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Chapter 2444: Dream of the Forgotten God
Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at her, stunned.

"It… doesn't change much? How so?"

Nephis lingered for a long time, then shrugged.

"My goal has always been to destroy the Nightmare Spell. But… back when I chose that goal, I was young and knew little of the world. As I grew and learned more, my understanding of the world expanded… and therefore, my goals expanded as well. The Nightmare Spell, the Nightmares — to me, they are one and the same. I want to destroy them all. And even if the root evil is the Nightmare itself, the Spell is not free of guilt either."

Her voice grew a little lower.

"You two seem to accept that the Nightmare Spell is a benevolent force, but I disagree. Yes, with what we know now, it is impossible to deny that its purpose, at least, was a noble one. It was created to save the world, no less. However, you forget that it was created by a daemon, a divine being as old as time itself… and their concept of benevolence and nobility would have been quite alien to ours."

Turning around, she looked at Sunny and Cassie coldly.

"Sure, the Nightmare Spell pushes humans to walk the Path of Ascension as fast as possible — in order to give us strength to resist the spreading Nightmare. But have you considered that it might not be going about it in the best possible way? As far as I see it, the Spell's solution to the problem is to simply throw as many bodies at it as possible. Most will die gruesomely, and then, even more people will die. Countless lives will be ruined, and entire generations will be wiped out. But as long as a few survive and achieve a higher Rank… then everything is okay, isn't it?"

Sunny remained silent for a few moments, considering her words. Then, he said tentatively:

"But you can't deny that it's… effective, can you? And that we are in a pretty desperate situation, so it's not like we are spoiled for choices."

Nephis shook her head.

"Is it that effective, though? Or is it crude and wasteful? Think back to everything you have experienced. Was there really no better way? We are the strongest champions of humanity, you and I. But is it because we were the best, or is it because we were lucky? Would things have been different if the Spell had been different? All those lost lives… all that wasted potential. How would the world have turned out if the First Lord of the Bright Castle had not been sent into a death trap by the Spell, for example? How far could he and his cohort have gone? What about Daeron the Serpent King? If the Spell had not sent him into a Nightmare that only someone immune to Corruption could have conquered, what would have happened to the people of the Twilight Sea?"

She shook her head and gritted her teeth.

"You can only see the Spell in a positive light because you are its beneficiary, not its victim. No matter its purpose, the Spell is ruthless, inhuman, and vile. All this great power, all that startling potential… and you tell me that the great Demon of Fate could not come up with anything better than forcing children into the jaws of the Nightmare? Do you know how many Aspirants die every year without ever becoming Sleepers? I know, because I can feel their flames being snuffed out day and night. Was there really no better way?"

White flames ignited in Neph's eyes, and she grimaced.

"You can convince me that the Nightmare Spell is a necessary evil that we are stuck with, but you can't convince me that it is benign. You can't convince me not to hate it."

Then, suddenly, her expression eased, turning cold and impassive once again. Nephis remained silent for a few moments, then sighed and turned back to the window.

"Well… it doesn't matter, anyway. I meant it when I said that this new knowledge doesn't change much — in any case of how I feel about the Spell. A long time ago, I told someone that I intended to conquer all the Nightmares, and destroy the Spell. And I still do. It is just that now, I know that there will be a seventh Nightmare after the sixth, and that I will have to end the Forgotten God first before dismantling the Spell."

She chuckled bitterly.

"There would be no need for it by then anymore, anyway. So this entire argument is moot."

Sunny frowned, then leaned forward a little.

"But that is just the thing, Neph. It is not moot. Have you forgotten what our goal is? It is to prevent the destruction of humanity. Killing the Forgotten God is what Weaver's wanted to achieve, not us. Who cares what that treacherous daemon wanted? Weaver is dead, so we are free to do what we want. And to achieve that… we don't need to risk ourselves in a battle against a being that neither the gods nor the daemons were able to stop."

He clenched his fists.

"We don't need to conquer the Seven Nightmares and destroy the Forgotten God. We don't need to destroy the Spell, either — the Spell can continue keeping that thing asleep. It has contained him for eons, and it can contain him for a few eons more. We just need to become strong enough to contend against the creatures that are threatening humanity here and now… we just need to become Divine."

Others would have called him a fool or a coward for thinking like that, but Sunny did not care. In fact, he considered people who could not see past what was intended for them foolish, instead.

Sure, the Forgotten God was the source of Corruption that plagued the world, and destroying him would theoretically stop the spread of the Nightmare… but so what?

None of them had even considered the possibility of a world without Nightmare Seeds and Nightmare Creatures before. These were merely inalienable facts of life until just a few days ago, and rather than fantasizing about some kind of heavenly paradise, they had been busy planning how to ensure the survival and prosperity of mankind in reality.

As long as its safe resettlement into the Dream Realm could be ensured, and as long as there were champions powerful enough to keep the Cursed and Unholy Nightmare Creatures at bay, humanity could not only survive, but thrive in this world they lived in.

There were already vast cities like Bastion and Ravenheart here, in the Dream Realm… there were electric street lights and fertile fields, roads were being built across the wilderness, trade caravans were traveling between human strongholds, and new settlers were arriving every day. Sure, there were also Nightmare Creatures and horrors beyond description… but that was just life.

He had never known anything different, and most of humanity had not either. And yet, that did not stop people from living their lives… from struggling, striving, and thriving in this dangerous, but generous and stunning world.

That was what Sunny wanted to protect. That was why he had returned from his journey to the edge of the world, resolving to change it.

Slaying some ancient God of Corruption had nothing to do with it. Sunny could sleep peacefully even knowing that the Forgotten God was dreaming about him somewhere out there, imprisoned in a Nightmare by the Spell.

Sure, there was a possibility that the Spell would fail one day and that its prisoner would awaken… but that was not an unfamiliar reality, either. After all, even before the Nightmare Spell descended, people knew that the sun would die one day, and that the entire universe was moving toward eventual demise.

But nobody threw themselves into the sun because of it. The world had always been meant to end one day… probably long after humanity had already destroyed itself ten times over. The awakening of the Forgotten God was no different from the heat death of the universe, in that regard.

Only destroying the Forgotten God would probably be far more difficult and deadly than destroying the universe. After all, he was older than the universe, having participated in its creation.

…And that was whom Weaver wanted them to kill?

Sunny shook his head.

"Becoming Divine is already impossible enough. Sure, I understand that we are indoctrinated to count and do everything in sevens, and that it feels wrong to ignore the logical conclusion of the path laid out for us by Weaver… but our goal has been to become gods in order to protect humanity. Not to challenge the final Nightmare and correct an error made by the true gods when designing the world. Not to eliminate the Flaw of existence. A perfect world is a dead world, anyway, so why would we want to throw ourselves into something entirely fatal, and meaningless on top of that?"

Nephis looked at him with a deep scowl.

"To prevent numerous people from having their choice robbed from them by the Nightmare Spell. To save countless lives from dying in the Nightmares. To ensure that the end of the world never comes. To destroy the Spell once and for all! Why… why can't you see it?"

Sunny did not respond for a while, looking at her silently.

He knew… he knew that deep down, Nephis was a selfish person. That she did what she wanted, and it was merely a happy coincidence that what she wanted was to be a righteous and decent person — according to her own harsh understanding of righteousness and decency, of course.

But what she really wanted was to destroy the Spell, which she hated — and do so in a way she would not be ashamed of.

To avenge herself upon the world.

The Nightmare Gates, the Nightmare Spell, it was indeed all the same to her. She would not be able to let go of her most ardent desire easily.

But…

Sunny was a selfish person, too.

"I see it. But I… I simply don't want you to throw your life away, Neph. Not in an attempt to create some kind of flawless Garden of Eden, of all things. I need you alive… please, try to see that as well."

They both remained silent for a while, looking at each other.

In the end, Nephis sighed and turned away.

"...Why are we arguing, anyway? It's not even guaranteed that we will survive the Fifth Nightmare, let alone the Sixth. We can't even think about challenging the Seventh right now, and won't be for many years. So… let's cross that bridge when we get there."

Sunny lingered for a while, then nodded reluctantly.

"Sure. Let's focus on what we need to do right now, indeed."

He knew that she had not been convinced, and that her determination to destroy the Nightmare Spell was as firm as ever.

But… Sunny also knew that many things could change with time. So, he tacitly agreed not to continue this conversation later, for now.

Nephis sighed.

"So, what are your plans?"

He leaned back and smiled.

"Well, since you so kindly disposed of that Cursed Demon and cleared the path to the Mirror Maze, I thought I'd get Effie and explore True Bastion a little. Oh… but I want to make a short stop in the frozen wastelands west of here first. There's something there I want to try finding. I'll depart for Bastion after that."

Nephis hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Good. Actually, I found something after the battle with Abjuration. A fragment of one of Mordret's Reflections. It could have been there from when we unleashed that Cursed Demon in True Bastion a year ago, but something tells me that it got there later. So, he might be hiding somewhere in that Mirror Maze… it's good that you'll be heading there."

Sunny's smile dimmed a little.

"That guy? How wonderful."

With that, he turned to Cassie.

"He was not hiding in that piece of mirror by chance, was he?"

She shook her head.

"No… Abjuration would have gotten him, and I checked just to make sure on top of that."

Sunny nodded with relief.

"Good. Then… I guess we are done for today. I think we all need some time to digest all this new information."

He looked at Nephis, knowing that the two of them had a lot to talk about... and talk through. But that was better done alone.

Outside the window, the sun was already rising from beyond the horizon.

A new day had come to Ravenheart.

Shadow Slave
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  1. Offline
    Magmun
    + 7 ⋅ 0 -
    2445 Longer Days
    About a month later, just before the full moon, Sunny returned to Bastion.
    Or rather, another of his incarnations did. The first had actually returned to Bastion weeks ago, but this one took a detour to the frozen wastelands west of Ravenheart first.
    There were scouting parties of the Human Domain prowling there in search of Citadels — granted, they neither dared nor could survive going deep into the hellish cold, and only the Saints ventured beyond the outer reaches of the seemingly boundless expanse of ice.

    So, Sunny had employed Silent Stalker as a guide... well, more so informed her of the fact that she would be his guide... and the two of them spent several unforgettable weeks together, shivering in the cold and eluding the strange, fearsome Nightmare Creatures who reigned in that frozen hell.

    That was how Sunny learned that Silent Stalker was not, in fact, mute. As it turned out, she could talk after all — or, at least, she could hiss and curse like a sailor.

    Whatever made the usually taciturn Song princess so expressive all of a sudden… he had no idea.

    It was probably the cold.

    In any case, eventually, when it became too dangerous for Silent Stalker to follow him, he left her in a shelter he had dug in the ice and continued west on his own. A few days later, a pale and shaken Sunny returned, and the two of them started on the way back to Ravenheart.

    From there, Sunny passed through the Dream Gate to Bastion — it opened regularly, connecting the two largest human cities in the Dream Realm at set intervals.

    And here he was.

    A mass of people were flowing out of the towering Dream Gate, and he was safely hidden in its middle. Sunny was wearing a ragged robe atop the Nebulous Mantle, having already changed his facial features — members of the Shadow Clan used special Memories for that, but he simply reshaped his avatar a little for the sake of anonymity. Masking his appearance had become much easier after he learned how to grant manifested shadows color in Ariel's Game.

    Making himself less handsome felt like a crime against humanity, but what could he do? Such was life… plus, he was a taken man now, so drawing admiring gazes would do him no good.

    There was a long, narrow object wrapped in cloth tied to his back, protruding high above his head. Sunny walked as if it was a light as a feather, but in fact, it took all of his Supreme strength not to stagger under the weight of the damn thing. Even the wild shadow he had attached to his feet and controlled to mimic his movements seemed to be sweating from the burden of the object's shadow.

    'Holy hell… why is this thing so heavy?'

    Letting out a shaky sigh, Sunny allowed the current of the crowd to carry him away from the Dream Gate. Soon enough, he encountered a problem.

    Standing on the waterfront, he watched ferries move across the lake. He had to cross the lake, as well, but no ferry would be able to support his weight. At best, the deck would crack beneath him… at worst, the entire ferry would sink, taking the passengers with it.

    In fact, the only reason why the ground was not fracturing beneath his feet already was that he was in the Castle, where the cobblestones were made from the same mystical stone as the walls of the great fortress itself.

    Sunny scratched the back of his head.

    'Should I just Shadow Step to my destination?'
    Failing to come up with a better idea, he went to find a dark alley where no one would notice him vanishing into thin air. It would do no one any good if he was seen using powers similar to those of the Lord of Shadows.


    As Sunny walked, he thought about what had transpired in the past month.
    Many things had happened while his incarnation was enduring the cold of the frozen hellscape. Early winter was the busiest time for the Human Domain, after all, because of the winter solstice.

    By now, most of the Sleepers who had been infected by the Nightmare Spell last year were either Awakened… or dead. Others were still somewhere out there, in the Dream Realm, making their way to human Citadels. Some had Awakened long before the solstice, having passed through the Dream Gate in advance — in fact, there were many of them, significantly reducing the death toll.

    This winter solstice in particular was especially important because it served as proof of concept. It was the second solstice of Neph's reign, but the first one she was able to prepare for — the previous one had happened too soon after the end of the Domain War, when everything was in chaos.
    Depending on the results of all the measures Nephis and Cassie had taken to ensure that as many Sleepers as possible survived their first journey to the Dream Realm, all following solstices could drastically transform…
    There weren't many of those left for humanity, though, since the waking world was going to be consumed by the Dream Realm before too long.

    But that was merely the significance of the winter solstice to all of humanity. It was meaningful to Sunny on a personal level, as well — after all, it was his birthday.
    He had turned twenty-eight.

    This time, Sunny had enjoyed several birthday parties at the same time — one in the Dark City, with Aiko, his Shadows and incarnations, and the strangely stiff members of the Shadow Clan; one in Ravenheart, with Nephis, Cassie, and Kai; and one with Silent Stalker of all people, who had not seemed enthused about his insistence of celebrating a birthday in the middle of a Death Zone at all.

    Sunny still had fun. Actually, he felt quite at home in the company of the quiet Song princess, not the least of all because she reminded him of Saint and Slayer — so, he secretly favored her above other Song sisters, despite the fact that the feline huntress did not seem even a little bit friendly.

    It had been a good birthday, still...
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    1. Offline
      Magmun
      + 6 ⋅ 0 -
      2446 Lover's Spat
      Actually, Sunny had been a little dejected prior to the winter solstice… that was because Nephis had been giving him the cold shoulder after that heated conversation in the council chamber of the Jade Palace.

      He found himself sleeping on the couch for the first time since they got together — well, in a metaphorical sense. In truth, neither of them had slept anywhere after that night, since both were terribly busy due to the approaching solstice. But he could still feel the flimsy walls of the proverbial doghouse around him.

      It was not like Nephis was avoiding him or refusing to talk to him, or even behaving that differently — she had just retreated into her former aloof, impassive self. He could feel that she was angry… as well as that she was hurt beneath the anger.

      They talked again after that night, trying to express their feelings and thoughts better. But that calmer discussion only managed to define where they stood better, not resolve the fundamental difference in their opinions. So, there was an awkward distance between them for a few days.

      Sunny was saddened by that fact… but in a strange way, he was also happy.

      To him, it seemed like a good sign.

      This was the first fight they had gotten into as a couple — usually, Sunny was too accommodating, and Nephis was too casual about most things. The fact that she was angry this time showed that she cared about him deeply enough to get angry, at least, which was not at all bad. In fact, it was reassuring.

      Sunny would have been much more bitter if she had remained unperturbed and indifferent, instead.

      As for how he himself felt…
      He was tense and anxious. He knew Nephis, and he knew that she would throw herself into the jaws of the Forgotten God without hesitation in pursuit of her goal… of her unquenchable desire.

      So, he was afraid to lose her.

      That was why the two of them were angry at each other, and that was why they had spent several days apart.
      But then, the solstice arrived. And despite how Nephis felt, she suppressed her stubborn nature and made an effort to make the day as pleasant as he could for Sunny.

      Their conflict did not magically disappear after that, but the awkwardness dissipated somewhat.

      …And yet, even though things once again seemed normal, some distance still remained between them. That gap was narrow and seemingly insignificant, but Sunny had no idea how to breach it.

      'Damnation. Why are all my friends single? '

      He desperately needed relationship advice, but there were few people he could ask for it — not that fighting ancient gods of Corruption was something many couples encountered as a stumbling block in their relationships.

      There was Kim and Luster… but he would be mad to ask for advice from either Luster or the woman who had married Luster.

      Which, basically, only left one candidate.

      Effie.
      'Yeah, no… I'd rather ask Nether for relationship advice.'
      And that guy was someone whose failed relationship destroyed the universe, no less.
      Finally finding a narrow and desolate alley, Sunny scratched the back of his head.

      'Come to think of it, how come almost all my friends are single?'
      The answer was both obvious and sad… they were all workaholics.

      But how was humanity going to survive if the cream of the crop of its adult population were not busy making hordes of kids?

      Shaking his head and chastising his friends mentally, Sunny dove into the shadows, dragging his unbearably heavy baggage with him.

      Apart from the solstice, his birthday, and his first quarrel with Nephis… well, his first quarrel with Nephis after they became a couple, at least… other things had happened, as well. The world kept spinning, not waiting for anyone.

      Far north, in the Burned Forest, an ocean of rats was currently besieging an endless legion of appalling millipedes, getting closer and closer to their nests. In the ruined cathedral of the Dark City, one of his incarnations was maniacally altering the design of his future shadowbound Memory to integrate his recent attainments in weaving into the theoretical spellweave.

      Another abandoned the Forgotten Shore and was establishing a base in Ravenheart — his experience in Ariel's Game had proven that having almost all his avatars in the north was highly inconvenient during emergencies, so Sunny wanted to enhance his presence south of the Hollow Mountains.

      Plus, someone had to guard the Jade Board and the Dollhouse at all times… they had not figured out what to do with these time bombs yet, but keeping them in the Jade Palace was definitely not an option. Sunny had half the mind of tossing at least one of Ariel's creations into the seal containing the Dark Sea, but was not at all sure that it was a good idea.
      Cassie, meanwhile, had taken a good look at Kai after the charming archer rested from his experiences in Ariel's Game.

      Just as Sunny had expected, the rings of ash empowering his friends had disappeared as soon as the game was over… however, they had not disappeared without leaving a trace.

      Kai had a new Attribute now, [Mark of Ash]. This Attribute granted him affinity to ash, whatever that meant — among other things, it increased his already immense resistance to fire, as well as granted him a minor, but scaling enhancement when near intense heat or surrounded by it.

      It was nice to know that knowledge and experience… as well as an awesome custom-made bow and a quiver of masterwork enchanted arrows… were not the only things Kai had brought back with him from Ariel's Game. Still, Sunny was of the opinion that his friend deserved way more.
      After all, where else would one find a Saint who had slain a Cursed Beast?

      Emerging from the shadows on a quiet street, Sunny smiled and headed for a particular manor situated there.

      Now that the solstice was behind them… Sunny and Nephis were going to get even busier. He had the new project of enchanting human strongholds in the Dream Realm on his plate, which meant that he and Cassie would be busy with researching sorcery for the foreseeable future, while Nephis was needed on numerous battlefields.

      Now that the Cursed Demon was dead and she wasn't tethered to Bastion anymore, she would probably take the Ivory Island on a lengthy journey. The Death Zones south of Godgrave had remained an impregnable wall and a source of worry for them until now — Nephis wanted to conduct a proper reconnaissance of them first.

      Before that, though, they had to receive a lengthy report from the agents of the Shadow Clan scattered across the two worlds. It had been put off because of the solstice, so now was the time. Aiko seemed to think that things were fishier than usual, as well… they needed to determine if she was correct with haste.

      But that was for his other incarnations to worry about.

      This one, meanwhile, had a different task.

      Sunny was going to search for the fifth fragment of Weaver's lineage here in Bastion... in the true version of Bastion, to be precise.
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  2. Offline
    Bandupkyy
    + 1 ⋅ 0 -
    Chapters????
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  3. Offline
    Byabi4ka
    + 1 ⋅ 0 -
    I have a theory why they will have to fight the forgotten god.
    We know that with the appearance of stronger awakened (three gates that appeared during the battle of the domain of valor and song before the third nightmare corresponded to Sunny, Nephis, Mordred), or the appearance of a large number of strong (the return of the fire keepers from the forgotten shore led to the fact that Antarctica began earlier).
    And also, although the reason for the murder of the Broken Sword was the fact that he owned a forbidden bloodline, according to Anvil, the second version is not canceled (I'm not sure, I think the one voiced by Ki Song), according to which the reason was the zeal for strength, while others are not ready, which can cause the "spell" to strengthen due to the success of humanity.
    Why, if humanity becomes stronger, then the Forgotten God absorbs the world faster? I do not know for sure (I did not remember a suitable clue, if there was one), but the fact that he is becoming more active is very likely.
    Therefore, I think that after passing the 6th nightmare or the appearance of the first God, the Forgotten God will begin to awaken irrevocably, which means the heroes will be put on a timer and will begin to prepare for the final battle, whether Sunny wants it or not.
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    1. Offline
      seeNovel
      + 1 ⋅ 0 -
      It's probably going to be that Asterion (at least that's what I think) since he was born in the dream realm he probably knows more than everyone else and is seeking to make the dream realm complete by swallowing the war god's realm.
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  4. Offline
    X-Cifer
    + 12 ⋅ 0 -
    Quote: Jon Smith
    Sunny and Nephis becoming Divine Titans puts them on the same level as the Forgotten God, or close enough.


    No, no it doesn't. War, Shadow, Sun, Beast, Storm and Heart together still didn't kill FG (each of them being stronger than Ariel who killed an Unholy Titan single-handedly). We have been told multiple times that Daemons and True Gods transcend Divine Rank, and 12 of these beings were use to create the Spell that could only lull FG, the God that now encompass 6 divine realms out of 7, while on its way to consume the 7th. Even in the hypothetic that Sunny and Nephis reached True God level, that's still just 2 of them, against a being that hold off 6.

    As for living without the Spell, they have already proved that is possible:

    -People dying in the First Nightmare?
    As long as they are inside Nephis' Domain there is no chance for that to happen + In the next years new Sovereigns will rise, which means more Domains and more protection

    -Still wanting to become an Awakened?
    There is Rain's school for natural ascension

    -Winter solstice's problem?
    Just physically go to a Citadel and anchor yourself to the Gateway before the solstice

    -Cursed and Unholy abominations?
    Once Sunny and Nephis become Divine this problem will be practically resolved

    I know for storytelling reasons they'll definitely fight FG, but can you really blame Sunny for thinking is an unneccessary risk?
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    1. Offline
      Tammytrades
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Much unnecessary.

      And asides the forgotten God, there are other harrowing void beings that the Gods were fighting when they ended up sealing the void. The Gods couldn't win that battle even with shadow creating death.
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  5. Offline
    DanielPlay
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    I'm fairly certain that Modret has achieved supremacy within Bastion's mirror maze, and that the others will be part of her domain, an army of strange creatures that reflect what is before them.
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    1. Offline
      Klein Moriarty
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Mordret best girl
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      1. Online Offline
        Milkman
        + 1 ⋅ 1 -
        We ALL goon to Mordret.
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  6. Offline
    mariokaa
    + 5 ⋅ 0 -
    I knew neph wouldn't change her mind abt the spell. She's the one moving the story since day one and I don't think that's going to change for the rest of the story. And since she's already decided to kill the forgotten god, sunny's bound to follow, just like he's always done
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    1. Offline
      Eightsixtwo_
      + 4 ⋅ 0 -
      Until he doesn't, I'm still betting on that rematch
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  7. Offline
    KimDokjassi
    + 5 ⋅ 0 -
    I can feel the aura of the Sunny vs Nephis chapter from 1139 chapters away
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    1. Offline
      KimDokjassi
      + 16 ⋅ 3 -
      Also this woman infuriates me a lot.
      She is like a stubborn child who wants a candy despite not have any money on her.
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      1. Offline
        reminiscent
        + 6 ⋅ 1 -
        Perfectly said I don't like they're relationship either it's so fake on Nephis part
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        1. Online Offline
          SAILOR
          + 3 ⋅ 1 -
          I think guiltythree just doesnt know how to write relationships
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          1. Offline
            Tranquil Consort
            + 0 ⋅ 1 -
            I'm pretty sure their relationship is more real than some of ours over here. People seek companionship, it's not always going to be a Romeo and Juliet event.
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  8. Offline
    KimDokjassi
    + 9 ⋅ 2 -
    This woman infuriates me...
    a lot
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  9. Offline
    X-Cifer
    + 15 ⋅ 0 -
    For all said and done, both parties have understandable reasons to think what they said, but are both wrong.

    Sunny is wrong because is looking at a divine matter with the perspective of a Supreme.

    Nephis is wrong because she is talking about slaying True God (a being that took the sacrifice of all the Gods and Daemons just to be sealed) without regards for the implications nor the consideration of other solutions because of her ''morals''
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    1. Offline
      Gentleman
      + 2 ⋅ 0 -
      how is sunny not being reasonable.
      yes he is not thinking from the perspective of lofty main character but from the perspective of a man who just wants to make sure his world survive and everyone who he cares about survive.

      while the other one wants to simply kills gods and all just cuz she hates that. it just so happened that her hate theoretically helps the world if it can be succeed but heres the thing she wants to kill a being that took 6 gods and 6 daemons just to lullaby him not even kill but to lullaby
      what happens if she while fighting forgotten god she and sunny get killed and forgotten god escapes just to destroy the existence itself. cuz theres much more chance of forgotten god owning them than them owning him
      while in far future they might get strong enough to kill him but right now they are not literally and what she is saying is utterly based on fact that exceedingly divine shi happens and they get stronger than even gods themselves.
      and comparing that to a guy who just wants well of everyone with no backlashes of any void beings and all (till now ) and saying both are equally wrong is utterly biaseness towards g3 writing.
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  10. Offline
    Viktor Salazar
    + 8 ⋅ 0 -
    These two are selfish (the author says so) but not selfish enough. Their will is tangled in doubt, guilt, and a hunger for each other's understanding. That’s not nobility, that’s hesitation dressed as virtue. A sovereign doesn't need to be understood. A sovereign needs to act. Nephis wants to destroy the Spell? Then walk that path and let the world burn if it must. Sunny wants to protect humanity? Then build your own order, your own power, and forget anyone who stands in the way. Half-measures are what kill dreams. Become a vector. Become an arrow that never strays. Otherwise, don't pretend you're walking a Path. You're just circling the fire hoping not to get burned. Honestly, this chapter screams for Reverend Insanity-level philosophical clarity. Anything else is incoherence with your own existence.
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    1. Offline
      KimDokjassi
      + 4 ⋅ 0 -
      That's because they are still human. Still mortal. I feel this wont be the case when they become sacred. Their Will's will become more resolute. They will lose a lot of their humanity and act on their own path. What you speak of - doubt, guilt, hunger of each other's understanding... this is not only because they are lovers and have the same power levels but because they have a flawed mindset just like all human beings. What makes Fang Yuan's so great a character is his mindset and his unwavering understanding of his path. Hardly anyone in the Gu World had something close to FY's mindset, you think these kids who aren't even 30 will understand that?
      But well written, you should write pieces :)

      For all its worth, I hope you have found your path in life as well, friend.
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      X-Cifer
      + 3 ⋅ 0 -
      I always see you in these comment sections talking about Shadow Slave using the principles and philosophies of RI, and don't get me wrong I also think that RI is an incredible philosophical work; but trying to analize SS using the ideas and messaging of RI, isn't it like using a scale to measure the Eiffel Tower's height? If you go into novel bringing any preconceived idea from another serie, it's only gonna turn into a disappointment: FY and Sunny are two fundamentally different characters and two fundamentally different people, the Gu World and Shadow Slave universe also work by different principles, different laws and different dynamics, and the core messages of the two novels are also fundamentally different.

      Sure, there are similarities, but for every resemblance you can find, there are ten ways in which they differ; and in the end, it's the big picture that counts, and these two pictures couldn't be more different.

      They can certainly be compared, but when you read one throught the lens of the other, all you see is a blurry image in which you try so hard to find the same kind of beauty that you saw in the other, not realizing that maybe the problem is with your own eyes.
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        Viktor Salazar
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        You're saying my lens blurs the story, but I don't think it’s the lens, I think it's the picture. A worldview like mine doesn’t distort; it reveals. If the novel collapses under the weight of higher standards, that’s not a flaw in the reader, it’s a failure in the work. You're asking me to lower the resolution of my mind to enjoy it, I’d rather not. Still, I appreciate your comment. You're telling me not to be too demanding, but I can't unsee the truth that RI revealed to me.
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          X-Cifer
          + 1 ⋅ 0 -
          If that is the approch to art you decided to take, I can only respect that, even if I doubt I'll ever share the same mindset. I'm a person who thrive in variety, who search, pry and love greatness regardless of its form: be it Fang Yuan's perseverance, Sunny's conflicts, Klein's normalcy, Arthur's presence and so on. I will know them, try to understand them, learn from them, and love them! I will respect your resolution, and wish you happiness, but I won't comply with it. I will watch Sunny's struggles as a Shadow Slave fan, I will learn from Fang Yuan as Reverend Insanity fan, and I'll follow Klein's journey as a Lord of the Mysteries fan. I will love them all, the way I want to, and if it requires me to change my perspective to do so, then all the better!
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