Shadow Slave Chapter 3222

A figure fell from the lightless sky, streaking across its dark expanse like a star woven out of impenetrable darkness. It collided with a towering dune of obsidian dust and obliterated it, sending countless tons of black sand into the air.

As a billowing black cloud spread, swallowing a vast swath of the desolate land, the roar of the terrible impact rolled outward.

Soon enough, however, there was silence once more.

The billowing dust slowly settled, revealing a shallow crater. Shadow was lying there, his body battered and covered in dreadful wounds.

Nevertheless, not a single drop of blood seeped from them into the obsidian dust. He exhaled slowly.

As several sparks of light drifted from his body into the dark aether, he rose to his feet, swaying lightly, and glanced around. Before him lay the endless expanse of the Shadow Realm.

A sea of black dunes rested in the darkness, the tenebrous sky illuminated by the distant radiance of wandering essence storms. Here and there, dark figures could be seen, walking across the desolate wasteland in a single direction.

Those were the shadows of the dead, venturing on their last journey.

As they walked, the Shadow Realm slowly destroyed them — still, the shadows persisted, as if overcome by an insurmountable determination to come as close to the heart of this lightless land as they could.

Shadow remained motionless for a while, contemplating.

It was amusing that he did not feel the same compulsion... and bitter, as well. After all, it was another reminder that he was refused the inalienable right that all other beings seemed to enjoy.

‘I am here.'

He had finally reached the Shadow Realm. Shadow had wondered about what it would feel like once or twice... he had even entertained the idea that entering the realm of Shadow God would feel like returning home.

But he felt nothing.

Nothing except for the pain in his battered body.

The Abyss had not been kind to him. There, blinded and robbed of his senses, he fell for what felt like an eternity — at some point, the concept of time itself seemed to lose meaning, and all that remained was the feeling of plummeting endlessly.

That and the feeling of not being alone in the darkness.

Shadow still did not know what he had encountered in the Abyss, but he knew that the force he had endured — a being, perhaps, or a legion of beings — was hostile. He had been attacked viciously, an invisible power trying to pull him apart, to drain him, to devour the essence of his being completely.

There, in the Abyss, he had no choice but to hide within his corporeal vessel, not daring to unleash his true self into the jaws of darkness.

However, his human body was not weak. Shadow had fought fiercely, overcome by a ferocious malice. He did not truly realize how straining the promise given to Snuggle... to Smile of Heaven... had been. But now that he was released from its shackles, it was as if the deadly intent that he had been suppressing for so long broke free all at once, igniting him with murderous wrath.

In the end, he had survived Abyss — even if he did not know if that was because of his will to endure or by pure luck.

And now, he was here, in the realm of Shadow God.

Shadow inhaled deeply.

He remained still for a while, gazing at the dark landscape of the Realm of Death, then walked forward.

He walked and walked. Sometimes, he walked alone. At other times, the shadows of the dead kept him company.

But after a while, none of them remained, erased from existence by the mercy of Shadow God — only swirls of radiant sparks rose into the dark skies, soon disappearing from view.

Eventually, Shadow found himself entirely alone.

As far as he could see, not a single shadow remained. Behind him was the vast expanse of obsidian dunes; in front of him, a titanic mountain chain seemed to rise from the ground in the distance.

Finally, he stopped and glanced down, his mangled face full of grim exhaustion.

With a heavy sigh, Shadow lowered himself to the ground and sat cross-legged. Pulling the little doll out of his pocket, he placed it carefully on the sand beside him.

Then, he gazed into the distance.

He remembered the past... not the endless fragments of his myriad past lives, but the long years of this one. He remembered the time when the world was young. He remembered the tranquility of the primal realm around him. He remembered the little girl who had once come to his cave, full of unabashed enthusiasm and passion for life. He remembered saying goodbye to the old woman the girl had become, as well.

Smile of Heaven, Noctis... even Hope.

Compared to the rest, this particular life seemed especially bittersweet. But at the moment, he felt like it had been a little bit sweeter than bitter.

‘Ah... I've lived too long.’

Shadow inhaled deeply, then looked at the ugly doll that sat motionlessly beside him.

"...Don't be sad anymore."

With that, he reached deep into his soul and called all the shadows trapped there forth. In the next moment, it was as if an ocean of darkness escaped from his small figure, devouring the sands around him. Then, countless figures rose from it, all looking at him silently.

Some of them were small. Some of them were gargantuan. Some were human, while some were monstrous. So many of them... He saw many familiar faces.

The old slaver was there. The broad-shouldered slave was there, as well. The righteous king who had succumbed to doubt gazed at him with five blind eyes. The doubt that had consumed him was there too, its wings obscuring the sky.

The cursed legionnaires of the Forgotten Shore rested under the branches of a colossal tree. A ghostly flower made of silk drifted in the currents of wind. A man who looked like a king stood side by side with a radiant woman whose face bore a striking resemblance to him, both devoid of emotion.

The people of the Shadow Tribe tribe were there, as well, looking at him with a silent accusation.

And so... So many more.

Shadow could feel a subtle, insurmountable connection between him and these shades. Because they belonged to him. Because they were a part of his Domain.

...But he did not want to be their master anymore.

With a sigh, he smiled faintly.

"Go on. Find peace. Be free."

With that, he reached into his soul and broke the connection.

It hurt him terribly, so much so that he barely suppressed a scream.

The shades did not move.

They remained motionless, still staring at him.

But soon, more and more sparks began to rise above the vast sea of their dark figures. There was a handful at first, then a hundred. The world, which had been drowning in darkness, was suddenly illuminated by a radiant light.

And then, the radiance became blinding. Suddenly, the darkness was vanquished, and Shadow found himself in a world filled with nothing but brilliant light. Countless shades around him melted slowly in that light, and a whirlwind of sparks erupted into the dark heavens of the Realm of Death.

As his eyes widened, Shadow looked into the light in wonder.

‘How radiant...’

Finally, after eons spent in the darkness, he found himself surrounded by light.

The wind grew stronger, turning into a hurricane. And the great mass of soul essence unleashed by the destruction of the legion of shades expanded, becoming an essence storm.

Hidden in the heart of the storm, Shadow felt his flesh being eroded by its ferocious power. It was as if each of the many sparks was a tiny blade that cut him, tearing his skin away, erasing his flesh little by little.

But Shadow did not move, even when his bones were revealed in the dreadful wounds. He only lowered his hand to protect the little doll from the rage of the devastating storm.

He continued to stare into the light, mesmerized by it.

Around him, the shades collapsed one after another, turning into torrents of essence. More and more of them were gone. Hundreds, thousands... too many to count. Until only one of them remained.

It was the shade of the lonely priestess of War who did not know how to give up.

She gazed at Shadow, her tattered figure slowly dissipating into the light.

Shadow gazed at her, as well.

By then, half of his face was gone, revealing the white skull hidden beneath.

He remembered that woman's life.

A soft, mournful smile twisted what remained of his lips.

"It's alright. You've endured enough... you can rest now. Farewell."

The tattered shade looked at him one last time.

And then, finally, she turned into a whirlwind of essence, soaring high into the sky.

Disappearing forever.

Shadow glanced down, then suddenly laughed.

There was no joy in his laughter, only envy.

“This... this is the mercy of Shadow!"

The hurricane winds roared, drowning out his voice. Carried by the wind, the gargantuan storm moved on, leaving to roam the desolate expanse of the Shadow Realm. The light grew dimmer soon.

And then, darkness crept to surround Shadow once more.

‘They are gone.'

At that moment, Shadow felt it...

He felt that he could have absorbed the shades instead of setting them free. And that consuming his Domain could have made him far stronger.

But by now, he was old and wise enough to know that not all power was a blessing. There were crossroads and dead ends even on the Path of Ascension... and those who chose the wrong turn would only end up damned.

Shadow had set his shades free, as Tatal would have wanted. He expected to feel weak and empty... but, strangely enough, it was the opposite.

He felt free, too.

"It's done, then."

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips. Grimacing, Shadow raised his head and looked into the distance.

There, far away...

The blinding radiance he had summoned into the world seemed to have attracted someone's attention.

The titanic mountain chain that loomed in the distance moved. At first, Shadow thought that his senses were playing a trick on him, but there was no mistake — the black ridges seemed to flow like a river, and the entire mountain chain was slithering across the sea of obsidian dunes, dwarfing them.

Then, a part of it rose, disappearing into the darkness above.

It was only then that Shadow recognized the mountain chain for what it was...

An inconceivable, unfathomably colossal serpent whose obsidian body must have coiled around the entire world. Shuddering, he instinctively reeled back and glanced up.

A serpentine head slowly revealed itself from the darkness above him, obscuring the sky. Its size defied reason, and Shadow could not judge it correctly due to the fact that the magnitude of its terrifying visage distorted perspective.

All he knew was that he could not move under the gaze of its lightless, still, unfathomable black eyes.

But then, he gritted his teeth in anger. Forcing himself to move, Shadow rose to his feet, staggered, then righted himself and met the colossal serpent's gaze with defiance.

A burning sensation boiled in his heart.

"Why?"

He clenched his fists.

"Why?!"

Shadow pointed an accusatory finger at Shadow God.

“Why have you forsaken me?! What terrible crime did I commit to deserve this?! Live, live, live... why is everyone allowed the solace of death, but I am not?!"

Burning with anger, he screamed:

“Weren't you supposed to welcome all, bring peace to all?! Well, here I am! Where is my solace, where is my peace?!?! Give it to me! I demand it!"

His voice fell, and he lowered his head tiredly.

Shadow sighed.

“I am so tired. I can't endure it anymore. Why can't I die? Please, Death... show me mercy."

The titanic serpent gazed at him silently. Then, from all around him, a horrible hiss suddenly resounded, penetrating the darkest depths of his soul and making his spirit shudder in dread.

"Do you really want to die?"

The serpent lowered its head, as if wanting to study Shadow more closely.

He straightened, trying not to tremble as he met the god's gaze.

Shadow could almost see his mutilated, pale reflection in the great serpent's lightless, colossal eyes.

Then, the hiss resounded again from the darkness, as if the world itself was speaking.

“I can grant your request, child. You simply have to say it..."

The colossal serpent remained motionless.

"Say that you truly want to die. Say it aloud. Then, I shall grant you peace."

Shadow froze for a moment, stunned... overjoyed.

‘Is that all?"

Suddenly, his heart ignited with exhilaration. With a tentative, feeble hope. Finally! After all these years, his prayers would be answered.

He would finally be able to die.

All he had to do was proclaim it.

Shadow's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth.

...However, no sound came from it.

‘W-what?'

He froze, failing to understand what was happening. He tried to speak again, but no words came out of his mouth.

It was as if something was preventing him from speaking.

'N—no...'

A strange, familiar pain slowly permeated his being.

The more Shadow tried to speak, the more pain he felt.

"No! No!’

He raged against the pain, forcing himself to speak — to say it. To prove to Shadow God that what he wanted the most in the world was to die.

‘I do! I want to! Please!’

But no matter how hard Shadow tried, no sound came out of his mouth.

In the end, blinded by pain, he staggered and fell to his knees.

‘Say it! Say it!"

His tongue refused to listen, and his lips remained sealed.

The colossal serpent studied him for a while longer.

And then, silently, it began to withdraw into the darkness.

‘No!'

A tortured groan escaped from Shadow's lips.

But by then, Shadow God had already turned away.

His horrible hiss resounded once more:

"Death cannot die, child. Didn't you want to spite us all?"

Soon, the serpent's head disappeared into the darkness. The mountain chain flowed like an oceanic tide, receding.

An echo of the horrible hiss was carried by the wind.

“Do not waste my blessing.”

In the end, Shadow was left alone, kneeling on the obsidian sand. The land around him was desolate and empty.

He bent over, pressing his forehead against the ground.

‘No, no, no...'

"No!"

His shout was not answered.

Shadow remained motionless for a long while.

Then, a bitter, indescribable laughter resounded in the silence.

Shadow laughed, and laughed, and laughed, burning tears flowing from his eyes.

None of his questions had been answered. None of his prayers had been answered, either.

He had come from far away to find Death, but even then, Death refused him.

There was no peace. There was no solace. No hope remained, no salvation.

Why couldn't he just say what Shadow God had told him to say?

That was the most painful part of it all, the most bitter!

Shadow had not been able to say anything... because he couldn't lie.

And even if he had not known it before, somewhere deep down, a tiny and unknown part of him still wanted to live.

It refused to die.

‘Ah...’

He couldn't stop laughing.

Truth... was so cruel.