Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2368

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Sunny had made the decision to channel the essence of a concept opposite to that of the Wolf in the spur of the moment. However, it had not been a baseless idea.

Rather, he had come up with that countermeasure after coming to understand his enemy deeply. Learning the very essence of his enemies was one of the things he did best, after all, having shadowed countless humans and Nightmare Creatures in his life.

Sunny had learned that skill while mastering the first step of Shadow Dance. In the beginning, it was all about glimpsing the secrets of his adversary's battle style, but just as Shadow Dance had outgrown the confines of merely being a combat technique, its purview had expanded greatly, as well. Sunny had long become capable of sensing the flow of essence through his enemies. But after fighting the Wolf, he realized that he was also capable of sensing the adversary's Will - not just its impact, but also its affinity. Understanding the nature of the Wolf was one part reasonable deduction and one part being able to sense what its ferocious spirit truly was.

'This is...'

It was strange.

Sunny felt that he had stumbled onto something profound. Channeling the concept of the Hunter had helped him survive the ferocious assault of the Cursed Demon - possibly it was the very reason he had managed to survive until the volcano absorbed enough damage to produce a powerful enough explosion. And he did not delude himself into thinking that just anyone could have been able to accomplish the same.

That last part was especially important. Nephis possessed a singularly powerful Will, but her Will was firm and indomitable. It was like a sword that refused to break and demanded that everything else break under its blade. Her uncompromising spirit strived to be absolute.

Sunny's own will, however, was subtle and insidious. Nephis described it as a weapon that only knew how to kill, and there was certainly truth to her words - but that slaying weapon was flexible and versatile, willing to assume any form it needed to kill the enemy. Just like shadows were inherently formless, and therefore willing to assume any form. That was the reason why Sunny was uniquely positioned to channel any foreign concept, which meant that it was something that only he could do, or at least do so effectively. That ability suited him perfectly.

So perfectly, in fact, that he wondered if he was meant to discover it. Not in the grand way of being fated or influenced into stumbling upon it, though, more so in the way of that ability being the next step on the path he had been walking all along.

Was this the sixth step of Shadow Step?

'I think it is.'

Sunny felt that it was, and that was why he was so bewildered. After all, he had not mastered the fifth step yet.

'How... novel!'

This was the first time his understanding of Shadow Dance had become greater than his actual mastery of it. Before, he had always stumbled in the darkness, seeking epiphanies and revelations. Usually, the act of fathoming the secret of the next step meant mastering it. But this time, things were different. The fourth step of Shadow Dance allowed him to assume the shapes of his enemies. The fifth step was supposed to allow him to shadow their powers and Attributes, as well, he had even discovered a way to master it by fusing with his Shadows and augmenting those of his Domain - humans and shades both. However, Sunny had never gone through the actual process of doing so.

That was because by the time he learned the secret of the Fifth Step, his fate had already been lost, and his True Name was gone. Without the True Name to anchor his self, it was too dangerous to delve so deeply into the essence of other beings and assume their form. He could easily lose himself forever, forgetting how to return to his own form in body, mind, and soul.