Once the roar of the incoming sea subsided and the waters stilled as if there were not possibly thousands of horrors just beneath the still surface - but there was another horror on the surface of the statue head - A Star of Ruin, a Heir of the Sun and the last living heir of a dead clan - Nephis, whom currently had a furious pink blush playing on her face
'... P... Princess?!'
Why in the name of the dead gods would Sunless call her princess - She knew he didn't mean it in the sense of her clan lineage of her God lineage, which he shouldn't know about anyway
"Pfft bhahaha your face is priceless"
Nephis was taken aback - "you can see in the dark?"
Waiting for a verbal response she was shocked when the hand was placed on her head and just as it came to rest on her head her hand went into position ready to grasp the Dream blade, but she was not able to. When his hand began to move placing gentle pats onto her head, she couldn't find herself able to do anything - The feeling was amazing, though it was not something she could show
Or could she? - would he trust her more - or at least treat her as something more than a mere acquaintance
Before she was able to create a response, she felt him retract his hand and suddenly it seemed that the cold air of the dream realm grow so much colder and so much lonelier as is something so important, something so precious had been lost
"Come Nephis let's go sit down and rest by Cass"
"While we relax, we can share out abilities and strengths - since we will be working together for a while" - Cassie spoke with much excitement
To which Sunny responded with much enthusiasm - "Brilliant plan Cass - come Neph" - Nephis had heard him say before feeling an arm a bit smaller than Her's be placed on her shoulder gently pushing her towards the direction that Cassie's voice came from
After walking for a few moments, she felt Sunny press her shoulder with the smallest bit of pressure, and she took his signal to sit down - Perhaps she had become relaxed due to the presence of someone else that gave of a similar air to herself, but the mind of a warrior trained to kill could remain lenient for only so long
"We can discuss our abilities in the morning when the Sun is up, and we can see an enemy and when we actually have an opportunity to respond or retreat" - she said now holding the summoned dream blade
Sunny smiled invisible to all in the darkness - "don't worry Nephis, my shadow will warn us"
Nephis visibly relaxed at Sunny's words a little curious she dismissed the Dream blade and questioned - "Your shadow?"
And a very enthusiastic Cassie responded - "this is why I requested we share our strengths"
"Well, Nephis, Cass if this doesn't highlight the need I don't know what does" - Sunny spoke in a way that even in the darkness Nephis could tell of the smile playing on his lips
Nephis could not understand why he treated her so differently compared to Cassia - as if she were still just a mere sparring partner, it honestly seemed like less - like he found it just a necessity to deal with her as they share this nightmare. Well, she saw an opportunity in his coldness and decided to speak first
"I'll go first" - she stopped waiting if any objections were brought up
"My aspect is that if the divine rank"
Nephis paused letting the reality of that sink in - It was something that had never before been seen before
"You also have a divine aspect?" - came Cassie surprised voice
"Also?"
"Yeah, sunny also has a divine aspect I was really surprised you guys are probably the first people in the world to have divine aspects"
Nephis looked in Sunny's direction - "You have a divine aspect?"
Sunny remained quiet for a few seconds making an odd tension grow in the air - "It's better for Cassie to go first, Aspect details and abilities, any memories and echoes - Nephis you can go next and I'll speak last"
It was obvious to both Cassia and Nephis that Sunny's voice seemed to grow cold. As if his mind was calculating something important but needed time. Regardless Cassie responded
"Okay me first I guess...so lady Nephis I'm technically only telling you since sunny already knows about all my skills"
Nephis nodded quickly realizing that Cassie couldn't see being blind and that it was dark, so she responded - "okay go ahead"
"My aspect is of the sacred rank I sometimes get visions of the future, and I can also see the attributes of others including nightmare creatures. I'm no good in a fight so I might be a burden..." - Suddenly Cassie paled and realized what she said "...But I will try my best to be of help"
Sunny grumbled - "better"
Nephis was slightly confused - "better?"
"Yeah, every time I accidentally say something mean about myself sunny always gives me a long talk about how I shouldn't say that and I'm helpful and that he will care for me regardless and a whole bunch of other stuff. I've heard it like 20 times since Sunny, and I first met at the academy"
Nephis took in the load of information and responded plainly - "I understand now"
Cassie nodded forgetting the darkness
"Yeah, Anyway I have no echoes, but I have 4 memories. A staff that creates a bit of wind and also, I have a bottle of water that is endless, a long rope and this outfit Sunny made"
Nephis made a note of that resisting the impulse to look in his direction
"Sunny is right all of those seem very helpful" - That statement made Cassie happy
Once Cassie had stopped Nephis began - "My turn I suppose. As I mentioned my aspect is of the divine rank, I can create a divine flame that can harm and also heal. I have 2 memories, A blade and an armor that makes it less likely for enemies to notice me and those around me and I have, like Cassie no echoes"
Now eyes turned to sunny who was thinking to himself - 'Nephis shared a lot more than last time... She trusts me... Well now us more"
'Well, I guess it's my turn'
"Cassie knows my abilities best in this world aside from myself of course but even you don't know the whole truth Cass, So listen"
Cassie was confused. It was true even though she knew his abilities Sunny had always been vague. She never questioned it as not many shared all the details of their strength that's what her parents had said
"As you know my aspect gives me an affinity to shadows and darkness but that's not the truth the truth is that I have 2 aspects"
Eyes widened and Jaws dropped, Both the seer and the Lightbringer were baffled
Simultaneously both of them said
"2 aspects !?"
Cassie continued - "How, No one has ever had 2 aspects. That.... That's impossible"
"Yes, Cass that should be impossible but I'm sort of an outlier. I'd appreciate if you don't ask me how I got my abilities or inquire about my past it's.... Not a topic I like to discuss"
The tone in Sunny's voice seemed he had a tough childhood and that his first nightmare was not something he could speak of easily. Little did the girls know he was actually speaking about his past as in his past life. The thoughts of changing stars body going limp beside him and Cassie dying alone in the tower he couldn't help but feel a mix of sadness and anger. The silence continued until sunny spoke again
"You don't have to even doubt the reliability of the things that I tell you. My flaw is that I can't speak a word of lie."
Nephis looked at his direction sunny sensed the question she was about to ask so he spared her from asking he responded - "Yes, Nephis I'm fine hearing my flaw with you 2. Firstly, because I know Cassie, secondly because I have already guessed your flaw during our spars and third because... I trust you both"
Nephis looked at sunny. Her eyes gained a brighter hue in the darkness - 'he trusts me'
Cassie and Neph stayed quiet in the few following seconds taking it all in then sunny began to speak again
"Both my aspects are of the divine rank as I have mentioned. 1 gives me an affinity for shadows. I can detach and use my shadow as a scout or wrap it around myself or memories or echoes to strength them. I am also able to turn into a shadow and use the shadows to extend my senses to. My second aspect gives me an affinity to darkness. It basically makes me invisible in all form of darkness as well as allows me to steal the darkness from what I kill. I've noticed it stays in my soul sea and that I can call it forth and create tangible objects"
"that's.... That's incredible sunny" - was Cassie response
"Ah I'm not quite done Cass"
Now Nephis responded. Not to him but she seemed to be grumbling - "how is there more abilities"
"It... Took a lot to get these abilities Neph... Somethings I might actually prefer to not go through"
Nephis and Cassie realized their mistake. It was obvious. To get great power requires great pain. It was not an event of luck rather it was a path of pain that led to a good result. A prize
"Something that I have also realized in the academy after I had experimented with my powers is that I am able to heal using the darkness. Stupid as it maybe someone cut their hand when trying to butter their toast. TOAST for god's sake. Dumbass. Well anyways I healed him... But still, that doesn't mean we can become complacent because Neph and I both have healing abilities. We need to still be safe and if prefer if I didn't need to heal anyone of us any time soon "
Cassie smiled at that - He didn't wasn't them to get hurt
"Oh, also Cassie, you wouldn't know this, but divine aspect users can form multiple cores like nightmare creatures."
After the gravity of that settled in, she responded - "really that's amazing. You guys will have a lot of essence reserves when you become awakened"
"Yeah but saturating our cores will be a hustle. Each one requires a thousand more shard's than the last... Assuming since as non-divine aspects have their soul core capacity expand as they increase their rank"
Now Nephis spoke up - "I thought the same thing once I notice the plural of soul cores. In my description your conclusion is highly probable"
"Hmm anyway. As for my memories and echoes. I have one of those carapace scavengers while hunting today. And I have an odd ability an extension of my aspect"
Both of the girls were deeply interested. So, they once again responded simultaneously - "what is it"
"I can sort of turn the echoes of creatures I get into shadows provided I was the one to kill them. They act just as regular echoes, but they can grow in power and get an affinity to darkness and shadows both as they were created my me"
Nephis response came - "that's a powerful ability. It also explains the odd knight as well as the serpent you got"
"Yes, both are shadow creatures..." - Sunny of course didn't mention the fact that he didn't transform either of those to shadow creatures - "...actually, serpent who is she by the way. Was a reward from my aspect legacy"
"sunless" - Nephis voice came cold as steel - "How in the world do you have you, as a sleeper have your aspect legacy unlocked"
"Honestly I was struggling to survive and started hallucinating that unlocked a key point I needed and as for Shadow Knight"
Nephis looked slightly concerned and stupefied - because even though Sunny used a play on words, she did not know that, to her it seemed he came so close to death that he had no choice other than to become stronger
Cassie had interrupted him before he could go any further - "knighty"
Sunny paused - "huh... What do you mean?"
"Knighty, that's what you should call shadow knight"
Both Nephis and sunny looked at her confused before sunny had begun to laugh
"Sure Cass. Any way as I was saying my echo is scavenger, I haven't turned him into a shadow as I'm saving up to get my monster core. I have a feeling it will be a bigger boon than another shadow in the long run"
"a logical conclusion"
"As for memories I have quite a few. A small badge that increases stealth. And a charm that adds poison to any weapon. I have this armor which I got from my first nightmare awakened and so is both blades that I have. One from here and the other from my nightmare the one from my nightmare inducing a bleeding effect. Oh, and I have my transcendent armor which kind of only works in the ocean. And lastly, I have my personal favorite. A really loud bell"
The silence was defeating. Cassie had already known about his memories and how he got them. But the news of a transcendent armor was new. Both Cassie and Nephis she was once again for like the 109th time. Baffled
"Transcendent... Transcendent armor?!"
"Yeah, long story again. It was basically dying, and I got the last hit. 1st night here by the way"
"I see"
"Wait sunny you said that you could use your shadow to... Scout... Did you use it in the academy" - Nephis had asked
"of course, why wouldn't I"
Cassie couldn't help but tense - "Did... Did you... Um... You know"
Sunny was confused. "Know what"
Nephis had answered before Cassie to her relief - "did you use your ability for anything... Inappropriate"
Sunny had realized what they were implying
"No no no of course not, I just used it to attend other lessons"
Thankfully after the girls remembered he can't lie they relaxed. To which sunny had acted depressed they would accuse him of such a thing. After the round of sadness from Cassie and guilt from Nephis sunny had claimed he was just joking so that situation was resolved
...
After the extremely taxing share session they had. Sunny, Cassie and Nephis had chosen a corner and sat down to sleep. To which sunny had said he would take watch. After she suggested leaving his shadow or the fact that they could do shifts sunny then he brought up the fact that he didn't need to sleep for long times or eat or drink. Which pissed her off more
How was he so strong.
Nephis didn't know why but despite spending the later half of the day unconscious. She felt her eyes tire. And soon they closed shut
Sunny who was still wide awake. Took the opportunity to summon Devourer of the depths and made his way into the great Titan again
Sunny had decided not to overdo it tonight seeing as how he didn't want to endure the pain of forming a new core deep in the ocean surrounded my nightmare creatures. So, he decided he'd get as close as possible to getting his second core
Taking serpent with him and leaving a healed shadow knight to guard the girls he began to descend serpent trailing close behind.
sunny couldn't find any dormant creatures he could kill with ease. It was a shame that this damn shore didn't have a single One. The thought of finding eradicating the last few dormant creatures in the forgotten shore was both exciting and irritating. But unfortunately, he had no such luck. Dormant were far too weak to live here.
As he swam around keeping in mind to stay close to the statue and not get lost him and serpent had come across a mermaid like creatures. All awakened monsters just like the scavengers only these didn't have crab like upper halves they had scaly frog like upper bodies. Very muscular bodies
Moving in sunny killed 20 of them and serpent another 40 . He finished using the armors claws to get the soul shards from them he moved on whist analyzing the memory he got [staff of the Sea], being from a beast it had one enchantment which was to store and shoot water like a little jet
But that wasn't really all. He had got a ton of shards too and then he noticed the creature
On the opposite end of where he was, he found the monster that had attacked them later on in the future. The odd glowing jellyfish like creature only this one seemed... Bigger and... Purple?
Sunny moved in and commanded serpent to dispose of the creature. And she did. As she was practically invisible in the water so the creature only noticed her when she was visible in its glow. Too late by then
[you have killed a fallen monster: Shocking Screech]
[you have received an echo]
Sunny naturally was beyond glad. Serpent being a snake like creature was able to battle in the water too. But unfortunately the scavenger echo and shadow knight couldn't. Now he had another helper in the sea. And a fallen no less
After summoning it sunny had looked at the echo and did something odd
Using [Dark imbuement] sunny sent the darkness from a few of the awakened ones he had into the echo and immediately the glow it gave of disappeared slightly. It was now covered in darkness and gave of a slight shine behind the veil of darkness
Instructing it to avoid any creatures that resembled fallen and only attack awakened. Beasts or monsters nothing else. Sunny decided it was time to return to the statues head
Originally reading 720/1000. Sunny had began to crush the cores
Being monsters each creature that he killed down there gave him 2 soul cores each. All of which would give him 2 fragments per individual. Sunny was smart and decided against smashing the 2 fallen shards as he wanted to upgrade the bag of holding to be able to keep things fresh. It was a good thing that he had remembered the weave of the [Ever fresh] attribute he engraved into the [Green canteen]
After the continuous crushing the counter now 840/1000
And he knew that very soon the counter would go up since he had a little fallen monster in the depths that would slaughter any awakened beast of monster
...
A few hours had passed since Sunny and serpent returned to the surface. And his count had begun rising steadily after he had already absorbed the shards. That shocking screech seemed to be terrorizing the creatures down there
After a bit it had already killed a large number. He could tell because as he was weaving the shards into the new and improved bag of holding the spell would keep on updating him causing him to lose focus and the needle of darkness to break. But thankfully after a long time it was complete. Now able to successfully keep food fresh for a long time and now an ascended memory of the 2nd tier. The second enchantment had simply given it more room
Almost on cue sunny had just finished his little project when the echo had crawled out of the water. Sunny noticed the gleaming soul shards within its body. Naturally sunny had instructed it to remove the shards from the corpses and bring it to him
After the echo went on its killing mission Sunnys count had raised to 920/1000
Put simply that translated to the echo had slaughtered 40 awakened creatures. And after counting the shards sunny realized that 27 were beasts and 13 were monsters. Giving him a whopping 49 shards which would translate to 98 fragments. But it wasn't without cost. The echo seemed to be on the verge of destruction. Sunny estimated at least a month of recovery and so he dismissed it
Sunny looked at the glistening mound of shards on the ground and decided
'Time to become a monster... Wait that didn't sound right... Agh never mind'
Ater crushing 39 shards the count read 998/1000
Looking at the shard in his hand sunny had temporarily laid it aside and packed away all the meat he removed when he was remodeling the bag of holding and the few remaining shards. And left the last shard back. Calling all if his echoes and shadows sunny took the last shard
And crushed it
As if it were timed perfectly the sun rose and the sea retreated. Nephis woke up first and noticed sunny sweating and panting crazily while his fists here crunched as he was on his knees. Surrounded by serpent, the knight and an oddity amongst the shadow creature the carapace echo. All looking serious as if they were guarding sunny
"Sunny what.... What happened"
"Ah nothing Neph, just a reminder though. When you get enough fragments to form a new core remember something okay"
Nephis was stunned. AGAIN. Sunny had already got a monster core. Meaning that he by now had killed 100s of creatures. Coming out of it she asked him while walking towards him to make sure he is okay
"What must I remember sunny. "
"It hurts like a bitc--" and then. He fainted the exhaustion from the hunt and the last few days paired with the momentary pain of his body being ripped and reconstructed. He fainted. Shadow or not. It was made clear that he had his limits