Chapter 6: Gathering Shadows
The mountains whispered with Kael's presence. Word of the shadow cultivator spread like wildfire disappearing disciples, mysterious defeats, and a black figure moving unseen through the night. The world had taken notice.
Kael knew the time had come to step beyond mere survival. Power alone was not enough; influence, allies, and fear were the tools he now needed.
He returned to the forests near the destroyed village, where a handful of survivors or phans, wanderers, and outcasts lurked, hungry and lost. Kael found them, eyes glowing faintly with the shadow's energy. "Follow me," he said. The words were simple, but command dripped from them. They obeyed without question.
Training began immediately. The shadow taught them stealth, combat, and subterfuge. Kael shared fragments of his cultivation knowledge, enough to make them useful but never strong enough to rival him. Under his guidance, they became more than mere followers they became extensions of the darkness itself.
The first test of their loyalty came sooner than expected. A rival sect, the Silver Talon Clan, moved to expand their territory near the mountains. Kael struck first, sending his followers to infiltrate the clan's outposts, ambush patrols, and gather intelligence. Kael himself moved like a phantom, striking key targets with precision and disappearing before reinforcements arrived.
The Silver Talon Clan soon realized they were fighting not a man, but a force. Shadows attacked from all directions, collapsing defenses, stealing techniques, and leaving fear in their wake. Whispers spread: "The shadow moves with him. None see him, none strike him, yet none survive him."
Kael's shadow evolved again during the campaign. Tendrils became stronger, faster, and partially autonomous. They could hold multiple opponents, mimic combat techniques, and even absorb minor cultivation energy from the fallen. Every battle made Kael stronger, every strike more precise, every shadow more alive.
By the end of the campaign, the Silver Talon Clan was fractured. Survivors fled, spreading tales of the shadowed warlord who had risen from nowhere. Kael stood atop a cliff, watching the smoke drift into the sky. His followers knelt below, their eyes shining with a mixture of awe and fear.
Kael's lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. This is only the beginning. They will all learn… the shadow is unstoppable.
From the forest to the mountains, his legend grew, and so did the shadow within him an ever-hungry force that promised power beyond imagination.
Kael Veyra had transformed from a survivor into a predator. And the world would soon realize that darkness could rise faster, strike harder, and consume all who stood in its path.