My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 4 The Living Shadow System

The morning sun cut through Damon's heavy eyelids, its intense glare forcing him to squint. He remained motionless for a moment, lost in a daze, as his hands instinctively touched his face in sheer disbelief.

"I... I'm still alive... I didn't actually die," he murmured. His voice was thick with shock, trembling as if he were on the verge of letting out all the tears he had suppressed.

He scanned his surroundings quickly. The bizarre, dark, and viscous entity that had lunged at him in the ditch the previous night was gone. He struggled to process the events, but before his thoughts could settle, a translucent black interface with white text materialized in the air before him.

The display read:

[System initialization complete]

[Do you wish to Proceed]

[Y/N]

Damon's brow furrowed in deep confusion as he muttered, "Proceed...?"

The moment the word left his lips, the text flickered, and a voice resonated within his mind.

[Welcome to the Living Shadow System, individual Damon Grey]

[Your shadow is alive.]

[Feed your shadow, devour souls, level up, gain skills, complete quests, and grow stronger.]

[Do you wish to view your current stats?]

[Y/N]

The voice continued its explanations as if expecting him to be well-versed in such matters. With a hesitant breath, Damon whispered,

"ermh... Yes..."

The interface transformed, displaying his personal attributes in meticulous detail.

[HP: 50/50]

[Mana: 30/30]

[Strength: 9]

[Agility: 12]

[Speed: 25]

[Endurance: 10]

[Class: —]

[Shadow: 100]

[Shadow Hunger Levels: 0%]

[Shadow Level: 1]

[Condition: Shadow Is Full]

[Attributes: Umbra]

[Skills]

------ No skills acquired--------

[Locked]

---

Damon stared at the screen, paralyzed by bewilderment, his mind spinning as he tried to grasp the situation. The voice had claimed his shadow was sentient. Could such a thing be possible? He snapped his head down to look at the ground, and there it was—his shadow, stretched out before him.

A long sigh of relief escaped his chest.

"Phew... thank the goddess. I was worried my shadow had been stolen."

In this world, certain foul creatures possessed the ability to rip shadows away from people or even execute them by attacking their silhouette. He had heard terrifying legends of such monsters residing on Centros, the demon continent, though they were rarely seen in Soltheon, his home.

However, as he continued to watch, his shadow... shifted.

He hadn't moved a muscle—only the shadow had. Panic surged through Damon, causing him to stumble backward. The shadow remained where it was, its posture subtly changing as if it were figuratively rolling its eyes at his reaction.

"W-what is happening... my... my shadow?" His throat felt parched as he whispered in a state of shock.

Remaining hyper-vigilant, he kept his eyes locked on the dark shape as he cautiously edged closer. Suddenly, as if annoyed by the attention, the shadow darted back and fixed itself to his feet, mimicking a perfectly normal shadow once more.

Damon recoiled, but the shadow remained obedient, mirroring his every motion. His breathing was heavy as he forced himself to regain composure. Glancing warily around, he grabbed a nearby stick and poked at the dark patch on the ground. It appeared to be nothing more than a standard silhouette.

Then, a realization hit him. The shadow was gesturing, seemingly indicating something. Damon followed its lead and saw the floating status panel hovering in his line of sight.

"You... want me to look at this?" he whispered.

The shadow gave a small nod of confirmation. Damon’s heart rate slowed slightly, though he remained on high alert. Looking at the panel, his attention was drawn to the [HP: 50/50] section. Responding to his curiosity, the display expanded.

[HP: 50/50] – Health Points

Your total Health Points (HP) represent your physical vitality. When HP drops to zero, you will perish. Physical injuries, magical attacks, or overuse of certain shadow abilities and skills can deplete your HP. Use healing items or abilities to restore HP when it falls below safe levels.

Current Status: Your HP is at its maximum, indicating you are in good physical health.

The detailed explanation sent a jolt through Damon as he suddenly recognized something glaringly obvious—something he should have realized the moment he woke up.

"My injuries... th-they're gone..."

He began frantically checking himself, pulling off his academy jacket as his hands searched his body for any signs of trauma.

He stuck his fingers into his mouth, feeling for the tooth that had been knocked out during the struggle—it was back in its place. Stunned, he yanked up his shirt to inspect his torso. There wasn't a single scar to be found, not even the old marks from previous altercations.

"I don't have a single injury..."

Damon lifted his white shirt once more, scrutinizing his skin. Not a single blemish from his past remained, a fact that left him deeply unsettled. His fingers brushed against his skin, feeling only smoothness where there should have been scars and reminders of his struggles.

The day felt surreal, and he couldn't decide if this change was a blessing or a curse. Shaking his head, Damon tried to dismiss the unease. He needed to focus. There were other stats that required his attention.

[Mana: 30/30] – Magical Energy

Mana is your energy pool, used to cast magical abilities, including those drawn from the system. Shadow-related abilities and some skills will deplete this pool. Keep a close eye on it during battle, as running out of mana may leave you vulnerable.

Current Status: Full mana allows for optimal casting of abilities. Spend wisely.

Note: You have an unusually low mana pool. Leveling up is highly recommended.

A wave of bitterness washed over Damon. He was painfully aware of his pathetic mana capacity—the academy's evaluations had made that clear. A mere 30 points, the lowest recorded in the history of the institution, which had turned him into a primary target for torment. The student with the next lowest pool had 656; the gap between them was an impossible chasm.

"But... the voice mentioned I could level up. No, it called itself the system..." He stopped, a spark of hope igniting in his chest.

"But how exactly do I level up?"

The system provided no answer this time.

With a sigh, he proceeded to review his remaining attributes.

Strength – Physical power. As he expected, his rating was quite low.

Agility – A combination of coordination and reflexes. The system considered him average in this regard, which wasn't as discouraging as his mana stat.

Speed – His movement velocity, which was slightly better than average, though not particularly impressive.

Endurance – A gauge of his stamina and toughness. Damon knew he could endure a beating after everything he had been through. Even so, the system labeled him as below average.

Finally, he reached the section regarding his class.

[Class: —] – No Class Assigned

At present, you have no formal class assigned. Once you unlock a specialized combat or magic class, you will gain access to class-specific skills and perks. The system may allow for an unconventional class in the future.

Current Status: Undefined. As you explore the depths of your shadow abilities and level up, a class may be discovered or created.

Damon's breath hitched in his throat.

"I... I can actually obtain a class?"

The text provided a flicker of optimism. In this world, individuals could awaken up to seven classes throughout their lives, but he had resigned himself to never even awakening one.

[Shadow: 100] – Shadow Energy

Shadow Energy is the primary resource for utilizing the abilities of the Living Shadow. It regenerates through certain actions such as consuming life force and souls. Shadow energy is spent when manipulating shadows or using certain skills, and it's critical to maintain this resource, or risk weakening your shadow and death.

Current Status: Your shadow energy is full. This is ideal for activating and sustaining shadow abilities during combat or exploration.

Warning: Shadow Energy must be kept at a stable level.

Damon scanned the description, though he didn't fully comprehend the mechanics. Nevertheless, the prospect of wielding shadow powers was fascinating. He moved to the final, most disturbing entry.

[Shadow Hunger Level: 0%] – Shadow's Appetite

The Hunger Level represents the shadow's need to consume flesh and souls. As you use your abilities, the shadow's hunger will increase, urging you to feed it. Neglecting this hunger can lead to dangerous consequences, such as losing control over your actions or the shadow taking over. Be mindful not to let the hunger grow too high.

[Note: When Shadow hunger reaches 100% HP will begin to decline until individual perishes.]

0%-20% Hunger: Safe range. The shadow is under control.

20%-50% Hunger: Increased temptation to feed. Minor stat boosts.

50%-80% Hunger: Loss of partial control. Significant power boosts.

90%-100% Hunger: Shadow becomes ravenous, fully takes control. Immediate risk of losing your humanity.

Current Status: The shadow is currently sated, leaving you in full control.

The color drained from Damon's face as he absorbed the information.

"Feed my shadow... but with what... flesh? What kind of flesh?"