Fire Mage-Chapter 655: Shadow Princess

Chapter 655: Shadow Princess

Second Layer, Dungeon of Star Tombs

Charles reappeared over ten kilometers away from the fortress and silently looked up at the brightest star in the pitch-black sky.

From Caspian’s memory, the teleportation circle to the next layer lies to the south. But no one has reached the third layer yet... because of that Rank-6 Magical Beast—Abyssal Hound, he mused. I should leave this layer first, even if I want to deal with Cardinal Benedictus and the others. Time’s running short.

He clenched his fists.

I’ve already spent 29 days in this dungeon. If I’m right, the next disaster will strike after another 30. But the real question is: where? If I remain here, will it happen in this dungeon... or back in Edhen World? He recalled clearly—the last disaster struck wherever he was, not Miracle City.

Shaking his head, Charles donned his black robe over his casual clothes, activated the [Veil of Shadows] skill, and vanished into the darkness.

Without leaving a trace, he headed south.

After traveling more than 50 kilometers over two hours, he discovered a small cavern nestled in the cliffs. He scanned the surroundings.

Confirming no signs of danger, he activated [Dark Vision] and entered.

Inside, he sat on a large stone, pulled a nearly invisible necklace free from its magical strings, and held it up to the dim light.

"Nebulous Dreamkeeper Pendant? It even has a spiritual imprint... and divine energy?" Charles murmured, narrowing his eyes at the strange glowing patterns swirling within the pendant.

He activated [Mystic Algorithm] and began dissecting the spiritual imprint layer by layer.

For more than ten hours, he remained in place, focused and silent—until the last trace of Cardinal Benedictus’s imprint disintegrated.

If Runeth saw what I’m doing right now, he’d pass out cold. Even Charles knew how priceless his wisdom skills were. He would never reveal this to anyone.

Now, let’s see how the Shadow Princess is doing inside this necklace. He probed deeper with his wisdom power, left his own imprint, and immediately felt a strange suction.

A gateway? One that only the consciousness can pass through?

He didn’t resist.

In the blink of an eye, he stood in a dark, dreamlike forest. Though a sun hung above, it was dimmed behind thick black clouds. The trees around him swayed in eerie silence, and an oppressive stillness weighed on the world.

A dreamscape. I can still feel the connection with the necklace...

"Charles? Is that really you? You’ve come to see me?" A soft voice—young and familiar—whispered in his mind.

Charles looked around, alert. "Who’s there? Shadow Princess?"

"I’m glad you remember. It’s been more than 5,000 years since I last saw you."

"Five thousand years?" he repeated, startled.

Suddenly, a vast shadow loomed overhead. He slowly looked up—and froze.

A breathtaking figure descended from the sky.

A colossal Winged-Serpent, nearly 1,000 meters long, hovered in the air like a myth reborn. Its body shimmered with an ethereal blend of black and sapphire scales, glowing faintly like starlight on water. A conical gem pulsed with celestial light on its forehead, illuminating the sky.

Its wings unfurled—immense and regal, woven like tapestries from stardust and night. Beneath its head ran a serpent-hood-like pattern, glowing faintly with strange symbols.

The creature tilted its head and met Charles’s gaze.

"You’ve grown monstrously strong," the voice echoed again—feminine, ancient, and filled with both awe and recognition.

Charles’s voice tightened. "What rank are you now?"

"I don’t know," she replied. "But other than Hypnagor, Noxamor, and Sombroth... I haven’t met anyone strong enough to threaten me."

Those names made Charles frown. "Who are they?"

"Dream Lords from the Nightmare World," she said with a rare tremble. "They could erase me with a mere thought."

"Then how did you end up captured by the Life Church?"

"Captured?" Her voice was puzzled. "What are you talking about? Didn’t you notice? This is still the Dream World. I’ve been confined within the Domain of Nipher for more than twenty years—some restriction. But it lifted three years ago. I only agreed to a pact with someone from Edhen World to explore the outer world... I never expected you to arrive."

She doesn’t even know she was sealed inside that necklace? Then... this pendant isn’t a prison. It’s a gateway. A fabricated realm recreating the Nightmare Domain. The Church tricked her, made her believe this dreamspace was her own domain... while leeching her power. A chill ran down Charles’s spine.

"What about leaving the Dream World? How did you help people outside?"

In response, a strange black ring materialized and floated before him.

"Some man from a church gave me this," she said. "When it shines, I just channel my dream power into it. Then, it transports me outside. He said it works like Dream Walk."

Charles nodded.

"I have a way to give you a real body—a newborn snake—and a blank soul. You’ll lose your power temporarily, but you’ll be able to move freely in the physical world."

"Really?!" Her voice boomed with excitement, thunder echoing across the dream-sky, winds howling.

Charles smiled slightly. "I’m not sure it will work. But it’s worth a try."

He looked at the floating ring. "When this ring shines again, leave. Come to the outside world."

With those final words, Charles focused on the pendant’s connection and vanished from the dreamscape.

A moment later, he opened his eyes inside the cavern. Without hesitation, he retrieved a crimson orb from his space ring and infused it with his wisdom power.

From within the orb, he pulled out a strange egg.

Thanks to the Rebirth Flame, this egg is unchanged, he noted, then shifted his focus back to the pendant.

It’s like a pocket dimension. If I imagine pulling something from it, it will respond. They must’ve used this trick to trap her—made her think she still ruled here.

He clicked his tongue, focused, and visualized pulling the Shadow Princess out.

A second later, a crack opened in the air—more than 1,000 meters above him.

From that rupture slithered a massive illusion—a spectral image of the winged serpent, 1,000 meters long, emanating waves of dread across the sky.

The reaction was immediate.

Monsters, magical beasts, humans from the second layer—even the Abyssal Hound—froze and trembled.

Cardinal Benedictus, the Holy Maiden, and Richard all turned toward the distant sky, their bodies locked in place.

They couldn’t move. An invisible force gripped their throats.

A voice echoed in their minds—female, cold, final.

"I don’t need you anymore."

Within seconds, the Cardinal watched his skin wrinkle and sag. His youthful features aged decades in mere moments. Holy Maiden and Richard suffered the same fate.

Three seconds.

That was all it took.

By the time it ended, they looked like they were in their sixties—withered and stunned.

Then, the pressure vanished.

"W-What in the world was that?" the Cardinal gasped, his voice frail and trembling. He looked at his gnarled hands and gaunt reflection—and horror overtook him.

The Holy Maiden stiffened beside him. "I think... we’ve provoked something beyond our understanding."

She turned to look at the ruined face of the once-proud Cardinal.

"And it seems... your dream of becoming the next Pontiff has ended before it ever began."

Though she had lost her youth, she could still live another thousand or two thousand years.

But Benedictus?

His life force had nearly vanished.

"You’re almost at death’s door, Cardinal."

And in the silent woods where he stood, Cardinal Benedictus remained frozen—unable to comprehend what had just happened.

After a powerful display, the Shadow Princess quietly lowered her gaze, focusing on the palm-sized egg in Charles’s hand.

"You don’t have time to fool around. Enter this egg—now," Charles urged, stepping out of the cavern.

Suddenly, the gigantic illusionary winged snake transformed into a beam of light, descending directly onto Charles’s palm. As it neared, the ray shrank until it slipped effortlessly into the snake egg.

Then, Charles felt her presence vanish completely.

She’s entered the empty soul already. Once she finds the soul core, she’ll become the true owner of this body and soul, he thought. Retrieving a leather bag from his space ring, he carefully placed the egg inside.

Now, we wait for her to hatch into something new.

Securing the bag on his back, Charles set off southward.

Though he crossed paths with many Rank-5—and even a few Rank-6—shadow creatures, none dared to attack. In fact, most tried to avoid him, some even fleeing outright.