Sunny walked toward Auro of the Nine, his mind turning over how the plan was supposed to unfold.
"Everything is going well so far. All that remains are the Mountain King and the Temple Guardian."
Sunny's plan was simple—built around reversing the events of the past. For example, in the original time line, Auro of the Nine had not died, nor had the Mountain King or the Temple Guardian.
What Sunny intended was to offer Auro of the Nine as a sacrifice to the Shadow God then let the tyrant of the mountain clash with the temple's warden, hoping the two would exhaust each other. That way, the summoned shadow claws could finish them off… or, failing that, Sunny would do it himself. Though, truth be told, he never wished for that outcome.
He sat down in front of Auro , summoned his heavy club, and brought it crashing down on the man's head. Then, he grabbed a large rock from nearby and got to work.
"You're going to suffer a lot, Auro."
Once it was done, Sunny felt a fleeting disgust at what he had done to another person… but quickly buried it. This wasn't a real man. It was only a shadow shaped by a spell, even if the people here were alive in every way that mattered.
He looked at Auro hands—they were completely ruined, twisted in the wrong direction. There was no hope for full recovery. Auro had woken several times, only for Sunny to knock him unconscious again, hitting him so hard he began to wonder if he'd fracture the skull.
"Alright. Let's go."
Sunny dragged Auro with him as they walked towards the the Namless temple , the nameless Temple. That was where Sunny's plan would be set in motion.
"You know, Auro… you Nine have a truly strange mission. Killing gods, slaying demons, stirring war between them… Tell me, why would humans do such things against the Gods?"
Auro face shifted, showing shock, confusion, a hint of fear, and despair. But when he answered, his voice was empty of all emotion.
"Humans are grateful for what they have… until it's taken from them. Then they turn on the one who took it. They curse and damn the gods. So, what do you think happens when the gods steal your home, your loved ones, and your boring little life you secretly cherished? Some of us die from grief and despair. But others… others are born to leave a mark ."
Sunny replied with boredom, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. But you're still a fool to challenge the gods."
Days passed. Sunny could feel the Mountain King drawing nearer each day. Closer… closer still. But that didn't matter anymore.
Dragging Auro behind him, Sunny ran toward the Nameless Temple as fast as his frail body could go. But he was too weak, too worn down. He could barely match the speed of an ordinary human.
"Run, you idiot! I didn't break your legs—just your hands!"
Behind him, Auro struggled to keep up. No Awakened should have been reduced to this… but Sunny had starved him, worn him down with the burden of food, dragged him on a rope, and left his broken hands untreated.
"There it is… the Nameless Temple."
Sunny stopped before the ruined structure, waiting for its invisible guardian to appear and judge him. He felt it—a deep, living shadow standing in front of him, inspecting him to decide whether the temple needed to be cleansed of his presence. But the shadow sensed a faint whiff of divinity from Sunny… stronger than even the man standing behind him, despite that man having the powerful soul between them.
The guardian let Sunny and Auro enter the Nameless Temple.
"This will be your death warrant, old friend… though I don't hate you for guarding the Nameless Temple. In fact, I kind of like you," Sunny murmured as he walked past the Temple Guardin.
He stepped up to an ancient, crumbling altar, dragging Auro toward it. Then, calling on a memory, he struck Auro across the head again. Auro tried to dodge, but as Sunny tugged the rope, the pain overwhelmed him, sending him staggering—just in time for the blow to land.
Sunny summoned a shimmering silver memory:
[Silver Bell]
The Mountain King was near. Not far now. But Sunny Didn't want to waste time… and he moved fast.
A deafening roar shattered the temple's solemn silence, prompting the guardian to move. It approached the intruder, prepared to destroy him on the spot—until it sensed that same divine scent, and pulled back from the Mountain King.
Sunny stared at the tyrant with an uninterested expression, as if he were watching a fly buzzing nearby.
"You brainless beast… I am the god of death and peace. All the dead walk to my kingdom. And you? You're the spawn of a moth, daring to roar in my face."
Strangely, his words seemed to enrage the Mountain King. The creature howled in fury, tearing apart floor panels, crushing stone, and ripping the temple walls into splinters.
That finally stirred the temple's guardian—it stepped forward to punish the foolish brute.
The Awakened tyrant clashed with the ascendanent demon… or so Sunny assumed. The battle tore the temple apart, scattering shards of stone and wood in every direction. The Mountain King was left dismembered, his limbs barely holding on. Even the ascendanent demon was beginning to slow, its movements sluggish.that Sunny could hardly track its shadow .
"Here it comes… I've been waiting for this."
Sunny turned to Auro, lying near the altar. He picked up a blade and sliced open Auro wrist, letting the blood spill across the sacred stone.
And then… he heard the voice.
[You have offered a sacrifice to the gods. But the gods are dead, and cannot hear.]
[The shadow stirs from its eternal slumber.]
[The shadow accepts your offering.]
[The shadow gazes at you with interest, and welcomes you as kin.]
[The shadow demands a sacrifice of your own blood.]
Sunny cut a small wound on his finger, letting it bleed onto the altar.
[You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.]
[The shadow has accepted your offering.]
[The shadow sends its blessing and grace from beyond the grave.]
[Child of Shadows… receive Your blessing.]
From behind him, shadow claws erupted, tearing the Mountain King to pieces, and slicing the temple's guardian perfectly in half.
[You have slain the Awakened Tyrant: the Mountain King.]
[You have slain an Ascended Demon: the Warden of the Nameless Temple.]
[You have received a Memory.]
[You have received a Memory.]
[You have slain Awakened Human Auro of the Nine.]
[You have received a Memory .]
Sunny gasped at the massive rewards—high-rank Awakened memories, an Ascended one to
[Awaken, Sunless One. Your nightmare has ended.]
The Spell's voice echoed with something almost like excitement, enough to make Sunny's pulse rise.
[Prepare for evaluation…]