Shadow Slaves
Chapter 17: Three Simple Words
He closed his eyes, then opened them again, hoping that the runes would disappear.
‘Please, go! Please!’
But those runes were still there, slightly shining, as if mocking him.
Disability: [Clear Conscience].
Description Defect: [You can't lie.]
Sunny stared at these three simple words, feeling like there was a bottomless abyss opening right under his feet. The spell, which was usually frivolous with its description, this time was decided to be straight and precise. There are only three words. They gave him no room to maneuver.
‘Can't lie. I can't lie? Me? How can I live if I cannot lie?!’
Sunny's survival is based on her ability to deceive and outsmart others. Even the Mantra itself congratulated him for his betrayal! Without the ability to lie, he would not be able to accomplish anything.
Especially
His heart suddenly felt like it was going to stop.
If he could only tell the truth, how could he hide his Real Name? Wouldn't anyone be able to turn him into an obedient slave just by asking some plain questions?
“SH”
Sunny was about to shout and curse, but at that moment, the Spell spoke again.
[Wake up, Lost from the Light!]
The black void rotated and disappeared.
***
Sunny opened her eyes.
The armoured ceiling of the police station vault hangs over it. No one called her aesthetic beautiful, but to her, it was the most majestic sight. Only now did he realize how much he missed the real world.
It's safe and familiar. No monsters or slaves well, at least officially. There is no constant fear of an agonizing death.
That is home.
Besides, Sunny felt amazing. The coldness that had crept deep into his bones during Nightmare had disappeared, bringing with it all the pain his injured body was experiencing day after day. His legs and wrists were in no pain, his back had forgotten the whip bite, and he could even breathe without feeling the sharp edges of his broken ribs slicing deeper into his lungs.
Truly blessed!
The pain that had suddenly disappeared, coupled with the new vitality that permeated his body, almost made Sunny cry.
“I'm completely safe.”
He slowly looked down and then froze, panting.
In a cheap plastic chair placed beside her reinforced medical bed, sat the prettiest woman she had ever seen.
He had short black raven hair and icy blue eyes. The skin is smooth, supple and snow-white. Actually, this was the first time Sunny had met someone as pale as him. However, even though Sunny's pale look was strange and unhealthy, the beautiful stranger was very conspicuous.
The woman appeared to be in her late twenties. He was wearing a dark blue uniform with a silver rank mark and black leather boots. His uniform jacket casually opened the buttons, revealing a black tank top underneath.
Right now, he was stretching his hands over his head, clearly bored and sleepy. The movement forced the thin cloth to tighten, provocatively accentuating her full breasts*ra.
Fascinated, Sunny almost missed the fact that there was a shoulder emblem on the woman's left arm. There are three stars on it.
‘Three stars, yes,’ thought, confused. ‘Three stars means Ascended huh yeah. Wait for. Up?!’
But before Sunny could fully digest the meaning of this word, she realized that the woman was also staring at him.
“What do you see?” he said there was no humor in his voice.
Sunny blinked a few times, embarrassed, and quickly made excuses. Then he opened his mouth and replied:
“Damu.”
A second later, his eyes widened in fear.
Because he did not plan to say those words at all! His mouth moves on its own!
A wave of terror suddenly drowned his mind.
The woman slowly smiled with a dangerous gleam in her eyes. Then, without any warning, he moved his hand and slapped Sunny in the face.
Sunny's whole body turned around. If not for the restraint that held him back, he would probably have flown out of bed. For a moment, he even saw a star.
But it can still be taken lightly. An Ascended, that woman was Ascended! He can tear his head with a snap of a finger. Why should he offend someone so powerful, out of everyone?!
Meanwhile, the woman cleared her throat and crossed her arms.
Sunny held onto her numb cheeks and carefully nodded.
“Good. Let me give you some advice: don't just say whatever comes to your mind. Especially for women. Not that you've never seen a girl before, have you?”
‘Say “Thank you! I definitely won't!”‘ Thought Sunny.
But instead, his mouth moved on its own, and he said:
“I've seen a lot. but nothing is as pretty as you.”.
Then he jerked back, his face as red as a lobster.
The woman stared at him for a few seconds and then laughed out loud.
“I know you haven't met much with Resurrection. By Resurrection standard, I am below average.”
Sunny glanced at him doubtfully.
The woman shook her head.
“As your soul core expands, the body removes all its imperfections. So it's hard to find an unattractive Awakening, especially among the stronger ones. Live long enough, and you yourself will probably become a flower child.”
Then he gave her a thorough look and added:
“Yah. After all, since you have woken up, welcome back to the world of the living. Congratulations on surviving your First Nightmare, Sleeper Sunless.”
***
Sleep Without the Sun.
That was how people called out to him now, at least in the short span of time until the winter solstice after that, he would return from the Dream Realm as an Awakened Person or not return at all.
It felt strange to have a title placed in front of his name. In the past, Sunny was rarely even called by his name. People mostly call him things like “boys”, “punk”, “boy” or “hei, you!”. But now he even has a title.
Sleep Without the Sun
Actually, the exact term is “Dreamers”. But humans have their own words for those infected by the Nightmare Spell. Operators who have just completed their First Nightmare are called Sleepers because of the way they interact with Spells.
Basically, once his spirit entered the Spell, his body would fall asleep. That sleep would continue for days, weeks, or even months no matter how long it would take him to escape the Dream Realm. Therefore term “Tidur”.
Once he escaped and became an Awakened, he would live his life normally during the day and return to the Dream Realm every time he fell asleep. The Risen One is called the same by Mantra and man. The word is also sometimes used as a general term for all operators.
Then, if he decided to enter Second Nightmare and managed to survive, he would become an Ascended people calling them Masters. Masters can enter and exit the Dream Realm as they wish. Some even choose to never go back there at all. More than that, they travel between worlds physically, not just in spirit.
And then, above the Gurus, there are their Saints who have conquered the Third Nightmare and earned the right to call themselves Transcendent. They were as strong as demigods, and were even rarer. Not only can they travel between the real world and the Dream Realm, but they can also take others with them.
But back to the Masters
The beautiful woman stood up and approached the reinforced medical bed. With a trained movement, he began to release the restraints that were holding Sunny in place.
“I Ascended Jet. You can call me Master Jet. These last three days, I'm on guard duty because of your Nightmare.”
‘True before I fell asleep, the police told me that an Awakened would arrive in a few hours to monitor my condition. To kill a Nightmare Creature if.. if I die and let it pass.’.
Sunny is unwilling to open her mouth, afraid that all sorts of truths will be revealed. But there are things he should know.
“Master Jet? I have a question.”
“Continue.”
“Why should a Master be on guard duty? Isn't that ... below your salary value?”
Jet gave him a dark look.
“You're smarter than you look. Recently, there have been many Gates opened in this sector. Most of the awakened locals were injured or preoccupied with the cleanup. Or die. Always like that near the winter solstice .”
He opened the final restraint and took a step back.
“Add again, not many Awakened who, like me, work directly for the government. By far, it is the most unfavorable or noble carrier we can choose. Will you leave your wealth and fame to work long hours and risk your life, driven only by altruism and a sense of responsibility?”
Sunny wanted to say something flattering. Instead, he looked at Master Jet's eyes and smirked.
“Of course not. I'm not an idiot!”
‘This damn Defect Damn! Fuck!’
He looked at her with a humorous expression. Sunny thought he'd be slapped again.
But instead, Jet smiled.
“See, I was right. You are really smart.”