Paralyzed Demon - Shadow Slave

Morpheus lay in his room, motionless.

Morgan had brought him here so he could rest, but all he could do was stare at the ceiling like a lifeless log. His body refused to move, yet strangely enough, he could still breathe.

That detail unsettled him.

It reminded him of the venom Will had injected into his neck before throwing him into the River of Blood.

"Why does everything I experience always seem to circle back to that bastard?" he thought bitterly.

His mind wandered back to what had happened before he got here.

His sister had cried for him.

That had surprised him—yet, at the same time, it made him happy.

It felt good to be cared for.

But he knew her tears weren't only for him.

They were also for what whould his father would do.

"The Perfect Sword is broken now."

He already knew what would come next.

Even before waking up, he had understood his fate.

And yet, a part of him still hoped.

"Maybe he won't do it," he thought, clinging to that fragile optimism.

But for now, there was nothing he could do.

As if he could do anything, even if there was.

"I'm bored. Let's check what I've gained."

With that, Morpheus let himself sink into his soul sea.

As soon as he entered, he was back on the surface of the River of Blood.

"I hate this place."

His eyes scanned the area.

His gaze quickly landed on his Echo—the one he used as a mount.

But the snake was nowhere to be found.

That was strange.

"Aren't all Echoes supposed to reside within the soul sea?"

Frowning, he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and looked up.

Then—he froze.

His entire body tensed as realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

The sun above the soul sea—

It was the snake.

A colossal being, larger than life itself.

As vast as it had been in his nightmare.

But why was it shining?

"Is this what an untainted god looks like?" he muttered.

A chilling thought crossed his mind.

"What would happen if I summoned it outside?"

A violent shudder ran through his body.

Destruction.

He would die—his own Echo would consume him.

Even the thought sent a primal fear coursing through his veins.

Best not to test it.

He turned his attention to his Echo's information.

Echo: [Snake of Mercury]

Echo Type: [********]

Echo Core: [********]

Echo Attributes: [***********][***********][************][*************][**************][**********][***************][*********][*****][****************]

Echo Description: A god who swore to protect the legacy of his friends… yet failed to keep that oath.

"If it had been anything less, then all the suffering I endured would've been for nothing."

Next, he checked the Memory he had stolen from Will.

A chalice, identical to the one Will had used to make him drink his blood.

Memory: [Will's Wine Chalice]

Memory Rank: [********]

Memory Type: Tool

Memory Description: The chalice of a god.

Memory Enchantments: [*******][***********][***********][**************]

"As expected."

He had a good guess about at least one of its abilities.

When Will had made him drink from it, the chalice had never emptied—no matter how much blood he swallowed.

It was an infinite source.

A valuable tool.

After that, he checked for any other new Memories.

Aside from the chalice, there was only one more.

A sword.

The same sword he had used to tear his hearth.

He called for his Ordinary Sword—

But nothing appeared.

"Did it break?"

Just as the thought crossed his mind, something glowed within the river.

Morpheus stilled.

Slowly—the sword began to rise.

Blood clung to it like liquid chains before dripping away as it floated before him.

A new name appeared above it.

[Extraordinary Sword]

Morpheus couldn't help it.

He laughed.

"Of course."

"A sword that killed a god would be 'extraordinary,' wouldn't it?"

Memory: [Extraordinary Sword]

Memory Rank: Divine

Memory Tier: XX

Memory Type: Weapon

Memory Description: A sword that was used to tear apart the heart of a god.

Memory Enchantments: [Will][Blood Sucker][Soul Extractor]

"Well, well. You've really outdone yourself, haven't you?"

"Let's see what you can do."

[Will]

"This sword reflects its wielder's will. If they tell it to cut, it will cut—even through a god. If they tell it not to, it won't even slice paper."

[Blood Sucker]

"Whenever this sword injures an enemy, it absorbs a portion of their blood."

[Soul Extractor]

"When its wielder slays an opponent, it automatically extracts their soul essence."

"These are… impressive."

If only he could actually use the sword.

With that thought, he left the soul sea—

And found himself back in his bed.

Morgan had given him time to rest before informing their father.

He needed to find a way out before then.

"Should I join the Academy?"

"I can't join another clan. The government might be a better option."

"But first—I need to see my father's reaction."

"Maybe… just maybe… this can still be fixed."

He sighed.

There was one last thing to check.

The ability he had gained from his Aspect.

Blood Manipulation.

Compared to the Flaw he had received, it seemed almost… underwhelming.

"I won't know until I test it."

He focused.

Right now, the only blood he could control was inside his own body.

His goal was simple—

"I'll just try to lift a single finger."

The moment he activated his ability—

His entire body shot into the air.

Before he could react, he slammed into the ceiling with a sickening crack.

A sharp pain bloomed across his face.

"Fuck."

He fell back down onto the bed, groaning.

His nose was broken.

Gritting his teeth, he redirected the blood manipulation to his injury.

Within moments—

His nose healed.

But at a cost.

A deep hunger gnawed at his stomach.

"So that's how it works."

His ability didn't just restore his movement.

It also gave him a healing factor.

But it consumed something in return.

Morpheus exhaled.

"I need more practice."