Shadow Slave Volume 3: Prince of Nothing

Shadow Slave #3

by Guiltythree

Volume 3 (Chapters 351 - 600)

Growing up in poverty, Sunny never expected anything good from life. However, even he did not anticipate being chosen by the Nightmare Spell and becoming one of the Awakened - an elite group of people gifted with supernatural powers. Transported into a ruined magical world, he found himself facing against terrible monsters - and other Awakened - in a deadly battle of survival.
What's worse, the divine power he received happened to possess a small, but potentially fatal side effect...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Light Novel, Dark Fantasy, Horror

ebook

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Henrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow Slave Volume 3 Prince of Nothing
5⭐+❤️


Prince of Nothing is the third volume of the webnovel Shadow Slave and it begins exactly where volume 2 ended with Sunny escaping from the first nightmare and waking up in the real world and having to deal with all the consequences of what he experienced in the nightmare all the time he spent asleep there and here in this volume we had a deeper look at the protagonist and now that he had his first survival in the realm of nightmares he knows he has to get stronger because the next ones will be as if not more dangerous than these were and then we see the whole unfolding of Sunny's decision in this volume where he goes from here I really liked the whole development of this volume and its ending the character that was presented as a possible villain of the work left me desperate enough and made me root for the protagonist to never face him again I won't go into details so as not to give spoilers but this character gave off an aura of impossible to be fought at this moment and overall I'm really enjoying my experience with this webnovel and I understand why many people recommend it as a top 3 webnovel ever written it really is a very good story and the author's writing is very It's nice to read and keeps you at home. When you finish reading a chapter, you can't wait to read the next one. I'm definitely going to start volume 4 right away because I need answers. Having said all that, read this webnovel because it's really worth it.

[Caleism · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This volume was VERY good
Since I have been waiting for Sunny to come back to real world and interact with rain and other awakend, this gave me everything that I wanted, and even more, I laughed a lot, especially at the part where rain Met Kai and Effie. The part with two saints and Mordret was amazing and very scary.

So now the second nightmare, we shall go. I really want to know who the first member who entered the nightmare is I also want to know how Nephis will come to them


How the hell did I read 250 chapters in 2 days???? At this rate I will finish the novel way earlier and I don’t want it to end and to wait every week for the new chapter😭

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

No wonder it's #1 on Webnovel. Nothing profound, but very entertaining!

[deem.o · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅Finished reading:

Shadow Slave Vol. 3 - Prince of Nothing (ch. 351 - 600)

💫RATING: 8.5/10

A great volume overall! It delivered some incredibly thrilling and exciting sections with great stakes, stellar character moments, amazing worldbuilding (as expected), and some jaw-dropping reveals and twists. There were also a couple of surprisingly hilarious and genuinely entertaining slice-of-life moments that added a nice contrast to the heavier parts.

That said, despite all the highs, the volume does suffer in a few key areas. The pacing felt really uneven and dragged on at times, to the point where it was rough to read certain sections. It also felt like certain parts of the plot seemed to lose direction. And the overall quality of the prose had gotten worse, especially the dialogue. Would have rated this an 8/10 if not for that amazing final stretch in the Night Temple.

Let's get into the details.

📔 PLOT & STRUCTURE
- This volume covers the Return to the Waking World, the Chained Isles, the Sky Below, the Mongrel/DreamScape arc, the Night Temple, and ending with the cohort entering the 2nd Nightmare.
- The plot was great, with some especially delicious plot reveals and twists (the implied betrayal of Broken Sword by the Sovereigns, Mordret's true nature, the two POV chapters we got of Nephis, etc.)
- I also really loved all the slice-of-life moments in the waking world with Sunny, Rain, Kai, and Effie. The highlight for me is the hilarious stuff in the Dreamscape as Mongrel. I was laughing my ass off every time the internet would misconstrue Mongrel's words/lies as drops of wisdom.
- My main critique of the plot though is that it's definitely a LOT less focused than in the previous two volumes, with some parts feeling like there was a lack of direction. There were parts that just felt like they were going nowhere.
- Parts/sections that I loved: The Nightmare Temple (THIS WAS PEAK), Return to the Waking World, First couple of chapters in the Chained Isles, fight against the Mimic, Ebony Tower and Ivory Tower lore reveals, Mordret, Dreamscape, Gate opening, Rain, all the nice slice of life moments with Sunny, Kai, and Effie, Sunny and Cassie meeting again in the Chained Isles.
- Parts that didn't quite grip me: the fight against Wormvine, Brilliant Emporium stuff, the stretch of chapters where Sunny was just falling down the Sky Below, and some weird pacing issues.

🐎PACING
- The worst part of this volume is DEFINITELY the pacing. The pacing felt really uneven and dragged on at times. As I mentioned before, this might be, in part, due to the plot structure, of Sunny going in and out of the waking world. The Brilliant Emporium stuff was especially egregious in this regard. I could have done with less chapters about Sunny's merchant endeavors.
- There would also just be sections where it felt like NOTHING was going on. That section where Sunny was just falling down the Sky Below could have been shaved down a few chapters, honestly.

🌎WORLDBUILDING
- The lore and the worldbuilding is phenomenal as usual. This continues to be Shadow Slave's greatest strength.
- It was especially exciting to finally learn more of the waking world -- seeing how Awakened society functions, the hierarchy among the Legacy clans, the influence of the Sovereigns, the government's role, and seeing how society responds to Gate openings and the threat they pose.
- The lore and mystery behind the Chained Isles is equally compelling-- particularly the lore and mythos behind the Kingdom of Hope, the Daemons and the Gods, Desire's imprisonment, and Noctis. Even though much of it right now serves as buildup and unanswered questions, I trust G3 to deliver a satisfying answer to each of these questions in volume 4, as he always does.

🙎CHARACTERS
- This volume had some stellar new characters introduced, while seeing the main characters develop even more. Some of the side characters have been sidelined but hopefully that changes in the following volume.
- The star of this volume for me was definitely Mordret, the Prince of Nothing. Man, what a character. The best villain we've had in the story so far. The first character to ever outsmart Sunny this badly. Extremely menacing, intelligent, and cunning. He legitimately scared tf out of me in the Night Temple arc, and elevated the score of the volume for me. Can't wait to learn more of his motivations and his backstory.
- Really love seeing Sunny continue to develop as a character even more. It was awesome seeing him reconnect with Rain, reconnect with his own humanity, and just his overall progress as a person. W MC.
- The character drama between Sunny and Cassie was amazing, loved seeing it progress from hate & contempt to becoming allies again, even if its not entirely resolved yet and theyre just working together out of necessity.
- Tyris was just pure aura. I wanna know more about her and Roan.
- Some side characters that I wish had more to do in the arc are: Kai, Effie, and Jet.

☁️ATMOSPHERE & TENSION
- The atmosphere and tension in the Nightmare Temple reminded me of the Forgotten Shore again. Shit was straight up terrifying. Mordret is a demon.
- Also loved the whole vibe of the Chained Isles as a whole. G3 greatly describes the atmosphere of this place really well. Loved it when Sunny would just explore the Chained Isles especially in the first few chapters of the arc.
- Outside of the Nightmare Temple though, the atmosphere definitely isn't as tense as it was in the first two volumes. That's mostly in part to Sunny being a lot stronger now than he was back then, so I get it.

↗️POWER SYSTEM & PROGRESSION
- As I've mentioned before, one of the series greatest strengths is how intricately detailed the power system is, especially with how Soul Core Ranks, Classes, and Aspects are defined and categorized, specifically. Executed extremely well.
- Loved seeing another Divine Aspect holder in Mordret. He legitimately has one of the most interesting Aspect abilities, and I cant wait to find out more.
- Loved seeing all the different things Sunny does to gain power, seeing him gain another Shadow Core, acquire new Memories, and advance his Shadow Dance were all super hype moments to me.

[Joyson Lacle · Rating 5 out of 5]

De character development periode met veel lore over van alles

[Akshay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow Slave Volume 3: Prince of Nothing by Guiltythree

Shadow Slave Volume 3: Prince of Nothing continues Sunny’s brutal but fascinating journey. Picking up from the Forgotten Shore arc, this volume explores the aftermath of his escape and newly-awakened status. At approximately 300,000 words across 250 chapters (ch.351–600), it’s massive in scope and vision.

🌟 Overall Impressions & Narrative

Sunny returns to Earth broken, grappling with betrayal, loss, and his secret Mongrel identity. He’s thrust into political intrigue in the Chained Isles—assisted by Saint Tyris—while also trying to protect his sister Rain on Earth.

Strengths: Tactical prowess, ingenious plot progression, Lovecraftian horror, and jaw-dropping worldbuilding. Weaknesses: Some chapters drag with pacing issues (“filler quota”), and side characters occasionally feel underdeveloped.

Sentiment: Many readers view this volume as the series’ high point, with intense narrative buildup and rich lore, although a few criticize the side cast's lack of emotional depth. Character Arcs Sunny (Protagonist): Major arc: From a traumatized fugitive to an awakened strategist balancing dual lives. His Mongrel persona gives him influence among the masses, while heartache fuels his drive. Development: His cunning shines, but grief and guilt over the Forgotten Shore losses weigh heavily. Nephis: Arc: Continues to push Sunny and lead in the Nightmare realms. Her moral complexity deepens—the world sees her as a hero, but Sunny knows her sacrifices. Mordret (Prince of Nothing): Arc: Emerges as the chilling major antagonist—omnipresent through reflection and shadow, capable of soul-possession. His ominous aura terrifies both Sunny and readers. Rain (Sunny’s sister): Arc: Mostly a grounding, emotional anchor for Sunny. Her vulnerability and his protective nature highlight his personal stakes. Saint Tyris: Arc: Mentor figure who helps position Sunny within political intrigue on the Isles, guiding strategy and acting as a high-level protector. Minor Allies (Cassie, Kai, Effie, others): Arc: Their presence is felt—especially in battle—but deeper development is minimal in this volume. Highlights & Criticisms Epic worldbuilding & diverse biomes: From dystopian Earth to the twisted Chained Isles, each locale immerses readers in eerie, surreal detail. Battlecraft: Schiller-style combat, visceral descriptions, and inventive tactics make action scenes unforgettable. Pacing issues: Some arcs, like the Dream Tournament and First Gate, feel prolonged, impacting momentum. Supporting character depth: While Sunny remains compelling, team members often lack significant growth or resolution.

> “Each character carefully placed … Sunny will become the undisputed ruler of the shadows.” > “The antagonists are never as simple as they seem … Mordret (My king) is a monster, but considering his upbringing, can you blame him?”

Final Verdict

Prince of Nothing stands as a powerhouse of character evolution, world exploration, and thrilling stakes. While side plots sometimes drag and supporting roles are underexplored, Sunny’s arc—from trauma to strategic genius—is deeply satisfying.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 out of 5 glowing stars)

Major spoiler: Mordret’s full abilities—especially soul-possessing via eyes—emerge forcefully, marking him as Sunny’s deadliest challenge yet.

Conclusion

Volume 3 cements Sunny's transformation from victim to emerging power player, setting the stage for greater conflicts ahead. If you thrive on tactical battles, dark lore, and a bound protagonist with hard-won growth, this volume delivers. Just brace for pacing stretches and don’t expect in-depth side character arcs.

Looking forward to Volume 4? The stage is set, stakes are higher, and shadows are growing.

[wissam · Rating 4 out of 5]

at this base in vol9 and Million of words maybe we will get 4th nightmare in vol 10

[Magtireh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the reason I'm enjoying this so much is because it's just a Soll Levelling with a much better plot. And at the same time it has some similar aspects to the Lord of the Mysteries

[Khalid Abdul-Mumin · Rating 5 out of 5]

rtc...

[Douglas Walters · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot tolerate the incongruent and unrealistic characterisation anymore. 

Sunless, a hardened street rat, deprived of human rights and torn from his only remaining family for his whole childhood, constantly blushes at teasing and speaks like a sheltered child afraid of a bar of soap to the mouth. His exclamations—"Damnation", "Argh! Crap", "Curses!", etc.—feel absurdly out of place for someone shaped by such brutal survival. The pseudo-profanity should have been dispensed with entirely if it was a matter of keeping the language PG-13. It undermines immersion when protagonists and antagonists alike are uttering "What the Spell" amid dire circumstances, especially with Sunny saying "fuck" a couple of times in Volume 2, making for a glaring inconsistency.

B—bastard! Let go of me, you vile piece of rotten wood!

For context, his shattered arm is in the maw of a mimic, and the only reason it has not severed is that his weapon is also in there, resisting yet slowly wilting under the bite force. Once it is free, he mentally celebrates with "Yes!" as if killing the creature or escaping would not be the urgent concern preoccupying his thoughts during this life-or-death situation, assuming the agony did not render them incoherent anyway. The juvenile way Sunny reacts in such scenes feels unnatural, like the difference between playing a video game and experiencing mortal peril. It neglects the physiological and psychological effects of extreme pain, fear and imminent danger.

Despite his cynical nature, Sunny is a soft-hearted, dense shounen character with a ruthless facade. His obliviousness to Mongrel's exploding popularity epitomises this. You just know Rain—the special snowflake little sister these shounen power fantasy web novels always forcibly insert—will embody these traits to an even more extreme degree. I feel misled because this was not always so. During the First Nightmare in Volume 1, three people fall victim to his premeditated murder when he poisons their scavenged water supplies. But in Volume 2, he becomes incensed after Nephis is willing to accept the inevitability of sacrifices in the attempt to escape the Forgotten Shore while hiding this truth to maximise morale and, therefore, survivability, a purely pragmatic decision.

Having grasped his true nature, one can only facepalm over his claims of being an "ingenious deceiver". This is the same guy who unwittingly had Nephis convinced he was supposed to assassinate her, let his True Name slip after a bit of alcohol when knowingly fraternising with a spy, lost all composure and required Caster to bail him out after killing said spy, realised too late that Nephis was holding back and wanted him to escape from the Crimson Spire, got blindsided by Cassia's logical betrayal and spent most of this volume strung along by Mordret. The amount of anti-feats calls into question either Sunny's self-awareness or the author's contempt for his audience's intelligence.

Regarding the Mary Sue that is Nephis, she transforms from an asocial, brusque loner into the manipulative cult leader of the Dreamer Army seemingly overnight, with the flimsy justification of picking it up from Sunny while travelling together for a month. Her Flaw is the intense pain endured during and after utilising it. However, it is a fake drawback rather than a real handicap because it only serves as a superficial consequence that is nerfed or forgotten about when the plot demands it. On top of this is her plot armour, much of which is off-screened yet defies the power scaling. Such feats include killing an Awakened Terror in her First Nightmare, resisting the mind hex of the Soul Devouring Tree through pure willpower, repelling an eldritch leviathan of the Corrupted rank after one of her hands is detached while underwater and defeating the Fallen-ranked Crimson Terror as a Sleeper. But the inevitable escape from the Forgotten Shore through the Hollow Mountains, a Death Zone infested with nightmare creatures capable of slaughtering Saints, will outdo them all.

Nephis' class advancement has never made sense, given her numerous responsibilities after killing Gunlaug and the fact her allies share in the kills. This contrasts with Sunny, who is often alone with no obligations beyond hunting for shadow fragments and memories, yet still falls further behind. Also, the soul damage inflicted by the sun during the Siege of the Crimson Spire would have exterminated all the nightmare creatures in the vicinity, reducing the rate at which the indomitable Nephis could saturate her core. But no, farming goes brrr! Meanwhile, Awakened Sunless with three shadow cores, Weaver's Divine Lineage, Ascended Tier VI armour and an Aspect Legacy can only last 36 seconds against a one-handed, armourless Master wielding a dormant sword. It should be clear who the actual main character is and which of them is the perpetual underdog despite being overpowered himself.

[Michael Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mid dreamscape only thing stopping from a 2 star 3.5 rounded up.

[Faisal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I I liked this volume but Prince of nothing was the only interesting thing in the volume

[Sarah Plourde · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy peak
I loved seeing sunny live his life bro, after waiting so long on the forgotten shore (and for sunny, his life on the outskirts) having him get to do the things that he wants to do, make a list of priorities based on his future and investing in himself is just so nice. also seeing him really grow into his powers without really obtaining that much more pure strength is so interesting to me. Like everything G3 has to say about shadow dance has me paying the most attention for sure.

a couple more technically spoiler things

nephis obtaining soul essence vs sunny obtaining shadow fragments just does not seem fair at all to me. Neph was a demon before the end of volume 2 and sunny only became a demon three quarters of the way through volume 3 with a lot lot lot of luck. (and by that time, Nephis was a devil). this pet peeve of mine I guess, has nothing technically to do with this volume, but it does because throughout the volume this is his sole motivation. Nephis should be stronger because her aspect is less versatile, and sunny should be more adaptable because of said versatility, but the actual accumulation of essence, fragments..? should be roughly similar. she could have a couple thousand more than him and I wouldn't have much to say about it but FIVE THOUSAND?? seriously??

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this book!
The first half was nice because we got to see Sunny getting stronger and building his own place in the real world, it had lots of funny and wholesome moments with the others, Effie and Kai and also his lil sis, and also his other persona hahah
But the other half where the action happened, especially the chapters in the night sanctuary- damn what a rollercoaster
Love how Mordret got introduced and hell he has farmed so much aura in this arc, I mean not for nothing is his true name the title of this volume; so hyped to see if he is maybe the 5th unknown member in the 2 nightmare and also what his future role will be in shadow slave: will he get to be another valuable companion like Effie, Kai, Cassie and Neph(schnief) or a antagonist/ rival of Sunny who will also get stronger and always give Sunny many challenges in the future?

So with this I have finished volume three -prince of nothing- (*´∀`)♪

After 600 chapters overall I have already finished the first three volumes woah-

[Neto Cia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essa saga é, até o momento, a que mais desenvolve o protagonista. Pensando de maneira ampla, temos contato com 3 diferentes dimensões (contando o Dreamscape), começamos a entender a trama de poder que envolve a realidade de shadow slave, um pequeno aprofundamento nas relações com outros personagens e entende-se melhor a profundidade dos objetivos do Sunny, mesmo que ainda não definitivos. Esse volume é riquíssimo em acontecimentos e desenvoltura, a todo momento o protagonista está se envolvendo em um novo objetivo e o autor consegue fazer isso de maneira muito fluída, dando uma dinâmica muito prazerosa na leitura. Vale muito a pena!
Seu ponto fraco é apenas alguns vícios de escrita do autor que neste volume se torna bem repetitivo e perceptível, sendo o único ponto que quebra a boa linha de leitura.

[Arya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume gave me a better understanding on how the real world works, involving politics and relations around it. It builds it in a way that, although seemed complicated at first, was very understandable to someone as slow as myself.

It also gave a much needed, extended break from all the action and into the world of what would a normal person would be experiencing. It gave a sense of belief that someone like myself could even live in such a world.

[Caden Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would honestly give this volume a 3.5/5. While the quality was still high and the moments were very entertaining, the momentum from the previous volume simply didn’t carry over. The biggest gripe is the fact that the ending simply left lots to be desired, the main antagonist in a state of ambiguity. That being said, it had its moments, and is still deserving of much praise.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing how Sunny acts when he is awakened is amazing to me and this Volume introducing more and more layers to the power system is so interesting. It shows how sunny is so weak in comparison to the truly powerful beings in this world. Another Volume that I loved.

[Blue Leprechaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a gritty look into LITRPG/Progression stories.

It's nice to see Sunny enjoying himself a little bit before being thrown back into the void of insanity lol.

Always looking forward to the next one of Shadow slave I consume.
-Listened to the book, so I can't comment on the grammar.

[Blasphemerp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, Mordret, I like the villain that you are. I can’t nitpick the use of Deus Ex Machina too. Intense finale, since you can never know what could happen with a villain like that. Feels good kind of ending to the volume.

[Madley Overstreet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely filler before the 2nd nightmare, but I still vibe with it. Sunny is starting to grow on me. The dreamscape was silly and I love everything about the weaver plot line. I’m committed now I guess. 🤷‍♀️

[Jayden Lundie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t wait for the second nightmare now. This volume seemed a little slow at some points but was still very good.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

305K Words

[Jacob Seely · Rating 3 out of 5]

The virtual arena is fun. The rest lacks some of the pizazz of previous arcs.

[Deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

incroyable !!

[Ezlyn Remi · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked

[hazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe my favorite volume

[Benja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good volume

[𝔰 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a breathe of fresh air and a great seg-way into the next volume. Being introduced to Rain, Mordret and the whole Mongrel fiasco was dynamite. Laughed way too much. Adding layers to the Dream Realm and waking world, its current climate, politically and geographically, added much needed context which is slowly building a picture for where the story is heading.

[Ziggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible, i love the downtime between the nightmares and the chained isles is a fantastic setting, the interections with Rain and the fantastic antagonist which is Mordret are all incredible but what makes this volume fantastic is Mongrel. What an incredible arc Can't wait for the second nightmare