Picking himself up from the floor, Sunny staggered and found his way back to the fire burning under the improvised grill. Glancing at the motionless stone knight, he spat a bit more blood and groaned.
As the appetizing aroma of roasting meat filled the air, the Blood Weave got busy repairing his body. By the time his supper was ready, Sunny was able to breathe without wincing.
Putting the meat on his prized possession — the luxurious silver plate — Sunny prepared to eat.
On the Forgotten Shore, simple everyday necessities like plates were rarer than enchanted swords and magical suits of armor. In the whole cursed city, only Gunlaug and his five lieutenants were able to dine with as much decorum as Sunny.
Granted, he had yet to find even a single pair of chopsticks in this whole damn place, let alone something more technologically advanced, like a spoon. Of course, Sunny could try and make one himself, but that wasn't the same thing.
The Shadow Saint was silently looking at him with her burning ruby eyes. Feeling uncomfortable under her mysterious gaze, Sunny glanced at his plate, then at the menacing stone creature.
"Uh… you want some?"
He raised a piece of meat and offered it to the taciturn monster. However, the Stone Saint showed no reaction at all.
"Well… suit yourself."
Using the Prowling Thorn as a kitchen utensil, Sunny dug in, devouring the juicy meat like a starving animal. With not a single human soul around, he didn't bother with table manners at all.
'Uh… that's the life!'
His perpetually hungry outskirt self would have been really shocked to see this extravagant feast. That was real meat! He had hunted and prepared it himself, no less. More than that, he got to enjoy a similar type of luxury food almost every day.
Of course, that real meat had come from a revolting horror of a monster, but these were just small details.
Chewing on the last piece with a sense of deep satisfaction, Sunny thoughtfully looked at the Stone Saint. It was time to continue…
Earlier, he wanted to see if there was a possible synergy between the different powers that his Aspect possessed. Namely, if the enhancement provided by Shadow Control could be applied to Shadows. Sunny knew that his shadow was able to enhance his body, his Memories, and, with lesser effect, various inanimate objects.
However, it was unable to enhance other humans and Memories that belonged to them, as well as any living creature except for Sunny himself. He had secretly tested it during his travels with Nephis and Cassie to come up with this conclusion.
More importantly, it couldn't affect Echoes.
But what about Shadows?
Giving a mental command, Sunny sent his shadow in the direction of the Stone Saint and held his breath.
Flowing like water, the shadow silently grasped the statuesque monster in its dark embrace. Then, it seemed to disappear, as though absorbed by the stone flesh of the tenebrous knight.
A moment later, Stone Saint's ruby eyes blazed with crimson fire. Her smooth granite skin shined with dark radiance once again, smoky wisps of the ghostly grey fog oozing from beneath her stonelike armor like dancing flames.
Suddenly, it felt as though the temperature in the hidden chamber dropped by a couple of degrees. Shadows around the menacing creature seemed to swell, becoming deeper and darker, like a vast mantle sewn from boundless empty blackness.
The elegant Stone Saint had always looked dangerous and deadly, but now, she was downright fearsome.
Even without having the Shadow Saint strike him again, Sunny could tell that the experiment ended in a resounding success. It was apparent that the two types of his shadows were practically created for each other. Her power was increased twofold, at least.
A bit peeved, he looked down and sighed.
'Why does she look so much cooler than I do when using the shadow? Shouldn't it be the other way around? I'm the true divine shadow here, me! Where's my aura of mysterious coolness?!'
Shaking his head, Sunny lamented his lack of good looks and simultaneously congratulated himself on becoming the master of such a stylish monster. Technically, it didn't matter how his Shadows looked, just as long as they were powerful. However, he was secretly glad that his first Shadow was not only powerful, but also a darkly beautiful sight to behold.
Killing monsters was great, but killing monsters while looking good was even better.
'Wait… if she can use my shadow, what else can she use?'
Suddenly excited, Sunny finally swallowed the half-forgotten piece of meat and dismissed the Stone Saint. Then, he shifted his perspective to look at the Soul Sea and summoned her again, this time inside it.
The Shadow appeared in the whirlwind of black flames and stood motionlessly upon the still waters of the silent sea. Her mysterious ruby eyes stared at him through the narrow visor of her stone helmet.
Not wasting any time, Sunny looked up at the spheres of light circling around the Shadow Core.
'What if I can equip her with actual Memories?'
What to choose… she was extremely strong and very proficient with her round shield, so wasn't it logical to assume that a tower shield would suit her even better? Coincidentally, he happened to have one of those!
Sunny summoned the Memory that he had gotten in one of the fights on the streets of the cursed city. It was a large, square tower shield that was almost as tall as him. The thing was too heavy and unwieldy to actually use in combat, at least not by Sunny. Plus, he wielded a tachi, which could only perform to its full potential while held in both hands.
Grabbing the cumbersome shield, Sunny walked over to the Shadow Saint and handed it to her with a hopeful smile.
"Here. Take this. Uh… please?"
The Shadow stared at him for a few moments, then lowered her head and glanced at the tower shield.
'Come on. Come on, take it!'
His heart skipped a beat when the statuesque creature slowly raised her hands and grasped the Memory with her stone gauntlets.
"Yes, that's right! Now, use it!"
The Stone Saint obediently brought the shield to her chest.
And then… shattered it.
Sunny froze, his mouth hanging open.
[Your Memory has been destroyed.]
'...What?'
The shards of the broken Memory turned into a river of tiny sparks of light, just like the Echo of the carapace scavenger and the Azure Blade had done before disappearing forever.
'My tower shield!'
Sunny felt a sharp dagger of sorrow stab at his heart. Yes, the shield was of no use to him. But it would sell for so much money in the real world! Why, why did this evil thing have to break it? Why? Wasn't his beautiful chair enough?!
He gazed at the tiny sparks, wanting to cry. However, a moment later, his eyes widened.
Because the river of sparks did not disappear. Instead, it circled around the Stone Saint's body and then suddenly flowed through it, separating into two streams. Each stream was then absorbed by one of the dark embers burning in the depths of the living shadow that was hiding inside the monster's body.
Sunny blinked.
[Stone Saint has grown stronger.]