Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2297

The sun was already sinking behind Bastion when Nephis arrived at her large room at the top of the Ivory Tower. The horizon glowed with a magnificent blaze of crimson and amber tones, while the sky above the Mirror Lake had transformed into a rich shade of indigo, countless stars sparkling on its velvet background like silver ornaments.

The bright circle of the full moon was climbing higher, too...

The darkness had grown dense and blurry, cloaking the world.

As Nephis stepped onto the balcony and gazed downward, Sunny emerged from her shadow and embraced her from behind, placing his chin on her shoulder.

"Difficult day?"

Nephis breathed deeply, then released a lengthy exhale.

"...Yeah."

Together they watched the moon's image drift across the water's surface in silence. Eventually, Sunny tightened his hold slightly.

"You can sleep without worry tonight. I'm watching over everything."

In reality, Nephis wasn't always present in Bastion. Much of her time was devoted to various combat zones — in the hazy waters of the Stormsea, in the frightening territories south of Godgrave, in the brutal chill of the frozen wasteland west of Ravenheart. If not there, she was guiding humanity into conflict in the waking world, even when the world itself hindered her abilities and resisted her existence.

She was striving hard to delay the breakdown of human society on Earth and ready the Dream Realm for the influx of countless refugees who would escape their failing world. Beyond everything else, she was constantly hunting for additional Citadels — those that remained undiscovered and unconquered, all to strengthen the Human Domain as much as possible and smooth the path for the human Sovereigns who would follow in her footsteps.

Sunny was battling too, though in a more secretive way.

But every month, when the full moon appeared over Bastion, both Nephis and Sunny needed to be present.

This was because the Cursed Demon they had released upon the actual Mirror Lake to halt Mordred still lurked there, concealed in reflections. It remained safely trapped on the opposite side of the Great Mirror most days, but during these few nights when the border between the two versions of Bastion grew weak, its sinister influence occasionally slipped through the moon's reflection.

That was why they needed to maintain vigilance.

Nephs rested her hands on his and reclined slightly in his sturdy embrace, allowing his frame to support her.

"I'm not that exhausted. I rested well yesterday..." _{fгeewebnovёl.com}

As Supremes, they didn't need to sleep nightly, or even frequently... theoretically. However, Nephis faced ongoing pressure due to her Flaw, so Sunny urged her to rest and recover whenever her incredibly packed schedule permitted.

As the final rays of daylight faded into the spreading darkness, she asked:

"How did your conflict go?"

Sunny laughed softly.

"It went alright, I guess. I managed to eliminate one of the Tyrants, so I'll reach their strongholds soon. However... my Shell collapsed rapidly. I was utterly overwhelmed. Even though I surpassed any individual monster there, and none possessed willpower stronger than mine, the united force of the swarm felt like a massive tidal wave. The more I moved, the more it seemed I was sinking in quicksand. It felt as if a tremendous burden was dragging me down, making my movements slower and my arms heavier. Although I could slash them, I had difficulty landing my attacks."

Nephis remained quiet for a moment, then said thoughtfully:

"It's probably because you direct your Will like a sword."

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

She pondered her response briefly.

"I only noticed it recently, but the Will... it's not a uniform power. Instead, everyone channels their own version of it. Your will, Sunny, is particularly skewed. It centers entirely around your killing intent — I'm not even sure if there's any distinction between them. So, you handle your Will like a weapon."

He laughed softly.

"What's wrong with that? Whatever happened to 'the heart of combat is murder'?"

Nephis smiled gently.

"It is murder, not a weapon. The blade you use matters, but so does the hand gripping it. Ultimately, the real weapon is your body... what I'm trying to explain is that you should cover your entire being with your will, not just infuse your blade with it. That way, you might find it easier to act even when facing a formidable opponent."

Sunny considered her words.

Will was a power, and like any other power, there was a gap between merely using it and using it masterfully. That gap was technique. Both he and Nephis were beginners in this domain, so they often exchanged their findings and helped each other improve.

'I shouldn't focus too much on killing to become a better killer, huh?'

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