Chapter 646 Familiar Sights
Donning a custom-made, four-sleeved silk kimono, Sunny emerges from his chambers, feeling a semblance of normalcy despite his monstrous form. Noctis, the sorcerer, chatters incessantly, admiring the garment’s perfect fit on Sunny and proclaiming his own skin “the fairest there is in the Kingdom of Hope,” a testament to his eccentric nature. Sunny, finding everyone in this strange reality “insane,” follows the immortal Transcendent onto the upper deck.
The flying ship’s centerpiece is a magnificent, ancient tree growing around the main mast, its ivory bark and emerald leaves a stark contrast to the future’s decrepit version. Sunny recognizes it as the consecrated grove of a Heart God, a painful reminder of a nightmare involving his own past and loss. Noctis proudly boasts of the ship’s divine origins, explaining it’s the last of its kind, a relic from the Fire Hunters who harvested divine flame from the Sky Below.
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Noctis further reveals his own acquisition of the ship, having “won her in a game of cards” and even taunting Sunny by mentioning he once won Sunny’s “obsidian knife… from the One in the North.” Sunny, left dumbfounded by the sorcerer’s rambling, is clearly out of his depth in this bewildering new phase of his existence, the ship a vessel of both unparalleled power and unsettling madness.
Chapter 647 Two Answers
Sunny’s attention snaps to a familiar, terrifying presence: a treasure chest that is, in fact, the Mordant Mimic, a creature that once nearly consumed him. Though now a demon himself, Sunny’s confidence wavers, the absence of familiar support from his own era leaving him vulnerable. He notes the Mimic is merely an Awakened Demon, not yet the corrupted Fallen Devil he remembers, raising the unsettling question of why Noctis employs such a powerful being as mere furniture. As Noctis casually opens another chest, Sunny’s thoughts are torn between the allure of treasure and a far more disturbing realization.
Noctis’s casual words trigger a chilling revelation: Sunny is the “pale friend” mentioned in the description of the Covetous Coffer, a prophecy seemingly made in his distant past. This raises a terrifying question: is this Nightmare a true recreation of the past, implying time travel, or is it a glimpse into his inescapable fate, woven by the enigmatic Weaver, the Demon of Fate? The implications of either scenario – the potential for temporal paradoxes or the horrifying certainty of predestination – leave Sunny deeply unsettled.
The unnerving revelation about the Covetous Coffer’s precognition weighs heavily on Sunny. He ponders the nature of the Spell, suspecting it perceives the tapestry of fate, much like his Weaver mask allows him to. This possibility, that his current predicament and interactions were always fated, is even more terrifying than the prospect of time travel. As Noctis continues his treasure hunt, Sunny grapples with this profound unease, confronting a reality where his choices may have already been written, and the true power of the Nightmare Seed is far more complex and chilling than he ever imagined.
Chapter 648 With Good Intentions
A lavish feast unfolds on the deck of a flying ship, offering a precarious panorama of the ruined Kingdom of Hope below. Sunny, despite his demon nature, feels a primal unease at the altitude, a residual fear from his past life. The meal is served by meticulously crafted wooden dolls, chillingly animated by Noctis, each a testament to his twisted craft. Sunny hesitates to partake, his attention fixed on an emerald amulet before him, the key to Noctis’s terrifying mind-reading ability, a power Sunny guards zealously as his thoughts are his sole sanctuary.
Noctis, feigning geniality, congratulates Sunny on his victory against a formidable horse-like creature, a feat he seemingly orchestrated. However, his praise quickly sours as he bewilderedly questions, “Please tell me, why… why, for the love of the gods, did you kill the horse?!” Sunny, incensed, retorts through the amulet, “What the hell do you mean, why did I kill the horse?! You were the one who sent me into his damned lair!” Noctis, in turn, expresses disbelief, stating, “I never meant for you to fight it! …That horse destroyed hundreds of creatures much scarier than you, why would I send a mere demon to battle it?!”
The confrontation escalates with Sunny demanding to know why Noctis sent him into the fortress at all. Noctis, with a sigh, admits a bewildering reasoning: “I just thought that since you are both shadow creatures, it might have liked you. Didn’t you know each other back when your master was still around?” This bizarre revelation leaves Sunny stunned, his face buried in his hands as he grapples with the capricious, and potentially manipulative, motives of the sorcerer and the true nature of this Nightmare.
Chapter 649 Kingdom Of Madness
Sunny remains stunned by Noctis’s casual revelation of a desire for widespread conflict, a ambition starkly contrasting with his jovial demeanor. He recalls his first encounter with the sorcerer, remembering the grim scene of Noctis, bloodied and defeated, a diamond sickle discarded nearby. A chilling realization dawns on Sunny: “Insane… you are insane. All of you are…” Noctis, finding amusement in Sunny’s assessment, questions if he truly understands the underlying reason for this pervasive madness.
A seed of understanding begins to sprout in Sunny’s mind, linking Noctis’s words to a strange unease he’s felt about the Kingdom of Hope since his escape from the Red Colosseum. He remembers Solvane, the beautiful yet demented fiend, whose actions, while perverse, had a disturbing logic. This feeling of something being “off” has only intensified through his experiences in the unending nightmares, where every emotion and vice becomes an all-consuming obsession.
Sunny reflects on his own amplified feelings—his fervent desire to learn weaving, his intense affection for Elyas, and his consuming hatred for the black steed—recognizing these as more potent than usual. A feverish recollection of the Nightmare’s lore, including the seven knives, the thousand years of duty, and the destruction of the Sacred Grove, culminates in a shock of comprehension. He grasps a profound truth about the Nightmare, a realization so significant it compels him to cautiously pick up the emerald amulet and form a single, potent thought.
Chapter 650 Drastic Measures
The Flaw compels Sunny to respond to Noctis’s cryptic musings. He tentatively suggests that perhaps someone simply wanted to see Noctis suffer, a notion Noctis finds amusing. The sorcerer muses on the unpredictable nature of gods, their vastness beyond human comprehension, and entertains the idea that the Demon’s imprisonment is maintained not by their lives, but by the will and desire to keep her bound, or perhaps it’s a test of conviction. This leads to a heavy silence on the flying ship, as Sunny’s appetite vanishes.
Sunny’s mind connects the unsettling occurrences—the jubilant, blood-soaked crowds of the Red Colosseum, Solvane’s twisted logic, the Sun Prince’s torment, and the black steed’s crazed eyes—to the “Demon of Desire,” Hope. He understands that her influence, amplified by her domain over desire, has infected the entire realm, twisting every aspiration into a weapon. No one is immune, not even Saints.
He realizes Hope’s ultimate yearning is freedom, mirroring his own. She manipulates her jailers into conflict, a strategy proving effective as Solvane seeks death, the Ivory City’s Transcendents teeter on the brink of fratricide, and Noctis plots their demise. The chilling vision of time reversing, the Ivory Tower’s descent, and the wasteland’s transformation into a white city foretells Hope’s prison breaking and the emergence of “the Crushing,” leaving Sunny with a dire premonition.
Chapter 651 Lnvisible Tethers
Back in his cabin, Sunny grapples with the overwhelming revelations. Noctis, with his characteristic nonchalance, grants Sunny time to process the horrifying truth: the “Demon of Desire,” Hope, has corrupted the entire realm, twisting aspirations into tools of torment. Sunny’s own past denial of hope, only to rediscover its vital importance for survival, makes this bitter irony particularly sharp. He ponders the looming threat of “the Crushing,” a potential consequence of Hope’s eventual freedom, and considers the seemingly impossible task of collecting the remaining Sun God knives, acknowledging that survival means facing them all. “Whether he liked it or not, there was only one inevitable way to find out,” Sunny reflects.
With the flying ship en route to Noctis’s Sanctuary, Sunny feels the pressure to decide his next move. He must locate his scattered companions and confront the Nightmare, but the immediate priority is visiting Iron Hand island to search for clues to their whereabouts. The prospect of reuniting his cohort and then choosing a side in the escalating conflict weighs heavily on him, as he wonders about the fate of those he cares about. “He had to find the others, and conquer this cursed Nightmare, somehow,” he resolves.
Sunny’s mind races with the implications of Hope’s insidious influence, realizing everyone, including himself, is a pawn. His journey from the Dark City, where he deemed hope a poison, to recognizing its power for survival now collides with the knowledge that Hope’s very essence is manipulating this fundamental human drive. The immense irony is not lost on him as he considers the path ahead.
Chapter 652 Plentiful Gains
Resting in his cabin, Sunny discovers a staggering amount of Shadow Fragments – 2823 to be exact. This revelation comes after slaying an Awakened Terror, the black steed, and he realizes the immense quantity received, a number far exceeding his expectations. “Six hundred… I received almost six hundred fragments for killing that damned horse?” he marvels, the sheer scale disorienting him. He theorizes that his unique Aspect, which operates through shadow fragments rather than soul shards, grants him disproportionate gains from creatures born of shadow, potentially even a share of their accumulated essence over their long lives. This discovery is monumental, offering a viable path to rapid power growth and the creation of a new core, a prospect that had seemed impossibly distant.
This breakthrough offers a glimmer of hope amidst the encroaching despair, as Sunny had feared his ability to gather the necessary fragments would dwindle as he ascended. The previous struggles in the Red Colosseum, while brutal, had yielded a thousand fragments, and this latest haul from the black steed pushes him closer to his goal. Though the immense pain and physical toll of these victories remain a grim reminder, the potential for growth is undeniable. “The idea of gaining enough fragments to create a fourth core had seemed so distant and unreachable,” he reflects, now finding himself on the cusp of achieving it.
The knowledge that his power might scale so dramatically with the slaying of true shadow creatures fundamentally alters Sunny’s perception of his journey. It hints at a destiny intertwined with the very essence of the shadows he commands, a profound connection that may explain the world’s favoritism towards his unique path. The cumulative fragments, now approaching the threshold for a new core, suggest a more attainable future, even as the scars of his battles serve as a constant reminder of the cost.
Chapter 653 Cute Little Snake
The night sky ushers in the new moon as Sunny, reflecting on the staggering influx of Shadow Fragments, turns his attention to his evolving Shadows. He learns his Soul Serpent has ascended to the Demon Class, now an “Ascended” being alongside Saint. This evolution, tied to Sunny’s mastery of the Shadow Dance, leaves him slightly humbled that his Shadows surpass him in power, yet he recognizes the immense benefit of commanding two such formidable creatures, especially with the trials ahead. His own physical connection to the Serpent, represented by the coiling tattoo, strengthens, increasing his essence flow and replenishment rate, granting him access to a vast arsenal of Ascended-rank Soul Weapons.
His contemplation shifts to a new Ability gained by the Serpent: [Grace of Shadows]. This ability, which allows him to transfer ownership of the Soul Serpent to another, puzzles and slightly irritates Sunny. He dismisses it as largely useless, questioning why he would ever relinquish control of his powerful companion, particularly when the description warns of vulnerability. He finds the concept of gifting such a loyal Shadow absurd.
Just as he scoffs at the Ability’s perceived impracticality, Sunny commands the Soul Serpent to appear for inspection. He recoils in shock, exclaiming, “What?! Where… where did my cute little snake go?!” This abrupt disappearance hints at deeper mysteries surrounding the Serpent’s evolution and the implications of the new Ability, leaving Sunny with a pressing and unexpected puzzle.
Chapter 654 Shadow Lantern
Sunny’s bewilderment at his Soul Serpent’s sudden disappearance is quickly overshadowed by a new, startling discovery. He has acquired another Divine Memory, this one identified as the [Shadow Lantern]. The description speaks of shadows, light, and a cosmic struggle between Life and Shadow, painting a chilling portrait of the Shadow God’s nature, something Sunny finds surprisingly terrifying, especially given his own affinity for the unseen. He muses on the historical animosity between the War God and the Shadow God, recognizing a shared opposition that has previously led him into dangerous encounters.
The true potential of the [Shadow Lantern] becomes apparent with its Memory Enchantment: [Gates of Shadow]. This grants the lantern the ability to “devour light and can contain, and then release, an infinite amount of shadows.” Sunny, ever the pragmatist, immediately grasps the monumental implications of an object capable of holding true infinity, realizing this transcends mere hyperbole and defies all conventional understanding of physics and magic.
Contemplating the implications of such a divine artifact, Sunny is left to ponder how this “tool” might aid him, especially after his earlier confusion regarding the Serpent’s new ability. The acquisition of the [Shadow Lantern] introduces a new layer of mystery, hinting at a power that could fundamentally alter his understanding of shadows and his own place within the grander cosmic narrative.
Chapter 655 Nightmare
Sunny retreats to his Soul Sea, the familiar, dark expanse now teeming with the spectral visages of Red Colosseum victims. He summons Nightmare, his Shadow steed, a magnificent, fearsome creature reborn from the purifying darkness of death. The stallion’s crimson eyes, once wild with madness and sorrow, now hold a distant recognition and a quiet affection as Sunny greets his old friend. “Hey there. We… we meet again, old friend…” Nightmare presses his muzzle into Sunny’s calloused hand, a silent acknowledgment of their shared past, a past Sunny experienced through the Shadow Lord’s memories.
Sunny studies Nightmare’s awakened, terror-class status and its attributes: swiftness, the resilience of a dark destrier enhanced by shadows and fear, and the unsettling ability of a dreamwalker. The synergistic nature of Nightmare’s powers, particularly how fear amplifies his strength, leaves Sunny shivering with a chilling realization of the steed’s terrifying potential. This combination, he muses, perhaps explains his own survival against the Terror.
The true power, however, lies in Nightmare’s abilities, starting with [Flowing Shadow], allowing the steed to “dive into shadows and move through them with incredible speed.” Sunny’s thoughts turn to future possibilities, a dark grin spreading as he considers invading the minds of his enemies. The acquisition of Nightmare, a creature reborn and amplified by darkness, signifies a significant progression, hinting at the encroaching shadows Sunny now commands.
Chapter 656 Gardens Of The Moon
As the ship nears the Sanctuary, Sunny recognizes the island below, recalling it once harbored a fearsome Corrupted abomination. Sailor Dolls work diligently as Sunny joins Noctis at the helm, the sorcerer now sporting an extravagant robe and whistling a cheerful tune. “Ah, Sunless! How fortunate it is that you are awake,” Noctis greets him, his excited announcement of their nearing home momentarily punctuated by an accidental, ship-spinning display of power that forces Sunny to grab a handrail.
They arrive at the Sanctuary, a magnificent structure surrounded by waterfalls and menhirs. Noctis proudly calls it “The Sanctuary of Noctis, my beautiful lair,” explaining its origin as a shrine to his great-grandmother, the Goddess of the Moon. Sunny, unnerved by the revelation, struggles to reconcile this with Noctis’s boast about inheriting his looks from such a divine lineage.
The flying ship lands amidst a crowd of awestruck onlookers, their faces blurred by distance and memory. Sunny searches for familiar figures, a futile endeavor given the altered nature of those who might be present. The sanctuary, bathed in the aura of the sacred tree, feels like a distant echo of home amidst the encroaching darkness.
Chapter 657 Chance Of Victory
After a shared meal, a rare moment of quiet descends as Noctis indulges in wine while Sunny sips tea, the clink of porcelain a stark contrast to his clawed hand. A wave of unexpected melancholy washes over Sunny, prompting him to seek diversion. With a mischievous gleam, he decides to share a taste of his own people’s tradition, offering Noctis a tube of synthpaste. The sorcerer, intrigued by the “exotic food” and Sunny’s peculiar “Covetous Coffer,” readily accepts. Sunny’s description of the paste as “unparalleled” with the potential to make one “shed tears” foreshadows Noctis’s horrified reaction upon tasting the viscous substance, a potent, unforgettable flavor that leaves him visibly shaken and pleading he is “very full” for more.
Sunny watches with satisfaction as Noctis recoils from the synthpaste, the sorcerer subtly pushing it away with unrestrained horror. The sorcerer then turns his attention back to Sunny, a lingering gaze preceding his direct question, “So, Sunless. Now that we had a splendid… an unforgettable… breakfast, are you going to tell me where the glass knife is?” Sunny, however, remains guarded, revealing he will only share his knowledge after receiving answers to his own questions, noting that “creatures of Shadow are known to be drawn to mysteries.”
Noctis, though disappointed, agrees to Sunny’s terms, inquiring what it is that the Shadow creature is curious about. The exchange marks a shift from simple hospitality to a subtle negotiation of information. The lingering scent of the unnerving synthpaste and the unspoken tensions hint at deeper machinations as Sunny probes the secrets of the Sanctuary, and Noctis, despite his divine heritage, seems just as eager to uncover the mysteries Sunny holds.
Chapter 658 Seven Knives
Noctis, still reeling from Sunny’s potent synthpaste, shifts the conversation to the divine knives, detailing the fates of the seven artifacts. He reveals the Glass Knife is hidden where Sunny himself concealed it, while he entrusted the Ruby Knife to a confidant due to his own volatile state of mind. The Obsidian Knife, a prize won in a game of wit, was placed on his Sanctuary’s altar with a steep price, eventually claimed by a reckless young man who disappeared. Noctis then recounts the Ivory Knife’s convoluted journey, initially entrusted to Sevras, then given to the Sun Prince who sought to have his memories of its location erased. Noctis complied, keeping the knowledge and retrieving the knife himself, only to lose it to the One in the North in a rematch, who then cast it into the Sky Below. He vaguely notes its recent return, unconcerned by its current whereabouts.
The sorcerer concludes by confirming the Wooden Knife is with Solvane, obtainable by proving oneself worthy of defeating her. Sunny, processing this information, clarifies that he possesses the Obsidian Knife, knows the Glass Knife’s hiding place, Noctis has the Ruby Knife, the Wooden Knife is a future prize, and the Ivory Knife is once again adrift, drawn by fate. Noctis, ever optimistic, expresses confidence in acquiring four of the five knives, a prospect that, while still appearing “very crazy” to Sunny, now offers a sliver of hope.
Sunny’s somber agreement highlights the perilous nature of their quest, especially his suspicion that Mordret, the Prince of Nothing, now wields the Ivory Knife. Noctis, however, remains unfazed, his focus on the tangible steps towards their goal. The exchange lays bare the intricate web of lost and found artifacts, each with a history of betrayal, madness, and unlikely recovery, hinting at the immense power and danger these knives represent as their hunt truly begins.
Chapter 659 A Rest Before The War
Despite his physical recovery, Sunny remains cautious about his two hearts, choosing to rest as Noctis advised. His mental state, though fragile from past horrors, shows a surprising resilience, a blend of numb apathy and renewed determination forged in the Red Colosseum and his subsequent ordeal. This internal conflict leaves him in a precarious but functional equilibrium.
Sunny declines Noctis’s offer of shared lodging, opting for separate quarters within the Sanctuary. He finds solace in the inner garden, a familiar refuge from his past. Despite the Sanctuary’s inhabitants’ wary acceptance of him, Sunny largely keeps to himself, avoiding interactions and seeking a secluded corner of the garden. It is here, near his future spot for selling soul shards, that he encounters a leper.
Their interaction is brief and fraught with unspoken history. As Sunny sits near the leper, he asks, “…What kind of a creature are you?” while reluctantly producing an emerald amulet. This moment, shrouded in mystery, hints at the deeper, more complex truths Sunny is beginning to uncover about himself and the world around him, setting the stage for what promises to be a challenging journey ahead.
Chapter 660 Shadow Arrows
Days unfold in a rhythm of rest and practice for Sunny. His newly crafted wooden fingers, a testament to Noctis’s skill, can channel essence but falter when touching ethereal strings; only Sunny’s own flesh proves capable. Despite this, he progresses in weaving, making headway in copying simple enchantments with the aid of a golden needle, though he laments the rapid depletion of his precious Memories, essential for feeding Nightmare and Saint. The prospect of creating his own Memories to convert soul shards into shadow fragments, or mastering enchantment modification, ignites a potent excitement within him, a stark contrast to the sting of each failed attempt.
The weight of loss spurs Sunny to seek respite, finding the familiar, silent company of the bandaged cripple in the garden. Their shared stillness is a comfort, a tacit understanding that needs no words. Bored with meditation, Sunny turns his attention to archery, summoning Morgan’s Warbow. He draws the formidable weapon, its [Unbending] enchantment demanding his full strength, and crafts a shadow arrow. Aiming at a crack in a ancient menhir, he releases his shot, a blur of black that misses its mark, drawing the cripple’s gaze from beneath his bandages.
This near-failure fuels Sunny’s resolve. He knows his archery needs refinement, his skills far from satisfactory. The potential of the Warbow, with its ability to manifest shadow arrows or luminous, golden projectiles, is immense, but mastering them requires precision. He wonders about the nuances of the golden arrows, their true purpose yet to be unveiled. The relentless pursuit of mastery, both in weaving and archery, becomes his singular focus, driven by the desperate need to grow stronger in a world that demands nothing less.
