The cohort was traveling on the back of scavvy— now a carapace tribune.
They had all been quite exhausted in the last few days, and the journey was going to take some hours so most of them had fallen asleep to take a quick nap.
Sunny was standing at the centre of his shadow demon's back with his arms folded. His eyes were fixated towards the direction of the dark city.
Currently only Nephis was awake aside from him. Noticing her gaze lingering onto him for strangely long, he turned towards her.
She was sitting with her knees folded in and her hands wrapped around her legs, she was looking up at him with a straight face, however her face was pressing on her knees making it seem like she was frowning when in reality she wasn't.
Despite knowing that Sunny still felt a bit wary and asked her.
"What's up?"
Nephis continued to stare at him for a while before replying.
"Your shadow...it's very peculiar."
Sunny smiled slightly as he unfolded his arms and put them on his hip.
"So you noticed huh."
Neph nodded quietly. "So how does it evolve exactly?"
Sunny's smile widened a little.
"You must have realised that it has something to do with killing a higher classed creature right?" After getting confirmation from Neph's nod he continued. "However, the reality is a bit deeper than that. Any of my echoes that I have transformed into a Shadow can gain a new class through landing the final blow and eating a part of a creature. The creature must be of the same or higher rank and of higher class than the shadow, and must also share a common element with the shadow."
He turned to look infront of him again. "If these conditions are fulfilled, my shadows can gain a new core. With the exception of Serpent ofcourse, who gains a new core when I do."
Nephis tilted her head slightly. "How do you know all other shadows would do that? You only have the Scavenger aside from Serpent."
Sunny coughed, caught off guard, but quickly gathered his thoughts. Years of experience didn't allow him to fumble easily at all. "Well, Serpent is my aspect legacy so it's ought to be a little unique, besides whatever is happening with scavvy sounds like something that should happen to other future shadows too."
"So you are just guessing through extrapolation?"
Sunny lowered his eyes. "Well not just guessing, I know certain things about my aspect."
Nephis raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Huh?"
Sunny sighed. "I have seen visions of this girl who probably had a similar aspect as me, I've come to learn somethings about myself through her."
Ofcourse that wasn't how he knew about the shadows gaining new classes, but it was a truth. By weaving different truths together, Sunny could hope to hide his nature as a regressor from Nephis.
'to be honest, the whole hiding thing is getting really annoying now.'
Nephis looked at him silently for a while, then...
"So you dream about a girl every now and then huh. I see."
Before Sunny could reply to that, Nephis closed her eyes and relaxed her back on the demon's neck.
Seeing that their conversation had come to an end, Sunny sighed inwardly and thought about passing the time. There was still about an hour left before they arrived at the dark city, once they did everything would change drastically.
Sunny had finally gained blood weave, if he wanted to do anything, looking at his memories and their enchantments' descriptions would be the most logical idea out of any.
So, while making sure that scavvy was devouring the soul tree's fruits dozens at a time, he did exactly that.
***
Sunny was in his soul sea, three dark suns floated above him, revolving around them were dozens upon dozens of memories and further away still was a single echo.
Within two of the dark suns were a shadow creature each..or atleast there were supposed to be, but right now only Serpent nestled within the confines of his king's domain.
Upon the dark surface of the soul sea, hundreds of creatures sprawled everywhere, perhaps already reaching into a thousand.
One day they would all come alive and amplify Sunny's domain as they did. But for now, he simply ignored them and summoned his memories one by one.
Those that mattered atleast.
1) Memory name: Indecent Desires
Memory rank: Dormant
Memory tier: 1
Memory type: tool
Memory description: [Even within the light of wisdom, the heat of lust can dwell.]
Memory enchantments: [Aflame]
Aflame description: [This memory emits a small fire and light, while the two seem to be part of the same thing, they are infact two separate entities, the fire itself doesn't emit any light and the light is not born out of any fire.
If the flame is extinguished the light remains, and if the light is erased the fire still burns.]
2) Memory name: Silver Bell
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.....
The two dormant memories had simple enchantments he had already realised, but the real knowledge laid within...
3) Memory name: Defiance
Memory rank: Awakened
Memory tier: 4
Memory type: Weapon
Memory description: [A hero once loyal to the empire, witnessing it's atrocities, begged it's ruler's to end their crimes. Shunned, Scorned and broken, his hated birthed rebellion. This is that rebellion forged into a blade.]
Memory enchantments: [Protector] [Defiant] [Learner]
Protector description: [The more you protect and save, the stronger this blade will grow. One day it will reach a level where it will be no different from your soul.]
Defiant description: [The will of this blade is Defiant, as such it is both sharper and stronger than this sword should be.]
Learner description: [You can incorporate the essence of those you slay into this sword, depending on how strong it is. You can use one of these powers to infuse with the sword at a time.]
As Sunny had expected, Defiance was a sword that could one day be incorporated into Sunny's soul itself. All of its enchantments were no surprise either, Sunny was simply glad to have them confirmed.
4) Memory name: Puppeteer's Shroud
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...
5) Memory name: Frozen
Memory rank: Ascended
Memory tier: 3
Memory type: Tool
Memory description: [Born from a witch's subconscious magic, he dreamt of basking in the sun, dancing on the beach and experiencing warm weather— completely unaware of the fate that would meet him if he did.]
Memory enchantments: [A thousand dreams.]
A thousand dreams description: [This memory can store different things as long as they are inanimate. It can even store them without mixing them up.]
'Poor thing, whoever the spell is refering to. I hope they were able to enjoy summer without suffering...'
5) Memory name: Memory of Rejection
Memory rank: Awakened
Memory tier: 3
Memory type: Weapon
Memory description: [Lovestruck, he tried to ask her for her hand, but she had already been bewitched by the summer king...]
Memory enchantments: [Strike true] [False scythe]
Strike true description: [This bow is incredibly accurate.]
False scythe description: [This bow can be transformed into a monk's staff that is incapable of killing no matter how powerful it's attacks are. The transformation consumes essence.]
'Now that's interesting. Could I use that last enchantment? I'd have to see...but what's with the half description?'
6) Memory name: Heartbroken
Memory rank: Awakened
Memory tier: 3
Memory type: Weapon
Memory description: [...In his grief, he hanged himself in the frozen forest, only to be followed by thousands more who lost their lovers the same way, fuelled by the mass sacrifice she...]
Memory enchantments: [Shattered]
Shattered description: [When loaded with essence, this arrow will break into hundreds of fragments and destroy everything in its path.]
'So that's the other half huh...or rather the middle?'
7) Memory name: The Last Word
Memory rank: Ascended
Memory tier: 2
Memory type: Armour
Memory description: [Stuck in the fangs of death, the innocent man looked at the treacherous shadow for help... believing him to be his helper. The shadow was treacherous as it was cunning. It betrayed the man and slayed him for momentary power...turning truly demonic, it proceeded to crush a child afterwards.
This armour is the grief of both that man and that child.
Memory enchantments: [Burden of Betrayal] [Guilty thee]
Burden of Betrayal description: [The armor grows heavier as you take damage, but your defenses increase.]
Guilty thee description: [This armour can provide mental resistance but in return causes reverberating guilt to flow through one's veins.]
'....'
'I- ugh I didn't mean to kill him. Damnation...'
8) Memory name: Iron Quiver
Memory rank: Awakened
Memory tier: 2
Memory type: Tool
Memory description: [Knives can be used to kill, but that doesn't mean a chef is attempting murder.]
Memory enchantments: [Iron Arrows]
Iron arrows description: [This memory can summon upto 200 arrows.]
9) Memory name: Cerulean Pearl
Memory rank: Awakened
Memory tier: 1
Memory type: Tool
Memory description: [Oxygen is the basis of life, said no anaerobic organism ever.]
Memory enchantments: [Breath air]
Breath air description: [Even when underwater, you should breathe air.]
'Very... interesting descriptions. I'm sure they took alot of time to make.'
10) Memory name: Mermaid Scale
Memory rank: Awakened
Memory tier: 3
Memory type: Armour
Memory description: [ Beneath the sapphire waves, Neria danced with dolphins and braided coral into her hair. She sang to the currents, her voice weaving joy into the seafoam. Her days flowed in blissful solitude, sunrays kissing her shimmering scales. But peace shattered when shadows fell—pirates, drawn by greed, stormed her reef. Nets tangled her song, blades silenced her laughter. The sea turned red, her body stripped of its brilliance. Her scales—once symbols of freedom—were bartered in markets, glittering on greedy hands. Yet the ocean remembers, whispering her name in every tide, mourning the mermaid who only wanted to live and shine.]
Memory enchantments: [Unentangled] [Sea sworn]
Unentangled description: [This memory makes the wearer move much faster underwater.]
Sea sworn description: [While wearing this memory, the person is considered a sea creature.]
'That's... rough. Hope she found peace.'
11) Memory name: Endless Spring
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12) Memory name: Skybeak
Memory rank: Ascended
Memory tier: 2
Memory type: Weapon
Memory description: [Born to wage war against the invasions of the west and the monsters of the depth, the heralds of the mad queen learnt to fight in the sky and the sea.
Their beaks became the harbingers of defeat and their talons the weapons of unyielding slaughter.
But they had not grown to fight the shadows, and so in the shadows they would drown.]
Memory enchantments: [Current Cutter] [Wounded]
Current Cutter description: [This memory cuts through current, air and water— to allow it's user to move rapidly and with higher force than possible.]
Wounded description: [The wounds inflicted through this weapon are hard to heal and become worse over time.]
'Finally! An Ascended weapon to be used directly, even though it's better for the sea, nothing is stopping me from using it on the ground either.'
13) Memory name: Executioner's Judgement
Memory rank: Ascended
Memory tier: 4
Memory type: Weapon
Memory description: [.. Fuelled by the mass sacrifices, she woke up from her slumber. The witch of eternal cold duelled with the summer king and slayed him.
After a thousand years, cold had returned to the realm of Melendoir, and it was not going to go away.
The Demilich's empire grew and expanded, as it did, it gained many powerful servants.
Among the servants was a devil called balor, weilding his vorpal blade, he struck down anyone who defied his empress. Yet in the end, when the demon king kior chose to invade their realm, his empress threw him and countless others as meat shields to save her own skin.
However, Kior didn't kill balor. Instead he allowed balor to grow corrupted, and left him to wander the world forever.
All for his own amusement.]
Memory enchantments: [Flying] [Cleave Storm] [Presence of the demon king]
Flying description: [This memory can fly around and be controlled mentally. It moves at high speeds and cuts down enemies for its master but it is not independent, so the intent is required.]
Presence of the demon king description: [This memory emanates a subtle pressure from itself, forcing those who face its weilder to feel overwhelmed and afraid.]
Cleave storm description: [Upon the consumption of essence, a storm of powerful invisible cuts flies out of this sword. Wrecking havok.]
'Now that's a powerful weapon to have on the side. But anyways, what was that last connecting dot of the story? So in the end the ice demons had died only to birth another monster huh? Was it her who revived them as demons in the first place?'
There were plenty of other memories too, like the Azure Blade and others.
Glancing away from the memories, Sunny pondered for a bit. His arsenal had grown truly menacing indeed, however that was not even close to the true power he was going to gain soon.
***
Out in the dreamrealm, the cohort had finally arrived on the forgotten shore's last standing fortress. The dark city.
Seeing the city in its entirety, Sunny woke up everyone and mentally prepared himself.
No matter how much stronger he was, whatever hid behind those colossal walls were going to be a test for him nonetheless.