Chapter 661 Precious Tether
The reunion between Sunny and Kai is one of shock and raw emotion, with both characters disoriented by the other’s current state. Kai, now a horrifyingly bandaged cripple, is first mistaken for a monstrous demon by Sunny, leading to a moment of mutual confusion before recognition dawns. Sunny’s immediate, overwhelming embrace, despite Kai’s repulsive appearance, highlights the deep bond between them, though he quickly recoils upon remembering Kai’s injuries. Beneath the relief of seeing Kai alive, Sunny’s fury ignites at the thought of who could have inflicted such suffering.
Kai reveals his survival after the disastrous events on Iron Hand Island, admitting he had nearly lost hope of seeing Sunny or Cassie again. His words paint a grim picture of the island, where months passed with no sign of Sunny’s arrival at their rendezvous point, though Effie’s message carved into a stone pillar confirms her own survival, a spark of hope for Sunny. Sunny’s confusion about Iron Hand Island’s significance prompts Kai to explain he hasn’t been there, his explanation cut short as he recounts the despair of believing Sunny and Cassie were lost.
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The revelation that Effie is alive electrifies Sunny, fueling his determination amidst the emotional reunion. The shared trauma and uncertainty surrounding their companions—Cassie’s unknown fate and Effie’s presumed survival—hang heavy in the air. As Sunny grapples with the implications of Kai’s account and his own delayed journey to Iron Hand Island following a significant magical procedure to replace his heart, the fractured group faces a future shrouded in the mysteries of what truly transpired on that fateful island.
Chapter 662 Demon’s Bargain
Sunny, driven by a grim resolve, urges Kai forward, the archer’s bandaged form a stark reminder of the horrors he has endured. Kai, his voice a strained rasp, asks a crucial question: “Uh… where, exactly, are we going?” Sunny, with a decisive tilt of his head, reveals their destination is the immortal sorcerer Noctis. Kai’s stunned disbelief at facing “the immortal Transcendent? Blessed of the Moon, Crimson Beast of Twilight” is met with Sunny’s assurance that despite his terrifying reputation, Noctis is “not unreasonable.” Their arrival at Noctis’s residence reveals the formidable sorcerer in a state of profound inebriation, surrounded by shattered wine amphoras.
Noctis, upon noticing his visitors, lazily acknowledges Sunny, referring to him as “Sunless,” and makes a clumsy, potentially offensive remark about Kai’s appearance. Undeterred by the sorcerer’s drunken state, Sunny corrects Noctis, stating, “Actually, I am here to deliver some good news. Do you remember the friends I told you about? Well, this is one of them.” Noctis, taking a bite of an apple, muses on the improbable coincidence of Kai appearing in his Sanctuary, calling it “fortunate,” a veiled reference to Sunny’s quest to find his lost companions.
The meeting with Noctis takes an unexpected turn as Sunny confirms that the sorcerer did, in fact, voice his rude observation about Kai’s disfigurement. Noctis, unfazed, admits his observation and then expresses his curiosity about how Kai managed to reach his Sanctuary, hinting at deeper machinations and perhaps a shared destiny. This encounter not only reunites Sunny with a comrade but also plunges them into the arcane dealings of a powerful, yet surprisingly relatable, immortal, setting the stage for further unraveling of their intertwined fates.
Chapter 663 Heralds Of War
Noctis reveals the difficulties in fulfilling Sunny’s requests. He can partially mend Kai’s severe wounds, restoring his strength and soul, but the flames’ mark will remain unless Kai agrees to a full soul transference into a crafted vessel. Kai, however, refuses the offer of beauty, content with his current form as long as he can still fight, declaring his disfigurement “suits me fine” and that he is “already beautiful.” This statement leaves both Sunny and Noctis bewildered, questioning Kai’s sanity.
Noctis then turns to Sunny’s second request: a large quantity of coins. He flatly denies this, explaining that the valuable coins, each imbued with a fragment of a Corrupted soul, take considerable time and effort to create. This unexpected refusal throws Sunny into confusion, prompting a sharp “What? Why?!” as the sorcerer’s dismissive attitude highlights the complex and demanding nature of his powers and resources.
The sorcerer’s inability to provide the requested wealth signifies a major obstacle in Sunny’s plans, forcing him to reconsider his approach. As Noctis elaborates on the creation process for the coins, a subtle tension builds, hinting that Sunny’s mission is far from over and that securing these crucial resources will require more than just asking a powerful immortal.
Chapter 664 Basic Logic
The oppressive silence in Noctis’s opulent residence breaks as Kai, displaying a polite curiosity, questions the necessity of a “glass knife.” Noctis explains it’s the sole weapon capable of killing Sevras, now known as Sevirax, the Ivory Lord, a target he desperately wishes to eliminate. Kai, after a moment’s contemplation and a grim acknowledgment of knowing the Ivory Lord, insists they must retrieve both the knife and their missing companion. He then turns to Noctis, probing for a way to infiltrate the Temple of the Chalice, but the mad sorcerer admits he cannot enter without destroying the entire sanctuary and dooming their friend.
“If that is the case… what if we infiltrate it, instead?” Kai cautiously suggests, prompting Noctis to express surprise at their boldness, especially given the terrifying reputation of the War Maidens. Sunny, displaying his sharp fangs, shrugs, while Kai counters, “Oh, on the contrary. Both of us are actually very cowardly. But, Lord Noctis… you might not know this, but Sunless and I… we can be a bit frightening ourselves.” Noctis remains dubious, insisting their gender prevents entry into the Temple, which only permits skilled female warriors.
Sunny, however, dismisses this obstacle with a sigh, stating, “Actually… that won’t be a problem.” Noctis, bewildered, questions what he doesn’t know about Sunny, who replies darkly, “There’s plenty!” He clarifies he has a highly skilled female warrior at hand, summoning Saint from the depths of his shadow. The taciturn demon emerges, her ruby eyes fixing on Noctis with a chilling indifference, presenting a potential solution to their seemingly impossible infiltration.
Chapter 665 Preparations
Leaving Noctis to his preparations, Sunny and Kai walk through the opulent gardens, a quiet contemplation settling between them. Kai expresses satisfaction with their dealings, but Sunny, with a dark twist of his mouth, reveals they’ve been “swindled.” He elaborates that Noctis coerced the location of the Glass Knife, a weapon vital for their mission, by making them believe retrieving it was their own idea, while Sunny’s true desire was merely for Noctis to heal Kai, a task the sorcerer agreed to. Sunny admits Noctis is a “cunning trickster,” but asserts, “all is well. Noctis will heal your body, nothing else matters.”
The conversation shifts to the formidable Temple of the Chalice, with Kai expressing concern for their missing companion, Effie. He worries about the sect’s ancient cruelty and the dire fate awaiting anyone who enters. Sunny, however, remains resolute, reminding Kai of Effie’s resilience, stating, “Effie is more resilient than any of us.” He also downplays the threat of the War Maidens, referencing a future where the Temple is destroyed and “all of them are dead.”
Sunny reveals his true intention in dealing with Noctis was solely to secure Kai’s healing, viewing the other requests as mere distractions. He emphasizes the need for self-reliance, stating, “we can only put trust in our own efforts,” and dismisses the idea of becoming dependent on others. As they settle into a shared silence, a palpable longing to discuss their individual Nightmare experiences hangs between them, postponed until their group is reunited, an unspoken hope that their waiting might somehow ensure the safe return of their other companions.
Chapter 666 Dark Rider
As twilight bleeds across the horizon, a desolate island reveals a numinous temple, its stone walls stained crimson by the dying sun. Countless swords jut from the earth, forming a grim prelude to the path ahead. The rhythmic clang of adamantine hooves announces the arrival of a dark rider, a woman clad in obsidian armor with a horned destrier, her face obscured by a visor, her ruby eyes burning with a terrifying resolve. Beside her, two silent servants follow: a four-armed demon in a black kimono and a humanoid with bark-like skin, his disfigured face hidden by a wooden mask. The rider halts at the sword-strewn path, her impassivity a stark contrast to her servants’ apprehension. “It is too late to turn back, isn’t it?” the human servant whispers, a premonition of danger hanging heavy in the air.
Suddenly, the travelers are surrounded by a dozen beautiful women in red silk, their alluring forms betrayed by the lethal glint in their eyes and the deadly intent of their blades. Sunny, observing this chilling tableau, recognizes the terrifying aura of true battle masters. He notes the War Maidens’ formidable presence, feeling the same fear he experienced facing other elite combatants, realizing these are merely the sentinels. Despite his apprehension, Sunny remains still, his role to do nothing. The dark rider, Saint, shows no concern, her calm gaze meeting the War Maidens’ hostile stares.
One of the War Maidens, a tall woman with red hair and steel-colored eyes, narrows her gaze. The air crackles with unspoken tension as the uninvited guests face the temple’s deadly guardians, their survival hanging precariously in the balance. The chapter ends on this precipice, the fate of the dark rider and her servants uncertain as the War Maidens prepare to engage.
Chapter 667 Temple Of The Chalice
The Glass Knife, a relic holding the string of fate for Sevirax, the Chain Lord of the Ivory City, and a record of his death, is revealed to be the true objective of Saint’s arrival. This ancient artifact was entrusted to the War Maidens centuries ago by Saint herself, with the four-armed demon Kai acting as its original deliverer. The hope is that the current disciples, unaware of the demon’s past involvement, might surrender the relic. When Kai’s statement about the Glass Knife is met with a somber stillness from the lead War Maiden, Sunny’s calculation that they wouldn’t immediately attack proves correct. The tall Maiden acknowledges the long-awaited challenge for the relic, though she asserts its belonging to their sect, not Saint’s “kin.” She then grants Saint and her retinue passage into the Temple of the Chalice, a place that appears both ruinous and impeccably maintained.
Inside the temple, Saint halts at the entrance hall as instructed, while the War Maidens, though sheathed, maintain their hostile vigilance. Sunny, observing the countless swords littering the landscape, senses the violent histories etched into each one, imagining them as the fallen of countless battles. They are led deeper into the structure, where the lead War Maiden, her grey eyes glinting coldly, instructs Saint to wait while she informs the elders of their arrival and their challenge.
The confrontation over the Glass Knife has initiated a new phase, shifting the focus from a potential battle to a tense negotiation. The War Maidens, guardians of a powerful artifact tied to Saint’s past, now face the prospect of dealing with the elders. The underlying hostility and the sheer number of silent swords suggest that this fragile truce could shatter at any moment, leaving the fate of Saint, Sunny, and Kai hanging precariously in the balance.
Chapter 668 Vessels Of War
The group is granted passage into the temple’s central hall, where they are confronted by a towering chalice filled with an intensely bright, blinding white fire. Sunny recognizes this as a remnant of the divine flame, a destructive force he barely survived in his past, and realizes the immense power contained within the chalice, its containment due to an intricate, ancient enchantment. He understands that retrieving the Glass Knife from such a potent artifact will be a monumental, perhaps impossible, challenge.
Standing before the chalice, cloaked in its stark light, are three Ascended battle masters of the War Maidens. One with red hair wields an odachi, another with black hair carries a rune-covered spear, and the third, with white hair, is unarmed but emanates an aura of profound, terrifying power, a true “vessel of War.” Sunny’s gaze drifts to the hall’s ruined state in the future, a vision of shattered pillars, collapsed roof, and the chalice destroyed, a testament to a violent past he might now be walking into, potentially facing the same destructive force.
The white-haired Maiden, Solvane, addresses Saint, her voice echoing, “I’ve been told that you wish to retrieve the legacy of our foremothers, shadow.” She then lays out the daunting challenge: “All you have to do is prove yourself before the Chalice. Kill me, and then my two sisters. If you do, the Glass Blade will be yours.” Saint, unfazed, offers a slight nod of indifferent agreement, leaving Sunny to exhale in relief at the unexpected, albeit deadly, trial.
Chapter 669 Feral Child
The Ascended War Maidens reveal that the trial to retrieve the Glass Knife is not a direct combat with them, but rather to defeat a challenger. To Sunny’s shock, this challenger is a young, severely bruised girl of about eleven or twelve. This feral child, with blue and black skin and bloodshot eyes, verbally abuses the War Maidens, making a rude gesture and speaking with a defiant yet childish tone. Sunny’s blood runs cold as he recognizes the tone and the gesture – this is not a native of the Kingdom of Hope.
He realizes with horror that the “feral child” the War Maidens spoke of is none other than Effie. The daunting task of fighting a nameless opponent now becomes an impossible ethical dilemma, as Sunny cannot bring himself to kill a child, especially one he knows. This revelation shatters the fragile hope Sunny felt moments before, as his path to the Glass Knife is now irrevocably complicated by his refusal to kill Effie.
The white-haired Maiden, Solvane, then reveals Effie’s role in the trial, stating, “No training today, insolent child. Instead, a test. We have guests today, you see… kill them, and I might order your older sisters to feed you today.” This sinister proposition places Effie in a deadly bind, forcing her to fight Sunny and his companions, further intensifying the already dire situation and leaving Sunny to grapple with the monumental implications of this cruel, unexpected turn.
Chapter 670 With Kid Gloves
Effie, previously known for her affable demeanor, reveals herself as a terrifying warrior. Having survived the longest on the Forgotten Shore and hunting Nightmare Creatures alone in the Dark City, her will is unyielding, even defying the ruler of Bright Castle. Her Aspect enhances her physicality to inhuman levels, a fact Sunny knows firsthand from their spear lessons. However, he never witnessed her full might until now. A single blow from Effie shatters Sunny’s expectations, his augmented body struggling against her raw power. He realizes she has grown immensely stronger, having endured torture and tempering by the cult that created Solvane.
Despite his weakened state, Sunny attempts to defend himself, but Effie’s speed and enhanced resilience are overwhelming. His dagger slides off her skin without a trace, and he’s forced to dodge a relentless barrage of attacks. The nimble girl moves with uncanny speed, appearing almost omnipresent. “Stop running, big guy! Let us… let us finish this quickly… I am hella hungry, you know!” Effie exclaims, her hunger as ferocious as her fighting. Sunny desperately needs to slow her down, knowing that even his reinforced ribs won’t withstand many more blows from the “devil child.”
Sunny’s predicament deepens as he grapples with fighting a child he knows and trained. He’s caught between his refusal to harm Effie and the dire necessity of survival. The cult’s manipulation has turned Effie into a weapon, leaving Sunny facing an impossible choice. The brutal reality of Effie’s training under her tormentors is starkly evident in her terrifying power, a power Sunny must now somehow overcome if he is to survive and achieve his goal.
Chapter 671 Thunderstruck
Effie, her initial aggressive pursuit tempered by a surprising realization, interrogates Sunny about his presence at the Temple of Chalice, correctly deducing he ignored her warning. Despite her battered state, Effie expresses genuine relief at Sunny’s arrival, admitting her own doubts about escaping the cult’s stronghold. She reveals a critical predicament: their captors will not permit any disciple to leave alive, and for them to survive this forced duel, one must kill the other, forcing Sunny to produce a plan.
Sunny, grappling with the impossible situation and Effie’s unwavering faith in him, realizes he has no immediate solution. He considers their combined strength against the formidable War Maidens, acknowledging his own power and his Shadow familiars as the key to facing their tormentors. However, the sheer numbers of Awakened warriors present, coupled with Effie’s need to contend with a senior War Maiden, leaves Kai vulnerable, rendering any straightforward escape plan futile.
As Sunny desperately searches for a solution, his gaze falls upon the massive, flame-filled stone chalice dominating the hall. A dangerous, unsettling idea begins to form, one with potentially vast and unwelcome repercussions. Though repulsed by its inherent risk and the unknown consequences, Sunny’s mind fixates on this desperate gambit as their only potential path to survival.
Chapter 672 Shadow Cohort
Sunny, driven by a desperate gambit, unleashes a bolt of darkness-wreathed lightning upon the immense, flame-filled stone chalice. The ensuing explosion of blinding light and searing heat engulfs the hall. Sunny shields a stunned Effie with his own body, his Shadow familiars absorbing the brunt of the divine flame’s onslaught. The chalice shatters, leaving the hall in ruins, revealing a familiar future of devastation.
The aftermath sees the hall a wreck of molten stone and toppled pillars, with residual divine flames consuming charred remains. Despite the catastrophic blast, the three Ascended leaders and some of their Awakened disciples survive, albeit wounded and bewildered. Sunny, though protected by his armor and enchantments, feels the searing pain of one of his Shadows being burned, a direct consequence of its proximity to the chalice’s destruction.
Amidst the devastation, Sunny rises, his immediate goal to assess their survival and the fate of his Shadows. The presence of protective runes on the shattered architecture offers a glimmer of understanding to the limited spread of the flames, but the surviving cultists and wounded leaders present a lingering, perilous threat. “Curse it…” Sunny mutters, the weight of the events and the precariousness of their escape settling upon him once more.
Chapter 673 War Masters
Sunny, a lone Awakened facing three formidable Ascended War Maidens, knows he’s outmatched, but this time, he fights unleashed. He has bested Ascended before, “each victory won by the skin of his teeth,” costing him dearly. Unlike those previous battles where restrictions held him back, now his Divine Aspect is free to wreak havoc. Though two of the War Maidens are already injured from his prior gambit, the prospect of facing all three is daunting. As they brace for his Shadow assault, Saint’s shield, the “Patient Avenger,” unleashes a shockwave, absorbing residual divine flame to blast the Maidens apart, shattering their coordination.
Seizing the advantage, Sunny and his Shadows scatter to engage individually. The Soul Serpent targets the spear-wielding Maiden, Saint goes for the odachi user, while Sunny and Nightmare confront the most threatening, unarmed leader. This tactical split seems to be unfolding perfectly, yet reality intrudes. The spear Maiden, remarkably agile, anchors herself and, defying expectation, reveals a second, identical body. “What kind of an insane Aspect is that?!” Sunny exclaims, as this duplication instantly doubles her threat and unravels his carefully laid plans.
The sudden multiplication of the spear-wielding War Maiden presents a shocking twist, throwing Sunny’s calculated attack into disarray. With his Shadows divided and now facing an unanticipated two-for-one engagement, the dire challenge escalates. The Maidens’ power and the environment’s lingering divine flames remain potent threats, leaving Sunny in a precarious position, forced to adapt on the fly against an enemy whose abilities defy conventional understanding and double his immediate danger.
Chapter 674 Mercy Of Shadow
The spear-wielding War Maiden’s unexpected duplication doubles her threat, forcing Sunny to confront two identical, agile opponents. As Sunny’s Shadows engage the Maidens, the leader unleashes her full power. Instead of being harmed by the debris and divine flames, she commands them, forming a potent stone armor and incandescent gloves. “How dare you, vile shadow…” she declares, her eyes igniting in the darkness.
The white-haired War Maiden proves to be an elemental sorceress, drawing power from stone to augment her physicality and fire to enhance her speed and attack. “Ah… I see how it is…” Sunny realizes, as her strength far surpasses his even with his own augmentations. He struggles to land a blow with his blades, which scrape fruitlessly against her stone carapace. However, he exploits an opening with his ghostly stiletto, drawing blood. “Not so high and mighty now, are you…” he taunts, before she cauterizes the wound and retaliates with furious, flaming fists.
The ensuing clash between Sunny and the white-haired leader is a brutal display of raw power and refined skill. Shrouded in darkness, their fight is marked by flashes of radiant light and the terrifying sounds of an inhuman battle. Her combat prowess is described as “utterly sublime in its deadly power, stark perfection, and lethal precision,” overwhelming Sunny even as he adapts and fights with every ounce of his being.
Chapter 675 Devastation
The whispers of the Spell confirm the death of War Maiden Hilde, yet Sunny feels no elation, only the gnawing exhaustion of a brutal victory. Nursing his battered body and activating the self-repairing enchantment on his Mantle of the Underworld, he surveys the ongoing chaos. To his right, Saint clashes with the red-haired War Maiden, whose stone sword, augmented by her own power and Sunny’s shield, resists the onslaught but cracks under the strain. The maiden, however, remains unwounded, her regenerative capabilities proving formidable.
Meanwhile, to Sunny’s left, Nightmare’s steed has dispatched one of the twin War Maidens, its adamantine hooves leaving a gruesome testament to its ferocity. The remaining twin engages Soul Serpent, her enchanted spear proving unnervingly adept at finding the colossal snake even within the shadows. This black-haired warrior, a terrifying force against both an Ascended Demon and an Awakened Terror, is a testament to the Masters of the waking world.
However, her resilience falters as Sunny, emerging from the darkness, delivers a swift, fatal blow to her back with his Cruel Sight. The divine flames within his blade consume her instantly, leaving her unaware of her killer. Simultaneously, the last of the War Maidens falls to Nightmare’s assault. The Spell confirms another Ascended human slain: War Maiden Gvenravyr.
