While the others argued softly about plans, formations, and whether Luna should stay very far from anything with wings, Zane slowly tuned them out.
Their voices blurred into background noise.
He leaned back on his hands, eyes half-lidded, expression bored—but his focus slipped inward.
System, he thought.
The world around him dimmed just a fraction, like someone had lowered the lights without anyone noticing.
A familiar translucent screen unfolded in front of his vision.
Status Interface — Zane Caelum
Level: 10
HP: 500 / 500
MP: 240 / 240
Strength: 42
Agility: 38
Endurance: 36
Intelligence: 28
Willpower: 30
Affinity: ######
Unassigned Points: 12
Abilities:
• Shadow Punch (A-rank)
• Shadow Gaze (Lv. 2)
• Step Between Shadows
Shadow Essence: 70/100 (Stable, but restless)
Zane's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You're hungry again," he muttered under his breath.
At his feet, where no one was directly looking, his shadow rippled—just once—like a living thing stretching after a long nap. It didn't rise. Didn't misbehave.
But it pulled.
Not violently. Not urgently.
Just… insistently.
Zane clicked his tongue.
"Relax," he whispered internally. "We're hunting tomorrow."
A new line flickered at the bottom of the screen.
Notification:
Your shadow has absorbed residual essence from recent combat.
Assimilation incomplete.
Efficiency reduced due to restraint.
Zane snorted silently. "So I'm getting penalized for not overdoing it now?"
The shadow shifted again, brushing faintly against his heel like a cat demanding attention.
He ignored it and scrolled.
Active Quest:
Master Shadow Reflection
Progress: 37%
Condition: Improve synchronization between physical strikes and manifested shadow output.
Reward: ???
His lips curled upward.
"Thirty-seven percent already," he thought. "Guess punching teachers counts as training."
Another line pulsed—subtle, almost easy to miss.
Hidden Trait Detected:
Shadow Familiarity
Description: Your prolonged isolation and repeated solo adaptation have accelerated compatibility with your manifested shadow.
Effect: Reduced resistance. Increased response speed.
Warning: Emotional instability may increase manifestation autonomy.
Zane went still.
Not alarmed.
Just… thoughtful.
"So that's what you are," he murmured. "Not a curse. Not a blessing."
More like a bad habit that learned his name.
He glanced up just as Celeste's voice cut through.
"—so if it flies, we trap it first!"
Asher nodded. "Portals can help with positioning."
Mira shrugged. "I can bring it down."
Luna raised her hand timidly. "I… can distract it."
Zane let the system fade, the world snapping back into full clarity. The shadow beneath him settled obediently, pretending to be nothing more than darkness on wood.
He smiled.
"Sounds good," he said casually, as if he hadn't just confirmed that something inside him was slowly becoming more aware.
He stood up, stretching.
"Alright then. Early hunt tomorrow."