When they had first appeared in this world and Grey encountered those strange, grotesque creatures and monsters, the shadow had been filled with questions and unease. Confusion lingered in its mind, and a quiet doubt constantly gnawed at its thoughts about what exactly they were doing there.
Yet throughout all that ti, Grey had not explained a single thing about his objectives. Not once. He simply moved forward, unyielding, unwavering with a level of determination that felt almost unnatural.
When they fought against the creatures from the white fog, the shadow had indeed been surprised. But it ultimately dismissed them as bizarre existences born from an anomalous place. It chose not to question things further and instead remained obedient to Grey, suppressing its curiosity.
However, the events that followed gradually began to change its perspective.
Piece by piece, the shadow ca to believe that Grey was pursuing sothing... sothing extraordinary. A treasure. And not just any treasure, but one so rare that it defied common sense.
At first, this realization filled it with excitent.
If Grey succeeded, then it too could reap so benefits. The re thought of sharing in such fortune stirred a greedy anticipation deep within it. But as they continued forward, facing danger after danger, that excitent began to waver.
Doubt slowly crept in.
Each encounter grew more perilous than the last. Each step forward seed to lead them closer to death rather than reward. The shadow began to question whether Grey was truly chasing an opportunity… or simply courting disaster.
That doubt deepened further when it accidentally overheard fragnts of Grey's conversation with the captain and Roxanne.
The mont it learned they intended to rob a fallen expert, its emotions erupted into a chaotic mixture of ecstasy and fear.
A "fallen expert" was no ordinary concept. It referred to a once-mighty cultivator who had perished, leaving behind remnants of their power and possibly unimaginable treasures. Opportunities like this were exceedingly rare, so rare that most cultivators would never encounter one in their entire lifeti.
From that mont on, the shadow secretly began to look forward to what lay ahead.
When the ti ca to fight alongside Grey, it did not hesitate or complain. It remained obedient, even proactive. After all, it reasoned that such imnse rewards would naturally be guarded by equally imnse dangers.
"It's only natural that there are many obstacles and life-threatening challenges. If there weren't, things would be too smooth… and the chances of such a rare treasure existing would be much lower."
"The fiercer the resistance, the greater the value of the treasure. This can only be a good sign."
Those had been its thoughts at the ti.
Its desire and determination swelled to such a degree that when Grey's life was placed in mortal danger, and there seed to be no escape, it willingly put its own existence on the line just to buy him ti.
The mont its body was torn apart had been agonizing beyond words.
And yet… it had felt worth it.
But as ti went on, and as Grey continued to push forward without hesitation, using it again and again in increasingly dangerous situations, the shadow began to change.
Fear took root.
Caution replaced excitent.
The turning point ca when Grey once again threw himself into a life-threatening situation, forcing the shadow to sacrifice itself yet again just to keep him alive.
After that, it fell into a deep slumber, believing that the worst had passed. It thought that when the ti for the treasure-snatching finally arrived, it would awaken and partake in the rewards.
But reality proved far harsher.
Even greater dangers erged far beyond anything it had anticipated.
And now, as Grey sprinted directly toward the crystal palace beneath that massive, terrifying head, the shadow could no longer remain silent.
It wailed internally, its voice filled with panic and disbelief, both from the overwhelming pressure and from Grey's utterly suicidal behavior.
It felt as though Grey and death were long-lost lovers, destined to reunite.
"S-Soul Ascendancy! Soul Ascendancy… that head belongs to a damn Soul Ascendancy realm expert! Why the hell are we running toward it?! What are you doing!? Do you want to die?!"
Its frantic voice echoed in Grey's ears as he continued forward without slowing.
Behind him, the faint illusion of a purple moon shimred into existence, its presence easing the crushing pressure just enough for him to continue. At the sa ti, his body was strengthened, his speed increasing as he forced himself onward.
But the closer they drew to the palace, the more unbearable the pressure beca.
At this level, an ordinary Foundation Establishnt cultivator would have already been reduced to a bloody paste.
Even Grey with the enhancent of the purple moon and the protection of his battle armor, was barely enduring it.
The invisible force crushed down on him relentlessly. His breathing grew labored. Bones creaked and cracked under the strain, the sound sharp and unsettling.
"You've finally decided to awaken," Grey said coldly, his voice steady despite everything. "If so, then help withstand the pressure. I'm sure it won't affect you much anyway."
The shadow froze.
For once, it didn't even feel anger at his words.
Instead, it felt sothing far worse.
A chilling realization.
This person… was running toward his own death with complete calm.
It was terrifying.
It was irrational. And it was… utterly insane.
It took a mont before the shadow could even respond.
"W-what!? What did you just say!? You want to help you kill yourself?! Do you even understand what that is?! That's a real Soul Ascendancy realm expert! Even dead, its aura alone can crush us!"
A Soul Ascendancy cultivator stood at the very peak of existence.
After the descent of God, the number of cultivators capable of reaching that realm had dwindled drastically. Since ancient tis, almost no one had been able to break into that realm through conventional ans.
Above Nirvana.
Above beings who could shake the very world with their presence.
And yet… Grey was charging straight toward it.
This boy is mad… the shadow lanted inwardly. How did I ever end up bound to soone like this?
It resisted, unwilling to participate in what it deed certain suicide.
But Grey didn't care.
With a single thought, he exerted control over it, forcibly shaping it into a dense mass of shadows that covered his head just as the duration of the purple moon ca to an end.
At the sa ti, they crossed the two-thousand-ter mark… then the one-thousand-ter mark.
Now, only a few hundred ters remained.
The pressure at this distance was overwhelming, like the heavens themselves pressing down with rciless force.
Grey pushed forward with everything he had.
His eyes turned bloodshot.
Veins bulged across his body.
His muscles trembled violently as he forced his body to endure what it never should have been able to withstand.
Breath by breath… step by step…
The crystal palace grew clearer.
Closer.
More real.
A few ters away now.
Behind him, Roxanne and Violet struggled to keep up. Their faces were pale, drenched in sweat, their bodies shaking under the imnse pressure.
Twenty ters… Fifteen… Ten ters Seven… Three ters…
With one final, desperate surge, they crossed the threshold.
And they stepped into… the crystal palace.
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