Chapter 34: Just me and my shadow

Chapter 34 - Just me and my shadow[Ding! You have extracted the ability: Shadow Clone] [Shadow Clone - B Rank Active Skill: Summon a sentient clone forged from your shadow. The clone mimics your appearance, basic stats (60%), and selected abilities (up to 3 active skills). It can fight alongside you, defend, scout ahead, or distract enemies. While active, you can switch positions with your clone once every 10 minutes (swap range: 50 meters). If the clone is destroyed, it explodes into shadow tendrils, dealing AoE damage and applying a Blind effect to nearby enemies for 3 seconds. Bonus Effect: If the clone drinks blood (kills or assists in killing), it extends its duration by 10 minutes (max extension: +30 minutes). Damon blinked in surprise. He had never heard of such a skill before. Wait, he had heard lore about blood clones inside the game, but there were also shadow clones? He couldn't help but become excited at the potential of the skill. This was more than a skill—it was a second life. A decoy. A dagger in the dark. A scout. A fallback. An extension of his own predatory instinct. Damon's mind raced. There were so many things he could use this for. He immediately tested it out by activating the skill. The next second, his shadow rippled unnaturally beneath him, stretching longer than it should. It bubbled up from the ground like black tar, swirling and coalescing until it formed into a perfect replica of Damon. The clone stood silently, red eyes gleaming with the same hunger. It was uncanny. "Okay. Now let's see how well you fight." Damon looked ahead at the territory of the shadow hounds. These creatures were a little tricky to deal with. They possessed a terrifying fear skill which was tough to handle, especially a lower levels. He couldn't help but wonder how he and his new teammate would handle such a challenge. Damon dashed forward beyond the tree line, his clone following a beat behind like a silent wraith. The terrain twisted into uneven ridges and narrow valleys, the perfect hunting grounds for shadow hounds. Growls echoed from the dark crevices ahead. The pack had already sensed them. A flicker to the left—one of the hounds leapt at him. Damon didn't falter. He sidestepped and let the clone intercept. A clean swipe from the clone's claws tore through the beast's shoulder, and it crashed to the ground with a yelp. Two more charged in, jaws wide, shadows clinging to their teeth like venom. The clone engaged them immediately, dancing between strikes. It was able to use Blood Swipe and even Blood Lance. It was doing all the hard work for him while Damon grabbed one wounded beast after another and gulped down their blood. He gained 3 stat points in strength in no time. His clone was more than enough to tear through the pack until finally, an elite showed up. Damon locked eyes with the largest of the group—a mutated shadow hound nearly the size of a bear. Its name hovered above its head. [Skullmaw – Level 18 – Elite Shadow Hound] A fear aura rolled off it in waves, and Damon prepared his mind as much as he could to not be affected by it. Surprisingly, nothing changed at all. He neither went into a stunned state nor did he feel the urge to run away in fear. He was simply completely unaffected. He did not expect that. Damon raised a brow and looked at his clone. It didn't seem to be affected either. That made sense because the clone did not really have a mind of its own. A grin crept across Damon's lips. "Nice." Skullmaw growled, annoyed that its intimidation didn't work. The beast lunged anyway, a blur of fangs and shadow. Damon sidestepped while the clone intercepted, blocking with a parry of its own blood-forged lance. "Let's try that new trick," Damon muttered. He mentally activated the position swap. In an instant, his form shimmered—and he and the clone traded places. Now face-to-face with Skullmaw, Damon didn't hesitate. He swiped away at the hound in rapid succession. The shadow hound yelped, enraged at the sudden increase in power. It twisted to counterattack, but Damon was already moving. The clone, now behind Skullmaw, swiped with devastating precision, carving into the beast's spine with synchronized violence. Between him and the clone, it was almost overkill when the hound weakly wobbled. Damon immediately sank his fangs into the creature. He had obtained several shadow skills in the dungeon today, but he wouldn't say no to yet another one! [Ding! Bloodline Extraction Initiated] [Target: Skullmaw – Elite Shadow Hound] [You have acquired a new skill: Howl of Dread – E Rank Active Skill] Unleash a fear-infused howl, applying "Terror" to enemies within 15 meters. Enemies below your level have a 30% chance to flee or enter a panic state. Cooldown: 2 minutes. "Ha. Thanks, big guy." Damon wiped the blood from his mouth as Skullmaw crumbled. More howls echoed in the distance, and Damon wondered just how much his skill repertoire was going to increase by the end of the dungeon. He narrowed his eyes toward the depths of the dungeon. "Should I try for a dungeon record? Hmmm. Since I am the first to run this dungeon, I should automatically get the record. Let's see how fast we can finish this." Sёarᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The next several minutes went by in a blur as he and the clone tore through the dungeon. Within a matter of minutes, they were standing in front of the final dungeon boss. *** Magic Castle Bonus Chapter~ Please thank Yolohy for the bonus Chapter!