Shadow Being System

With trembling hands, William reached out to summon his wind ability. He focused, drawing on the memory of how the soul essence had once coursed through him, commanding the air around him to bend to his will.

But nothing happened. The wind remained still.

William tried again, this time more forcefully, but it was as though the wind couldn't even hear him anymore. His heart sank further.

"Gone," he whispered. "Even the wind is gone."

Swallowing his frustration, he turned his focus to the lightning ability. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if this would fail him too.

"Lightning Strike," he muttered.

Crackling blue sparks danced along his fingertips, faint but responsive. Relief washed over him as he realized the lightning still obeyed him.

"At least I have this," he murmured. Then a thought struck him.

The lightning ability wasn't tied to his soul crystal—it was connected to the system itself. That must have been why it hadn't been destroyed when the soul crystal was devoured.

---

Wanting to understand his new state, William decided to summon his status.

"System, display status," he commanded.

A familiar translucent screen appeared before his eyes, but it was vastly different from the one he had seen before.

[Status]

[William]

Race: Shadow Beingn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Age: 16

Male

Level 10

Experience Value: 250/1500

Strength: 13

Agility: 12

Endurance: 12

Skills: [Shadow Eye] [Darkseer Level 1] [Immunox]

Attribute: [Shadow Being] [Child of Thunder]

Soul Essence: ???

Shadow Essence: 14

Ability: Shadow Manipulation

Store Coins: 350

__________________________

William stared at the screen, his eyes darting over the new entries.

"Shadow Being… I'm not even fully human anymore," he muttered, his voice trembling. His fists clenched as he read through the details. The loss of his soul essence and wind ability stung, but he couldn't ignore the new possibilities the shadow essence offered.

"Shadow Manipulation," he murmured, curiosity creeping into his tone. He flexed his hands, trying to get a sense of what this meant.

The ground beneath him darkened ever so slightly, the shadows around him seeming to grow and shift in response to his will. For the first time since the transformation, a faint smile played on his lips.

"I may have lost a lot… but maybe this power can still be useful."

William dismissed the status screen and stood, his resolve hardening. Whatever had happened, he couldn't dwell on his losses. He needed to master this new form and ensure it didn't control him.

And if the shadow crystal had truly devoured his soul crystal, then he would ensure the power it granted him would be worth the sacrifice.

The effects of the formation of William's shadow crystal rippled far and wide, disturbing not only the forest but those who had long been hidden in the shadows. Unseen, yet deeply connected to the forces at play, several figures now sensed that something momentous had begun.

---

In the heart of the Heretics' base, a small, seemingly unimportant black fat cat sat on a windowsill, its fur sleek and shining in the dim light. Yet, the cat was far from calm. Its fur bristled, and its sharp, red eyes darted around, twitching nervously as an unshakable sense of dread filled the air.

The cat's ears flattened against its head, and its pupils dilated as though it could sense a storm on the horizon. The disturbance from William's shadow crystal had sent a surge of dark energy through the atmosphere, one that even the most unlikely of creatures could feel.

---

Far from the base, in the shadowy chambers of the military headquarters, General Zhao stood overlooking a map, his hands clasped behind his back. His usual stern and commanding demeanor had been replaced by something more cautious — even anxious. His eyes flickered with a flicker of satisfaction, but beneath that satisfaction was a hint of deep fear.

"It is done," General Zhao muttered under his breath, though his words were not directed at anyone in particular. He knew the significance of what had just transpired. The shadow crystal had been formed, and with it, an unpredictable chain of events had been set in motion. The ripple of power was unmistakable, and with it came a subtle fear, not just for William, but for what the future would bring.

"Lee, your plan has been set in motion... It all start now. But at what cost?" Zhao thought, his gaze narrowing as his mind raced.

---

In the forest surrounding the foggy chasm, the masked ninja with green hair observed from the treetops. His sharp eyes caught the sudden shift in the atmosphere as the disturbance reached even him. "So it begins…" he murmured to himself. "And here I was, hoping it wouldn't be so soon."

Despite his quiet resolve, a part of him couldn't shake the weight of what was to come. There had been little he could do to prevent the chain of events that had now been set into motion. As much as he told himself that William's transformation was inevitable, he couldn't ignore the bittersweet truth — that William was now entangled in something far greater than he had imagined.

---

In a dark, ancient temple high above a tall mountain, two old men sat, their eyes closed in deep meditation. Their long, flowing robes rustled slightly, as though stirred by an unseen wind. Both men had long been waiting for the moment when the shadows would stir again. They had seen it coming, sensed it in the threads of fate that had woven their existence.

One of the old men, his hair stark white and his hands trembling slightly with age, opened his eyes, revealing irises that gleamed with otherworldly knowledge.

"It looks like it has begun," the first old man said, his voice as deep and steady as the earth itself.

His companion, seated across from him, nodded slowly. His face was just as aged, his expression serene yet knowing.

"Yes. Our break will soon be over," the second man replied, his words carrying a sense of finality. "The game has shifted. Now, it is time to act."

The two exchanged a silent glance, a shared understanding passing between them. They had been waiting for this moment — the return of the shadow, the rise of the new power. The fate of the world was shifting in their favor, and they were ready to step from the shadows once more.

(Pls check out my other book, Demon Being System)