SHADOW SLAVE: CROWN OF HOLLOW SCORN

In the dim grey light of the morning, they abandoned the tall hill and ventured west, retracing their steps from yesterday. Knowing the path, the party of four made quick progress.

Nephis was walking in front, her sword arm ready to strike at any moment. A bit behind her was Sunny. This time, the responsibility of holding the golden rope and guiding Cassie along was entrusted to him.

And at the back, entrusted with the duty of the rear guard, was Valen, his sword already drawn.

None of them spoke.

Sunny's weird and freaky shadow was leading them, scouted ahead, carefully observing the labyrinth for signs of danger.

The labyrinth was just as it was before, confusing and seemingly endless. Crimson blades of "coral" protruded from the black mud, creating a vast, tangled forest. However, today something about it felt different.

It wasn't long before the shadow stumbled onto a mass of hulking, hungry scavengers…

His breath caught.

"Halt."

As soon as the word left his lips, Nephis stopped in her tracks and summoned her sword. She turned her head, silently asking the question.

Cassie stiffened.

Sunny counted the monsters. One, two, three… five…

Curses.

These scavengers were different. Not as mangled as the one he had killed yesterday. Still wounded, still bearing the marks of brutal fights, but stronger than the last.

"There are scavengers on the path ahead," Sunny muttered. "Six of them. They're moving in our direction."

Nephis narrowed her eyes. "They're done with the carcass?"

Sunny shook his head. "No, but maybe there's not enough meat left. Some stragglers had no choice but to leave with empty stomachs."

Nephis studied the beasts for a moment before tilting her head toward a branching path.

"We'll circle around them."

The crown hissed.

What was the insult?!

A low, seething growl rumbled from behind them.

Valen.

"No."

His voice was a whisper, but it cut through the tense silence like a blade.

Nephis turned.

"What?"

Before she could react, Valen stepped forward, his eyes burning, his grip tightening on the hilt of his blade.

Then, without another word—

He lunged.

The first scavenger barely had time to screech before its head rolled from its shoulders. Blood sprayed across the mud as Valen pivoted, already moving toward the next target.

His ability surged.

A crushing weight descended upon the battlefield.

The scavengers slowed—not just their bodies, but something deeper. Their minds. Their very essence.

Valen ripped through them.

He weaved between snapping jaws, parried a clawed strike, then planted his foot against a coral wall and launched himself into the air. His sword came down, spearing through a monster's skull. The impact sent a jolt through his arms, but he tore the blade free and turned before the beast had even collapsed.

Another scavenger lunged.

But he wasn't fast enough to avoid the second strike.

A carapace limb scraped against his side, cutting into his armor. Valen gritted his teeth, his body screaming in protest. But he ignored the pain, using the force to pivot and drive his blade under its ribcage. With a brutal twist, he ripped through its spine.

Sunny moved.

Shadows coiled around his limbs. He darted forward, aiming for an opening—

Then, suddenly, a hand grabbed his face.

And threw him.

Sunny didn't even process what had happened before his body slammed into the ground, hard.

His vision blurred. He tumbled across the mud, bones rattling, before digging his fingers into the dirt to stop himself.

He looked up.

Valen wasn't even looking at him.

"I don't need help," Valen seethed. His breath came in ragged bursts, his hands white-knuckled around the hilt of his sword.

Sunny clenched his jaw.

Nephis watched in silence.

Another scavenger lunged.

Valen exhaled sharply. His golden veins pulsed.

As the beast struck, Valen stepped into its range, sword flashing. The blade sliced under its jaw, cutting through bone, sinew, and muscle.

Blood splattered.

The last scavenger hesitated. For a moment, it looked as if it might retreat.

Valen's lips curled.

Before it could move, he stepped in and buried his sword through its chest.

Silence.

The battlefield was still.

Then, slowly, Valen exhaled.

His body was covered in blood—some of it his own, most of it not.

He took a step forward. Then another. His knees nearly buckled beneath him.

Cassie hesitated. "B-But you're injured."

Agony.

The crown pulsed, sending waves of torment through his skull. Valen's breath hitched, his hands trembling slightly before he clenched them into fists.

Veins bulged across his face, golden and dull.

For the first time, Valen felt like he might have to beat someone into the ground just to make the pain stop.

His fist slammed into a coral wall.

The stone cracked.

"I don't need your help," he spat. "You bitch."

Cassie flinched.

"You can't even help yourself. Now move."

[...Your burden grows heavier.]

***

They continued forward.

No one spoke.

Sunny walked slightly ahead, but his mind was elsewhere.

Valen had thrown him.

Not just thrown—dismissed.

Sunny glanced behind him.

Valen was walking a few steps away, his expression unreadable. His breath still came unevenly, and when Cassie had tried to offer him water, he had nearly slapped her.

The next time they encountered a small group of scavengers, no one spoke.

Sunny and Nephis moved in unison, cutting through the beasts with cold efficiency.

Valen joined in.

But none of them acknowledged him. Just letting him do his thing.

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

Sunny was sprawled in the mud, looking at the sky. He didn't even have to catch his breath since the whole fight took less than ten seconds from start to finish. No one was dead, wounded or even bruised… well, with the exception of the scavenger. It was completely out of his expectations.

He glanced at the monster's corpse to make sure that it was actually dead, then summoned the runes and took a look at the number of Shadow Fragments in his possession.

[Shadow Fragments: 16/1000].

It was actually true. The mighty awakened beast perished just like that. And, although Nephis did most of the work, he was the one to deal the killing blow.

'Why can't it always be so easy?'

Sunny got back on his feet and dismissed the Azure Blade. Then, he remembered the words Master Jet had once told him: "No one can survive in the Dream Realm alone."

Later, when they finally sat down to rest, Sunny found himself watching Valen again.

Strength was supposed to mean survival.

But Valen was strong. Unreasonably strong.

And yet—

he wasn't sure if Valen was going to live through this nightmare.

He could say something carefully worded now.

But in the heat of battle, when even a second could mean life or death…

A flaw like his?

It wasn't just dangerous.

It was lethal.

Nephis broke him from his thoughts.

"Bring Cassie."

Sunny sighed and turned away.

He would think about it later.

With a sigh, Sunny turned and left the clearing. His footsteps were quiet, but not silent. He wasn't trying to be.

Ahead, a lone figure stood waiting.

Cassie.

Hearing him approach, she flinched slightly and raised her head. Even without sight, she recognized him instantly.

"S—Sunny?"

For a brief moment, he hesitated. Then he exhaled.

'How did she know it was me? Ah… the way I walk.'

"Yeah, it's me," he said. "It's over. Come on, I'll bring you to Nephis."

Cassie shifted, gripping her wooden staff.

"Are… are you guys alright?"

Sunny let out a small, tired chuckle.

"Yeah." He hesitated. Then, before he could stop himself, he added, "And… about Valen. He didn't really mean those things."

Cassie tilted her head.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's… his flaw?" Sunny frowned, "Yeah, so don't take it to heart."

Cassie smiled slightly.

"I won't."

When they returned to the clearing, Nephis had already broken apart the scavenger's carapace, a shimmering soul shard glinting between her fingers. A few steps away, Valen sat on a shattered piece of carapace, quietly absorbing his share of the spoils. He hadn't spoken a word since the fight ended.

Without looking at Sunny, Nephis tossed him the soul shard.

He caught it instinctively, blinking.

"Why are you giving this to me?"

She stared at him for a second before answering.

"I don't have pockets."

Sunny opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Oh."

He slid the crystal into his rucksack, but something felt off.

'Why wouldn't she just absorb it immediately?'

Nephis must have noticed his hesitation because she added, "We'll divide the spoils later."

Sunny nodded. "Right. Got it."

His gaze flickered toward Valen. He had already absorbed his share without asking, as if the division of resources didn't apply to him. Somehow, it didn't feel like anyone was going to argue about it.

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

Sunny exhaled, somewhere between exhilarated and irritated.

Over the course of the day, they had killed three more scavengers. It was an efficient, brutal cycle—Nephis baited the creatures, Sunny hid in the shadows, and when the moment was right, he finished the fight with a single decisive strike. It should have been dangerous, but Nephis…

She made it look effortless.

Even Caster, for all his skill, wouldn't have lasted long playing bait. To anyone else, it would have been a death sentence. But Nephis moved like she was born for it—swift, calm, precise. She didn't rely on brute strength or an Aspect ability. Just sheer, terrifying skill.

'This is the difference between talent and training.'

Sunny had always known that technique was more important than raw power, but now he was seeing it firsthand. Nephis wasn't stronger than him. She wasn't faster than him. But if they fought, she would still win. Every time.

And then… there was Valen.

Sunny had seen him take down six scavengers in a single encounter. Six. Without hesitation, without effort. He didn't talk. He barely acknowledged them. He just moved through the battlefield like a force of nature, taking apart monsters like they were insects.

It was humbling.

The group adapted around him, not the other way around. It was clear that, despite his silence and his unpredictability, he was integral to their survival. The thought was equal parts frustrating and fascinating.

Sunny sighed and summoned his runes.

[Shadow Fragments: 22/1000]

'Eight fragments in one day. That's… good. Right?'

They were resting on the edge of the labyrinth path leading to the headless knight's statue. A group of scavengers was moving slowly ahead of them, blocking the way.

The sunset was near, but they still had time.

Slowly, minutes flowed by. After some point, they moved

Helping Cassie along, Sunny followed Changing Star and quickly traversed the open space between the labyrinth and the statue. Now, they only had to get on top of it.

However, it wasn't that easy. Scaling the two-hundred-meter tall monument would have been hard in normal circumstances, but now, they also had to somehow pull Cassie up. Leaving her behind until they were at the top would not have been safe.

Before Sunny could even think of a solution, Valen grabbed Cassie by the wrist and hauled her onto his back.

Then, without a word, he began climbing.

The rest of them stared for a second before scrambling after him.

Sunny had no idea how the guy was doing it. Hauling his own weight up the sheer stone surface was hard enough—but Valen was carrying another person like she was weightless.

By the time they reached the top, the dark waters had already begun to rise.

Valen set Cassie down and exhaled.

Then, in a completely serious voice, he said, "You should start dieting."

Cassie gasped. Nephis turned her head slightly.

Sunny… burst out laughing.

For once, Valen's usual biting sarcasm wasn't there. It almost sounded—what was the word? Playful?

As night fell, they gathered in the center of the circular platform and rested. They had no fire, nothing to cook with. Just strips of dried meat and the bottle of limitless water, passed between them in silence.

After a while, Nephis gave Sunny a small nod. Time to divide the spoils.

He took out the two remaining soul shards and placed them on the ground.

Without hesitation, Nephis slid one toward Cassie.

Sunny said nothing. He simply watched.

Cassie absorbed the shard, her expression unreadable.

Sunny waited for a moment, then slowly reached into his rucksack and pulled out another crystal.

He pushed both shards toward Nephis.

She blinked.

"You don't want them?"

"I do," Sunny admitted, grinning. "But they won't do me much good right now. You're the main fighter. The stronger you are, the better our odds."

She narrowed her eyes. "And?"

He leaned forward slightly.

"It's a trade."

Nephis tilted her head. "A trade?"

"I'll give you these soul shards. And any others I earn on the way to that castle."

Then, locking eyes with her, he finished:

"In return… you'll teach me how to fight."

The silver-haired girl didn't move.

Sunny held his breath.

Somewhere to the side, Valen—who hadn't spoken a word throughout the exchange—glanced at him. Just for a second.

Then, as if the conversation was beneath him, he looked away.

Sunny's grip tightened.

'One step at a time. First Nephis… then Valen. If I learn from both of them, I won't just survive this place. I'll walk out of here as a monster.'