Once again, Sunny found himself in the endless space between dream and reality. All around him, there was nothing but a boundless black void, which was illuminated by a myriad of bright stars. Between those stars, countless strings of silver light were woven into a beautiful and inconceivably complex pattern.
"I'm not gonna be stuck here again am I?"
Sunny chuckled slightly as he spoke to himself.
Even if he was trapped here for several days, it would not ruin his mood in the slightest. After all, everything he had hoped and planned for worked. Mostly.
Sunny originally planned on leaving the Terror dead, using some random nightmare creature as the Soul Conduit instead. But he couldn't seeing as the Terror, no… the Titan immediately singled him out, sending literally every single one of its minions after him. Sunny simply didn't get a chance to. He could've tried using the nightmare creatures under the control of the Titan, but he seriously doubted they still had their souls intact if they were serving the Nameless Sun, so they would not work.
Although… there was another, more distasteful, option. He could have crippled any random human and left them to die there, serving as the Spires Soul Conduit. But that was something Sunny absolutely refused to do. He would not sacrifice people for his own benefit like that.
Well, not in such a direct manner anyways.
Sighing, Sunny leaned back, satisfied.
"I did it…"
Now it was time to see if the Spell would reward him with anything.
He doubted it though, as he had already broken the second seal himself.
Name : —
True Name: —
Rank: Awakened.
Class: Titan.
Seeing himself being classified as a Titan, Sunny simply couldn't stop himself from laughing like an idiot.
"Wonderful!"
Shadow Cores: [7/7].
Shadow Fragments: [7000/7000].
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Step].
'Good to have you back.'
Sunny had dearly missed having this ability. It was just too useful!
Summoning his memories, Sunny took a look.
"Holy shi-"
Sunny immediately fell into a coughing fit, choking on his own saliva.
There were so many memories!
He counted at least a hundred and fifty new Memories, as well as three new Echoes!
"Alright!"
Although getting only a hundred-something memories for killing tens of thousands of nightmare creatures seemed extremely pitiful, Sunny was still happy with his harvest. He would still have many more chances to get memories in the future after all.
Looking through them though, Sunny was a little disappointed.
"Most of them aren't even above awakened…"
The same was true for the echoes, with a Fallen Beast being the strongest one he had obtained, the others were mere Awakened Beasts.
"Whatever!"
Summoning two memories, Sunny looked at their runes.
It was the [Mantle of the Underworld], and the [Stone Sword].
Both of them had been brought to their maximum capacity, as Sunny had both of them on while he was slaughtering the entire Forgotten Shore with the sun.
[Vanquished foes: 6000/6000].
The [Prince of the Underworld] and [Born Duty] counts had been completely filled, with Sunny evolving them as the counter went up during his slaughter.
"This took me years the first time, now it didn't even take five damn months!"
Looking at the memories, both of them now had the [Soulbound Relic] enchantments at the end.
Sunny grinned at the shimmering runes in front of him.
[Bind the relic?]
"Yes!"
Sunny repeated this for both of them, and now he had two shiny new attributes.
Attributes: [Flame of Divinity], [Lord of Shadows], [Blood Weave], [Bone Weave], [Soul Weave], [Stone Shell].
'Stone? Oh, right.'
As Sunny had ascended the last time he had gotten the shell, it had become the Marble Shell at that time. It seemed like the previous incarnation of the Marble Shell was the Stone Shell.
'This… I should've just left the Mantle as it was!'
As an Ascended Memory, it had actually gotten weaker when Sunny soulbound it.
Sunny then blinked.
'Wait, only Shell? What… what happened to the other one?'
Was he missing something?
Sunny hurriedly summoned the runes.
Attribute: [Stone Shell].
Attribute Description: [In the deep darkness of the underworld, a prideful demon forged seven suits of splendid armor for his favorite creations. The intricate shells were both a boon and a test, since only those worthy of his regard could unlock the mantle's true potential and bear its weight.]
Attribute Traits: [Living Stone], [Feather of Truth], [Stalwart], [Underworld Armament], [Mantle], [Shell], [Bound].
There was no indication of the [Stone Sword] being present whatsoever.
'Did… Did the Shell… eat it?'
The Stone Swords seemed to be something every Stone Saint possessed, as long as they grew strong enough, while the Mantle had been something Nether had personally forged for his favourite creations. In terms of rarity and power, the Shell was the clear victor. Had his weapon simply been absorbed into the attribute?
'I… whatever.'
Having too many soulbound memories probably wasn't a great idea anyways. All power came at a price, and Sunny didn't want to find out what would happen if his soul collapsed under the weight of too many binding memories.
Sighing, he looked at the seven shadows at his feet. Some seemed like quite the personalities, while some seemed quite dull and bored.
"Hmph. I'll name you lot later."
After all, it was time to return to the real world.
[Wake up, —!]
The black void full of bright stars and silver light disappeared.
***
In one of the underground levels of the Academy hospital complex, in a small room that was filled with the massive rectangle of the dream pod and various pieces of medical equipment, a pale young man lay sleeping beneath the transparent glass lid, his face surrounded by wisps of cold vapour.
Suddenly, a series of lights ignited on the surface of the pod, and the medical machinery in the room came to life, producing various noises.
But the pale young man was already gone.
…On one of the lower floors in a private care facility, in a room with several other sleeping pods separated by glass walls, a state-of-the-art sleeping pod stood silently, dim orange lights hanging overhead. The pod beeped rhythmically, monitoring the vital signs of the tough looking woman within.
For the past five years, this sleeping pod had sat, medical workers coming in from time to time to check on the sleeper. Old, slightly wilting roses sat next to the pod, clearly having been there for many days.
In the next second, several alerts went off as the pod shone with a bright light. The lid of the sleeping pod slid off, revealing the woman sleeping below.
The woman's eyes suddenly shot open, as a resplendent golden glow erupted from her body.
Moments later, several medical personnel burst into the room.
…Deep underground, beneath Clan Song's compound in NQSC, a small sleeping pod sat. A pale child with a vacant look stood next to the pod, caressing it slightly, as frozen nightmare creatures stood guard at the entrance.
"Shan…"
The woman within the pod had been gone for nearly half a year.
The puppet sighed as it stood up to leave, only to look back in surprise as it heard the sound of the lid being torn off its hinges.
A hideous grey monster crawled out, its teeth bared as raw power emanated from its massive body. But instead of growling or attacking ferociously, it only showed a look of recognition.
"...Mother?"
…And all over the world, sleeping pods that had lay dormant for years suddenly came to life, freeing the human sleeping within. Pods that had been marked as hopeless causes, pods that had been visited by hopeful family members every single day, and pods that lay silent within dark rooms, gathering dust, all shone brightly as they opened.
A live television report could be heard.
"There currently seems to be an unusual number of Awakenings! Dear viewers, we… We are currently receiving a report from our correspondents, and will be able to update you on this event shortly. The representatives of the great Legacy Clans, meanwhile…"
***
Back in the academy, Sunny stood within a lightless room.
He was currently taking several deep breaths, trying his best to wipe the smile off his face.
'Haaaa… Now for the hard part.'
He was no longer dealing with dumb, demented nightmare creatures, he was now dealing with the wicked intelligence of humans.
And he was also going to face some people he had wanted to see so badly.
Sunny looked behind him at the pod that was currently blazing with the light of several alarms. Its lid was still tightly shut.
Breathing a deep sigh, Sunny summoned the Puppeteers Shroud.
He did not want to be seen naked, nor did he want anyone to see the tattoo of a ferocious serpent coiling throughout his body.
Sunny spread his shadow sense outwards, checking to see if any was coming.
'...Nobody?'
No one was coming… Not yet anyways.
'Whatever. Guess I'll just check my runes for now…'
Summoning his runes, Sunny looked at the Soul Serpent.
Shadow: [Soul Serpent].
Shadow Rank: Ascended.
Shadow Class: Titan
Shadow Attributes: [Shadow Guide], [Soul Weapon], [Soul Beast].
Shadow Abilities: [Serpentine Steel], [Soul Reaver], [Grace of Shadows], [Formless], [Mark of Shadows], [Slaying Blade].
Note: If you're wondering, Spirit Guide and Soul Companion are currently missing.
[Formless] Ability Description: "When in the Soul Beast form, the Serpent can assume the shape of any shadow contained within its master's soul, inheriting all powers and abilities. The shadow must be of the same or lower Rank and Class than the Soul Serpent for the transformation to take place, and won't be consumed in the process."
[Mark of Shadows] Ability Description: "The Master of the Soul Serpent can mark another with a lesser version of itself, inheriting some of its powers and abilities. The mark can only be nourished and used by an awakened soul."
[Slaying Blade] Ability Description: "When wielded as a weapon, the Soul Serpent channels the user's deathly will with a faint remnant of the Shadow God, ignoring the will of higher beings."
'Damn!'
Although he wasn't well versed in whatever The Will was, he could at least guess what it was used for. With it being mentioned alongside the supposed higher beings, it definitely had to be something the higher ranks used.
'Like a Sovereign, perhaps.'
He knew that Saints gained access to the use of Spirit Essence, but he didn't know what Supremes got. But now, he did.
'It has to be that. The Will…'
Alongside their domains, the Sovereigns could impose their will upon the world. Or perhaps that was what a domain was in the first place…
'What an incredible power…'
Although he had already felt remnants of it when he had fought Daeron, now that he understood what it was, he realised just how wide the gap between a Saint and a Sovereign was.
'Would I even be able to damage them…?'
Shaking his head, Sunny got rid of these useless thoughts.
'I'll think of that once I become a Saint…'
Sunny looked up as he saw the door to his room opening.
Soft light poured in as a disheveled looking nurse had rushed over to check on him.
When the woman who had entered saw Sunny standing there, she covered her mouth as she froze in shock.
"...Hey there."
The woman stared at him for a few moments, then said in a trembling voice:
"Y-You're awake!"
Sunny stared at her blankly.
"Of course I am? Can I uhh… Get some clean clothes? Please?"
The woman hurriedly nodded.
"Right away sir! Awakened Sunless sir!"
She began running before coming to a sudden halt, running back to the door.
"Welcome back to the real world, sir!"
Sunny grinned as he waved her off.
"Good to be back."
***
The hospital complex and the administration of the Academy were in complete chaos today. With the sudden awakening of so many Sleepers that had been marked as irrevocably lost, a massive storm of joyful chaos shrouded the academy. Shockwaves spread throughout humanity, an event like this having never been seen before.
Over 150 Sleepers had awakened at once! Bringing tales of a previously undiscovered region of the Dream Realm, no less!
In a small office at the surface level of the hospital, a young man dressed in a white button up and deep black trousers was sitting behind a desk, typing away at his computer.
The young man was one of the administrative workers tasked with the initial debriefing of returning Sleepers. As such, he had seen a lot of incredible things, and heard a lot of incredible stories.
"These people… They're all amazing…"
He had heard so many tales of bravery, camaraderie, and triumph.
He had also heard many heartbreaking stories. Unfortunate deaths, terrifying foes, betrayals…
There would likely never be another day like this in his career.
The stories he had heard… It was just like the stories he had once heard from his elders, of a time when the Nightmare Spell had only just descended…
These mere dreamers, thrust into such a terrifying place, had clawed their way out with only their blades... Their achievements were truly remarkable.
It filled him with pride and hope, knowing the future was in the hands of people as incredible as this.
Humanity received a wonderful gift today.
Finishing the report he was writing and sending it to his superior, the young man pressed a button to let the next Sleeper know that it was their turn to come in.
The door of his office opened, and a pale young man with dark hair entered the office.
He was of small height, with a delicate, slender build and perfect white skin. His dark eyes had a dark, deeply sad look, as if his entire life had been filled with only horrors. The young man wasn't exactly handsome, but due to his small stature, pale complexion, and dark hair, he looked like a beautiful porcelain doll.
But something about him was so… pitiful. It was as if the boy had never even seen a moment of peace, having lived a life of misery.
But in the next moment, that feeling was gone.
The young man's face was now unreadable, his presence subdued, the administrative worker wondered if he had imagined what he saw at first.
Now, he seemed just like a regular person on the street.
The administration shivered at the thought.
"H-Hello... Young man."
"...Hi?"
Sunny was a little confused, why did the guy seem so nervous?
"My…"
The interviewer took a deep breath, before getting back on track.
"My name is Cy. I will be your interviewer for today, Awakened Sunless."
He had already looked at the young man's name before he had entered.
'Poor soul… To be nearly dead last and sent into such a horrible place like that… No wonder he had such a look in his eye.'
The young man answered, his voice a neutral tone.
"Alright."
"I will ask you a series of questions about your time in the Dream Realm. The purpose of this briefing is to enrich our base of knowledge about it, as well as let us know how to better assist you in the future. Any little bit of information you can provide might help future Dreamers in their own trials, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course."
"That's fine."
Awakened Sunny nodded politely, ready for his interview.
"How long have you spent in the Dream Realm?"
Sunny suddenly paled on the inside.
'This… this interview might have been a mistake…'
How was he supposed to tell them that he had already spent years in the Dream Realm?!
Not letting his turmoil be seen, Sunny sighed.
"Ah… I don't know… A couple thousand years? It all felt so damn long."
Cy looked down at the information at his computer, checking the file.
"...Well, here it says you were there for about four months. Is that right?"
"Yeah, it was at least that much."
Cy gave him a sympathetic smile.
"I see. You did very well, Sunless. Very few awakened survive that long out in the Dream Realm, let alone Dreamers like you all were. Especially in a region such as the Forgotten Shore."
Sunny's gaze seemed to darken slightly.
"It wasn't easy."
Nodding, Cy continued:
"From the interviews with the other Dreamers, we have confirmed that the region of the Dream Realm is filled with Nightmare Creatures ranging from the Awakened Rank to the Corrupted Rank, is this true?"
Sunny nodded lightly.
"All true."
Typing a few more words, the interviewer continued.
"Have you participated in the battles against such Nightmare Creatures? I-"
"I have."
Interrupting the interview, Sunny did his best to stop him from asking the next question.
"Please… Please don't ask anymore… I don't want to remember it. I was a scout. A… A scout."
Putting on an act of an extremely traumatised Sleeper who had only experienced terrifying battles, Sunny prayed the interviewer would cease that line of questioning.
Cy looked at him with pity.
'Poor soul… Just what did he do to deserve such a thing?'
"That's alright, Sunless. I didn't mean to pry."
Sunny nodded gratefully.
Sunny did not want any information about him available at all. He did not want to be invisible, but rather, he wanted to seem so weak he wasn't even worth looking at. Not the bottom of the list, but around there.
'Once this is done, I can relax…'
He just had to get through the interview.
"Alright then Sunless, can you tell me what you did as a scout?"
"Well, I gathered soul shards, looked for powerful nightmare creatures, and told Aria about the areas she needed to avoid."
"Aria… That was the leader of the small army you were in, right?"
Sunny nodded.
"What was she like?"
Sunny seemed to fall in thought for a moment.
"Strong, reliable, passionate."
Cy nodded as he typed some more.
"Well, how about…
***
The interview ended. Sunny left the room in an ambivalent mood.
When the questioning continued, Sunny continued to steer it towards making him seem reliable and useful, but not a very notable character.
Just someone who would remain in the shadows of his peers.
He wanted to at least appear in the records, as having no records at all was far more suspicious then having at least a couple records.
His plan would be to use a persona as a cover for his activities.
If he disappeared into the Dream Realm for a long time, what would his response be?
He was out looking for lost treasures.
He was going to be an eccentric treasure hunter, or perhaps a mysterious archeologist.
He was simply going to be Explorer Sunless.
Hopefully his cover would work, and the Sovereigns wouldn't catch onto him until it was too late.
'It might be a little late though…'
Seishan definitely knew that there was something up with him, and Sunny couldn't guarantee being hidden from Asterion, as he had no idea what his aspect did.
So the only ones in the dark would be Valor.
'That… may also change soon.'
Because he was going to deal with Mordret.
Sky Tide once told him that she regretted letting Valor do to him what they did. She had said that all humans could do was to act according to their principles, and do what they consider right. She had thought that there was still a chance for Mordret, and that the future for him back then was unclear.
Sunny didn't think she was right at the time, but now he saw differently. Saint Tyris was a very reliable person, uncompromising, upright, and dutiful. Sunny believed in her character, so he decided to believe in what she had once said.
He was going to give Mordret a chance. If he still felt like there was just no saving him, then well…
He would just have to die.
No matter how powerful he was, having such an unstable mind and unclear motives made him a massive latent threat, he simply could not be allowed to live.
'...Maybe this was how the Sovereigns ended up how they did.'
Was this how they had thought about Nephis? Why they had tried to kill her since she was a child?
Sunny laughed to himself slightly, covering his face in shame.
'I'm such an idiot...'
No. He would be different from them. He had to be.
'I'll show you Anvil… Your son could've been just like any other human if it weren't for your foolishness…'
Sunny steeled his will, making his decision.
And as he did, he turned a corner, and found himself within a small crowd.
Dozens and dozens of young men and women were standing in the middle of a small hall, most dressed in the simple training clothes provided by the hospital, just like he himself was. On their faces, there was an indescribable kaleidoscope of emotions: joy, sorrow, worry, anticipation…
Most were looking at a small screen displaying a long list of names.
These were the survivors of the Dreamer Army.
Due to Sunny's efforts, there were a lot here despite their small initial number.
Not everyone was here, of course. Some spent many years on the Forgotten Shore and had been transferred to other facilities by the government or their families. Sunny didn't see Seishan nor Aria.
As he entered, a couple people turned to look at him, their gazes only lingering for a moment.
They did not really recognize him, thinking he was just one of the scouts or backline fighters.
Sunny did not receive a warm welcome, nor did he converse with anyone.
'It's better this way.'
With what he was planning to do, anyone who was close with him was simply putting themselves at risk.
He had to keep his distance.
He would keep it for now, until he was strong. Strong enough to rule the world.
***
The hospital staff had provided each of the newly Awakened with a small room at one of the underground levels of the complex, to have a place to rest and get accustomed to their new abilities while waiting for more permanent accommodations — if they were going to remain at the Academy, of course.
It was also a place they could take their families to talk and spend time together in privacy. Currently, many emotional reunions were taking place in similar rooms around Sunny's, made especially joyous and heartbreaking because the survivors of the Dreamer Army had spent long years on the Forgotten Shore.
They had gone through hell, indeed, but their loved ones in the real world had suffered a great deal as well.
...Not that Sunny would know anything about that. No one had been waiting for him to return, after all.
'Unless… Rain still remembers me.'
Did she still know him? Would his fate vanishing cause her to forget him?
Sunny did not want to know anymore.
But maybe… maybe he did.
He knew Rain was better off thinking he was dead, but…
Sunny was selfish. He missed her, he wanted her to know that her brother was out there somewhere, still fighting for her future. He wanted to be loved.
Sunny's head lowered.
'Just what am I gonna do?'
Life was so damn hard sometimes.
Leave his own sister in the dark? Or potentially put her in danger by interacting with her?
Sunny gritted his teeth.
He could not make a decision just yet.
There was also another person he was considering visiting.
Nephis.
He knew just how terrible her life was in the past. He wanted to change it. He saw her nightmares every night, he felt the deep sadness radiating from her whenever the past was brought up.
She had so many regrets, just like him.
But was he right in doing so? Would his actions end up changing her fate, destroying her destiny as Changing Star?
Could he really be so selfish as to quite possibly remove a future savior of humanity?
'...'
Sunny did not know just yet.
Was he going to be a silent protector? Or was he going to be a true guardian…
He decided that he would go see her first. Then, he would choose.
But first…
He had a report to write. There was money to be made, after all!