"I am here to help you."
The woman's eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion.
"And why should I believe you?"
The man smiled at her.
"Because I am strong."
The woman took a step back, her distrust of the man soaring to its peak.
Sunny thought to himself:
'Crap, I'm messing this up aren't I?'
Trying to salvage the situation, Sunny spoke in a flustered voice:
"Please note that that was not a threat!"
Sunny waved his hands around slightly, showing her that he was no harm.
The woman's weapon lowered slightly, as she only slightly believed him.
"Well, how is you being strong going to help me?"
Sunny smiled.
'Now we're back on track!'
"Well, you want to kill the Terror, don't you?"
The woman gasped slightly. The fact that the Crimson Spire was guarded by a terror was not yet common knowledge, as she had wanted the Sleepers to have hope.
"You-... how did you…"
Sunny took a step forward.
"I just do, I'm a really great scout after all!"
The woman did not take a step back this time.
"Ok then… Sunless, what do you know about killing the Terror then?"
Sunny looked her up and down.
"Well, one thing I know for certain is that you are going to fail."
The woman's anger surged, she immediately responded in a defensive tone:
"And just how do you know that?! We haven't even tried yet!"
Sunny said nothing, and began summoning a memory.
The woman immediately raised her spear and got into a battle stance, now summoning the Mantle of the Underworld too. Sunny raised a palm at her, showing that this was not an invitation to fight.
As the memory finished forming, Sunny said:
"This… is the Midnight Shard."
The woman raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, and?"
Sunny waved it around slightly.
"Without all of the seven shard memories, there is no way of killing the Terror. In fact, you wouldn't even be able to enter the spire! You're only wasting your lives."
The woman looked at him with suspicion, but she was still surprised nonetheless.
"Really…?"
Sunny continued to push further.
"Of course! Do you remember the crown the first lord used to have? You'll also need that, as that was known as the Dawn Shard!"
The woman looked at him with despair and spoke with a shaky voice.
"You.. Just who are you? When did you arrive to the Dark City? You don't even look a day over 16…"
'I'm 17 damn it! No… I'm 21 damn it! Ah! I don't know!'
Sunny's inner turmoil was not heard in his voice.
"I already told you before, I'm Sunless, and I'm a really good scout. And I also arrived about… twenty minutes ago."
The woman's eyes widened as she was surprised yet again.
"You're one of the new arrivals?! Gods… just… just… then how did you-"
"I already told you, I'm a really good scout."
Sunny was not going to let her finish that question, as his Flaw might have forced him to reveal that he was from the future.
The woman finally seemed to let her guard down a little, as her saber pointed down slightly. She pulled a chair out from the desk nearby and sat down as Sunny sat down on her bed.
The woman let out a shaky breath and asked him:
"Then what should I do?"
Sunny smiled.
'Finally, time to do business!'
"Well, first off, as a token of my sincerity, here."
Sunny tossed her a large bag, it landing with a heavy thud at her feet.
The woman opened it up to find it filled to the absolute brim with glimmering soul shards - hundreds upon hundreds of soul shards were in this bag! And to top it all off, a single, glimmering Transcendent soul shard was placed at the top.
The woman's jaw dropped as her head turned shakily to Sunny.
"Y-you… how did you get all these?"
Sunny grinned.
"Didn't I tell you that I was a good scout? I only took them from already dead nightmare creatures! Ah, besides the Transcendent one though, I just stole that one from some idiot."
Of course, Sunny did not mention that he was the one that killed them.
The woman lowered her head, her doubts finally cleared. She looked at the bag, and back at Sunny.
"Tha-... Thank you…"
Her voice was stammering from the sheer shock of what she held in her hands.
"How can I ever repay y-"
"The armour."
"Huh?"
"The armour, the Mantle of the Underworld, I want it."
The woman immediately shut her mouth, stunned.
"Also, I forgot to ask earlier, but what's your name?"
As if her brain was malfunctioning, the woman responded clumsily.
"A-Aria..."
"Okay Aria! Give me that armour, listen to what I have to say, and I'll give you all these soul shards as well as help you out!"
The woman, Aria, seemed to fall into thought. The armour had been given to her by Silver, the first lord, before his death… It held precious memories. But these soul shards, the help offered by this mysterious scout… She could not afford to be selfish.
Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind.
"Alright, Sunless, I'll give you the armour."
Sunny stood up and offered her his hand, which she took as Sunny helped her up.
The black armour disappeared into a whirlwind of sparks, as Sunny felt the memory traveling through her arm into his, as he heard the sweet whisper of the spell.
[You have received a memory.]
Memory: [Mantle of the Underworld.]
Sunny ignored the runes entirely, only looking for one thing.
[Vanquished foes: 7/6000]
'Alright, that's not too bad. Newly evolved though… Did… Did she decide to siege the spire just because she ranked up her armour?'
Perhaps he would have to think twice about allying with her. He would most certainly have to observe her character first.
Although he was fully aware that the trade he had made was incredibly lopsided, as the soul shards he had given Aria was worth much, much more than the current Mantle of the Underworld. Even though it was still usable as it hadn't been damaged too severely yet, it was quite useless without its active enchantments. Sunny did not even bother summoning it, as he doubted he'd be able to move properly without its [Feather of Truth] enchantment.
Aria took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before looking at Sunny.
"What now?"
Sunny looked at her strangely.
"Weren't you yelling about how all who wanted to join you should come face you within an hour?"
Aria's eyes widened.
"Right!"
She hurriedly summoned another armour memory, this time it was something that looked more akin to the Starlight Legion armour, but if it had a sandy colour instead, with much more plating covering it.
Sunny watched her dash out of the room to the trial chamber to prepare herself. Sunny sighed as he also stepped out, heading for the very same trial chamber.
Sending out a shadow to look around, he saw a small group of Awakened who were also making their way towards the trial. The one in the lead was quite nervous, seeing as their teeth were chattering slightly.
Watching closely, the shadow hidden atop the roof shook its head in exasperation. It could see something the young man below it couldn't. A small rock, jutting out of the…
"Ah!"
The young man tripped, his face slamming into the ground.
Sunny snickered.
"Idiot."
"Huh?! Who said that!"
The young man immediately stood and whipped around, staring accusingly at the small group following him.
"Which one of you was it, huh?"
"I-It wasn't me."
"Wasn't me either…"
The group continued to argue even as Sunny tuned them out.
'They… they heard me?'
He was nowhere near them, which meant…
His shadow had spoken?
***
Aria stood in front of a group of about fifty Sleepers. Raising her blade, she yelled:
"All of you will come face me one by one. Combat aspects will fight me one on one, and utility aspects will show me how you can be useful. This will decide whether or not you will receive the necessary soul shards to strengthen yourselves. Am I understood?"
The group of Sleepers nodded, and Aria looked at the first person to make their way up to her.
Her eyes twitched slightly, as she saw that the person approaching her was Sunny.
Some of the people in the crowd murmured.
"Huh? Who is that guy?"
"I've never seen him before…"
"Wait, I've seen him at the academy! That guy was the one in dead last! Sunless!"
The small crowd murmured as they watched Sunny come to a stop in front of the Bright Lord.
"Dreamer Sunless."
Aria looked at him intensely. The twitching of her eye was gone, as just now, her shadow had whispered to her.
"Just go with the flow."
'Whatever!'
Aria looked at the young man.
"What can you do?"
Sunny immediately crossed his arm over his chest before kneeling slightly.
"I am a scout, Lady Aria! My shadow scouts can travel far distances, allowing me to see very far away!"
Aria nodded.
"A useful ability."
"Well then Sunless, are you sure you are willing to fight with us?"
Sunny nodded fervently.
"Yes, my lady!"
"Then prove it."
Aria tossed him a bone sharpened into a blade.
"You can scout, sure. But you must also prove you are able to fight. You must prove you have the will."
Sunny bowed his head, readying the bone.
They both charged forward at the same time, exchanging blows.
After about ten seconds, Sunny was knocked onto the ground, panting, as his blade clattered on the floor.
Aria held her blade in front of his face.
"You have the spirit, but you still have room to grow. Fine, I'll allow you to join us."
Sunny immediately got on one knee, bowing in front of her.
"Thank you!"
But Aria wasn't finished.
"But first, you must swear an oath. My aspect allows us to be bound together, the more people bound together by my aspect, the greater its boons. As long as you accept this oath willingly, you will receive benefits."
There was a dark glint in her eye.
'Got you.'
Of course, she wanted to believe Sunny, but he was just too suspicious. She would only start earnestly working with him once he proved his sincerity with this act.
"But be warned, those who break this oath suffer heavy consequences."
"So, do you accept? Will you swear an oath, to fight side by side with me? To fight for humanity?"
Sunny bowed even further.
"I accept! I will fight for humanity!"
Aria didn't even realise that something like this was exactly what Sunny wanted. He knew she didn't trust him yet and was trying to think of a way to truly show his sincerity, but to think Aria would help him out this way!
"Very well."
Aria placed a hand on one of his shoulders, and then another, as if she was knighting him. Sunny felt a mystical force attach itself to him and a small golden glow emitted from his forehead as Aria's aspect connected them through their oath.
Many of the Sleepers present gasped, having never seen such a thing.
But unseen by the sleepers, Aria's shadow whispered to her once more.
"Ask me how close I am to saturating my core."
Aria proceeded to ask.
"We are bound, Sunless, now as brothers and sisters, bound not by blood, but by an oath of camaraderie. We must always look out for each other, so I ask you: How close are you to saturating your soul core?"
Sunny's head sank, as if he was ashamed.
"Not close at all, Sister Aria! I have not absorbed a single soul shard in my entire life!"
Aria was inwardly shocked hearing that, but she did not show it on her face.
"That's alright. Here."
She tossed him a bag containing some of the soul shards he had given her earlier.
"This should get you started, there's about fifty shards in there, both Awakened and Ascended."
Sunny looked up as he feigned shock. Nodding his head rapidly.
"T-Thank you sister! I will never forget what you have done for me!"
Sunny bowed one last time, before turning to leave.
"Wait."
Sunny turned back.
"I admire your bravery. Out of everyone here, you were the one who faced me first, so I want to give you a gift."
Walking up to him, she put a hand on his shoulder. The Sleepers present realised what was doing — she was giving him a memory!
"This is the armour that was given to me by the first Bright Lord. Back then, he also gave it to me as a gift, saying he admired my bravery. So now, I'm giving it to you."
Sunny appeared to be stunned, before bowing even faster this time.
"Thank you sister! Your kindness knows no bounds!"
Sunny bowed one last time before turning around to leave. This time, nobody stopped him. The Sleepers watched in silence as he turned around the corner of the entrance, leaving.
'That should be enough.'
In the next moment, another Sleeper rushed to face Aria as they yelled:
"I will fight for humanity, my lady! Please test me!"
Seeing this, Sunny's shadow left Aria's returning to its smiling master.
***
Watching the final Sleeper leave, Aria sighed tiredly, sitting down to catch her breath.
Summoning her runes, she looked at today's harvest.
[Oath of Camaraderie: 56/150]
She had gained about forty new members today in her oath; ten or so of the Sleepers were genuinely hopeless causes, so she kicked them out and told them to come back in a month. The others bound by her oath were either people in her direct cohort, or people she trusted. She felt her power increase, as with this many people under her oath, the boost of strength it gave her was now sizably larger compared to what it was before.
As a dormant, she was limited to a maximum of 150 people being under her oath, so she used to use it quite sparingly. But now that she was planning a siege on the Crimson Spire, she thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to get more people to swear an oath with her. Sunless had only pushed her plan further along without even realising it, and she was grateful for that.
'Speak of the devil…'
She looked up to see Sunny nonchalantly walking towards her.
"Good job."
Sunny offered her a hand as she took it, standing up sluggishly.
"What happens now?"
Sunny grinned at her.
"Now? Get some rest first. But tomorrow, with that new group of yours, go out and clean up the city! Ah, don't you think this castle is so cramped? Humans deserve a city to live in…"
Aria nodded, understanding what he wanted.
"What about the shard memories?"
Sunny waved her off.
"Don't worry about those, I'll get them."
Aria's eyes darkened slightly, but she did not ask any questions.
"Although I would be quite happy if you asked around to see if anyone has one… Just in case you know?"
Nodding in understanding, Aria left to return to her quarters to rest.
Sunny watched her walk away in silence, a mildly annoyed expression on his face.
***
Sunny observed a group of about ten people walk through the dark city, searching for suitable nightmare creatures to hunt.
'What a useful aspect…'
All of the people within Aria's group walked in silence, communicating only through feeling and intention. All those bound under her oath had a very basic form of telepathy, being able to send simple concepts, singular words, intentions, and feelings to each other. Its range was not bad, and it allowed the group to hunt as one.
The Bright Lord had only brought a small group today as she did not want to attract a horde of nightmare creatures due to an abundance of human souls, leaving only ten. Sunny watched them as they slowly learned how each other's aspects worked and felt, building up a strong rapport.
He knew most of them only joined the cause as a means of getting benefits, but he was sure that their show of wanting to fight for humanity would slowly become genuine over time, with Aria leading by example.
Sunny had been watching them for about an hour now. Satisfied with their others, he nodded to himself before leaving to begin his own hunt.
He would be able to leave the group alone, since Aria already knew which areas of the city to avoid, he didn't have to tell them anything. She had been on the Forgotten Shore for five years already after all.
Sunny made his way over to a certain city square, where a group of nightmare creatures stood guard.
The Stone Saints.
***
Sunny slowly crept up to the edge of the roof on the building he was currently standing on, gazing at the seven figures below. His gaze fell on a particular figure, the smallest one by far.
'Saint…'
Sunny's heart moved as he stared at his former Shadow. Sunny had never forgotten how reliable she was, and he wished that she would join the ranks of his Shadows once more.
But Sunny didn't always get what he wanted.
As much as he knew that the chances of him receiving her as an echo again was slim, he still wanted to try.
'Even if Fated isn't around any more to deliver you to me, I'll still try.'
Sunny slowly moved away, searching for other nightmare creatures instead.
***
The seven Stone Saints guarded the city square, each of them had the tip of their blade planted into the ground as they formed a circle of defense around the long dry fountain. The stone warriors made an impenetrable line of defense, each of them guarding each other's blind spots perfectly.
That was why when the first wave of nightmare creatures showed up, they were ready.
A group of massive wooden golems wielding stone maces were running towards the city square, chasing a large pitch black serpent with a small wooden golem struggling within its fangs.
The Stone Saints were undeterred, as they made a half diamond formation to receive their enemies, the largest among them fighting as the tip of the spear.
The massive serpent got closer and closer, crushing and breaking the buildings that barred its path, then, rearing its head, the serpent threw the small golem into the fountain of the city square before disappearing into the shadows.
The group of wood golems, ranging from awakened monsters to fallen beasts, continued their attempts to save the youngest of their group, ignoring the fact they were walking into an obvious trap.
The Stone Saints, unwilling to give up their territory, prepared for battle, each of them raising their swords as they struck their chest twice as a sign of challenge.
Sunny watched dispassionately as the two groups clashed, clouds of dust and dirt being kicked up from the ferocity of their blows. He felt a bit of shame using this sort of tactic to destroy such respectable creatures, but in the end, they were still nightmare creatures, so he did what he had to.
The Stone Saints struck with practiced expertise, easily stopping the wave of golems. As they all attacked in coordination, the golems were one the losing side almost immediately.
But just then, a steel bird the size of a small house flew just overhead, dropping a hound of rotting flesh into the fight below.
The hound was stomped to death almost immediately, with the two fighting parties not even noticing its presence as it was pulverized beneath their feet.
Immediately afterwards though, barking of a large pack of hounds could be heard, enraged at the death of their fallen brethren.
A second group of nightmare creatures struck the city square, this time a much larger group of awakened beasts appeared, each of them covered with disgusting rotted flesh as saliva lined their maws, which were all barking with rage.
The hounds attacked in a frenzy, some of the smaller Stone Saints were forced to turn around to defend the backs of their comrades. But a second later, a black spear shot through the sky, impaling one of them straight through the throat.
[You have slain an Awakened Monster, Stone Saint.]
'One down.'
Sunny dismissed Serpent who was in the form of a spear as he recalled happy and gloomy back to him.
The Stone Saints, having lost one of their comrades, began to fight even more fiercely, each of their crushing blows more deadly than the last.
Sunny watched this as he wrapped two shadows around himself and once again raised his spear.
***
The three groups of nightmare creatures continued to battle in a chaotic dance of death, the city square long destroyed as one building collapsed as another.
A black spear once again shot through the air, shooting straight through the head of a wooden golem that was slowly drowning under a pack of hounds.
As the nightmare creatures fought, every single time one of them was about to die, the black spear struck.
Sunny was sure the Stone Saints understood what was going on, but as they were hopelessly trapped between the two parties, they had no means of going after him. But even if they could it didn't matter anyways, as every time Sunny struck he relocated afterwards, just in case.
'These fellows truly are impressive…'
Despite being severely outnumbered, the stone warriors still stood their ground, seemingly on the winning side. The only member that had fallen so far was the one Sunny had killed to thin out their numbers.
Seeing this, Sunny decided he was going to take down another one.
A black spear shot through the sky, aimed right at the exposed bit of neck in the gap between the helmet and the breastplate of one of the stone warriors. Sunny's eyes widened in surprise as his spear was suddenly deflected, one of the Stone Saints having blocked it for their comrade.
'Damn!'
Just how the hell had they even lost before?! These guys were far too impressive for mere Awakened Monsters!
'Do I need to send Serpent down there too?'
Sunny considered having the Steel Amalgam bombard them with lightning, but he feared that it might be too eye-catching and attract unwanted attention here.
Sunny repositioned once again as he readied his spear.
This time he targeted a Stone Saint that was somewhat isolated, since he had killed their partner earlier.
And this time, his spear struck true.
[You have slain an Awakened Monster, Stone Saint.]
'Finally…'
The Stone Saints were starting to be pushed back.
Sunny backed off for now, continuing to only throw spears at monsters who were about to die.
***
Eventually, most of the nightmare creatures fighting in the city square were dead.
Besides one.
A Stone Saint was kneeling in exhaustion in the middle of a pile of corpses, her blade stabbed into the ground for support as her armour that had once been polished steel slowly turned into stone.
It was Saint, who was once Sunny's loyal companion.
Sunny appeared in front of her, Serpent in hand.
Saint slowly looked up at him, ruby dust pouring from her wounds like blood.
There was no recognition in her gaze, nor was there any emotion.
Saint feebly attempted to stand up and face him, only for her grip to fail as her sword fell from her hand, clattering to the ground. That seemed to drain the last of her fighting spirit, as Saint gave up on standing, kneeling as she accepted her death.
And in the next moment, a blade had pierced her head through the gap of her visor, the red flame in her eyes going dim.
Sunny's heart ached.
[You have slain an Awakened Monster, Stone Saint.]
'...'
[You have received…]