Chapter 1551 Left Behind

Chapter 1551 Left Behind

The five members of the cohort were gone, off to scout the approach to Verge. Sunny felt uneasy and worried about their safety, but not tremendously so. Each of them was a powerhouse in their own right, and possessed a wealth of experience when it came to moving stealthily through a region infested with Nightmare Creatures. Nephis, Kai, and Effie were veterans of the Forgotten Shore, where humans had been at the very bottom of the food chain. Effie, who had hunted in the Dark City alone for many years, was especially proficient in navigating dangerous terrain without alerting anyone or anything of her presence. Jet had already been a frightening existence before the Southern Campaign, and grew only more tenacious after going through the disastrous months in the Antarctic Center, followed by serving in the military reconnaissance in East Antarctica.

Mordret was by far the most slippery of the five, so even if Sunny was inclined to care about his well-being, the bastard was the last person in the Tomb of Ariel he would be worried about. So, the scouts were more than capable of fulfilling their mission unscathed. If anything, Sunny was more concerned about himself and Cassie. The restlessness he had felt for the past few months reached an apex, telling him that something was about to happen. The Sin of Solace was not shy about voicing his opinion, either:

"You've done it now, fool. What madness made you think that staying here alone with her was a good idea? It wasn't me, that's for sure. Now, you are completely defenseless against whatever new betrayal she had in mind, with no one to cover your back." This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Sunny looked at him somberly, then turned away. Saint, Fiend, and Nightmare were still aboard the Chain Breaker. So, the loathsome wraith was wrong — there was someone to cover his back. There were plenty. 'No, that's wrong...'

Why would he even need that? Cassie was not going to betray the cohort. That was just his paranoia talking. Sunny frowned, realizing that this state of his was a bit concerning. He had grown so used to the Sin of Solace that listening to the apparition's poison was already a habit. It had failed to drive him insane due to Sunny's robust mental defenses... but maybe the sinister whispers of the cursed sword were having some effect on him, after all. Then again, maybe it was simply the result of the incredible mental strain he had been exposed to in the Tomb of Ariel.

Sunny was full of alarm and ready for something perilous to happen, but nothing was happening. That only added to his frustration. Cassie remained on the stern, acting like nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Hours slowly passed, and then, the night came. The seven suns drowned in the water, and the Great River ignited with a soft, iridescent glow. Even the massive plain of ice shone dimly, illuminating itself with a pale, ghostly radiance. Bathed in that radiance, pillars of black stone were like a forest of colossal, dead trees. Sunny remained on the deck for a while, looking in the direction of Verge and wondering how the members of the cohort were doing. After a while, he went to the stern and spoke with Cassie about taking turns guarding the ship. "My shadows will wake me up instantly if something happens. So... if there's danger, just keep yourself alive for a few seconds. I'll be there before you know it."

The blind girl nodded seriously. "Of course. Go, and try to rest well. There probably won't be a chance to do so after the scouts return."

Sunny hesitated for a bit, then descended below deck and entered his cabin. Laying down on his cot, he closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He also controlled his heartbeat and breathing, making them as calm and natural as he could. Pretending to be asleep.

But, of course, Sunny was not asleep. Instead, he was observing Cassie.

If she really intended to do something in secret, and his decision to stay behind put a wrench in her plans, now would be the perfect moment for her to act.

And, indeed, after some time passed...

Cassie did.