Shadow Slave

The Crimson Spire… that eerie and everpresent shadow that had hunted him all this time. The cyclopean tower that stood at the center of the Labyrinth, or maybe was the source of it, emanating a harrowing sense of foreboding.

The background for the last part of Cassie's vision.

Of course, the damn Gateway just had to be in that damn spire!

Sunny sighed.

This was unwelcomed, but not unexpected news. After all, Inspector Rock did warn them that, should they ever find themselves in a region of the Dream Realm without an established human Citadel, they should look for the Gateway either around or inside the most prominent landmark there.

The Crimson Spire loomed over the entire Forgotten Shore like an axis connecting heaven to earth. It was hard to imagine anything more prominent. Ever since Cassie had first told them about it, deep down, Sunny always suspected that they were going to end up having to enter that creepy tower at some point.

After the revelation that there was no Gateway in the human castle, that suspicion only grew stronger.

But, wait. There was something else that Instructor Rock had told them…

'Work together to defeat the Gateway guardians… wasn't these his words? So who is guarding the Crimson Spire?'

Glancing at Nephis, he asked darkly:

"So what is inside the Spire? I gather that it's not something pleasant. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a thousand Sleepers choosing to live in a city full of vicious monsters instead of going there."

Changing Star nodded. Without changing her expression, she looked away and answered:

"A Fallen Terror."

Sunny's heart skipped a bit.

A Fallen Terror — the Nightmare Creature one whole class above the dreaded tyrants, with six mighty soul cores providing it with profane power — would certainly do the trick.

"So, going there is suicide."

No amount of Sleepers could ever hope to defeat a Fallen Terror. The possibility of surviving such an encounter, let alone emerging victorious, was zero. It was even less probable than breaking through Gunlaug's indestructible armor.

Impossible.

He chuckled. What irony! To not only be trapped in this hell, but also be forced to stare at the path to freedom every day, knowing that you'll never be able to reach it. That… that was such a cruel torture. Sunny would even go as far as to say that it was a type of hell in and of itself.

No wonder the Tower of Dusk was so unpopular. Living there would simply drive some people insane.

They were really, truly stuck here forever.

Nephis sighed.

"The first ruler of the Bright Castle led a large expedition to find a way out of the Labyrinth. They all perished. The second ruler — the last member of the original cohort — tried to reach the Gateway instead. They all died, too. After that, no one tried to find a way out anymore."

The three of them remained silent for a long time, their mood grim and somber. Now that they had a chance to spend some time in the small human enclave on the Forgotten Shore and gather information, there were no more excuses to deny it. Everything that Effie had told them was true.

They were going to spend the rest of their lives here… however long that might be.

Sunny sighed, then looked at Changing Star.

"So… what's the plan?"

Nephis looked at the vista of the ruined city through the window. Sunny was sure that she had already thought a lot about their future. He just hoped that her thoughts were not too crazy.

After a while, she said:

"We will create a hunting party."

…Not too bad. Despite the fact that becoming independent hunters was going to be a long and perilous journey, it was at least achievable. They just had to be smart and careful about it.

He scratched the back of his head:

"Going into the Dark City blind will be very dangerous."

Nephis shrugged, then turned to face him:

"You are right. We will need to recruit a pathfinder."

Someone who was already experienced and could teach them the ropes… that would certainly speed things along and make the whole process safer. Good thinking.

"Do you have someone in mind?"

She gave him a nod.

"As a matter of fact, I do. We will go see her later. But first…"

Her eyes gleamed with intensity.

"...Tell me every detail of what you have learned in the castle. Every name, every Aspect. Every Ability and Flaw you've been able to glean. Every grievance people have and every agenda they're hiding. I need to know it all."

Sunny smiled.

"Sure, no problem. But be warned, this is going to take a while. I've been very busy snooping around, you know."

For the first time since receiving his Aspect, Sunny had been able to do what he had planned to do from the start — gather information without risking his hide, as a real spy should. After months of bloody battles and open confrontations, It was strangely rewarding.

Changing Star gave him a nod.

"There's no hurry."

***

Several hours later, Sunny was finishing his winding report, his voice hoarse from all the talking:

"...is actually the same Pathfinder who the hunter from the outer settlement, Jubei, accused of using another human as monster bait. A real nasty fellow. He is an incredibly formidable fighter and is good at his job, but his personal habits… well. The man is a degenerate gambler. He spends all his shards in Aiko's gambling den, then refuses to pay and hurts anyone who dares to object."

He took a breath, then added angrily:

"Some people even say that this whole challenge happened because he wanted to hunt a powerful monster and pay off a part of his gambling debt. The bastard."

Then, Sunny thought for a while, scratched his head, and said:

"Uh… I think that covers pretty much everything. Of course, there are a lot of things I wasn't able to learn at all."

Nephis was in deep thought, digesting the mountain of information that Sunny had thrown at her. Her face was cold and distant.

Feeling that her friend wasn't going to react, Cassie patted him on the shoulder, smiled, and said:

"You've done a very good job, Sunny! This is amazing."

He blinked and looked aside, slightly embarrassed.

"Well… of course it is. That is what my Aspect is actually for, remember? The whole monster-slaying thing is nothing but an unfortunate misuse of my talents, honestly."

'Yeah… I would much prefer to stay hidden somewhere safe and let my shadow do all the work.'

The shadow slightly turned its head and threw a menacing look his way. It was not amused.

Sunny smiled, then looked at Nephis.

"So… who is the pathfinder you want to recruit? There can't be a lot of experienced hunters in the outer settlement, right? And each of them must have their hunting party already. How are we going to persuade one to join us?"

Changing Star lingered, then said in a strangely tense voice:

"Yes. Everyone who is worth something has their own party — except for one person. But persuading her won't be easy."

She sighed, then added:

"Actually, you already know her. It's Effie."