Shadow Slave novel Chapter 1373

Chapter 1373 Counting Echoes

The word hung in the air, both ominous and strangely familiar. Sunny frowned and studied the remains of the crude weapon. Finally, he asked:

"The Drowned? We have never met abominations like that."

Which, of course, meant that they had.

Nephis nodded.

"Yes. A group of them attacked the Chain Breaker once... Drowned Outcasts, that was what the Spell called them. They weren't too powerful, apart from the depth dweller that arrived with them."

Cassie shook her head somberly.

"The Outcasts are the dregs of their kind. Most Drowned are much more dangerous. They are... a special tribe of Nightmare Creatures here in Ariel's Tomb. No one really knows where they come from, but many believe that the Drowned were humans, once. They hunt in groups and herd true horrors of the depths to use as war beasts. Most troublesome of all, all of them possess at least a rudimentary level of sentience... they follow strange rituals, too."

Nephis frowned.

"I'm sure we will manage. Unless there are titans or Great Ones among them, the three of us should be enough to deal with these Drowned."

The blind girl remained silent for a few moments.

"That is true. Although the trace of the Drowned is bad news, they're nothing we can't handle. I am concerned about what their presence here represents, though."

She turned to face the ruined temple and gritted her teeth.

"These abominations are very territorial. They constantly battle with other Nightmare Creatures, and leave signs to avoid the waters where truly powerful foes dwell. The fact that the Drowned are here, on the island... means that they have accepted the sybil as their ruler."

Cassie paused, then added with a dark expression:

"Which means that she has become a Tyrant, at least. Only those have enough authority to make the Drowned submit to them."

Sunny let out a sigh.

'So... a Corrupted Tyrant, then.'

He had faced more powerful Nightmare Creatures... but only a handful. While a Corrupted Tyrant was not beyond their ability to slay, it was certainly not an easy foe to face. Especially on the creature's terms.

His voice sounded glum:

"How did she become a Tyrant, anyway? Wasn't she a Corrupted Beast first?"

Then again, Dusk of Fallen Grace had met him as a Terror. It was obvious that Nightmare Creatures could reach a greater Class than what they had started from, just like Saint could. That was a trait that all noble creatures - those that succumbed to Corruption and those who did not - shared.

And it seemed that corrupted humans shared that ability, as well. Not unlike how he, Nephis, and Mordret did.

Cassie shrugged.

"She was Defiled a long, long time ago. She also fed on the powerful warriors of Fallen Grace, and gods know what else since then. In any case, she won't be waiting for us alone. We must be prepared to fight her entourage, as well."

Sunny smiled behind his mask.

"Too bad we don't have an entourage of our own."

As he said those words, two menacing figures stepped out from the shadows to stand by his side. One was a graceful knight in a suit of intricate onyx armor, the other was an infernal fiend forged out of black steel and broken blades.

A terrifying black steed rose from the ground behind them, crimson light reflecting from his adamantine horns and wolf-like fangs.