Chapter 2283: Deal with the Shadow |
The exploration of the caverns beneath the Forgotten Shore was progressing steadily, albeit gradually.
The Dark Sea, along with the Corrupted monstrosities inhabiting it, had spent countless centuries evading the annihilating sunlight that once reached this place. As a result, the ground was blanketed in endless layers of muck, shards of crushed coral, shattered bones of fallen Nightmare Creatures, and every other bit of detritus that the retreating tide had dragged with it into the depths.
All of it lay undisturbed in eternal darkness... and there were dreadful things hiding in that darkness.
Formidable abominations that had avoided being devoured by the Crimson Spire when the Great Titan was sealed, colonies of microscopic parasites capable of consuming a person in seconds, pockets of pure darkness that rendered Sunny completely blind, and far more beyond description.
None of these posed a genuine threat to him, but he still had to remain cautious.
After all, despite his overwhelming power, Sunny was not indestructible. He could face any Nightmare Creature lurking on the Forgotten Shore as long as he remained alert, but even a few careless seconds could cost him an incarnation.
His resistance to soul and mind assaults was significant, yet not absolute.
Moreover, no matter how mighty someone was, there were always strange and incomprehensible beings within the Dream Realm that defied all logic. Prudence was always worth the effort.
For now, Sunny had not found anything of major value in the vast shadows of the hidden caverns. He had uncovered a number of fascinating ancient relics left behind by the extinct civilization of the Forgotten Shore, but those satisfied only his curiosity as an explorer of the Dream Realm. They did little to advance his goals as a Supreme.
While he explored the caverns, another incarnation of his was lying on the icy marble floor of the Nameless Temple, breathing in shallow gasps. His body was a map of cruel injuries, and although his jade skin had long since healed, the muscles and sinews beneath were still in bad shape.
"Ah... damnation."
Groaning softly, Sunny winced and slowly sat up. He summoned the Endless Spring, drank deeply, and then rose to his feet with effort.
This particular incarnation was recovering from a task that each of them took on every few weeks.
That task was battling Slayer.
Sunny kept the deadly Shadow confined to the dungeon beneath the ruined cathedral of the Dark City now, in the stone cell where he had once discovered Weaver's Mask. Every seven days, he summoned her to the lower chamber of the Nameless Temple and engaged in combat.
That cycle had continued for an entire year. The duels were relentless, savage, and enlightening. Each week, Sunny barely managed to defeat Slayer, and each week, he ended up in this miserable condition. As a result, one incarnation was always in recovery while a newly restored one prepared to challenge her again the following week.
The healing avatar took care of the duties of the Nameless Temple's custodian.
Still grimacing, Sunny headed toward the back garden.
"I should take her on a picnic north of the city someday. She’ll probably enjoy the Slayer statue... even if that Slayer is missing her head. Two Slayers in one place — would that be amusing? Or too much? I wonder."
A pained smile crossed his face.
The pain was genuine, but the weekly duels were paying off.
At first, Sunny hadn’t known what to do with the ruthless Shadow. He hadn’t wanted to destroy her, but he also hesitated to compel her into servitude against her will. That violated his sense of ethics.
Unlike the silent shadows — or shades, as he called them now to prevent confusion — who lacked independent thought, his true Shadows each had their own identity. They were as much individuals as they were extensions of himself. Saint, Serpent, Nightmare, Fiend, and Mimic all followed his commands willingly. Slayer did not. So, he refused to force her.
But he could not let her go free, either. Slayer was a creature of terrifying precision and hostility, and releasing her into the world out of moral guilt would be reckless.
So, he fought her.
Their duels had started as a form of communication — Sunny had hoped to reach some understanding with Slayer. Instead of listening, however, she had immediately attacked. So, their dialogue became one of blades and battle.
Sunny had initially been annoyed by her relentless hostility, then indignant, and eventually furious.
Slayer remained unwaveringly aggressive, always seeking to kill or maim him. As much as Sunny learned from fighting her, she too learned and adapted from their battles. None of his victories had been effortless.
At one point, he had begun questioning why he continued subjecting himself to these brutal weekly clashes. But they had become a habit, nearly a ritual, and he decided to embrace them as worthwhile training.
He sparred with Nephis regularly on the Ivory Island and with Saint or Slayer here on the Forgotten Shore. Honestly, life had blessed him with excellent combat partners.
Then, something unexpected occurred.
After losing to him repeatedly, Slayer had begun showing him a certain... reluctant respect. Perhaps even a hint of kinship. She still would not submit, but she had become willing to strike a deal.
If Sunny defeated her in their duel, she would follow his command for the following week. In return, she demanded payment.
Naturally, as a Shadow, Slayer had no need for coin or physical riches. What she demanded instead... was Sunny’s blood.
Slayer did not speak, but she made her desire clear through powerful silence. It was strange — and more than a little unsettling — but she seemed to have developed a fascination with Sunny’s blood, perhaps even a craving for it, ever since a few drops from his torn knuckles had fallen onto her during one of their battles in the Shadow Realm.
Absorbing his blood made her appear... more real somehow.
Regardless, that was the bargain now, and that was the cost Sunny paid for harnessing the strength of his sixth Shadow.
That, and the pain.
Groaning once more, Sunny limped through the great halls of the Nameless Temple, stepped into the garden behind the grand obsidian Citadel, and used the Endless Spring to water his tree.
Then he looked up at the black sky, devoid of stars, and sighed.
"I wonder when the next storm will arrive. It hasn’t rained in months."
His expression darkened, and he muttered under his breath:
"Am I going to have to start managing the water supply too? More work for me. Wonderful."
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