Shadow Slave

The war party had stopped and made camp. Sunny's APC was parked within the defensive perimeter, and he was calmly preparing supper. It seemed strange to be doing something so mundane on the verge of an event that had the potential to alter the course of history, but... He was hungry. Hunger was much more powerful than the forces that shaped history.

'Ah. I miss the Rhino...' The armored vehicle that the Fire Keepers had used was by no means cheap, but its amenities were rather bare-bones. There was not even an integrated kitchen, just a few devices for food storage and preparation. Still, he was good at improvising.

As Sunny cooked, he mentally went over what he had gained since coming to Antarctica, and what he could use if the worst happened and the two great clans clashed in a bloody battle.

Sunny had been a Master for many months before the Chain of Nightmares, but he felt that he only came into his Ascended powers here. His mastery of Shadow Manifestation had improved tremendously, both in terms of impact and versatility. He also developed Shadow Shell and Shadow Incarnation, as well as their combination - both of these abilities were extremely powerful.

His practical knowledge of sorcery had grown as well. He was now able to copy more complex enchantments, and do it faster. He could even modify them to a degree. Even though the realities of the Antarctica campaign had prevented Sunny from spending a lot of time on weaving, his repertoire was much broader than before.

There were new powerful Memories in his arsenal, including Transcendent ones. The Sin of Solace, the Shroud of Graceless Dusk, and others... there was the Mirror of Truth, too. Chances were, he would have to use it soon.

In terms of raw power, Sunny was now a Tyrant. He had five cores and five shadows, which increased both his physical prowess and essence capacity. Strangely enough, even his essence control had undergone a noticeable improvement - unable to rely on the Soul Serpent in the dire conditions of the Southern Quadrant, Sunny had been forced to elevate this aspect of his power to an almost flawless efficiency.

Then there were his Shadows. He had gained a new one, the Ravenous Fiend. Now that Imp had feasted on the remains of the Sun Prince, the scrawny goblin was strong enough to be sent into battle. Nightmare was close to both Ascension and unlocking his Terror Ability. Saint had risen both in Class and Rank, becoming a Transcendent Devil.

That alone was an incredible leap for him, but the sublimation of the Mantle of the Underworld was perhaps no less important. His new Attribute, the Marble Shell, improved his resilience and combat performance to a remarkable degree. Honestly, having it was almost like possessing a secondary Aspect.

Considering all that, it was hard to deny that the present Sunny was incomparably more powerful than his past self from before Antarctica. The comparison was not even funny. That past Sunny was nothing more than a feeble brat.

Ironically, Sunny had come to the Southern Quadrant in search of strength, and although he stopped caring about that goal a long time ago, he ended up achieving it nevertheless.

...Despite it all, though, he felt that there were much more valuable things he had gained here. Things that went far beyond Shadows, Memories, and Attributes.

The experience he had gained, the skills he had honed, the lessons he had learned - those were what truly separated him from his past self. Those were what made him truly stronger.

From the darkness of the polar night and the desperation of the Antarctic Center to the cold expanse of East Antarctica and its many dangers, Sunny had grown and matured. He had gone through countless battles and achieved many improbable victories...

There had been harrowing defeats, too.

Those had taught him as well.

Preparing utensils for three people, Sunny looked into the distance and sighed.

He would be turning twenty-one in about a month... there had been a time when he was not even sure that he would make it that far, but now, here he was.

'I... don't really feel young anymore.'

Maybe someone like Wake of Ruin would laugh at these words, but Sunny truly felt that way. He had never really gotten a chance to be a child, and now, he was not a youth anymore, either.

'Am I... old, then?'

As Sunny was pondering the vicissitudes of life, the hatch of the APC opened, and Nephis came in, soon followed by Cassie. The two had been spending the last few days in endless strategy meetings, so both looked exhausted.

The smell of freshly cooked food made both of them relax. Noticing the distant expression on Sunny's face, Nephis tilted her head a little and asked:

"What are you thinking about so seriously?"

He flinched, then shook his head and continued setting the table.

"Ah, nothing serious. I was just thinking... that I'm too old for this crap."

She frowned, then pierced him with a cold gaze.

"...I'm older than you, though?"

Her meaning was clear... Are you calling me old?!

Sunny grinned.

"Yes, yes. Forget I said anything. Come, noona, let's eat... who knows when we'll get a chance to enjoy a proper meal again..."

The two gave him strange looks and sat around the small fold-out table, looking down at the dishes he prepared. Well, really, there was just one dish - the everything potslop that Professor Obel had taught him how to make.

Sunny sat down, too, and put a generous serving on his plate.

"But honestly, you're not even a full year older than me, while Cassie is not a full year younger than me. So... let's speak comfortably..."

He put a spoonful of the weird slop into his mouth, then smiled at them.

Cassie hesitated and cautiously nudged the slop with a spoon.

"...What even is that?"

Sunny grinned.

"Ah, I am glad that you asked! This is an ancient dish that has been passed down from person to person since the Dark Times. As I was told, it was initially inspired by corpse meat..."