A summary of Roman Prokofiev’s "Shadowlands" Automatic translate

This book is the third installment in a fantasy series, written in 2023. The novel chronicles Sigurd Morozov’s survival in the harsh wastelands, where magic intertwines with the technology of the extinct Kel civilization. The plot focuses squarely on the hero’s return to the native human settlement. The story begins with a dive into the world’s mythology: centuries ago, the Kel people created an artificial Eternity that absorbed the sun’s energy. The united race split, and a bloody war began. Beasts from Beyond invaded the boundaries of the great sphere, leaving behind the Broken Lands and shadow territories.

Awakening in the Nest and new companions

Sigurd awakens inside the burnt-out Nest of Worms. The ancient entity, the White Devil, temporarily restores control of the young man’s body. The hero notices the lack of Star Blood and takes the cryptor of the deceased colonist Miguel. Inside are valuable supplies, Earth rations, medicine, and weapons. The young man decides to follow his squad’s trail to the Earth freehold of Nebo.

Having emerged from the dungeons onto the surface of the Broken Lands, the Earthling encounters three armed outcasts. A Bronze Ascendant named Crushed Fang and the Earthling Douglas Kirk attempt to seize the hero’s property. Sigurd swiftly kills the attackers, using his newfound combat skills, the Illium Claw, and the protective artifact Torc. The Mirror reflects the flame back at Crushed Fang, after which Sigurd stabs him through the heart. The third member of the gang, a slender Shadow Folk girl named Shadow Dancer (Yuki), voluntarily surrenders to the victor, begging for a quick death. The young man refuses to kill the captive.

The hero searches the vanquished. A silver errand from the Watcher is found in the Tablet of a vanquished enemy: deliver the El-Celestus to the Shining Pillar. Yuki agrees to serve as the earthling’s guide. She easily reads the hidden runic symbols of her tribe, charting a safe route through the dark canyons. During rest stops, Sigurd masters meditation, slowly replenishing his Star Blood. Yuki offers herself as a concubine to the hero, performing a hypnotic dance, but Sigurd rejects the offer, remaining faithful to his beloved, Travinka.

The Eye of the Watcher and Betrayal

At the edge of the shadow territories, a swarm of insectoids attacks the camp. Regular bullets fail to penetrate the foragers’ chitinous shells. Surrounded by a dozen monsters, Sigurd retrieves the golden Ygg-Tree Seed from his cryptor. A blinding glow instantly incinerates the Worms. Yuki witnesses the miracle. The Earthling makes the guide swear in the name of the goddess of Creation to keep the secret of the ancient artifact.

The travelers reach the Shining Pillar. The ancient alpha-mind’s outpost is surrounded by a dead zone blocking runic magic. Leaving Yuki outside the perimeter, the young man ascends to the silver pyramid. The exo-warriors allow the envoy to pass unhindered. A flying drone escorts Sigurd to the central hall. He places the mother-of-pearl El-Celestus on the altar. The Observer scans the hero’s mind, triggering a series of painful visions of orbital stations, war machines, and an azure abyss. The neurogram copying procedure renders the earthling unconscious. He awakens outside the gate, discovering his Starblood limit fully restored and his reward — the opportunity to choose the silver Exo-Shade rune.

Below, an ambush awaits the hero. Shadow Folk warriors, led by Silver Claw, cast nets around the young man. Yuki broke her oath by revealing the secret of the Seed to her fellow tribesmen. Poisoned by the paralyzing needles of the shadow birds, Sigurd surrenders control of his muscles to the White Devil. The entity fights ferociously against the attackers, wounding Silver Claw, but the poison paralyzes his nervous system. The earthling is bound and carried through a fiery portal.

The Captivity and Power of the White Devil

The hero is thrown into a muddy pit beneath the Shadowfolk’s headquarters. Soon, Talon drops an elderly human slave, Sean MacDonald, into the pit. The old man tells of the Odyssey expedition’s helicopter that crashed in the icy wastes of the Black Maw. The aircraft was damaged by a Watcher rune, but retained its ability to fly. Talon sets a carnivorous shadowpod on Sean, attempting to discover the location of the golden Seed. The White Devil regains control. He burns the ropes with a Burning Hands spell, impales the monster, stuns Talon, and snaps a Kel slave collar around his neck.

Under the cover of the Ghost Cloak, True One enters the sanctuary of the clan leader, Darkseer. The spirit-seer reads the visitor’s aura and recognizes him as an ancient member of the Kel Ammos race. The White Devil projects a vision of his past glory into her mind: a floating city and the figure of the lightning lord. Panicked, the ruler returns the stolen equipment, hands over the battered traitor Yuki, and frees the hypnotized Sean. She activates the passage to the Black Maw. During the conversation, the true political motives of Grass’s mother are revealed. Grasspeaker turns out to be the exiled princess of the Stonebow clan. Her children have a legitimate claim to the throne, which promises them absolute power over all the tribes.

Icy Wastes and the Phantom Puppeteer

The squad is transported to frigid plains. Navigating by the rocks, they find an Earth helicopter, the Griffin. Near the aircraft, the group enters the blast zone of a Phantom Puppeteer. The predatory plant organism uses the dead bodies of the colonists as mobile attack nodes. Sigurd freezes the tentacles with ice magic and burns the mummies with Firebird’s Feather. During the battle, the monster kills Sean. Yuki suffers severe neurotoxin poisoning. The White Devil demands that the dying girl’s neck be broken to remove any unnecessary witnesses. Sigurd fiercely resists the entity’s pressure, recalling the words of the Earth teacher about mercy as the root of civilization. The young man regains control of his mind. The Earthman gives the slave antidotes.

Resources are needed to repair the vertibird and clear the conductor’s memory. Sigurd sprays pheromones, gathering insectoids from all around. Yuki shines a golden Seed from the landing hatch of the Griffin hovering in the sky. Hundreds of the creatures are incinerated en masse. The hero descends to the ground to collect the trophies, but is attacked by a giant Digger. Torque’s protective shield saves the young man from death. Sigurd binds the monster with Poisonous Sprout and finishes it off with the light of the Seed. As a reward, he receives rare bronze runes and hundreds of drops of Star Blood.

Runic Artifact and Return

Having harvested a colossal crop, the hero summons the captive Rune Lady Azimandria. The Ancient Ascendant attempts to deceive, secretly binding her finest artifacts to the Tablet. The White Devil brutally tortures the proud demigoddess with an illium spear, suppressing her attempts to deceive her master. Azimandria erases Yuki’s memories with oblivion magic. The Entity takes from the Kel-Lady the valuable True Sight spells, blood manipulation skills, the Symbol Constructor, and the key to the Silver Castle. Sigurd masters the art of rune artifacting. He recycles the essence cores of slain Worms, creating development modifiers. The hero greatly improves his arsenal, gaining bronze piloting skills and super-hearing.

Before leaving, Azimandius informs the White Devil of the death of the ancient god, the Protector (He-Who-Fights). This deity has guarded the Breach from the invasion of the Beasts from Beyond for millennia. The news deeply shakes the True One.

Having prepared the helicopter, Sigurd launches the surviving impeller. The craft safely crosses the border of the shadow territories. The young man radios the dispatcher and lands the craft in the central square of the Earth freehold of Nebo. Jumping out of the cockpit, he sees people running towards him. He is joyfully greeted by coordinator Veronica Maxwell, the pet Kysh, and Travinka. Sigurd has returned home alive, his secrets preserved and the true power of the Ascending One restored.