My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 5 Level Up Requirements

The system remained unresponsive, giving no reply to his inquiries. Damon peered down at the dark silhouette on the ground, his voice tinged with irritation.

"How am I even supposed to feed a shadow?"

In response, his shadow mimicked a pensive pose, resting a hand beneath an imaginary chin as if it were contemplating the same problem. Damon let out a sigh, lightly slapping his own cheeks to reclaim his focus. He shifted his attention to the subsequent statistic.

[Shadow Level: 1]

The Shadow Level is a metric of your authority and strength over your shadow. Leveling up is achieved by providing nourishment and finishing specific trials or quests. This process provides stat points used to bolster HP, mana, and various other attributes.

Level up Requirements

Souls Consumed: [0/3]

Damon’s pupils dilated. Souls. He was required to consume souls. Yet, the method of doing so remained a mystery.

Resting on the dirt, he took several moments to organize his thoughts. If souls were the prerequisite for leveling up, perhaps physical flesh served merely as sustenance for the shadow itself? He stole another look at his shadow, realizing it was now staring back with a look of pure annoyance, as if he were a thick-headed amateur struggling with a basic system.

"Eh… am I right about that?" he questioned, his tone half-jesting.

The shadow simply shrugged, looking completely unimpressed.

Damon scowled and chose to remain quiet, turning his gaze back to the system interface.

[CONDITION: Shadow is Full] – Current State

This status indicates the shadow has been recently nourished and its cravings are satisfied. You maintain absolute control over the entity, and immediate feeding is not required. However, engaging in combat or utilizing shadow skills will cause this state to fluctuate based on hunger levels.

Current Status: Safe. No immediate consumption required.

Damon let out a long breath of relief, feeling like he had been trapped on a chaotic rollercoaster since the morning began.

'Since it's sated, I don't have to worry about it for the time being.'

He inhaled deeply, attempting to calm his racing thoughts. There was an overwhelming amount of information to process, and the system felt eerie—perhaps even malevolent. He couldn't erase the memory of that bizarre creature that had attacked him before merging into his shadow.

[Attributes: Umbra] – Shadow Essence

The Umbra attribute signifies your magical resonance and bond with the shadow entity. It dictates your interaction with your powers and influences total stats when employing shadow-based techniques. As your Shadow Level rises, this attribute will transform, granting access to new skills and stat enhancements based on the shadow’s requirements and your own proficiency.

Current Status: The Umbra attribute is in its nascent stage but will evolve alongside you. More information will be revealed as you advance.

"I assume this is my magic attribute," Damon whispered, rolling his eyes.

"Hardly a surprise. But a shadow attribute? It doesn't exactly sound like the peak of power… I can't help but wish I was born with something more conventional—and, you know, a respectable amount of mana."

Regardless of what he discovered, that pathetic mana pool remained a heavy burden on his mind.

His gaze wandered toward the Skills tab. Though it currently appeared empty, his inquisitiveness drove him to keep searching.

[Skills] – Acquirable Abilities

Skills consist of both active and passive powers that can be obtained as you grow in strength. Currently, no skills are unlocked. Your initial acquisitions will likely consist of fundamental active and passive traits, with superior skills becoming available as your Shadow Level grows. Skills provide tactical edges, movement buffs, or other benefits during combat and exploration.

Current Status: No skills acquired. Provide nourishment to your shadow or increase your level to obtain new skills.

Damon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Skills... I can earn skills by leveling up and feeding my shadow... huh, everything revolves around feeding this thing. Can I even refer to it as my shadow anymore?"

At the very bottom of the screen, a fresh notification caught his attention:

[Locked]

Increase your level to reveal new system mechanics.

"New system mechanics? Does that mean the system is hiding more from me?" Damon pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"It has already mended my wounds and freed my shadow from being a mere reflection. What else is it capable of?"

A wave of doubt washed over him. He needed to get back to the academy—expulsion was a fate he couldn't accept. Then there was Marcus and his lackeys to deal with. More pressingly, he couldn't simply walk back in with a shadow that possessed its own consciousness.

"What if the temple’s Inquisition hears about this?" A shiver ran down his spine.

"They might put me to the question for heresy... or think I've made a deal with a demon."

The danger was small, but it wasn't zero. He had to find a way to force his shadow to act like a normal one.

"The system mentioned I could dictate its actions if I have sufficient shadow energy, right?"

To test this, he lifted his hand toward the dark shape. It hovered nearby, waving back at him. Damon issued a stern directive.

"Stop."

The shadow went rigid. He started to smile, but his expression soured when it stayed completely still, refusing to follow his movements. He chewed on his lip nervously.

"Follow me… I mean, mimic my actions."

His shadow gave him a quick thumbs-up and dutifully began to copy him. Damon paced around, leaped into the air, and sprinted back and forth. Much to his relief, the shadow mirrored him perfectly, just like a normal one should.

He exhaled a heavy breath.

"Praise the goddess."

Feeling confident, he pointed toward a distant boulder.

"Go over there."

The shadow darted across the ground to the rock, leaving Damon standing in the bright sunlight without a shadow at all.

"I see... I need to keep this a secret for now. If anyone notices anything strange, maybe I can claim it's high-tier magic. Or just tell them I've unlocked a new spell."

It was safer to keep his cards close to his chest until he understood more about the system—and his shadow. Damon beckoned it back, and it returned to his feet instantly. He still had more to test, but he had more urgent problems, such as scrubbing the dirt from his face.

Glancing at his shredded academy uniform, he was shocked to find the threads weaving themselves back together.

'That's the quality of materials from the magic continent,' he mused.

The uniforms provided by the academy were manufactured in Aerona and came with special traits like self-mending, automatic cleaning, and rapid drying.

Damon had never stepped foot on Aerona, the legendary land of sorcery and tech. His life had been spent entirely on Soltheon, the continent of war, and he doubted he would ever leave it.

He trekked over to the nearby stream. Now wary since he was outside the academy’s protective wards, he paused at the riverbank, scanning the blue water. Finding no signs of danger, he cupped some water and threw it over his face.

He caught a glimpse of his reflection—and went completely still.

"M-my... my eyes."