Chapter 1078: Army Scout

Sunny helped the pilot climb out of the ravaged MWP, then looked around somberly. The ruin of the city was covered by the signs of a fierce battle... sadly, he had been too late to arrive. Most of the soldiers were already dead.

'Damn it...

He. had noticed the commotion in the ruins by chance, while making his way through the wilderness to accomplish a different mission. If not for the habit of sending his shadows in a wide circle around him, Sunny would have never even known that a squad of human soldiers had been trapped here. He used Shadow Step to arrive as swiftly as he could, but ended up saving only one.

With a sigh, Sunny helped the young woman climb down from the wreck of the MWP, summoned the Endless Spring, and handed it to her.

"Here. Drink some water."

The pilot kept staring at him strangely, but he was long used to such stares. He gave her some time, then took the glass bottle back and asked, making sure to keep his voice neutral:

"I am sorry about your comrades... but how did you guys end up in this sector? Did you not receive the message that it was designated as a black zone by Army Command?"

The young woman grimaced.

"We... did, sir. But by then, it was already too late. We were on a routine patrol along the Seventeenth Evacuation Corridor when we came under attack from a swarm of Nightmare Creatures. We beat them back and pursued... sadly, a few minutes later, a Gate opened right behind us. We were quickly surrounded, and had to run for our lives. We ran all the way to this city, and..."

She sighed.

Sunny awkwardly patted the pilot on the shoulder.

"I see. I know a thing or two about bad luck, lieutenant... it can get anyone. You did your best."

Internally, he was shaking his head.

'Corridor Seventeen... that place just attracts trouble, doesn't it?'

Corridor Seventeen connected one of the largest siege capitals in the region to the coastal fortress. Maintaining it was of vital importance to the evacuation effort, but recently, it had become harder and harder to keep the area clean.

As for himself...

Ever since reaching East Antarctica, Sunny only had three goals. Turn the Ravenous Fiend into a Shadow, become a Tyrant, and prepare for the arrival of the great clans. I lie had spent fragments on the little imp first, then hunted down numerous abominations in hopes of forming the fifth Shadow Core. Now, he was mere days away from catching up to Neph. As for the third goal... Sunny had made good progress on that front, too.

As he thought about it, his communication device suddenly came alive, and a familiar voice resounded in his eat:

"Where the hell are you, Sunny?"

He smiled slightly.

"Sorry, Jet. I've been delayed a little. Are you still en route?"

Her voice came through the static, sounding a little out of breath:

"Yeah... and I have a nasty swarm of abominations on my tail."

Sunny nodded.

"I'll send Mongrel your way. Lead them to the rendezvous point, and she'll take care of everything. I'll arrive in a few hours."

With that, Sunny glanced at the MWP pilot and sighed.

"Time to go, soldier. Say your goodbyes. Then, I'll bring you to the nearest army outpost."

He turned away, giving the young woman some space, and looked up, at the cold sun hanging motionlessly high above.

A long sigh escaped from Sonny's lips.

How bright. I never thought I would miss the polar night...