Shadow Slave-Chapter 2275 Shadowy Bossman
The depths of the Transcendent Devil’s realm strangely mirrored the heart of a genuine fortress. The space hardly appeared eerie or particularly foreboding—on the contrary, it gleamed with tidiness and warmth, verging on inviting. Naturally, this clarity stemmed solely from Awakened Kim endowing June with the gift to pierce the gloom that swallowed the sprawling hallways. He wouldn’t have dared to roam them solo, clutching something as fickle as a torch.
In truth, all he’d witnessed thus far—the yawning void of the secret Dream Gate, the decaying metropolis sprawled beneath the boundless shroud of a starless night, the hushed silhouettes drifting through its timeworn paths, the imposing silhouette of the grand temple, the looming castle cloaked in darkness and pulsing with a wicked vitality—proved utterly befitting as the realm of a shadowy divine being. And June was moments from encountering that entity.
Of course, he understood that Supremes weren’t truly deities. Yet, through the eyes of an ordinary mortal—or even a humble Awakened like himself—they could easily pass as such. The King of Swords and the Queen of Worms had largely veiled their might, but the Lady of the Ivory Tower bestowed her blessings with lavish openness. She seldom appeared, yet scarcely a soul on earth remained untouched by the glow of her majestic influence. Those who’d clashed in the decisive final skirmish of the Realm War grasped its marvels most vividly. The capacity to heal, the strength to obliterate—June harbored no illusions: if Changing Star desired it, she could reduce the world to ashes in the blazing fury of her fire. Or she might enfold humanity in her arms and guide them to redemption. If that wasn’t divine, he couldn’t fathom what was.
The Lord of Shadows stood as an equal force. So June, whose veins coursed with frost, battled to steady himself. His resolve wavered with every stride. “It’s… it’ll be fine. I’ve already crossed paths with the Lord of Shadows, haven’t I?” Out in Godgrave, he’d glimpsed the formidable Saint on numerous occasions. Admittedly, June had found him unnerving even then. Who wouldn’t? That ominous dark armor, the menacing mask, the icy and pervasive aura, the crushing weight of his lethal intent—the chilling enigma of it all. The mere notion of staring straight at that ghastly visage sent shudders through June.
Whispers had long hinted that something unearthly lurked beneath that mask, even when the Lord of Shadows was just a Saint. No one had ever seen him shed blood, after all. He wasn’t a Saint any longer. How much more terrifying had he grown after claiming Supremacy?
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
“A coin for your musings,” Awakened Kim said, breaking his reverie. June jolted faintly and turned to her. He paused briefly, then admitted, “I’m a little anxious about meeting my new master, truth be told.”
She offered a subtle grin. “I trembled too, the first time I faced him.”
He arched a brow. “May I ask what he’s like?”
Awakened Kim fell quiet for a moment, then replied with a calm face, “Well… his pancakes are divine.”
June’s eyelid flickered. *What on earth…* What did that even mean? Before he could press further, they arrived at towering oak doors. The massive panels swung open unaided, and Awakened Kim guided him into the throne chamber of the Dark Castle.
The vast hall radiated splendor and awe, its boundless reach cloaked in unfathomable shadow. Elaborate etchings adorned the walls, stretching across dozens of meters like a royal mural, portraying ferocious clashes and wondrous realms. At the chamber’s far end, a staircase ascended to a dim recess. There, atop an elevated platform, rested a sable throne. Perched upon that throne… June faltered, struck breathless for an instant.
All this time, he’d steeled himself to confront the Lord of Shadows—the daunting figure clad in ornate ebony armor, bearing a haunting mask carved with a snarling fiend’s grimace, silvery hair tumbling down its back. Yet reality diverged sharply from his expectations. Instead of the recognizable, if deeply unsettling, form of the Lord of Shadows, a lithe youth lounged on the throne with ease, dressed in a plain midnight tunic.
The young man’s skin gleamed like pristine ivory, his raven hair flowed like silk, and his eyes sparkled like twin obsidian stones. His refined elegance bordered on ethereal, leaving June feeling as though he gazed upon a masterpiece, not a person. Stranger still, he detected none of the frigid detachment, scornful pride, or bloodcurdling menace tied to the Lord of Shadows. Instead, he sensed… nothing whatsoever, as if the youth bore no presence at all.
“No, hold on…” June thought. This… this was the Lord of Shadows? The Lord of Shadows was this youthful? More astonishingly, he’d concealed this face behind a mask all along? June stood dumbfounded. He was reeling. But only briefly. A heartbeat later, he realized he’d been gawking at the Shadow Sovereign with wide-eyed shock. Even so, he had to wrench his gaze away. *Quit staring at your lord, idiot!*
Right then, June yearned to track down the fool who’d claimed the Lord of Shadows wore that mask to hide grotesque scars and throttle him in a ditch. The absurd tales that the elusive Saint and Lady Nephis had once been entwined suddenly didn’t seem so far-fetched. In fact, they rang truer than ever.
“Boss,” Awakened Kim said, dipping her head slightly.
The Lord of Shadows glanced at her and beamed. His smile dazzled with enough radiance to halt breaths, but alas, Kim appeared unfazed, while June wasn’t in the mood to savor it. Regardless, he felt a shiver of dread.
“Ah, Kimmy. Is this the fresh blood?” the Lord of Shadows asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Only one from the recent group made the cut.”
The Lord of Shadows turned his eyes to June. Remarkably, his stare wasn’t menacing, stifling, or overpowering. It felt… warm, even. Which only wound June tighter. After all, those in his line of work knew well that nothing posed greater peril than a being meant to inspire fear yet exuded none.
The Lord of Shadows leisurely lifted a hand… *What… what’s he about to do?!* …and gave June a casual wave. “You must be Corsair! Greetings, greetings… wow, your file? Incredible! You’re downright legendary.”
June stiffened. “P-pardon?”
The Lord of Shadows shook his head with a sigh. “The black market, eh? How didn’t I consider that? More to the point… why didn’t Aiko figure that out? I ought to dock her wages…”
June blinked twice. *Huh?*
And that was how he first encountered his new overlord, the Dark Sovereign.
