Chapter 631 The Funniest Thing In The World
Sunny, weakened and battered, finds himself face-to-face with an anomaly of pure white light. His every instinct screams caution, but the tar fiend’s strange retreat and the pervasive mystery of this island leave him with little choice but to investigate. The source of the luminescence reveals itself to be a strikingly beautiful, seemingly carefree young man. Sunny, recognizing the aura of immense power, deduces this must be Noctis, the legendary Lord of the East and one of the seven immortals shackles of an imprisoned daemon. Despite Noctis’s unnerving friendliness, Sunny’s past encounters with powerful figures of the Kingdom of Hope breed deep suspicion.
With no means of escape and his body still aching, Sunny surrenders to the inevitable, approaching Noctis’s campfire. Noctis, with effortless grace, conjures water to cleanse Sunny and a silken cloak to cover him, while his diamond sickle cleans itself with a whistle. This display of effortless mastery, coupled with Noctis’s almost frail appearance juxtaposed with Sunny’s monstrous, demonic form, creates a stark and frankly ridiculous contrast. The demon, despite his formidable appearance, finds himself trembling under the Transcendent’s gaze, a potent reminder of the vast power disparity.
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“Ah, what a fortuitous encounter. A shadow! Did fate guide you to me, I wonder…” Noctis muses, his smile widening as he studies Sunny. He then gestures for Sunny to sit, noting his unwell state. Hesitantly, Sunny complies, settling across the flames from the Saint, his soul confirming Noctis’s immense power. The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken questions and the undeniable tension between the powerful Transcendent and the damaged demon.
Chapter 632 Broken Heart
Sunny’s suspicion hardens as Noctis, the ethereal Lord of the East, does nothing to seize the obsidian knife Sunny has inadvertently revealed. The immensity of the power disparity, the very weapon capable of shattering the shackles binding an imprisoned daemon, rests in their proximity, yet Noctis merely hums a joyful tune. His seemingly frivolous demeanor belies a chilling pronouncement: “Ah, Sunless! How fortunate it is that I’ve met you.” He then cryptically states that Sunny “won’t be alive for long,” leaving Sunny utterly bewildered and frantically attempting to decipher the Transcendent’s true intentions.
A rustle in the air heralds the arrival of an unexpected servant: a carved wooden mannequin, eerily resembling a corrupted Sailor Doll from Shipwreck Island. This familiar yet unsettling automaton silently presents a tray laden with fruit and wine, then retreats into the shadows, leaving Sunny grappling with Noctis’s ominous pronouncements. The juxtaposition of the delicate offering and Noctis’s dark premonition amplifies Sunny’s unease, the silence punctuated only by Sunny’s desperate attempts to understand.
Through runes etched in the ash, Sunny demands, “What? Why?” and then, more pointedly, “Sunless. Death. Why?” Noctis, feigning a mild scowl at the simplicity of their celebration, offers no solace, instead lamenting the need to be “so simple” while confirming the divination’s success. The chilling implication of Sunny’s imminent demise hangs heavy in the air, the opulent spread a macabre prelude to an unknown, terrifying fate.
Chapter 633 Dead Fortress
Sunny, driven by a primal need for answers, probes Noctis with runes etched in ash, “Fortress. Danger. Inside?” The Transcendent, his amusement palpable, offers only vague assurances, “Danger… of course there is danger. But don’t worry. It is nothing that you won’t be able to handle. Uh… I think.” He insists Sunny is uniquely suited for an unspecified task, the urgency in his tone a stark contrast to his flippant demeanor. When Sunny persists, Noctis reveals a tantalizing fragment of information: the fortress belonged to a former ally, a “shackle” like himself and a “shadow” like Sunny. This revelation solidifies Sunny’s suspicion that Noctis is an immortal and potentially offers a trove of relics from the Shadow God’s era.
Noctis then addresses Sunny’s worn form, offering to replace a damaged heart and missing fingers, a gesture that, despite its morbid implication, carries a strange sense of purpose. Sunny, absorbing this unsettling promise and the renewed hope of discovering ancient Shadow God artifacts, finally accepts his fate. With a resigned sigh and a handful of grapes, he turns his back on the sorcerer and heads south, towards the desolate island where the abandoned fortress awaits.
As Sunny journeys, he encounters fields of luminous white flowers, their scent filling the night air. A creeping unease settles over him as the flowers evoke a chilling memory of another island, a beautiful trap where bones lie hidden beneath petals, and slumber becomes eternal. The chilling familiarity of these blooms fuels Sunny’s suspicion that Noctis is orchestrating a deadly gambit, yet he cannot shake the feeling that this mission holds a deeper, more personal significance, a purpose that even a Transcendent cannot achieve alone.
Chapter 634 Pillar Of Flame
Sunny awakens to a familiar ache in his chest, a phantom pain that pulls him from the warmth of his blankets. His wife, a serene presence, stirs beside him, reminding him of the day’s obligations. He indulges a moment, watching her, his heart full of quiet contentment, a stark contrast to the grim mission Noctis has set him. The morning air is crisp as he dresses and moves through the bustling manor, his servants attending to preparations for his journey. He finds solace in the ritual of tending to his steed, a sacred bond he maintains despite his new life as a lord. Attaching the weathered scabbard to the saddle, the weight of his sword a familiar comfort, a subtle darkness flickers across his face as he touches the old scars.
His son, turning seven today and dressed in his finest, rushes to greet him, his youthful exuberance a vibrant counterpoint to Sunny’s lingering thoughts. “Dad! Trying to sneak up on your poor old father, huh? Not so fast… I was sneaking up on monsters long before you were born, brat!” the boy exclaims. Sunny embraces him, a moment of pure paternal affection. The boy’s excitement about meeting “the Lady” at the Ivory Tower is palpable. Sunny reassures him, explaining that Lady Hope offers protection from the encroaching Corruption, a sanctuary that demands their devotion.
As they ride through the sun-dappled forest, Sunny reflects on the peace he has found in the Kingdom of Hope, a stark contrast to his past of bloodshed. His son, eager for adventure, expresses a desire to become a warrior like his father, a wish that causes Sunny a pang of sorrow. “What do you need a sword for?” he asks, his voice distant, as his heart aches with a question unasked, a longing for a path free from the necessity of combat.
Chapter 635 The Will Of Gods
Sunny, now an elder, finds solace in the Sacred Grove, his heart finding peace in the eternal presence of ancient trees. His peaceful existence, a stark contrast to his past, is shaken when a striking young woman on a powerful black steed arrives. Despite his initial amusement at her beauty, Sunny senses a deep darkness beneath her calm demeanor as she requests an audience with the Lady of the Grove. He offers to wait with her, noticing her unnerving stillness and an encroaching unease.
The young woman, dressed in a simple red tunic, dismounts with breathtaking grace. She kneels respectfully, her presence radiating a quiet sorrow that Sunny, a seasoned elder, recognizes from countless pilgrims seeking refuge in the Heart Grove. Her request is simple: “I seek audience with the Lady of the Grove.” Sunny, despite his ailing body, offers his companionship, a gesture met with silent, statue-like stillness from the visitor and her patient steed.
As he waits, Sunny’s unease grows. He observes the young woman more closely, a frown creasing his brow. The arrival of this enigmatic visitor, her profound stillness, and the palpable aura of hidden turmoil suggest that his quiet days may indeed be numbered, hinting at a disruption to the hard-won tranquility he cherishes.
Chapter 636 Desecration
Sunny’s quiet existence is shattered when his mother, Aidre, the Lady of the Grove, confronts Solvane, the mysterious visitor. Aidre immediately senses danger, ordering Sunny to move away from Solvane, revealing Solvane’s true identity and a shared, strained history. Solvane accuses Aidre of fostering a cult of daemon worshippers, a heresy that corrupts the land and her own son. Aidre counters that Solvane and her ilk are blind to the true will of the Lord of Light, defending her choices as necessary to uphold a forgotten oath. Their tense exchange escalates as Solvane brandishes a strange, dull metal knife, its appearance causing Aidre visible fear and disbelief.
The confrontation culminates in a revelation that shakes the very foundations of Sunny’s understanding. Solvane claims that her actions are a sacrifice agreed upon by others, but Aidre vehemently denies this, arguing that such a betrayal would shatter the delicate balance of power among the seven Chain Lords. Aidre’s denial crumbles as she realizes Solvane’s ruthless determination and the potential magnitude of her sacrifice, acknowledging Solvane’s bravery and the profound implications of her actions. Sunny, caught in the crossfire, can only watch as his mother’s sorrow deepens, utterly bewildered by the unfolding conflict.
As the chapter closes, Aidre, her spirit broken, turns to Sunny with a sad smile, whispering that she will never forget Solvane’s sacrifice, even in the Realm of Shadows. The true nature of the conflict, the identities of the Chain Lords, and the reason behind Solvane’s extreme measures remain shrouded in mystery. Sunny is left grappling with the unsettling realization that something terrible has occurred, a feeling of unease clinging to him as the sacred grove, once a sanctuary, is now tainted by an unknown, potentially world-altering event.
Chapter 637 Lron Cage
The sacred grove’s sanctity is irrevocably broken. Sunny endures unending torture, a cycle of pain and regeneration stretching across decades. His torturer, a figure of stark beauty with amber eyes full of melancholy, inflicts agony without question, driven by a sorrowful duty. Sunny, stripped of pride and identity, can barely recall his own name, lost in the darkness and agony. Hope flickers when his torturer, recognizing Sunny’s whispered “Sun…”, addresses him as “Brother,” stirring faint, fragmented memories of a shared past and a noble lineage.
Confusion reigns as Sunny, weak and disoriented, questions why his brother tortures him. The torturer reveals that Sunny himself requested this penance, a century-long atonement for betraying the Lord of Light and losing “the knives.” This revelation shatters Sunny’s fractured mind, leaving him unable to recall any such betrayal or specific objects. The torturer, his own sorrow evident, prepares to inflict more pain, stating they cannot stop until Sunny answers the crucial question: “Where is that which was entrusted to us by the Lord? What have you done with the knives?”
The implications of this torture, tied to a forgotten betrayal and missing artifacts of immense importance, cast a long shadow over the Grove. Sunny’s broken state and his torturer brother’s grim adherence to a century-old pact create a palpable sense of dread and mystery. The narrative leaves the reader desperate to understand the true nature of Sunny’s sin, the significance of the lost knives, and the ultimate purpose of this relentless, sorrowful penance that binds the brothers in an eternal cycle of torment.
Chapter 638 Dream After Dream
Sunny wanders his desolate castle, a monument to a forgotten Age of Heroes, his presence seemingly consuming the light. The ancient walls, etched with past glories, hold no sway over him now; his former heroism, his cunning and fearlessness, are distant echoes. His castle, once bustling, is now populated only by shadows and a single, stubborn servant who soon departs. Emerging into the courtyard, Sunny retrieves two knives from hidden sheathes: one of ghostly glass, a gift from the Lord of Light, and another of ember, a stolen prize. A deep-seated guilt, perhaps the source of his recent nightmares, surfaces, though he dismisses the idea that his brothers would be so cruel.
A towering, four-armed demon with sorrowful eyes appears. Sunny, offering a weary smile, accepts the inevitable. He entrusts the glass knife, a divine artifact too precious for even Sunny to wield, to the demon. “Be careful not to drop it,” he warns, “A god made that knife, you know?” He instructs the demon to deliver it to the War Maiden at the Temple of the Chalice, relaying a cryptic message: they will meet again in the Realm of Shadows. This is his final command, a severance of their bond, setting the demon free.
With a heavy sigh, the demon accepts the knife and departs, leaving Sunny alone. He watches the creature disappear down a chain leading from the island, musing on the demon’s lack of sentimentality before turning to follow his retreating sea of shadows. The weight of his past, the lost artifacts, and the grim penance continue to haunt him, driving him toward an uncertain future.
Chapter 639 Neverending Nightmare
The fragile peace following Sunny’s disposal of the divine knife shatters as he is plunged into a descent of horrific, layered nightmares. He experiences countless agonizing deaths, each more vivid and brutal than the last: burned alive by a jeering crowd, torn asunder by a monstrous beast, drowned by chains, left to starve on a battlefield, and witnessing his family’s execution before his own hanging. His very essence is tested as he is transformed into a doll, sacrificed on an altar, and cleaved by a warrior. These nightmares, relentless and indistinguishable from reality, chip away at Sunny’s sanity, blurring the lines between his various lives.
He glimpses the souls of others, seeing the “spheres of light,” an omen of true existence amidst the chaos. The torment escalates as he finds himself a soldier in a devastating war between the Ivory City and the Red Colosseum, witnessing a colossal steel giant crush his comrades and the very sky. The sheer terror of this vision leaves him shaken, questioning the sanity of those who would challenge such an overwhelming force. He recalls the Warmongers, monstrous figures who have always been synonymous with bloodshed and misguided righteousness in his memory.
The cyclical nature of his suffering is stark: “It was time to face a new day again.” This refrain underscores the inescapable horror of his existence. Despite the overwhelming madness and the weight of accumulated agony, two things remain constant: the pain in his chest and the fleeting glimpses of those inner spheres of light. The war, a distant threat for now, rages in the north, a grim reminder of the world’s pervasive madness and the ever-present specter of death.
Chapter 640 World That Has Gone Mad
Sunny, grappling with a sanity frayed by relentless, agonizing nightmares, faces an encroaching Awakened hunter. Despite the terrifying presence and the oppressive darkness, Sunny’s demeanor is disturbingly calm, even amused. He acknowledges his unhinged state, confessing, “I sound crazy,” but attributes it to the world’s inherent madness, a reflection of the nothingness he perceives. The hunter deems him “Weak… so weak… his mind is broken,” yet Sunny retorts, highlighting his surprising resilience. He marvels at his own ability to endure unimaginable pain and horror without succumbing to complete madness, even admitting, “they really weren’t that bad.”
The persistent ache in his chest, a constant companion across both nightmarish visions and his current reality, leads Sunny to ponder the blurred lines between them. He questions if the shared nature of this pain suggests a shared essence between dreams and reality itself. The young girl who accompanies him recoils in fear, witnessing his unsettling transformation. Sunny, however, seems to find a strange liberation in his fractured state, his “wicked grin” hinting at a new, dangerous perspective forged in the crucible of his suffering.
Ultimately, Sunny declares his hardiness: “real or not, I am really… really, really hard to break.” He points his sword at the hunter, a chilling resolve in his eyes. The hunter’s curiosity is piqued by Sunny’s cryptic pronouncements, setting the stage for a confrontation where the definition of reality, and Sunny’s place within it, hangs precariously in the balance.
Chapter 641 Dream Battle
Sunny, now identified as “Lost from Light,” continues his brutal, cyclical battle against the Shadow Lord’s steed within the dreamscape. Each encounter sees Sunny, the weaker entity, ripped apart and killed countless times, his blood mingling with the rivers of spilled life throughout the Kingdom of Hope’s history. However, with each agonizing death and subsequent rebirth, he inflicts his own brand of pain, determined to leave his mark on the tenebrous black horse. This eternal conflict is a war of attrition, a contest of wills where neither can truly die, and Sunny finds a grim satisfaction in the shared suffering, embracing his fractured identity and focusing solely on tormenting his adversary.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds and the lack of opportunities to truly harm the steed, Sunny’s descent into madness has yielded unexpected benefits. The void where his identity once resided has allowed for the emergence of core truths: his aching heart, his soul-gazing ability, and his forgotten name. Recalling “Lost from Light” acts as an anchor, gradually pulling forgotten skills, knowledge fragments, and crucial insights from the abyss of his lost self, revealing that he is not entirely helpless against the infernal steed.
This newfound anchor in his true name unlocks the “memory” of his soul, granting him an advantage he previously lacked. Sunny, no longer solely defined by his suffering, recognizes that while the steed is powerful, his own resilience and emerging capabilities offer a glimmer of hope for reversing their roles. The relentless cycle of death and rebirth has forged him into something more, a hunter in his own right, driven by a chilling glee to inflict his pain upon the dark courser until its spirit finally breaks.
Chapter 642 Rude Awakening
Lost from Light faces the exhausted but still furious black steed on a desolate plane, a burning shipwreck casting an infernal glow behind him. He taunts the beast, its immense power now tinged with confusion and pain, and they clash once more. However, this time, Lost from Light’s death is different. Instead of rebirth, the dreamscape itself begins to unravel, reality crumbling like a tattered veil. He finds himself in a boundless void, a formless shadow confronting an even vaster, more ancient darkness that engulfs him, only for Sunny to awaken abruptly in a cold stone room.
Disoriented and clutching his chest, Sunny scrambles from his bed, the metallic scrape of his gauntlet a jarring reality check. His eyes dart around, recognizing the terrifying snake and the stoic knight guarding the door as familiar presences – Saint and the Soul Serpent. The realization dawns; he is awake, the harrowing cycle of the dreamscape broken, leaving him grappling with where and who he truly is after his ordeal.
The chapter leaves Sunny in a precarious state, torn from the familiar torment of the dreamscape into an unknown reality. The disintegration of the dreamworld and his transition into a formless shadow suggest a profound shift in his existence, hinting at deeper connections or manipulations at play within the very fabric of his consciousness. What forces have orchestrated this liberation, and what new dangers await Sunny beyond the nightmare?
Chapter 643 Clash Of Shadows
The descent into the fortress courtyard is brutal. Sunny and the black steed, locked in a death grip, plummet through shattered stone, their impact on the darkened cobblestones dissolving them into the shadows below. Despite the steed’s immense power, Sunny’s Ascended Memory, the Mantle of the Underworld, barely holds against its fangs, yet still, the armor groans and bends, crushing his flesh. He retaliates, ripping into the Terror’s chest, “I’m gonna kill you, bastard… just you wait…” Their souls clash in the darkness, the steed pursuing Sunny even in this formless state, but Sunny, now understanding he can fight other shadow creatures, transforms into a blade of darkness to meet the attack, both suffering terrible agony.
Thrown back into the corporeal world, Sunny, battered but defiant, readies the Cruel Sight and the Moonlight Shard. The steed’s crimson eyes strike, hitting Sunny’s chest again. He grapples with the stallion, the Mantle of the Underworld becoming impossibly heavy, but it doesn’t hinder the beast. Together, they collide with the fortress wall, the impact shattering stone, Sunny’s own spine saved only by Bone Weave.
This brutal encounter reveals the limits of Sunny’s current defenses and the terrifying persistence of his tormentor, even when their forms dissolve into the very shadows that once offered escape. The struggle highlights how Sunny’s understanding of his powers, and the nature of shadow combat, is evolving under extreme duress. The chapter leaves Sunny facing overwhelming odds, the fortress walls a testament to his resilience, yet the shadow steed remains an unyielding threat.
Chapter 644 My Enemy
The brutal conflict escalates as Sunny and the stygian courser plummet onto the swaying surface of a heavenly chain, transforming into shadows to resume their relentless assault. Traversing vast distances with terrifying speed, they crash onto a new island, their destructive path leaving devastation in their wake. The courser relentlessly batters Sunny, utilizing its hooves, horns, and fangs to inflict maximum pain, a fury mirrored by Sunny, who retaliates with his own weapons and natural might. Though Sunny’s physical form often falters, losing ground when corporeal, he gains a decisive edge when embracing his shadow state. The divine nature of Sunny’s shadow, a result of his True Name, grants him superior damage output and a more resilient form compared to the ancient, powerful, yet merely ‘powerful’ Shadow courser.
Despite the relentless barrage and the tattered state of their souls and bodies, neither combatant yields. Sunny, driven by primal instinct and a singular focus on survival, finds himself pushed beyond comprehension by the sheer ferocity and speed of the battle. They eventually reach a desolate island, a silent testament to their exhaustion. In a moment of stark clarity, Sunny perceives the world as an interconnected tapestry, his mind honed into a sharp edge. The approaching silhouette of the infernal horse, still burning with an unshaken will, signals the continuation of their deeply ingrained animosity. Centuries of mutual torment and pursuit have forged an intimate understanding, rendering them equally matched: the steed’s raw power against Sunny’s cunning treachery.
Facing mutual destruction, Sunny makes a drastic choice. Shedding his weapons and armor, he stands naked against the starlit sky, a crude loincloth his only covering, directly challenging the courser in its natural state. “Let us end this, then,” he growls, a dark grin baring his fangs. The black steed lowers its head, its sharp horns glinting, and charges. Sunny lunges forward, his desperate gamble to become the Terror’s shadow, leveraging their shared history of nightmares and battles. He recalls every wound, every torment, every loss, and the Shadow Lord’s final moments with his faithful steed, preparing to turn his deepest familiarity into his ultimate weapon.
Chapter 645 Facing A New Day
Waking in a familiar, opulent room, Sunny is plunged into confusion and a primal terror, believing himself still trapped in the nightmare of his battle with the infernal steed. The gentle sway of the world, the scent of wood and greenery, all feel like echoes of a fabricated reality. But as he raises his four-armed, shadow demon form, he notices the stark, pale complexion of his skin and the steady beat of not one, but two hearts beneath his chest. His missing fingers have returned, fashioned from ashen wood and steel, and a thin scar marks where his last heart once was.
He realizes he has not only survived the brutal confrontation but has emerged with a transformed, dual-hearted body, a stark contrast to the obsidian hue and singular heart he’d known. The opulent chamber, a stark divergence from the desolate islands of his struggle, sparks a flicker of recognition. The thought of Noctis, the “lying crook,” soon surfaces, linking this luxurious setting to the ancient flying ship of the Fire Keepers.
Sunny’s fragmented memories of the battle, his desperate gamble to embrace the Terror’s shadow, and the vicarious experience of the Shadow Lord’s final moments with his steed fuel his dawning comprehension. He is alive, reborn from the crucible of his own making, and the familiar yet eerily pristine surroundings of the sky vessel signal a new, and potentially treacherous, phase of his journey.
