Chương 290: Reunion with Darkness

The bone-like spear remained motionless for several long seconds, planted before the ancient statue like a relic abandoned by time itself. The people of the slums watched in silence, their conversations fading one by one as the familiar darkness surrounding the weapon began to stir. At first it was subtle, little more than black mist curling against the stone. Then the shadows thickened. They moved and danced around the weapon.

The darkness unraveled from the spear in long ribbons, spreading across the ground like living ink before slowly rising upward. A massive arm formed first, clad in armor forged entirely from shadow, its fingers flexing as if testing newly awakened joints. Then came the second arm, followed by a towering torso wrapped in dense black mist. Layer after layer of darkness condensed into something tangible, something immense.

A colossal greatsword manifested across the figure's back, though "sword" hardly seemed like the right word for it. It resembled a slab of blackened steel more than a blade, thick and brutal enough to cleave through buildings. The final shape emerged slowly. Vale's grin widened the moment the creature's face took form. A deep onyx helmet now covered Shade's features entirely, angular and sharp like the crown of some forgotten executioner.

Crimson light bled through the slits where his eyes should have been, glowing steadily beneath the veil of darkness. The shadow giant stood unmoving for a moment, head lowered, those crimson eyes still shut as if gathering awareness after a long slumber. Then they opened. The crimson glow cut through the air like burning coals. Vale tilted his head slightly, studying the helmet with visible curiosity.

"Did you always have that helmet?" he asked. Shade remained still for a moment before slowly raising one hand to his face. His armored fingers brushed across the dark metal as though he himself had only just realized it existed. After a second, he gave a faint shrug. Vale chuckled under his breath.

"So even you don't know." The shadow nodded once.

"Well," Vale continued with a grin, stepping forward, "it doesn't really matter. It's good seeing you again." Shade stared at him silently for a moment before walking closer. Despite the monstrous size of his body and the suffocating aura rolling off him, there was something strangely familiar in the way he moved. Something calm. Controlled. He raised his fist. Vale answered immediately, meeting it with his own. A satisfied smile spread across Vale's face.

"Shade," he said, "I've got good news." The crimson glow in the shadow's eyes sharpened slightly. He tilted his head, waiting. Vale laughed softly.

"Right. Of course you wouldn't know." His expression gentled as he looked directly into Shade's burning eyes.

"You remember the ravens I released before I met you?" Vale asked.

"I found one of them." Shade visibly reacted. His crimson eyes widened ever so slightly beneath the helmet. He lifted one hand to his chin, clearly processing the statement before suddenly pointing toward himself. Vale blinked.

"You want to meet it?" This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Shade immediately nodded. A smug grin spread across Vale's face.

"There's that attitude again. Honestly, I missed it." The shadow shrugged dismissively before turning and beginning to walk, clearly expecting Vale to lead the way. Drago, who had remained quietly observant until now, folded his arms as he stared up at the towering being.

"He's still exactly the same," he muttered dryly.

"Though I expected more changes considering how many enforcer units he's apparently crippled lately." Shade glanced down at the old man. The two held eye contact for several seconds. Drago's expression remained calm and unreadable. Shade's crimson gaze stayed cold and silent beneath the helmet. Then, without a word, the shadow turned away and continued walking as though the exchange had never happened. Vale let out a faint sigh. Getting used to Shade's silence again would take time.

The shadow could understand perfectly well, but speaking had never been something he could truly do. Most of the time his gestures, movements, and presence said enough on their own. The three of them moved through the slums together, drawing countless stares along the way. Children peeked from alleyways while merchants paused mid-conversation to watch the gigantic figure of living darkness pass by. Yet fear never followed Shade here. Respect however did. The slums knew who protected them.

After walking for some time, Vale finally broke the silence.

"So," he asked casually, glancing toward Drago, "how are Silfur and Maximus doing? They're still following Eskar around, right?" Drago's expression shifted slightly, becoming thoughtful.

"More or less," he answered.

"Nothing particularly dangerous has happened yet. From what I've heard, the boy's surviving just fine." He paused briefly.

"Though his bloodscale hasn't grown at all." Vale frowned.

"Isn't that bad?"

"No," Drago replied immediately.

"Strangely enough, it's normal." Vale raised a brow.

"Bloodscales aren't like ordinary creatures," Drago continued.

"They accumulate energy over years, sometimes decades. Once enough power gathers within them, their bodies burn away and reform entirely, similar to a phoenix molting through flame. Every rebirth makes them larger and stronger." Vale gave a low whistle.

"You know, for such a mysterious species, you know an absurd amount about them." Drago snorted quietly.

"Someone has to." By now the colossal walls of the colosseum had come into view ahead of them, looming over the district like a fortress of stone and iron. Shade walked beside them openly, yet nobody attempted to stop him. Most people already recognized him as an agent of the Royal Library. Seeing him alongside Vale and Drago was unusual, but not alarming enough to provoke interference. Vale glanced back toward Shade as they approached the gates.

"Oh, right," he said suddenly.

"I'm going to need your help in a little over a week. Think you can leave the slums for a few hours?" Shade looked down at him, confusion flickering faintly in his crimson eyes. Nevertheless, after only a moment, he nodded. Vale grinned like a child.

"It's refreshing having someone agree with me so quickly for once."

"Maybe because all your ideas are terrible," Drago replied flatly. Vale shot him an annoyed look.

"Are you going to insult me the entire day, old man?"

"That depends entirely on how long you plan to keep calling me old." Vale laughed.

"Coming from a walking relic, that's rich." Drago punched him in the side hard enough to make Vale stumble. The blow wasn't enhanced by any supernatural force, yet it still hurt far more than it should have. Vale hissed, grabbing his ribs while glaring at the older man.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Respect your elders." Vale rolled his eyes with visible irritation.

"Fine." By then they had already entered the colosseum. Guards immediately stepped aside after seeing Vale's vip pass, allowing the group access without question. Together they descended through the inner corridors, deeper and deeper beneath the arena. The air gradually cooled. The sounds of the outside world faded behind layers of stone until only silence remained. Eventually they reached the lowest level. Past the final iron gate lay a vast chamber illuminated by scattered torchlight.

At first all Vale could see was darkness. Then the darkness moved. A massive heap of obsidian feathers shifted within the center of the chamber. Ivory-white eyes slowly opened one after another, refusing to blink as they reflected the dim torchlight like pale moons in the abyss. The creature's skull-like face lifted slightly, revealing the monstrous shape of its body. Its wings no longer resembled those of a raven.

They had become something far worse, vast wyvern-like appendages lined with bladed feathers sharp enough to cut steel. The sheer presence of it made the room feel smaller. Vale swallowed despite himself. Even now, even knowing who this creature was, seeing Illu still felt unreal. The raven slowly rose to its full height, its immense frame unfolding from the darkness like some ancient demon awakening from slumber. Ten pale eyes settled directly onto the group. Then onto Vale. For a moment nobody spoke.

Finally Vale exhaled softly and forced a smile onto his face.

"Hey, Illu," he said carefully.

"I brought some guests."