Shadow Slave

Sunny spent a very pleasant morning selling all the stuff he had brought to the Dream Realm to a crowd of Awakened, each of them ravenous for the small comforts the real world could provide.

Very few had a close enough relationship with a Master or a Saint to be able to get these things here, in a place as remote as the Chained Isles. Things were slightly different in large Citadels like Bastion or Ravenheart, but on the frontier, most people simply had to figure out ways to get by with makeshift replacements. Still, nothing could compare to the real deal.

All in all, the Brilliant Emporium was performing splendidly.

Of course, Sunny did not charge too much for the small necessities he sold, but it added up. He wouldn't charge a whole soul shard, even if it was from a Dormant creature, for a tube of toothpaste. But a few tubes, plus a toothbrush, plus some soap and a box of tea leaves, and a promise to bring some sugar with him the next time? That could work.

Unlike before, he wanted soul shards instead of Memories. He was going to take these shards to the waking world, where their value was much higher.

Out there, soul shards came from only two sources: some were brought back by Ascended and Transcendent from their journeys into the Dream Realm, and some were scavenged from the corpses of the Nightmare Creatures that had invaded reality through a Gate.

They were always in short supply, because anyone in possession of a shard was more likely to use it themselves than to sell it for credits. Saturating their Soul Core meant much more to an Awakened than worldly currency… after all, dead men could not spend their riches.

The demand, on the other hand, was extremely high. Not only because all Awakened strived to become stronger, but also because young Sleepers, especially, were able to use these shards to increase their chances of returning from their first venture into the Dream Realm alive.

That was the reason why even Caster, a scion of a prestigious Legacy clan, had not entered the Forgotten Shore with his core already fully saturated.

And that was the reason why Sunny was going to profit a lot from being in possession of his new favorite Memory... the magnificent Covetous Coffer.

After all, he — for better or worse — had no use for the soul shards whatsoever. He could not consume them, so there was no choice to be made between growing stronger himself or earning credits from others.

He was going to sell the shards, buy Memories, and feed them to Saint.

This simple system was almost unfairly lucrative for Sunny, because Memories, unlike shards, had no additional value in the real world. Every Sleeper and every Awakened could bring back Memories from the Dream Realm and freely exchange them there.

…Which did not mean that Memories were cheap. In fact, they were extremely expensive. But the correlation between the number of soul shards he would have to sell and the number of Memories he would be able to buy was very much in his favor.

And of course, Sunny also didn't even need good Memories. The worse, the better! The usefulness of a Memory dictated its price, but did not affect the amount of Shadow Fragments Saint received from consuming them at all.

His smile was growing wider and wider.

'Two months… three, max. That's how long it's going to take me to bring Saint to [200/200]. And what happens next? Oh my, I can hardly wait to find out…'

His pleasant thoughts, however. were eventually interrupted by a shadow falling over him.

'...Another customer?'

Sunny looked up and tensed a little, recognizing the person in front of him.

It was a young woman wearing a simple white garment… the same one that had escorted him to meet Master Roan before his journey to the Shipwreck Island.

The representative of the White Feather clan.

He suppressed a heavy sigh.

"Uh… what can I do for you?"

The young woman bowed slightly, then said in a neutral tone:

"Saint Tyris invites you to share a meal with her, Awakened Sunless."

'Curses… that is what I have been afraid of.'

Sunny shivered slightly.

What were the chances of him keeping all his secrets to himself during a conversation with the fearsome demi-god in charge of the Chained Isles?

Saints were creatures of another breed. It wasn't a coincidence that there were only a few dozen of them across all of humanity… they were not only the most powerful, but also the most skilled, strong-willed, brilliant, and deviously cunning members of the human race. Each was a force to be reckoned with.

Nothing less would suffice if one wanted to survive the harrowing trial of the Third Nightmare.

He wasn't sure of his ability to fool such a person.

Sunny forced out a weak smile.

"...It would be my pleasure."

The young woman nodded, then turned around, obviously expecting him to follow.

Sunny sighed, then dismissed the Covetous Cover and stood up from the rock.

It was time to face Sky Tide again.

***

The graceful stone chateau perched on top of the tall menhirs of the Sanctuary was just as Sunny had remembered it. The open pavilion at the very edge of the ancient monolith had not changed, as well. It was bathed in sunlight and exposed to winds, opening to a breathtaking view of the Chained Isles.

The Ivory Tower floated far above, shrouded in white clouds.

This time, there was a simple meal served for three people on the round table in the center of the pavilion, and both Master Roan and Saint Tyris were preparing to eat. The young woman led Sunny to them, gestured to a free chair, and then moved to stand silently by Sky Tide's side.

Sunny lingered for a bit, then said awkwardly:

"Uh… greetings, Lady Tyris, Master Roan. It's an honor to be invited to join you for dinner. Uh… lunch? Yeah. To join you for lunch."

Saint Tyris simply nodded and didn't say anything, but Master Roan looked at him and grinned. Then, he gestured to the food on the table.

"What are you waiting for, Sunless? Dig in! Food's growing cold."

Sunny hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

If there was one rule he tried to follow faithfully in his life… it was to never refuse free food.

Master Roan didn't have to ask him twice.