Shadow Slave

Sunny shifted a little, trying to find a position that caused him the least pain. His wounds were already healing, so to add insult to injury, he also felt itchy all over. Masters were vastly more resilient than mundane humans, and their bodies could naturally recover from being severely damaged - and that was without even counting the onto potency of the Blood Weave.

...However, the process was still not pleasant.

Trying to ignore the discomfort, Sunny decided to take a look at the [Bitter Cusp] first. It was one of the Memories he had received after decimating the swarm of Black Tongues, and while all the rest would be best used to feed Saint, he felt like holding on to that one.

The reason was very simple - unlike the other Memories, [Bitter Cusp] was of the Ascended Rank.

Concentrating on the runes, Sunny read:

Memory: [Bitter Cusp].

Memory Rank: Ascended.

Memory Tier: I.

Memory Type: Tool.

'A tool, huh...

What kind of tool would the monstrous beasts have left behind? Sunny knew not to underestimate the value of utility, but still, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The usefulness of this type of Memories was often situational. The [Autumn Leaf] he had used to change the color of his hair was also a tool...

'Hopefully, this thing will be more practical.'

He continued to study the runes.

Memory Description: [They entered the beautiful halls of the Jade Court harboring venomous desires in their black hearts, and hiding rapacious snarls behind their admiring smiles.

The mistress of the palace herself presented them with a cup of the sweetest nectar. No matter how much of the sweet nectar they drank, the cup remained full. The more of it they consumed, the more of it they desired. Soon, there was nothing but bestial need left, and nothing but bitterness remained.]

Sunny scratched the back of his head.

'Well... that's one weird description. I do wonder if the Jade Court has something to do with that beetle I fought, though...'

He turned his attention to the enchantments. There was only one.

Enchantment: [Black Venom].

Enchantment Description: [This cup overflows with a bitter venom. Do not drink it.]

'...Huh?'

Sunny hesitated for a bit, then summoned the Bitter Cusp. Soon, a beautifully engraved chalice of white jade appeared in his hand. Indeed, it was full of a perfectly black liquid.

'Yeah... not drinking that... definitely...'

For some reason, Sunny had a strange compulsion to take a sip. Maybe it was because the Spell had straightforwardly instructed him not to... however, his intuition was telling him that the black liquid was, indeed, a deadly poison. And if it felt deadly to him, then it had to be rather potent.

Politely asking an enemy to have a drink did not seem like a good idea, which was not to say that there was no use for the Ascended toxin. Smearing the Black Venom on a blade was one of them, for example.

It would also not be a problem to stealthily add a drop or two into someone's food or drink... not that he would do such a thing, of course...

Satisfied, Sunny dismissed the Bitter Cusp and concentrated on the second Memory that had caught his attention. He had high hopes for this one, considering that it came from a Corrupted Demon, Voiceless Prelate.

The runes read:

Memory: [Stifled Scream].

Memory Rank: Transcendent.

Memory Tier: III.

Memory Type: Charm.

'Jackpot.'

Charms were rare and extremely useful, and it was especially so for Sunny, considering that both Saint and the Mantle of the Underworld had the ability to fuse one into themselves.

He already had one Transcendent Charm, but a second one was most welcome.

He continued to study the runes.

Memory Description: [...a great river was contained within it, flowing endlessly from the future into the past. When doom came, many entered to seek shelter from it, and many had come to seek the truth. That was because the Great River existed outside time, and so, it was said that a dreadful secret was hidden at its estuary. Few of those capable dared to approach it, and none of those who had returned.]

'...Mysterious.'

That description really had not told Sunny much. Perplexed, he remained motionless for a few moments, then shook his head and continued to read the runes.

Enchantments: [Echoing Silence], [Word of Power].

[Echoing Silence] Enchantment Description: "When wearing this charm, the physical power of its master is augmented... but only as long as they remain silent. The longer their silence lasts, uninterrupted, the greater the boon of power they'll receive."

Sunny tilted his head.

'Interesting...'

So it was a comprehensive physical boost. It started off modest, but would slowly grow for as long as the person wearing the charm did not speak... or used their voice in any kind of way, be it to scream, laugh, or groan. The stretch of silence also had to be uninterrupted, meaning that the augmentation would be reset both if the condition was broken or if the charm was dismissed.

Of course, there was a ceiling to this augmentation, but considering the Transcendent Rank of the Stifled Scream, that ceiling had to be a rather high one.

That did not seem too useful for Sunny, at the moment, since he constantly had to talk to people and give orders. However, it was simply perfect for Saint, who was either incapable of speaking or chose not to.

Even after all this time, Sunny still did not know whether it was the former or the latter.

Thoughtful, he glanced at the second enchantment.

[Word of Power] Enchantment Description: "A word spoken by the master of this charm is a command. If born of great silence, the word of power can hardly be ignored. If not, it has no worth."

That one was different. The enchantment was extremely powerful, since there were few limitations attached to it. Commanding the enemies to kneel or turn on each other... Sunny could imagine many great uses for such an ability. However, its compelling power also depended on how long the wearer had remained silent before uttering the command.

Ironically, this enchantment was extremely useful to Sunny, but utterly useless to Saint.

'...What a complicated Memory.'

With a sigh, he dismissed the runes, and then stood up.

Walking to the communication suite of the Rhino, he then hailed Sergeant Gere on the radio. A few seconds later, Sunny heard a response.

"Yes, Captain?"

Sunny summoned the Bitter Cusp, placed it on the surface of the terminal, and stared at it with a pondering look.

He had a great idea on how to use it.

"...Ah, yes, Sergeant Gere. Listen. When we reach our next stop, I'll give you a very pretty cup. Be sure to have all our ammunition be treated with the black liquid from that cup."

A tiny bit of an Ascended poison smeared across the blade of the Sin of Solace or the Cruel Sight would have very little effect on his performance in battle, considering that the only Nightmare Creatures that gave him enough trouble to require additional solutions would be all but immune to a negligent dose of the Black Venom.

The only abominations such a small dose would kill were of the lower Ranks, and he could already dispatch those easily.

...That was not the case for the mundane soldiers, however. To them, even Dormant Nightmare Creatures were a great challenge, not to mention the Awakened ones.

The Bitter Cusp could potentially change that situation entirely.

Grinning ominously, Sunny lingered for a bit, and then added:

"Oh, but make sure to not touch the liquid. If even a single drop gets on your skin, you'll die. In gruesome, terrible agony. So... wear gloves, I guess. Better yet, use a long stick..."

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