Chapter 1 — Death is Only the Beginning
The cold steel pierced my heart.
I gasped, blood gurgling in my throat as I looked into the eyes of the guy I had once called brother. His sneer imprinted itself on my fading vision.
"You were always a mistake, Zayn," he said. "The world doesn't need trash like you."
The alley was peaceful save for the trickle of blood and the gentle patter of rain. I collapsed to my knees, the weight of betrayal greater than the dagger in my chest.
A beggar. A worm. A nothing.
That is what they called me.
That was how I died.
But death had different intentions.
[Shadow System Binding: Complete.]
[Hello, Reincarnator.]
A cold, mechanical voice resonated in the abyss, yet it seemed alive.
I opened my eyes.
I wasn't in the alley any more.
I was in my old room.
Ten years before I died.
My heart pounded. I dashed towards the damaged mirror on the wall. My mirror revealed a teenage kid with strong dark eyes and a slight shadow around his arm, rather than the broken man I had become.
[New mission: Survive.]
[Reward: Shadow Skill - Consumption.]
I smirked.They thought they killed me.They thought I'd stay dead.
They forgot…
"A shadow never dies."
Chapter 2 — The Shadow's First Hunt
My heart hammered in my ears as I looked at my reflection in the fractured mirror.
This was not a dream.
It was not an illusion.
The Shadow System was real.
[Mission Active: Surviving the Night.]
[Optional goal: eliminate the threat.]
[Reward: Shadow Skill, Shadow Step.]
I clinched my fist.
I recall this night.
Ten years ago, the Red Fangs, a local gang, broke into the slums looking for "easy prey."
They killed, robbed, and vanished before the guards could notice.
Back then, I ran.
Tonight, I would hunt.
The stink of smoke and poor ale filled the air, and shadows flickered on the alley walls. I moved quietly, each step lighter than the last.
Two Red Fang goons stood against a shattered fence, smiling as they tallied their booty.
[Shadow Skill: Consumption - Available.]
I focused on the shadow beneath their feet. It pulsed.
My heart raced.
"Consume," I whispered.
The shadow rippled like liquid. Tendrils slithered upward and wrapped around the thug's ankle.
[Consumption Successful; +5 Strength.]
The shadow tightened like a vice, causing the man to gasp and choke. I sprang out of the darkness, seizing the second man by the throat.
[New skill unlocked: Shadow Grasp.]
His eyes widened with dread.
I felt a raw, electrifying power flow through my veins.
"W-Who… what are you?" The thug stammered.
I leaned in, my voice icy as death.
"Your worst nightmare."
By the time the sun rose… the Red Fangs would learn that the shadows were no longer their allies.And Zayn… was no longer a beggar.
Chapter 3 — Blood, Shadows, and a Hidden Quest
The thug's body fell to the ground, motionless.
His shadow disappeared into the void, devoured.
[The enemy is defeated.]
[+10 Strength; +5 Agility.]
[New Passive Unlocked: Shadow Predator.]
A peculiar sensation settled into my chest.
Was this about power?
I flexed my hand.
It felt natural.
The second guy attempted to crawl away, his face blanched from fright.
"P-Please! I didn't mean —"
I stood on his back and pushed him into the dirt.
"Neither did I… when I died."
[Execute? Yes/No]
"Y."
A shadow blade appeared from my palm and sliced through his throat silently.
[The enemy is defeated.]
[+5 in strength.]
Suddenly—
[Hidden Quest unlocked.]
[Title] Shadow's First Blood.
Objective: Kill ten foes with Shadow Skills.
[Reward: Shadow Domain (Rare Skill).]
A grin came across my lips.
"So… the real game begins."
But, as I turned to leave—
Clap, clap...
Slow, methodical claps resonated around the alley.
A towering man walked out of the darkness, his face masked by a thick hood.
"Impressive… for a beggar."
I felt it right away: the pressure was oppressive and dense.
This dude was not a street thug.
"Who are you?" I inquired, keeping my stance slack.
The stranger chuckled.
"Let us just say..." "I recognize a king when I see one."
[Danger Detected.]
For the first time since I woke up in this world…I realized I wasn't the only shadow in the dark.