While sunny was 'unconscious' his mind was still awake or his soul he didn't really know not did he bother to question it
It seemed that his [Last Weaver] attribute not only gave him the benefits of weaving but also of a little lesser version of the weave lineage memories. It was either the fragment of his former soul weave or the mind weave that he never managed to acquire that was allowing him to be in his soul sea 'awake'
after he was done analyzing his runes and gloating the fact that he was now a monster. Miles ahead of nephis as well as his past life. He began to plan for the upcoming events
'it's not long from. Now what Cassie will have that dreaded vision... I wonder if anything will change'
Sunny suspected that it wouldn't seeing as how hid fate was the same as last life the only all difference being he can change it but to the world it would go as planned. Similar to how even if he had engaged more with Cassie at the academy she was still sent to the other statue but the only difference was. That he brought her to him
After sunny was contemplating the upcoming events and how to deal with many of it. He couldn't see any way that he could change things easily. The only sure fire way to make things progress better was with strength and cunning. Of which he had the cunning but unfortunately he needed a bit more strength
Sunny estimated that when it did occur sunny knew that 1 month after that they would have to reach the ashen barrow and once again... The Soul Devouring tree
Even after he's hunting sprees sunny hasn't come across a charm to enhance his mind defences aside from the little bit he got from puppeters shroud so facing the tree again was again going to be a bit of a problem. Once upon a time a supreme or not he was now just a sleeper.
Pausing with an odd expression on his face Sunnys face shifted into a smirk. A little Devilish but he couldn't help it - 'that tree can't do nothing to me with mind weave"
After the revelation set in sunny paused
Looking towards the distance sunny saw them. The shades of all the creatures he had killed so far. Numerous carrapce scavengers. Some of the bloodtooth. The screech. Sneaks. All of them.
Sunny knew that he was able to see the shadows of the creatures he killed resting in his soul after he had acquired blood weave. The blood in his body had enhanced his sight to a decent degree. Now he couldn't help but wonder what it would do when he acquired it. He doubted that he would get the attribute since it was already a part of [Last Weaver]
'Only one way to find out. Kill that vile birds spawn and get it back'
Glancing away from his currently small army of shades sunny shifted his sight to something else
Looking at his now 2 cores and the orbs of memories and echos/shadows floating amongst them sunny summoned all three
Serpent had grew a bit more. Now from a 20 metre long snake she now grew by another 10 .Her eyes also seemed to glow in that eerily beautiful purple
Sunny was also glad since serpent was now significantly more powerful. The forgotten shore had very few creatures that she couldn't best. Out of the water of course
Sunny had noticed that serpent had all her attributes aside from the [Mark of Shadows] including soul guide. But now being a monster making memories will be a lot easier. Memories that he needed to grow his soon coming saint
Sunny rose his head to look at her and then...
And then she did something odd. She slithered across the dark waters and nudged Sunny's face with her snout
Sunny was surprised but collected himself and petted her. His hand seeming insignificant on her large head but caused her to huff in contentment. Sunny had been wondering why the description of [Heir of shadows] seemed to basically say all shadows Will love him but now he got his answer
Once he returned her to rest amongst his core. He turned to shadow knight who inturn walked to sunny and placed his hand on his head and patted it then returned to a salute of sorts similar to saint but instead he just placed his hand on his chest and lowered it. Looking at he noble looking creature sunny had decided that he needed to grow his strength. Being a devil now becoming a tryrant would be a massive boon. But the question remained. How does sunny increase his rank to ascended from awakened.
Knighty as Cassie called him, which sunny believed she did because she can't see his glorious yet terrifying form, didn't have the [Soul Bound] attribute. Nor did he grow with aspect legacy improvements. And sunny suspected that he wouldn't grow by eating like a certain ravenous fiend. So how?
That was a question which answering would be a great boon
Upon returning Knighty. He looked at the carapce echo. He suspected that like saint increasing the rank of a shadow that he created would require memories. Since he had transformed her into a shadow he naturally thought of he'd do the same to the scavenger. It would work the same. True it wasn't like he could transform it into a shadow right now because he had just used all his fragments on becoming a monster. But the carrapace echo was just an awakened beast. He estimated that awakened would take just about 200 to transform. Just like saint. So that became his next goal. Which mind you he could be considered close to completing already. With the few remaining shards in his collection.
He looked at the echo of the [Shocking Screech] and decided against summoning it. It definitely needed a lot more time to heal after sunny sent it on a hunt
Sunny looked around the soul sea for a bit. Enjoying the view.
At his feet lay waters as dark as night with specks of white within them as if it was the night sky in some vast untouched part of the dream realm
Looking above him sunny saw the sky was very much the same only with the 'stars' here giving of a more shiny view naturally since they weren't in water. He had contemplated the reason why his soul sea had changed but that was quite the obvious answer
'a result of being able to hold soul essence i guess'
Sunny looked at the 2 black cores knowing what it looked like before sunny never analyzed it properly this time around, so he was quite shocked with its new appearance
In each core seemed to be a nebula of sorts. Created of black and white as they mixed but didn't combine the black here however was different a shady black . But then sunny noticed something different.
When sunny became a Titan previously his 7 cores formed a ring around a sort of empty space. Before it seemed to be cool for aesthetic purposes. But this time around sunny saw something else in that empty space within where the empty space should be. Invisible unless you looked closely. Was a mass of darkness. Within that mass the darkness swirled in circles constantly vague shapes visible within it.
"The dark souls" - sunny was exasperated
It was beautiful. So eerily beautiful.
An 8th core. Sunny realised it. True it didn't give essence or collect it. But it was a core non the less. A core that seemed capable of growing and expanding endlessly. But unlike jet. The contents didn't need to be refilled and could be stored
After much thinking sunny gave this core a name
'On the day the gods fought all who weren't gods or daemons were practically insignificant beasts' monsters demons devils tyrants terrors titans.... All fell in the face of the divine who were known as God's. Not divine titans or well profane titans for the daemons but by God's and daemons so....'
Sunny said in a nostalgic reminiscing tone as he scoured through what he had learnt about his universe and then his eyes seemed to focus on the core again. Peering into it with intensity as if he had figured something out
'God core seems fitting '
Taking a last look around towards the direction of the cores. And then to the waters beyond the black fog sunny felt his body's condition return to a good enough degree and decided to wake up.
Leaving his soul sea sunny felt his head resting on something soft. It was an odd feeling in the dream realm but not unwelcome. He saw nephis who currently had her hand on her head as she was speaking to Cassie about something our sleepy sunny couldn't discern
she noticed the boy on her lap twitch and wake up with a startle. She couldn't see it on herself but she currently had a blush as crimson as the boy who now stood in front of her.
The silence was deafening. So once more being the perfect girl she is Cassie saved the day -"Nephis you were just telling me about why you didn't trust that boy Caster... Even if I swear, he seems to like you. Why did you stop"
Sunny took this chance to tease them - "oh nothing. But it's cool you girls are having a little girl talk session... Mind if I join?"
Cassie hearing his voice began to let little tears flow from her sky-blue eyes. And jumped up flinging herself in his direction - "sunny what happened Nephis said she saw you and then you fainted are you okay. Why do you keep scaring me like this"
She held onto the shoulder guards of the puppeteer's shroud and jerked him back and forth demanding an explanation
Sunny wrapped Cassie in a hug. His one hand rubbing calming circles into her back while the other held her head to his shoulder. It truly was heartwarming to see how close they'd become just like the past before... Everything
"I'm okay Cass. It's just that forming a new core is Hella painful it's because humans weren't meant to have more than 1 "
Cassie didn't respond so sunny led her back to where she was sitting.
After sitting down sunny asked her to summon the endless spring. Being to sad to comprehend why she just did it and handed it to sunny
"so uh... Anyone hungry?"
As if the word was some trigger both girls stomachs rumbled. Both grew a furious blush but to their surprise sunny didn't tease them. And to nephis who could see she saw the sad smile on sunnys face as if he was guilty
" sorry I fainted with the food in my storage memory"
Nephis and sunny had forgotten all about his sleeping position by now. She sensed something about this boy. As if he was her other piece and she couldn't explain why. Being with him felt right. As if she had found a true companion
"it's fine we survived"
Sunny nodded and took out a large helping of scavenger meat and divided it into 3 halves sharing it to the 2 and then himself
"Sunny why didn't you go hunting today" - Cassie managed to get out through the food in her mouth
"Oh, I won't be hunting for a while. I've been thinking about which direction we should go and to be honest it's a headache. We need to find a citadel, so I was thinking we go east maybe? I don't know. Also, I see no need for hunting since I can get fragments as we travel and my third reason is that I will be hunting at night and during the day focus solely on moving no hunting
Nephis responded quickly as if she had already analyzed the benefits of his plan - "Yes, that does seem like the best option. Though you are able to hunt at night which will aid your growth. Focusing on moving would be the best for us all"
Sunny nodded - "Oh Cass your friend serpent here grew up a bit"
"What?"
"When I became a monster, she did too here I'll bring her out"
Serpent moved from around Her tattoo form around his body and formed on the ground. Her body filling a quarter of the platform. Sunny looked at her and nodded giving her permission to engage with the blonde... Serpent shifted her immense size and moved towards Cassie. Laying her head on her lap lightly. Cassie smiled brightly and began to pet serpent
"She is fond of your shadow" - Nephis who was quietly observing said
"Yeah, and my shadow seems fond of her. Probably realized I see Cass as my sister"
Nephis nodded. As she began to walk away she heard sunny call her she saw him sit at the corner of the platform.
She walked with him as he sat on the edge of the platform and motioned her to sit there too
"Nephis. I want you to trust me"
"I do"
To say her response shocked him would be a bit of an understatement. But regardless he nodded and looked at her
"Nephis I know alot of what is going to happen soon. You can call it my first nightmare but I learnt alot of the future. So I know alot about you. About Cass. And our fate"
Nephis was now absorbed on his speech so he continued with a sigh. But his next words caused her to tense.
"I know your goal is to destroy the sovereigns"