Shadow Slave

Chapter 1830 Resistance to Change Rain stopped, feeling her sense of joy dim a little.

A perplexed smile appeared on her face.

She wasn't a fool, so she had considered these things, as well. But didn't the importance of her discovery far outweigh such details?

"But it can save countless lives."

Tamar looked away and shrugged.

"Can it? Maybe in the short term... but what will happen when these new and untested Awakened have to face the horrors of the Dream Realm? What can cowards who refused to face even the First Nightmare do? Surely, they will buckle and break, leaving humanity defenseless. In that sense, what you offer is poison, not salvation."

She sighed.

"That is not my opinion, by the way. That is just one example of what others can say... will say... to justify harming you and suppressing your discovery. They might not even do it out of malice, but out of sincere belief. Because what you offer does not just attack their authority, but also their identity. That, as well, is built around the Nightmare Spell for many."

Rain dropped the harness into the mud.

"You can't be serious."

Her voice was calm, but her eyes weren't.

Because... she could easily imagine a world where Tamar was right.

Take the two Domains, for example. On the surface, the royal clans were benefactors to those hundreds of millions of mundane people who now lived in the Dream Realm.

But if one looked at it differently, the citizens of the Domains were hostage to the royal clans. They could only be safe if their Sovereign protected them, and could only really attempt the First Nightmare — and thus step on the path to greater power — if the Sovereign or one of the Sovereign's vassals allowed them to.

In the future, when more and more people of the waking world settled in the Dream Realm, that would become the cornerstone of the authority of the royal clans.

Would they be willing to share that authority?

And then, there were the Legacy clans below the two royal houses, whose culture and identity were irrevocably connected to the dreadful challenges of the Nightmare Spell. They were already prohibiting their scions from saving themselves from the trial of the winter solstice by entering the Dream Realm in advance, purely out of belief that warriors had to be forged in fire.

Would they accept Awakened who had not faced the First Nightmare? Or would they find the very concept offensive?

The consequences of Rain's achievement went far deeper than she had considered.

Tamar sighed.

any decisions. They had to have been more aware of the repercussions than you are. Be mindful, though. Make

a moment, and

had no choice but to cross the realm boundary and

looked at her

but she was a member of a Legacy clan, as well. She served the Queen

type of person she had

'Can I trust her?'

in a sense, covering the truth

she really

Rain sighed.

I don‘t understand, Lady Tamar... is why are willing

stretcher. Her face was pale and stern... which was a bit of a comical look for such a young

looked away, remained silent for

a superior. So... if something happens to you, a stain would be left on my

at her silently, keeping a

'... Adorable!'

three moons were high in the sky. So, she couldn't see

unsheathed her hunting knife. Moonlight glistened on the sharp blade

"W—what are you doing?"

cut the harness, separating it from the stretcher, and looked at

I'm afraid you'll have to go over the edge, after

Tamar's eyes widened.

"W—what?"

her for a few moments, then laughed and

might not see it from the

darkness, far below, a scattering of lights was shining

the city built by Tamar's clan on the shores of

and

cross all the canyons that stand in our way. It would be much easier to climb down from the plateau and reach the city. So... summon the brightest luminous Memory

was looking up at her with a

a while, she scowled in

supposed

Rain shrugged.