Turning away the 3 walked to the gate an upon reaching the entrance sunny looked at the guards. Their eyes scanned over clear infatuation showing in their eyes
What made sunny most uncomfortable was that they also looked at him the same way
'I don't look that feminine dammit.... Do i? "
He did
But he was not allowing that. He released [Star of Divinity] and [Child of Dread] making the 2 shivers. They were about to say something maybe some foolish remark about them being useless or something but looking into Sunnys eyes they had to focus everything on not fainting. And that was with Sunny holding back.
Upon paying the fee they entered the castle and began walking. Eventually at a desk they came across a boy standing there. Short. Average looking. He offered to guide them around and so they agreed sunny noticed how his eyes lingered on Cassie . The boy should have been grateful that looks couldn't kill because right now he would have long entered the shadow realm if he did not evaporate into nothingness already
'Harper... This vile wretch is the reason that everything went wrong and now he dare try to test his shot with Cassie!'
Sunny managed to control himself and continued their tour, but his attributes made it 100% sure to Harper that if he didn't back of, he would die. Upon reaching to table where room registration was at hand, they were asked the question by another since Harper got the message loud and clear
"How many rooms do you want"
"1"
"1"
"2"
Sunny looked at the girls - 'Were they really that comfortable with me'
At the confused face of the person assigning rooms sunny spoke again cementing the room amount - "we want 2 rooms"
Sunny looked at the girls apologetically, but they realized he must have his plans because his eyes shone with a little glint.
And of course he did. He was going to be spending ALOT of time making memories and plotting
Upon looking at his Runes sunny saw the count
28/3000
Naturally the count went up because sunny and birdy had killed 100 fallen beasts whilst sunny and Nephis had killed some pathetic awakened beasts, 60 to be precise so the count flew
It was during one of Sunnys night walks as he sat on the ledge. Birdy had a live fallen monster in his hand. And such sunny prepared himself and allowed Birdy to begin his feast. And that was how sunny became a demon.
Sunny was already a demon now. Unknown to Nephis naturally. He didn't want to tell her that just yet. He had originally wanted to not attain demon hood until he began his journey away from the dark city but in the end, he decided to become one for 1 simple reason. The extra core will give him a lot more of his already extremely potent essence allowing him to make more memories easily
But that wasn't his main focus right now. He was looking at all the shards he had in is possession right now.
5 supreme shards
160 ascended shards
1225 awakened soul shards
"this is going to make my life ALOT easier"
And like that. Sunny had began forging memories using the shard body pieces he had instructed knighty to remove from his kills
By the time morning had come sunny had 120 awakened memories all of pathetic qualities.
"saint will be eating good for a long time"
Sunny looked out the window and saw the light of the sun return to the land. Then he began to open the door to his room attempting to go to the lunch hall. But upon opening he saw 2 people preparing to knock
"Morning Cassie, Nephis" - sunny said smiling warmly
"morning" - both their voices came. Cassie a bit more enthusiastic, Nephis reserved. Sunny knew they were standing there for a while because of shadow sense.
"Wanna walk to breakfast together?"
This time Nephis responded - "sure" - but her happy voice did not go unnoticed
Then they walked through the halls all of them getting looks especially the black-haired boy which they thought was some beautiful legacy heiress with the blond beauty who had her hand laced in his as they walked alongside the white-haired beauty which seemed to look at him with a predatory eye as if saying it loudly
'Back off'
Sitting down at a table they began to eat the food and then 2 guards began to walk up to them.
As they walked to the trio perhaps because this time their appearances already got them looks when they entered the hall Caster was already preparing to intervene. Get on Nephis good side gain her trust.
Little did the fool know there would be no need
When they approached the table and just before they spoke sunny released the hold he had on [Star of Divinity] and [Child of Dread].
Looking in their direction both men felt a supreme amount inferiority and dread and almost fainting on it they had walked past the trio in a hurry. Their arrogance was gone perhaps because the sense sunny gave of was very similar to someone they knew
Everyone in the hall looked at sunny in that moment. After all. He had the same ability that the bright lord's Armor did. The sense of fear he invoked was worse.
Then after a few moments walking through the doorway people appeared
'Here comes the king'
Sunny watched as the figures appeared in the hall one by one
Gemma, Tessai, Seishan, Kido and Last and most loyal of Gunlaug's dogs, Harus
Shortly after the bright lord himself walked into the grand hall
Gunlaug walked an air of royalty and sat atop the marble stone throne and as if he was some merciful lord he looked across the hall. Many gazes were averted looking away to avoid the echoes' ability to make one want to submit
Sunny had no such qualms. Looking into the Armor sunny could feel the bright lord tremble slightly at his stare as his sights set on him. But then so did every other sleeper he looked at. Even the maker of the blind Harus trembled under unrelenting gaze.
But they were smart. Once they had seen sunny not make a fuss about making the bright lord's men tremble, they realized he wanted no issues and choosing to not show their fear they ignored the events in order to save face.
After Gunlaug finished making everyone feel insignificant he spoke
"My subjects... Truly today is a wonderful day for justice, no?"
Sunny rolled his eyes - 'here comes the bullshit'
"After all what would we be without justice. Mere beasts no better than the nightmare creatures. So let me show you how just I am as your ruler ..."
From the opposite corridor 3 people entered. 2 guards holding a man by either arm as he flailed about like a headless chicken. Jubei
Everything from the went exactly as it did the last time. Jubei accused Andel and listed his crimes. And Gemma stood up to take Andel's place when the duel was introduced
But there was something that changed at this moment
Leaving his seat in the mist of all this chaos. Sunny waked through the halls unbothered by anyone's gazes. Not even his own companions who looked at him curiously
Walking up to the stage sunny stopped in front of the throne
"Lord Gunlaug if I may..."
Gunlaug looked at the boy. And so did everyone in the hall. They had all thought the kid had a death wish
"What is it" - Gunlaug spoke
"I would like to challenge Andel"
And like that the hall exploded into mummers and whispers
The new boy/girl willing to attack one of Gemma's path finders
"Why? it has nothing to do with you" - Gemma spoke from the side at the sudden development
"I have heard of his crimes. This castle is a safe place for the people we do not need scum like him here. I don't need to be the one affected to uphold justice"
Sunny paused looking at Gunlaug through the side of his eye - only to speak in a hateful tone
"And I won't stand in the same building with someone as undignified and unjust someone who would steal and use their power to cover their gambling debt"
Sunnys eyes looked at Gunlaug, yet his tone and direction showed that he was talking to Gemma who was trying to defend his pathfinder
Jubei looked at sunny his eyes full of confusion and fury - 'this dumb brat is going to get himself killed and steal my duel'
But he didn't get the chance to speak. Looking into Sunny's eyes an overwhelming sense of dread flooded his body. Unable to speak or look into those bottomless eyes again
"Do you have any problems with me taking your duel Jubei"
He hesitated his mind a flurry - "... Non... None at all"
Gemma was next to speak - "You spoke of a gambling debt... If it's just that I can pay it off, there is no need for any conflict "
Sunny's head snapped at his direction - "it's not about paying the debt. It's about upholding justice in this God dammed place. Justice is the only thing that had let you people survive so long. Isn't that right lord Gunlaug"
Sunny's head turned to the bright lord who had his arms spread out as if he was a priest spreading the word of God - "of course. In these harsh lands only, justice can guide us... So, newcomer how do you propose we uphold it"
Sunny smirked - "As I said. I wish to invoke the right of challenge"
Everyone in the hall grew even more silent. The whispers and mummers disappearing. This newcomer came into the castle and was already challenging a pathfinder. One under Gemma at that
"Very well then. Pathfinder Andel step out and began the challenge. If you succeed, you're free if you fail, you're guilty and the same for you newcomer "
...
Stepping out into the cleared platform they looked at each other. Sunny was calm but...
Sunny saw the overconfidence brewing in Andel as he summoned a blade. Not a bad one it was of the awakened rank possibly 3rd tier. Sunny also saw the looked of pity that he got from the audience.
"Introduce yourself and begin the battle" - Gemma spoke waving his hand expecting Andel to win. But that was just hopes.
"I am pathfinder Andel under Gemma" - Andel spoke proudly as if his title were royalty. At the top of the world
Sunny paused his voice shaking, struggling to hold in a laugh - "ah I don't know which name to use..."
Andel laughed - "Have you gone mad from fear already"
"Not at all Andel you see I'm just conflicted" - Sunny paused a second and the continued
"The name I was given by my mother was Sunless; my friends call me Sunny and yet the spell had called me by many titles. I was once known as a divine shadow. I was called the son of fate. I was even called a devil. Even the heir of Shadow God. Ah perhaps I'd introduce myself with my true name"
He paused struggling to hold back laughter at the looks everyone gave him
"Pathfinder Andel I, the Star of Darkness challenge you to a duel"
Everyone looked at the boy and stopped. A mere sleeper who had a true name. Everyone was prepared to laugh at the boys' ramblings but then a voice rang out from the crowd
Standing there the handsome archer spoke amongst the crowd
"He's.... He's not lying" - Kai stood there his face pale at the grand names the person on stage referred to himself as
Everyone knew Kai's flaw on the forgotten shore. They had been here for long and he either told then or they guessed so right now everything was silent once more.
Looking back at the boy Andel saw his eyes and shuddered. Every piece of his being told him to run. To escape. But he couldn't not in front of all these people not when Gemma was there. He had tried to cover for him if he were to run, he would most likely be killed.
Once they were allowed to start Andel decided to strike deadly at once, under the belief that the boy in front of him was inexperienced and wouldn't have expected a quick attack. But apparently irony was present because...
Because I'm mere moments one of Gemma's men. Path finder Andel lay dead. His head rolling away from his corpse
Sunny spoke 2 phrases pausing between
"Your nightmare is over; this is the mercy of shadow"
"Let that vile darkness within your soul empower me"
He spoke in a regular tone. As if he spoke to someone right in front of him. But everyone heard him.
Releasing his hold on [Star of Divinity] and [Child of Dread] Sunny scanned the room with his eyes. Everyone in the room shuddering at his gaze aside from Nephis and Cassie. Everyone knew it. Right now, they were looking at the living representation of...
'Death!'
Even Gunlaug felt it in his bones - 'This boy was someone who got a true name in his first nightmare, He isn't normal.'
Everyone was afraid of the new boy. But none more than Seishan. Her mind was boiling with thoughts. Because she was a legacy, not any legacy but the daughter of a sovereign and a holder of a divine lineage. So, she knew the weight of Sunnys words
' Mother had said that shadow god's lineage was lost... So how does he have it. He is someone I should watch out for... Especially since he is with Nephis'
A powerful one had joined them
Gunlaug spoke this time. His voice carrying some unknown emotion - "Pathfinder Andel, Guilty"
And with those words. The lord if the bright castle and his group. Left the hall
Sunny walked back to his place besides Nephis and Cassie and continued to eat he successfully ignored all the looks he got from everyone. Nephis and Cassie had already expected the events to play out just as they did. Caster who was walking over naturally did not. Even being bested my sunny he knew just how fearsome the path finders were - 'to have died just like that I'm glad I got on his good side in the academy '
The foolish idiot really thought that sunny gave him a happy hand after their duel when sunny advised him.
After everyone ate, they had begun to leave the hall. One by one they left all shooting fearful glances at sunny
Sunny, Nephis and Cassie were walking through the halls of the bright castle. Caster with them too
The legacy had walked over to then and began to converse with sunny who just shooed him of to Nephis and said that she was in charge. He had no intention of dealing with the Bastard unless it involved killing him.
It was clear. Sunny did not want to talk
After Caster had left to his room sunny Nephis and Cassie found themselves outside their respective doors. Stopping for a moment asked them to enter his room and he looked at the girls and spoke his voice heavy
"Nephis, Cassie you must have known... But I'm going to be leaving for a bit"
Cassie spoke her voice tinged with sadness - "I knew you were going to say something like that... Why are you leaving sunny... It's safe here"
"Cassie is right sunny. Even if you want to grow stronger, we've proven that we can work well together"
Sunny refused to leave any room for negotiation - "Cassie as I told you... I can form multiple cores, and I need to get to that as fast as possible. And Nephis the reason I can't take you with me is because..."
He smiled his face evil
"I saw that glint in your eyes and I know you've been formulating your plan, me, I have a different role "
Nephis looked at him - "what roles are you talking about"
"Your duty. To plan be a leader a monarch. Cassie is to be a helper a person whose ideas will change this place. Me I have a different role in this story"
Cassie looked at the direction of his voice about to ask but he spoke. His voice carrying a heavy tone
"my role is to be the blade. The just killer. And to do so I need to go get stronger form a core or 2 to become stronger"
Nephis looked at him her eyes showed understanding, but her heart felt sore
Sunny wasted no time bothering to comfort them. After all he knew. If they asked him to. He would have stayed - 'I really can't say no to her'
"1 month from now I plan to go into the sea again. Before I leave I will visit you once more"
They heard his voice his words mundane but his tone sure. They knew there was no changing his mind. Even if he had told anyone else that sunny was going into the sea they would've thought him mad. But they knew
Cassie hugged sunny as Nephis stood there ever so lightly biting her lip in helplessness and longing
...
On both the second and third day at the bright castle sunny had attempted to distance himself from the girls in order to lessen the thoughts of him leaving. Unfortunately that was useless
Cassie and Nephis had tried to spend as much time as possible reminiscing of their meetings at the academy and their journey as if they were old.
Sunny hadn't needed to stay in the bright castle, but he always had a reason for his actions. That reason was simple
Connections