Chapter 243 - TFF

Note: I owe you all an apology for falling so far behind. Life threw me some quite tough curve balls recently and I'll admit that I fell apart mentally under the stress. Writing is tougher than ever and I feel like my ability to do so has taken a nosedive. I'll try to pick myself up in the coming days as I calm down and rest. My priority will be catching up on some sleep this weekend, and then I'll see how it will go.

******

First came his reward – The First Scroll of the Blood Corpse Mantra. It was in the shape of a bloodied scroll wrapped around a bronze frame. Alan held it for a moment, contemplating what it could be used for, and then simply threw it in his shadow inventory. Not all things were useful.

Sure, there was some draw to the idea of having an army of creepy horror monsters, but who would even be his targets? Doing it to humans was out of the question, and as for the moral ramifications of using dungeon or forest monsters… just no. Even if having minions like the blood corpse sounded fun, the price was not worth it. It screamed desperation, and not being able to handle this new reality on his own. Alan despised such weakness.

Well then, won’t you reward me for my levels now?

The words he had waited for so long were there too now, and he felt excitement course through his body.

You can learn a new skill. Please choose.

Living Shadow (Epic)

Create a pet shaped by your desires and summon it whenever you please.

Veil of the Dark (Epic)

Cover the surrounding area in darkness, giving yourself an advantage.

Broken Maw (Epic)

Eat the flesh of your enemies, allowing you to steal vital energy from their remains.

What the fuck.

Alan gaped at the options before him. It was not that the skills were too overwhelming or strange—apart from the cannibalism one— but he hadn’t expected quite that.

Two of them had the elements of life or the theft of life in them—[Living Shadow] and [Broken Maw]. The latter was quite extreme and at first glance did the same thing his [Curse of Stolen Life] did, but he was sure there were large differences. One consumed corpses, the other helped make some. Not being able to see the details was excruciating, but he had accepted it long ago.

Alan didn’t know whether the pet would be able to fight, but that was somewhat a given. Maybe a good idea for a scouting skill? He inwardly scolded himself and tried to think outside of the box. If it could travel away from him, then it could perhaps be used alongside [Dark Step] as a large-distance movement skill. It was a shadow, after all. That would be tremendous both during exploration and outside of it. [Dark Step] had some limits, but they could probably be circumvented in time.

He was not that keen on the idea of having a pet, though. He had been too ill to care for one before, and as for now, the very notion seemed weird. Sure it couldn’t be just that? It had to be a combat skill of sorts. Who would summon just a pet for cuddles?

Ah, who am I kidding…

[Veil of the Dark] would also boost his [Dark Step]. Fighting in an area where he could simply switch his position as he pleased was another tremendous advantage. It would be further pronounced if he could coupe it with [Shadow Creation] and manipulate the darkness created by the skill in time. Wouldn’t his enemies be trapped in a domain of sorts, then? A place where he could be everywhere all at once.

But can’t I achieve that simply by advancing [Shadow Creation? Is this bait because of my recent attempts? Because of the shadow burning inside me? He wondered if the System had a way to tell what was happening to him and if that affected his path.

Alan sighed as he leaned on one of the pillars. The skills were all useful in their own right. He wasn’t particularly smitten by any of them, and he didn’t have that much need for variety anymore. His curses and more niche attack skills were the aces in the hole, and his [Shadow Creation] was turning out to be capable of carrying most of his combat alone. With the improvements to the structure of his mana by combining shadow and void, he had become a lot stronger than any single skill could’ve made him.

Additionally, Will was also a major contributor to all of that. It made his skills deadlier and in time… He shuddered as an idea washed over him.

Can’t I just combine them all? As it is, I’ll have too many skills to keep track of during intense combat, but if I can keep advancing and combining them… What would that look like? The thought was like lightning, and it took hold of his mind. Whatever he chose now didn’t really matter all that much, considering there was nothing new offered to him.

He wasn’t even sure it mattered. The System had given him choices before, and now simply strengthened the path he had stepped on. At least it's what it looked like. Anything branching outside of what he had was his responsibility alone.

It was better this way, even if the gains would be temporarily lesser. He distinctly remembered Zirida and Kalyntha. Both had used very few skills, which seemed interconnected and dependent on one another in a way. While Alan had been all over the place before, at least now he still had a theme going. Perhaps the answer was attempting to fuse it all into one… A skill that could do anything. A complete mastery of shadows.

I need to consider it all if I want to make this work. What would be the potential advancements and knowledge gained from this, and what of the drawbacks? Each skill can further my understanding of how things work, so I should be careful.

He returned to the first offered skill. [Living Shadow] was somewhat similar to his [Chains of the Dark Servants] too. Both would probably require vitality to function. Vitality he had to steal from other creatures. But if he managed to understand [Living Shadow] and apply whatever concepts guided it to the other skill… Could the dark servants become more than simple constructs with a singular ability?

Now that was an attractive thought that made him lean toward the first choice. [Broken Maw] was the worst of the three considering the curse. Unless its advancements allowed him to take more than vitality… What if he could take mind, or steal the will of others? What if—

No. I’m being greedy and foolish. I cannot predict how skills will develop or what might happen as they do. For all I know I’ll only bring more problems to myself with this one.

[Veil of the Dark] was an amazing choice, but it was something he hoped to figure out on his own. His shadows were growing more and more powerful by the day now that he had the spirit’s shadow, and that could culminate with interesting developments… It pained him to skip it, but it was not a huge loss.

You’ve gained a new skill: Living Shadow (Epic)

Living Shadow (Epic)

For darkness itself to be given life… how magnanimous its creator. May it always serve you well.

Create a loyal pet of shadows by giving a gift of vitality. It is affected by the properties of your mana and will, and once its form is set it cannot be altered without a proper ritual.

The pet will follow your will, but in time it might develop its own desires.

You can summon and dismiss it at any time. The process takes three seconds.

If it dies, it can be recreated by casting this skill and performing the initial ritual.

It can resist you if it deigns you too weak.

It can rebel against me? Ha! Let’s see how that goes. Now, what shape should I give you?

Alan stretched his hand. It was not needed, but it felt right. Shadows crawled out of his forearm and palm and at the whispers in his ears grew very, very excited. For a single brief moment, a loud ringing took over everything, and then all was gone and the skill seemed to have failed.

What the—

Your skill has changed.

Oh shi—

Living Shadow (Ancient)

Bring forth the forgotten memories; the shadows buried beneath the weight of time and power; the desires long warped by eternity.

Let them live again in your service.

Perform a simple ritual to create a loyal vessel made of your shadows, by giving a gift of vitality. It is affected by the properties of your mana and the will inhabiting it, and once its form is set it cannot be altered without a proper ritual.

The living shadow will follow your will, but it has its own mind as well.

You can summon and dismiss it at any time.

The time limit of the living shadow’s existence is defined by the world the summon is called to.

If the living shadow dies, it can be recreated by casting this skill and performing the initial ritual.

Do not abandon the shadows.

A free [ancient] skill?!

The changes were substantial in both the flavor text and the details of the skill. It now had a time limit which really annoyed Alan. What worried him was most however was that the very word ‘pet’ had been removed from everywhere. A vessel sounded ominous.

His desire to understand what had just happened won out again, and the dark shadows poured out coalescing into a circle mid-air. It hung like a chandelier as tendrils of darkness crawled out of it, draping down. They wiggled and shaped something amid their chaotic movements and Alan felt the call for guidance. The skill needed his input.

What was most appropriate? A bear? A wolf? Some sort of mutated animal like those in the first? For the first time, the voice quieted down, only to return as one. A thousand speaking in unison, each syllable perfect, each letter given to him as a present of times long past.

“LET… US,” they whispered.

Alan did without much thought. He was aware of the weirdness of it all, and he was letting it happen. This was not one of those times when control was taken away from him. He was curious, and the voices had been with him long enough to earn at least a little bit of trust.

The whispers broke apart once again and the sound seemed to extend toward the hall's ceiling and bounce off all the pillars. The very dungeon shook as something dark and vaguely humanoid was slowly created in the inky darkness of the skill.

It was not large or overwhelmingly foreign at first glance. It was frightening to an extent, however. Limbs that were a bit disproportional to the torso. Claws that constantly dripped inky blackness toward the floor. A face with no features apart from five swirling slits that somehow stood out even if all of it was the same abyssal black.

It rose slowly and Alan felt the connection form as its shape became more distinct. Each of its twitches and each strand of mana running through it was his to see, to feel, to control. And yet, despite that, there was an aura of defiance. A presence of utter and complete rage washed over it briefly, and yet it was broken apart by a hint of joy.

This was something quite different from the initially offered pet. This was a shadow that had its own life to an extent greater than before, and Alan knew that as sure as he knew dismissing it wouldn’t be simple if it decided to defy him.

What have I gotten myself into? He didn’t worry all that much. What was another strange being to add to his collection? At least this one was not a foul-mouthed demon… or was it?

With a final sound akin to the slithering of a snake through dry grass the circle disappeared and the creature stood alone in the hall, supposedly gazing toward its master. Alan met the five slits and then he felt a sudden sense of loss.

The ever-present voices were fewer now. A part of them was missing, leaving a gaping void where the myriad had once rested in his mind. Not all, but a significant part.

And he knew where they had gone. The thought filled him with curiosity. Could it speak?

The creature moved. Slowly at first, but it seemed to take only a second or two until it was fully adapted to its body.

It was completely silent as it bowed and remained bowed.

Alan stared at it for a while, lamenting the lost opportunity to have a shadow puppy. I’ve got the weirdest taste, goddamn it.