Shadow Slave - Paralyzed Demon

Instructor Rock led the academy students to the medical center.There, he brought them into a vast room. Rows of people sat in wheelchairs, yet they had no souls. Their faces were devoid of expression, their eyes empty, staring into nothingness. None of them moved.

Instructor Rock gazed at the hollow figures with solemn eyes.

"There is a reason I brought you all here. Look well and remember. Some of you may know who these people are… for those of you who don't, they are called the Hollow."

He gritted his teeth.

"Each one of them was once either a Sleeper or an Awakened. Some of them were weak, some of them were strong. Some were even incredibly powerful. All of them perished in the Dream Realm."

Instructor Rock cast a glance toward Morpheus and Nephis before adding:

"So don't die out there."

Earlier:

"Are you sure you don't want me to assign a few students to protect you?" Instructor Rock asked Morpheus.

Morpheus was beginning to lose patience. He couldn't even remember how many times Instructor Rock had asked him this question. He summoned his Memory and infused it with his essence.

[Believe it or not, I could kill every single person in this building right now. So don't worry. It's better for you to entrust the other students to me instead.] he said, exasperated.

Instructor Rock couldn't take those words too seriously. He had heard of the Valor clan's former prince. He knew Morpheus was a genius with the sword. Even as a normal human, he had defeated Awakened opponents in duels. But now… he couldn't move. His former strength was gone.

"Your death won't just affect you," Instructor Rock said grimly. "No matter how much you've been cast out, you're still a Valor. If you die, the pressure we'll be under will be enormous."

[Don't worry, Instructor Rock. I won't die so easily.] Morpheus replied.

Instructor Rock couldn't understand why he was so stubborn about refusing help. He didn't believe Morpheus's words, so he decided to ask a few students to keep an eye on him anyway.

"Say whatever you want. You're entering the Dream Realm tonight. I'll call the students together this evening. I'll let you know."

[Understood, Instructor.] Morpheus responded before controlling his blood to maneuver his wheelchair back to his room and continue training.

Instructor Rock called Nephis to his office. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and she stepped inside.

As the daughter of the Immortal Flame clan, Nephis had no idea why she was being summoned.

"You called for me, Instructor?" she asked.

"Yes. I have a favor to ask. I hope you'll accept."

Nephis remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"There is a student in a wheelchair. He cannot move his body. I assume you've heard of him?"

Nephis nodded. She had seen him on the day she arrived at the academy.

"He is actually the prince of the Valor clan," Instructor Rock said.

Nephis's eyes sharpened.

"Or rather, the former prince," he corrected himself. "He was cast out of the clan because of a Flaw he received. That's why I'm asking you to protect him. If something happens to him in the Dream Realm, the academy will be put under immense pressure."

Nephis took a few moments to think. Then, she accepted.

After all, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

And if necessary… she could always kill him.

Present:

Everyone began entering their sleeping pods. Morpheus, with the help of his attendant, settled into his own.

And then, everything went dark.

[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Morpheus!]

A sensation of falling into darkness overwhelmed him. This time, it was real.

In an instant, he found himself underwater.

"It seems like the Nightmare Spell is still insistent on drowning me," he thought.

He used his blood to create a platform beneath him, pushing himself upward. As he emerged from the water, he looked around—but he could see nothing. The surroundings were pitch black.

Deciding to test his abilities, he activated his blood control, searching for any living beings nearby.

The moment he did, he sensed hundreds of creatures lurking beneath the water. Only a few of them were swimming. On the surface, there was only him—at least, within the range of his perception.

Then, some of the underwater creatures started swimming toward him.

"Let's see how strong my control over other people's blood really is," he thought, stretching out his hand.

Three creatures were closing in on him.

Morpheus clenched his fist.

The three monsters caved in on themselves, collapsing into a mess of shredded flesh and bone. Blood and viscera splattered into the water—some of it even hitting Morpheus.

"I need to refine my control," he mused.

His power was excellent for killing. But if he ever needed to capture someone alive or merely intimidate them, he could easily end up killing them instead. More importantly, if he wanted to regain his ability to move, he needed to push his control to an even higher level.

[You have received a Memory: Shark Scale Armor.]

"Good," Morpheus thought.

The creatures he had killed had granted him a piece of armor. He summoned it immediately. At least now, he was no longer naked.

He didn't care about the armor's enchantments or rank. He already had a powerful sword and a godly Echo. His only concern was getting stronger—quickly.

Strong enough to take his revenge.

Using his platform, Morpheus moved across the water's surface.

He hesitated to manipulate the blood within his own body. Back at the academy, he had accidentally burst his own fingers multiple times. He didn't want to risk something like that happening again—especially not in a place filled with dangerous enemies.

"Now that I think about it, aren't these creatures too strong for a regular academy student? Why haven't they secured this place? Or… was I summoned somewhere far away?"

As he advanced, he spotted land rising up in the distance.

Morpheus steered himself toward it.

Once he reached the rocky outcrop, he began lifting his platform, using it to ascend.

As he reached the top, he saw a person lying there, asleep.

Then, he remembered.

He had seen this black-haired boy before—on the day he arrived at the academy, standing at the entrance alongside that silver-haired girl.