Ranobes » Shadow Slave » Chapter 1793: Soft Hand
Options
Bookmark
Chapters list

Chapter 1793: Soft Hand
Shadow Slave

Nephis had judged that the only way to defeat the Sovereigns was to become Supreme.

However, Sunny had held a different opinion. He had been fully prepared to face them as a Saint- just as he had faced countless adversaries of a higher Rank than him in the past. People like him were forged by bringing down creatures more powerful than them, so in principle, there wasn't much difference.

All he had to do was study the enemy, ensnare them in a net of deceit and treachery, and then put his life on the line. Wait for them to break themselves against each other, and then deliver a fatal strike to finish off the battered foes.

That was why he had made the Nameless Temple into a trap, and sent Nightmare to assemble a swarm of slumbering horrors.

The Dream Curse... was a frightening power. It spread unseen, infecting those unfortunate enough to contract it one after another. Its influence was subtle and insidious, and by the time the curse was ready to pull its victim into the maze of nightmares, it was already too late to resist it.

Of course, the Great Nightmare Creatures slumbering under the temple still tried. They struck against the walls of the dream prison, just like Sunny had done in the Kingdom of Hope - the nightmares subjugated by his Shadow were continuously destroyed, breaking apart under the onslaught.

However, at the same time, Nightmare conquered more of them... the new dreams he collected belonged to abominations of vast and terrifying power, and so, the walls of the dream maze grew stronger and stronger. As did the dark destrier himself.

Still, it was a daunting task for Nightmare to lull a Cursed being to sleep.

Sunny's steed had been at it for many months already. The Nightmare Creatures populating the area of the Hollows around the Cursed One's lair had succumbed to slumber one after the other. Then, the fallen deity itself was slowly infected, one drop of insidious poison at a time.

The Cursed One had resisted for a long time, but eventually, the Dream Curse seeped into its mind, body, and soul. At first, it would grow sluggish sometimes, then it would doze off for a minute or two before recovering. Finally, it fell asleep.

Its slumber was still restless and shallow, but Sunny was certain that he would be able to pull it Into the underground hall of the Nameless Temple before the Sovereigns came.

Of course... his preparations were flawed, as well.

He had started on this plan not long after returning to civilization, still disoriented by the changes that had happened in his absence and badly informed.

Sunny sighed.

It was not that Nephis was incapable of constructing a plan to clash with the Sovereigns as a Saint. She was experienced in slaying overwhelming foes, as well. It was just that it was not an option for her - because after the Chain of Nightmares, the two Domains were holding the equivalent of an entire Quadrant's population hostage.

If the Sovereigns were eliminated without a new Supreme taking their place, the Dream Realm would drown in human blood. And Nephis had made it clear in the Crimson Spire that she did not only care about reaching her goal, but also about reaching it the way she wanted.

So... as Sunny saw it, both of their plans had to succeed if they wanted to achieve an acceptable outcome.

'What are the chances that nothing will go wrong?’

There were many unpredictable factors. Mordret was a wild card... so were the Sovereigns themselves. There was also the third Supreme, Asterion, who was mysteriously missing.

But they had no choice but to try.

He looked at Cassie.

"That is the gist of it. I think that we stand a chance, if things go right for us. If things go wrong - which they will, I'm sure - then, well, I guess we'll have to improvise.”

She remained silent for a while, still stunned by the brazen audacity of his simple, but simply unbelievable plan.

Who would place a Citadel in the middle of a Death Zone, fill it with sleeping Great Nightmare Creatures, kidnap a Cursed One, and then bait the Sovereigns Into causing the swarm of horrors to wake up?

A thing like that was nothing short of unthinkable, and yet, the Lord of Shadows had not only thought it, but also made it true.

She shook her head slowly.

"Improvisation... yes..."

Then, Cassie took a deep breath and composed herself.

"The key to good improvisation is being prepared." Sunny smiled.

"I expected you to have a contingency."

Cassie was someone who had mastered the art of guiding events in a desired direction with a soft hand. A rigid plan was destined to fail, but if one was flexible enough, no unpredictable event could become an insurmountable obstacle. lіghtnоvеlvе~c`о/m. The success of the astonishing web of schemes she had woven to give him a chance to be free was proof that her approach worked.

So, she would have had something in mind for the Inevitable clash with the Sovereigns.

The young woman sighed.

"It is nothing revolutionary. You should know well as an experienced hunter.. one should study the enemy before confronting them. The Sovereigns are shrouded in mystery. But if we want to strike them down, we need to know them... their upbringing, the environment in which they were formed into people they are, their youth. How the Broken Sword's cohort was formed, how it rose to glory. How it fell apart. All of that, and more."

A somber expression appeared on her face.

"Needless to say, most of that information is either erased or twisted to such a degree that learning anything truthful from it is impossible. I've been... trying to uncover as much as I can. But it hasn't been easy, and most of all, I've been very cautious, afraid to attract attention. The King of Sword still doesn't trust Nephis that much, after all. Being discovered would mean certain death."

She remained silent for a few moments, then added:

"But that is about to change. Once the war starts, everything would be thrown into chaos. That is when we'll be able to act more boldly. With my ability to read memories and perceive many things, and your versatile arsenal of stealth and infiltration #abilities... if the two of us put our minds together, I'm sure that we can uncover a great number of secrets under the cover of the mayhem."

Cassie took a deep breath.

"Including the most important one!"

Sunny gave her a long look.

"What do you think is the most important secret?"

Cassie hesitated for a while, then faced him and said quietly:

"...You are right. Our battle plan is too vague. But there is something that can make the odds much more favorable a piece of information that is as important as it is tightly sealed. At the end of it all... I suspect that the success of our entire endeavor will be decided by whether we manage to solve that mystery or not."

Her beautiful eyes grew cold.

"The single most important thing we must learn... are the Flaws of the Sovereigns. If we grasp their Flaws, victory will be ours. If not, all that awaits us are the flames of hell."

Sunny looked at her silently for a while.

Eventually, he said:

"You want to steal the secret of their Flaws?"

Cassie lingered for a bit, then smiled.

"Yes, And I want you to help me steal it, Sunny.”

Shadow Slave
Chapters list

Comments 37

  1. Offline
    lotmglazer
    lotmglazer
    + 3 ⋅ 0 -
    spoilers for next few chapters below, watch out
    Read more
    1. Offline
      GridDokja
      GridDokja
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Appreciated man
      Read more
  2. Offline
    ㅤㅤㅤ
    ㅤㅤㅤ
    + 1 ⋅ 1 -
    I've got a question
    Now that lo49 has been absorbed into the dream realm if a human on earth went to where it was originally in Antarctica would they fine nothing or it'd still be there, and if it's still there does that mean a human can travel from earth to the dream realm by going to LO49 or is there a massive dream gate there???
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Dummybaron
      Dummybaron
      + 5 ⋅ 1 -
      I think it's massive Dream gate.
      Read more
  3. Offline
    Uchia-Madara-Pathway
    Uchia-Madara-Pathway
    + 12 ⋅ 0 -
    . It was an observatory... a lunar observatory.

    It was LO49.


    So the dream realm is already starting to absorb earth sigh
    Read more
    1. Online Offline
      ZEXOS
      ZEXOS
      + 5 ⋅ 0 -
      I wonder Will you can find other continents from earth like america and europe if you continue to go West
      Read more
  4. Online Offline
    ZEXOS
    ZEXOS
    + 18 ⋅ 0 -
    1795. Burned Forest


    Before leaving the statue of the Knight behind, Sunny hesitated for a while, and then manifested one of his avatars. Taking control of that incarnation, he left a tether on the ancient stone.

    Sunny had the ability to possess seven bodies now, but he still only had a single soul. Each of his incarnations was nevertheless capable of having its own tether. He wasn't sure that he would want to return to the Forgotten Shore, but since crossing the Hollow Mountains again did not sound particularly pleasant, decided to leave himself a path, just in case.

    With that done, Sunny went north. Riding Nightmare, he traversed the silent darkness at a measured pace. The hooves of his tenebrous steed rustled softly in the ashen dust, and with each day, the distance between him and the distant human territories continued to increase.

    He had never visited the northern reaches of the Forgotten Shore before, so everything here was new to him. Granted, there was not much to look at - at times, curious landmarks appeared on the horizon, but none of them managed to pique his interest.

    There were crumbled ruins, bones of ancient leviathans, and frames of rotten ships. He left it all behind, feeling calm and unburdened, There was nothing he had to accomplish and no looming necessity urging him forward. Time lost all meaning to him.

    He slept when he was tired and ate when he was hungry. Other than that, Sunny did not concern himself with anything.

    Of course, he still forced himself to maintain vigilance. There could still be Nightmare Creatures left on the Forgotten Shore, and even if there were none, it was a bad idea to break the habit of always paying attention to his surroundings.

    Eventually, the landscape around him changed.

    Sunny first noticed that there was less and less dust covering the ground. Then, patches of dark soil started to appear with increased frequency. That meant that the coral labyrinth had been sparser here once.

    A few days later, he started to encounter tall hills. There were more of them the further north he went, standing in a strangely orderly manner. After investigating one of the hills, Sunny discovered that it was artificial in nature. He could sense a vast burial chamber somewhere far below him.

    It was a barrow.

    Climbing to the top of the burial hill, Sunny looked around and counted. However, there were too many of them to count - giving up after a few hundred, he sat down and stared into the darkness for a while.

    Then, he stepped into the shadows and descended into the burial chamber.

    A broken sarcophagus stood there, at least ten meters in length. Inside were the bones of a nameless glant. There were remains of crude armor covering the bones, but time had erased all clues of who was buried here, and by whom.

    There was no vengeful wraith waiting for Sunny in the burial chamber. Nevertheless, he suddenly felt cold sweat rolling down his spine. Trusting the sense of dire premonition, he threw one last look at the sarcophagus and dissolved into the shadows.

    Returning to the surface, Sunny looked at the boundless black sky and climbed into the saddle. Even Nightmare seemed nervous in the vicinity of the ominous hill, so he wasted no time to leave.

    Riding north, Sunny couldn't help but remember the Nightmare Gate near Rain's school. The abominations he had fought that day were called the Barrow Wraiths. Were they, perhaps, connected to the builders of these barrows?

    ...The next day, he saw sunlight for the first time in a long, long time.

    At first, Sunny did not even realize what was happening, thinking that there was something wrong with his eyes. But then, he understood that he wasn't seeing things-the impenetrable darkness of the empty sky was indeed turning paler.

    Stunned, he dismounted and sat on the ground, looking at the eastern horizon.

    As the sky brightened, color slowly returned to the world. From black, to midnight blue, to pale lilac. And then, finally, beautiful magenta that gave way to a golden dawn.

    The sun rose above the horizon like a chalice of divinity, illuminating the world.

    'How strange.'

    Sunny's face was wet.

    He didn't even know why he was crying - he didn't feel particularly sad, or happy, or awed. It was just pleasant to witness something beautiful. To not be lost from light anymore.

    His eyes had just grown accustomed to the peaceful darkness, perhaps.

    ‘I've left the Forgotten Shore.’

    He smiled.

    Sunny was pretty sure that no other human had ventured that far north before. He had discovered a new region of the Dream Realm.

    That meant that there would be Nightmare Creatures waiting for him in the unexplored wilderness. Still, he wasn't discouraged.

    His reserves of food were running quite low, after all.

    When the sun rose and the sky was painted grey, Sunny continued on his way. This time, he was especially careful, knowing that unknown herrers could attack him at any moment.

    Soon, a dark line appeared on the horizon. He assumed that there would be another mountain chain barring his path, but was proven wrong after getting closer.

    Sitting in the saddle, Sunny looked ahead with an emotionless face.

    Out there in front of him... a sea of jagged black pillars was rising into the sky, each as wide as a tower. It was as if countless dead giants were reaching toward the sky with twisted, skeletal fingers.

    The pillars... were the blackened, broken trunks of great trees. He was looking at a destroyed forest of titanic proportions.

    Sunny was struggling to imagine how tall the trees had been before they were broken and toppled, and how vast the forest was. All that he could tell was that it was a land meant for deities, not mortals.

    Urging Nightmare forward, Sunny slowly entered the burned forest. Despite the thousands of years that had passed since it was devoured by flames, the scorched trees had not decayed and crumbled into dust. They were still intact, just broken - it was as if someone had vengefully shattered each one, so that none remained standing.

    The broken trunks covered the ground, intertwined into an impassable disarray, Most of them were as wide as roads, stretching at steep angles or sloping down, into the dark depths of the deadfall. The layer of broken trees must have been several hundred meters thick, and there was no telling what hid in the gaps between the charred remains of the ancient trees.

    Sunny had no desire to find out, so he sent Nightmare onto the nearest horizontal trunk.

    Moving forward wasn't easy, since he often had to change directions, going up and down or jumping from one fallen tree to another.

    A few hours later, Sunny encountered his first foe.
    Read more
    1. Online Offline
      ZEXOS
      ZEXOS
      + 20 ⋅ 0 -
      1796. End of the World


      It was a black, glistening millipede that lunged at him from under the deadfall. Its armored body was about three meters in length, as wide as an adult man's torso. Instead of a pair of mandibles, it had an eerily human mouth full of sharp, needle-like fangs.

      The millipede was a Corrupted Beast.

      Sunny did not move from the saddle and simply turned his head with a dark look. Before the creature could reach him, dark tentacles rose from the blackened surface of the dead tree and enveloped it, slamming the abomination down. Then, they moved like saws, their undersides turning into sharp blades.

      A few heartbeats later, the millipede was sawn into a dozen bleeding chunks. It struggled weakly, and then grew still.

      Sunny dismissed the shadows and stared at the gruesome remains incredulously. Then, he sighed and looked up.

      "...I'm supposed to eat that?"

      Before he could jump off the saddle to harvest the millipede's meat and soul shards, though, he sensed a tide of shadows moving in his direction.

      Soon enough, the broken forest came alive. It looked as if a flood of darkness flowed from under the ancient trunks, rushing at him with terrible speed. A deafening rustle assaulted his ears.

      Sunny cursed in a stifled voice.

      The flood of darkness was not the second coming of the Dark Sea - Instead, there were more millipedes slithering towards him. Thousands of them, at least, all of the same Rank and Class as the first one.

      Sunny was powerful. He was even powerful beyond belief, if compared to an average Saint. However, he was not inclined to battle a swarm of thousands of Corrupted Beasts.

      Dismissing Nightmare, he turned into a shadow and fled. A moment later, the tide of millipedes flowed over the remains of their fallen sibling, and in a split second, the meat he had been reluctant to collect was gone. Not even a piece of black chitin remained.

      Gliding away stealthily, Sunny let out a bitter, mental sigh.

      'No wonder.'

      No wonder none of the Sleepers of the Forgotten Shore had managed to find salvation by trying to reach another region of the Dream Realm. Even if they somehow managed to traverse thousands of kilometers of the crimson labyrinth, hiding from the Dark Sea at night, all that awaited them beyond the coral was death.

      Hollow Mountains and Nightmare Desert were a death warrant. But this Burned Forest was not any better. It was another Death Zone.

      Sunny had no doubt that there was no salvation west of the Forgotten Shore, either.

      ‘Doesn't matter.’

      Leaving the swarm of millipedes behind, he continued to move north.

      ***

      It took Sunny a long time to make his way through the Burned Forest. He was quickly reminded that he was at the bottom of the food chain - after that first encounter with the swarm of Corrupted Beasts, he met many more Nightmare Creatures, most of them much more powerful than the millipedes were.

      There were plenty of Great abominations on the outskirts of the forest... as for its depths, Sunny had not dared venturing there, moving instead in a wide circle.

      He had evaded some and killed some. His food stores were replenished, but his body was in a sorry state. It was to the point where he had to remain in the form of a shadow for a while, using one of the avatars as the main vessel of his consciousness instead.

      His incarnations were independent of each other, so if one received a wound, it was not reflected on the rest. Because of that, he could rotate them when there was a need, letting the damaged ones heal while the fresh ones fought.

      That way, he managed to survive crossing the Burned Forest.

      There were days when he moved, days when he rested, and days when he hid himself in the darkness, scouting the way ahead with utmost caution.

      During one of such days, Sunny witnessed something that rattled him to the core.

      As his shadow climbed on the taller remnant left behind by one of the burned trees, he could suddenly see deep into the forest, where an enormous depression in the earth was carpeted by broken trunks.

      And in the middle of that vast plain stood a charred stump.

      The sight of that stump left Sunny speechless.

      Its size was truly unimaginable. The surface where the trunk of the colossal tree had broken off was vast enough to be considered a plateau. Each bulging, blackened root was like a mountain. The creases of the scorched bark were like deep valleys, and the shadows populating them were enough to drown entire cities.

      Sunny could not imagine what could have destroyed such a tree. When it had stood whole, its crown must have brushed against the stars, and the sun must have passed between its branches, following the moon.

      If there had truly been a world tree, then this had to be its corpse.

      Somebody had annihilated it, complete with innumerable living beings that must have lived on its colossal branches.

      ‘...I'm so small.’

      Hidden far away, in a dark fissure between two fallen trunks, Sunny smiled darkly.

      He was so far below the unimaginable tree, and the being who had destroyed it, that even thinking

      about himself in that context was preposterous.

      For now, at least.

      ***

      Not long after that, Sunny continued his journey. He arduously made his way through the Burned Forest, and eventually left it behind.

      By then, the sun did not rise at night anymore.

      The sky was not entirely black, though. It was illuminated by countless stars, and although the moon did not show itself, he could see a ghostly radiance sometimes, as if it was hidden just out of sight.

      The weather slowly turned more and more severe. Sunny was no stranger to cold, but still, he was starting to struggle slightly.

      The ground was slowly devoured by ice. Sunny continued to move north, and at some point, he could not see ground at the bottom of the deep cracks in the ice anymore - instead, there was only water.

      By then, he really felt as if he was approaching the edge of the world.

      Sunny journeyed on, overcome by strange excitement.

      Would he really reach the boundary of the Dream Realm? There was curvature to the horizon here, so reasonably, this strange world was supposed to be a sphere, just like Earth. So, he might end up entering the Stormsea from the south.

      However, reason did not always work in the Dream Realm. So, Sunny could easily imagine that the world would just end, opening up into an endless dark abyss. Or maybe an infinity of billowing white mist... into nothing.

      What would it feel like, to stand on the edge of the world and peer beyond?

      Suffering from cold and lethal wind, Sunny stubbornly moved further north.

      There was nothing around him anymore. No ruins, no Nightmare Creatures, no signs of ancient battles. Only the wind, the ice, and the stars.

      But then, one day...

      Something suddenly appeared in the distance. A shape that was different from all the rest, too orderly and smooth to not be artificial,

      Barely containing his fascination, Sunny walked in that direction.

      He moved closer and closer, until the strange structure finally revealed itself.

      Sunny stumbled.

      His weathered face suddenly froze. All traces of excitement were erased from it, replaced by a deep, powerful emotion that wasn't quite horror and wasn't quite shock, but very close to both.

      He swayed slightly.

      "Aaaah...."

      A slow exhale slowly escaped from his lips.

      Sunny sank to his knees.

      Tears rolled from his eyes, turning into drops of ice.

      "Here... it's here."

      It was.

      A bitter smile split his pale face apart.

      Out there in front of him, hidden in the ice... stood a small settlement. It was surrounded by a thick wall, which was now broken and covered in snow.

      There was a large dome-like structure towering above the settlement, painted white against the backdrop of the starlit sky. It resembled a giant, perfectly smooth egg.

      It was an observatory... a lunar observatory.

      It was LO49.
      Read more
      1. Online Offline
        ZEXOS
        ZEXOS
        + 10 ⋅ 0 -
        Noo, LO49 done end up becoming a part of a Dream World😭. I still remember Professor Obel R.I.P.🙏😭
        Read more
      2. Offline
        Kiber
        Kiber
        + 2 ⋅ 0 -
        Я что-то не понял каким образом LO49 стал частью Кошмара или это рассказывалось в прошлых главах и я был слепым frost
        Read more
        1. Offline
          Dummybaron
          Dummybaron
          + 0 ⋅ 1 -
          Ну об этом уже говорилось, Каждый регион Dream Realm был отдельным миром когда-то, именно поэтому они так сильно отличаются и имеют разный Космос(Луны, Солнца, Звёзды). Каждый мир был поглощён Dream Realm, Земля тоже поглощается по частям. Америка уже поглощена и теперь к ней присоединяется Антарктика(или уже полностью присоединилась, в конце концов то что мы видим сейчас это всего лишь флешбек).
          Read more
          1. Offline
            Kiber
            Kiber
            + 1 ⋅ 0 -
            Я почему-то думал, что заклинанию сначало надо полностью захватить мир, чтобы он появился в Кошмаре, почему я так думал-Я не знаю frost
            Read more
            1. Offline
              Dummybaron
              Dummybaron
              + 0 ⋅ 1 -
              Тоже так думал, до этой главы
              Read more
      3. Offline
        Say God is one
        Say God is one
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        This is a very big reveal in the story.
        Read more
      4. Offline
        Lrb
        Lrb
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        Resumo do final 🤯🤯 lshock 9
        Read more
      5. Offline
        Zrilla
        Zrilla
        + 2 ⋅ 0 -
        Если кто не понял, то это не только LO49 стал частью мира кошмаров, а часть планеты Земля уже поглощена царством кошмара. Если помните то говорилось что первые врата в царство кошмара стали появляться на Луне, для наблюдения за ними и были построены станции LO. Ну так вот, походу не только планета поглощается царством кошмара но и луна, солнце, весь космос. Ведь у каждого региона царства кошмара своë небо, солнце и Луны/луна
        Read more
  5. Offline
    DanielPlay
    DanielPlay
    + 6 ⋅ 10 -
    The current volume has 203 chapters in total, that is, it already has more chapters than vol1, vol4 and vol6. I think the author has already dragged out the beginning of this war too much, I hope he doesn't make the same mistake as the previous volume, Ariel's Tomb, where he dragged out too many unnecessary situations and conversations to extend the volume, how can we forget Sunny and Nephis going through 30ch on top of the turtle, it was cool at first, but then it was extremely tiring and tedious. 🤔🤔
    Read more
    1. Offline
      DanielPlay
      DanielPlay
      + 2 ⋅ 9 -
      Not to mention the lack of fights, all this conspiracy is cool, but the lack of battles is starting to make me bored.
      Read more
      1. Offline
        Zrilla
        Zrilla
        + 1 ⋅ 2 -
        Ну да э, то что нам не показали битву нифиса и команды против главного босса грабницы Ариэль, это полная лажа. Нам так расписывали какое это будет испытание но саму битву не рассказали.
        Read more
    2. Offline
      ropero
      ropero
      + 8 ⋅ 2 -
      I think the reason for this is the sheer amount of subplots that are running simultaniously. We have: huge Rain arc, Sunny's past, what cohort is doing without Sunny, chaps with Sunny/Nephis and Sunny/Cassie. G3 tries to do them all in parallel, making progress in each specific arc slower than in previous volumes, which is, truth be told, a tad bit tedious.
      Read more
    3. Offline
      Dadadai Shukosha
      Dadadai Shukosha
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      É muito mais legal ter uma profundidade de enredo, outros pontos de vistas e explicações aqui e ali do que só chega e luta toda hora.
      Read more
  6. Offline
    ropero
    ropero
    + 14 ⋅ 0 -
    1794 Last Memory


    There was a lot more to talk about, so they returned to the courtyard and Immersed themselves in a detailed discussion of the upcoming war. Now that both knew what hidden cards they held, they could work out how to deal with a great number of possible events effectively. At the same time, more issues were uncovered as they discussed tactical solutions.

    For example, Cassie possessed a much deeper knowledge of what Aspects, Abilities, and Memories the main combatants of both Domains possessed. She could share all that knowledge with Sunny, which would help him deal with these people on the battlefield, should the need arise.

    He had collected a lot of information in the last year, but she knew more. So, he felt a subtle sense of excitement as many of the gaps in his understanding of the playing field, the players, and the figures they would move were covered one by one.

    Still, it was a strange conversation. Neither of them had the ability to predict how the war would turn out, exactly. So, they were simply preparing themselves to face the unknown as best they could. The rulers of the Great Clans were having similar meetings, without a doubt. Granted, theirs were much more crowded and ostentatious.

    Sunny also knew that, although he was facing Cassie, Nephis was passively participating in the conversation as well. The blind seer had the ability to communicate with her telepathically, after all. So, she was both talking to him and relaying the necessary information to Nephis at the same time, asking for her Input when it was needed.

    After a while, it seemed like they had finally exhausted the deep well of things that needed to be discussed urgently. Finally, silence enveloped the Nameless Temple once more.

    Cassie poured herself more tea and picked up the cup, turning to the lonesome tree.

    After a while, she spoke evenly:

    "The situation is developing rapidly in the waking world. Clan Valor has already leveled accusations against Master Dar and Silent Stalker. They are not pointing directly at Clan Song, yet, but when the Queen inevitably refuses to support the investigation, it would be all too easy to make it seem as if she is implicated."

    She let out a deep sigh.

    "Both Domains are boiling with indignation. The citizens of the Sword Domain are in outrage over the attempt on Neph's life, while those in the Song Domain are appalled at being accused of it. Passions are burning hot, and all the seeds of discord that had been planted earlier are blooming. The situation is highly volatile. If this continues..."

    The young woman hesitated for a few moments,

    "I'm afraid that peace won't outlive winter, Come spring, one of the Sovereigns will declare war”

    Spring was roughly a month away. Sunny knew these facts himself, but he still couldn't quite believe that the calamity was so near.

    Had the ancient people felt the same way in the days before the Doom War?

    A month was not a lot of time at all.

    He closed his eyes for a moment.

    'I won't be able to forge the sword for Nephis in time.’

    Nor would he be able to solve the mirror maze below the true Bastion in time. Not to mention that he had not even gotten close to infiltrating the Jade Palace yet.

    It seemed that he would only be able to gain more fragments of Weaver's lineage after the rulers of the two Great Citadels were gone. Unless he wanted to leave his main body and one of the six shadows on the sidelines, leaving himself in a weakened state for the carnage in Godgrave.

    What was he going to do with the humble shopkeeper once the war started?

    Nephis would leave Bastion. Cassie, too...

    Was he really going to stay?

    Sunny sighed, then looked at his blind companion.

    "I don't think that our private deal can continue."

    Cassie had agreed to hide his presence in the true Bastion in exchange for reading his memories. Sunny could only sneak there when the moon was full. And if the war was going to start in a month...

    She remained silent for a moment.

    "There is still a full moon left before the war.”

    Sunny shook his head dejectedly.

    "I don't think that I'll be able to conquer that maze in a single night. Still... there is one more memory I want to show you."

    A pale smile appeared on his lips.

    "So, how about we do it right now?"

    Cassie was a little startled.

    "Now? Here?"

    He nodded.

    "We are alone, and no one will disturb us. I'll have more time to explore the maze if I pay for your services in advance."

    She seemed a little hesitant.

    "Are you sure?"

    Instead of answering, Sunny finished his tea, then stood up and moved his chair closer.

    "Quite sure. Look into my eyes."

    Cassie remained motionless for a few moments, then did what he had told her to do.

    Sunny thought back to the Forgotten Shore.

    ***

    He was laying on the weathered stone, staring dispassionately at the empty black sky. His face was motionless, and his eyes were empty.

    He had scaled the statue of the Knight a day or two ago, and simply remained there without moving ever since. This was where he had first arrived at the Forgotten Shore, all those years ago.

    There was no feeling or desire in his heart.

    ‘...How did I end up on this damned statue all alone again?’

    Life was such a funny thing. He had worked so hard, and suffered so much, but here he was, right where he had started.

    What was he supposed to do now?

    He remembered the black mirror of the sealed sea once more, feeling regretful for not diving into its dark depths. That would have been a fitting way to end it all.

    But he had already decided against it, so there was no going back.

    Instead, he would just stay here for a while more.

    Another day passed in deafening silence.

    And then, another.

    And then... Sunny grew bored.

    It seemed that boredom was a much more powerful emotion than all the rest. Because he was still tormented by it, even when nothing else was able to bother him much.

    Eventually, Sunny let out a frustrated sigh.

    "This is seriously tedious."

    Muttering a curse, he sat up and looked around.

    ‘Alright.’

    There was nothing more he wanted to see on the Forgotten Shore. So, it was time to decide where he was going to go next.

    The Hollow Mountains lay south. The Nightmare Desert lay east.

    No one knew what lay west and north.

    So, these were his two choices.

    Follow the mountains west, or venture in the opposite direction of where humans lived?

    'Let's get as much distance between me and humanity as possible.'

    Sunny smiled faintly, then stood up.

    In the past, it was an arduous process for him, to descend from the colossal statue. But now, he simply stepped and fell down, turning into a crow at the last moment. Opening his wings, he glided on the cold wind and flew above the ashen desert.

    It was time to delve into the unknown.
    Read more
  7. Offline
    Максим Довбняк
    Максим Довбняк
    + 26 ⋅ 1 -
    Chapter 1794: Last Memory


    There was a lot more to talk about, so they returned to the courtyard and Immersed themselves in a detailed discussion of the upcoming war. Now that both knew what hidden cards they held, they could work out how to deal with a great number of possible events effectively. At the same time, more issues were uncovered as they discussed tactical solutions.

    For example, Cassie possessed a much deeper knowledge of what Aspects, Abilities, and Memories the main combatants of both Domains possessed. She could share all that knowledge with Sunny, which would help him deal with these people on the battlefield, should the need arise.

    He had collected a lot of information in the last year, but she knew more. So, he felt a subtle sense of excitement as many of the gaps in his understanding of the playing field, the players, and the figures they would move were covered one by one.

    Still, it was a strange conversation. Neither of them had the ability to predict how the war would turn out, exactly. So, they were simply preparing themselves to face the unknown as best they could. The rulers of the Great Clans were having similar meetings, without a doubt. Granted, theirs were much more crowded and ostentatious.

    Sunny also knew that, although he was facing Cassie, Nephis was passively participating in the conversation as well. The blind seer had the ability to communicate with her telepathically, after all. So, she was both talking to him and relaying the necessary information to Nephis at the same time, asking for her Input when it was needed.

    After a while, it seemed like they had finally exhausted the deep well of things that needed to be discussed urgently. Finally, silence enveloped the Nameless Temple once more.

    Cassie poured herself more tea and picked up the cup, turning to the lonesome tree.

    After a while, she spoke evenly:

    "The situation is developing rapidly in the waking world. Clan Valor has already leveled accusations against Master Dar and Silent Stalker. They are not pointing directly at Clan Song, yet, but when the Queen inevitably refuses to support the investigation, it would be all too easy to make it seem as if she is implicated."

    She let out a deep sigh.

    "Both Domains are boiling with indignation. The citizens of the Sword Domain are in outrage over the attempt on Neph's life, while those in the Song Domain are appalled at being accused of it. Passions are burning hot, and all the seeds of discord that had been planted earlier are blooming. The situation is highly volatile. If this continues..."

    The young woman hesitated for a few moments,

    "I'm afraid that peace won't outlive winter, Come spring, one of the Sovereigns will declare war”

    Spring was roughly a month away. Sunny knew these facts himself, but he still couldn't quite believe that the calamity was so near.

    Had the ancient people felt the same way in the days before the Doom War?

    A month was not a lot of time at all.

    He closed his eyes for a moment.

    'I won't be able to forge the sword for Nephis in time.’

    Nor would he be able to solve the mirror maze below the true Bastion in time. Not to mention that he had not even gotten close to infiltrating the Jade Palace yet.

    It seemed that he would only be able to gain more fragments of Weaver's lineage after the rulers of the two Great Citadels were gone. Unless he wanted to leave his main body and one of the six shadows on the sidelines, leaving himself in a weakened state for the carnage in Godgrave.

    What was he going to do with the humble shopkeeper once the war started?

    Nephis would leave Bastion. Cassie, too...

    Was he really going to stay?

    Sunny sighed, then looked at his blind companion.

    "I don't think that our private deal can continue."

    Cassie had agreed to hide his presence in the true Bastion in exchange for reading his memories. Sunny could only sneak there when the moon was full. And if the war was going to start in a month...

    She remained silent for a moment.

    "There is still a full moon left before the war.”

    Sunny shook his head dejectedly.

    "I don't think that I'll be able to conquer that maze in a single night. Still... there is one more memory I want to show you."

    A pale smile appeared on his lips.

    "So, how about we do it right now?"

    Cassie was a little startled.

    "Now? Here?"

    He nodded.

    "We are alone, and no one will disturb us. I'll have more time to explore the maze if I pay for your services in advance."

    She seemed a little hesitant.

    "Are you sure?"

    Instead of answering, Sunny finished his tea, then stood up and moved his chair closer.

    "Quite sure. Look into my eyes."

    Cassie remained motionless for a few moments, then did what he had told her to do.

    Sunny thought back to the Forgotten Shore.

    ***

    He was laying on the weathered stone, staring dispassionately at the empty black sky. His face was motionless, and his eyes were empty.

    He had scaled the statue of the Knight a day or two ago, and simply remained there without moving ever since. This was where he had first arrived at the Forgotten Shore, all those years ago.

    There was no feeling or desire in his heart.

    ‘...How did I end up on this damned statue all alone again?’

    Life was such a funny thing. He had worked so hard, and suffered so much, but here he was, right where he had started.

    What was he supposed to do now?

    He remembered the black mirror of the sealed sea once more, feeling regretful for not diving into its dark depths. That would have been a fitting way to end it all.

    But he had already decided against it, so there was no going back.

    Instead, he would just stay here for a while more.

    Another day passed in deafening silence.

    And then, another.

    And then... Sunny grew bored.

    It seemed that boredom was a much more powerful emotion than all the rest. Because he was still tormented by it, even when nothing else was able to bother him much.

    Eventually, Sunny let out a frustrated sigh.

    "This is seriously tedious."

    Muttering a curse, he sat up and looked around.

    ‘Alright.’

    There was nothing more he wanted to see on the Forgotten Shore. So, it was time to decide where he was going to go next.

    The Hollow Mountains lay south. The Nightmare Desert lay east.

    No one knew what lay west and north.

    So, these were his two choices.

    Follow the mountains west, or venture in the opposite direction of where humans lived?

    'Let's get as much distance between me and humanity as possible.'

    Sunny smiled faintly, then stood up.

    In the past, it was an arduous process for him, to descend from the colossal statue. But now, he simply stepped and fell down, turning into a crow at the last moment. Opening his wings, he glided on the cold wind and flew above the ashen desert.

    It was time to delve into the unknown.
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Lrb
      Lrb
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Estranhamente curto o capítulo gloom
      Read more
  8. Offline
    MefetraN7
    MefetraN7
    + 1 ⋅ 0 -
    Quote: Cj.17
    I would have to disagree with u mate. But I would say that everyone isn't really inherently that bad all the time but everyone tries to justify what they did why they did it. But sometimes it isn't enough. In the case of nephis's clan and father, it's just assumption that they were bad that's why they had to kill but it wasn't good choice even if it was true cus that time the nightmare just came and humanity needed all the help they could get but these ppl massacred a whole clan for what?? Cus one of them was bad or two?? That isn't justifiable but I'm sure they had reasons.

    Also asterion not getting involved isn't cus he is good but as mention maybe his domain doesn't have anything to do with ppl like song and anvil and also nephis. Maybe who knows, he has a whole clan which is hidden from the world?? I would also say he is the scariest but that doesn't mean he is bad but at the same time what justification does he have holding mordret as hostage??? And literally his father did nothing cus maybe he knew he shouldn't mess with him. Also I wouldn't mind mordret becoming sovereign tbh cus he brings something to the table even if he seems bad but that's cus they made him look like villain just cause he is like nephis?? Idk what it was called but he is from two worlds so the trauma he went through as a child, growing up with someone he didn't know and surviving all of that, I don't think he deserves to die. I would say he is cockroach like sunny and I'm sure at some point he might ally with sunny cus the only reason he tried to get rid of sunny is cuss he knows he is a trouble and might mess with his plans. But he is crazy and hard to predict I will give him that.

    One of my favourite characters tbh

    Убили клан нефа потому что вроде отец нефиса был выдающимся. И было же сказано что он мог первым вознестись слишком рано, что могло сделать врат кошмара в разы сильнее. Люди были бы не готовы. А так убили и трое стали владыками, чем один.
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Cj.17
      Cj.17
      + 3 ⋅ 0 -
      Does that even make sense to u really?? And later on they decided to ascend themselves?? They could have at least stopped and reasoned but as they say there is three parts to the truth: my truth, your truth and the truth itself so them saying that doesn't make it the truth but cover up.
      Read more
  9. Offline
    Dummybaron
    Dummybaron
    + 2 ⋅ 3 -
    even if he seems bad but that's cus they made him look like villain just cause he is like nephis??

    I'm sorry what the actual Fu#k you mean? No I genuinely ask because last time I checked Mordret doesn't care about anything, like at all, exept his goals and life. Mordret is basically Skinwalker just with different set of goals, other than that they completely same. Mordret wants to kill 1. whole Valor clan 2. Asterion if he could he would trade all of humanity to achive his goal.

    Nephis wants to kill Sovereigns but it's not her main goal just part of the road to Greater Ones, Nephis wants to destroy the Spell but what she means by that is destroying source of Corruption, Nightmare Creatures and creating world where nobody will suffer as much as she did. Where are they they same?! Cus both want to kill Sovereigns? If Thieving Bird kill Sovereign it will be same as Nephis?
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Cj.17
      Cj.17
      + 2 ⋅ 0 -
      Mordret is the literal definition of f#ck around and find out. When subjugating a 12 year old with all the things they have done to him do u think he will be normal?? Fr?? He literally doesn't care cus why should he?? Give me a reason?? U don't think sunny and nephis killing sovereign as bad thing cus of what they have went through and how they justify but just cus u don't know mordret doesn't make him bad. Also what does caring about anything have to do with him?? It's not like they helped him avoid asterion nor being locked up and taking his freedom. Fr if mordret decides to massacre Valor clan then it's justified cus the whole upper echelon decided to do that to him and also he just wants to take revenge on the upper echelon and not the whole of Valor so I don't see how that is evil and u have sunny saying he want to kill them just cus they do nothing?? Like how does he know they are doing nothing. Everyone justifies what they do but at the end of the day none of them went through what mordret went through not even nephis herself and if there is someone who is as determined as nephis( if not more than her) then it's mordret so I don't understand Ur reaction at all tbh. Mordret looks Ur typical villain but he ain't villain.

      Again with the justification of destroying spell isn't enough. That's enough for nephis but if she does then trust me, humanity is doomed cus none of them know how to use ancient power without the spell. And nephis is assumption is based on the spell causing the corruption but is it really?? Since when?? It's just preparing them from what we have seen so far. I expected since u are seeing from every pov, u would at least realise that than agree with her cus she doesn't know much about it like sunny does. And Ur point of bird I don't get how it's relevant cus that thing is nightmare creature while mordret is a human with distorted emotions cus of his trauma. No one went to the nightmare being 12 years old and if u don't get that then idk what to say fr.
      Read more
      1. Offline
        Dummybaron
        Dummybaron
        + 0 ⋅ 2 -
        Backstory should explain character not justify

        I understand that Mordret was through a lot of shit during childhood. He doesn't understand concepts of Love and Sadness, all he knows now is Hate and Happiness that his Hate being fulfilled. All this justifys his Goals to kill Sovereigns but that doesn't justify his methods, he is ruthless absolutely ruthless, the only reason he didn't kill Sunny was because of Divine Aspect, Mordret could become an ally to Sunny he could have done it without taking his life but he wanted to kill him, in the end he didn't kill him only because Saints were there. Mordret would kill anybody and then justify it like "it was necessary sacrifice for my plan" it could be a six years old as long as Mordret finds their body usefull one way or another, it could be Awakened it could be a civilian Mordret doesn't care, all he cares is his goal everything else is irrelevant, and when Mordret becom Sovereign what do you think will be his first actions? Kill Anvil and then hold Cohort as a hostage so Sunny and Nephis wouldn't kill him. For Sunny and Cohort he creates more problem it just not worth becoming friend with him when he sacrifice you as soon as there will be a chance to reach his goal. Mordret apsolutely doesn't care if Song lives, he doesn't care about Thieving Bird, about Dream God who could kill all of humanity at any moment, all Mordret care is his own goals. Mordret doesn't care how many would die in the process 1million? 1billion? whats the difference huh?

        Sunny and Nephis want to become a Sovereigns because it's necessarily for humanity to have more Sovereigns to survive, current Sovereigns wouldn't let anybody else become Sovereigns, there for kill them.

        About the Spell and why Nephis want to destroy it. Spell is not necessarily the main problem it's just look like it for Nephis. What Nephis wants is destroying not the Spell but source of Corruption, Abominations, and all this bullshitery in the world, to create better world where nobody would suffer as much as her or Mordret or litteraly any other Awakened. Mordret wants to fulfill his hateful desire and spit on Sovereign's graves, whatever it takes he is willing to put everyone in danger including himself to do it. Nephis wants to kill Sovereigns because in her worldview it will help humanity and even if it hers egoistic desire, she won't kill inocent people, because on the first place she doesn't want inocent people to suffer. I don't saying Mordret is a villain I'm saying as a person he is piece of shit, good character, but as a person piece of shit, which is understandable, but I will not justify Hitler because he had sad childhood/bacstory(if he had one Idk). why should I justify Mordret because of that?.
        Read more
        1. Offline
          Cj.17
          Cj.17
          + 1 ⋅ 0 -
          First of all u keep going back to him not giving a f#ck about anyone and u didn't answer till now why he should. Did they help him? Did they prevent asterion from taking him?? So why should he care?? I'm surprised that he is still sane person compared to sunny in some aspects. I was also surprised that he gave back the kid his body back. He also doesn't go around killing ppl so idk how he is a piece of s. U only empathise with sunny and nephis cus we know their backstories but there are things which are irreversible. I'm not here to justify this irl but in the story and how the world works, it's justifiable just like his father justified for whatever reason it was that he locked up a 12 yo. There might have been sings of him being psycho but they could have helped him cus he is the only one who went to the nightmare as literally a kid.

          Also another point is, if they are gonna die, why they just don't die and stop getting in his way. U act like just cus nephis wants to save ppl from the nightmare and therefore kill the sovereigns that there won't be blood. Not matter which side u take wether it's nephis or mordret there will be blood and both can't be justified irl so we just have to agree to disagree. Also it's not mordret who is taking a leap of faith but nephis and sunny who aren't even sovereigns. Like tbh they are the real joke in this story if u think about. I'm not here to justify mordret's revenge but at least if we are gonna go by the logic of lesser evil then at least mordret wants to kill his father the most then asterion which mean there will be one more sovereign and humans aren't doomed. What is this? A bed time story where the princess gets whatever she wishes for?? Both have their pros and cons.

          U literally have no problems with sunny saying he want to kill cus they are putting a leash on him while u say mordret can't kill even if he was put on leash for all his life?? The inconsistencies and hypocrisy is too much for me man so have a nice day/night
          Read more
  10. Offline
    Dummybaron
    Dummybaron
    + 1 ⋅ 2 -
    Talking about Asterion, I really doubt he is as bad as others, maybe he murdered Neph's father(we still don't know why, maybe it was justified), but unlike others he protected Neph, and didn't let Sovereigns kill her by sending a Saint. Mordret speaks of him as someone scary but he doesn't say anything else exept the fact that he hate Asterion, he doesn't even explain why. Also I honestly would prefer anyone being a Sovereign more than Mordret being one, but that off the point. Other Sovereigns/Saints also warry of him, and I believe that Asterion did the best choice he could, didn't usurped power over Saints and went to study more about Dream Realm. I believe that he will join forces with Cohort, and killing him from what we know now, is just killing another potential very strong ally. Or maybe he is in 5th Nightmare as Eightsixtwo_ says wich kinda explains where he disapeared.
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Precious Randel
      Precious Randel
      + 0 ⋅ 1 -
      Asterion didn't kill neph because he has plan of his own his gathering people with divine linage he would have gone after sunny for shadows legacy but blood we've consumed shadows legacy and now that his no longer fated asterion probably doesn't remember him.
      Read more
      1. Offline
        Dummybaron
        Dummybaron
        + 0 ⋅ 2 -
        Thats what we know, and is based only on Sunny's and Neph's opinion on why Asterion spared Neph's life and took Mordret as his student. But that doesn't necessarily true, it's just only explanation we got right now.
        Read more
        1. Offline
          Cj.17
          Cj.17
          + 1 ⋅ 0 -
          I would have to disagree with u mate. But I would say that everyone isn't really inherently that bad all the time but everyone tries to justify what they did why they did it. But sometimes it isn't enough. In the case of nephis's clan and father, it's just assumption that they were bad that's why they had to kill but it wasn't good choice even if it was true cus that time the nightmare just came and humanity needed all the help they could get but these ppl massacred a whole clan for what?? Cus one of them was bad or two?? That isn't justifiable but I'm sure they had reasons.

          Also asterion not getting involved isn't cus he is good but as mention maybe his domain doesn't have anything to do with ppl like song and anvil and also nephis. Maybe who knows, he has a whole clan which is hidden from the world?? I would also say he is the scariest but that doesn't mean he is bad but at the same time what justification does he have holding mordret as hostage??? And literally his father did nothing cus maybe he knew he shouldn't mess with him. Also I wouldn't mind mordret becoming sovereign tbh cus he brings something to the table even if he seems bad but that's cus they made him look like villain just cause he is like nephis?? Idk what it was called but he is from two worlds so the trauma he went through as a child, growing up with someone he didn't know and surviving all of that, I don't think he deserves to die. I would say he is cockroach like sunny and I'm sure at some point he might ally with sunny cus the only reason he tried to get rid of sunny is cuss he knows he is a trouble and might mess with his plans. But he is crazy and hard to predict I will give him that.

          One of my favourite characters tbh
          Read more
1 2