readsfreenovel Chapter 83: Shadow Demon: How Dare You?
Chapter 83: Shadow Demon: How Dare You?
Chloe had invested nearly all her path traits into “Shadow Affinity” during advancement.At the first level, it made her less noticeable in shadows or when her face was shaded.
From the second level, it affected reality. Her daggers and arrows could carry shadow power, as shadows infused her “assassination” mystic art.
At the third level, shadows enhanced her “stealth” professional ability.
Now, she could fully meld into shadows.
Since few chose the initially useless Shadow Affinity, requiring Adaptation path and third-level affinity, this skill was rare. Most in Avalon were unaware of it. Even within Eagle Eye, few mastered it.
This knowledge gap was deadly.
She wasn’t a legendary “Shadow Demon,” unable to freely dissolve into shadows. Maintaining her shadow state required constant focus, draining stamina and energy.
If her hiding shadow was destroyed, she’d take damage. Moving too fast or in shifting shadows exhausted her. If shadows shrank under light, she risked exposure.
Yet, her skill was powerful.
With presence-reducing gear, others overlooked her shadow. She’d killed many silently, once infiltrating a guarded MP’s bedroom, killing him, then escaping via a guard’s shadow.
Experience taught her: stable, large shadows consumed less energy.
She found a perfect hiding spot—under Aiwas’s wheelchair.
Its shadow stayed constant as it moved, letting her hide effortlessly. Even if Inspector-General Edward or Sherlock arrived, they wouldn’t suspect “the killer’s under Aiwas.”
The classic blind spot.
At night, when Aiwas slept, she’d slip out and kill him to eliminate variables.
She couldn’t fathom how Aiwas predicted her actions.
At most, he might link the Trade Minister to the Red Nobility Society, but they were allies—killing Ralph made no sense. Even if he knew of Eagle Feather or Eagle Eye, he shouldn’t suspect them; their true purpose was hidden.
Yet, he pinpointed documents hidden in books, as if he’d seen it.
Terrifying. Incomprehensible.
[Is he a natural seer, foreseeing the future?]
Chloe, open-minded, didn’t dwell on the unexplainable.
[If I can’t figure it out, I’ll eliminate Aiwas tonight.]
[Hide in his shadow now, strike when he’s asleep.]
No one would know it was her.
She melted into a crawling shadow, slipping into an inspector’s shadow heading downstairs, then into Aiwas’s wheelchair shadow.
But suddenly, intense fear gripped her.
Her Adaptation path’s danger sense—manifesting as fear—warned her of peril she didn’t see.
[What is it?]
Common sense told her not to emerge; she’d be targeted instantly and couldn’t escape the Air Cavalry outside.
Yet, the fear intensified, numbing her mind, making her tremble.
If anyone looked at Aiwas’s wheelchair shadow, they’d see it flicker like it was by a fireplace.
Aiwas, seemingly deep in thought, pinched his chin, staring ahead.
He nodded thoughtfully—then looked down at his shadow.
His calm, abyss-like blue eyes met hers.
Chloe’s blood ran cold.
[Was my warning?]
[Did he guess I’m here ?]
Fear mingled with disbelief.
[Why? How could he know I’m here?]
[A tracking mark? Did he notice the shadow’s change? Or did I miss a flaw?]
As panic grew, Aiwas called out, “Chief Gordon, please come here.”
Seizing the moment as he looked up, Chloe leapt into Isabel’s nearby shadow.
[You can’t find me now!]
Isabel frowned, seemingly uncomfortable, as Beauty path users were sensitive.
But she didn’t know about shadow stealth, so Chloe reassured herself Isabel hadn’t noticed.
Gordon, brow furrowed, approached. “Any findings, Mr. Aiwas?”
Aiwas smiled confidently, assured of victory.
“Chief Gordon, please protect me.”
He drew an elegant elven pistol, its thorn-carved silver shell briefly dimming—or so it seemed.
Gordon’s face grew stern. In a flash, the knight was at Aiwas’s side, his hand hovering over Aiwas’s wrist.
Aiwas’s gun was too close to Isabel.
Had he not called Gordon first and aimed at his shadow, Gordon would’ve subdued him instantly.
Gordon’s hand on Aiwas’s wrist signaled he could stop any shot aimed at Isabel’s vitals faster than a bullet.
Aiwas, unfazed, stared at his shadow.
Chloe, watching his gaze, relaxed slightly. The terror from Aiwas’s shadow was gone; this felt manageable.
Under the club’s silent stares, Aiwas spoke leisurely, “After complex reasoning and a touch of irrational intuition, I had a bold idea. It might not be correct, just a thought. But to be safe, I called you over, Chief.”
He fired at his shadow.
The shot startled everyone, but Chloe felt relieved.
Then, without hesitation, Aiwas tilted the gun toward Isabel’s shadow, connected to his.
A sharp, pained scream erupted from Isabel’s shadow.
A beautiful girl in a thin white dress stumbled out, face twisted in agony.
Isabel’s scalp prickled.
[When did she get in my shadow?!]
Gordon reacted instantly.
His hand, poised on Aiwas’s wrist, shot out, striking Chloe between Aiwas and Isabel.
A single bullet had nearly severed her right shoulder, as if cut by a blade.
A gust of wind blasted through, blowing Aiwas and Isabel’s hair wild.
Chloe was hurled through the counter, crashing into the bar’s liquor cabinet with a loud smash.
Her copies of and glasses scattered.
After pushing her away from Isabel, Gordon drew his greatsword, its silver glow blazing like fire.
He charged like an ancient knight.
Chloe, grimacing, melted into a shadow, fleeing across the floor. Gordon pursued.
“Marked her, right?” Aiwas asked his Shadow Demon mentally.
[“Of course, my master… foolproof,”] the Shadow Demon rasped.
[“I can’t wait to drown this bold thief in shadows.”]
Moments ago, the Shadow Demon awoke, enraged by an intruder in its domain.
Without Aiwas’s quick calming, it would’ve torn Chloe apart publicly, scattering her across fifty meters.
That would’ve exposed Aiwas.
His “thoughtful pause” was him soothing the demon. Read full story at novel_fіre.net
Unless facing imminent, unavoidable danger, Aiwas hid his Shadow Demon contract, even if Avalon later permitted Transcendence paths. It was his trump card.
Chloe’s ignorance of the Shadow Demon led her to his shadow.
From experience, Aiwas knew one shot wouldn’t kill a level 30–40 assassin. Adaptation path users were escape artists.
Unless instantly killed, they were nearly uncatchable in a chase.
The Shadow Demon offered another solution.
Using [Enchanted Card: Shadow Blade], infused with its power, Aiwas marked Chloe’s shadow.
If she reappeared nearby, the demon would sense her; Aiwas could track or curse her.
Though he lacked cursing skills, he was sure she’d return.
Her intense killing intent and shock when exposed meant she didn’t understand how he spotted her but knew he had a way.
To avoid re-exposure, she’d likely strike when he was defenseless—while sleeping.
She might even torture him to learn his detection method.
But when Aiwas slept, the Shadow Demon was awake.
If she came, she’d die.
She’d drop gear and experience.
Far easier than hunting her.
A shadow-specialized assassin couldn’t beat an upper-tier Shadow Demon, whose abilities her skills mimicked.
Aiwas knew her class better than she did.
He noticed her glasses on the ground, seeming familiar.
[Gear drop?]
“Lily,” he called softly.
Guessing his intent, she picked them up and handed them to him.
Aaron, witnessing, tactfully looked away, pretending ignorance.
Aiwas took the glasses, their stats appearing:
Observer in the Shadows
Superhuman Gear (Light Purple)
Armor - Head
Trait: Edict · Unseen (Adaptation Path only)
Trait: When undetected, observing an enemy slowly increases first-strike accuracy (Daily, 0/1)
Set: Eagle in the Shadow (1/4)
“—Observe continuously, analyze. Remember, you only get one shot.”
[A real gear drop! And a good one!]
It was an Eagle Eye PVP set, redeemable at Revered reputation.
“Unseen” made the wearer less noticeable when still, fading to invisibility. “Observer” boosted first-strike accuracy by erasing presence during observation.
Great gear, but Aiwas wasn’t Adaptation path, nor knew any such allies…
He paused.
[Lily’s presence is always low. Could she have Adaptation aptitude?]
He handed the glasses to her.
“Try them on. They might suit you.”
If Lily vanished, it’d confirm her aptitude.
If she had Adaptation talent, they could “illegally team up” for his Transcendence path advancement.
Lily, holding the glasses, seemed unsure.
“Aiwas, Aiwas…”
Isabel’s fingers lightly touched his arm, a familiar gesture that made Aaron’s eyelids twitch.
[Don’t see, don’t see…] he chanted inwardly.
Isabel’s eyes held curiosity and lingering fear from a person emerging from her shadow. “How did you know she was in the shadow?”
“Elementary, my friend,” Aiwas said, echoing Sherlock’s catchphrase with a smirk.
He raised an eyebrow, scanning the room. “What, everyone? Want to hear it too?”
His tone was that of a seasoned detective, not a first-year student.
No one found it odd. They stared in awe, as if he’d performed incomprehensible magic.
Leaning back in his wheelchair, Aiwas smiled calmly under scrutiny. “The reasoning’s too complex, with some chance involved. I won’t waste your time.
I’d prefer the killer confess herself. I’m no inspector or detective, just a humble priest-in-training. If Chief Gordon catches her, her confession will glorify the law. If she escapes, I won’t reveal her flaws—that’d only perfect her disguise, right?”
[Joking aside, I don’t even know how I reasoned it,] Aiwas thought.
But he trusted Sherlock to concoct a plausible explanation later.
*
(Chapter End)