Chapter 73: Shadow Army

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Shadow Army

Daniel stared at the elf.

His mind was racing. His body was aching. His fists were still bloody from the beating he had just given this guy. And now, somehow, the elf was standing there. Perfect. Healthy. Smiling.

"What the fuck," Daniel said. "I just beat you. I broke your ribs. I caved in your chest. How are you standing?"

The elf tilted his head. His silver hair fell across his face. His green eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Regenerate," he said. "It’s my talent."

Daniel blinked. "Your talent?"

"Yes. I can heal from any wound. Any injury. Any damage. As long as I have mana, I can regenerate."

Daniel’s eye twitched. "That’s... that’s bullshit."

The elf laughed. A light, tinkling laugh. Like wind chimes.

"Is it?" he asked. "I think it’s quite useful."

Daniel clenched his fists. "So I can’t kill you?"

"Oh, you can. You just have to exhaust my mana first. But that would take hours. And we don’t have hours."

The elf stepped closer. His aura was calm. His posture was relaxed. He looked like he was taking a stroll.

"Can I ask you something?" the elf said.

Daniel frowned. "What?"

"Can you attain any of the mortal stages?"

Daniel stared at him. "What?"

The elf sighed. A dramatic, put-upon sigh.

"Oh, right. Most of you humans don’t know." He waved a hand. "The limit is not stage five. That’s the limit for the mortal realm."

Daniel’s eyes widened. "What?"

"The mortal realm," the elf repeated. "Stage one through five. That’s what humans can achieve. But there are higher realms."

He held up a finger.

"Stage six. Stage seven. Stage eight. Stage nine. And beyond. The highest realm is one with the world. Although no one has attained it in our universe."

Daniel was silent. He was processing.

"The highest in our universe," the elf continued, "might as well be the domain realm. I think there are like... a lot of realms. I don’t remember them all."

He laughed. A high, giggling laugh.

"Master was right. I do talk too much."

Daniel stared at him. At his weird, giggling personality. At his casual way of dropping world-shattering information.

This guy was insane. Talented. Powerful. But insane.

Daniel’s mind was racing. He put everything together.

Cultivation stages. Mana. Talents. Regeneration. Immortality.

This shit was like those cultivation novels he used to read.

"Damn," he muttered. "Mine is low. Got to fix that."

The elf tilted his head. "What?"

Daniel ignored him. He was thinking.

Right. I can achieve stage three. Let’s try that.

He focused.

He switched his class.

[Class Change: Shadow Scout]

His senses exploded. The world became sharper. Clearer. He could hear everything. Smell everything. See everything.

He reached deeper. Past his limits. Past his mana. Past everything.

He found it.

The core of his power. The source of his shadow. The heart of his class.

He grabbed it. He squeezed it. He pulled it open.

Dark energy exploded from his body.

Shadowy aura surrounded him. It swirled. It crackled. It pulsed with dark light.

The elf’s eyes widened. His mouth fell open.

"What..." he whispered.

Daniel felt it.

He felt like he had been reborn.

The shadows around him were alive. They spoke to him. They obeyed him. He could control them. Shape them. Command them.

He could make clones. He could enter any shadow. He could do shadowy stuff.

He laughed.

"This is amazing," he said.

The elf stared at him. His face was pale.

"The intel said only one person at the guild could reach stage four," he whispered. "So why... why is there someone else?"

Daniel ignored him. He was testing his new powers.

He wrapped himself in shadow. His body became dark. Indistinct. He controlled more shadow. He shaped it. He moved it.

He looked at the elf’s shadow.

He focused.

The shadow moved.

It rose from the ground. It grabbed the elf’s ankles. It held him in place.

The elf gasped. He tried to move. He couldn’t.

"What... what are you doing?" he demanded.

Daniel smiled. He placed his hand on the ground.

"Summon," he said.

A shadowy figure rose from the ground. It was dark. Formless. It shifted. It changed. It took shape.

It became Daniel.

A perfect copy. A shadow clone.

Daniel stared at it. At himself. At the dark, shadowy version of his own face.

He grinned.

"Jump," he said.

The clone jumped.

"Dance."

The clone danced.

"Do other stuff."

The clone did other stuff.

Daniel laughed. "This is incredible."

He looked at the clone. At its dark form. At its shifting shape.

"Shape-shift," he commanded.

The clone shifted. It became a wolf. Then a bird. Then a tree. Then a rock.

But it couldn’t change color. It was still dark as shadow.

Daniel nodded. "Okay. So you can change shape but not color. Got it."

He summoned another clone.

He wanted to test their durability.

He released the elf. The shadowy hand disappeared. The elf stumbled forward.

"Attack my clone," Daniel said.

The elf stared at him. Then at the clone. Then back at him.

"What?"

"Attack it. I want to see how durable it is."

The elf hesitated. Then he shrugged. He threw a punch.

His fist hit the clone. The clone exploded. It turned into sparks of shadowy light. It disappeared.

Daniel nodded. "So they can’t take a lot of damage."

He summoned another clone.

"Attack him," he commanded.

The clone charged. It punched the elf. The elf flew backward. He crashed into a wall.

Daniel nodded again. "But they’re good at giving damage."

The elf stood up. He regenerated. His wounds healed. He looked at Daniel. His eyes were cold.

"You’re testing me," he said.

Daniel shrugged. "Yeah."

The elf’s aura exploded. He entered stage four. His power increased. His speed. His strength.

He reached into his pocket. He pulled out monster parts. Claws. Fangs. Scales. Bones.

He threw them on the ground.

"Regenerate," he said.

The parts glowed. They moved. They combined. They grew.

Ten monsters stood in front of him.

They were hideous. A mix of different creatures. Wolves with scales. Bears with claws. Serpents with wings.

They growled. They snarled. They waited.

Daniel stared at them. At their monstrous forms. At their sharp teeth. At their glowing eyes.

Then he smiled.

"Two can play that game," he said.

He placed his hands on the ground.

"Summon," he commanded.

Shadow rose from the ground. It swirled. It shaped. It formed.

Fifty shadowy clones appeared.

They were copies of the monsters. Wolves. Bears. Serpents. All dark. All shadowy. All obedient.

The elf’s eyes widened. His mouth fell open.

"What..." he whispered.

Daniel stood up. He looked at his army. At his fifty shadow clones. At his dark, powerful soldiers.

He smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

"Let’s dance," he said.

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[Magic castle =5 bonus Chapter’s]

[space craft = 15 bonus Chapter’s]

[golden gachapon = 20 bonus Chapter’s]