'Finally!'
Sunny had just killed his worst enemy... himself.
No, he did not literally kill himself, but he had killed a reflection of himself.
He was currently under Bastion in a large room covered in mirrors.
The same room he had visited with Cassie, and the same room that manifests your biggest fears.
And apparently Sunny feared himself.
Well, a version of himself that was corrupted and knew too many secrets of the void.
He had killed many things as he traversed the rooms filled with his fears.
The Winter Beast, Solvane, some sort of water creature.
And himself.
After all of that, he found himself in a room devoid of mirrors.
Instead, at the center stood a simple pedestal.
It was not grand, not regal, not remarkable in any way.
But to him, it was one of the most beautiful sights he had seen in his life.
Because on it lay a single piece of bloody, raw flesh.
It was around the size of his fist, and the aura it radiated told of immense power.
But to Sunny, the aura meant nothing. He only felt an indescribable hunger, it felt like he was almost complete, and the last piece of his puzzle was right in front of him.
As he approached the feeling only got stronger, until the moment where he could no longer hold himself back.
With quick steps, he reached the pedestal and grabbed the flesh.
It felt warm in his hand, he could feel it pulsing slightly under his grip, the remnants of heart beats.
Clearly it had somehow defied times grasp and had stayed the same as the moment it was ripped from Weaver's body.
Without even thinking about his actions, he brought it to his face and took a large bite out of the warm flesh.
The taste was something he could not put into words, after swallowing the first bite he took a second, then a third and quickly it was gone.
He seemed taken aback that it was gone, but soon he felt a familiar sensation in his body.
'Damna-'
As he groaned in pain, he fell to one knee.
He had an incredible pain tolerance, but for some reason it felt different this time.
His entire body burned with power beyond his comprehension, he felt like something was happening to him.
Something that had nothing to do with receiving a weave.
He would have been right.
He had received a weave yes, but that was not the source of the power nor the excessive pain he was feeling.
Soon the pain became simply overwhelming, and he lost consciousness.
In a dark space, Sunny's mind was thinking of why he felt so much pain, and why he was in his current state.
As his guesses and hypothesis swirled in his mind, a familiar, rather feminine voice sounded in his ears.
[Lost from Light, you have been chosen by Weaver for great things. In his visions he foresaw you and your goals, but he also had his own goals for you to achieve. Thus, he understood you would not abandon your world and those you care for to pursue his wishes. He knew that your world would be consumed and wished for nothing more than to help you achieve your goals. So, this is his gift to you. Save your world with your own hands, with your own knowledge, with your own effort.]
Sunny was incredibly startled by the voice of the spell. He had not heard it in many years, and now it was speaking to him. Not to give him a memory or tell him about his kills. No, it was conversing with him directly.
'What the hell is going on? Why can I hear the Spell?'
[You have been chosen by Weaver, but he understands your struggles. He has long entrusted a gift to you, only to be claimed when you have completed his lineage. That gift is perhaps the greatest of all, a second chance.]
'A... second chance...'
Sunny's mind swirled as he thought over the Spell's words. Was he to believe that the spell was lying?
But why would an omniscient spell lie to him, let alone spend time talking to him just to lie to him.
Slowly Sunny understood that it was not a trick, not a lie, this was real.
"What do you mean 'second chance'?"
A few seconds of silence passed before he heard the voice again.
[Weaver has chosen to defy his longtime ally and return you and your destined counterpart through the strings of Fate. He has used his knowledge and power to send you and her back in what you call time. He has ripped you from a certain point in the strings of Fate and returned you to a previous spot in the tapestry.]
Sunny could not believe his ears.
'What did it mean, the thing you call time.'
Then it dawned on him.
The Spell was ancient, omnipresent, and timeless.
It did not care for things like the passage of time. More than that, it was so incredibly powerful and ancient that its view of the world had changed to that of something like a robot.
Well not exactly, but that is why it only announced kills to people and did not answer questions.
It simply found no reason to.
Suddenly Sunny thought about something he had wished to know for a long time.
"Hey, why are you always calling me treacherous!? I am perfectly umm... trustworthy? Yea, I am not treacherous!"
The Spell was quiet for a long time before it spoke.
[You are the Treacherous Lost from Light.]
'What kind of answer is that?!'
He could not be bothered to ask again so he just huffed in annoyance and asked.
"Well, where am I going back to? Am I going to have to reclaim all of his lineage?"
There was no response for a very long time, Sunny was not sure how long exactly because there was nothing around him but the endless darkness.
But when he did hear the Spell's voice again, it was not to answer his question.
[Lost from Light! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
Sunny's jaw almost dropped.
'What kind of answer is that? You just throw me into my first nightmare?'
At that moment, Sunny felt the touch of iron on his wrists.
But before he could react, the metal began to let out strange groaning sounds as they visibly bent outwards.
'No wait, don't break!'
As soon as he thought that the metal stopped groaning.
'What the hell is going on?'
He was not confused about where he was. He was wondering why the metal cuffs started to break apart from him just wearing them.
Sunny had a feeling his runes would tell him.
And conveniently, he had recently reconnected with the spell.
Calling forth his runes, Sunny began to read.
Name: Sunless
True Names: Lost from Light, Daemon Spawn
Rank: Aspirant
Memories: [Weaver's Mask]
Echos: -
Attributes: [Lord of Shadows], [Flame of Divinity], [Jade Shell], [Fateless], [The Weave], [Spell Bound], [Unchained].
Aspect: [Temple Slave]
Aspect Description: [Slave is a useless wretch with no skills or abilities worth a mention. A temple slave is just the same, except much rarer.]
Flaw: [Clear Conscience]
Flaw Description: [You cannot lie.]
'Okay, now what the hell is this?'
'Why do I have a flaw already? Also, why the hell is Weaver's Mask still here?'
'More than that, why do I have two true names?'
As he was thinking about his runes, he tripped.
"Whore's bastard! Watch where you're going!"
Sunny was suddenly angry.
'Who are you calling a whore you filthy mongrel!'
'Wait, did I just call someone a mongrel?'
Sunny almost tripped again as he realized what he had just thought.
'Never say never I guess.'
Soon, the familiar conversation between slaves took place behind his back.
He payed them no attention and just kept walking.
When the familiar figure of Auro approached, he acted like he had nothing to do with anything.
'I am not getting whipped again for your hero complex!'
After Hero left, Sunny looked at the only thing of note in his runes.
Attributes: [Lord of Shadows], [Flame of Divinity], [Jade Shell], [Fateless], [The Weave], [Spell Bound], [Unchained].
'The first three are the same, but what are the new ones about?'
[Fateless] Attribute Description: [You have broken fate and are free to change its events as you see fit.]
Sunny's eyes widened as he looked at his new Attribute, he had always thought that he had a new one. But without the spell, he could not confirm that.
[Fateless] Attribute Traits: [Changing], [Breaker]
[Changing] Trait Description: [Divinations will occur the same as in the past, but you are able to freely manipulate the eventual outcome even outright changing the result of the prophesized events.]
[Breaker] Trait Description: [You have escaped Fate, you are free to change its events and plans without repercussion.]
'Now I can work with this, I only hope that people can actually remember me this time!'
As Sunny moved on to his next Attribute, he was suprised once again.
[The Weave] Attribute Description: [You are the heir to Weaver the Daemon of Fate, you bear his final creation and lineage the ultimate Weave.]
'So, the weaves were combined into a single new attribute?'
As he moved on to the traits, he was not surprised.
[The Weave] Attribute Traits: [Blood], [Bone], [Flesh], [Mind], [Spirit], [Soul], [Shadow].
'Yea, that makes sense.'
But when he started to read the descriptions of the traits, his jaw almost dropped.
[Blood] Description: [Weaver's blood flows through your veins, you will not bleed out and are immune to all poisons and infection. Your body produces fluids at an unbelievable rate.]
[Bone] Description: [You possess the bones of a Daemon, they rarely break and heal at unprecedented speeds.]
[Flesh] Description: [You possess the flesh of a Daemon, your soft tissue is incredibly tough and heals at an incredible pace.]
[Mind] description: [Your mind in formidable and processes at an extreme pace. You are immune to mind attacks.]
[Spirit] Description: [Your spirit and will are reinforced and have become simply tyrannical. Your will is unmatched and when wielded it becomes even more so.]
[Soul] Description: [Your soul is reinforced and has become incredibly powerful. You replenish soul essence at an incredible pace and are nearly immune to soul attacks.]
[Shadow] Description: [Your shadow is reinforced and has become incredibly powerful. You are immune to shadow attacks.]
'This is so fucking powerful, way more so than the originals!'
Sunny was taken aback by the strength of his new attribute, it was simply busted.
Sunny was not trying to get caught up on just one attribute, he only had so long before the Mountain King would appear.
[Spell Bound] Attribute Description: [You are Weaver's heir, thus you have an unprecedented connection to his only creation, The Nightmare Spell.]
'Huh, that is not very informative.'
[Spell Bound] Attribute Traits: [Linked], [Aid].
[Linked] Trait Description: [You are linked to The Nightmare Spell and can converse with its consciousness.]
[Aid] Trait Description: [The Nightmare Spell will aid you if it wishes.]
'Wait, is this why it was talking to me? And why does it only help when it feels like it?'
Suppressing another annoyed scoff, he moved on to the last rune. When his eyes saw it, they sparkled.
[Unchained] Attribute Description: [You naturally reject all shackles placed on you, only the shackles you accept can be places apon you.]
It had no traits, but it did not need any. It was plenty powerful as is.
'So, this is why my cuffs almost broke, but more importantly, how does this effect [Shadow Bond]?'
He wanted to test his new attribute, but there was no way he would give his true name out like candy just to test it.
Sunny just contemplated his runes as he walked.
After another half hour, they had arrived at a familiar spot on the mountain.
"Begin setting up camp! Use the rockface as a wind break, and someone get a fire started, I am freezing!"
As the guards began to set camp, Sunny smirked.
That was because with his sight, he could see a familiar shape moving silently above.
As he watched, the shape jumped and began to fall directly toward the caravan.
With a thunderous boom, the Mountain King landed on the road in a whirlwind of claws and fangs.
Just like last time, the slave right next to him became a body shield for Sunny.
And just like last time, soon after he died his body started to convulse and change.
This was when Sunny acted.
With a loud groan, the shackles on his wrists burst apart.
'So, the harder I want them off, the quicker they break. Good to know.'
Sunny had no weapon, but he did have a very useful attribute.
With a mental command, the [Jade Shell's] gauntlet shrouded his fist as he brought it down on the creature's skull.
He would have loved to use the [Feather of Truth] to obliterate it, but he currently had no essence.
'This is going to be a problem, especially on the forgotten shore. I need to get Serpent as soon as possible.'
After the fifth strike, the Spell spoke into his ear.
[You have slain a Dormant Beast: Mountain King Larva]
Sunny grinned.
As he looked around the nearby area, he saw that more and more people were being killed.
And one by one, they started to convulse before undergoing a change that would revolt more people.
Sunny felt a dark glee as he approached the second Larva.
With a few quick strikes, the Spell spoke again.
[You have slain a Dormant Beast: Mountain King Larva]
This was how Sunny started his spree.
He killed three more Larva before it was time to use the wagon and sent the mighty Tyrant plummeting.
He recruited a scared shifty, and a calculating scholar before running to the nearby chain.
After he made the chain into a loop and made sure the other slaves were ready, he threw it.
Sunny had gotten lucky the first time, but now it was pure skill.
As the loop landed directly around its neck, one side even falling around its shoulder, holding an arm down he gestured to the slaves who started to push.
He did not know if it was luck, or if it was simply because things had changed a little.
But this time, the wagon fell of the cliff almost instantly, taking the Mountain King with it.
Hero seemed startled by what had happened, one second he was locked into a brutal fight, the next his foe was plummeting off the cliff.
Hero simply thanked the slave who had helped him and began to look for survivors, but all it took was a single look to tell there were none.
After a few minutes of just standing there, he made his way to the two slaves and began to assign them jobs.
Thet did not seem happy to be given orders, but hero put their mind to ease.
"I am not going to turn you back into slaves. After we leave this mountain, you will be free to go your own way."
Sunny looked at them with a little amusement, just like last time he was given the task of collecting water.
As Sunny walked around collecting water pouches, he came apon an injured guard. The same one who had whipped him the first time.
Sunny grabbed the simple dagger on his belt, and without any emotion on his face he quickly slit his throat.
[You have slain a Dormant Human: Name Unknown]
[You have received a memory.]
Sunny smiled as he thought of his trust bell. He was happy that it was back in his Soul Sea.
After he killed the guard, he resumed gathering pouches.
After finding all the water pouches he could carry, Sunny poisoned them again.
This time he added much more to Hero's pouch, almost enough to tint the water red.
After he was done poisoning the water, he made his way back to the fire.
It seemed that the others had already finished their jobs, as they were just sitting around the fire.
Hero was talking, telling them the plan.
"Once daylight comes, we will ascend the mountain to try and find the old pass. It will be much quicker and arguably safer."
They just nodded.
And that is what they did, come morning they set out up the mountain.
Just like the first time, Shifty was the first to die.
After he died, Scholar told Hero about Sunny and his head bashing.
He tried to reason that he smelled like blood due to his kills and that it would be safer to kill him.
Hero however did the same thing as last time, he killed scholar and dragged his body down the mountain.
Soon, Sunny and hero were sitting alone in a dark cave.
Hero was not looking to good, his face was pale and his breathing was unsteady.
His face was solemn, and soon he spoke.
"You know, it's strange. Usually, I can feel someone's presence even in absolute darkness. But with you, there's nothing. It's like you are just one of the shadows."
Hero waited in silence for a reply.
With only silence to answer him, he asked.
"Are you asle-"
Suddenly his voice was cut off as a knife entered his throat.
He tried to reel back as his hand shot up to cover his fatal wound.
But he was to slow.
Sunny twisted the dagger as Hero backed away, but before he could even try to fight back.
Sunny lunged and pierced his heart.
A muffled gurgle sounded from his lips, a silent scream.
[You have slain an Awakened Human: Auro of the Nine.]
As Hero's body slumped against the wall, the spell spoke again.
[You have received a memory.]
With a feeling of dark satisfaction, sunny summoned his runes.
Memories: [Weaver's Mask], [Silver Bell], [Warrior's Burden].
[Warrior's Burden]
Memory Type: Weapon
Memory Description: [Warriors carry great burdens, once a warrior pledged to an unyielding goal, now a body slain by the treacherous Lost from Light.]
Memory Enchantments: [Unyielding]
[Unyielding] Enchantment Description: [Just like the warrior's goal, this blade is unyielding and has a small chance to break through all defenses.]
As Sunny read the runes, he smiled.
"This is perfect, I really needed a sword."
Sunny spared Hero a glance before he left the cave.
He had to make it to the temple before the Mountain King was finished with Auro's body.
As Sunny trudged up the mountain pass, he thought over his future plans.
He was mainly thinking about what he should do in the academy, and further than that, what he should do on the Forgotten Shore.
Lost in his thoughts, he quickly arrived in front of a familiar temple.
As he approached the steps, he felt the formless guardian blocking his way, but as soon as it laid eyes on the visitor the guardian moved allowing him entrance.
Once inside the temple, sunny contemplated walking over and spilling his blood on the alter.
'If I do it now, I won't get the kill on the Tyrant.'
As Sunny thought about what to do, he summoned the [Warrior's Burden]. It was a single edged sword, he had not seen this exact type of sword, but it reminded him of a Leaf Sabre.
It was around a meter long and was a rather light weapon.
He preferred a more curved blade, but this would do.
As he began to go over the basic katas of Shadow Dance, he realized something.
It was not hard with his attributes, and honestly Sunny did not feel like his old frail self.
He had not looked in a mirror but just based on the fact that his current body had very defined abs, he knew that his body was not the same as the first time he was here.
As he danced in the shadows, he began to feel tired. His body might have been athletic this time around, but he was not awakened yet.
He had needed the [Unbroken] enchantment of the [Midnight Shard] to even come close to the first step.
He continued for another ten minutes, his body now ached with fatigue, and he was starting to shake from over exertion.
But just as he was thinking of giving up, the spell whispered in his ear.
[You have received an Aspect Legacy: Shadow Dance.]
Sunny smiled, but then he started to wonder.
'How did I get my Aspect legacy without my Aspect?'
Was this perhaps the [Aid] Trait in action?
He had no idea, so he just continued to perform shadow dance. It was not to long before his bones ached and his muscles felt strained.
Just after he decided to stop, the sound of stones skidding across the floor sounded from the doorway.
As Sunny looked toward the opening, he saw the figure of the Mountain King standing there. Its jaw was colored red with Hero's remains as its ears twitched listening for even the tiniest sound.
Sunny was already standing near the altar, so he just put the blade to his wrist and left a deep cut vertically down his artery.
He needed to produce as much blood as possible due to [Blood].
As his flesh split under the blade, Sunny rubbed his open wound on the flat of the Altar.
Just as the sound of slicing flesh and the smell of blood filled the air, the Tyrant lunged.
Before it even took a step, the sound of the spell sounded in his ears.
[You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.]
[The gods are dead, and cannot hear you.]
[You soul bears the Flame of Divinity.]
[You are a temple slave.]
[Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.]
[He recognizes your existence as special.]
[He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.]
[Lost from Light, receive your blessing!]
At that instant shadow tendrils extended from the floor grabbing the rushing Tyrant.
In one motion, the ripped the Mountain King limb from limb.
As Sunny looked at the familiar sight, the spell spoke.
[You have slain an awakened tyrant, Mountain King.]
[You have received a Memory: Puppeteer's Shroud]
[Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is over.]
[Prepare for appraisal…]
Sunny found himself in a familiar void, in the distance hundreds of stars burned with brilliant radiance and connecting them were an inconceivable number of golden threads.
[Lost from Light! Your trial is over.]
[Lost from Light, once a nameless slave ascended the Black Mountain. Both heroes and monsters fell by his hand. Unbroken, he entered the ruined temple of a long-forgotten god. He performed a special dance, one only taught to those of shadow. His dance was beautiful and deadly, just like Shadow himself. Shadow watched as he danced, he felt kinship in the slave. He spilled his blood on the sacred altar. The gods were dead, and yet they listened.]
[You have defeated five Dormant Beasts: Mountain King's Larva.]
[You have defeated two Dormant Humans, names unknown.]
[You have defeated an Awakened Human: Auro of the Nine.]
[You have defeated an Awakened Tyrant: Mountain King.]
[You have received the Shadow God's blessing.]
[You have received Shadow God's lineage.]
[You have achieved the impossible!]
[Final appraisal: Glorious. Your treachery truly knows no bounds.]
"Oh come on! I am not treacherous!"
The spell tactfully decided to ignore him.
With an almost smug voice, the spell continued.
[Dreamer Lost from Light, receive your boon!]
[You have been bestowed another True Name: Prince of Death.]
[Your Aspect is evolving!]
[Your Attribute is evolving!]
[You have received an Attribute!]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Unknown]
[Aspect Name: Prince of Shadows]
'Wait what? I am not a slave anymore!'
Sunny was elated at the thought of not being a slave.
He quickly summoned the runes, looking at his new aspect.
Aspect: Prince of Shadows.
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Aspect Description: [You are the direct spawn of Shadow God and carry his legacy, you enjoy the loyalty of all shadows. Shadows are your own and are and extension of you. You are a complete shadow and do not need to be cast. You have plenty of strange and wonderous powers.]
Innate Abilities: [Shadow Born], [Shadow Bond].
When Sunny saw [Shadow Bond] his mood dimmed.
[Shadow Born] Ability Description: [You are born from shadows and when embraced by them you become stronger, heal faster, and regain essence quicker.]
'An all around boost when embraced by shadows! Does that stack when I augment myself with my shadows?'
[Shadow Bond] Ability Description: [You are a miraculous shadow, and the kin of Shadow God. You do not need to be cast but loneliness is a shadow's worst enemy. Find a worthy companion and let them know one of your true names. Once it is spoken, you and them will become bound together with an unbreakable bond.]
[Shadow Bonds 0/3]
'So, it is not going to make me a slave?'
He was relieved by this.
Sunny was also grateful to finally get some type of healing ability. He would not be entirely reliant on Nephis for healing this time around.
As he thought of Nephis, his mind seemed to remember something.
'What were the words it used? Destined counterpart? Yea, it even said 'He has used his knowledge and power to send you and her back in what you call time'.'
Did that mean that Nephis had been sent back too?
The thought made him happy, he had thought it was only him. But if it was true and Nephis was back with him, things would be much easier.
However, the happiness was short lived.
Suddenly a pain that was both searing and freezing permeated his being, it was nowhere near as harrowing as his previous transition.
But the pain was truly exquisite. It was worse than forming a core and worse than acquiring one of the weaves.
It was a truly horrid experience.
After a while, Sunny did not know exactly how long, but it felt like at least a few hours. The pain receded and Sunny was able to think straight again.
This was when the spell chose to speak.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]