Chapter 886 Clean Up
With the Gate Guardian vanquished and the Scavenger swarm largely neutralized, the battle for LO49 draws to a close. Belle, Dorn, and Samara have dealt with the most dangerous Fallen, while the local garrison cleans up the stragglers. Sunny, having played a pivotal role in the Gate Guardian’s demise, prowls the battlefield seeking residual Fallen for shadow fragments, but finds only the diligent work of the defenders. He then turns his attention to the colossal corpse of the Corrupted Demon, intending to extract soul shards to fully empower Luster and Kim’s cores, bringing the cohort to its optimal strength.
As Sunny approaches the Myriad Eater, he overhears soldiers marveling at his singular feat, one remarking, “He really went [against] a Corrupted Demon it alone.” He prepares to delve into the carcass with the Sin of Solace, but is drawn by faint sounds. Investigating, he discovers a tiny, starved Scavenger gnawing on the dead demon. This diminutive creature, barely knee-high, possesses sharp teeth that tear into the tough flesh with surprising efficacy. The little imp, a runt in its own right, is so engrossed that it doesn’t notice Sunny until he looks down from atop the massive corpse.
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The Scavenger, perhaps sensing the dread inherent in the Sin of Solace, freezes in terror before attempting to flee. Sunny, not wishing to expend precious essence on Shadow Manifestation, summons his Prowling Thorn. The Scavenger, moments from death, trips and tumbles, only losing two fingers to the kunai’s blade. Sunny muses that this is “a first,” as the creature escapes its otherwise certain demise, leaving Sunny to ponder the unexpected resilience of even the smallest of nightmares.
Chapter 887 Lapse Of Judgment
The aftermath of the LO49 battle is shattered by a sudden outbreak within the safety shelter. A scientist succumbs to the First Nightmare, transforming into a grotesque, mannequin-like abomination that immediately unleashes carnage. Sunny, still on the battlefield, senses the impending disaster and races to the shelter. Upon arrival, he finds the creature attacking a group of civilians, including Professor Obel and Beth, who desperately tries to shield him. Despite the chaos and his own pain from a hasty Shadow Manifestation, Sunny intervenes directly, forming a physical barrier with his shadow to halt the monster.
“That guy…” one of the soldiers mutters, witnessing the shadow’s intervention as it deflects a blow from the abomination. The summoned shadow, imbued with Sunny’s power and its own haughty demeanor, kicks the creature back before dissipating. Sunny seizes the opening, swiftly dispatching the Nightmare Creature with the Sin of Solace, earning him the title of “Bone Slayer.” However, the swift victory is soured by his grim expression, hinting at a deeper concern beyond the immediate threat.
The incident highlights the insidious nature of the Nightmares, capable of turning even the protected into deadly threats. The swift response of Sunny, utilizing his unique abilities and drawing on the Sin of Solace, saves innocent lives, but the ease with which the nightmare took hold and the suffering it caused leaves Sunny troubled. The precariousness of their safety is underscored, implying future challenges and the constant struggle against the encroaching darkness.
Chapter 888 Vanishing
The days following the chaotic LO49 battle are deceptively calm, but an internal struggle plaguing Sunny proves more taxing than any external threat. Despite being an Ascended, his soul damage leaves him lethargic and susceptible to the insidious “Call,” a mental exhaustion that worsens with time. Even his haughty shadow, recovering from its recent exertion, seems to relish the attention from its brethren. Stranded within the isolated research facility, disconnected from any entertainment or communication, boredom becomes a gnawing enemy. He yearns for the arrival of their transport ship, the days stretching into an agonizing crawl.
His contemplation is interrupted by Beth, who ascends the wall, seeking him out. Her initial brusqueness melts into an awkward acknowledgment of his heroism, a stilted “thank you” for saving Professor Obel. Sunny, however, deflects the praise, attributing the incident to his own negligence. When Beth playfully chides him, calling him “Master Sunless” and reminding him of his humanity, a brief, genuine smile touches his lips before he reiterates his commitment to the Professor’s safety.
Beth’s departure leaves Sunny once again staring into the vastness of the dark ocean, his mind drifting back to the forbidden concept of sleep. The promise of escape, of a week of uninterrupted rest, is a tantalizing prospect. The incident at LO49 may be over, but the lingering exhaustion and the isolation of the research facility underscore the precariousness of their situation and the personal battles Sunny must wage even in the absence of overt danger.
Chapter 889 Without A Trace
The Awakened warrior is gone, vanished without a trace despite extensive searches of the facility and the surrounding plains by both soldiers and Sunny’s shadows. Even the sealed observatory yields no clues. A palpable unease settles over the isolated fortress as Sunny, Verne, and Professor Obel convene for an emergency discussion, the silence heavy with unspoken dread. Sunny breaks it, outlining the three grim possibilities: desertion, murder by another station member, or infiltration by a powerful and elusive Nightmare Creature.
Verne dismisses the desertion theory, vouching for the warrior’s character, but acknowledges the other scenarios are far more troubling. Sunny suggests the second possibility, internal murder, implicating those with Aspects suited for evidence disposal, placing the burden of investigation on Verne. The third, and most unsettling, is the infiltration of a Nightmare Creature, a task Sunny takes upon himself as the best scout, his eyes reflecting the chilling darkness of the unknown.
The weight of their predicament hangs heavy, the question of what happens if their investigations yield nothing a stark reminder of their precarious situation. With the warrior missing and the potential for a hidden threat lurking, the fragile calm is shattered, replaced by a gnawing fear and the unspoken understanding that their fight for survival is far from over.
Chapter 890 Mutual Responsibility
The void swallows three more souls, leaving behind a chilling void of answers. This time, the victims are not Awakened, but a mundane soldier, a scientist, and a civilian staff member, their disappearances as random and disconnected as the first. Sunny and Verne scour their quarters and last known locations, finding nothing but deepening despair. The strain breeds suspicion between the two leaders; Sunny eyes Verne, questioning his origins and the true nature of his Aspect, while Verne, with cold precision, inquires about Sunny’s spatial storage Memory, a silent accusation in the oppressive atmosphere.
“I heard that you have a spatial storage Memory,” Verne states, his stoic facade cracking with suspicion. Sunny’s grim acknowledgement, “So what if I do?” hangs heavy, a confirmation of their shared paranoia. Both Masters understand that if they mistrust each other, the rest of the installation is a tinderbox ready to ignite. “This is not good,” Verne mutters, a heavy truth that underscores their dire situation. The need for decisive action becomes paramount, with Sunny emphasizing the necessity of implementing “Whatever kind that works” measures to prevent further tragedy and uncover the truth.
As they prepare to interview the witnesses, the grim reality of their predicament sinks in. The new safety protocols, designed to keep even mundane individuals paired, have failed catastrophically. The fact that all three victims, mundane and supposedly never alone, have vanished without a trace points to a terrifyingly adept predator. With no leads and growing distrust, the fragile peace of the fortress crumbles, leaving only the gnawing dread of the unknown and the desperate race against time.
Chapter 891 Fatigue
The disappearances escalate with terrifying speed. Six more vanish, then seven, including experienced Awakened soldiers and scientists. The failure of the mutual responsibility system plunges LO49 into deeper dread, with the populace teetering on the brink of panic. On the day the Ariadne rescue vessel is expected, a massive horde of Nightmare Creatures descends, forcing a brutal, exhausting battle that the survivors win, but at a significant cost. Amidst this chaos, a mundane who was struggling in the First Nightmare awakens as a Sleeper, only to vanish the next day along with fourteen others. A new wave of abominations from the Scavenger Gate is easily dispatched by Sunny, but he notices unsettling damage to the fallen creatures, hinting at a clandestine presence.
Sunny finds his exhaustion sharpening his focus, granting him an almost unnatural calm. While gazing at the stark, moonlit ocean, Dorn approaches him with a chilling hypothesis. “We have searched every millimeter of this facility,” Dorn states, his voice heavy with exhaustion, “And yet, we did not find even a single drop of blood.” He continues, “Since the bodies are not anywhere else, they had to be in that place… in the water. That is the only logical conclusion.”
The unfathomable ocean, indifferent to their plight, holds its secrets close. Dorn’s theory points to a gruesome possibility, suggesting the predator’s reach extends beyond the fortress walls and into the treacherous, ice-choked waters. With the Ariadne absent and fear gripping the inhabitants, the true nature of the threat remains shrouded in the churning black waves, promising further horrors.
Chapter 892 Futility
Sunny continues his vigil on the southern wall, the vast ocean a canvas for his silent contemplation, as the chilling disappearances persist with thirty-six more souls lost. Despite Verne’s increasingly stringent safety protocols, the abductions remain a terrifying enigma, leaving the fortress inhabitants in a state of escalating dread. Even a stern lecture from the Master yields no progress, and the facility weathers another northern assault from a transient swarm, though Sunny abstains from participation, his focus solely on the water. The Awakened soldiers are buckling under prolonged strain, their stimulants failing, while the mundane troops are deeply disturbed and wary of the elusive Nightmare Spell. The civilians, ill-equipped for such relentless stress, teeter on the precipice of panic, their tenuous grasp on order maintained only by Verne’s enforcement and the flickering hope of the Ariadne’s imminent arrival.
Beth arrives, shivering and distressed, confronting Sunny about his prolonged inactivity and accusing him and Verne of failing to find any clues. “What are you doing? You’ve been stuck on this wall for days! You even ignored the last attack!” she exclaims, her frustration palpable. Sunny, however, maintains that he is “investigating,” a claim Beth dismisses as utterly useless given the mounting losses. Their tense exchange is interrupted by the appearance of a woman in a white lab coat who silently descends into the ocean below, a stark reminder of the encroaching darkness and the unresolved mystery of the vanishing bodies.
Sunny dismisses Beth’s accusations, revealing his constant surveillance of Professor Obel and Beth herself through his shadows, demonstrating his unseen presence and preparedness. “My first specialty is scouting. Wherever my shadows go, my gaze follows,” he explains, referencing his swift intervention during Beth’s previous attack. Beth reacts with embarrassment to his twenty-four-hour watch, but Sunny’s revelation underscores his meticulous and ever-present involvement, even as the larger threat remains cloaked in the unfathomable depths.
Chapter 893 Negative Space
Sunny, still under Beth’s scrutiny, shifts his focus from personal vigilance to a more public unveiling of his deductions. He posits to Verne and Professor Obel that his initial theories about the disappearances were flawed. “I was wrong,” he admits, “None of these theories were correct.” He explains that the absence of any trace of the victims, coupled with the inability to find them anywhere but the water, suggests a deliberate removal. This, combined with the unusually powerful “Call” experienced during the Scavenger attack, leads him to a startling conclusion: a second, powerful Gate, one that opened underwater, is responsible for the vanishing souls.
Verne grapples with Sunny’s theory, questioning how an abductor could operate unseen from the ocean’s depths. Sunny then introduces another crucial element, explaining, “…we are all under a mind hex. That is why no one noticed anything.” This revelation, intended to explain the lack of witnesses to the underwater abductions, leaves Professor Obel confused and demanding evidence, while Verne shows a dawning comprehension of the escalating threat.
Dorn, previously fatigued from his time on the wall with Sunny, now listens intently as his captain meticulously lays out his case. Sunny’s methodical approach, revealing his constant observation of those around him through his shadows and now his astute deductions about the nature of the attacks, paints him as a vital, if enigmatic, protector. The presence of a hidden underwater Gate and a pervasive mind hex leaves the fortress facing a threat far more insidious and widespread than previously understood, hinting at a desperate need for tangible proof and a counter-strategy.
Chapter 894 Cold Waves
With the threat of an underwater Gate and a pervasive mind hex revealed, Sunny focuses on bolstering defenses. Since the Undying Chain’s protection is insufficient, he requests Memories that offer resistance to mental attacks. Verne, understanding the gravity, tasks his Awakened officers with gathering these vital fragments of experience. Soon, Sunny is equipped with several loaned Memories, enhancing his own formidable gear. He dons the Undying Chain, a mercurial cloak, and accepts a flint dagger with a bone handle from Verne, signifying the captain’s trust and the dagger’s power.
Gathered in the security center are Verne, Professor Obel, Beth, Sunny’s soldiers, and weary Awakened officers. Sunny, armed with the gathered Memories, wraps his shadows around the Undying Chain, amplifying its power. He then accesses recordings of the beach, the recordings showing only the undulating ocean to everyone else. Beth’s tentative, “I… don’t see anything?” is met with Sunny’s grim, knowing expression. Unlike the others, Sunny perceives a “macabre reality” within the footage, his face growing progressively more disturbed as he replays the scene.
As Sunny watches himself, mesmerized, step aside for the victims and then forget their existence, the mind hex breaks. The suppressed memories flood back, overwhelming him with the realization of dozens of people being “swallowed by the cold waves.” Shaken, Sunny stops the playback. Verne, sensing the profound impact, leans in, demanding, “What is it? What do you see? What kind of Nightmare Creature is it? How does it capture people from within the facility?” Sunny clutches his fist, the tremors ceasing as he stares at the paused footage, his next move uncertain but his understanding irrevocably altered.
Chapter 895 Catcher In The Night
Sunny, now free from the mind hex, accepts the somber duty of preventing further disappearances. He returns the borrowed Memories and the Undying Chain, though three of his shadows remain with the cloak for continued protection. With Verne coordinating tightened fortress protocols, including confining non-essential personnel, Sunny takes his post on the dark beach. He sits with his back to the menacing ocean, the chilling wind a constant reminder of the lurking Corrupted Terror, finding solace only in Saint’s watchful presence. He muses, “It’s a bit chilly…” and frets over whether he can truly protect the fortress and what the Terror will do if its sustenance is cut off, hoping the rescue ship arrives before retaliation.
After an hour of tense waiting, punctuated by sipping coffee from a thermos, Sunny spots a figure approaching the wall. Slapping himself awake, he recognizes the approaching individual as a normally cheerful Awakened officer. The soldier’s eyes are now hollow and vacant as he walks, mesmerized, towards the water. Sunny steps in front of him, his earlier instinct to yield replaced by a firm resolve. Hesitating briefly, he places his hand on the soldier’s shoulder, stopping him mid-stride. The Awakened slowly turns his head, fixing Sunny with glassy, unseeing eyes, prompting Sunny to grimly remark, “Damn. That’s creepy!”
Sunny’s awareness of the mind hex’s power is absolute, allowing him to perceive the mesmerized and intercept those drawn to the water. He understands his unique ability, augmented by his shadows, is the only defense against the unbroken hex. While others work to secure the fortress, Sunny’s solitary vigil on the beach becomes the frontline, a desperate gamble against an unseen enemy. He faces the chilling prospect of retaliation and the uncertain fate of the rescue ship, knowing his actions now dictate the survival of everyone within L049.
Chapter 896 The Obstacle
Sunny finds himself in a surreal, chilling reality as he continues his grim duty of intercepting mesmerized soldiers drawn to the ocean’s depths. The chilling wind off the water serves as a constant reminder of the unseen Terror, a palpable threat to L049. Even more unnerving is the bizarre phenomenon Sunny experiences: while escorting victims, his very existence seems to flicker from the minds of others, leaving him feeling truly invisible and questioning his sanity. He’s captured and contained nearly thirty individuals, his muscles aching and armor damp from his proximity to the water. Despite his efforts, the Terror has yet to react to his interference. Later, he reports his grim success to Verne, who, even when acknowledging the presence of the prisoners in the cells, cannot perceive them, remarking, “To me, the cells seem empty.” Verne, grimly accepting the situation, encourages Sunny to continue, urging them to endure until the Ariadne arrives.
Sunny’s solitary vigil becomes a desperate game of cat and mouse against a foe that operates on a psychological battlefield. The cold is a persistent adversary, necessitating the constant use of his Memory of Ice to ward off the bone-chilling wind. Each mesmerizing gaze he intercepts and each individual he pulls back from the brink amplifies his own growing fear: that this constant exposure to the hex, coupled with his temporary invisibility, will lead to him being entirely forgotten, perhaps mirroring the fate of the Demon of Oblivion. The unsettling effectiveness of his unique abilities, bolstered by his shadows, is the only bulwark against the unbroken hex, and the weight of L049’s survival rests squarely on his weary shoulders.
As Sunny waits, battling both the external cold and the internal dread, the fortress remains under siege by an unknown horror. His successful containment of the mesmerized offers a temporary reprieve, but the Terror’s silent inaction is as unnerving as its direct assault. Verne’s admission of not being able to see the prisoners underscores the insidious nature of the hex, and his quiet plea for Sunny to “Continue, then. The Ariadne should be arriving soon” highlights their precarious position. The hope for rescue hangs precariously in the balance against the pervasive despair and the chilling cold, leaving Sunny to wonder what further horrors await.
Chapter 897 Silent Ocean
Following Sunny’s successful intervention, the mind hex dissipates, and the vanishings cease. The inhabitants of L049 tentatively embrace relief, their fragile hope reignited by the absence of the chilling influence. However, Sunny’s unease deepens as the Terror’s withdrawal feels unnatural; he struggles to reconcile the cessation of the hex with the creature’s presumed nature. His suspicion is palpable as he observes the settlement’s newfound calm, a stark contrast to his own gnawing foreboding.
Arriving at the security center, Sunny finds the systems malfunctioning, a further indication of instability, and is eventually granted entry by a drowsy guard. He confronts Verne, expressing his disbelief in the Terror’s departure. Verne, while acknowledging the hex’s disappearance, suggests the creature may have retreated after Sunny’s effective counter-measures, musing, “Maybe it decided to search for easier prey after you proved capable of dismantling its mental attack.”
Sunny remains unconvinced, arguing that a Corrupted Terror would not simply abandon its pursuit. He posits that the creature might be strategizing for a more devastating assault or merely toying with them. Verne, tired and unable to offer definitive answers, can only point to the undeniable fact that the hex is gone, leaving Sunny to grapple with the terrifying possibility that this lull is merely a prelude to something far worse.
Chapter 898 Going For A Swim
Sunny stands by the shore, his earlier relief replaced by a gnawing unease as he contemplates the unnatural stillness. His thoughts drift to the approaching Ariadne, a distant hope overshadowed by his lingering suspicion that the Terror has not truly departed. A glint of brass catches his eye beneath the receding waves – a button, strikingly similar to those worn by the First Evacuation Army, yet incongruous with the local uniforms of L049. The button’s presence ignites a chilling realization, prompting him to reach out with his shadow sense. “Come on… show yourself, bastard. I know you didn’t leave,” he mutters, his senses probing the dark depths.
Despite his focused effort, Sunny fails to detect the Terror directly. Instead, his senses pick up a large, inert shape resting on the seabed, irregular and sharp-edged, its shadow devoid of the familiar resonance of a living soul. The object’s presence deep underwater, far from any familiar source, deepens the mystery and fuels Sunny’s conviction that the danger remains, merely transformed. He realizes the implications of this discovery, knowing that the cessation of the mind hex was not an end, but a deliberate, calculated pause.
The discovery of the button and the subsequent sensory detection of the submerged object solidify Sunny’s fears. He recognizes that the Corrupted Terror is not a simple predator but a calculating entity, and its apparent retreat is a feint. The unsettling absence of the Terror, coupled with these cryptic clues, points towards a more insidious threat, a chilling prelude to a conflict far more complex and dangerous than he had initially imagined.
Chapter 899 Only Hope
Gasping from the frigid water, Sunny collapses onto the wet rocks, his body trembling despite his Ascended constitution. The chilling realization that the hull fragment and brass button pointed to Ariadne’s involvement gnaws at him. He’s certain no rescue is coming for those trapped within L049, and the Terror’s descent is inevitable. Driven by the biting cold and an encroaching sense of weariness, Sunny propels himself with unnatural speed, appearing within a research laboratory. Beth, startled, questions his presence, to which Sunny offers a weak, “Don’t mind me. I just got cold outside.”
He forces a pale smile, his gaze lingering on Beth with a heavy premonition, before departing to find Verne. The gnawing alarm in his mind intensifies, the previously distant threat now feeling imminent, perhaps only hours or even minutes away. He rushes to the security center, the urgency of his intuition a stark contrast to the agonizingly slow passage of time.
Sunny confronts Verne, the seconds ticking away and sealing their fates, yet the Master remains obstinate. “I am listening,” Verne states, a maddening calm in his tone as Sunny’s desperation mounts. Sunny restrains himself from lashing out, the sheer exhaustion draining him of the energy to fight, both physically and emotionally, against the unfolding doom.
Chapter 900 Don’t Look Back
Verne, a grim expression on his face, proposes a perilous plan to Sunny: sending volunteers into the Dream Realm to gather intelligence, a mission some are unlikely to survive. Sunny, consumed by a crushing weariness and regret, dismisses the idea as too slow, his panic escalating as he realizes eight hours is an eternity when disaster may strike in minutes. Verne, unyielding, shifts focus to a more pragmatic, albeit heartbreaking, solution. “A large convoy won’t make it,” he states, “But a single, robust vehicle probably can.” He tasks Sunny with rescuing Professor Obel, framing it as a duty to humanity’s future, a mission to save a single, high-value target. Sunny, though he believes Verne is wrong about limiting their efforts, accepts the grim assignment.
Driven by an urgent intuition, Sunny reappears in the research center, startling Beth. He pulls her aside, his manic eyes conveying the dire situation. “Be quiet and listen,” he commands, informing her of the immediate danger to Professor Obel and the need for his swift evacuation. Sunny manipulates Beth by appealing to her loyalty, convincing her she must persuade the reluctant professor to leave his people behind. Beth, caught between disbelief and burgeoning fear, agrees to the plan, leaving Sunny to confront the impossible choices he faces.
Sunny then joins Luster, Kim, and Quentin at the Rhino, the massive APC, and orders Luster to begin the startup sequence. As the vehicle powers up, Sunny gazes at the sky, where the blizzard is beginning anew. Quentin, brave but bewildered, cautiously asks, “Captain… I am sorry, but what exactly is happening?” Sunny, surrounded by his loyal crew and the biting cold, prepares for a desperate mission, the fate of Professor Obel, and perhaps more, resting on his shoulders.
