Chapter 211 Game of Lies
Sunny, finding physical competitions impossible due to Effie’s dominance and Cassie’s limitations, proposes a battle of wits. He dangles an ascended soul shard, a rare and valuable item, as the prize. Effie, ever competitive, agrees to the terms: Sunny will pose a riddle, and the first to answer correctly wins. Sunny sets up a scenario: he and his shadow are either an “honorable, extremely attractive Awakened that can tell no lie” or a “vile, ugly, stupid devil that would never tell a word of truth.” Effie’s immediate, physical response to Sunny’s challenge (“Can I just beat the answer out of you?”) leads to her instant elimination, as Sunny points out she wasted her single question.
Next, Kai, stepping in with a shared understanding of their shifting roles, approaches. He addresses Sunny’s shadow directly, pointing to an Ordinary Rock and asking, “What color is the stone I am pointing to?” Sunny, anticipating this, ensures his shadow responds in his deepest voice, setting the stage for the complex game of deception to unfold and leaving the reader to question who is truly the devil.
Unlock Global Stories with Noyaku!
Tired of waiting? Instantly translate web novels, manhwa, and manhua from their original sources! Noyaku provides Smart AI and Basic translation engines, plus a custom Glossary for consistent terms.
This intellectual duel, fueled by the allure of a powerful artifact and the inherent distrust among participants, promises to test their perception and cunning. Sunny’s manipulation of the game’s rules and the participants’ assumptions hints at his own growing mastery of strategy, even as the underlying vulnerabilities previously revealed linger, suggesting that more than just a soul shard is at stake.
Chapter 212 Knights and Knaves
Sunny, confident in his strategic maneuvering, turns from Kai to the next contender. Caster, the proud Legacy, observes Nightingale with a heavy expression, ultimately declining Sunny’s invitation to play the riddle game, leaving Sunny to ponder the hidden reasons behind Caster’s secretive nature. This unspoken vulnerability contrasts with the openness of others, fueling Sunny’s contemplation on the cohort’s intricate connections and mirrored traits. He then approaches Cassie, recalling her past words about the burden of knowledge, a sentiment that resonates with their shared experience of being defined by their Flaws.
Cassie, accepting Sunny’s challenge, poses a question that tests his deception: “My question is: if I were to ask Sunny which one of you has the treasure, what would he say?” Sunny instructs his shadow, in its now familiar deep voice, to declare, “…The shadow has it.” Cassie, with a subtle glee and an outstretched hand, declares victory, stating, “Sunny, you have the treasure. Give.”
Despite his inner disappointment, Sunny, adhering to the game’s rules, hands over the ascended soul shard to Cassie. This intellectual contest, rife with hidden agendas and the subtle manipulation of truth, further highlights the complex dynamics within the cohort. The chapter leaves a lingering question about the true nature of trust and deception, as Sunny’s strategic brilliance continues to unfold.
Chapter 213 Sword Saints
Sunny, recovering from his recent intellectual sparring with Cassie, finds his attention drawn to a new spectacle. Nephis, the Changing Star, has found a formidable training partner in Caster, the proud Legacy who had previously declined Sunny’s own invitation. They move to the far end of the white arch, preparing for a duel that promises to reveal much about their combined might. Sunny, ever the observer, settles in to watch, his strategic mind eager to dissect their techniques, especially given his past struggles to match Nephis’s swordsmanship.
Caster, clearly annoyed by Sunny’s presence, questions his intentions, to which Sunny retorts, “Watching. Why? Does this part of the arch belong to your clan or something?” Caster dismisses him, and Nephis, seemingly approving, gives no objection. The two Legacies then engage in a breathtaking clash of steel, their speed and skill a stark reminder to Sunny of the vast chasm in their abilities. He realizes his own progress, while significant, pales in comparison to their martial prowess, leaving him disheartened but resolute.
The intense battle between Nephis and Caster underscores Sunny’s current limitations, shattering his previous illusions of equality. While he acknowledges his own growth since his training with the Stone Saint, the sheer disparity between his skills and those of the two Legacies is stark. Facing Caster directly, Sunny concludes, would be suicidal, reinforcing his reliance on his characteristic stealth and subterfuge should their paths ever diverge.
Chapter 214 Transient Shadow
Sunny, still reeling from the stark display of power, wrestles with his own perceived inadequacy. He observes Nephis and Caster’s dynamic, noting Caster’s almost possessive loyalty to Nephis, a trait Sunny likens to Cassie’s Echo. This perceived strangeness sparks an idea, a desperate gambit to overcome his stalled progress in understanding his own shadow’s potential. He concludes that Nephis must have a hidden reason for withholding her true battle style from Caster, despite their apparent trust, an enigma that fuels his paranoia.
He formulates a daring plan: to have his shadow imitate Caster during their duel. Sunny believes this direct imitation will allow him to finally discern the unique qualities within his shadow, separating its movements from his own by using Caster’s as a stark contrast. He sees this as the only path forward, a way to break through the invisible wall hindering his comprehension and develop his own individual fighting style, a desperate need born from the chasm he witnessed.
As Nephis and Caster pause their brutal spar, Sunny unleashes his shadow. It boldly approaches Caster, sticking to his feet with an almost comical disdain. Caster, bewildered by the shadow’s insolent posture, turns to Sunny and asks, “What… what are you doing?” Sunny, his eyes burning with anticipation, awaits the experiment’s outcome, hoping this bold imitation will finally unlock the secret he desperately seeks.
Chapter 215 Shapeless
Sunny’s desperation culminates in a bold experiment. He unleashes his shadow to imitate Caster during their spar, hoping the direct comparison will finally reveal the secrets of his own shadow’s potential and help him forge a distinct fighting style. The shadow, with almost comical insolence, attaches itself to Caster’s feet, prompting a bewildered “What… what are you doing?” from him. Sunny, consumed by anticipation, awaits the outcome of this audacious plan.
The chapter sees Sunny achieve a breakthrough in understanding the elusive shadow style by observing Nephis’s two shadows. He grasps that its core lies in imitation, a concept as innate to shadows as their formlessness. This realization ignites a spark of hope, revealing a path to a style with limitless potential, capable of countering any technique. However, the sheer magnitude of the task ahead – mastering imitation, which demands immense talent and insight, and then developing a full fighting style from scratch – weighs heavily on him.
Later, as the sun dips low, a pensive Sunny is found contemplating his shadow. Nephis approaches and sits beside him, her presence a quiet comfort. After a brief exchange of greetings, Sunny seeks clarification on her intentions, while Nephis, in turn, offers a simple “Hey, Sunny.” The scene concludes with an unspoken anticipation of what Nephis might have to say, leaving the reader curious about their conversation and its implications for Sunny’s newfound understanding.
Chapter 216 Tacit Understanding
Sunny confronts Nephis about their past deal, realizing he’d acted in bad faith by withholding his unique ability to grow stronger without soul shards. Nephis, unsurprised, reveals that such rare Aspect traits are known among the upper echelons, even admitting to similar capabilities, though she notes the unusual completeness of his process. He counters, referencing her own secrets like Lineage Memories and Domains, only for Nephis to sternly warn him about the danger of speaking those words aloud. Sunny, wanting no part in the machinations of these powerful groups, agrees to respect her privacy.
However, Sunny presses Nephis for an answer to a personal question: why she hides the true core of her technique from Caster. Nephis acknowledges Sunny’s observation and her use of a different style, but deflects by questioning his motives for incorporating elements of the Stone Saint’s technique into his own. Sunny dismisses her attempt at misdirection, reminding her that he taught her these techniques and demands a direct answer to his inquiry.
The exchange highlights a growing, albeit tense, understanding between Sunny and Nephis, built on mutual secrets and shared dangers. Nephis’s measured responses and cryptic warnings about powerful entities hint at a deeper conflict, while Sunny’s drive to understand her motivations, and her own pursuit of strength, sets the stage for future revelations and potential alliances in their perilous journey.
Chapter 217 Origin
Sunny finds himself unexpectedly dreaming, a phenomenon previously impossible under the ancient fiend’s mind hex. The dreamscape is a tenebrous expanse, dominated by a dark marble hall and the disquieting cry of a baby. This vast, shadowy space evokes a strange familiarity, hinting at a past encounter, with the absent altar specifically pinpointed to the source of the cries. A significant revelation dawns as the words ‘Child of Shadows?’ flash in his mind before the vision shifts.
He awakens not in his own body, but inhabiting the form of a toddler. Swaying in the arms of a young, exquisitely beautiful woman with raven hair and porcelain skin, Sunny observes her adorned with intricate black serpent tattoos. He recognizes these markings as the brand of a slave to the Shadow God, identifying her as a temple slave, much like his own past experience in his First Nightmare. The serpent coils around her like a collar and shackles, solidifying her enslaved status.
The woman’s tender affection for the child, Sunny, and the quiet smile she offers him, confirms their maternal bond. This realization leads Sunny to understand that he is not experiencing his own dream, but rather inhabiting the memories of the nameless temple slave from his First Nightmare – the true ‘Child of Shadows.’
Chapter 218 Shadow Dance
Sunny awakens from a profound dream, the ethereal movements of the nameless temple slave, the true “Child of Shadows,” still vividly imprinted upon his mind. He realizes the dream wasn’t his own but a borrowed glimpse into the past of the slave from his First Nightmare, a revelation that deepens his understanding of the Spell’s intricate machinations. The shared experience of being born under a solar eclipse, rising from societal dregs, and suffering orphaned childhoods paints a stark parallel between Sunny and the slave, solidifying his growing conviction that fate and the Spell are inextricably linked, perhaps woven from the very “strings of fate” he glimpsed in a post-trial void.
His attention, however, sharpens on the mesmerizing “dance” he witnessed. It wasn’t merely a performance; Sunny discerns within the slave’s graceful pirouettes and fluid motions the hidden patterns of his own burgeoning shadow combat style. This realization shifts his perspective entirely; what he believed to be a battle art is, in fact, a dance, blurring the lines between artistic expression and lethal skill. The implication is clear: the slave’s legacy is not just in shared fate, but in a shared method of survival, a secret passed down through the very essence of the nightmare.
The cohort prepares for their journey, the vast white marble archway of their current location a stark backdrop to Sunny’s introspection. The remnants of night still cling to the sky as the sun begins its ascent, mirroring his own emergence from the dream’s tenebrous grip. Though questions linger about the Spell and the nature of fate’s threads, Sunny’s focus narrows to the practical. He must master this dance, this shadow-infused art, understanding that “was there a difference?” between the two, a question that promises to unlock further mysteries of his own power and the world he inhabits.
Chapter 219 Relics of the Past
The runes before Sunny solidify, revealing his Aspect: [Shadow Slave], ranked Divine, granting him [Shadow Control] and the potent [Shadow Dance] legacy. The Spell’s description of this style, created by the “treacherous Lost From Light,” grates on Sunny, though he quickly dismisses the judgment as he focuses on the seven mastery levels and the potential seven Legacy Relics. This discovery ignites a fierce avarice within him, envisioning the creation of multiple powerful clans, a notion that brings a broad, excited grin to his face as the sun rises.
His ambitious dreams are immediately tempered by the grim reality of his current predicament. He acknowledges that even achieving the first level of mastery for his [Shadow Dance] legacy is contingent on returning to the “real world,” a prospect that seems distant given his current location shadowed by the Crimson Spire. The allure of power and legacy is potent, but the immediate obstacles loom large.
Effie’s cheerful call for breakfast jolts him from his contemplation. “Hey, doofus! Breakfast is ready,” she exclaims, noting his vacant smile. Sunny, still caught in the intoxicating possibility of his newfound potential, responds without hesitation, “Just thinking about creating a Legacy Clan. Have you ever thought about creating a clan, huh, Effie?” This question, born from a sudden hunger for power and legacy, hints at the immense ambition now brewing within him, even as the challenges ahead remain daunting.
Chapter 220 So You’re a Spider,So What?
As Sunny’s ambition for a Legacy Clan simmers, the cohort plunges deeper into the southern Crimson Labyrinth, where the iron spiders escalate their threat. Once manageable, the arachnids now swarm in exponential numbers, their attacks bolstered by larger, more formidable specimens. The very environment turns against them as their webs morph into near-invisible, razor-sharp strands, slicing through armor and flesh with terrifying ease. This invisible danger proves more lethal than the spiders themselves, leaving the hunters bleeding profusely and vulnerable to ambushes.
Despite the escalating peril, three factors mitigate the disaster. Nephis’s healing flames prove vital, mending grievous wounds and preventing anyone from becoming a liability before the encroaching flood. The spiders’ hunting methods inadvertently aid the cohort, as their webs ensnare and kill other creatures, leaving behind corpses for study. This allows the hunters to learn from their fallen foes, anticipating the strengths and weaknesses of unexpected threats.
Most notably, Kai’s mastery of the Blood Arrow emerges as a game-changer. During a brutal encounter with an awakened iron spider, its thick armor proving impenetrable to Caster’s blade, Kai unleashes a devastating shot. The black arrow, fletched with dark feathers and tipped with bone, pierces the monster’s iron plating, demonstrating its lethal efficacy even with a slightly off-target hit. Sunny witnesses this with a mix of shock and anticipation, realizing the immense power they now wield against the Labyrinth’s horrors.
Chapter 221 Zenith
The cohort faces a colossal chasm, a testament to a broken bridge that once spanned its depths, leading to an ancient city. Dominating the ruins of this bridge is another shattered statue, a warrior draped in vast sheets of dull grey spiderweb, suggesting a terrifyingly powerful creator. Effie explains this site was once the nest of the “Spider Mommy,” a Nightmare Creature of immense size and deadliness, akin to a heavily armored “personal transport vehicle” as Sunny hazily recalls from childhood news reports.
Effie reassures Sunny that the monstrous Spider Mommy is long dead, having been slain by the second ruler of the Bright Castle. This ruler’s cohort member dealt the finishing blow, an act that earned her the Zenith Shard, which Effie now possesses. Sunny questions the meaning of this, while Effie leans on her spear, hinting at the significance of her inheritance.
The discovery of the colossal, web-shrouded statue and Effie’s cryptic explanation of the Zenith Shard hints at a new, possibly more dangerous phase of their journey, leaving Sunny and the reader to ponder the true nature of the threats lurking within the Crimson Labyrinth and the power they have recently acquired.
Chapter 222 Clearing the Nest
The bell’s chime heralds the arrival of prey, and the colossal cocoon of grey webs erupts with armored, monstrous spiders. Effie and the Stone Saint form an unyielding shield wall, their weapons poised. A sudden, black arrow strikes the leading creature, disrupting the charge. As the spiders slam into the defensive line, Nephis and Caster launch flanking attacks, their weapons a blur of motion. Meanwhile, Sunny lands unseen behind the arachnid horde, his Midnight Shard a harbinger of swift death, efficiently felling several before the creatures even register his presence.
The cohort’s coordinated assault encircles the spiders, a calculated trap. Effie and the Stone Saint’s steadfast defense buys crucial time, allowing Nephis and Caster to press their advantage from the sides, while Sunny continues his unseen, deadly work from the rear. The fragile advantage begins to wane, however, as the sheer number of the armored beasts threatens to overwhelm them. Sunny, recognizing the shift, narrowly dodges a lethal strike, knowing their precious seconds of surprise are dwindling.
As the tide of battle threatens to turn, Effie and the Stone Saint execute a swift maneuver, falling back to reveal Cassie. With a staff in hand and her rapier hovering, Cassie unleashes a powerful gust of wind, not to damage, but to disorient. This is a strategic move, leveraging the spiders’ unique sensitivity to vibrations, a tactic honed by understanding their very nature. The battle is far from over, but this calculated chaos marks a significant step in clearing the nest.
Chapter 223 Natural Selection
The brutal battle against the spider horde concludes, leaving Sunny exhausted but enriched with shadow fragments, a testament to the cohort’s devastating efficiency. He reflects on his own continued weakness, lamenting, “Too weak. I am still too weak,” as he surveys the carnage. The group’s synergy, a combination of Effie and the Stone Saint’s defensive prowess, Nephis and Caster’s flanking maneuvers, and Sunny’s unseen assassinations, proved superior to the mindless ferocity of the iron spiders. This victory, while hard-won, highlights the cohort’s growth and their adeptness at exploiting their enemies’ predictable nature.
Sunny, acknowledging their swift and decisive victory, recognizes that their triumph wasn’t solely due to individual strength, but rather their unparalleled ability to coordinate and control the battlefield. He muses on the nature of the Labyrinth, noting the prevalence of mindless creatures and the rarity of intelligent opposition. The sheer number of Nightmare Creatures they’ve felled, even Awakened ones, still strikes him with disbelief.
As the sun dips towards the horizon, the immediate threat subsides, allowing the survivors to begin the grim task of collecting soul shards. The chapter subtly underscores the harsh realities of their existence in the Dream Realm, where even seasoned fighters like Sunny still grapple with their limitations and the constant specter of death. The victory, however, solidifies their progress and hints at the ever-increasing dangers they must overcome to survive.
Chapter 224 Pyre
The aftermath of the spider horde’s decimation reveals the chilling truth behind the creatures’ existence. Inside the colossal Matriarch’s nest, the cohort discovers her severed abdomen, revealing remnants of giant metallic eggs. Sunny, realizing these were the progenitors of the monstrous Fallen Beasts, shudders at the horrific implications. The nest itself acts as a macabre museum, filled with cocoons preserving mummified Nightmare Creatures. However, the true horror unfolds when they find broken cocoons where the creatures were not simply stored, but used as incubators, their flesh devoured from within by embryonic spiderlings. This discovery fuels Sunny’s weariness with the Labyrinth, lamenting, “Curse… it all…”
The chilling revelation escalates as Sunny spots a unique cocoon, housing the distinct silhouette of a human body. The group gathers in grim silence. Nephis prompts Caster, asking, “Can you sword cut it open?” With a nod, Caster summons his enchanted jian. After a moment’s hesitation, and a shared warning of “Be careful,” he expertly slices through the metallic web. A desiccated human corpse falls, prompting Sunny to violently retch. The Sleeper’s face, frozen in an expression of agonizing terror, is disturbingly intact, and Sunny’s gasp of recognition confirms the dire nature of their discovery.
Chapter 225 On the Shoulders of Giants
The cohort finds precarious safety atop a colossal statue overlooking the canyon, witnessing the fiery demise of the spider nest below. Rivers of molten metal cascade into the abyss, met by the rising, turbulent black waters. For a fleeting moment, light and darkness clash, but the abyssal sea surges, extinguishing the inferno and reclaiming the landscape. A weary Sunny turns to Nephis, the unspoken dread of their mission hanging heavy in the air. “So… now what?” he asks, the details of her plan to reach the southern shores still a mystery. Nephis, her gaze lingering, advises a two-day rest before preparations begin, a welcome reprieve for Sunny who harbors a deep aversion to her proposed method of Labyrinth traversal.
With their unexpected speed, the cohort now finds itself with two days of unallocated time. Sunny, far from complaining, immerses himself in contemplation. He grapples with the enigmatic connection between his tachi, Effie’s spear, and the headless statues dotting the Forgotten Shore. These silent sentinels, he realizes, represent the seven heroes who pledged to restore light to this blighted realm. Having already encountered three – a knight, a graceful woman, and a mighty warrior – Sunny ponders if each statue holds a link to a specific Memory, and why Nephis remains so reticent about sharing this crucial knowledge.
The reprieve allows Sunny to process the horrors they’ve witnessed and to speculate on the cryptic purpose of the statues, each potentially tied to a powerful Memory. The urgency of their quest is tempered by the need for rest and Nephis’s cautious approach, leaving the exact path forward shrouded in mystery and anticipation.
