Chapter 8: From Beast to Shadow

Words : 701 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 8: From Beast to Shadow Volkin said, "Prepare yourself." And that... was the last thing I heard clearly. I blinked—and then the world twisted. No, seriously. I didn’t even see him move. One second he was standing like a majestic wolf deity, and the next— CRACK! A bone in my shoulder snapped like a dry twig. Pain exploded through my body like fireworks set off in a coffin. My vision blurred. My knees buckled. I was airborne—airborne—before my back slammed into a tree. Bark exploded. My ribs screamed. ’System, a little help?!’ I screamed mentally. [Assistance unavailable. Please enjoy the beating.] ’ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!’ But it wasn’t a joke. Volkin didn’t attack like a beast. He fought like a predator playing with its prey. He didn’t go for the kill—he went for the slow, humiliating breakdown. He vanished again. My instincts screamed. I rolled, barely dodging a silver blur that snapped its jaws right where my neck had been. My heart thundered. My lungs were wheezing. I coughed—and saw blood hit the dirt. ’He’s fast... he’s too fast. E-Rank my ass!’ I tried to retaliate. ’Shadow Bind!’ Black tendrils lashed out from my shadow—but Volkin was already behind me. One paw slammed into my back. I coughed blood and went rolling. ’Shadow Bomb!’ Boom—right in front of me. A little puff of smoke. Minor damage to him. Significant damage to me. I gasped, my arms trembling, one eye swelling shut. ’Shadow Creation!’ I formed a spear—but my vision blurred again, and I collapsed with it mid-chant. The spear turned into a little stick of shadow. Volkin bit it and snorted—then used it to smack me across the face like I was some budget villain in a cartoon. ’System, seriously, this isn’t a spar—it’s an execution!’ [Did you want a participation trophy too?] Volkin stood above me now. His silver fur gleamed under the canopy, his violet eyes filled with disappointment. "You’re not worthy," he said. Then he lunged—and that was it. Everything went black. And then... I breathed. Pain gone. No broken bones. No blood. Mana surged inside me like a storm finally unleashed. I blinked—and found myself standing in the middle of a smoldering crater. Trees had been snapped in half. Ground was torn apart like it had been nuked. And at my feet... was Volkin. Dead. ’WHAT. THE. HELL?!’ [System override activated. 1 of 3 takeover privileges used.] ’You WHAT?!’ [You were so hopeless I had no choice. Your IQ dropped to single digits mid-fight. Master would’ve wept. Honestly, I’m surprised Volkin didn’t just leave out of pity.] ’But... he’s dead. My cheat familiar. My fluffy legendary wolf!!’ [Correction: You killed him. Under my control. Using my skills.] I dropped to my knees. All that hype. All that buildup. Gone. ’No rewards?! You murdered him and I get nothing?!’ DING! [New skill unlocked: Shadow Army Description: Absorb the soul of a dead being within 1 minute of their death to summon a shadow copy of equal strength. The shadow grows stronger alongside you until its original potential is restored. Note: Absorption possible only within 60 seconds of death.] ’WAIT—That means I can still bring him back?!’ [Correct. Estimated time left: 10 seconds. And counting.] I didn’t think. I sprinted toward Volkin’s body like a lunatic. ’ABSORB VOLKIN!!’ Darkness erupted from my palm—inky tendrils like living smoke wrapped around Volkin’s corpse. They pulsed once... then again... and finally, spiraled into my chest. My veins burned. My heart raced. My shadow howled as Volkin’s essence fused with it. I gasped—seeing his soul flicker once. Confused. Calm. And then... loyal. [Volkin has been added to Shadow Army.] ’Holy crap... I’m the necromancer version of a Pokémon trainer.’ I collapsed onto my back, panting. I stared at the treetops swaying above me. My bones were healed. My mana was full. And now... I had a legendary familiar bound to my shadow. ’I don’t care if I die tomorrow... that was badass.’ [You still might.] ’Shut up, System. Let me have this win.’ The most uptodate novels are published on free(w)ebnov(e)l.com

Chapter 8: From Beast to Shadow

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