Shadow Slave: World's Favorite

Felt like my writing had gotten a little sloppy last chapter, I'm going to need to lock in a bit.

■■■

The winds howled, alarmed by the situation they had to witness. The sea though, even while moving with fury, was dead silent. Baldr was looking at the creature that had noticed him through whatever senses it had.

It sank into the waters, it's glow slowly retreating in the recesses of the Dark Sea as it prepared to prey upon the radiant Sleeper. But that alone told Baldr enough.

'I need to put in some distance.' With that thought he ascended further up in the air.

The creature had already locked onto him, it wouldn't relent as long as Baldr could be touched, as was the nature of Nightmare Creatures under the class of Devil, with some exceptions.

It was easy to admit that he was at a complete disadvantage here, Baldr had no visibility on the creature until it would gain enough momentum to leap out of the water and onto him. By that time he'd have less than a few seconds to respond, the damn beast being a lot faster than him physically.

But when it came to wits the Corrupted creature was no match. He would have to get a feel for it's attack pattern, but then? It was as good as dead.

"Come on..."

A few tense seconds passed as Baldr whispered to himself eyeing the area under him, he wasn't even able to know where to look at, only knowing the creature was here through a vague sense of danger.

He looked around, preparing to move when he would see the turquoise light but contrary to his expectations he had to dodge before even seeing it.

'—!'

The winds screamed at him to move and on instinct Baldr followed their words as he dashed to his left, only catching a glimpse of the Corrupted Creature's turquoise glow.

Stupidly enough he had only considered that it would attack from under him, like he had seen in shark movies. But the Creature's body was strong enough to attack Baldr from angles he hadn't even thought of.

A few tense seconds passed again, dark clouds gathered in Baldr surrounding, the rain blending with the beads of sweat that dripped down the radiant Sleeper's forehead as he tried to make out sounds, most of them being drained by the torrent.

Then it attacked.

What Baldr thought was only due to his inattention, revealed itself to be an ability of the creature as it didn't make any sound even as it almost bit his arm off. Fortunately the Water had warned him.

'Wait water? what could... the rain!'

As the beast retreated into the embrace of the darkness, preparing for it's next attack, Baldr brain worked in overtime.

It was rain water... the drops of rain weren't dark as the abyss, it wasn't salty either. The rain was not part of the Great Titan. He hadn't really tested it before, turning a deaf ear to any source of water as he considered it part of the Dark Sea.

It was only when opening his ears to all possible sound that he finally listened to them, the words they clearly directed at him.

But how could that be? He drank water back at the Bright Castle something he always acknowledged as normal, but it seemed Nature shaved off bits of the Great Titan to continue it's cycle and achieve even such a simple thing as that.

Else how could clouds or freshwater ever exist in the cursed land that was the Forgotten Shore? Another solution was that those came from even farther beyond. In that moment though it was all inconsequential to Baldr, all that mattered was that it worked.

Baldr still didn't move, only one more attack and he would be able to act based on what knowledge he acquired of the creature, if it continued to attack the same way it did.

Fortunately the almost mindless monster didn't care about looking repetitive instead angry at the knowledge that this creature kept dodging it, it's annoyance made it take the fight more seriously.

Once again the Beast came out of the water, and weirdly, it could feel the gaze of the vermin on itself, again it bit the air with force, it's jaw unleashing devastating pressure onto nothing... again.

Baldr was sure of it now, the creature had a certain pattern, and as it came from above him Baldr wondered about what it would do next.

'Above me?'

Before he could even be surprised the creature was upon the radiant Sleeper's right arm but rather than biting down on it, it took a vicious glee at simply applying enough force to pierce the flesh of Baldr arm and it's bone, locking it in it's jaw as it retreated in the Dark Water with it's prey in tow.

Knowing what would happen if he were to fall into the waters, Baldr took a deep breath and prepared binds of the fabric he wore around his biceps. Forming a knife hand with his other hand he, in one swift motion.

Cut off his own arm.

Not even taking a moment to think about the pain, or how the creature had ended above him, Baldr retreated back in the air, all he knew now was that the Corrupted Demon could attack from any place.

Because that's what it was, a Demon. It's unnatural abilities could -at this point- not be anything other than the work of having special abilities emerging. If it was a Devil of course, Baldr wouldn't have survived that long for sure.

'And here I thought it was a Monster at best... what was that quote about underestimating your enemies?'

Of course Baldr attitude wasn't for no reason, he grunted a bit at the physical pain that making a tourniquet on the bloody stump that was left of his arm procured.

The three people he was doing this for would have to repay him. Hopefully Nephis flames could heal limbs, but just in case Baldr would retrieve his mangled arm from the Creature's belly, that seemed to be feasting on it with malicious joy.

It's actions had given Baldr time, before it would go on the offensive again at least. What the radiant Sleeper thought would be a battle of attrition turned into a desperate fight for survival. Baldr hated survival.

So he looked up, calling out to the only element he hadn't wielded in this Shore.

"Even now you look down with arrogance. Do you think I still can't handle you?"

It grunted a response, momentarily brightening the surrounding waters that Baldr found himself in.

"Yes it might harm me yeah, but who cares? I need you right now so come."

A laugh that shook the heavens, the presence that danced around the clouds, bringing judgement to anyone that dared stand too tall, was amused by the little man it had found, so it would make it the fifth person to know it's True Name.

A whisper that almost parted the clouds in two conveyed it to Baldr, for the second time since his arrival in the Forgotten Shore, he had gained access to a new element. So even in the sky he took a stance.

It was reminiscent of Iaido except that the imaginary scabbard that the radiant Sleeper used for his visualisation was pointed downward, Baldr then called out to his new companion, moving a while before he even said the first syllable.

"Kerauno."

■■■

In the distance the creature lurked, it's prey had lost one of it's limbs but had somehow stopped bleeding, so he would have to finish it.

The prey wasn't moving it's senses around, the Corrupted Demon didn't feel a gaze on itself. And while it's echolocation had suffered quite a bit due to the sudden thunder, it was nothing that would impede it's next attack.

It dove in the water some more before ascending with impossible speed, by aiding itself with the abyssal waters that composed the Dark Sea, it was able to go at speeds much greater than it had any rights to, even as a Corrupted Demon.

Targeting the prey from it's back it moved in less than a second, but even that was too much time.

A blinding flash, that it couldn't see but definitely could feel, impossible pressure hit it's hide, the pride of the Corrupted Demon as only the moutain creatures or the weird tubes had penetrated it. Today, something else would.

■■■

One hundred thousand kilometers a second, brought into physical form.

Even while accommodating Baldr, lightning was simply too fast for him to handle, even when it slowed itself significantly to ease the burden on him, it was simply a force that couldn't be controlled at his current level.

So as it descended, Baldr was already almost at the end of his movement, he had baited the creature in leaving his back open and swiftly delivered a horizontal slash to it.

Much too swiftly.

A sound of something nesting in his hand, the flash evaporation of every drop of water in a hundred meter radius as air itself became so hot it seemed to have caught fire and his hand moving with a speed it wasn't meant to as he was right now.

Baldr only met resistance when touching the bones of the creature, of what seemed to be, before they too broke under the immense pressure that the thunder slash he had done created. And, as it was still a creature of flesh, it still obeyed the laws of physics.

The Corrupted Demon was fortunately sent in the direction of the Dark City, crashing into, and killing numerous beings as it slowly came to a full stop, it's life ending with this.

[You have slain a Corrupted Demon: Dream-Devouring Siltcurrent.]

[You have received a Memory.]

Even as the voice of the Spell rang, Baldr stayed stunned in the air his new companion long released from his hand as it retreated back into the sky, the radiant Sleeper looked at the sky, more accurately the Lightning that was proudly thundering around.

"I— why didn't you tell me you could do that sooner?"

In response it simply put something to Baldr attention, following the words of the Lightning Baldr looked at his arm, mangled and almost torn at the shoulder... and on fire.

"Okay I get it..."

Rain fell again, snuffing out the fire before hitting Baldr sizzling flesh with drops of pain. Fortunately he hadn't lost that one, wrapping his binds with it, the gentle green glow that he became accustomated to using soothed his pain.

It would take a few hours but soon his arm would be as good as new, while that was going on Baldr retreated back into the embrace of the City, a little nervous at what abomination his fiery arm could have brought to this corner of the Dark Sea.

The radiant Sleeper followed the trail of destruction that sending off the creature into the distance had done before arriving next to it's corpse that was fortunately, not far away from the Dark City.

The creature must have weighted in the hundreds of kilos, wich all things considered was quite small for a sea creature, since they didn't need to worry as much about gravity as the ones living on the ground.

It was reasonable enough that Baldr took the time to look at what he gained in hope of it being a storage memory. Fortunately for him, it seemed the Spell had rewarded him for his troubles.

Memory: [Blind Obsession]

Memory Type: Utility

Memory Description: [A cowardly beast of no renown, in the mountains it was but a small fish, enduring eternally under the threat of bigger things, of the world itself, before it found it's way into this ludicrous world, a place where it finally had smaller things to terrorise. So the beast adept at hiding became a silent Predator, it's maw meant to stock up on as much food as soon as possible became a devastating tool, it's hide meant to barely protect it against bigger dangers became an impenetrable forteress. And it's speed that was the reason for it's survival became the end of others.]

From those words alone he thought he understood the Memory, but just in case he summoned it. After a few seconds a ring slipped on Baldr finger, it seemed to have been made of a black metal with turquoise rings of light encircling it like what you'd expect from a futuristic object.

Putting a bit of essence into it, Baldr thought about getting an inventory and, with that thinking the ring glowed with turquoise light before expanding and changing shape, finally ending in the form of a small floating ball made of the same material as the Dream-Devouring Siltcurrent hide, with a turquoise jaw and the same abyss that served as a mouth.

Baffled by this development the radiant Sleeper pinched his nose while the ball looked at him curiously, slightly tilting on the side.

"Can you... stock this up?"

He asked with some doubt before the ball, under Baldr stunned eyes extended it's jaw way past what it should have been able to and completly gobbled up the Corrupted Creature corpse.

"DON'T EAT IT!"

He said urgently but the ball almost seemed to throw a confused look at him, of course it wouldn't eat it, it was just an inventory. And a Memory, it had no need for food.

Baldr sighed before slowly walking toward the Bright Castle, ball in tow.

■■■

"Look there's someone approaching."

"What? Literally no one, not even the Lord gets out at this hour. Do you think a Sleeper was able to make his way here?"

Harper eyes were bright at this thought, the idea that someone else could have made it to the Dark City, In it's safest era at that was invigorating.

But as the light slowly illuminated the person, horror struck the eyes of the Guards.

"Lord!?"

They rushed to him seeing the battered state he was in, hoping to transport him to the medical room, the ruler of the Bright Castle simply shook his head though.

"Don't need to be doing all that. Instead, Harper can you call Effie to the stockage room? I'm not sure someone other than her will be able to cut what I'm about to present them with."

"What happened if you don't mind me asking sir?"

Curiosity got the better of the few guards that were stationed at the doors of the Bright Castle, in response to their question the grin on Baldr face widened.

"Nothing much? I just got back from fishing, I'll be making an announcement soon though, so keep out to that."

Harper and the other guards looked at their Lord with suspicion, fishing didn't cause a man who slayed and ate Fallen Creature for breakfast to lose an arm. Unfortunately they would have to wait until either the announcement he would make or Effie ran her mouth about Baldr at the mess hall again.

But even then, none failed to notice the little Ball with extremely sharp teeths that was floating next to their radiant Lord, trailing behind him as he ascended the stairs of the Bright Castle entrance.

■■■

"I hope it was worth it."

"Stop being so angry, I already said I was sorry..."

Effie had a stern look on her face as she cut the hide of the Corrupted Creature, her pale face having long been replaced with the focus that was needed for such a task.

As the only one to posses a Transcendent edge other than Baldr who simply couldn't use such a weapon as Lightning to skin the Demon, Effie had the task to cut out the hide of the creature so that they could get all that was inside it. Just in case the belly of the creature was a storage, Baldr decided to do so in the stockage room itself rather than out in the open.

Unfortunately it seemed only some mangled fishes and Baldr's arm were currently being dissolved in what was left of it's stomach acid, the latter of wich he hastily recovered.

"Ouhhh my baby, daddy won't ever abandon you like that again."

"Gross, but you know what? I'd also kiss my arm if I had hopes that I could get it back soon. Those friends of yours better arrive soon because I'm not sure you'll be able to constantly supply that mangled thing with essence."

That was right, Baldr could regenerate the wounds on it and all, but rotting was just a natural thing that he could only slow the advance off, only healing at the level of Nephis's could offset it.

'They better, It shouldn't take them more than a week to arrive, I've seen the Soul Tree burn after all.'

Hopefully the cohort wouldn't be hostile to everything in the Dark City, it had become a pretty good place after all.

Soft light emanated from the Creature's flesh that was Baldr sign to take the Soul Shards. Summoning some Wind he arrived next to the Dream Devouring Siltcurrent, Effie raising an eyebrow at seeing him move.

"There's no way you used this to cut through that thing, I'm having a hard time skinning it even with a Transcendent weapon."

At that, Baldr sheepishly smiled while starting to work on the meat of the creature. Hundreds kilos of meat was not something to pass on.

"I mean, didn't you see that Lightning strike that swerved horizontally?"

Effie stopped cutting off the fins for a moment, before continuing as if nothing happened, the only changed thing being her slumped shoulders.

"I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore..."

In the silence that was left, they finished cutting up the Creature's hide and flesh out it's organs and limbs, the rest would be left to the Scavengers.

■■■

"What do you think he's going to announce?"

"I don't know, I just want to go back to sleep..."

"Hopefully it's not some new training program he cooked up, I'm still sore from the last one."

The cacophony of sounds in the throne room continued for a while, compared to before the place was much more crowded when fitting most if not all of the Sleepers of the Bright Castle. Only the path to the throne having been.

The doors opened dramatically and their Lord arrived, something was different about him. Maybe the one arm he lacked? Or the little ball that seemed to follow him around.

It's appearance was so bizarre that it was immediately noticed by most of the Sleepers. Baldr continued walking to the throne room where his five lieutenants were stationed before sighing in defeat, he honestly planned to announce it tomorrow morning but as soon as Effie heard about it she moved it to tonight under the pretence that she wouldn't have been able to keep her mouth shut.

He sat on the throne looking at his people, the one he had become responsible for as a certain sense of pride welled up in him. He'd make sure most of them came back alive.

"Okay I'm sure we all want to go sleep so I'll be brief? I killed a Corrupted Demon, it kinda bit off my arm but I'll be fine in like two weeks with a new one."

"""WHAT!!"""

Apparently that might have been too brief as Seishan told Baldr in his ear, still under the shock of what he had said herself."

"Okay... I brought down a Corrupted Demon and it took my arm with it in it's grave, but I retrieved it from it's belly and I have my ways to heal it in two weeks at most, I also received a Memory and I brought back the corpse so we got about half a ton of meat more for tomorrow's meal, I already ate about ten kilos off of it with Effie though, and we will be able to make a bunch of weapons and armors out of it's skin and teeths."

That seemed long enough. Without even waiting for anyone's reaction, Baldr retreated to his own room to take a long deserved rest.

Unnoticed by him, Effie followed in tow.

■■■

Yay i'm done! Next chapter we finally have Sunny, Cassie and Nephis arrival into the Dark City and let's just say it will go completely differently than in the novel I guess.