Shadow Slave

The pallid centipede was slithering across a desolate landscape, followed by an army of abominable bone creatures. Its massive body tore forward, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The ground was pierced and upturned by its thousand sharp legs, the ancient boulders shattered, the brooks of clear water spoiled with and turned into streams of poison.

Soon, a wide river appeared in the distance. The ghastly tyrant did not slow down, continuing its ruinous advance. Then, however...

The monstrous centipede slowed down.

Its appalling head swiveled, rising into the air. Its harrowing maw opened. The branches of the dead trees that served as the creature's horns swayed lightly in the wind.

The wind had brought with it a strange sound.

The distant weeping of a flute.

The centipede lingered for a few moments, then suddenly changed direction, lunging toward the source of the discordant sound. It did not have eyes, but the black eye sockets of the countless skulls forming its carapace seemed to radiate dark, ineffable malice.

The Corrupted Tyrant pursued the source of the simple melody. However, the flute player remained elusive like a ghost. Sometimes, the creature seemed to draw near the player, but he always managed to slip away at the last moment. All it found were empty shadows.

However, at some point, the pursuit came to an end.

The hideous centipede had almost reached the river by that point. In front of it was a natural ford formed by a line of enormous boulders, with only their tops emerging from the water. On the opposite side of the river, a lone human was sitting cross-legged on a stone, playing a strange emerald flute.

It was a young man with pale skin and dark hair, wearing a tunic of black silk.

Sunny did not pay any attention to the harrowing centipede and continued to play the flute. His fingers moved nimbly, but the melody he created was... pretty rough, to say the least.

He sighed.

'I thought I improved... but maybe not...'

On the other shore, the Tyrant froze for a second, then rushed forward. The creature dove into the river, raising a towering wave, and its soldiers followed. Some of the bone abominations jumped heavily across the boulders, most simply dove into the cold water after their ruler.

Sunny waited for a moment, then dismissed the Bone Singer and looked at the sky. The sun was still visible, but since it was close to the horizon, its light was dim.

As he watched, several things happened at the same time.

First, a series of explosions thundered, demolishing the boulders of the ford. Giant fountains of water rose into the air. Second, hundreds of human figures rose from the trenches dug higher up the slope. Third, a barrage of artillery shells and tungsten rounds descended upon the bone abominations from beyond the hills.

The creatures shuddered, but resisted the mundane implements of war. Their progress, however, was slowed.

That was when the Awakened attacked.

Numerous enchanted arrows and magical projectiles rained on the soldiers of the Skull Centipede's army. This time, the damage was apparent.

A hulking creature that had just fallen into the river exploded into hundreds of bone fragments. Another lost a limb. Yet another one was suddenly covered by a layer of sizzling amber liquid that corroded the bones, eating through them like acid... and more, much more.

But that was just the start. Even though that initial salvo destroyed dozens of dreadful abominations, there were many hundreds of them left.

There was the Tyrant itself, as well.

A beautiful figure that seemed to be cast of steel appeared on the slope in front of the trenches, wielding a spear and a large round shield. Her voice boomed across the battlefield, filling the hearts of the soldiers with maddened fervor:

"Wolves! Prepare! For war!"

Sunny turned his head and glanced at Effie, feeling his blood boil from her battle cry. As he did, a strange thing happened... he suddenly felt exhilarating power rush into his body. It was as though he was suddenly as mighty as a ferocious beast, as resilient as a granite wall, and as sharp as a steel sword.

And that was not just a feeling. His strength, speed, endurance, and resilience did indeed undergo a striking improvement. It was as though his body had received a comprehensive overhaul, becoming so much more suited for battle.

'Incredible...'

Every time he was exposed to Effie's Ascended Ability, Sunny couldn't help but feel awed. For him, who had already enjoyed the augmentation of the shadows, the physical boost was not that pronounced. But for the Awakened soldiers, and especially mundane humans... it must have been a true blessing.

The most frightening part, however, was that this Ability had no limit to how many people could be empowered by it. Anyone who saw Effie and was deemed an ally by her would receive its benefit. Their number did not even affect the rate with which she consumed essence.

The only detriment, albeit a small one, was that the soldiers had to maintain a line of sight with their commander to enjoy the boon of her power. However, considering that Effie almost always preferred to fight on the frontline, that was usually not a problem.

Just as he had expected, the eyes of the soldiers ignited with burning resolve at the sound of her voice. The soldiers of her company suddenly raised their heads and let out boisterous howls, acting like an army of actual wolves.

And then, another voice joined them... this one sonorous and clear, easily drowning out all the rest.

Kai's voice.

When Sunny heard it, his heart suddenly shook. Instantly, all the unnecessary thoughts were erased from his head, leaving only the pure, flaming, indomitable desire to do battle.

Even though this change was not physical, it might have been even more profound than the empowerment of Effie's Aspect... because it affected the heart. Even Sunny, for whom the effect was somewhat muted because of how guarded his mind and soul were, felt incredibly inspired. The clarity bestowed by Kai's call would do wonders for the soldiers in this battle.

Sunny shook his head slightly.

'Scary...'

Kai's Ability was just too terrifying. An Ascended would most likely be able to resist it to some degree, but mere Awakened had no choice but to be compelled. As for mundane humans? If the handsome enchanter chose to misuse his powers, they would do anything he told them to. They would happily end their lives if he asked.

Luckily, Kai would never do that. Instead, he used his power to inspire the soldiers and make them stronger.

With Sunny serving as a perfect scout, Effie strengthening the bodies of the soldiers, and Kai inspiring their hearts, the threat of the Corrupted Tyrant suddenly did not seem overwhelming.

As the head of the Skull Centipede emerged from the water, it was met with a furious onslaught of attacks.

Strengthened by their two leaders, the small army was burning with the desire... and ability... to win this battle.