Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2922

Sunny spent some time studying the severed halves of the Black Turtle, a grim expression slowly finding its way onto his face.

'I don't like it.'

There was nothing strange in the fact that someone — or something — had killed a Great Monster. The Black Turtle had perished in the Nightmare as well, after all. Even if it was colossal and heavily armored, more so than most abominations of that Rank, Sunny would not have been surprised even by the fact that something had ripped the giant creature apart.

The problem, however, was that the Black Turtle had not been ripped apart — it had been cut in two. The cut was so clean and even that it almost seemed flawless. The impregnable obsidian shell had been cut like paper, and even the heavy plates of silver armor adorning it failed to stall the severing blade.

‘What kind of being could have cleaved the Black Turtle in two?'

Even Daeron had not been able to break its obsidian shell.

Sunny frowned.

Eventually, having failed to discover any clues, he returned to Nephis.

“I guess the Tomb of Ariel is not empty, after all."

She nodded.

"Makes sense."

Nephis fell silent for a few moments, then asked in an indifferent tone:

“That Cursed Terror we have to kill... the Thieving Bird. What do you know about it?"

Sunny gave her a bitter smile.

“Not that much, actually. It has existed from the dawn of time... or perhaps even from before that. I know that it was hated both by the gods and by the Void Creatures. It also stole a daemon's eye once, and went mad as a result. Oh... and it made a nest in the heart of the Estuary. The real Thieving Bird is long dead, but it managed to come back to life by escaping into the real world from a Nightmare."

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess its powers have to do with stealing things. Or concepts. Or pieces of universal laws — basically, anything it likes. And it likes shiny things the most."

Nephis stared at him silently for a few moments.

"That... doesn't really sound like a Cursed Terror. That bird seems more mischievous than sinister, let alone evil."

Sunny scoffed.

“Speak for yourself. To me, it seems more odious and loathsome than any other Nightmare Creature. Or just any creature, really."

He paused for a moment and then added reluctantly:

"Well... considering that the Vile Thieving Bird was hated by Void Creatures, I doubt that it cares about being corrupted that much. It had to have hung around those horrors to earn their loathing, after all. So, that bird is indeed not your usual Nightmare Creature. That doesn't make it any less hazardous, though."

If anything, it only made the Thieving Bird more of a disaster. Nightmare Creatures, in all their demented frenzy, were at least predictable. That damn bird, however... who knew what it was going to do? Not even Weaver had known, losing an eye as a result.

Nephis hesitated for a little while, then asked:

“But you think that I have some kind of special power over it?"

Sunny took a long time to answer. In the end, he sighed.

“Maybe. I don't know. It has a certain something in its possession that might respond to you. If that happens, you'll be able to weaken the Vile Thieving Bird. If not... well, we'll just have to kill it the old-fashioned way."

He really did not know.

The Thieving Bird was in possession of his fate, and while Sunny maintained the ownership of his Aspect — including its Innate Ability [Shadow Bond] — being bonded to Nephis was also a part of his fate. So, the Cursed Terror waiting for them in the Estuary of the Great River could be susceptible to her orders.

Sunny looked in the direction where downstream would have been if the Great River were still flowing.

"So, what's our plan?"

Nephis shrugged.

"We'll rest here for a short while. Then, we will try to retrace my steps and repeat the journey I completed in the Nightmare. Weave, Fallen Grace... Twilight cannot exist here, so there is no point going there. I'll guess we'll sail directly to Verge from Fallen Grace, making a stop at Wind Flower in the process. And sail for the Estuary from Verge."

Sunny remembered all those places. The forlorn desolation of Weave, the lively canals of Fallen Grace, the damn horrors of Aletheia's Island...

He nodded.

“Sounds like a plan. I do need some rest."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify