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Chapter 5: The Hunter and the Hunted
Suzan woke before dawn, his mind still ablaze from the power he gained the night before. The air outside the keep was cold, mist swirling around the towers like ghostly serpents. His new Shadow Minion, the spectral echo of his defeated rival, followed silently behind him, its eyes vacant, obedient.
> [Shadow Minion: Active. Commands available.]
The System's words still echoed in his mind.
> [Next objective: Devour two 2-Star beings to advance to 3-Star.]
Suzan clenched his fists. He knew the path he walked was dark, but it was his alone. And if the world feared him for it, he would make them fear him even more.
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At breakfast, Duke Renald studied his son over a spread of roasted boar, black bread, and sweetened wine. The servants kept their eyes lowered. Even they had heard the rumors—how Suzan had drained a noble heir like a beast of the night.
"You know what you've done?" Renald asked, voice low.
Suzan met his father's gaze steadily. "I did what I had to do."
Renald's eyes narrowed. "You've made an enemy of House Vareen. Their father sits on the Council of Lords. He will demand justice."
"Then let him come," Suzan said coolly. "I'll devour him, too."
The Duke's brows shot up, but then he barked a laugh, deep and sharp. "Good. A true Elvador doesn't bow to worms. But remember—your power draws eyes. Even now, spies from the other empires slip through our borders."
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As if summoned by fate, a servant burst into the hall moments later, face pale. "My lord! A courier from Zarephian arrived—dead at the gates. They left this."
He handed over a black envelope sealed with blue wax bearing the sigil of the Azure Lotus, the elite intelligence corps of the Zarephian Empire. Renald broke the seal and read quickly.
"A formal invitation," he growled. "Or rather, a threat disguised as courtesy. They want you to attend the Imperial Youth Tournament in three months."
Suzan's pulse quickened. He had heard of the tournament—an ancient event held every decade, where prodigies from the three great empires competed in martial prowess, strategy, and soul power.
Renald fixed him with a hard stare. "This is their move. They want to see your power with their own eyes. And if you show weakness, they'll tear you apart."
Suzan stood, Shadow Minion drifting behind him like a dark halo. "Then I'll show them strength they can't even imagine."
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Later that afternoon, Suzan and a small contingent of knights rode beyond the keep to a hidden valley known as the Bloodgrove, a place where magical beasts prowled thick as flies.
It was here, among twisted trees and dark earth, that Suzan intended to find stronger prey.
They didn't wait long. A pair of Ironhide Direwolves, each the size of a horse and glowing with 2-Star auras, burst from the underbrush, eyes burning crimson.
Suzan dismounted calmly, signaling the knights to hold back.
He stepped forward, his Dark Soul forming at his side, cloaked in swirling violet mist. One wolf leapt straight at him, jaws wide to snap his head off.
Suzan's Shadow Minion lunged first, tackling the beast mid-air and pinning it with surprising strength. The second wolf swung around to flank Suzan, but his Dark Soul intercepted it, blades slicing in a flurry of dark steel.
The first wolf ripped itself free from the Shadow Minion's grip, only to find Suzan already moving. He ducked low, planted his hand on the beast's throat, and unleashed his system's hunger.
> [Target: Ironhide Direwolf (2-Star) devoured.]
[Progress: 1 of 2.]
Energy surged into his core, his blood thrumming with raw power. His senses sharpened—he could almost feel the heartbeat of every living thing around him.
The second wolf snarled and lunged again. Suzan's Dark Soul met it in a clash of teeth and shadows. Claws scraped dark steel, sparks dancing in the gloom. The beast howled, but Suzan stepped forward, calm as nightfall, and drove his fist into its chest.
> [Target: Ironhide Direwolf (2-Star) devoured.]
[Level increased: 3-Star Cultivator.]
[New ability unlocked: Shadow Merge – briefly merge with your Dark Soul for heightened speed, strength, and defense.]
He staggered as the power hit him, but only for a moment. Then he straightened, feeling faster, stronger, more alive.
The knights looked on with awe—and a hint of fear.
One of them stepped forward, voice hesitant. "Young master… the way you absorb them… it isn't natural."
Suzan's eyes gleamed darkly. "No," he agreed, his voice a cold whisper. "It's beyond natural."
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That night, as Suzan's group camped under the stars, he sat alone with his thoughts.
The path ahead was clear: the Youth Tournament. The eyes of empires. The opportunity to devour stronger foes, advance faster, and rise above every other prodigy of this world.
But in the shadows beyond the firelight, a pair of unseen eyes watched him—a Zarephian assassin, cloaked in moonlight, ready to strike.
Suzan didn't flinch.
Because tonight, he wasn't the hunted.
He was the hunter.
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