Shadow Slave

Nephis and the Fire Keepers followed the onyx devil across the land of shadows. Their taciturn guide walked without looking back, her beautiful armor gleaming as it reflected the white light of their lanterns. The living statue's steps were neither slow nor hurried, her measured pace full of indifferent confidence.

It was as though she was not afraid of the creatures hiding in the dark at all.

Nephis would have expected the steps of such a heavy creature to resound like thunderclaps in the dead silence, but they were entirely noiseless. She stared at the back of the mysterious stone knight, white flames dancing in her eyes.

The Fire Keepers were tense and quiet, looking into the eerie darkness with wary expressions.

'What is going on?'

Nephis was not troubled, but she did feel somewhat curious. A vast expanse of inexplicable darkness, the fearsome creature that had been sent to meet them... it was all hard to explain, and she rarely encountered things that escaped explanation.

[Cassie?]

There were a few moments of silence, and then the familiar voice resounded in the darkness, answering the question she had not asked:

[It is... strange.]

Nephis glanced at the beautiful stone demon and waited. Cassie continued after a short pause:

[She is a Transcendent Devil. Her soul is an impossible fusion of shadow, darkness, and divine flame. Her powers are those of a sword saint... however, she is not a simple Echo. I... I don't know what she is.]

Nephis nodded calmly.

is alright. I

strange if she had not recognized that fearsome stonelike armor, that cold

Nightmare, drowning in despair as the darkness of the Underworld

she had inhabited was one of the countless flawed vessels that Nether had callously discarded before successfully creating the first

onyx devil was a more perfect version

doing here? Had some of Nether's children succumbed to Corruption and survived until this day? Had the Lord of Shadows killed

her

to command true darkness, each inheriting a spark of divinity from their creator, as well. But

something to do with the Aspect of the

had

something that a mere Transcendent could

onyx devil led them deeper and deeper into the darkness. Considering how difficult it must have been to chase away the deadly sunlight of Godgrave, Nephis had not expected for this shadowy region to be expansive. But to her surprise, the land of shadows stretched for many kilometers in

'Odd.'

never reached here, there was nothing to incinerate the bones of slain Nightmare Creatures. Therefore, remains of powerful abominations appeared in sight from time

of them, but the deeper into the land of shadows the Fire Keepers ventured, the more and more skeletal remains they

steel, some shattered and broken

terrible battlefield. The magnitude of slaughter that had transpired in this ominous place was nothing short of chilling. Even if all

the ominous rumors about the dire power

the end, it had taken almost half a day for the onyx devil to lead them to their destination. The signs of fierce battles that had transpired under the cover of darkness only

kilometers to reach

the darkness with her gaze, she would have seen the spine of the titanic

Right ahead, though...

their lanterns, a magnificent temple stood at the very edge of the abyss. Its colossal columns and walls were cut from black marble, with exquisite reliefs decorating the stygian pediment and broad frieze. Beautiful and awesome, it looked like the palace of a