The possibilities were simply limitless.
What would a human with seven cores and the might of a titan be capable of? What obstacles would they be unable to conquer? Who would dare to stand in their way?
...Who would dare to call them their slave?
Of course, the road to creating five more cores would be long and arduous. It would take him years, if not decades. If he even manages to live that long. In fact, the magnitude and scale of such an ambition were nothing short of insane. After all, the stronger he grows, the stronger enemies he would have to face to collect their shadow fragments. It seemed all but impossible.
...Almost.
Was he really going to try?
After some time, Sunny lowered his gaze and continued to read the runes. His face looked like that of a madman — there were simultaneously a deep frown and a wide smile somehow coexisting on it, making for a strange sight.
But then, the wide smile disappeared, leaving only the frown behind.
There was something even more important waiting for him in the glow of ethereal runes. Something even more frightening.
Reaching the lowest part of the field of runes, he read:
Aspect: [Shadow Slave].
Aspect Rank: Divine.
Aspect Description: [You are a miraculous shadow left behind by a dead god. As a divine shadow, you possess plenty of strange and wondrous powers. However, your existence is empty and lonesome; you mourn the passing of your former master and long to find a new one.]
Right beneath it was the description of the part of the Aspect that had cursed his life, turning it into a nightmare:
Innate Ability: [Shadow Bond].
Ability Description: [Find a worthy master and let them know your True Name. Once they recite it out loud, you will be bound to their will, unable to disobey any command. It is improper for a shadow, let alone a divine one, to walk around without a master.]
…However, the runes describing Shadow Bond were grey and lifeless, as though the Ability was now inactive.
'...Makes sense.'
He had a master now, after all. He wasn't free to walk around without one anymore.
And speaking of it…
Right below, new runes were now shining in the darkness:
Master: Changing Star.
Sunny stared at those three words for a long time.
Who knew that just three words could bear such a crushing weight?
Such a vast and complicated meaning...
Finally, he shook his head slightly and concentrated, making the runes shine brighter, new ones appearing out of nowhere as he watched:
Name: Nephis.
True Name: Changing Star.
Rank: Dreamer.
Class: Demon…