunny smiled darkly and headed for that entrance. Passing its threshold, he plunged into the darkness dwelling inside the mountain and found himself in a long, winding tunnel.

    There was water rushing beneath his feet, flowing to somewhere deep inside, and the walls surrounding him were rough, untouched by any tool.

    'Not creepy at all.'

    Somehow, Sunny felt... solemn. It was as though the mountain he had entered was a consecrated place — a place more holy than any temple he had ever visited, and therefore more divine.

    Perhaps he had only been able to enter it because of the flame of divinity burning in his soul.

    But at the same time, the sacral nature of the dark mountain felt strangely mournful.

    Frowning, Sunny gripped the Guiding Light and ventured deeper into the tunnel.

    He walked for a few moments — or maybe an eternity — before the walls of the tunnel widened, opening into a vast cave.

    And as soon as Sunny entered that cave...

    He suddenly turned blind.

    The radiance of the Guiding Light was swallowed by darkness, and he lost the ability to see through it. What rattled Sunny the most, though, was that it was not the true, elemental darkness that had robbed him of vision.

    Instead, he was still surrounded by deep shadows, which were like family to him. It was just that these shadows did not respond to him anymore, as if subjugated by some other, much more powerful and terrifying being.

    At least his shadow sense was still with him.

    Therefore, he sensed something vast moving in the darkness — in front of him, behind him. All around him.

    Slithering like the coils of a gargantuan serpent.

    Shivering, Sunny gripped the Guiding Light and lowered it slightly, ready to defend himself...

    It was then that a harrowing voice resounded from the darkness, enveloping him like a hiss of the lightless abyss:

    "Turn back."

    Sunny gasped, feeling an almost overwhelming desire to kneel under the cold authority of that sinister voice.

    He swayed, leaning on the Guiding Light for support. A tortured groan escaped from his lips, but in the end, Sunny somehow managed to remain standing.

    'Damn it...'

    He muttered a stifled curse and gritted his teeth, staring blindly into the darkness.

    The shadows did not respond to his calls.

    Sunny felt... strangely betrayed by their silence.

    The harrowing voice resounded again, making him shudder:

    "Leave."

    Sunny grimaced.

    Then, he sighed, and answered in a dark tone:

    "...You can drop the theatrics, you know."

    There were a few moments of silence, and then the voice resounded again.

    This time, it did not sound like the hiss of the abyss itself. Instead, it was quite human, although still strangely coming from all directions.

    The voice laughed.

    "Ah... damnation. I really wanted to give a good performance. You are such a killjoy..."

    The darkness was suffused by the dying echoes of humorless laughter for a few moments, and then the voice added, its tone incredulous:

    "But then again, I can't really blame you. I vaguely remember this conversation, after all. It's a bit weird, to finally find myself on the other side of it."

    Sunny winced, a resentful expression appearing on his pale face.

    'Curse it. Of course, this had to happen... why the hell wouldn't it?'

    He had already dealt with a past version of himself. The Mad Prince was no more.

    Now, however...

    There was the future version of himself, as well.

    The voice — Sunny's own voice — spoke placidly from the darkness:

    "When did you figure it out?"
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    1. Offline
      ZEXOS
      + 30 ⋅ 1 -
      1578. Lost Shadow


      Sunny remained silent for a while, still blind. His expression was somber, and there was an irritated twist to his lips.

      'When did I figure it out?'

      He grimaced.

      "Just now, really."

      Which was rather embarrassing.

      Sunny hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.

      "Well, can you blame me? Sure, I should have known much sooner. But there were so many things happening all at once... so, it took me some time to put the dots together."

      He raised the Guiding Light and put it on his shoulder, still unable to see the radiance of the sacred staff.

      "I mean, it is rather obvious in hindsight. Cassie was sent into the body of Dusk of Fallen Grace. Jet and Effie were sent into the bodies of two River Nomads. Kai and Mordret were sent into the bodies of two Riverborn warriors in Twilight. But what about me and Nephis? Who were the people that we replaced? And what were they doing so far upstream, in the distant future, way further than even Weave?"

      He shook his head.

      "I really should have understood it when we found the Chain Breaker. But I was so overwhelmed by how bizarre everything in the Tomb of Ariel was that I let it rest with the rest of the unresolved mysteries. And even as those mysteries were solved one after another, that one remained buried under the pile of startling revelations. I just sort of assumed that someone in the past — Noctis, maybe — had visited the pyramid, leaving their imprint in the Great River."

      Sunny tiredly rubbed his face and smiled.

      "But it was the opposite, wasn't it? It was not someone from the past. It was someone from the future. It was Nephis and me. We are going to return to the Tomb of Ariel one day, right? Not the illusion of it conjured inside this Nightmare, but the real deal. And just like Daeron had left his imprint to exist in the Nightmare, so will we. So... the bodies the two of us took. They have always been our own bodies. The roles we took are of ourselves."

      The voice remained silent for a while, then scoffed.

      "Right. I remember now. Yes, we should have figured it out much sooner."

      Sunny gritted his teeth.

      "I must say, though... it's a bit unfair. The Spell gave us our own roles, but made us mere Ascended. The two of you must be much more powerful, no? To brave the Nightmare Desert and enter the real pyramid. So, what are you? A Saint?"

      The voice remained silent for longer now, then sighed.

      "Yeah... a Saint."

      Sunny frowned, judging how long the pause before the answer had been.

      "Bastard... did you just summon Weaver's Mask?!"

      The voice laughed.

      "Did I? No, I absolutely did not. Trust me, I'm telling the truth... I'm the most honest person in the world, after all. Two worlds, even."

      'Did he summon it or not?'

      Was this future version of Sunny really a Saint? No, like hell he was... a mere Saint would not have been able to turn the shadows against Sunny so easily, and neither would his voice possess such an harrowing power to it.

      Sunny shivered.

      "You... you're a Sovereign? Damnation, what the hell?! After everything we experienced in this damned place, why would you go and challenge another Nightmare?! Are you that tired of living?"

      The voice did not respond for a while. Then, his answer came, calm and insidious:

      "I am not a Sovereign, though."

      Then, it added, its tone devoid of any emotion:

      "Nor am I alive. I'm not even a human, really. Just a phantom of a lost shadow, conjured by the Spell. Ah, but this Estuary is a strange place. Time does not exist here, and so, everything exists here simultaneously. Even though you have already taken my role, here we are, having a chance to meet each other."

      Sunny shivered.

      Meeting his future self was already shocking enough, especially considering how terrifying the power of that version of him was. It felt no less oppressive, and even much more so, than the power of the Great Nightmare Creatures that had torn their way into the waking world during the Battle of the Black Skull.

      But why was that guy hiding in the darkness?

      Why wasn't he showing his face?

      Come to think of it... why was Sunny unable to sense a human body anywhere in the shadows?

      And what did his future version mean by saying that he was neither human nor alive?

      At this point, it was impossible to tell if the voice was lying or telling the truth. Whether he was wearing Weaver's Mask or not. All of it...

      Left Sunny quite unsettled.

      He cleared his throat.

      "So... that's great, then. You can tell me everything about the future, how to deal with all my problems better, and how not to end up in the same sorry state as you."

      The voice remained silent.

      Sunny lingered.

      "Right? Come on. Start talking."

      There was no answer for a while.

      Then, the voice said in a dark tone:

      "I don't think I will. You know how it goes... knowledge of the future will just make that future happen faster, and all that. Haven't you been burned by trying to exploit Cas and her visions enough times already?"

      The future version of Sunny laughed.

      "Yeah, yeah. I know what you want to say. Frustrating, isn't it? I remember cursing my future self with all kinds of nasty words at that point, in my mind. No, it really is strange, to be that annoying future self now!"

      His joyless laughter died down, and Sunny was once again surrounded by chilling silence.

      After a few moments, the voice spoke again:

      "It's of no use, anyway. Aren't you here to become banished from fate? If you do go further and your wish comes true... there's no telling what your future will hold."

      The voice grew harder to hear, as if the two of them were being slowly separated by a great distance.

      "Still, I ask of you. Turn back. Do not go further. You... are not ready for what lies ahead."

      Sunny remained silent for a while.

      Eventually...

      He scoffed.

      "If you truly are the future version of myself, then you already know my answer."

      Turn back? Abandon his chance of breaking the shackles of fate and the slave collar wrapped around his neck?

      Never. He would rather die a thousand deaths.

      "I refuse."

      His voice was resolute.

      There was a distant, dejected sigh.

      Then, the voice resounded once again, barely audible:

      "You stubborn fool... well, as expected. Go on, then. Hurry up! This Nightmare won't last much longer."

      And just like that, the voice disappeared, leaving Sunny alone in the cave. The shadows embraced him again, and his ability to see in the dark returned.

      'Damn traitors...'

      The radiance of the Guiding Light pointed forward again.

      He took a shaky breath, trying to compose himself.

      "What... an insufferable bastard."

      What was up with his future self and his attitude? Was it really necessary to laugh and chuckle at everything Sunny said? And did he really have to keep all the knowledge of what was about to come a secret?!

      The voice did say one thing, though...

      It was that the Nightmare was about to end. Cursing under his breath, Sunny rushed forward.

      'That guy... gave me the creeps. He was a bit scary, though. Which meant that I will be, too. That... is good news? Right?'

      He had no time to ponder that eerie conversation right now, and was in no mood to, either. There would be time for that later, but right now... his freedom awaited.

      He crossed the cave and followed the Guiding Light into another tunnel, venturing deeper and deeper into the dark mountain.

      And then, finally...

      He reached its very heart.

      Entering a dark cavern, Sunny stumbled and came to a halt.

      The cavern was vast enough that he could not see its ceiling, its walls drowning in darkness. Its floor was covered in shallow water, and at a distance, a small island rose from the glossy surface.

      There was a beautiful tree growing in the middle of the island. And, nestled beneath its branches...

      Sunny's eyes widened.

      'What? What is this... why?'

      ...An unadorned stone sarcophagus stood, its lid covered by withered leaves.
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      1. Offline
        Rei-absolute
        + 4 ⋅ 0 -
        A TUMBA de Ariel
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      2. Offline
        Eightsixtwo_
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        Since Sunny appeared further down the river from Neph, I would assume they entered at different points in time. sigh even in the future our boy is still chasing her.
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  3. Offline
    حمد
    + 5 ⋅ 1 -
    wait someone deleted my comment who did it -_-
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  4. Offline
    Infinitevoid
    + 3 ⋅ 3 -
    Quote: A Hedgehog
    No, they will turn Mordret black.

    And so what
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    1. Offline
      A Hedgehog
      + 2 ⋅ 0 -
      Do you know what humor is or do I have to explain it to you?
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  5. Offline
    MefetraN7
    + 0 ⋅ 17 -
    1477: Истина и секрет Ариэля.

    В конце концов, если и была что-то, что Санни знала о себе… так это то, что он был тараканом.

    Его было очень трудно убить, и даже если что-то и удавалось его убить, у него был странный послужной список, когда он каким-то образом находил способ вернуться к жизни.

    Так почему же Безумный принц должен быть другим?

    Конечно, между тем, чего они оба хотели, было небольшое противоречие.

    Это произошло потому, что для того, чтобы Безумный Принц вернулся к жизни, Санни должна была исчезнуть. Ему пришлось стать сосудом воспоминаний мерзкого безумца и потерять рассудок из-за Порчи.

    Сделав глубокий вдох, Санни молча смотрела на Грех Утешения.

    Итак… кто из них сможет существовать?

    Кому из них удастся перехитрить другого?
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    1. Offline
      Verdant
      + 5 ⋅ 1 -
      А давно Санни это она в русском переводе?
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  6. Offline
    A Hedgehog
    + 12 ⋅ 2 -
    We have to ask Netflix to make an anime or series of this novel.
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    1. Offline
      Moods
      + 17 ⋅ 0 -
      no they will make kai gay shit maybe mordret too
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      1. Offline
        A Hedgehog
        + 17 ⋅ 1 -
        No, they will turn Mordret black.
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        1. Offline
          Turnc4406
          + 6 ⋅ 0 -
          Do they specify anyone's race? I mean, Sunny is pale white, but anyone else?
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          1. Offline
            Xenko
            + 6 ⋅ 0 -
            Neph and Cassie are definitely white too
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          2. Offline
            A Hedgehog
            + 9 ⋅ 0 -
            According to the fandom's official page, Mordret is white-skinned.
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          3. Offline
            Uchia-Madara-Pathway
            + 5 ⋅ 1 -
            I think effie is the only black character in their group
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            1. Offline
              Xenko
              + 9 ⋅ 1 -
              She's more like bronze-skinned due to her aspect, I don't think she's black originally
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            2. Offline
              KingAbused
              + 7 ⋅ 1 -
              Effie is like a oily olive skinned brazilian latina
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        2. Offline
          chunkysilver
          + 1 ⋅ 7 -
          troll48 me imagining mordret black
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  7. Offline
    Pro100zver25
    + 22 ⋅ 1 -
    1574: Whoever Fights Monsters.

    Sunny staggered as the gaze of the being hiding beneath the still water of the lake fell on him. A scream almost escaped from his lips, but he gritted his teeth and pushed it down.

    «Ah…»

    The feeling of being looked upon by the invisible watcher… whatever it was… was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Sunny had been in the presence of powerful people before, and even more powerful Nightmare Creatures. He had been crushed by the suffocating force of their presence, and struggled to move while being pressed down by it.

    But the gaze of the being hiding under the silent dark waves was entirely different.

    It was not only heavier and more insurmountable, hinting at the terrifying power of the hidden watcher, but also did not feel the same. The force of oppression emanated by mighty beings was usually aimless and directionless, while the chilling gaze… was piercing and penetrating.

    It felt as though the mysterious being was not simply looking at Sunny from beneath the mass of dark water, but rather looking through him.

    Sunny's body, mind, and his very soul were like an open book in front of the hidden watcher, and they were being read, one page after another.

    «G-gods, gods…»

    His soul was being witnessed.

    And, somehow, Sunny felt that it was more than that.

    His soul was being judged.

    Paled, he slowly looked around, seeing the floating corpses of the Great Nightmare Creatures in a new light.

    Had all these harrowing abominations… failed to pass the judgment?

    Just what was this place? Was there something else hidden at the very heart of the nebulous lake, even after all the forbidden knowledge left behind on its shore and in the depths of its outer reaches? Why had Ariel placed it behind the labyrinth of rushing currents and mist, leaving a fearsome guardian behind?

    Sunny grimaced, swayed a little… and took a step forward.

    Then, another.

    «Go on, judge me. I… have nothing to hide…»

    He did not know what he was being judged for, but the sincerity of his wish to be free was indisputable. Hopefully, the dreadful being would see its purity, and let him pass.

    Feeling as if he was walking to his execution, Sunny walked toward the very heart of the Estuary — the speck of darkness that the Guiding Light was pointing at. He maneuvered around the motionless corpses of the Great Nightmare Creatures, who had all lost their lives in this eerie place, and forced himself to put one foot in front of the other.

    One step at a time.

    The harrowing gaze followed him for a while, inhuman and indifferent…

    Then, the feeling of something vast and ancient watching him suddenly disappeared, leaving him shaken and rattled.

    Sunny staggered again, filled with incredible relief, and almost let out a groan.

    It seemed that he had passed the judgment.

    «What was that thing looking for?»

    Who was allowed to approach the heart of the Estuary, and who was not?

    Why did the guardian let Sunny pass?

    He regained his balance and looked forward with dark resolve burning in his eyes.

    «Come on… you are almost there.»

    Feeling battered and drained from being looked upon by the invisible, inconceivable guardian of the inner lake, Sunny forced his tired body to continue walking.

    He walked and walked, eventually leaving all the floating corpses behind.

    Now, there was nothing in front of him except for the still expanse of dark water and the vague shape rising from it in the distance.

    …Oh, and one other thing.

    A few dozen steps in front of him, a familiar figure was standing on the water, looking at him with no humor in its dark eyes.

    It was the Sin of Solace, who had disappeared somewhere just before the chilling gaze fell on Sunny.

    Now, the sword wraith was back, standing in Sunny's way with a cold expression on his face.

    «I guess it's time, then…»

    Sunny grinned darkly and took another step forward. As he did…

    He felt something shattering within his soul, and the Spell whispered into his ear, its voice somber:

    [Your Memory has been destroyed.]

    Sunny did not have to look at his runes to know which of his Memories had mysteriously destroyed itself.

    It was the Memory that had appeared in his soul without an explanation, and was now gone without an explanation.

    The Key of the Estuary.

    Why had it been destroyed?

    Well, that much was obvious…

    It was because whatever door the Mad Prince had wanted to unlock with it was already ajar.

    Feeling a dark kind of amusement, Sunny slowly walked to the Sin of Solace and stopped just a step or two away from him.

    The loathsome sword wraith looked cold, not at all delighted despite being free of the seal that had constrained him for so long.

    However, somehow… he also looked much more sinister than before.

    The apparition stared at Sunny with a bit of contempt, a bit of resentment… and a bit of pity.

    «Here we are… you fool. Really, how could you not expect that outcome?»

    Sunny met his gaze and sighed.

    How could he have not expected this to happen?

    Of course, he had.

    The actions of the Mad Prince had always been bizarre and almost impossible to understand. The depths of the schemes the vile madman had woven were nothing short of unfathomable, destroying countless lives and reshaping the entire Nightmare to his will.

    Sunny had long guessed what drove the Mad Prince... it was his desire to redeem the sin of killing Nephis and bring her back to life.

    That said…

    Who was to say that his previous self only had one goal? Who was to say that he had been willing to simply cease to exist, thus preventing himself from enjoying the fruits of his labor?

    After all, if there was one thing Sunny knew about himself… it was that he was a cockroach.

    He was very hard to kill, and even if something did manage to kill him, he had a strange track record of somehow finding a way to come back to life.

    So why would the Mad Prince be any different?

    Of course, there was a bit of contradiction between what the two of them wanted.

    It was because, in order for the Mad Prince to come back to life, Sunny had to disappear. He had to become a vessel to the memories of the vile madman, and lose his sanity to Corruption.

    Taking a deep breath, Sunny stared at the Sin of Solace silently.

    So… which one of them would get to exist?

    Which one of them would manage to outscheme the other?
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Pro100zver25
      + 22 ⋅ 1 -
      1575: Free of Sin.

      Sunny had an inkling that the Mad Prince had not been willing to quietly disappear for a while now. However, it had always been just that — a suspicion, substantiated by nothing except for his knowledge of himself.

      Sunny wouldn't have wanted to cease to exist, so why would his Defiled version be any different?

      The Mad Prince had wished to be free, and in the process of fulfilling that wish, he caused Neph's death. His soul was consumed by the Defilement, but not entirely so — a small slither of his humanity remained due to the Sin of Solace, who preserved it to torment his host better.

      And so, the vile madman came to regret pursuing his wish. He schemed and conspired to bring Nephis back to life and create such a cycle of the Great River where the Nightmare could be conquered by the cohort. He turned his friends into the Plagues, and then betrayed them, arranging for each to be slaughtered.

      But was that all that the Mad Prince had wanted?

      Apparently, no.

      Sunny was a greedy person, and his past self had to have been, too. Therefore… there were at least two more things the Mad Prince had schemed to achieve.

      The first one was more or less obvious. He had not only wished to bring Nephis back to life, but to be with her, as well.

      Staring at the Sin of Solace, Sunny shook his head in disgust.

      «That crazy bastard. Did he really think that Neph would accept a horrid Corrupted maniac like him?»

      Well… it was in the name. Despite all his devious cunning, at the end of the day, the Mad Prince was exactly that — entirely and utterly mad. Sunny had no doubt that the lunatic imagined countless ways to bend the future to his will in that perverse head of his.

      The Sin of Solace, meanwhile, smiled darkly.

      «Oh… I see that you are starting to understand. I am sorry to say this, though — it's already too late for you.»

      Sunny simply stared at him without saying anything.

      Indeed, he was starting to understand.

      How the Mad Prince had planned to return, and why was it only happening now.

      There was a second thing he must have wanted to achieve, after all.

      And that thing… was to reach the heart of the Estuary.

      Sunny could not have come to that conclusion before, but after witnessing the inner sanctum of the hidden lake and experiencing the chilling gaze of its guardian, he realized something.

      There was indeed one last secret hidden at the very heart of the Estuary… perhaps the most terrible, and the most precious, of them all. And Ariel had arranged for that secret to be protected above all else.

      Only those who passed the judgment of the guardian of the lake had the right to learn that secret.

      That judgment… appeared to be a very simple one.

      Why had the Great Nightmare Creatures that found their way into the Estuary been slain, while Sunny was allowed to pass?

      …It was because their souls were Corrupted, while his was not.

      Corruption was not allowed to come near the heart of the Estuary, as if Ariel had not wanted for whatever was hidden there to be sullied by its vile touch.

      And, therefore… the Mad Prince had not been able to witness the final secret, either.

      As the Sin of Solace looked at him mockingly, Sunny smiled.

      «Of course… it was so obvious.»

      How could the Mad Prince, a Corrupted Titan, infiltrate the heart of the Estuary if no Corrupted creature could?

      The answer… was oblivion.

      He had to forget the knowledge of the Void that planted the seeds of Corruption into his soul at the start of each cycle, pass the judgment of the lake guardian, and then regain his memories again.

      So, the Mad Prince had created the Key of the Estuary — a Memory meant to get him to the innermost sanctum of the Estuary intact. A Memory that placed a seal on the Sin of Solace, thus preventing the sword wraith from sharing the knowledge of the Void and the memories of all previous cycles with Sunny.

      Only for that seal to be broken once it served its purpose and got Sunny past the lake guardian.

      Thus bringing the Mad Prince back in all his unholy glory.

      The Sin of Solace chuckled.

      «Ah… don't look so dejected. Whatever anger you feel, I feel more of it. Being stuck with you is already bad enough, you worm. Being stuck with the other guy? Gods. I've endured that for too long already.»

      He sighed.

      «But, well. What's done is done. There is no way to escape the inevitable, now.»

      Sunny glared at him and outstretched a hand, summoning the jade jian into existence.

      The Sin of Solace laughed.

      «Oh, wait… I guess you can just destroy me before your soul is corrupted, huh?»

      The sword wraith was immune to the flow of the Great River, keeping his memories of all the past cycles. And, since he was nothing but a splintered piece of Sunny's own mind, that knowledge would slowly seep through and contaminate the rest of his mind — like it had happened on Aletheia's Island.

      The Sin of Solace could just whisper the secrets of the Void to Sunny directly, but he did not have too. Eventually, that knowledge would infect Sunny's mind simply because it was already there.

      However… it would not happen instantly. Just like it had happened on Aletheia's Island, and even earlier with the cycles of the Great River, Sunny had some time before the contamination started in earnest.

      If he was to somehow destroy the Sin of Solace during that time, the splintered part of his mind would be eradicated, and the terrible knowledge contained within it would be erased without a trace.

      The problem was.

      The beautiful jian appeared in Sunny's hand, its blade carved from pristine white jade.

      [Perfect Jade]

      Enchantment Description:

      «This blade is carved from a piece of sublime jade, and as such is sharp and durable beyond logic and reason.»

      The Sin of Solace was a Transcendent Memory with an enchantment that drastically enhanced its durability, while Sunny was merely an Ascended. Was he even strong enough to break it?

      And if he did break it… would the wraith born from it truly disappear?
      Read more
      1. Offline
        Pro100zver25
        + 20 ⋅ 1 -
        1576: Dreadful Whisper.

        Sunny had to destroy the Sin of Solace before the seeds of Corruption were planted into his soul. If he managed to destroy the wraith before that happened, the scheme the Mad Prince had concocted to come back to life would be thwarted, and Sunny would get to continue existing.

        If he failed, the Mad Prince would return, consuming him in the process.

        «That vile bastard…»

        The sword wraith laughed as he watched him.

        «My, oh my. You're not going to do something terrible to me, are you?»

        Sunny glanced at him darkly, then at the beautiful jian in his hand.

        Placing the Guiding Light on the water, he wrapped all six of his shadows around him and grabbed the jade blade, using all his inhuman strength in an attempt to break it against his knee.

        The Sin of Solace was not only incredibly resilient, but also incredibly sharp. Despite the Marble Shell, Sunny could not get a good hold of it without losing his fingers… and even if he could, his strength seemed insufficient to shatter the cursed sword.

        Even though his muscles felt like they were on the verge of tearing, the jian only bent, but did not break. As soon as Sunny released it, the blade sprung back to its initial, perfectly straight form.

        «Maybe… I should try to escape back under the gaze of the lake guardian…»

        But no, that would only end in his demise. The Sin of Solace was a part of him, and now that the Estuary Key had been destroyed, the guardian would obliterate them both.

        The wraith chuckled, observing his efforts with disdain.

        «Pathetic.»

        Sunny abandoned his attempts to break the jade blade and straightened.

        Then, he smiled.

        So what if he wasn't strong enough to break the damned sword?

        That whole performance was just to satiate his curiosity, anyway.

        Before the sword wraith could say anything else, he released his shadows and tossed the beautiful jian away.

        A moment later, a hand rose from one of the shadows, catching the cursed sword. Saint stepped out of it, holding it with indifferent grace.

        As an Ascended, Sunny might not have been strong enough to shatter the Sin of Solace. But luckily, he had a Transcendent Devil at hand… two of them, even.

        It would have been even easier to make Fiend eat the jade blade, but he was worried that the cursed thing would give the ravenous ogre indigestion. So, the job of destroying the sinister Memory fell to Saint.

        As the six shadows wrapped themselves around the graceful knight, her ruby eyes blazed with crimson light. The wraith opened his eyes widely.

        «Now, wait a second…»

        Not paying him any attention — or rather, incapable of perceiving him — Saint silently placed the flat of the jade blade against her greave, slowly raised her shield, and then struck the cursed sword with its rim.

        A gust of hurricane wind spread from the point of impact, and the surface of the lake rippled.

        The Sin of Solace cracked, then exploded into shards of beautiful white jade, which dissipated into a whirlwind of white sparks. Those sparks were then absorbed into Saint's stonelike body.

        Sunny heard the Spell whispering into his ear, saying the same words for the second time in the last few minutes:

        [Your Memory has been destroyed.]

        A slight grimace appeared on his face. Losing Memories never felt good.

        …There was the grimace on the face of the sword wraith, too.

        «Argh! Aaah!»

        The apparition convulsed, screaming, and hunched over.

        For a few moments, there was silence.

        And then, the silence was broken by the sound of mocking laughter.

        «Oh, oh. It seems that breaking the sword… did nothing? I am perfectly fine. Who would have known?»

        The Sin of Solace straightened and stared at Sunny with a disdainful grin.

        «Fool… did you really think that it would work?»

        Sunny stared at him silently, his face pale and grim.

        The wraith shook his head.

        «If it was that easy to get rid of me, do you think that I would still be here? Ah, Lost from Light… I am a part of your mind, now. The cause of me might have been that Memory of yours, but the source of me… is you. So, what good would destroying the sword do?»

        The contemptuous smile slowly disappeared from his face, replaced by a cold and dark expression.

        It was a little bit dejected, too.

        The Sin of Solace sighed.

        «Now, let's end this farce. It has been... a displeasure. To spend time with you, once again. Granted, what comes won't be pleasant, either…»

        He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something... some terrible truth that would drive Sunny mad and infect his soul with Corruption, without a doubt.

        But before he could, Sunny took a step forward, coming face-to-face with the startled wraith, and leaned forward a little.

        Then, he whispered into his ear…

        Only two words.

        The first words he had spoken after saying farewell to Cassie at the shore of Verge.

        They were:

        «Be gone.»

        And as he said them, the world shuddered.

        The wraith's eyes widened slightly — this time, in earnest.

        «You…»

        And then, he was gone.

        Erased, as if he had never existed.

        The splintered part of Sunny's mind was gone, taking the forbidden knowledge of the Void, and all the memories of the previous cycles, with it.

        Preventing the Mad Prince from ever being born again.

        Healed from the curse that had plagued him since the early days of the Southern Campaign, Sunny closed his eyes for a moment, and then let out a long sigh.

        Then, he looked down.

        There was a thin thread tied around his neck — the same thread with which the mouths of the Voiceless Prelates, a band of Corrupted Demons led by a Devil named the Defiled Herald, had been sewn shut. Sunny had slain them back in Antarctica, receiving a certain Memory in the process.

        That Memory was the Stifled Scream, a charm he usually used to augment Saint.

        The charm possessed a second enchantment, though, which the graceful knight had never been able to use.

        [Word of Power] Enchantment Description:

        «A word spoken by the master of this charm is a command. If born of great silence, the word of power can hardly be ignored. If not, it has no worth.»

        Saint never spoke, so [Word of Power] could not be used by her. Sunny, meanwhile, was never able to remain silent for long enough to let the enchantment accumulate enough potency.

        The longer one remained silent, the more tyrannical the authority of the [Word of Power] would become.

        And so, knowing that he might face the machinations of the Mad Prince in one way or another, Sunny had summoned the Stifled Scream.

        That was the Memory he had summoned while bidding farewell to Cassie.

        And ever since then, he had not made a sound.

        The Great River was a river of time. And so, by traversing it, Sunny had let the Stifled Scream accumulate a lot of power… but much more than that, he entered the Estuary while wearing it.

        Time did not exist in the Estuary, which meant that there was no difference between a single moment and an eternity here.

        How dreadful would a silence that had lasted for an eternity be?

        …Dreadful enough to obliterate the Sin of Solace, it seemed. And powerful enough to save Sunny's life.

        Not having to maintain silence anymore, he took a deep breath, and then cursed quietly.

        «Damnation. You go to hell… me.»

        The Mad Prince was gone.

        This time, forever.

        Which meant that Sunny had joined the exclusive club that Jet, Kai, and Cassie were already members of. He had vanquished an evil version of himself.

        It also meant that the path to the heart of the Estuary was completely free.

        Picking up the Guiding Light, Sunny dismissed Saint and headed for the vague shape rising above the dark waters of the nebulous lake.

        The final secret of the Tomb of Ariel awaited there.
        Read more
        1. Offline
          Maquiavelis
          + 7 ⋅ 0 -
          Well played sunny boy
          Read more
  8. Offline
    ErectileReptile
    + 27 ⋅ 1 -
    One day the gods will fall
    And reveal their lie
    The one who sleeps will awaken
    To devour his children
    Oh, and us all
    That which was forgotten
    Will be remembered
    And consume the world
    Oh, all of us will dream
    The nightmare
    Of the Forgotten God

    ― Eurys' Song,
    Chapter 750: Home
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Emperor me
      + 14 ⋅ 1 -
      The clue about the 7th god has been there since the beginning, the outcome are the invents happening presently(the dream realm devouring other realms)
      Read more
    2. Offline
      wedsonlucena
      + 8 ⋅ 0 -
      Damn man how do you remember that you are a genius
      Read more
    3. Offline
      Aswad
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Oh.........
      Read more
  9. Offline
    ㅤㅤㅤ
    + 15 ⋅ 2 -
    1574. Whoever Fights Monsters


    Sunny staggered as the gaze of the being hiding beneath the still water of the lake fell on him. A scream almost escaped from his lips, but he gritted his teeth and pushed it down.

    'Ah...'

    The feeling of being looked upon by the invisible watcher... whatever it was... was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Sunny had been in the presence of powerful people before, and even more powerful Nightmare Creatures. He had been crushed by the suffocating force of their presence, and struggled to move while being pressed down by it.

    But the gaze of the being hiding under the silent dark waves was entirely different.

    It was not only heavier and more insurmountable, hinting at the terrifying power of the hidden watcher, but also did not feel the same. The force of oppression emanated by mighty beings was usually aimless and directionless, while the chilling gaze... was piercing and penetrating.

    It felt as though the mysterious being was not simply looking at Sunny from beneath the mass of dark water, but rather looking through him.

    Sunny's body, mind, and his very soul were like an open book in front of the hidden watcher, and they were being read, one page after another.

    'G—gods, gods...'

    His soul was being witnessed.

    And, somehow, Sunny felt that it was more than that.

    His soul was being judged.

    Paled, he slowly looked around, seeing the floating corpses of the Great Nightmare Creatures in a new light.

    Had all these harrowing abominations... failed to pass the judgment?

    Just what was this place? Was there something else hidden at the very heart of the nebulous lake, even after all the forbidden knowledge left behind on its shore and in the depths of its outer reaches? Why had Ariel placed it behind the labyrinth of rushing currents and mist, leaving a fearsome guardian behind?

    Sunny grimaced, swayed a little... and took a step forward.

    Then, another.

    'Go on, judge me. I... have nothing to hide...'

    He did not know what he was being judged for, but the sincerity of his wish to be free was indisputable. Hopefully, the dreadful being would see its purity, and let him pass.

    Feeling as if he was walking to his execution, Sunny walked toward the very heart of the Estuary — the speck of darkness that the Guiding Light was pointing at. He maneuvered around the motionless corpses of the Great Nightmare Creatures, who had all lost their lives in this eerie place, and forced himself to put one foot in front of the other.

    One step at a time.

    The harrowing gaze followed him for a while, inhuman and indifferent...

    Then, the feeling of something vast and ancient watching him suddenly disappeared, leaving him shaken and rattled.

    Sunny staggered again, filled with incredible relief, and almost let out a groan.

    It seemed that he had passed the judgment.

    'What was that thing looking for?'

    Who was allowed to approach the heart of the Estuary, and who was not?

    Why did the guardian let Sunny pass?

    He regained his balance and looked forward with dark resolve burning in his eyes.

    'Come on... you are almost there.'

    Feeling battered and drained from being looked upon by the invisible, inconceivable guardian of the inner lake, Sunny forced his tired body to continue walking.

    He walked and walked, eventually leaving all the floating corpses behind.

    Now, there was nothing in front of him except for the still expanse of dark water and the vague shape rising from it in the distance.

    ...Oh, and one other thing.

    A few dozen steps in front of him, a familiar figure was standing on the water, looking at him with no humor in its dark eyes.

    It was the Sin of Solace, who had disappeared somewhere just before the chilling gaze fell on Sunny.

    Now, the sword wraith was back, standing in Sunny's way with a cold expression on his face.

    'I guess it's time, then...'

    Sunny grinned darkly and took another step forward. As he did...

    He felt something shattering within his soul, and the Spell whispered into his ear, its voice somber:

    [Your Memory has been destroyed.]

    Sunny did not have to look at his runes to know which of his Memories had mysteriously destroyed itself.

    It was the Memory that had appeared in his soul without an explanation, and was now gone without an explanation.

    The Key of the Estuary.

    Why had it been destroyed?

    Well, that much was obvious...

    It was because whatever door the Mad Prince had wanted to unlock with it was already ajar.

    Feeling a dark kind of amusement, Sunny slowly walked to the Sin of Solace and stopped just a step or two away from him.

    The loathsome sword wraith looked cold, not at all delighted despite being free of the seal that had constrained him for so long.

    However, somehow... he also looked much more sinister than before.

    The apparition stared at Sunny with a bit of contempt, a bit of resentment... and a bit of pity.

    "Here we are... you fool. Really, how could you not expect that outcome?"

    Sunny met his gaze and sighed.

    How could he have not expected this to happen?

    Of course, he had.

    The actions of the Mad Prince had always been bizarre and almost

    impossible to understand. The depths of the schemes the vile madman had woven were nothing short of unfathomable, destroying countless lives and reshaping the entire Nightmare to his will.

    Sunny had long guessed what drove the Mad Prince... it was his desire to redeem the sin of killing Nephis and bring her back to life.

    That said...

    Who was to say that his previous self only had one goal? Who was to say that he had been willing to simply cease to exist, thus preventing himself from enjoying the fruits of his labor?

    After all, if there was one thing Sunny knew about himself... it was that he was a cockroach.

    He was very hard to kill, and even if something did manage to kill him, he had a strange track record of somehow finding a way to come back to life.

    So why would the Mad Prince be any different?

    Of course, there was a bit of contradiction between what the two of them wanted.

    It was because, in order for the Mad Prince to come back to life, Sunny had to disappear. He had to become a vessel to the memories of the vile madman, and lose his sanity to Corruption.

    Taking a deep breath, Sunny stared at the Sin of Solace silently.

    So... which one of them would get to exist?

    Which one of them would manage to outscheme the other?
    Read more
    1. Offline
      ㅤㅤㅤ
      + 16 ⋅ 2 -
      1575. Free of Sin


      Sunny had an inkling that the Mad Prince had not been willing to quietly disappear for a while now. However, it had always been just that — a suspicion, substantiated by nothing except for his knowledge of himself.

      Sunny wouldn't have wanted to cease to exist, so why would his Defiled version be any different?

      The Mad Prince had wished to be free, and in the process of fulfilling that wish, he caused Neph's death. His soul was consumed by the Defilement, but not entirely so — a small slither of his humanity remained due to the Sin of Solace, who preserved it to torment his host better.

      And so, the vile madman came to regret pursuing his wish. He schemed and conspired to bring Nephis back to life and create such a cycle of the Great River where the Nightmare could be conquered by the cohort. He turned his friends into the Plagues, and then betrayed them, arranging for each to be slaughtered.

      But was that all that the Mad Prince had wanted?

      Apparently, no.

      Sunny was a greedy person, and his past self had to have been, too. Therefore... there were at least two more things the Mad Prince had schemed to achieve.

      The first one was more or less obvious. He had not only wished to bring Nephis back to life, but to be with her, as well.

      Staring at the Sin of Solace, Sunny shook his head in disgust.

      'That crazy bastard. Did he really think that Neph would accept a horrid Corrupted maniac like him?'

      Well... it was in the name. Despite all his devious cunning, at the end of the day, the Mad Prince was exactly that — entirely and utterly mad. Sunny had no doubt that the lunatic imagined countless ways to bend the future to his will in that perverse head of his.

      The Sin of Solace, meanwhile, smiled darkly.

      "Oh... I see that you are starting to understand. I am sorry to say this, though — it's already too late for you."

      Sunny simply stared at him without saying anything.

      Indeed, he was starting to understand.

      How the Mad Prince had planned to return, and why was it only happening now.

      There was a second thing he must have wanted to achieve, after all.

      And that thing... was to reach the heart of the Estuary.

      Sunny could not have come to that conclusion before, but after witnessing the inner sanctum of the hidden lake and experiencing the chilling gaze of its guardian, he realized something.

      There was indeed one last secret hidden at the very heart of the Estuary... perhaps the most terrible, and the most precious, of them all. And Ariel had arranged for that secret to be protected above all else.

      Only those who passed the judgment of the guardian of the lake had the right to learn that secret.

      That judgment... appeared to be a very simple one.

      Why had the Great Nightmare Creatures that found their way into the Estuary been slain, while Sunny was allowed to pass?

      ...It was because their souls were Corrupted, while his was not.

      Corruption was not allowed to come near the heart of the Estuary, as if Ariel had not wanted for whatever was hidden there to be sullied by its vile touch.

      And, therefore... the Mad Prince had not been able to witness the final secret, either.

      As the Sin of Solace looked at him mockingly, Sunny smiled.

      'Of course... it was so obvious.'

      How could the Mad Prince, a Corrupted Titan, infiltrate the heart of the Estuary if no Corrupted creature could?

      The answer... was oblivion.

      He had to forget the knowledge of the Void that planted the seeds of Corruption into his soul at the start of each cycle, pass the judgment of the lake guardian, and then regain his memories again.

      So, the Mad Prince had created the Key of the Estuary — a Memory meant to get him to the innermost sanctum of the Estuary intact. A Memory that placed a seal on the Sin of Solace, thus preventing the sword wraith from sharing the knowledge of the Void and the memories of all previous cycles with Sunny.

      Only for that seal to be broken once it served its purpose and got Sunny past the lake guardian.

      Thus bringing the Mad Prince back in all his unholy glory.

      The Sin of Solace chuckled.

      "Ah... don't look so dejected. Whatever anger you feel, I feel more of it. Being stuck with you is already bad enough, you worm. Being stuck with the other guy? Gods. I've endured that for too long already."

      He sighed.

      "But, well. What's done is done. There is no way to escape the inevitable, now."

      Sunny glared at him and outstretched a hand, summoning the jade jian into existence.

      The Sin of Solace laughed.

      "Oh, wait... I guess you can just destroy me before your soul is corrupted, huh?"

      The sword wraith was immune to the flow of the Great River, keeping his memories of all the past cycles. And, since he was nothing but a splintered piece of Sunny's own mind, that knowledge would slowly seep through and contaminate the rest of his mind — like it had happened on Aletheia's Island.

      The Sin of Solace could just whisper the secrets of the Void to Sunny directly, but he did not have too. Eventually, that knowledge would infect Sunny's mind simply because it was already there.

      However... it would not happen instantly. Just like it had happened on Aletheia's Island, and even earlier with the cycles of the Great River, Sunny had some time before the contamination started in earnest.

      If he was to somehow destroy the Sin of Solace during that time, the splintered part of his mind would be eradicated, and the terrible knowledge contained within it would be erased without a trace.

      The problem was...

      The beautiful jian appeared in Sunny's hand, its blade carved from pristine white jade.

      [Perfect Jade] Enchantment Description: "This blade is carved from a piece of sublime jade, and as such is sharp and durable beyond logic and reason."

      The Sin of Solace was a Transcendent Memory with an enchantment that drastically enhanced its durability, while Sunny was merely an Ascended. Was he even strong enough to break it?

      And if he did break it... would the wraith born from it truly disappear?
      Read more
      1. Offline
        ㅤㅤㅤ
        + 16 ⋅ 2 -
        1576. Dreadful Whisper


        Sunny had to destroy the Sin of Solace before the seeds of Corruption were planted into his soul. If he managed to destroy the wraith before that happened, the scheme the Mad Prince had concocted to come back to life would be thwarted, and Sunny would get to continue existing.

        If he failed, the Mad Prince would return, consuming him in the process. 'That vile bastard...'

        The sword wraith laughed as he watched him.

        "My, oh my. You're not going to do something terrible to me, are you?" Sunny glanced at him darkly, then at the beautiful jian in his hand.

        Placing the Guiding Light on the water, he wrapped all six of his shadows around him and grabbed the jade blade, using all his inhuman strength in an attempt to break it against his knee.

        The Sin of Solace was not only incredibly resilient, but also incredibly sharp. Despite the Marble Shell, Sunny could not get a good hold of it without losing his fingers... and even if he could, his strength seemed insufficient to shatter the cursed sword.

        Even though his muscles felt like they were on the verge of tearing, the jian only bent, but did not break. As soon as Sunny released it, the blade sprung back to its initial, perfectly straight form.

        'Maybe... I should try to escape back under the gaze of the lake guardian...'

        But no, that would only end in his demise. The Sin of Solace was a part of him, and now that the Estuary Key had been destroyed, the guardian would obliterate them both.

        The wraith chuckled, observing his efforts with disdain.

        "Pathetic."

        Sunny abandoned his attempts to break the jade blade and straightened.

        Then, he smiled.

        So what if he wasn't strong enough to break the damned sword?

        That whole performance was just to satiate his curiosity, anyway.

        Before the sword wraith could say anything else, he released his shadows and tossed the beautiful jian away.

        A moment later, a hand rose from one of the shadows, catching the cursed sword. Saint stepped out of it, holding it with indifferent grace.

        As an Ascended, Sunny might not have been strong enough to shatter the Sin of Solace. But luckily, he had a Transcendent Devil at hand... two of them, even.

        It would have been even easier to make Fiend eat the jade blade, but he was worried that the cursed thing would give the ravenous ogre indigestion. So, the job of destroying the sinister Memory fell to Saint.

        As the six shadows wrapped themselves around the graceful knight, her ruby eyes blazed with crimson light. The wraith opened his eyes widely.

        "Now, wait a second..."

        Not paying him any attention — or rather, incapable of perceiving him —Saint silently placed the flat of the jade blade against her greave, slowly raised her shield, and then struck the cursed sword with its rim.

        A gust of hurricane wind spread from the point of impact, and the surface of the lake rippled.

        The Sin of Solace cracked, then exploded into shards of beautiful white jade, which dissipated into a whirlwind of white sparks. Those sparks were then absorbed into Saint's stonelike body.

        Sunny heard the Spell whispering into his ear, saying the same words for the second time in the last few minutes:

        [Your Memory has been destroyed.]

        A slight grimace appeared on his face. Losing Memories never felt good.

        ...There was the grimace on the face of the sword wraith, too.

        "Argh! Aaah!"

        The apparition convulsed, screaming, and hunched over.

        For a few moments, there was silence.

        And then, the silence was broken by the sound of mocking laughter.

        "Oh, oh. It seems that breaking the sword... did nothing? I am perfectly fine. Who would have known?"

        The Sin of Solace straightened and stared at Sunny with a disdainful grin.

        "Fool... did you really think that it would work?"

        Sunny stared at him silently, his face pale and grim.

        The wraith shook his head.

        "If it was that easy to get rid of me, do you think that I would still be here? Ah, Lost from Light... I am a part of your mind, now. The cause of me might have been that Memory of yours, but the source of me... is you. So, what good would destroying the sword do?"

        The contemptuous smile slowly disappeared from his face, replaced by a cold and dark expression.

        It was a little bit dejected, too.

        The Sin of Solace sighed.

        "Now, let's end this farce. It has been... a displeasure. To spend time with you, once again. Granted, what comes won't be pleasant, either..."

        He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something... some terrible truth that would drive Sunny mad and infect his soul with Corruption, without a doubt.

        But before he could, Sunny took a step forward, coming face-to-face with the startled wraith, and leaned forward a little.

        Then, he whispered into his ear...

        Only two words.

        The first words he had spoken after saying farewell to Cassie at the shore of Verge.

        They were:

        "Be gone."

        And as he said them, the world shuddered.

        The wraith's eyes widened slightly — this time, in earnest.

        "You..."

        And then, he was gone.

        Erased, as if he had never existed.

        The splintered part of Sunny's mind was gone, taking the forbidden knowledge of the Void, and all the memories of the previous cycles, with it.

        Preventing the Mad Prince from ever being born again.

        Healed from the curse that had plagued him since the early days of the Southern Campaign, Sunny closed his eyes for a moment, and then let out a long sigh.

        Then, he looked down.

        There was a thin thread tied around his neck — the same thread with which the mouths of the Voiceless Prelates, a band of Corrupted Demons led by a Devil named the Defiled Herald, had been sewn shut. Sunny had slain them back in Antarctica, receiving a certain Memory in the process.

        That Memory was the Stifled Scream, a charm he usually used to augment Saint.

        The charm possessed a second enchantment, though, which the graceful knight had never been able to use.

        [Word of Power] Enchantment Description: "A word spoken by the master of this charm is a command. If born of great silence, the word of power can hardly be ignored. If not, it has no worth."

        Saint never spoke, so [Word of Power] could not be used by her. Sunny, meanwhile, was never able to remain silent for long enough to let the enchantment accumulate enough potency.

        The longer one remained silent, the more tyrannical the authority of the [Word of Power] would become.

        And so, knowing that he might face the machinations of the Mad Prince in one way or another, Sunny had summoned the Stifled Scream.

        That was the Memory he had summoned while bidding farewell to Cassie.

        And ever since then, he had not made a sound.

        The Great River was a river of time. And so, by traversing it, Sunny had let the Stifled Scream accumulate a lot of power... but much more than that, he entered the Estuary while wearing it.

        Time did not exist in the Estuary, which meant that there was no difference between a single moment and an eternity here.

        How dreadful would a silence that had lasted for an eternity be?

        ...Dreadful enough to obliterate the Sin of Solace, it seemed. And powerful enough to save Sunny's life.

        Not having to maintain silence anymore, he took a deep breath, and then cursed quietly.

        'Damnation. You go to hell... me.'

        The Mad Prince was gone.

        This time, forever.

        Which meant that Sunny had joined the exclusive club that Jet, Kai, and Cassie were already members of. He had vanquished an evil version of himself.

        It also meant that the path to the heart of the Estuary was completely free.

        Picking up the Guiding Light, Sunny dismissed Saint and headed for the vague shape rising above the dark waters of the nebulous lake.

        The final secret of the Tomb of Ariel awaited there.
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        1. Offline
          The_Imm۞rtal
          + 9 ⋅ 1 -
          What a twist mehn😂😂
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          Cj.17
          + 8 ⋅ 1 -
          I hereby give sunny the greatest title that no other cockroach has ever been given in the history of cockroaches, THE UNKILLABLE COCKROACH KING 👑.

          HAIL COCKROACH KING,
          The UNKILLABLE,
          THE TREACHEROUS LOST FROM LIGHT,
          THE MOST HONEST PERSON IN 2 WORLDS,
          THE HEIR OF WEAVER,
          SUNLESS
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            Dummybaron
            + 3 ⋅ 1 -
            Well not only weaver, he also has Nethers skin(Marble Shell). But we don't know entirely who's heir he really is
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              Cj.17
              + 0 ⋅ 1 -
              Isn't that his creation just like saint?? Cus it's from the memory and not his actual lineage like weaver??
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                Dummybaron
                + 0 ⋅ 0 -
                Well then I can say that Sunny doesn't have Weaver's aspect so he can't be heir of Weaver
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                  Cj.17
                  + 0 ⋅ 0 -
                  Tbf that's not valid argument. I mean I'm all for sunny inheriting all the demons' lineages but for u to compare nether with weaver idk if that is supposed to be a joke.

                  First sunny has weaver's blood then bones. Now tell me one thing he really inherited that is part of nether??

                  Also as I have said before it's not only aspects that makes u an heir of someone just like sunny is still somehow an heir of shadow god even tho he believes he is not.

                  One thing we can't still argue about is aspect attributes. Are they related to aspect or not? If yes then idk how sunny's fated is connected to shadow god if not and there is something else here then that makes him closer to weaver.

                  While he is aspect wise shadow god's heir, he is weaver's heir from physical sense and attributes.
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