[Your Aspect Legacy mastery level has increased.]
[You have received the right to claim a Legacy Relic.]
[...Your Shadow has evolved.]
'Thanks the dead Gods! It took your goddamn time, ass****!'
Sunny was lying on the ground of the gym, all his muscles aching.
After some time spent on practicing the Shadow Dance, he understood that wielding a sword wasn't enough.
He must fight if he wants to advance to the next step.
Fortunately or not, Nephis seems to have taken a liking to him as a human punching bag.
Every afternoon, after his Wilderness Survival class, Sunny heads to the gym to spar with Nephis.
This helped him a lot to reach the third step two weeks before the Solstice.
During this time, Sunless didn't win a single match against Nephis. The Shadow dance completely copied her fighting style, but that didn't guarantee the victory.
Yuki and Cassie also occasionally joined in the spars. That, unfortunately, only worsens his reputation as a womanizer.
The gossips now went on him, making all sorts of perverted things up about the three girls. Others even call him an insatiable, lustful beast, always on the lookout for his next prey.
'You people really don't have anything to do all day, aren't you? WE. ARE. HERE. TO. LEARN. how to survive in another fu***** dimension, Hello!?'
Sunless actually wouldn't have minded doing this and that with the girls, but he had no intention of forcing them.
He is a gentleman.
But damn it all!!! He wanted to do this and that!
"Why are you laughing?"
Asked Nephis to Sunny, who was lying on the floor with a devilish grin on his face.
Sunny raised his head to look her in the eyes.
"See! I just completed another point on my to-do list before the solstice."
Nephis raised an eyebrow, confused by the boy's response.
He had just lost. What did he just complete? How can he grin so smugly?
To Nephis, this boy was a complete mystery. On the one hand, he seemed like an excellent fighter, despite not being from any clan, which Nephis found intriguing. On the other, his shameless attitude often made him seem sloppy and weak.
But Sunless isn't weak.
She'd seen it firsthand these weeks. Every time they fought, even though he had never won, Nephis was sure of it; Sunless never used his aspect, unlike Nephis, who always resorted to use her flame to win.
Nephis had never been good at social interactions. So during this period she spent with the three of them -Cassie, Yuki, and Sunless-she didn't get to know them very well, but there was one thing she was sure of about Sunless, or as he had told her to call him, Sunny.
He has many secrets, not to mention that strange snake tattoo he wore under his shirt. If it weren't for their spar sessions, Nephis would have never noticed it.
Sunny didn't seem to have any ill intentions, in Cassie's opinion.
Training with him, however, was very helpful to Nephis. Ever since Nephis decided to create his own battle art, she'd always been stuck combining moves from different styles in a crude and uneven way.
Every time their swords crossed, Sunny seemed to dull her technique.
This was perfect for her! Exactly what she needed if she wanted to achieve her dream.
Nephis was now sure of it, more than anyone else, that Sunny was an ally she needed.
Seeing that he was still lying on the ground, Nephis approached him and offered her hand to help him up.
Sunless, without too many compliments, accepted it.
"If we're done for today, I should go." Told her Sunny once standing up, still holding her hand.
He couldn't wait to claim his Memory Relic. Besides, he had to meet Jet today to receive the Memories he requested from her in the trade.
"Why?" Nephis asked him with curiosity.
"Well! I have an appointment with a gorgeous master, and as a gentleman, I can't let her wait too long."
Nephis blinked; she probably was thinking that he was lying.
Even if she wasn't so sure. This guy seems completely unable to tell the full truth or at least an half-lie.
At that moment, Yuki and Cassie entered the gym.
Stopping in front of the door, Yuki's gaze fixed on Sunny and Nephis, particularly on their joined hands. Their faces were too close.
The two turned to her, their eyes meeting.
For some reason, no one spoke.
The room fell into an awkward silence.
'What the hell is going on?' Sunny wondered.
He had held Cassie's hand several times these days, but it's never led to this kind of awkward situation.
Why was it different now that he was holding Nephis's hand?
After a while, oblivious to what was happening, Cassie, who was being escorted by Yuki, asked: "Are we there?"
"Yes." Said Yuki, turning to her, saying nothing else.
Sunny let go of Nephis's hand and headed for the door.
"Okay! I'm done for today; now I'll leave it to you. Neph, be careful with training Cas. Yuki... try not to overdo it. I have to go. See you for dinner, same place, same time?"
Before any of the three girls could say anything, he ran away.
Halfway to meet Jet, along the Academy corridors.
Sunny walked with a puzzled expression, still confused by the awkward silence from earlier.
Trying to make sense of the situation, he turned to his shadow.
"What just happened?"
The shadow shrugged its shoulders as if to say, "I don't know."
Some might have characterized the situation as a romantic misunderstanding, but through the shadows, Sunny could tell otherwise.
Sunny shook his head to clear his thoughts; whatever had happened, it wasn't a priority right now.
He continued walking toward the meeting point.
After a couple of steps, he noticed two sleepers leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor.
They seemed to be waiting for someone.
Even shortly after leaving the gym, Sunny had already notice a couple of sleepers following him.
Activating his shadow sense, he sensed Caster and five of his minions approaching him.
'Gods, please! Don't tell me this is really happening?'
Sunny rolled his eyes in annoyance; apparently his favorite novel was about to turn into one of those predictable, boring school dramas.
Caster and his lackeys had surrounded him, four in front and five behind.
Some of them had mischievous smiles on their faces; others were staring at him.
Caster took two steps forward until he was inches away from him. His smile was mocking him, like someone looking at a cockroach.
But Sunless wasn't just any cockroach.
He is a NOBLE COCKROACH!
"Hello, sleeper Sunless! Where are you going?" Caster asked him in a light tone that didn't hide his mischief.
"A date, you know? A gorgeous master said she had to give me 'something,' and obviously I can't keep her waiting," Sunny said with a bored expression but also a printed smile on his face.
One of Caster's eyes twitched. Around him, one of his lackeys was about to advance, ready to beat Sunny to a pulp.
Caster, regaining his composure, raised a hand, signaling his men not to interfere.
Then he returned to Sunny, placing a hand on his shoulder. The grip was not gentle.
"Listen here, Mongrel! I don't know what shithole you came from. But you can't eat more than you can chew."
'It's Lord Mongrel for you Shithead! And what are you now, a villain from a cultivation novel?'
The grip of his hand on Sunless's shoulder tightened.
He leaned toward him.
"But if you know what is good for you, you should stay away from the Changing Star."
His mischievous smile widened, and his eyes sparkled with pleasure at being in a dominant position.
"But I'm a reasonable person, after all. If you call me Grandpa and lick my shoes... Maybe I can forgive your impertinence and let you live the rest of your life as a cripple."
'Hey, Heavenly Court! I'd got one. Call a righteous path Gu Master.'
Sunless was really bored of this situation.
He had plenty of ways to deal with this.
He could easily beat Caster into a pulp; meanwhile, the Priestess still in his shadow could easily deal with the others.
Gloomy was already on Caster's shadow, ready to strip its waves that connect it to him.
But Sunny can't just show off his strength. He had to hide his potential.
Before he could say or think something, a chill sensation ran across the corridor.
Sunless and Caster were both surprised.
Looking around, Sunny sees that the Legacy's lackeys were all frozen like statues of ice.
Before he could turn his head, Sunny saw Cassie flashing next to him and punching Caster right on his jaw.
Caster immediately falls on the floor. Sunny could swear to have seen a tooth or two fling out of his mouth.
'HOLY SH**!!! That's why they called her Song of the Fallen!'
After punching the Legacy to the ground, Cassie approached Sunny and hugged him tightly.
Still confused, he looked around and saw Yuki and Nephis behind him.
Yuki approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder where Caster was holding him, caressing him gently.
"Are you okay?" Yuki asked in her usual cold, soft voice.
"Uh, yes?" Sunny was taken aback.
"I'm fine. They weren't a treat to me. Actually, why are you here? I thought you were still training."
"I had a vision." Said Cassie suddenly, still holding him tightly with her head on his chest.
"Half an hour ago, I had a vision where Caster and a group of Sleepers were planning to teach you a lesson, something like 'Keep the rat in line.' I didn't know what they were plotting, but when you left the gym earlier, I told Yuki and Nephis about my vision and to follow you."
Sunless blinked, then stroked her hair with one hand and hugged her back with the other, a warm smile on his lips.
She was worried. Worried about him.
"Thanks, Cas. See? I told you that your visions would have saved me."
Meanwhile, Nephis approached him.
"I'm sorry." She said, bowing her head. "I suspected they'd target you, but I didn't expect Caster to be so mean."
Sunny, looking at her, shook his head and asked: "Don't worry. Rather, do you know why they were targeting me? It's true that always being around beautiful girls can cause jealousy, but this? It seems a bit too much."
Nephis nodded.
"Because Caster saw you as a rival."
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"Rival? Me? Why?"
"I will explain to you. I think that I owe you an explanation, but not here, not now."
The four of them looked around, seeing the other sleepers transformed into ice statues and Caster unconscious on the ground with a broken jaw.
'Caster is pratically dead but fuck it!'
"Yeah, maybe not here." Sunny nodded.
Yuki shook Sunny's shoulder to get his attention.
"Sunny. The date."
"Oh! Right. I almost forgot." said Sunny, placing a hand on his head.
"Date?" asked Cassie, lifting her head from his chest.
"Yes. Do you remember that Master Jet that I told you about? I asked her to trade a Memory for me. She made an appointment today to deliver the Memories she bought to me."
"And what memory did you trade, Sunny?" Asked this time, Nephis.
"Nothing much! Just an ascendant memory of the first tier."
Hearing this, the three girls were taken aback.
"Alright! I have to go. Neph, we will talk..."
"I'll come with you."
To stop him was the touch of the hand of Yuki, who grabbed his right hand.
Sunless turned to her, "Why?"
"They might try again." answered Yuki.
Nephis also nodded.
"She is right. Better if we come with you."
Sunny wanted to protest, but holding him back was the feeling of another hand holding his left hand.
Cassie.
Resigned to his fate, Sunless sighed and let the girls accompany him to his appointment with Jet.