Shadow Slave

It was hard not to get swept up in Master's Jet cool presence. However, Sunny was not so easy to sway. He held her gaze for a few moments, then turned away.

His expression grew somber.

"...You just spent a lot of time convincing me that losing Antarctica would not cause irreparable damage to humanity, and that most of those who go there would end up dead. And now, you suddenly want me to go as well? Why would I?"

Sure, fighting a noble and glorious war against the Nightmare Creatures sounded exciting. But Sunny was not an inexperienced kid anymore. He knew the price of glory all to well. To him, war casualties were not an abstract concept, but instead a very familiar and grim reality.

He was not arrogant and ignorant enough to consider himself immune to death.

Master Jet leaned back.

"Don't you want to defend your fellow humans?"

Sunny shrugged.

"Don't get me wrong… I really want all those people in Antarctica to survive. However, none of them helped me when I was starving to death in the outskirts. None of them were there when I was drowning in my own blood on the Forgotten Shore. The government didn't do crap to uplift me, either."

He frowned, and then added:

"In fact, one might argue that the government not only abandoned me entirely, but even did everything in its power to make sure that I die swiftly after being used up to bring it a tiny bit of benefit. Like my parents did. But, despite all that, I survived and managed to build a decent life for myself. And now that I finally have something good going for me… you want me to throw it all away and go risk my life to maybe save a bunch a strangers?"

Master Jet sighed.

"I get it. Trust me, I do. But…"

Sunny raised his eyebrows:

"But what? I do believe that you get it. You are from the outskirts yourself, after all. Maybe your life there was not as bad as mine, but it wouldn't have been too different. So why are you going to Antarctica?"

She lingered for a few moments, then looked away.

"I guess it's hard to explain. Honor, duty, sacrifice… you're right, those words don't mean much to me. Working for the government is a means to an end. However… I do work for the government. And I take pride in my work."

Soul Reaper studied the visitors of the cafeteria with her icy blue eyes, then glanced at Sunny.

"I might not have a lot of affection for humanity, but maintaining the fragile balance that allows it to exist is something that I chose to make my responsibility. My domain. So, watching Antarctica go up in flames from the sidelines would be against my professional sensibility."

Sunny remained silent for a while, thinking about what she said. He felt that, in a sense, Master Jet was very much like him. Too stubborn to give up, unwilling to let the world have its way… however, there was a big difference between them. While Sunny aimed all that spite and resentment at surviving and elevating only himself, she had chosen something much grander as her target.

Instead of going it alone, Soul Reaper had decided to tie herself down to a much bigger whole.

Was it worth it? He did not know for sure, but felt that it wasn't. People like him and her deserved to be selfish. The world had never treated them well, and so, they had no obligation to return the favor. Dying for someone you did not care about was utter foolishness.

He looked at her and said dakrly:

"But I am not in the same profession as you."

pAn,Da n<0,>v,e1 Master Jet smiled.

"True. However, I wasn't finished. My work ethic is only part of the reason why I am going to Antarctica. The other is… the future."

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"The future?"

She nodded.

"Yes. The world is changing, Sunny. What happens in Antarctica might not end humanity or even change it too much. But it will change the Awakened. Think about it… with so many of us going, either as part of the initial force or as volunteer reinforcements, the power balance of the Awakened society will shift. Thousands will die, but those who survive will grow stronger."

Soul Reaper leaned forward, her voice suddenly intense:

"How many will fully saturate their cores? How many will achieve a breakthrough in their combat skill? How many will Ascend? There are less than a thousand Masters alive in the world right now. How many will there be after the battle for Antarctica? I'd wager much more than that. How many new Saints will emerge? Everything will shift, Sunny… you can either be a part of that shift, or be left behind."

Sunny studied her face for a few moments and shrugged. Then, he asked in a somber tone:

"Are you hoping to become a Saint in all the chaos, while all the Great Clans are looking elsewhere?"

Master Jet sighed, then slowly shook her head.

"No, not really. You are mistaken if you think that their monopoly on Transcendence exists only through preventative measures. Even if you become a Saint, they still can, and will, make you disappear. Plus, entering the Third Nightmare is not something that can be done in the heat of the moment. If you want to survive, you need years of preparation and an ocean of resources, not to mention a powerful and cohesive cohort. Jumping into a random Seed will just get you killed."

Sunny remained silent for a bit, then scowled.

"...What are the Great Clans doing about this situation, anyway? The House of Night is supplying its navigators for the navy… are they going to join the ground forces, as well? What about Song and Valor?"

Soul Reaper grimaced and shook her head.

"No. The Great Clans are staying clear from the ground operation… for now. Maybe they will join eventually, but currently, all three are withholding their forces."

His face grew dark.

"Why? Isn't protecting human lives the purpose for their existence?"

She sighed.

"It is. And they are. They just have their own thoughts on what that implies."

Master Jet hesitated for a few moments, and then added:

"The Great Clans have given up on Earth a long time ago, Sunny. Instead of trying to protect humanity's old home from falling apart, they set their gazes at building a new one. They have big plans for the Dream Realm..."

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