Shadow Slave

Chapter 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.

"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.