Sunless found himself in an endless black void illuminated by a sea of stars. Between them stretched countless strings of silver light, weaving into an intricate, celestial web... beautiful and unfathomably complex.
'The Spell… This is what my sisters meant… It really is impressive.'
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
[A Temple Slave was enslaved; it broke its chains and killed the King that slaughtered its companions and captors. It ascended the black mountain, assassinating slavers and betraying Heros, It entered the ruined temple of a forgotten god and spilled its blood upon the altar. The gods were dead... and yet, they listened.]
[You have defeated 25 Dormant Beast: Mountain King's Larva.]
[You have defeated 55 Dormant Humans.]
[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.]
[Final appraisal: Glorious. Your emptiness is truly endless.]
"Emptiness? Really?"
It was strange… Thinking about it, his whole Nightmare was strange. It's like it was preconceived, like no matter what, the end result needed to be sacrificing himself in the temple.
Also, the Spell keeps calling him empty, hollow, it was in the description of [Nine's Regret]...
[Dreamer Sunless, receive your boon!]
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Hollow Death]
Sunless almost fell.
'A True name? In the First Nightmare?
It was almost unheard of. Not even my mother did that! Howl is going to be so jealous!'
But as he looked closely, as the excitement left, he noticed that the runes…
There were multiple meanings to it.
One part of Saint Lunae's education was runes linguistics, he mentioned how his partner in studies, someone called Julius, insisted on how the Spell's translations were not entirely releasable, that the way the runes were written could mean more than what the Spell showed.
And the runes for [Hollow Death] could mean many things…
Like [Hollow Purpose]...
Or [Hollow Moon].
'What does that make me…?'
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
"Hm? Yes, I do."
'I wonder what will be the rank of my-'
[Dormant Aspect: Temple Slave — evolving...]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
"What…"
Divine… Aspect…
It was just a myth… Nobody had ever gotten it… Until now.
Aspect: [Shadow Purpose]
Description: [You are a Hollow shadow left behind by a dead God that was blessed by another. As a divine shadow, you possess strange and wondrous powers. Blood and shadow run through you, and consume each other to grow. Your existence is empty and lonesome, you search for people to fulfill that loneliness, as without a master, a shadow, let alone a divine one, needs more than one reason to continue.]
Innate Ability: [Shadow Connection]
Description: [Find people with worthy purpose and of connection and tell them your True Name. Once they recite out loud, both will be bound with a connection that can only be broken by you. As a divine shadow, you decide who is part of that connection.]
"Okay… That's… A lot…"
In other words, Sunless chooses people to connect with, but what that connection does is vague…
'But I can choose if the connection happens in the first place, and if it continues….'
As Sunless pondered, the Spell announced.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers.]
Sunless felt something happening, the darkness around him was changing.
His powers were awakening, his body became more powerful, stronger, faster.
His emotions and mind became sharper, cleaver…
The void of stars was becoming a sky of shadows, a silent, calm dark sea was forming.
A black sun was formed in the center above him.
His Soul Sea…
But it was different from how it was described to him… Everything was dark, and he could see the shapes of the soldiers, the Larva, and even Auro and the Mountain King in the distance.
'It must be because my Aspect is Divine.'
[Aspect Ability acquired: Shadow Control.]
'Why am I not surprised…'
The runes appeared
-
Name: Sunless Song
True Name: Hollow Death
Rank: Dreamer
Shadow Core: Dormant
Shadow Fragments: [93/1000]
Memories: [Silver Bell], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Nine's Regret]
Echos: -
Attributes: [Fated], [Ember of Divinity], [Child of Shadows], [The Blood's Shadow]
Aspect: [Shadow Purpose]
Aspect Rank: [Divine]
Aspect Ability: [Shadow Control]
[Your shadow is more independent than most. It is an invaluable helper.]
-
"Shadow Core? Shadow Fragments? What are those?
And what the Hell? Why did my lineage change??"
He looked at the description of the new attribute.
[The Blood's Shadow]: "You were once an heir of Blood, the blessing of Shadow consumed your heritage. But Death is not the end, it's merely a part of the cycle."
Sunless sighed.
Another vague description.
"Great, I am going to have to test a lot of things…
At least I have 10 months until the Winter Solstice… Teacher Jin was right to do the First Nightmare way before it.
Not to mention getting an earful because I lost mom's lineage in the First Nightmare…
Heh… I just lie for a while, eventually I tell them when I come up with a story."
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
'Please not be like Revel's, I can't live off romance novels…'
[Your Flaw is: Clear Conscience.]
[You cannot lie.]
Sunless was frozen for a second.
"Well… I guess my plan is not going to work."
On the outside, he was calm, but inside…
'DAMNATION. DAMN IT!!
OUT OF EVERYONE, EVERY FLAW, THAT ONE!?'
"Revel… I swear… I won't make fun of your novels anymore…"
He says that. But his sister would kill Howl if it gave her Sunless flaw.
Why only Howl?
Someone stole Lightslayer's favorite novel, and lost it.
She still has not forgiven her dear sister.
Before Sunless could curse his flaw anymore… The Spell stopped him.
[Wake up, Hollow Death!]