Risk and Reward

Sunny left the office of the government agents in a strange mood.

The conversation went exactly as he had planned. Even after a higher-ranking specialist had been called in, he managed to steer the interview in the right direction, manipulating both answers and questions to achieve the desired result. In the end, he wanted everyone to know that he was someone exceptional… but not so exceptional as to overshadow the best of the best.

Someone who was in the very highest tier of young Awakened, but also at the very bottom of that tier.

Even though he had kept his most outrageous accomplishments to himself, it felt weird to give away so many secrets about his skill, power level, and achievements. Sunny had grown so used to pretending to be a pathetic clown that removing that mask to reveal another, less outlandish mask was not easy for him.

And yet, it was something he had to do.

After he had Awakened, there was not a single moment for him to properly think things through. He had to go through a series of medical and psychological tests, followed by a lengthy debriefing. However, he had been able to realize one thing very clearly.

His situation had fundamentally changed.

Now that his most important secret was revealed and Nephis had become his master, it was as though a crushing burden had been removed from his chest.

...Replaced by another, even more terrible weight.

In any case, he could finally allow himself to relax a little… for a while, at least. Not because he trusted her that much, but because she was currently imprisoned in the Dream Realm, unable to enforce her control over him even if she wished to.

In a sense, as far as his worst nightmare becoming reality went, this was the absolute best version of how things could happen.

He had a lot of time time to think about countermeasures and prepare for whatever the future held, after all.

Walking through the corridors of the hospital complex, Sunny was engrossed in thought.

One thing he was sure about was that a divine shadow like him could only have one master. So, he didn't have to worry about someone else finding out his True Name and enslaving him, not anymore. The guillotine blade that had hung above his neck all that time was now gone.

However, he still kept the existence of his True Name a secret, for one simple reason — he didn't know what was going to happen if Nephis died.

Would he be free forever? Or die with her?

He felt that neither of these theories was correct. Firstly because the description of the Aspect described him as a divine shadow that had lost its master… which probably meant that he could lose another one and remain alive. Secondly, because the runes of the Shadow Bond had become grey and lifeless, but did not disappear.

Which meant that they might shine with ethereal light once again in the future.

So, the most probable explanation was that he would be safe as long as Nephis remained alive, and if she was killed, anyone would be able to use the True Name against him once again.

A deep scowl appeared on his face.

How long could anyone survive in the decimated remains of the Forgotten Shore? The dark sea was gone, but so was the sun. Most of the Nightmare Creatures were dead, but the strongest ones survived. It seemed that Changing Star had escaped the collapsing Crimson Spire, at least. What was she going to do now?

Try to cross the Hollow Mountains to reach the human Citadels, or try her luck in the unexplored regions to the north, west, or east? What were the chances of her making it back to the real world alive?

If it was anyone else, Sunny would say that the probability was zero. But it was Nephis, after all. For some reason, he was sure that she would survive, somehow.

So, yes. Even though many things remained unclear, his situation had fundamentally changed.

He was an Awakened now, which meant that there were countless possibilities in front of him. To get access to the best opportunities and the most advantageous treatment, he needed one thing: status.

At this point, continuing to pretend to be a weakling would only be a hindrance. Sunny wanted to reap as many rewards as he could without putting himself at risk. That's why he shifted his usual pattern of behavior and gave the government agents enough information to paint himself as an exceptionally talented Awakened.

Not that he had a lot of choices. Sooner or later, people were going to learn at least some things about his time on the Forgotten Shore and see that a weakling simply would not have survived all that.

Luckily, there was no shortage of exceptionally talented individuals who had Awakened today. On any other day, Sunny's description of his prowess would have made a huge splash. But currently, he was just one of a hundred.

Speaking of that hundred…

Turning a corner, Sunny suddenly found himself in the middle of a small crowd of people. Dozens and dozens of young men and women were standing in the middle of a small hall, most dressed in the simple training clothes provided by the hospital, just like he himself was. On their faces, there was an indescribable kaleidoscope of emotions: joy, sorrow, worry, anticipation...

Most were looking at a small screen displaying a long list of names.

These were the survivors of the Dreamer Army.

Not everyone was here, of course. Some spent many years on the Forgotten Shore and had been transferred to other facilities by the government or their families. Sunny didn't see Seishan, Kai, or Effie.

…Or Cassie.

His face darkened.

The absence of the first two made sense. Kai was probably being cared for in an expensive VIP care facility, while Seishan had to be kept in the stronghold of her clan. However, he had no idea where the other two were.

Sunny hesitated for a moment, then looked at the list of names displayed on the screen.

Before he could read anything, however, someone quickly approached… and hugged him tightly.

'What the…'

Looking up, Sunny saw a vaguely familiar young man holding him in a passionate embrace. A moment later, the young man let go of him and looked down with glistening eyes:

"Sunny! You are here, too!"

Before he could even answer, a somber expression appeared on the young man's face. In a voice that trembled with emotion, he said:

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Sunny. If it wasn't for you and your shadow, we would have never made it to the Gateway."

At the sound of these words, the others turned around. As soon as they saw Sunny, bright smiles ignited on their faces. A hum of voices rose from the crowd:

"Guys! It's Sunny!"

"Thank you, man!"

"We will never forget what you did for us!"

Sunny stared at them, dumbfounded.

'Weird… this is so weird…'

Ever since he had come to his senses near the sleeping pod, mundane humans were treating him with the utmost respect. They even went so far as to use honorifics, calling him "sir" or "Awakened Sunless".

And now this… why was everyone so friendly and happy to see him? He had never experienced anything like this before.

Was this what it was like, to be an Awakened?

After dozens of young people came closer to shake his hand or happily pat him on the shoulder, he awkwardly smiled.

"Uh… it's nice to see you too, guys."

The young woman who was currently facing him smiled in response. Then, however, her face turned dark.

"Have you heard anything about Lady Nephis after coming back?"

He stiffened, then shook his head.

"No. Have… have you?"

She turned back to the screen, tears appearing in her eyes.

"Nothing. None of us did. Out of everyone who made it to the Spire, only two are unaccounted for. She… we think she is still inside."

Sunny remained silent for a while, then asked:

"Who is the second?"

The young woman sighed.

"Sir Caster. No one had seen him near the Gateway. He must have gone to help her hold back the Terror, and… and…"

Her voice trembled.

"...someone said that he died. Oh, gods! What if Lady Nephis dies, too?"

Sunny lingered for a few seconds, a grim expression on his face, then squeezed her shoulder lightly and quietly walked away.