Shadow Slave

The interior of the home was tasteful and minimalist, governed by a design philosophy that seemed stylish, spacious… and a little bit empty.

The first floor contained a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a pantry, a bathroom, and a guest bedroom. Everything was furnished and fully stocked, including a refrigerator that was stuffed with all kinds of expensive food.

Lanard looked around with a sense of pride and went on a long tirade about all the hidden security features the unassuming house actually possessed. There were thick plates of armored alloy hiding behind the siding panels, the wide windows were outfitted with titanium shutters that could come down at a moment’s notice, and both air and water filters could withstand not only the usual environmental toxins, but also most known forms of biochemical threats.

Such extensive security measures might have seemed like overkill, but in fact, even mundane humans strived to turn their homes into compact fortresses. No one knew when the next Gate would open, and how close to them it would be. Even though most homeowners were never going to use these protective features, having them made for a big quality of life difference.

Lanard spent a weirdly long amount of time describing all the lighting fixtures his agency had installed, his voice bursting with enthusiasm. It seemed that the man had a thing about designer lamps. Sunny didn’t have the heart to tell him that he would not be using any of them, most of the time. He could see perfectly well in the dark, after all.

“…the house is connected to the city electrical grid, but there’s obviously an autonomous energy source for emergencies. Spelltech, of course. Power units are easily accessible for purchase and last for a very long time…”

By spelltech, he meant that the autonomous generator was built by combining modern technology with Awakened powers. The power units it required had to be either recharged or created by someone with a suitable Utility Aspect. Devices such as this were considered to be a luxury for the commoners, but in fact, a very large part of the city’s infrastructure functioned on spelltech.

Not everything in the world was created by the Awakened, but almost all industries required their participation in one way or another. Even the air filtration systems Sunny’s mother used to assemble in an underground factory on the outskirts contained fiber grown by one of the Nightmare Spell carriers.

That was why, while Utility Aspects were often useless in a fight, people who possessed them were so valued by society.

…Sunny asked a couple of questions about the entertainment system built into the living room, scratched the back of his head after receiving the answers, and expressed his desire to see the second floor.

The second floor contained the master bedroom and two smaller ones, each with its own bathroom, and a brightly lit home office. There was also the latch to the storage space in the attic. Lanard described a few things about the furniture they chose, and then mentioned the soundproofing of the master bedroom several times, for some unknown reason.

Sunny frowned and gave him a strange look.

‘I mean… sleeping in peace and quiet is nice, but he does know that I can’t sleep in the real world, right? What a strange man…’

Finally, they descended into the basement, which was situated deep underground, as well as being the most heavily fortified and well-protected part of the house. In a sense, this was the heart of the unassuming grey home.

The whole basement was one large space, with walls, floor, and ceiling covered by heavy plates of armored ceramic alloy. This was done so that an Awakened could train here without worrying about destroying their own home or alerting the neighbors.

Sunny paid extra to make sure that every piece of training equipment here could survive his spars with Saint. He still remembered and mourned all the beautiful things he had lost during their previous duels. Like his favorite table… or his comfortable chair… or his pride…

The basement could be isolated from the rest of the house and from the outside world, turning into a heavily fortified, impenetrable alloy box. The reason for this level of additional security stood in a small alcove at the far end of it.

It was a state-of-the-art, beautiful, incredibly expensive sleeping pod — the best money could buy. Sunny walked over to it and stared at the softly illuminated, luxurious cradle for a while, then smiled.

‘No more sore muscles…’

In its closed state, the pod looked like a steel monolith. As far as high-tech coffins went, this armored one was a real beauty. Sunny couldn’t even call it a coffin, really. That thing… that thing was a whole sarcophagus.

With its help, he would be able to spend entire months in the Dream Realm without subjecting his physical body to any damage. He wasn’t planning on getting lost in the Spell for so long, of course, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Lanard chuckled:

“I am not going to lie, every time I find myself in such an environment, I can’t help but feel a little scared. Have you ever heard about Dracula, sir?”

Sunny glanced at him, then shrugged.

“Not really. What is that?”

The short man shivered.

“Just a legend, thankfully. Dracula was a fiend that fed on human blood and slept in a coffin underground. Hence the…”

Sunny smiled:

“Oh, a vampire? Yes, I’ve met one or two.”

Lanard grew pale, remained silent for a while, then squeaked:

“M—m… met?”

Not paying him any attention, Sunny turned to the second pod that stood near the first one.

This device looked similar enough to a sleeping pod to be mistaken for one, but had nothing to do with sleeping. Well… not technically.

It also had a cradle and a heavy lid, but unlike Sunny’s new sarcophagus, it wasn’t designed to accommodate a human body for long periods of time. In fact, there was a plaque on the inside of the lid advising people against overusing the equipment and asking them to behave responsibly.

It was the best available Dreamscape pod, allowing one to enter the advanced virtual reality simulation that existed on the edge between technology and magic.

…Sunny had big plans for that thing.