Blood weave

Sunny ordered the crab to stop, and once it landed on the ground, he instructed it to protect Cassie. Then, he motioned for Nephis to approach.

"What is it?"

"Listen, I might be a little crazy, but do you see that tree over there?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"I feel like the closer I get to it, the more my soul is being gnawed on… or assaulted. I think it's a Nightmare Creature."

"Really? I didn't feel anything from it."

"I think it's because of my armor. It gives me decent resistance to mental attacks."

"Listen, I'm going to scout the place. Stay here with Cassie. I'll take the crab."

"Don't take too long exploring. There's only a few hours left until sunset."

Sunny approached the Soul Devouring Tree, his Essence spinning using the Serpent, while his gloomy and Happy shadows wrapped around him. He summoned the Heart of the Challenger, as well as Spark of the Flame, and began searching for the Awakened Demon.

The leaves trembled, and the soul-devouring Tree effect started pressing on Sunny. But it wasn't too strong, since his shadows were reinforcing the Puppet Master's Shroud.

"The tree is kind… the tree is good…"

"I am Herald of death. Remember. Herald of death. I am Herald of Death…" Sunny used his True Name as an anchor for his mind, to avoid being lost to the influence.

The crimson leaves shuddered violently, and from afar, the sound of colossal footsteps crashing against the earth could be heard. The Awakened Demon was approaching Sunny rapidly.

When the creature entered Sunny's sight, it was as big as a house. Two massive pincers and two scythe-like appendages extended from its back. Its eyes burned with hatred and madness. Who dared to try and harm its gentle mother?

The devil charged forward at high speed — but Sunny was faster. He raised the Heart of the Challenger and the Spark of the Flame, which contained the small amount of essence he had gathered. He fired the arrow, and it shot out like a red beam, striking the creature in its torso. The arrow pierced through its center, followed by an internal explosion that caused massive damage.

The Spark of the Flame had not been enhanced by a shadow — if it had, the Demon would have died outright. But Sunny didn't need more than that to kill it.

He summoned the Serpent, turning it into a two-meter-long spear. Then he summoned the Crab to aid him in combat. When the crab emerged from the shadows, Sunny ordered:

"Kill it."

The crab didn't hesitate at its master's command. The black Centurion launched forward and collided with the Demon, followed by Sunny from behind, who stabbed the spear into the Demon joints.

When the Demon turned toward the crab and tried to slash at it, Sunny sent a shadow to reinforce it. And when the devil tried to kill Sunny, the crab cut off one of its limbs. The devil revealed a weak spot in its injured torso.

Sunny extended the spear further and drove it in deeper, though not enough to kill. When that didn't work, he sent his other shadow to support the crab. The crab dug its claws into the torso of the Awakened Demon and shattered its spine, killing it.

[You have slain an Awakened Demon: carapace turbine]

[Your Shadow grows stronger]

[You have received a Memory: Midnight Shard]

[Your Shadow evolving ]

Sunny pulled the crab back into the cold darkness of his soul and returned his shadows to the Puppeteer Shroud. As for the Awakened Demon corpse — he didn't touch it. He had something more important to do.

He approached the tree and began climbing by stabbing the Serpent into it. Each time he did, the leaves trembled violently.

He followed the path he remembered from his past life. It took hours to reach the spot he sought. In front of him was a nest made of the tree's thick, intertwined branches, tangled in a chaotic pattern. At its center was an egg the size of a human.

Sunny approached the egg, summoned the Midnight Shard, infused it with shadow, and drove his blade into it.

[You have slain a Great Devil: Spawn of the Vile Thieving Bird]

[Your Shadow grows stronger]

[You have received a Memory: Drop of Ichor]

Memory: Drop of Ichor

Rank: ???

Type: ???

Memory Description:

[The vile Thieving Bird was despised by gods and void creatures alike, but it cared only for shiny things — mesmerized by the beauty of Weaver's eyes. One dark, starless night, it stole one of them. But as it flew, the wretched creature glanced eagerly at its prize. In the depths of Weaver's pupil, it saw the frozen reflection of the void… and went mad. Screaming, it dropped the eye into the mortal world below. Left in its greedy beak was a single drop of golden ichor.]

After reading the interesting description, the spell spoke in an unusually excited tone — recalling the last time Sunny consumed Blood Weave:

[You have obtained a Drop of Ichor. Do you wish to consume it?]

Sunny didn't respond immediately. He took out a needle carved from the bone of the Corrupted shark and waited for the golden ichor to appear.

A spark of light formed and condensed into a drop of golden ichor. Sunny quickly dipped the bone needle into the liquid, then pulled it out just as fast. He spoke:

"Begin consumption."

[As you wish.]

The golden liquid split into two streams of light, one flowing into each of Sunny's eyes. Through his eyes, the ichor entered his soul. He paused and bit his lip, bracing for what was coming.

Blood streamed from his Lips, and tears from his eyes. Pain spread from his nervous system to his muscles and eyes. His eyes were the worst — it felt as if two scorching metal rods were being driven into them.

Sunny groaned, his nails digging into the ground. He didn't surrender to the pain but used the adapted Serpent to allow Blood Weave to enter a symbiotic relationship with the bloodline of the Shadow God.

Then came the worst part — Blood Weave and the Shadow God's lineage began to clash. Neither was losing, both were locked in a stalemate. Sunny ordered Blood Weave to obey, but it refused. The Shadow God's bloodline did obey… but when Blood Weave kept trying to consume it, it retaliated.

Sunny understood now why the Shadow God's bloodline was so strong — it was because of [Blessed by the Shadow God].

"Blood Weave is losing!… Oh no—" Blood Weave began to lose ground, retreating and forming a mass near Sunny's heart. He then ordered both Blood Weave and the Shadow God's bloodline to stop. Blood Weave obeyed reluctantly. The Shadow God's bloodline remained hostile… but it eventually calmed.

A trickle of soul essence — barely enough — flowed from within Sunny, allowing both forces to settle and coexist. For now.

[You have gained an Attribute: Blood Weave]

[Your Attribute : Ember of Divinity has evolved]

[Your Attribute : Death has evolved]

[Your Attribute: Blood Weave has evolved]

Sunny rested for a while before beginning his descent from the Soul Devouring Tree.