Chapter 271 Insurmountable
As the Black Knight recovers, Nephis’s gambit pays off as Sunny’s trap, a colossal pillar, crashes down upon the demonic figure. Though the devil endures the crushing weight, his armor cracks and his pauldron is destroyed, leaving one arm useless. Sunny, filled with grim satisfaction, dives into the debris, intent on exploiting the momentary advantage. However, the Knight proves his terrifying resilience, effortlessly tossing the massive pillar aside. This act not only blocks Sunny’s escape but also seals off the hall for the pursuing cohort, trapping Sunny with the wounded but still formidable foe.
Sunny, joined by the Stone Saint, presses the attack against the compromised Black Knight. The devil, though injured, unleashes a powerful slash with his greatsword, forcing Sunny to retreat. The Stone Saint, however, deflects the blow with her shield, redirecting its force and closing the distance. She strikes at the base of the Knight’s sword, but he easily sidesteps the attack and brutally incapacitates her with a blow to the head, shattering her helmet and revealing her actual face beneath the stone-like exterior.
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The battle intensifies as the Black Knight, despite his grievous injuries, remains a terrifying threat. The Stone Saint is downed, leaving Sunny to face the weakened but still immensely powerful adversary alone. The fate of their desperate plan hangs in the balance as Sunny must now find a way to overcome this seemingly insurmountable foe, a confrontation that promises further brutal revelations and near-certain death.
Chapter 272 Shadow And Darkness
Augmented by the shadow and empowered by Sunny’s collected fragments, the Stone Saint proves instrumental, shattering the Black Knight’s devastating blade. Sunny, seizing the opportunity, disengages, recognizing the peril of a cornered foe. The breaking of the sword triggers a seismic shift; the darkness within the cathedral surges, but is repelled by Nephis’s radiant armor. The Black Knight’s imposing steel armor corrodes, revealing a mass of pure darkness, a terrifying colossus of shadow and rusting metal. “This is not something a human could survive,” Sunny thinks, as he exchanges a loaded glance with Nephis, who cautiously retreats, acknowledging the cataclysmic transformation unfolding before them.
The newly revealed entity, a ghostly colossus with twin crimson eyes and a mouth of hellfire, unleashes a terrifying roar that shakes the ancient temple. Sunny instinctively recoils, a primal dread seizing him. The transformed Black Knight then lunges at the Stone Saint, its shadow-like hands effortlessly crushing her neck and lifting her aloft. Despite the brutal assault, the Saint’s emotionless facade remains unbroken, even as cracks spiderweb across her stone form under the relentless pressure, hinting at an unyielding will beneath the crushing darkness.
Nephis, observing the horrifying display, understands the dire implications. The Black Knight’s true form is unleashed, a being of pure shadow and corrupted steel, and the Stone Saint, despite her immense enhancements, is struggling against its unbridled fury. The fate of their desperate gambit now hinges on this brutal confrontation, as the Saint endures the suffocating grip of the darkness, her stoic silence a stark contrast to the chaos erupting around them.
Chapter 273 Chrysalis
Grasped in the Shadow’s fist is a strange, beautiful, and ominous gem, utterly black, absorbing all light and emanating a pulsating crimson glow that paints the Stone Saint in a bloody hue. Sunny, unnerved, likens the gem to a soul, observing four crimson flames within, indicative of a Fallen Devil’s core. He questions its nature and how it materialized, suspecting the Stone Saint’s involvement. As the Shadow brings the gem to her face, a flicker of dark emotion crosses her eyes before she unnervingly swallows it whole, the gem and the Stone Saint vanishing into the shadows.
“I have no idea,” Sunny admits to Nephis, utterly bewildered by the Stone Saint’s actions. The remains of the Black Knight yield no shards, leaving Sunny and Nephis to ponder the peculiarity of his Echo. The battle’s aftermath leaves them recovering and tending to wounds. Sunny enters the Soul Sea to find the Black Knight now a silent, motionless shadow among the others, a chilling testament to the battle’s conclusion and the mysterious fate of his ally.
Nephis, her perplexity mirrored in Sunny’s own confusion, questions the Stone Saint’s inexplicable actions. The transformation of the Black Knight into a colossus of pure shadow, a terrifying being with twin crimson eyes and a mouth of hellfire, had been a brutal spectacle. Despite her enhancements, the Stone Saint struggled, her very form cracking under the sheer force of the unleashed darkness. Now, with the Black Knight’s soul seemingly devoured, the true extent of the Stone Saint’s power and agenda remains a chilling mystery.
Chapter 274 Salvation
Emerging from the Soul Sea, Sunny contemplates the Stone Saint’s evolution, realizing the Black Knight’s soul was likely consumed due to a unique kinship. This revelation significantly impacts his understanding of how his Shadows evolve, suggesting the need for suitable, higher-ranked abominations rather than mere power. He dismisses the idea of feeding the Saint the soul of a terrifying walking colossus, content with the valuable insight gained.
The group then retreats to Sunny’s former sanctuary, the priestess’s quarters within the ruined cathedral. The once familiar space, filled with scavenged treasures and marked with his days of solitude, now feels different with the presence of his cohort. Kai remarks, “This… this is where you lived?” with visible delight, finding Sunny’s stark but tasteful residence surprisingly chic, much to Sunny’s bemusement.
As their deal concludes, the group settles into the ancient temple, the stark reality of their shared future pressing upon them. The Stone Saint’s evolution is a tangible result of their recent victory, a testament to her growing power and the enigmatic agenda she pursues. Sunny, though bankrupted by the cost of her nourishment, finds a quiet melancholy in leaving his solitary home behind, setting the stage for new challenges.
Chapter 275 Secrets of the Ruined Temple
As dawn breaks, Nephis and her cohort depart the ruined cathedral, leaving Sunny to confront the stillness of his former sanctuary. The absence of the steel guardian and the lingering silence amplify his loneliness, a stark contrast to the months spent in solitary contemplation within its majestic, yet now vulnerable, walls. He surveys the grand hall from a new perspective, recognizing its inherent beauty but also its newfound danger without its protector. The cathedral, a symbol of his past isolation and a temporary refuge, is no longer a viable haven.
Sunny meticulously gathers his meager possessions from the hidden chamber, the transient nature of material wealth on the Forgotten Shore a harsh reminder of his precarious existence. Though he never had a true home or possessions in the real world, the spacious room offered a form of solace, a testament to his dreams of a lavish life that were so brutally deferred. He tidies the space meticulously, a silent farewell to the place that sheltered him, and, with a sigh, prepares to leave.
Before departing, Sunny summons the Prowling Thorn, intending to leave a subtle mark—a testament to his struggle and presence in this desolate world. He grapples with the desire for profound words, but settling for a simple inscription, he leaves his mark on the wall where he once counted the days. This small act signifies his resilience and his determination to fight for a chance at escape, leaving behind the echoing quiet of the ruined temple as he ventures towards an uncertain future.
Chatper 276 Black Door
Sunny descends into a hidden passage beneath the ruined cathedral, following a winding staircase that leads him deeper underground. He finds himself in a chamber directly beneath the goddess’s statue, where a well and spiral staircase descend further. Hesitantly, he ventures down, the familiar, comforting darkness of his shadow accompanying him. The passage opens into a vast chamber carved into bedrock, dominated by a monolithic door forged from the same impenetrable black steel as the Black Knight. Two torches illuminate the door, casting a pale, ghostly light that unnerves Sunny, their flames seemingly ancient and immobile, paralyzing the shadows they cast. He realizes these are no ordinary torches, but perhaps protective charms. Sunny considers the unnerving stillness and the nature of the torches’ power: “were they meant to keep something from entering the space that hid behind the black door…Or were they meant to keep something in?” He approaches the door, ready for a confrontation, but finds only an eerie silence and a strange chill as he enters the torches’ light.
Chapter 277 Demon of Fate
The monolithic door revealed a small, circular cell where a chained corpse kneels, its form hinting at a human past, shrouded in darkness and a lacquered mask. The prison, designed with intricate, incomprehensible symbols, is marred by time, its ancient magic broken. Sunny finds the scene unsettling, especially his own intuition remaining silent, as if the prisoner’s fate held no sway over his own. This stillness amplifies the mystery of the individual’s imprisonment, driven by either deep hatred or profound fear.
As Sunny cautiously steps within the containment circle, his gaze falls upon a chaotic array of runes near the corpse’s hand. The sight is overwhelmingly horrific, causing Sunny to retch violently. He recognizes these symbols as the same terrifying script used to describe the enigmatic “Unknown,” but here, their mental assault is amplified to an unbearable degree. Despite the agony and the Spell’s refusal or inability to translate, Sunny fixates on the runes, compelled to decipher the prisoner’s final message.
Pushing through the blinding pain and mental fragmentation, Sunny slowly studies the markings. Below the disorienting runes, a short message etched in a familiar script offers a chilling revelation. “Hail Weaver, Demon of Fate, Firstborn,” it reads. This final inscription, scratched into the stone by a dying soul, sends a shiver down Sunny’s spine, deepening the enigma of this ancient prison and the entity it once held.
Chapter 278 Weaver’s Mask
Sunny cautiously approaches the black mask, its features a disturbing blend of the fearsome and regal, bestial and divine. Strangely, his intuition remains silent, as if the mask itself doesn’t truly exist to him. Hesitantly, he reaches out, and the moment his fingers touch the polished wood, the mask disintegrates into a cascade of white sparks. These sparks flow into Sunny, vanishing into his shadow core. The Spell’s voice thunders, announcing, “You have received a Memory.”
Diving into his Soul Sea, Sunny discovers a new, bright sphere of light. He summons it, revealing the mask once more, but this time, he sees what lies beneath: seven radiant embers burning with blinding intensity, woven together by countless ethereal strings into a boundless, intricate pattern. The Spell identifies this as the “Weaver’s Mask,” a Divine Tier VII Tool, described as a mantle of lies that hid the Weaver’s true thoughts, face, and heart, even from the gods.
The Memory’s enchantments are listed as “Mantle of Lies,” “???,” and “Simple Trick.” Sunny is left to ponder the implications of receiving such a powerful relic, its origins tied to the enigmatic Weaver, a being who hid behind layers of deception. This discovery adds another layer to the ancient prison’s mysteries, hinting at a profound connection to the “Demon of Fate” mentioned in the previous inscription.
Chapter 279 Guilty Conscience
Sunny, grappling with the profound deception inherent in the Weaver’s Mask, marvels at the sheer cunning of its original owner. He notes, “How devious one must be to not let even the gods, even the Nightmare Spell know anything about them?” This formidable artifact, now his, subtly enhances his vision and connection to his inherited legacy, allowing him to perceive the world’s intricate threads of fate, albeit imperfectly. The mystery of the corpse in the dungeon, and by extension the wearer of the mask before him, gnaws at Sunny, leading him to speculate about Weaver’s followers and their fate within the cathedral’s hidden depths.
Leaving the somber dungeon, Sunny refocuses on his immediate goals in the Dark City, setting aside the lingering questions about the mask’s previous wielder. Donning the Weaver’s Mask again, he observes through his shadow’s eyes how it alters his appearance, distorting his height and obscuring his features in shadow. While it masks him from unnatural detection, Sunny recognizes that he must still carefully manage his mannerisms and movements, a task for which his burgeoning practice of the Shadow Dance is ideally suited to help him “fully imitate someone else’s battle style and physicality.”
Sunny contemplates how the “Mantle of Lies” enchantment, coupled with his own skills, could prove a more potent weapon than brute force. He acknowledges that mastering such deception is a far more dangerous path than confronting a warrior, a realization that solidifies his understanding of the Weaver’s true power and the perilous nature of the secrets he now carries.
Chapter 280 One Last Job
Emerging from the ruined cathedral, Sunny shoulders a rucksack and takes a final look back, marking a bittersweet departure from a place he doubts he will soon revisit. Navigating the familiar yet potentially changed streets of the Dark City, he remains cautious, aware that the Labyrinth journey may have altered the local landscape of Nightmare Creatures. His focus sharpens on his next, final objective within the city, a destination drawing him closer.
Contemplating the Weaver’s Mask, Sunny considers its potential to redefine his existence, initially envisioning a life of perpetual concealment. However, practicality dictates caution; constant deception alienates allies, and isolation is a death sentence in the Dream Realm. Furthermore, existing confidantes like Kai and Cassie, with their unique abilities, would quickly discern the mask’s unnatural influence, forcing uncomfortable questions and escalating his peril. As he reflects, “Sadly, Weaver’s Mask was not a panacea to Sunny’s current situation,” recognizing its limited utility for immediate, close-quarters interactions.
The mask’s true value, Sunny realizes, lies in its potential for future endeavors, particularly upon returning to the real world. It offers the tantalizing prospect of a separate, untraceable persona, allowing him to pursue hidden agendas and achieve the impossible as “Sunless.” This future advantage demands absolute secrecy, even from those he trusts, as he laments, “It is such a pity, though,” the thought of teasing Caster with his discovery a potent, albeit impractical, temptation.
Chapter 281 Seven Heroes
The desecrated mural within the ruined library reveals a chilling history to Sunny. He deduces that the Terror of the Forgotten Shore is responsible for the obliteration of the seven heroes’ likenesses, driven by a furious desire to erase their legacy. As Sunny traces the spiraling mosaic, he witnesses the descent of the land into darkness, the emergence of champions, and the ultimate betrayal of allies turning into monsters. This grim narrative culminates in the birth of a new generation, “born in the all-consuming darkness,” who would become the founders of the Starlight Legion.
The mosaic depicts the world succumbing to an everlasting night, punctuated by relentless attacks from terrifying creatures. Despite the bravery of emerging champions, their efforts are ultimately undermined by the horrifying reality of their own allies transforming into monsters, leaving them vulnerable to fatal blows from those they trusted. Yet, humanity perseveres, and over years, a new generation arises, forged in the crucible of this nightmarish existence. Sunny whispers, “Born in the all-consuming darkness, seven valiant heroes gave an oath to return the light to the cursed land,” acknowledging their paradoxical origin—never having seen the light they vowed to restore, their knowledge of it limited to elder tales.
Sunny pauses before the depiction of the seven heroes, their faces irrevocably marred. He recognizes one as a knight clad in intricate white metal armor, his grip firm on a stalwart blade. This chapter’s focus on the origins of the Starlight Legion and the enduring animosity of the Terror hints at deeper mysteries yet to be uncovered, promising further revelations about the dark land’s past and the heroes who once fought for its light.
Chapter 282 Sacrifice
As Sunny continues his somber contemplation of the mural, the narrative shifts to the Starlight Legion’s prodigious achievements. Forged in the crucible of eternal night and led by the seven heroes, these warriors become a formidable force, drowning the Forgotten Shore in the blood of cursed creatures. Even as many succumb to monstrosity, the unyielding core of the Legion presses on, their strength seemingly growing to rival the Awakened of Sunny’s own world. Their tenacity leads them to the colossal impact crater, where they establish a new, impregnable city, a testament to humanity’s enduring will against overwhelming darkness.
Sunny’s attention then gravitates to the construction of the nascent Crimson Spire, a monumental tower destined to pierce the heavens and serve as the world’s axis. He seeks to unravel the mystery of the artificial sun and the transformation of the suffocating darkness into a transient sea. This quest for knowledge is abruptly halted as he witnesses the penultimate depiction: the seven heroes positioned at sacred sites, each facing a multitude of kneeling followers. “Of course. Of course, this is what happened,” Sunny murmurs, a wave of bitter disappointment washing over him, a stark realization that his fleeting hope for their pure heroism was a foolish indulgence.
The final panel delivers a devastating revelation. Seven hills of corpses surround the Spire, each crowned by one of the valiant heroes, their hands dripping with the blood of tens of thousands. The surviving legionaries and civilians, the very people they swore to protect, are sacrificed. As the last act of this horrific tableau, the slaughterers turn their weapons upon themselves, completing the bloody ritual. Sunny knows then, with chilling certainty, that “somewhere out there, he knew, a tiny black seed floated in a pool of blood,” leaving a profound question hanging in the air about the true nature of the Legion’s ultimate victory.
Chapter 283 Final Piece of the Puzzle
The final panel of the mosaic reveals the chilling truth: a sun fueled by blood, born from the corpses of tens of thousands, illuminates the desolate hellscape. Sunny grimly accepts that his hope for the seven heroes’ pure heroism was a naive indulgence. He realizes the artificial sun, powered by the Terror of the Crimson Spire, continues to shine, keeping the darkness—now a sea—at bay. He speculates that the Labyrinth and the dark sea are colossal, living entities, the boundless scale of their existence rendering human struggles insignificant.
Sunny’s thoughts turn to Nephis and her plan, wondering how Shard Memories fit into this grim picture. He dismisses the dark thought that Nephis might be preparing her own mass sacrifice, concluding that her goal is not to appease the Crimson Terror but to destroy it and gain access to the Gateway within the Spire. This leaves him with a profound question: what did it all truly mean?
He recalls the Spell’s description of the Starlight Legion Armor: “Time has erased their names and their faces, but the memory of the defiant oath still remains.” This phrase, previously interpreted as the heroes’ enduring legacy, now strikes him with a potentially simpler, more direct meaning, hinting at a revelation that could reframe everything he understands.
Chapter 284 Nothing Serious
Sunny reunites with the cohort, finding them eerily calm as they prepare for the final approach to the Bright Castle. Effie, ever the pragmatist, gnaws on a bone, offering Sunny a casual, if somewhat concerned, greeting: “Uh… you alright?”. Sunny, however, deflects her worry with a curt “I’m perfect,” his inner turmoil masked. He then turns to Nephis, who stands gazing at their destination. Her quiet gladness at his arrival is tinged with a rare, macabre jest: “Could I not? It’s not like I know the future.” When Sunny presses for the plan, Nephis reveals a chilling absence of strategy, relying on Gunlaug’s continued pursuit of Effie to draw him out for a confrontation.
Sunny expresses his doubts about Nephis’s ability to overcome Gunlaug, questioning if her sword, even with the Dawn Shard, can contend with a Transcended Echo. Nephis, however, reveals a more subtle objective: “I don’t have to break the armor. I just have to break the man.” Sunny, unconvinced that the two can be separated, reminds her of their outstanding conversation, hinting at the deeper mysteries and personal truths still to be unveiled between them. The cohort faces an uncertain, potentially fatal path, with their collective survival hinging on Nephis’s audacious gambit against the Bright Lord and his formidable forces.
Chapter 285 Kill Order
Sunny presses Nephis on Caster’s intent to kill her, a revelation that deeply unnerves him. He struggles to reconcile this with his perception of Caster as an ambitious opportunist, not a cold-blooded assassin. Nephis calmly dismisses his confusion, reminding him that attempts on her life have been constant. She explains that her enrollment in the Academy presented a perfect window for an assassination, a vulnerability inherent to Sleepers entering the Dream Realm alone. The chilling implication hangs in the air: anyone among their classmates could have been tasked with her elimination.
Nephis then reveals a startling truth: for a significant period, she suspected Sunny himself of being an agent sent to ensure her demise. Sunny, taken aback, demands to know the reasoning behind such a wild accusation. Nephis, without hesitation, lists his inexplicable traits: his survival of the First Nightmare and arrival on the Forgotten Shore despite his claimed origins, his uncharacteristic power growth without soul shards, his rapid mastery of swordplay without prior experience, and the pervasive dishonesty surrounding his past and strength.
The conversation underscores the precariousness of their situation, not only against the formidable Bright Lord but also amidst potential treachery within their own ranks. Sunny grapples with the implications of Nephis’s suspicion, forcing him to confront the profound secrets he still harbors and the enigmatic nature of his bond with her. Their path forward remains fraught with danger, a delicate dance between external threats and hidden internal betrayals.
