Shadow Being System

William floated deep within the lake, his body utterly still as he concentrated on drawing in the soul essence around him. The water was cold, pressing against his skin like an unseen presence, but he didn't mind. He had grown used to it.

Three days had passed since the incident with the boy, and to William's relief, the academy had shown no signs of suspicion. It seemed likely they weren't even aware the boy was missing. After all, the boy was from Military Academy 5, where the heretics attacked recently. Perhaps they thought the boy had simply been another casualty.

William dismissed the thought. Dwelling on what might happen was pointless. His focus now was on the shadow crystal, which was still forming deep within his body.

Carefully, William directed the soul essence he absorbed into the shadow crystal. It was like guiding a stream of water through a narrow channel, requiring precision and patience. He could feel the crystal slowly reaching completion, its formation imminent.

After several hours, his body grew tired, but he swam upward, breaking through the surface of the lake. The cool air greeted him as he crawled ashore, sitting cross-legged on the damp ground. He continued drawing in the soul essence, even though it was less potent on land.

With the help of his 3rd Eye, he saw the shadow crystal glowing faintly, signaling that its formation was nearly complete. A wide grin spread across his face.

"Finally," he whispered. The wait was over.

He recalled the moment his soul crystal had formed. It had been a pleasant, soothing experience, like being embraced by warmth. He expected something similar this time.

The system chimed in his mind:

[Notification: Shadow Crystal Formation Initiating...]

Instantly, William's body stiffened as an unbearable pain tore through him. Unlike the soul crystal's formation, which had felt like peace, this was agony beyond anything he had ever experienced.

It was as though every cell in his body was being ripped apart and reformed simultaneously. His muscles clenched involuntarily, veins bulging against his skin. He gasped, unable to form coherent words, only guttural cries escaping his throat.

"What... What is happening to me?!" he managed to choke out, his voice strained. His vision blurred, and his hands clawed at the earth beneath him.

The pain surged again, more intense this time, like molten lava coursing through his veins. His bones ached, his skin burned, and his entire being felt as though it was being dismantled piece by piece.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the pain stopped. William lay motionless, his body drenched in sweat and trembling.

[Notification: Shadow Crystal Formation Complete.]

It took several minutes for William to regain enough strength to sit up. His breaths were ragged as he stared down at his hands, flexing his fingers. His body felt... different.

He couldn't explain it, but he felt lighter and stronger, as if his physical limits had been erased. There was also an odd connection to the shadows around him, an awareness that wasn't there before. It was as if he could feel the darkness itself—its movements, its depth, its emotions.

Activating his 3rd Eye, William inspected himself. His gaze shifted to his chest, where the soul crystal had once been.

The soul crystal glowed faintly, pulsating with energy like a secondary heart, its light spreading through his blood vessels. But on the right side of his chest, there was something new.

The shadow crystal.

It was black as the abyss, a void that seemed to swallow light itself. Its pulsations were erratic, as though it had a life of its own, unlike the calm, rhythmic nature of the soul crystal.

"Can I use shadow essence the same way I use soul essence?" he wondered aloud.

Curious, William decided to test it. He focused on summoning his lightning ability, but instead of drawing from the soul essence, he pulled from the shadow essence.

The shadow crystal responded instantly, producing an overwhelming surge of essence. But instead of directing the energy to his hand, the shadow essence turned and attacked the soul crystal.

"What the—?!" William's eyes widened in shock.

The soul crystal retaliated, sending out its own essence to defend itself. The two energies clashed within his body, a violent internal war that sent waves of pain through him.

"Stop! Stop!" William shouted, clutching his chest as if that would halt the chaos inside.

But the shadow crystal surged with renewed vigor, pouring more essence into the assault. The soul crystal faltered under the onslaught, and within moments, the shadow essence consumed it entirely.

The glowing light of the soul crystal dimmed, then disappeared, leaving only the dark, pulsating shadow crystal behind.

William's heart sank as the system bombarded him with notifications:

[Notification: Soul Crystal Destroyed.]

[Notification: Shadow Being Initiative Begins.]

[Notification: Shadow Being Initiative Complete.]

[Host Status: Fully Transitioned into a Shadow Being.]

[Wind Ability: Error. Error.]

[3rd Eye Ability Upgraded to Shadow Eye.]n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[Soul Essence: Error. Error.]

[Shadow Essence Capacity Increased.]

Panic overwhelmed him.

"No, no, no!" he muttered, shaking his head. This wasn't what he wanted. His soul crystal, his connection to who he was, was gone.

He felt the weight of the transformation settle over him as he stared at the dark crystal. It was no longer just a part of him—it was him now.

And there was no going back.

__________________________

William sat motionless by the lake, his chest heaving as the weight of what had just happened sank in. The reality that his soul crystal was gone hit him like a blow to the gut. His mind raced, filled with curses aimed at both himself and the system.

"Why didn't you warn me?!" he shouted aloud, his voice echoing through the quiet forest.

There was no response, only the stillness of the surrounding shadows that seemed to mock him.

For several minutes, William remained there, cursing the system, his choices, and the uncontrollable nature of the shadow crystal. Eventually, he forced himself to calm down.

"No use sitting here crying," he muttered. "What's done is done. Let's see what I've lost… and gained."