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Chapter 2964: Final Mercy
Shadow Slave

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Comments 228

  1. Offline
    Atlas
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    f#ck man Mordret climbed his way into my top five fav characters after this masterful performance
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    Cassie.1hater
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    Best character for a reason
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  3. Offline
    Middhas
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    Quote: Middhas
    It could have been created because he tried to brute force godhood, i think Asterion can do it, devour humanity to become a Spirit, because he is a dreamspawn so he isn't corruptible
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    Junior young
    + 2 ⋅ 2 -
    Where are the chaps blushed blushed welldone welldone
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      JR3
      + 3 ⋅ 0 -
      In the comments, DIRECTLY below you.
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      Sunnyqidi
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Tell me you don't read the comments occasionally without telling me you don't read it know
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      1. Offline
        Junior young
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        Just thought it was a spoiler until I clicked it
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          Sunnyqidi
          + 0 ⋅ 0 -
          Nah, it's okay, i sometimes did exactly as you did boast
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    Ohshitimsorry
    + 27 ⋅ 0 -
    2965 The Untold

    A long time ago, there was a child whom no one wanted. The child conquered a Nightmare and was split into seven fragments, each fragment encompassing a part of the original boy's shattered heart. They were meant to wander the world together, perhaps, and never find themselves alone again. But instead, the fragment who knew no regret killed the others and reclaimed the parts of himself they contained.

    However, he couldn't kill the last one... because the last one contained their death. And now, he was asking that pitiful fragment to kill him, instead.

    Hearing Mordret's words, the other recoiled and looked at him with a terror-stricken expression.

    He shook his head, as if the thought appalled him.

    "N—no, no... I can't..."

    Mordret smiled.

    “I know.’

    He remained still for a moment, his face contorting, then leaned forward.

    “I know you can't. You are incapable of feeling all the emotions that I know so well — anger, resentment, contempt... oh, and hatred, of course. Despite everything I've done to you, you just can't bring yourself to hate me."

    Mordret gritted his teeth, suppressing a groan.

    “Ah, but... you love me, don't you?"

    He let out a bitter laugh.

    “It's funny, isn't it? I don't think anyone has ever loved me... except for the person I hate the most."

    Drawing a shaking breath, he moved closer to his terrified reflection and grabbed him, pulling him closer until they were face-to-face.

    "So kill me out of love, brother. If you truly love me, kill me before I become a beast."

    Behind them, the cold expanse of the mirror was almost entirely swallowed by the darkness now. A net of cracks appeared on its surface, and then it shattered with a deafening ring.

    The shards scattered on the obsidian floor, still reflecting a lightless expanse of a fallen god's soul.

    Mordret's eyes were now full of darkness, as well. He let go of his other self, groaned, and then smiled pleasantly.

    “Then... you will finally know what hatred feels like, too."

    His voice was cold and vicious.

    As the other Mordret sat on the floor, frozen, Mordret took his hand and placed a shard of the mirror in it.

    He sighed deeply.

    "I'd like to say something profound in honor of this poignant moment... but, alas, nothing comes to mind."

    Mordret remained silent for a moment, then laughed.

    "Perhaps there is no conclusion more fitting, though."

    He looked at his petrified other self, the smile slowly draining from his bloodied face. In the end, all that was left on it was a calm and emotionless coldness.

    An absence of feelings so absolute that it was strangely sincere.

    Mordret lingered for a few long moments, and then barked in a commanding tone:

    "DO IT!"

    The other Mordret's hand moved.

    ***

    Walking up the steps of the Ebony Tower, Asterion paused for a moment and looked down, in the direction of its basement. There, a storm of soul essence was gathering, and something brilliant was slowly forming in the darkness.

    A new Supreme was being born.

    A look of detached amusement appeared on Asterion's face, and, looking away, he continued to ascend the endless stone steps.

    All around him, the soldiers of the Hunger Domain felt the Ebony Tower quake, pieces of obsidian falling from the tall ceiling above. They gave each other uneasy looks and continued forward, ready to carry out their Sovereign's commands.

    ***

    On the third floor of the ancient tower, Cassie was drowning in the swarm of vicious crows. She was bleeding heavily and struggling to stand, her dagger having proved useless in the battle against Wake of Ruin — the oldest Saint of humanity.

    She had already destroyed a dozen crows, but their number was only increasing as more and more poured through the broken windows, wisps of white mist trailing inside in their wake.

    And she could feel it, too — a harrowing presence drawing closer and closer, making her blood run cold.

    Asterion was coming to claim her, and there was not much time left.

    "Enough!"

    Cassie abandoned all pretense of being in control and unleashed herself upon the world, brushing away all the limitations and taboos she had set for herself.

    She allowed her darker side to take over... And that suppressed side of her was much more vicious and cruel than her usual self. Lunging away from the wall that had protected her back, Cassie ignored the sharp pain of talons tearing into her flesh... she knew that a far more terrible pain was coming, after all.

    Grabbing one of the crows from the air, she grasped its neck and brought it close to her face.

    Cassie did not break the struggling bird's neck in her fist, however...

    Instead, she looked into its round onyx eyes and activated her own Transcendent Ability, diving into the vast sea of Saint Cor's memories.

    This time, she did not search for hidden knowledge or handle them with a scalpel, though.

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    Instead, she simply destroyed them.

    She burned them all to ash, cleansing Wake of Ruin's mind of all the countless years of a storied life that were contained there — eradicating the very notion of him, until all that was left in his place was an empty, charred husk.

    The countless crow all opened their beaks, letting out a harrowing, ear-piercing shriek. Their flight turned chaotic and frenetic, many of them crashing into the walls and the ceiling of Nether's workshop. The crow Cassie had caught fell into a trance at first, but then started to struggle desperately, straining to break free.

    It was too late, though.

    There was no escaping the abyss contained in Cassie's eye.

    Even as a terrible pain ignited in her empty eye socket, pulsing like an incandescent blade, Cassie kept at it — until the swarm of crows retreated and coalesced into a human figure, the gaunt man falling powerlessly to the floor.

    Wake of Ruin... the man who had been Wake of Ruin once... tried to sit up and looked around with an empty gaze, no hint of thought or identity present in his bestial, pained, frightened eyes.

    Blood flowing down her face, Cassie was already rushing toward him, the blade of her dagger glinting in the dim light.

    However, before she could finish off the husk of Saint Cor...

    A calm voice made her stumble, drowning her heart in despair.

    "That is quite enough."

    Entering the ancient workshop, Asterion looked at her with a faint smile.

    "This is no way to treat your elders, young lady. How about we have a talk instead?"

    2966 Tainted Heavens

    Forgetting about Cor, Cassie paled and backed away, holding her dagger between herself and the Dreamspawn...

    As if a dagger was going to help her. Asterion's soldiers entered the workshop behind him, crowding at the end of the stairs. However, following his mental command, they all stayed back, giving him and Cassie space to talk.

    ‘Wh... what now?'

    Thoughts swarmed feverishly in her mind. Cassie took another tentative step toward the stairs leading to the fourth floor of the Ebony Tower, licked the blood off her lips, and asked in a hoarse voice:

    “There is a whole Supreme somewhere out there for you to deal with. And yet, you are following a mere Saint... I am flattered, of course — I really am — but to what do I owe the honor?"

    Asterion looked a little bit worse for wear, his clothes ragged and torn. His face, too, was paler than usual — it seemed that traversing nothingness and battling the beings who dwelled within it had not been an effortless feat, even for him.

    But overall, he seemed perfectly fine.

    More than fine to destroy Cassie in the blink of an eye, at least.

    Taking a deep breath, Asterion looked around and shrugged.

    "How do I put it? I have already defeated Mordret countless times before, and I can defeat him again, no matter what he does. He is a known variable. The other two wielders of Divine Aspects, however, are a mystery. Well, I doubt they'll be able to do anything — but at this point, my tolerance for uncertainty has worn quite thin. And you, young lady... Song of the Fallen... hold the key to finding out what they are up to."

    He smiled.

    “I have a bad feeling about you, as well. I had it for a while, actually. It takes a lot to make me feel that way, you know? So you should be proud of your accomplishments, young lady."

    Cassie took another tentative step back.

    "I don't know where they are. I..."

    Asterion interrupted her in a relaxed tone:

    “Erased your own memories, I know. But I am sure that there are a few clues left in that eerie head of yours. And I intend to find them, even if I have to crack it open to have a good look."

    He studied her for a moment and then added:

    "Also, you made a mistake. You called Mordret Supreme... but he's nothing but a Great Beast now, is he?"

    Cassie shivered.

    She knew that Asterion was only humoring her with a conversation in order to give his powers enough time to crawl into her mind and subjugate it. But what else could she do? If she tried to run, he would simply catch her. He would break her legs or cut her tendons in order to have a nice chat without anything getting in the way.

    So, she said:

    “It was you, wasn't it? You did something... you planted something into his mind. That was why he failed his Apotheosis and succumbed to the Corruption."

    Asterion laughed.

    “Me? Oh my, you are giving me too much credit."

    He shook his head.

    "I had nothing to do with his failure — it had already been preordained. He simply never stood a chance. Ah, the arrogance of youth... the boy should not have attempted Apotheosis without learning all its secrets first."

    Cassie frowned.

    “What do you mean?"

    Asterion shrugged.

    “What do you think Apotheosis is, young lady?"

    He studied her for a moment and then explained in a friendly tone:

    “Apotheosis is the process of ascending to godhood. More precisely, it is the process of becoming a Spirit. But what are Spirits? What differentiates them — what differentiates all gods — from mortals?"

    He paused briefly before continuing:

    "It might be easier to understand if you limit the scope of the comparison. What differentiates Spirits from Sovereigns? A Transcendent's soul expands beyond the confines of their mortal shell. A Supreme's soul draws on their source element and grows to encompass a Domain. A Spirit, meanwhile... a Spirit is an embodiment of their source element. They are beings whose souls encompass an entire realm, fusing with the laws that govern it. A Divine being, meanwhile — a true god — is someone whose essence encompasses all of existence, woven into the universal laws that rule it."

    Asterion looked at Cassie and smiled.

    "Do you see the problem here, young lady?"

    He shook his head.

    “Mordret failed to achieve natural Apotheosis because that is the fate awaiting all of you, children of the War Realm, if you dare to try. That is because your own realm denies your existence... so, you are left with no choice but to attempt it here, in the Dream Realm. But what do you think will happen to someone who tries to fuse their soul with the laws of the Realm of Corruption?"

    Asterion scoffed.

    "He wasn't ready to become a god. He wasn't even ready to withstand the darkness nestled between the roots of this cursed realm. So, as much as I'd like to take credit, the fault is all his. The failure is all his, as well, even if it was inevitable.”

    Cassie took another step back, almost reaching the stairs, and raised her chin slightly.

    “Are you planning to do the same? Won't you end up just like Mordret, then?"

    Asterion laughed.

    "Unlike all of you, I was born in the Dream Realm. I belong to this world. I saw its darkness already, and emerged unscathed on the other side... I am a Dreamspawn, after all. The Nightmare you all fear so much was my cradle."

    Looking behind Cassie, he paused for a moment, and then sighed.

    "Now, it's time to see what is hidden inside your head, young lady. Oh... and I made a promise to you, didn't I? I promised to take your second eye as well. I think I'll fulfill that promise first. It wouldn't do for the ruler of humanity to become a liar, would it?"

    Looking at the hollow-eyed figure of Saint Cor, the soldiers grasped their weapons tighter. Asterion threw an indifferent gaze at the one standing closest to him, and then said evenly.

    “Restrain her."

    The command echoed in the workshop that had once belonged to the Demon of Choice, making Cassie flinch.

    'Sick bastard...'

    Asterion could have restrained her himself, but he chose to send an Awakened soldier forward instead. It was a psychological attack meant to weaken her mind, without doubt — after all, the soldier could not defy the command, and Cassie had no choice but to defend herself.

    Killing another innocent human was going to weigh on her, and that would shake her mental defenses, even if only a little.

    She steeled herself for the inevitable...

    But, to her surprise, the Awakened soldier did not move.

    Asterion seemed surprised, turning to look at the man with interest.

    It was only when the soldier spoke that Cassie finally recognized him.

    Trembling as if under an immense strain, the man — Yutra — met the inquisitive gaze of Asterion's golden eyes, scowled stubbornly, and then said in a shaking voice:

    "N... n... no."

    His legs buckled, and he would have fallen if not for the two soldiers near him — a man and a woman — who caught and supported him.

    The three of them face the Dreamspawn, united in quiet defiance.

    Asterion studied Yutra intently, then smiled.

    "Curious."

    Cassie, meanwhile, could not help but let out a short, desperate laugh.

    She took one last step back, reaching the stairs, and said in a scornful tone:

    "It seems that even your power is not absolute, Dreamspawn."

    There were those who had fallen to the plague of Asterion, and those who had not — a very small number of them. However, Cassie had never witnessed someone who refused Asterion's command after succumbing to the plague.

    It seemed that such a feat wasn't impossible, though. And that... there was hope in that, somewhere.

    Cassie just didn't have time to find it. Asterion studied the trembling figure of Yutra for a while longer, then turned away and headed across the hall.

    "Power... do you want to witness power, Song of the Fallen?"

    Reaching the motionless figure of Wake of Ruin, he paused for a moment and looked down.

    After observing the hollow Saint, Asterion asked quietly:

    “You aren't going to be of much use to me, are you?"

    Then, he said in a calm tone:

    “Then die.”

    And hearing his command, the empty shell of Wake of Ruin, crumpled like a broken doll. Life drained from his empty eyes, and he fell to the floor, motionless.

    Saint Cor, one of the few remaining champions of the First Generation, was dead.

    Asterion shifted his terrifying gaze back to Cassie and smiled.

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    "This is power."

    He took a step forward.

    “Are you satisfied with my demonstration?"

    Cassie shuddered with her entire body, froze for a moment, then turned around and ran.

    Asterion’s chuckle caught up with her like a terrifying whisper.

    “Where are you going, Song of the Fallen? There is nowhere to run."

    Cassie knew it... she knew that it was pointless.

    But she still couldn't stop herself from trying to run away.

    A bestial panic flooded her mind, and all she could think about was getting away from that terrible man.

    So, she ran, and ran, and ran...

    She only stopped on the penultimate floor of the Ebony Tower, in the hall of the forbidden runes.

    Because Rain and Smile of Heaven were on the last level, and no matter how desperate and frightened she was, she couldn't lead Asterion to them.

    Turning to face the stairs, she slowly backed away.

    Soon enough, Asterion emerged from the darkness and looked at her with a ruthless finality hidden in his eyes.

    "It's over. There is no point in struggling anymore, Song of the Fallen. Won't it be easier to simply give up?"

    Cassie felt... that he was right. Giving up would certainly be simpler, easier, and far less painful.

    It would be comfortable, even. Soothing, and full of solace.

    But solace, solace...

    Solace was a sin.

    So even if there was no hope of winning, she raised her dagger instead of giving up.
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    1. Offline
      Ohshitimsorry
      + 4 ⋅ 0 -
      Hahahaha shit Rei is fcn goat
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        mischievous schemer
        + 4 ⋅ 0 -
        yeah he also send it me the mad lad
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      submissive_Almighty
      + 3 ⋅ 0 -
      Ads by Pubfuture
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      Mystery26
      + 2 ⋅ 0 -
      So except Nephis and maybe Sunny(because shadows have some immunity to corruption) the Fifth Nightmare might be the only way.
      But as we saw from the Sun Realm those also feel to corruption.Most like they ascended to godhood but wen they existed the nightmare(a safe space) the became corrupted since the came into contact with corrupt laws thus didn't fall to Great like Mordet who did it sorrounded by corrupt laws.
      Thus being born a spirit in the Dream Brings one closer to corruption so only those immune or highly resistant won't end up corrupted.
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        Byte
        + 0 ⋅ 1 -
        Asterion is just guessing... Mody problem was from Skin walker
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        Shivansh Tiwari
        + 3 ⋅ 0 -
        Most likely true but, I think dreamspawn was missing a point here mordret was never complete, and a god cannot be incomplete so due to his unique design his flaw and aspect maybe needs to become nothing, in order to become spirit of nothing and for sun realm gods didn't he said they lose due to losing their identity to become human, asterion himself isn't a god and one of the best manipulator his words can't be trusted...
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          Mystery26
          + 0 ⋅ 0 -
          True
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      Junior young
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      I imagine one of sunny's body rising from her shadow
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        Ohshitimsorry
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        Nah, she can do it herself. Dont you noticed? There is a bit of Asterions pov
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      Junior young
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      I imagine one of sunny's body rising from her shadow
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  6. Offline
    Ohshitimsorry
    + 1 ⋅ 0 -
    Found it
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    SyndroZ
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    Oh man guys I've been stacking since ch 2914 im wondering has any big event with a certain bird is going on so I can break or do i keep going
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      mischievous schemer
      + 1 ⋅ 0 -
      definitely keep stacking
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        SyndroZ
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        Okay that i will do thanks man
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          Meer
          + 0 ⋅ 0 -
          only for a few more days we are almost at the end
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    mischievous schemer
    + 11 ⋅ 0 -
    I said I was never going to complain about switching POVs anymore... But I will always complain like a bitch about delayed chapter releases
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      fergusc
      + 5 ⋅ 0 -
      Hey man it’s all free anyway I’m not gonna complain about free entertainment. Now there was this one site where I was paying like 1.99 a month for eng chapters of this one novel and bro went on hiatus ten times in a row now that’s where I’ll start tweaking out
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        mischievous schemer
        + 1 ⋅ 0 -
        Of course, grateful it's free... However I am just a selfish impatient loser who has nothing else to do but wait for chapters lol
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    Ohshitimsorry
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    Ah shit here we go again
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  10. Offline
    Aizenigga
    + 1 ⋅ 0 -
    If natural apotheosis is something that no one is allowed to do or always brings corruption or something, then Nephis has a great advantage. She's incorruptible. Her domain just holds her back, if it were something like sunny's then she could have already tried to ascend. But sadly it's humans, and she would never do something like astreon.

    Also sunny can try to ascend anytime, why isn't he? Will he after he gets his fate back?
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      Earthly Desert Fox
      + 2 ⋅ 0 -
      No, my medical diagnosis is that one of Mordoret's soul fragments became corrupted at the very moment he began collecting them.
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        Aizenigga
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        I was almost correct, it's not that nobody can do a natural apotheosis, it's just that the people of the war realm can. Well technically no one can now lol, there is only the war realm left, and that is also mostly destroyed. Maybe natural apotheosis is possible on the moon or something??
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          Aizenigga
          + 0 ⋅ 0 -
          it's just that the people of the war realm can

          can't*
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            Byte
            + 0 ⋅ 0 -
            Nope... Asterion is just guessing or making up stories to show he is special
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              Meer
              + 0 ⋅ 0 -
              what kinda slander is this😂✌️
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              Aizenigga
              + 0 ⋅ 0 -
              actually, I forgot something but isn't Modret also a dreamspawn or am I just halucinating
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