Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2771

Chapter 2771: The Unmaking

There was a heavy silence in the Sun Temple, the burden of Ketzelkun’s words coloring the darkness in the hues of calamity. After a long time passed, it was the Eagle who spoke, surprising many.

"You paint a dreary picture, Winged Serpent."

The ruler of the Skull was as nebulous as he was fearsome. In fact, among all the Supreme beings of the Sun Realm, he was the only one Ketzelkan was truly wary of — the same held true for the other kings and queens of Mictlan, who regarded the Eagle with a hint of apprehension.

It was understandable. In Mictlan, being close to the sky meant being close to death. So, all those who chose to soar its cloudy expanse, beyond the safe darkness of the great bones, were seen as slightly mad, even if they carried the sacred responsibility of breaking the Clodveil in case the Jungle had grown too strong.

Ketzelkan carried a bit of that stigma, himself.

The Eagle looked at him somberly.

"But you are not wrong. As things stand, Mictlan is indeed doomed to be swallowed by Corruption... which is why I have been advocating for an alternative solution to simply growing stronger. A solution that you and the Fallen One kept rejecting."

He cast a heavy gaze at the rulers of the Sun Realm.

"Now that the boundary of our home has been breached and we are not isolated from the rest of existence anymore, we can traverse the dreadful expanse of the fallen realms and reach the borders of other Divine ones. There should be plenty of mighty warriors and noble creatures living safely there, still."

The Eagle smiled coldly.

"You said it yourself, Winged Serpent — the Sun Realm is the first to bloom with the Seeds of Nightmare, but it won’t be the last. So, it will be in their interest to help us fight against the Doom. We should rally champions from all of existence to halt the spread of Corruption... instead of relying solely on our own strength."

The Fallen One spoke then, his voice sounding ancient and inhuman:

"You cannot."

The Eagle did not seem satisfied with that answer.

"Why?"

The towering figure of the Sun Temple’s prisoner shifted slightly, his twelve wings casting vast shadows upon the walls.

"Because you carry the Nightmare Spell within you, and therefore the seeds of Doom as well. If you ever enter a realm that has not known their curse yet, you will bring those seeds with you, planting them into fertile soil. You will only hasten their demise."

The Eagle smiled.

"Hasten it, not cause it. Why postpone the inevitable? Wouldn’t it be better if all of us united against the Great Threat, even if it meant that many would die earlier than their time?

Ketzelkan shook his head.

"You are growing madder with each decade, Eagle. What use will the children of other gods be? Even if they are numerous, none of them is more powerful than we are. And if even our power is not enough to prevent the Doom from swallowing everything, what could they do?"

He crossed his arms.

"No, there is only one answer to our plight — it is for us to grow even stronger."

He looked at the rulers of the Sun Realm and bared his teeth in a ferocious grin.

"And luckily, I bring the news of a good omen. I have discovered a path for us to do just that."

Finally, the rulers of the Sun Realm showed a strong reaction. Some were sceptical, others suddenly seemed full of focus... but none remained indifferent.

In truth, Ketzelkan’s powers of precognition were not that impressive. The omen of doom he described to his high priest was not his own — it was a prophecy that the Fallen One had shared with him once, a long time ago. The Fallen One saw too many things and knew too many truths, which was his burden.

But Ketzelkan did sense a shift in the laws governing the Sun Realm recently, and confirmed his suspicion after sacrificing the Great Beast to himself.

So, he was confident in the news he brought.

"Rejoice, my brothers and sisters! A Nightmare Gate unlike any before has opened in the Spinesea. The Eel is most likely dead by now, and Cursed Ones have invaded Mictlan. They must have conquered the Spine already. From there, they will enter the Cage Bone, the Skull... and in time, the rest of our realm as well. The Corruption they have brought upon is already poisoning the Jungle, making it greater and stronger. Soon, calamity will descend upon your kingdoms, washing away our peace."

His bright smile did not fit the horrid promise of destruction his words carried at all.

The rulers of the Sun Realm stirred.

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