Sunny was the only one who could prevent more people from silently walking into the cold ocean. Even if he returned the borrowed Memories and gave the Undying Chain to someone else, the other person would not be able to enjoy the augmentation of the four shadows. So, the mind hex would remain unbroken.
If there was one good thing about the situation, it was that after Sunny had rid himself of the hex, he did not need to keep up his mental defenses at such a high level anymore. It was as though he was now inoculated against the unknown creature’s influence.
At least for now.
He returned the charm, the mercurial cloak, and the flint dagger to their owners. One shadow continued to follow Professor Obel, while the other three remained wrapped around the Undying Chain, just in case. After that, everyone got to work.
Although Sunny was the only person who could perceive the mesmerized, it did not mean that nobody else could help prevent more people from vanishing. Now that Verne knew what they were dealing with exactly, he could tune the safety protocols of the fortress to make it harder for the enemy to snatch victims away.
Soldiers received new instructions, while all non-essential personnel were confined to their living quarters. If they couldn’t leave, they would most likely be unable to reach the water, after all.
Sunny, meanwhile…
Walking onto the dark beach, he sighed, then placed an intricate wooden chair at the very edge of the rustling waves and sat down with his back to the ocean. Facing the wall of the fortress. Sunny shivered in the cold wind for a few moments, leaned back, and leisurely crossed his legs.
‘It’s a bit chilly…’
The world was dark, and the only sounds surrounding him were the howling of the wind and the incessant murmur of the waves. Sitting with his back to the ocean was not pleasant, especially with a Corrupted Terror hiding somewhere beneath its lightless surface.
The only thing that made Sunny feel better was the unmoving silhouette of Saint, who was hidden in the shadow of the wall with Morgan’s Warbow in her hands. Even then, Sunny had a lot to worry about.
Would he really be able to stop people from reaching the water?
Would they resist, or would they allow themselves to be brought back inside LO49?
…Most importantly, what would the Terror do if its source of sustenance was suddenly cut off? Somehow, Sunny doubted that the creature was going to just leave them be.
He just had to hope that the rescue ship would arrive before the eventual retaliation, and take them away before the creature could cast its hex on the crew, as well.
With a sigh, Sunny released his shadows and sent them forward. The shadows climbed the wall and separated, assuming watching positions in three different spots.
Then, all he could do was wait and listen to the rustle of the waves behind him.
A minute passed, then another. Then, a few more.
Sunny opened a thermos he had brought with him and poured himself a cup of fragrant coffee. Sipping it in the bitter cold, he continued to wait and pretend that the ocean did not concern him at all.
After about an hour, a human figure finally appeared on the wall. Sunny slapped himself in the face to chase away sleepiness, then put the thermos down and stood up. One step through the shadows brought him to the mesmerized person.
The man… he knew that man. It was one of the Awakened officers in charge of the local garrison. This soldier had usually been cheerful and energetic, even after staying awake for close to two weeks. But now, there was a blank, empty expression on his face, and no light in his hollow eyes.
Sunny stood between the slowly walking Awakened and the lip of the wall.
This time, he did not step aside to make way.
Instead, he hesitated for a moment, then put his hand on the soldier’s shoulder, stopping him. The man made a few more awkward steps, not realizing that he was walking in place. Then, he ceased moving and slowly turned his head, staring at Sunny with calm, glassy eyes.
‘Damn. That’s creepy!’
Sunny opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, a strong blow sent him flying back. Crashing into the rampart, he broke through it and tumbled off the wall, landing on the rocks far below in an undignified heap.
‘Argh. What the hell?’
The strike was much, much stronger than anything a mere Awakened should have been able to deliver. Even without augmenting his body with the shadows, Sunny was a Master. He also had four cores and a sea of essence at his disposal.
Why was the mesmerized officer so strong?
Cursing, he slowly rose from the ground. At the same time, the Awakened landed on the rocks a few steps away from him, swayed a little, and continued marching toward the dark waves. Since Sunny was not blocking his path anymore, the soldier did not pay him any more attention.
‘Not so fast, you damned fool…’
Creating a long chain out of the shadows, Sunny made a loop out of it and tossed it forward, ensnaring the mesmerized man. Taking the unexpected strength that the soldier had shown into account, he added another chain for good measure and grinned weakly.
‘Huh… just like the good old times.’
The memory of throwing a chain loop at the Mountain King was still vivid and fresh in his mind.
Making sure that Verne’s officer was immobilized, Sunny dragged him back, and then scaled the wall.
A few minutes later, slightly out of breath, he reached the old observatory and walked inside. There, the first few containment units had already been built, and a working crew was hurriedly creating more. They glanced at Sunny with confusion, but then quickly lost interest, distracted by the mind hex.
Ignoring the workers, Sunny walked to the nearest unit, threw the mesmerized officer inside, and locked the door. Even for an Awakened, escaping from a prison like that was not supposed to be possible.
A moment later, several furious strikes landed on the walls of the containment cell from inside, making it shudder. However, in the end, the sturdy construction held. Realizing that he would not be able to break free, the mesmerized soldier walked to the corner that was the closest to the ocean, pressed against it, and froze.
He just stood there, unmoving like a statue, not doing anything.
Sunny slowly exhaled.
‘Well, that’s not bad.’
He had been afraid that the mesmerized would bang their heads against the walls of their cages, attempting to reach the ocean even if it was not possible.
“Oh… Master Sunless? When did you get here?”
Now that he was not holding the soldier, the workers finally noticed his presence. They stared at Sunny with surprised eyes.
He blinked a couple of times, then smiled.
“…Carry on. I am just passing by.”
At that moment, his shadows noticed another human climbing onto the wall.
Sunny sighed, lingered for a moment, and then stepped through the shadows once again.
