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Chapter 1790: Value of Regret
Shadow Slave

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Comments 82

  1. Offline
    Andre Boothe
    + 6 ⋅ 1 -
    Please don't, I can't stand him becoming a slave again
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  2. Offline
    Kenneth
    + 6 ⋅ 0 -
    CASSIE knows EVERYTHING 3
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  3. Offline
    Gerhman_Sparrow23
    + 8 ⋅ 0 -
    "I've never told you about it, so maybe you'll remember."

    However, she did not. Cassie seemed distracted for a moment, and then said calmly:

    "Should we proceed to the actual discussion, then?"

    So she had known that about him, as well.


    How? When? Why?
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    1. Offline
      Dummybaron
      + 15 ⋅ 0 -
      Bruh, she could spy on him at any moment, and he talked about that tree with Nephis + she could see future and stuf like that. So in the past she just heard him speaking about it.
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      Rãōõñ
      + 2 ⋅ 0 -
      She should have been the one tittled silent stalker
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  4. Offline
    Kiber
    + 4 ⋅ 1 -
    Думмибарон в новых главах как раз говорится об этой проблеме boast
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    1. Offline
      Максим Довбняк
      + 15 ⋅ 0 -
      Because, it's pointless discussions in the comments below. There is one argument that explains everything very very clearly. Sovereigns will not share power, they will not allow new Sovereigns to appear. The real world will soon die, and with this approach, humanity will not survive. Any Unholy creature will destroy their pathetic domains while they fight for power. It is better to risk and do what must be done than to submit to these bastards.

      Maybe they do not know everything, but I am sure that the cohort would not arrange a war with each other (maybe there are a limit on the number of sovereigns and it affects the world, the rest except Sunny and Neph would refuse), but they certainly would not kill little girls or sacrifice millions of lives to increase their power.

      Besides, they're not idiots to do it without preparation. They're the strongest Saints in history.
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      1. Online Offline
        Rãōõñ
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        I commented something like this too sunny and nephis domains seems etheral
        Author is escaping that limitations that the cohort might not be able to keep specially in matters of domain by giving them such etheral domains so there is never a conflict of course even if there was they won't fight like that
        But still author shouldn't make every member of orginal cohort divine and sacred right??
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  5. Offline
    ropero
    + 17 ⋅ 0 -
    1791 Queenmaker


    Sunny and Cassle were seated across from each other, enjoying tea and refreshments. The courtyard was peaceful, and the leaves rustled quietly above them. Other than that, there were no other sounds.

    The scene would have been picturesque if not for the fact the world was shrouded in absolute darkness. Neither of them had any need for light, and that, too, was a reason why having Cassie here felt comfortable to Sunny.

    Dirty deeds were meant to be done under the cover of darkness. And although them having tea in a friendly atmosphere seemed innocent enough, in truth, it was a meeting between two people who conspired to usurp the world in a mayhem of violence. There was hardly a dirtier and more treasonous intent than a bloody rebellion.

    Today, they were going to reveal their cards to each other. Without knowing what each of them was scheming, it would be impossible to form a meaningful cooperation.

    Cassie was going to relay all the information to Nephis, of course.

    She sighed.

    "Fundamentally, there are two tasks that need to be accomplished. One is to eliminate the Sovereigns, The other is to usurp their thrones, Needless to say, both are hard to achieve.”

    She sipped her tea and took a bite from a soft pastry.

    "You should know by now some of the work that has gone into ensuring the former. Ultimately, Nephis is responsible for warfare and conquest. My role in ensuring the downfall of the Sovereigns is limited - for now, I have been mainly focused on elevating her renown in the hearts of the people. It's pure propaganda - I have my avenues of manipulating the public opinion, and Jet has the government sources, as well. It... has been a long road, to get where we are now."

    She smiled faintly.

    "Of course, we were fortunate in many regards. The decision made by the government to turn Nephis into a symbol, back when she had failed to return from the Forgotten Shore, was a stroke of luck. The reason why they made that decision the great and tragic legacy of Immortal Flame and Broken Sword - is a grim blessing, as well. Conquering the Second Nightmare as a Sleeper and being adopted by a Great Clan added momentum to her rise to glory and breathed new life into her stirring tale. And lastly, the harsh treatment she received from the elders of Valor only played into our hand, fuelling the flames of her legend,"

    Cassie shook her head lightly,

    "Plus, it is not that hard to embellish Neph's achievements. No, not even so..., there is no need to embellish anything. Her past feats are astonishing, and she has fought against the Nightmare Spell tirelessly for the past four years. She is always on the forefront, spilling her own blood for someone else's sake. Better yet, she has never lost a battle after becoming a Saint. The number of lives she has saved is incalculable. So It's embarrassing to admit, but my job as her spymaster is rather easy. I just have to fan the flames and help the stories of her deeds spread faster and wider."

    She took another sip of tea and remained silent for a moment.

    "It is to strengthen the foundation of her Domain, of course. But not only for that. If... when Nephis faces the Sovereigns in battle and vanquishes them, it is paramount that her Domain consumes theirs. There is no point otherwise. The Sword Domain, the Song Domain - when the war is over, there should only be the Immortal Flame Domain, and it must encompass all of humanity. Becoming the Human Domain. Not only because hundreds of millions of people in the Dream Realm would be thrust into the First Nightmare otherwise, but also to prepare for what comes next."

    Cassie unhurriedly finished her pastry.

    "There are a lot of things that must be done to achieve that. Nephis is already immensely venerated by the people, but when the time comes, she has to be acknowledged by the Saints who hold dominion over the Citadels, They must pledge their loyalty to her after Ki Song and Anvil of Valor are gone. It would be simpler to eliminate all the loyalists and raise new ones to replace them, but those loyalists are also the foundation of humanity's strength. So, we have to proceed with a surgical decapitation strike instead of a thorough culling. Then, we must get every Legacy Clan to bow before the new queen."

    Her expression darkened a little.

    "There are already more than a few Saints who share a bond with Nephis. Like Sky Tide of the White Feather clan, who had been mistreated by Valor, and whose life we saved during the Battle of the Black Skull. There are others, as well, who have been helped by her in recent years. The government will follow Jet, and we even have a few connections in the Song Domain. However... there is still a lot of work to be done, on that front. If there is a saving grace to all that, it's that the weight of an individual in the era of the Nightmare Spell is infinitely greater than it had ever been before. Because one person can indeed be more powerful than an army. If Nephis is the only Supreme left standing, then many people would feel compelled to submit, simply because resisting her would be a tall task."

    She closed her eyes for a moment, a tired expression on her face.

    "Still, there has to be a neat story to create a veil of legitimacy, And that..., that is much harder to manifest out of thin air. As things are going, the assassination attempt on Nephis would be used as the reason for the war-so, in a way, the war will start from her. If we want everyone to accept her ending it, then we must position her as the voice of those who are opposed to the war from the very start. That way, when she betrays her adoptive clan and eliminates both Sovereigns, we can present it as a courageous person making a reluctant choice to stop two warmongering tyrants, not a murderous opportunist who wants to become a tyrant herself. A peacemaker, not a usurper"

    Her tea was growing cold.

    "That is it, in broad strokes. Now, for the details... where do I even start?"

    After that, Cassie went into a detailed explanation of all the schemes she was weaving behind the scenes, every resource at Neph's disposal, every connection, every clandestine preparation, every strategy and tactic they had developed for the eventual battle against the Sovereigns.

    She spoke for quite some time, to say the least. The scope of it all was nothing short of daunting... so much so that Sunny doubted which one of them had seven bodies, for a moment.

    The work had started a long time ago - pretty much immediately after the Forgotten Shore. However, it had only truly ramped out in the last four years, It seemed like neither Cassie nor Nephis had rested even for a minute after becoming Saints.

    And yet, it still didn't seem enough.

    How could it be, if their goal was so ambitious? Not only did they want to bring down the current rulers of the world, but also to put the crown on Neph's head.

    After a while, Cassie grew quiet. By then, one of the avatars had replaced the tea kettle several times, as well as delivered more refreshments.

    Sunny sighed, then shook his head slightly.

    "I understand that the actual battle with the Sovereigns is not your responsibility, Cassie. Nephis is in charge of that. However... I still think that you are treating the act of killing them too lightly. Your preparations are insufficient. Your approach is too reliant on simply willing victory into existence. Sure, that is exactly what Nephis is known for... but, still. There is a huge hole in the plan."

    He lingered for a few moments, then smiled darkly.

    "...Luckily, I am here to fill it.”
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    1. Offline
      ropero
      + 18 ⋅ 0 -
      1792 Bait and Switch


      Sunny remained silent for a few moments, then stood up.

      "Please, follow me. I want to show you something."

      Cassie rose, and they walked together through the impenetrable darkness. As they did, he spoke in a tone of indifference:

      "You know a lot about what I've been up to after becoming a Saint. For a while... I did not even have plans of ever returning. So, my preparations are not as extensive as yours. Still, I've been working on bringing down the Sovereigns earnestly, in my own way."

      She nodded.

      "Your involvement is both welcome and appreciated. You might want to be modest, Sunny... but there is really no need to. There are very few Saints more powerful than you. Maybe even none. So, your presence alone is significant enough to change the balance of power entirely."

      Sunny smiled.

      "Who says that I want to be modest? Yes, I am powerful. Not only am I powerful, but each of my Shadows is also a walking calamity. There are only six people in the world that I am inclined to be wary of the three Sovereigns, Mordret, Nephis... and you.

      His smile widened.

      "And look at that, three of the six have decided to join hands to defeat the rest. I'd be afraid of us if 1 was someone else."

      They returned to the inner sanctum of the temple and entered the stairwell to the underground level.

      Sunny's smile dimmed a little.

      "Returning to my preparations to kill the Supremes. Make no mistake... I am determined to achieve Supremacy without venturing into a Nightmare, as well. It's just that while Nephis is prevented from doing so by circumstances, I simply can't. Because... well, you know. Sadly, I must admit that I am half a step behind her, in that regard. Which is why my plan revolved around battling at least one of the Sovereigns as Saints."

      They reached the great underground hall, which was drowning in darkness. Sunny had hidden it from Nephis the last time around. However, Cassie was witnessing the world through his eyes - so, she could see everything that he could see.

      She was momentarily frozen in place.

      "Don't worry. It's safe."

      The hidden level was like a reflection of the main hall, as if someone had flipped the entire temple and put it below ground upside-down. The great pillars of black marble descended from the tall ceiling and rested on the floor, and silence reigned in the vast expanse of solemn emptiness. There were only two differences - the absence of the altar and the mystical circle that took the entirety of the far wall.

      The circle itself looked... quite striking. It was as if the great wall of black marble had turned into liquid once, and swirled around an invisible axis before solidifying in a sudden ripple. It was both orderly and chaotic, enthralling and unnerving... but mostly beautiful.

      It was also capable of absorbing a vast amount of essence like a bottomless vortex. Because of that, it emanated a sense of magnetic pressure.

      Cassie was stunned by the sight.

      "What... what kind of sorcery is this?"

      Sunny looked at the great circle, too.

      "A kind that is much older than all the rest. Divine sorcery."

      If it could even be called that. Sorcery was something that followed a framework of laws and principles to shape the world, usually by manipulating soul essence. Divine sorcery, however, was simply a manifestation of a deity's will. There were some tricks to it, no doubt - otherwise, there would be no need for the mystical circle to exist, or for the string of fate belonging to the Chain Lords to be contained in the seven knives.

      However, Sunny could not even begin to guess these tricks. For all intents and purposes, divine sorcery created miracles, not magic.

      There was a hint of awe in Cassie's voice:

      "What does it do?"

      Sunny remained silent for a moment, then answered evenly:

      "You probably don't know, but the Nameless Temple has not always stood in Godgrave. In fact, I found it somewhere else. It is a wandering Citadel, and the circle allows it to wander."

      Cassie's brow furrowed a little.

      He knew that learning that fact pushed her into rethinking a thousand of preconceived notions.

      A few moments later, she turned to him and slowly said:

      "You put it in Godgrave... as bait."

      He smiled, allowing her to continue.

      "You knew that a Citadel standing in the middle of the future battlefield would possess an irresistible attraction for both Song and Valor. So, you put your temple here and let your presence be known by delivering those Sleepers to the Song Domain. Then, you just sat back and waited... until Nephis arrived. Instead of infiltrating the Sword Army, you let them invite you to join. Shower you with gifts and try to appease you, even. Just to have you fight on their side, which was your goal all along."

      Sunny chuckled.

      "You are half-right."

      Cassie raised an eyebrow.

      "Only half?"

      He nodded.

      "It is true that the Nameless Temple is bait. But it is also a trap."

      Sunny inhaled deeply and looked up, as if trying to pierce the marble walls with his gaze.

      "The clash with the Sovereigns is inevitable, and one way or the other, it must happen here. Either they will come to besiege my Citadel, or I will move it to besiege them. Even if Nephis manages to become a Sovereign, she will still be new and inexperienced as a ruler of a Domain. So, she'll need all the help she can get when she faces the enemy."

      He lingered for a moment.

      "The darkness that surrounds the Nameless Temple is not one of its Components. In fact... well, you might not remember if I tell you where I received it from. Suffice it to say, it is a shard of an ancient Domain. A Divine Domain. The Realm of Shadows."

      Sunny sighed.

      "I can't control it, and am too weak to claim ownership of it. However, it is still a piece of a foreign Domain of unfathomable power. When either of the Sovereigns enters it, their authority will be weakened, if not suppressed entirely."

      Cassie considered his words carefully, Slowly, a hesitant smile appeared on her lips.

      Then, she seemed to think of something else.

      "But your plans would not be limited to just weakening their authority... you are far too thorough to be satisfied with just that."

      Suddenly, her eyes widened.

      "The Great abominations that sleep below the temple!"

      His smile turned a little sinister.

      "Yes. They are a present I've been preparing for the Sovereigns. A swarm of Great Nightmare Creatures to welcome them as my guests, freshly freed from a maze of nightmares and burning with furious desire to avenge their imprisonment. Of course, just that is not worthy of a proper welcome gift. I should be a generous host, after all."

      Cassie tilted her head a little. A moment later, she faced him with a flash of understanding in her beautiful blue eyes.

      "In the memories... you had a fifth Shadow. A black stallion who wields power over dreams. However, I've never seen him here, or with any of your other incarnations. Sunny... where is that Shadow?"

      Sunny grinned.

      His gaze fell down, at the floor of the Nameless Temple.

      After a while, he said:

      "Nightmare is busy with an important task. He is lulling a special guest into slumber. The centerpiece of my welcoming committee."

      He faced Cassie with a cold expression.

      "A very nasty creature of the Cursed Rank. Since we're inviting the Sovereigns, we should have a guest of honor, don't you think?”
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      1. Offline
        Kiber
        + 1 ⋅ 0 -
        Как думаете это кто-то знакомый нам, или новый мощный монстр?
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        ScratchFox
        + 5 ⋅ 0 -
        Please remind me, what is the human equivalent of the cursed rank?
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          Максим Довбняк
          + 6 ⋅ 0 -
          Sacred - rank 6
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        2. Offline
          Dudeyouneedtochill
          + 5 ⋅ 0 -
          Sacred
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  6. Offline
    Zrilla
    + 4 ⋅ 3 -
    Эта глава вернула мои сомнения в логике Нефис и всех остальных "хороших" ребят.
    Почему лорды плохие? Какие у них цели и почему?!
    Самое главное, почему три лорда сговорились и убили отца Нефис!!! Какая была причина? они же были одной командой!
    И что-то мне подсказывает что когда наши герои станут верховными они повторят судьбу "плохих лордов" и будут соперничать между собой и вести себя также.
    Может быть лорды знают что-то такое чего даже Санни не знает и действуют соответственно
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    1. Offline
      Dummybaron
      + 3 ⋅ 2 -
      И что-то мне подсказывает что когда наши герои станут верховными они повторят судьбу "плохих лордов" и будут соперничать между собой и вести себя также.

      На счёт этого я скептически настроен, но на счёт всего остального: чистая правда.

      Так нихера пока-что и не объяснили, почему её отца убили? почему Нефис хотели убить? чо Астерион делает? куда он мать его съебался? Да и в конце концов они убивают двух Суверенов. Тут может быть столько просчётов, столько последствий для человечества, что либо оставить всё как есть, либо не прикрывать благими идеями своё узкое мировоззрение и недостаток информации б**ть.
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  7. Offline
    ropero
    + 12 ⋅ 1 -
    Frankly, Cassie didn't really persuade me in the slightest.

    "The extent of one's willingness to do despicable things for what they perceive as greater good is also important, not just the principle" - sorry for reminding, but you guys are planning on murdering not just one, but both sides of the war, making the loss of humanity's masters/saints double in size, which is arguably not much better than killing an innocent girl or two.

    "More Importantly... we are also competent, while they are not. The end only justifies the means if you actually reach the end." - that is also something that both sovereigns think, and frankly, they already reached Supremehood while you're still unsure whether Nephis will be capable to ascend, making them at least for now a more reasonable and safe option.

    I'm not saying that cohort should just stop and join one side, I'm saying that the reasoning Nephis used in the Forgotten Shore still works better here - they do it because they want to and find it right, not because it's an objectively morally correct decision.
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    1. Offline
      Dummybaron
      + 10 ⋅ 1 -
      I agree, I also want to add one thing: When Supreme dies their Domain dies with them, which means that all of Humanity in Dream Realm will experience First Nightmare, and during Winter Solstice all survivors will be sent to a random location of Dream Realm. Even if somehow Nephis will manage to set her Domain in Bastion and few more Citadels in time. It will be pure massacre, massacre of inocent people not the one who fought in the war, and for what? For Greater Good right?
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      1. Offline
        MefetraN7
        + 1 ⋅ 1 -
        А это неизбежно же. Один из владык все равно умер бы, даже без вмешательства когорты. Так как они воюют между собой
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        1. Offline
          Dummybaron
          + 1 ⋅ 1 -
          Класс, так как урон по человечеству не минуем, мы его удвоим, гениально.
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  8. Offline
    RexStryker
    + 5 ⋅ 0 -
    Does anybody else think that this bird is going to show up sometime during the war? This definitely feels like a Chekov's Gun situation.
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    1. Offline
      ArMiks
      + 10 ⋅ 0 -
      i don't think so, or at least the chances are extremely small. after all, the bird's a thief that steals valuable stuff. i doubt there's anything in godgrave it'd want, especially since no item of particular importance has been hinted at or previewed anywhere in the area. i figure its appearance would be a significant event and its arrival would involve some preludes and hints before it actually appears
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        RexStryker
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        I hear what you're saying, however there's something I think you're missing. Godgrave has a very strange and overall unusual phenomenon. Things like that are often sourced from either the gods or the daemons. There may actually be something there, that nobody is yet aware of.
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      Dummybaron
      + 5 ⋅ 0 -
      There is one problem though, Thieving Bird is a Cursed Terror, not only that but Cursed Terror that Gods/Daemon/Void Creatures couldn't deal with. And even if all 3 Supremes were there to fight it, it still would wipe the floor with them, and Saints like Sunny and Nephis are the same as Dormant Bugs for Thieving Bird.
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  9. Offline
    foolhardy
    + 6 ⋅ 0 -
    I see us getting a sixth Shadow, Thief oru2x Question is, how long we shall wait
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    1. Offline
      ArMiks
      + 8 ⋅ 0 -
      sunny already has six shadows: Gloomy, Happy, Creepy, Haughty, Naughty, Crazy.
      You mean 7th. and if it really is a thief, then going by the naming so far, it might go for Sneaky or Snatchy
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        foolhardy
        + 13 ⋅ 0 -
        I meant Shadow, like Saint, Fiend, Serpent, Nightmare and Mimic. He currently has five. The vile thieving bird might be the sixth
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          ArMiks
          + 10 ⋅ 0 -
          oh, that's what you meant. lol yea, but he still has to learn how to manually turn a soul-shadow into an actual shadow. last i remembered he still hasn't figured it out. and before that he'd have to kill the vile bird. and before that he has to find it's traces and locate it. i think that's still far off into the future if it ever happens.
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  10. Offline
    zigzagzarf
    + 9 ⋅ 0 -
    so cassie is going to watch and feel when sunny and nephis finally knock boots
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    1. Offline
      SrgtLock
      + 4 ⋅ 0 -
      troll1 troll52 troll83 troll73 your mind is devilish.
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