Leo's jaw almost dropped. He blinked once, twice, before breaking into laughter. "You've gotta be kidding me… I can actually see its stats?" His grin widened, eyes gleaming. "Guess it's only right, since I'm the master."
Leo began to study the window closely. His eyes moved over each line, comparing it with his own stats. "Stronger than me in almost everything… except intelligence and mana." He let out a low whistle. "So this thing's about as strong as a grown man already."
The thought sent a shiver of excitement through him. His grin stretched wider. "And it's also an Exclusive rank… does that mean it can level up like me? Limitlessly?" His heart pounded at the possibility, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "Heh… this is getting better and better."
"Alright then," he declared proudly, looking at the new shadow. "From now on, your name will be… Mor2." He chuckled at his own naming sense, then turned to Mongmor. "Don't get jealous, you're still my first."
Curious, he called up Mongmor's status next:
...
Shadow Kobold
Name: Mongmor
Level: 1 (1/100 exp)
Rank: Exclusive (Demon Lord's Shadow)
Skill: None
Health: 12/12
Mana: 3/3
Strength: 10
Intelligence: 5
Speed: 9
Agility: 8
Perception: 11
Stamina: 9
Vitality: 7
Stat points: 0
...
Leo clicked his tongue. "So, you got one exp too, huh? Tch. Guess we're all stuck at level one." He scratched the back of his head.
His gaze returned to Mor2. "Alright, let's try something. Mor2, dig into your old body. See if there's a mana crystal inside."
Without hesitation, the shadow kobold obeyed. It crouched down and tore into its own corpse with cold precision, its spear scraping against bone and armor.
Mana crystals. Leo knew the basics, sometimes they formed inside monsters after death, a small shard of condensed energy. Valuable if sold, priceless if gathered in bulk. But for weaker monsters like kobolds… it was harder to find one from them.
The search ended quickly. Nothing.
Leo let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping. "Figures. Too low-level for that."
Still, he straightened up, forcing a grin. "No worries. We'll just hunt more. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky." His eyes sharpened with determination as he waved Mor2 forward. "Lead us to another kobold."
The three of them moved deeper into the woods, their footsteps soft against the fallen leaves. Then, sharp shrieks split the air. Leo froze. Ahead, through the trees, three kobolds appeared, two with spears and one with a short, jagged sword.
His grip tightened around his weapon. 'Three of them… this could get messy. Should I risk it?' His chest tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm, running the plan through his head.
'Mongmor, Mor2, hide in my shadow. When I give the signal, you jump out and hit one target together. Don't stop until it's dead or can't move.'
The shadows slipped back beneath his feet. Leo took a deep breath, pushing down the fear clawing at his stomach. Then, with a yell to gain their attention, he burst out of hiding. "Ahhhh!"
The kobolds whipped their heads toward him, their eyes glowing with hunger. They snarled and charged as one, the ground thudding under their feet.
Leo's heart hammered. 'Shit, shit, shit, this might have been a bad idea!' But he didn't stop. At the last moment, just before they clashed, he swerved to the side and hurled his spear with all his strength.
"Now! Go!" he roared.
From the spear's shadow, two dark figures erupted. Mor2 lunged forward first, driving his spear into one kobold's chest. Mongmor followed in perfect sync, his thrust slipping into the same target's neck.
Blood spurted in dark arcs as the kobold let out a gurgling cry.
The other two shrieked in rage, spinning to retaliate. The sword-wielder swung wildly at Mor2. His shadow barely had time to pull back as the steel bit through his arm.
Leo's stomach twisted. 'Damn it, he's hurt already!'
Mongmor, on the other hand, moved sharper, dodging the thrust from the second spear-wielding kobold by slipping back with quick steps.
'Mor2… what happens if he dies? Do I lose him forever?' Panic rushed through Leo's head as he sprinted toward the spear he had thrown earlier.
Then, a cold ring echoed.
(Your shadow Mor2 has been destroyed.)
Leo's heart sank. "Mor2!" he shouted, voice breaking.
But another line followed right after.
(Experience +1)
Leo froze for half a breath, then his eyes snapped toward the kobold his shadows had impaled. The corpse twitched faintly. 'Shadow awaken!'
Dark mist spilled out, ripping itself away from dead flesh until a new shadow stood before him.
"Kill that one!" Leo pointed, his voice trembling.
The newborn shadow leapt forward without hesitation, clashing with the snarling sword-user. Their weapons scraped, the shadow pressing in with unfeeling strength.
Meanwhile, Leo gripped his reclaimed spear and charged at the remaining spear-user. Mongmor was already circling it, his thrusts keeping the kobold on guard.
"Now!" Leo shouted, lunging in. His spear stabbed low while Mongmor's followed high. The kobold blocked one, but the other slipped through, piercing its chest. Blood spilled as the monster collapsed, choking on its last breath.
Leo yanked his weapon free, sweat dripping from his chin. He spun just in time to see the sword-user still locked in combat with the fresh shadow.
Without thinking, he and Mongmor rushed in together, their spears stabbing from both sides. The kobold shrieked before falling silent under their combined assault.
For a long moment, only the sound of Leo's ragged breathing filled the woods.
"Huff… huff… huff…" He staggered back, gripping his knees. All three kobolds lay dead around them, their bodies already cooling.
"Mor2…" he muttered, almost in disbelief, then raised a shaky hand. His status window flickered open before him.
…..
Name: Leo Vale
Level: 1 (5/100 exp)
Rank: Exclusive (Demon Lord)
Skill: SSS Rank – Shadow Awaken
Shadows: 3/5
Health: 7/10
Mana: 5/15
Strength: 5
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 6
Agility: 6
Perception: 4
Stamina: 4
Vitality: 4
Stat points: 0
…..