Deep within the Supreme Abyssal, Shadow Nine and Calderon were still struggling with their sense of direction.
As they bickered, Shadow Nine glanced down at his treasured, albeit crude, map.
Something was different.
A detailed, three-dimensional map had replaced the rudimentary scribbles.
Shadow Nine beamed, nodding proudly. “See? My mapmaking skills are top-notch!”
Calderon leaned in, studying the map.
A red X marked a specific location: Nathan’s remains.
Shadow Nine tucked the map away, confidently choosing a direction. “Let’s go!”
“You idiot!” Calderon snapped. “You can’t even follow a map. Did you fill your head with rocks?”
Shadow Nine: “…”
His lack of direction and inability to read maps was a closely guarded secret.
Unlike other Guardian Shadow members, Shadow Nine was a genuine shadow, born from Nathan himself.
Others, like Shadow Four, had become Guardian Shadows after death, their consciousness preserved within the Shadow Fortress, merging with a shadow to continue their existence. But Shadow Nine had been Nathan’s shadow from the very beginning.
His world was upside down, left and right reversed.
Furthermore, he usually lurked within the shadows of others, only emerging for combat. He rarely had to travel on his own.
And on those rare occasions when he did, he was usually pursuing powerful enemies.
He simply followed their aura, never needing to navigate.
But when it came to reading maps, he was clueless.
Calderon snatched the map, grumbling as he studied it. “I get it now. You didn’t bring me here to fight the Supreme Demon God. You brought me here to be your navigator!”
To his surprise, he had finally gained an advantage over Shadow Nine.
At least when it came to maps.
With the map and Calderon’s guidance, they could finally abandon their aimless wandering and proceed with a clear objective.
After some analysis, Calderon charted a course. “Follow this route, and we’ll reach the red X within three months…”
Then, he realized something. “Shadow Nine, didn’t you say we’d be in the Supreme Abyssal for ten years?”
What were they supposed to do for the remaining 117 months after completing their mission in three?
Count stars while cuddling Nathan’s corpse?
Fall in love with the Supreme Demon God?
Shadow Nine’s plan seemed incredibly flawed.
“Yes, ten years,” Shadow Nine replied, as if it were obvious.
Calderon pointed at the map. “A three-month journey, and you want to spend ten years on it?”
“Well, my original plan was…” Shadow Nine stammered. “Ten years should be enough time to explore the entire Supreme Abyssal. I’ll find Nathan eventually…”
If he eliminated all the wrong answers, the right one would eventually reveal itself. Calderon: “…”
Brute force at its finest.
He put away the map, eyeing Shadow Nine with concern. “Once you find Nathan’s remains,
you’ll be able to use his talent again. What’s our next move?”
“We’ll figure that out later…” Shadow Nine glanced down.
Calderon followed his gaze, his expression darkening.
Something had been off about Shadow Nine since they arrived.
Now, he understood why.
Shadow Nine’s left hand was turning crimson.
“My student didn’t send that map so I could leave quickly. I could leave whenever I wanted.” Shadow Nine extended his hand, revealing the spreading crimson stain. It had already
engulfed his entire hand and was creeping up his forearm.
“I don’t have much time left.”
Once the crimson consumed his entire body, he would become a Blood Shadow.
He would lose his mind, his humanity, becoming a mindless killing machine.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
The air seemed to crackle with tension.
Calderon had witnessed countless deaths in his lifetime.
He had even been inside a coffin himself.
As the God of Slaughter, death was a constant companion.
But death shouldn’t happen today. It shouldn’t happen to Shadow Nine.
Calderon glanced at the distant horizon, calculating the distance.
If they charged towards their destination, disregarding all risks, how long would it take?
If they did that, not only would Calderon likely perish, but Ace would be doomed.
But they could shorten the three-month journey to seven days.
“Shadow Nine, how long can you hold on?”
“Not long.”
Shadow Nine considered the question, then offered a reasonable answer.
“Ten years.”
Calderon stared at him for a moment.
“Shadow Nine, kiss my ass! You can hold on for ten years, but you’re acting like you’re on
death’s door!”
===
In the Fifth Abyss, a crack appeared in the gloomy sky.
Several figures emerged, and the approaching demon creatures scattered.
The aura emanating from the muscular figure adorned with bones alone was enough to send
them fleeing in terror.
“This is my first time in the Fifth Abyss,” Mike said, stretching and looking around.
At the Demon Emperor’s Hall, Shadow Two was happily looting the place, taking whatever caught his fancy.
Meanwhile, James was in a dire situation, surrounded by a horde of demon creatures and
Demon Cult members.
“Let’s go check it out.”
Mike was feeling confident. With Shadow Three by his side, they could go anywhere in the Abyss.
A single thought was all it took to teleport to the battlefield, observing the situation from
above.
“Should we intervene?” Shadow Four asked, his voice low.
“Not yet. Let’s have some fun with them.” Mike conjured a rocking chair, settling into it
comfortably.
“Remember, we’re just spectators. Just enjoy the show… Holy fuck, what’s going on?!”
He glanced down, his composure shattered.
Richard Sterling(Draco), James’s father, had fully transformed into a Blood Shadow!
Draco was attacking both the Demon Cult members and James!
If James hadn’t been carrying protective items, he would be dead already.
Mike frowned, his voice laced with displeasure. “Where’s Shadow Ten? Get him out here!”
He had taken precautions to ensure James’s safety.
Shadow Ten, although only ranked tenth among the Guardian Shadow Lords, was more than
capable of handling this situation.
With the human race facing such a dire threat, Mike had pulled some strings to ensure Shadow
Ten was assigned to this crucial task.
And yet, Richard Sterling had become a Blood Shadow?!
How could Shadow Ten screw up something so simple?
Despite Mike’s mild tone, everyone present understood one thing:
Thor was angry.
“Fourth Bro, please calm down,” Shadow Three said, his voice a low rumble.
“We’ve tried contacting Shadow Ten, but there’s no response,” Shadow Four added urgently.
Shadow One was already warming up, ready to intervene.
But an invisible barrier stopped her.
“Fourth Bro, what is…”
Mike knew who had erected that barrier.
Such effortless control over space could only belong to a Supreme Being.
Everyone fell silent.
Mike settled back into his rocking chair, waving a dismissive hand. “It seems Apollo is aware
of the situation. He’ll handle it.”