Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2169

Chapter 2169 The Anomaly

Jest did not know what to do. A person like him, who had survived the end of the world and lived long enough to see a new one emerge from the ruins, could usually maintain composure no matter the circumstances. All kinds of unexplainable things were possible now that the Nightmare Spell ruled the world, and Jest had experienced more than a fair share of bizarre encounters. He had braved the wild reaches of the Dream Realm and the mournful desolation of the waking world, spending decades fighting harrowing monsters — humans and Nightmare Creatures alike. And yet, at that moment, he felt utterly lost. 'It doesn't make any sense…'

Hiding his shock, he accessed a special panel on the sleeping pod and studied Anvil's vital signs. Everything seemed to be in order — he was perfectly healthy. His body was, at least. His soul, though, was not inside its mortal vessel at the moment. It was somewhere far away, in the depths of a Nightmare…

It was supposed to be. Could it be that the boy had somehow escaped the Seed without conquering it? When Awakened slept, their souls traveled to the Dream Realm, where they were manifested as spiritual bodies. In the process of Ascension, the physical and the spiritual bodies fused, making one a Master.

Jest assumed that Anvil had conquered the Second Nightmare and Ascended. If he had not, however, then his physical and spiritual bodies would still be separated. The physical body was right here. The spiritual body… would appear near the Gateway where his soul was anchored. Which was the throne room of Bastion. Jest covered his face with a hand for a moment. Was the man they had found there really Anvil? Or was it an impostor?

He was unsure. And uneasy. He was afraid. Taking a deep breath, Jest turned to the butler and said hoarsely:

"Sebastian… gather the Knights and station them here. Tell them to be ready for battle."

The butler raised an eyebrow. "Are you expecting an attack?"

Jest wanted to shake his head, but stopped himself. Eventually, he shrugged with a sigh. "I don't know yet. You have to keep it quiet, though. The less people know, the better." _{freēwēbηovel.c૦m}

He hesitated for a moment, and added:

"This concerns the safety of the main family."

When they finally arrived at the chambers Gwyn and Anvil shared, the situation inside was perfectly peaceful. Anvil, now properly clothed, was sitting at a table and studying the plates of food in front of him curiously. Young Gwyn looked a little tired, but otherwise fine, pouring him a cup of fragrant tea. She seemed relieved, even, a tentative smile illuminating her face when she looked at her husband… who she thought had finally returned from the Nightmare alive. When they entered, both Anvil and Gwyn turned to look at them. Jest froze. Suddenly, he realized that he had actually hoped that there would be horror and carnage by the time he came back.

Because then, he would at least know what to do. He knew how to fight and kill best, after all. Standing by his side, Madoc tensed and asked quietly:

"Should we… attack?"

They could try to kill the anomaly. That was the safest choice. But what if it was Anvil, after all, brought back from the Nightmare by some strange whim of the Spell? Wouldn't Madoc be killing his own brother, and wouldn't Jest be killing his friend's son? Death was something that could not be taken back. If it wasn't Anvil, though…

Could they even kill whatever it was that had taken his form? Or would they just be provoking something so sinister and terrible that none of them stood a chance against its malice? Jest remained silent for a few moments, wishing for nothing more than to let loose and answer with a brilliant joke, like he usually did. In the end, however, he simply shook his head. "Let's take him to the waking world."