Chapter 1161: Blessed Steel

Even though there was a considerable chunk of the colossus left uneaten, Sunny ordered Imp to return. By the time the small creature climbed back to the surface of the island, the members of the cohort had gathered around Sunny.

"Huh? Wait... the little rascal looks different!"

Indeed, Effie was right. The scrawny fiend was different from how he had been before. Firstly, he had grown - just a few days ago, Imp was barely as tall as Sunny's knee, but now his head was on the same level as Sunny's abdomen.

The vital areas on his wiry body were now covered by black plates that resembled a suit of light armor, each glinting with a dark metallic sheen. The same went for his long, sharp claws and triangular teeth..

Imp's face twisted in a grotesque grin, and he raised his chin with pride. After that, the little fiend threw a furtive glance at Nephis.

Sunny smiled. "Congratulations, ugly. You have officially graduated from an unseemly gremlin to an unsightly goblin."

Imp's grin grew a bit forced. He glared at Sunny and hissed.

Nephis looked at them for a few moments. "...I don't know. I think he is a little cute."

The little fiend froze, then swelled with smugness.

Sunny shook his head and sighed. "Are you blind? Well, whatever. Let's see what exactly changed..."

He summoned the runes, waited for the shimmering symbols to reveal themselves, and studied them with a focused expression.

Most of the runes seemed the same:

Shadow: Ravenous Fiend.Shadow Rank: Transcendent.Shadow Class: Devil.

Neither the Rank nor the Class had changed. So, the evolution must have been tied strictly to Imp's Attributes.

Sunny had anticipated such a result, so he was not too disappointed. Curious, he continued to read the runes:

Shadow Description: [A pitiful little creature...]Shadow Attributes: [Lucky], [Marvel], [Ravenous], [Shadow Sworn], [Greater Steel Body].

Sunny tilted his head a little. 'Huh...'

Suddenly, Imp's eyes and mouth shone with fiery orange-red light, which contrasted sharply against the black metallic sheen of his face. Imp's sharp steel teeth had also been black a few moments ago, but now they were shining with a red-hot glow and radiated scorching heat. It was as though there was an immolating infernal furnace inside the little fiend's maw.

'What the...'

Sunny blinked a couple of times, then shifted his gaze quickly to the runes.

There was a new string at the end of the Ravenous Fiend's Ability list.

Shadow Abilities: [Scavenger], [Devourer], [Shadow Step], [Internal Heat].

He concentrated on the last Ability without any delay.

[Internal Heat] Ability Description: "This Shadow's teeth and claws can be infused with annihilating heat, enhancing their cutting power."

Sunny froze for a moment.

'So, wait... this blessed steel gifted him not only with an affinity to metal, but also with an affinity to fire?'

And the little rascal had even received a new Ability out of it? Well, it made sense... steel had to be tempered with fire, after all. And the Sun Prince had been drowned in molten metal before becoming the steel colossus, to atone for his perceived betrayal of Sun God's will.

Sunny glanced at the scrawny fiend and sighed. "Alright, alright. Stop glowering. I won't hit you anymore... you did well, wretch!"

With that, he smiled and gave Imp a thumbs up.

The small Shadow hesitated for a few moments, then jumped to his feet. The scorching red glow radiating from his teeth slowly disappeared. He looked very proud of himself.

Sunny nodded. "Good. Ah, just look how tough and strong you've become!"

Imp puffed out his chest again, listening as Sunny added: "...I just can't wait to send you to fight all kinds of dreadfully powerful Nightmare Creatures!"

Slowly, the arrogant expression on the scrawny fiend's face was replaced with one of concern and distress.

Sunny smiled wickedly. "Yes, yes... with a body like that, you won't be damaged too badly even if a titan chews on you a bit..."