Shadow Slave novel Chapter 3237

Despite the fact that the runic circle was broken, Shadow was in no hurry to leave it. Instead, he sat comfortably on the cracked floor, observing the Jade Queen with a look of contemplation.

The young woman, in turn, studied him with a curious smile.

"A shadow! I have never hosted one of your kind in my Jade Court... I did not expect you to look so human, either. How fascinating. And what a splendid shell! You seem to have taste!"

She pouted.

“Alright... I've decided. I shall forgive your rudeness. Just this once!"

Shadow smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty is generous."

The Jade Queen... seemed like an immature, pampered brat.

However, Shadow was not deceived.

He had lived countless lives, after all. Many of his past incarnations had known of the Jade Queen; a few had even met her, each learning the meaning of dread in these beautiful halls.

First of all, despite her youthful appearance, the Jade Queen was by no means young. She was an ancient monster — not quite as ancient as Shadow himself, but still old enough to remember the bygone eras.

Secondly, she was the keeper of forbidden truths. There were few beings in the world who had learned the same terrible secrets she harbored, and even fewer who could withstand their horrid burden without succumbing to death, madness, or Corruption. The mere fact that the Jade Queen was standing in front of him, unscathed, proved how dangerous she was. Then there was her widespread fame as an embodiment of both beauty and wisdom.

Shadow could confirm that the Jade Queen was tantalizing, but not that she was wise... and yet, he could say with confidence that she was devious and cunning, capable of weaving truly heinous schemes. Otherwise, how could she have gone to war with the Empire and emerged victorious, not only protecting her domain, but also slaying two of the six Imperial Spirits? No one had ever dealt the Dragon a blow of that scale.

So, Shadow was not inclined to take the Jade Queen's pampered brat persona at face value.

...Which was not to say that he did not believe that this ancient monster was pampered, or that she was an immature brat. He just knew that even if she was, she was also more.

Just like he was more beneath his mask of calm detachment.

Shifting slightly, Shadow looked at the Jade Queen, then spoke in a neutral tone:

"I must admit that I am curious."

She looked at him with a lively smile.

“What about?"

Shadow waved his hand vaguely.

"A lot of things. I am just a nameless shadow from the Realm of Death — why summon me here? Who is the Oracle of Thetis, and how did a Corrupted Titan end up doing her bidding? Finally... you did not really expect this circle to contain me, did you? It would have taken me no more than a minute to dismantle it, cracked floor or not."

He paused for a moment, then added in a flat tone:

“Apart from that, I know that the stone of the Jade Palace can heal itself over time. So, demanding compensation for a few small cracks is a bit, you know..."

The Jade Queen coughed awkwardly and lowered her gaze.

“Oh? Y—you know? Well... uhm... still! Breaking my things is not allowed!"

She raised her chin defiantly.

Then, she laughed.

Suddenly, her voice changed, becoming confident and sultry. Her naive expression underwent a subtle transformation, replaced by an ominous smile.

“As for the rest of your questions... you are here because I owe the nebulous Oracle of Thetis a favor."

Her golden eyes glinted mischievously.

“That favor is to host a... gathering, of sorts. Gods know, I had no shortage of illustrious guests in this palace over the ages. But this gathering she envisioned might just raise the bar of my hospitality."

The Jade Queen chuckled.

“Apart from the blind beauty herself, there are three guests on the list. The first one arrived some time ago. He is the sort who consorts with the daemons — a creepy being created by the Demon of Imagination, but a reasonable enough fellow. Hosting him has not caused me much trouble... yet. Inviting him was not particularly difficult, either."

She looked at Shadow with a peculiar smile.

“You are the second guest. Even the Oracle was not sure what mental state you are in — or at least pretended to be unsure — so some precautions were in order. The runic circle was not meant to contain you for long, indeed, more so to give me a bit of time to ascertain the situation and decide how to act accordingly. As for the manner in which you were invited..."

The Jade Queen shrugged.

“That heartless woman is known as the greatest seer of the mortal realms, but in fact, it is what people do not know about her that is truly frightening. Her powers are both bizarre and astonishing... so, that ugly thing she sent to steal you from Shadow God's embrace? She created that Corrupted Titan. And I do not mean that she subjugated a Transcendent Titan, then corrupted it — she literally conjured him out of thin air. Even I was taken aback!"

She shivered with a disgusted expression, then mumbled in an aggrieved tone: