Shadow Slave: Chain Breaker

Somewhere in the dream realm. A young man with a smooth white skin and raven hair was running away from a great titan chasing him.

'Damn it Damn it Damn it, How did that asshole appear out of nowhere'

Sunny, who was injured badly because of a stealthy, great titan. Was running away for his life.

Usually, he would have sensed even a stealthy great titan. But due to the mist of the hollow mountains, it blocked his senses.

By now, he should've disappeared because of the mist of the hollow mountains.

But Sunny's abilities, which made him experience losing himself, made him able to survive in the mist till now.

While Sunny was running away from the great titan. Sunny's mind tried to come up with a plan quickly.

While Sunny was thinking of a way to escape. He suddenly felt no ground under his foot.

'What!!?'

Sunny was horrified when he looked under him and saw no ground. Before he could think of anything, he fell in what looked like a black hole.

Sunny tried transforming to a crow, but to his absolute horror, his essence was draining like crazy.

Sunny tried summoning his lantern.

'Wh....why does it not appear'

Sunny felt like his connection to his soul saw was disappearing. He couldn't summon any memory. He doesn't feel the connection to his shadows.

For the first in a long time, Sunny felt absolute horror as he saw a now out.

He couldn't get back to the waking world nor feel anything.

It was like his existence was disappearing as the true darkness surrounded him.

'Is this.... is this how I'm going to die?'

Sunny felt himself losing his sense of direction and himself. His eyes were gradually closing, as he fell for a long time in the darkness.

His memories were playing like a video tape in backward. Seeing all the choices he made. Seeing how he betrayed his friends for his selfish goal of freedom.

Seeing how he couldn't save anyone in Antarctica. And Seeing neph order him to leave and leave her behind on her own in the forgotten shore.

Sunny's consciousness of himself gradually got swallowed by the darkness. Losing himself.

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[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare spell. Prepare for the First Trial...]

'Huh?' Sunny was confused

He suddenly shivered from the deadly cold weather. A dull ache was radiating through Sunny's bleeding feet

'Wh...what the heck, why am I here again?' sunny looked around in total shock and confusion

Sunny then looked around him. Seeing the familiar iron shackles. And noticing the hollow eyed people, slaves... just like him?

'Wait, you're kidding me. How the heck am I back here again. What happened'

Sunny froze as he tried to remember the last thing that happened to him. He remembered himself running away from the nightmare creature when he suddenly fell in a black hole in the mountains.

Remembering how he felt desperate at that situation and losing his senses gradually until he suddenly saw himself back here again.

'How is that possible? Is this some kind of sick joke. Am I dreaming?'

Sunny summoned his runes

***

Name: Sunless

True name:----

Rank: Aspirant.

Soul Core: Dormant.

Memories:----

Echoes:----

Attributes: [Chain Breaker], [Mark of Divinity], [Child of Shadows]

Aspect: [Temple Slave].

***

Sunny looked with puzzlement on his face

'My attributes are the same from my first trial. Except this one'

Sunny looked at [Chain Breaker] attribute that replaces his [Fated] attribute.

[Chain Breaker] Attribute Description: "You're a Shadow Slave who broke from chains of fate and time and escaped his master. Your existence is unrecognizable by fate. Your existence will cause unpredictable events to everything around you. "

Sunny was shocked by the description of his attribute. Which made him lose the rhythm of his steps and stumbled. Pulling the chain down with his weight. The Shifty guy behind him screamed:

"Whore's bastard! Watch where you're going"

Sunny dismissed his runes and recovered his balance. Then he looked back at the guy behind him.

"You little shit! I'm going to kill you!"

Sunny didn't bother to reply to him. In the end he thought to himself 'even if this is a dream. At least I'll be able to kill you again'

While thinking that to himself the broad shouldered guy infront of him chuckled without turning his head.

"Why bother? The weakling will be dead by the sunrise anyway. The mountain will kill him."

Sunny then ignored their arguing and started planning for what is going to happen.

After a while, the caravan stopped. And Sunny started his plan. Positioning himself in a place to break from the chuckles.

After couple of minutes Sunny heard a thundering noise rang from above. Indicating the approach of the mountain king.

Then, everything went according to Sunny's plan

He took out the dormant beasts and with the help of shifty and scholar they pushed the wagon down which pulled the mountain king down the cliff. Making him fall into the darkness.

Sunny knew it wasn't over and started preparing for his next step of the plan. This time he used a more poisonous berries in Hero's flagon.

Then he killed the dying soldier and got silver bell.

After the 3rd nightmare Sunny lost all connection to the spell. So hearing it now was refreshing to him especially when he got the silver bell. That even before the regression he still held on to it.

Later, everything went like how the his first time was. They continued their journey to the temple. With Shifty being the first one to die. Scholar then followed the same fate but he was killed Hero.

Sunny and Hero then camp at a cave. Hero showed signs of exhaustion and tiredness. It seems like the poison started taking effects.

Later then Hero tried killing Sunny like the first time. But this time Sunny saw the best way to kill Hero is while him trying to Sunny in his sleep.

"You know, its strange. Usually, I can feel someone's presence even in absolute darkness. But with you, there's nothing. It's like you are just one of the shadows."

With only silence to answer him, he smiled.

"Are you asleep?"

Sunny kept silent as he sensed Hero's shadow getting up. Walking towards his body.

As his shadow was growing bigger and closer, Hero said:

"I don't expect you to forgive me. This sin, too, will be mine to bear. But, please, if you can... find it in your heart to understand. If things were different, I would have gladly faced that monster to let you escape. But my life... does not belong to me alone. There is an unencompassable duty I am sworn to fulfill. Until it's done, I cannot allow myself to die."

Hero stood infront of Sunny's body. He raised his high. Wanting to give him a merciful death.

When he launched his sword down. Sunny quickly got up and launched towards Hero's face while avoiding his sword. He then stabbed a dagger he got from a dying soldier in Hero's throat.

Hero looked at Sunny with horror in his eyes. Hero saw Sunny's eyes. It was the eyes of a warrior who fought and killed many people.

He felt like the darkness in his eyes could swallow him whole. Then he whispered in horror:

"What.... are you?"

This was his last words before Sunny cut his head off

[You have slain Awakened human: Auro of the Nine]

After a while it seemed like he didn't get any memory. But Sunny quickly got to work and ran to the temple. He used the bell to give him sometime to escape from the tyrant.

Sunny kept running and running. Although he was he was experienced and armed with his knowledge. His body was still top weak. But Sunny got used to the pain.

After what seemed like eternity Sunny finally saw the temple. Unlike first time. His body wasn't as injured as when got to the temple in his first time.

So he gave a moment to look around the temple. He saw thousands of bones scattered around the temple. Belonged to both humans and monsters.

There, he sensed the invisible guardian examining him. Then, he moved to the side, letting Sunny pass.

Sunny wasted no time and walked to the alter as he started to hear the mountain king coming closer. Without wasting a second he used the dagger to make cute in his palm. Making his blood flow through the cut and fall on the altar.

[You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.]

[The gods are dead, and can not hear you.]

[You soul bears the mark of divinity.]

[You are a temple slave.]

[Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.]

[He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.]

[Child of Shadows, receive your blessing!]

Under sunny's eyes. He saw as the shadows in the temple started rapturing the tyrant body into many pieces.

[You have slain an awakened tyrant. Mountain King.]

[Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is over.]

[Prepare for appraisal...]

Sunny found himself back again the familiar space between dream and reality. Sunny looked at the complex strings that form the spell. Still amazed by its Beaty and it's complexity.

'Would I be able to make something this complex in the future.'

Sunny thought to himself as he was still amazed by the view. Until the spell voice cut his thoughts.

[Prepare for your appraisal...]

[You have received a memory: Puppeteer's Shroud]

Sunny then chuckled with a smiled as he remembered himself thinking that he'd be invincible with this armor. Only to he thrown in a place with the weakest nightmare creature is an awakened.

[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]

[A nameless slave escaped the chains of fate and time, escaping his master and going back through time! Ascending the black mountain. Both heroes and monsters fell by his hand. Unbroken, he entered the ruined temple of a long forgotten god and spilled his blood on the sacred alter. The gods were dead, and yet they listened.]

[You have defeated a dormant beast: Mountain King's Larval]

[You have defeated three dormant humans: names unknown.]

[You have defeated an awakened human: Auro of the Nine.]

[You have defeated an awakened tyrant: Mountain King.]

[You have received the Shadow God's blessing.]

[You have achieved the impossible!]

[Final appraisal: Impossible. Your treachery truly knows no bounds.]

Sunny was stunned "Im...Impossible?" Sunny remembered that he got glorious. He then looked at what the spell said.

'The description of the spell means that... I got back in time!? How is that possible'

Sunny was shocked to know that he really got back in time.

'I'll have to think about that later. Let's see what changes with my new rating.'

Sunny looked excitement. Wanting to know what will change. Will he get a new aspect? Will his flaw change?

[Dreamer Sunless, receive your boon!]

[You have bestowed a True name: Lost from Height]

Sunny's eyes widened. "Wh..what the fuck"

(Okay guys it's just a joke🤣 I just wanted to add this as a troll🤣

[You have bestowed a True name: Lost from Light]

Sunny remembered how excited he was when he saw his true name. Only for it to be the reason Neph stayed alone in the forgotten shore

'Thinking of Neph. Am I the only one who regressed? Or are the others like me. Well, that will have to wait till I meet someone I know'

[Your aspect is ready to evolve. evolve aspect?]

"Yes"

[Dormant Aspect Temple Slave is evolving...]

[New aspect acquired]

[Aspect rank: Divine]

[Aspect name: Shadow]

Sunny's eyes widened. His Aspect is different from last time. He focused on the description.

Aspect description: [You're a miraculous shadow left behind by a dead god. You have broken free from the chains if fate and time and escaped certain death. The shadows recognize you as the heir of the shadow god. You possess a plenty of strange and wondrous powers]

Sunny was stunned with the description. He realized that the part about him being a long to find a new master wasn't there.

[Your first seal is broken]

[Awakening dormant powers...]

'Wait wait wait. It didn't mentioned the Innate ability. Does that... does that mean that if someone said my true name I won't be their slave'

[Awakening Aspect ability....]

[Aspect ability acquired.]

[Aspect ability name: Shadow Control]

Sunny quickly summoned his Runes

***

Name: Sunless

True name: Lost from Light

Rank: dreamer

Shadow Core: Dormant.

Shadow fragments: [16/1000]

Memories: [Silver bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud]

Echoes:----

Attributes: [Chain Breaker], [Mark of Divinity], [Shadow]

Aspect: [Shadow].

Aspect Rank: Divine

Aspect abilities: [Shadow Contol]

Aspect ability description: [Your shadow is more independent than most. It is an invaluable helper.]

***

'Shadow bond really isn't there.'

Sunny was surprised and happy at the same time. It felt like a mountain was lifted from his mind. Even if someone knew his true name he wouldn't be in danger.

But he still can't share his true name. The sovereigns are still there. If they knew about him he'd be in grave danger

[All power has a price.]

[You have received a flaw.]

[Your flaw is: clear conscience]

Flaw description: [You can't lie]

Sunny looked at what he thought once was a course. But in reality, if it wasn't for his flaw. He wouldn't be as close as he was to his friends. He wouldn't have survived for long too.

[Wake up, Lost from Light!]

The black void spun and disappeared.