The Mark of Shadow was one of the earliest things Roy had got from the system, and it was etched on his soul, giving him a living shadow that could do a variety of things.
But the problem was that Roy didn't know how to interact with it, meaning he couldn't put it to use.
That was the case… until now!
With an amused smile, Roy picked up the Runic Ring and waved it above his shadow as if teasing it. "Do you want this? Come on and get it."
Roy saw his shadow move, and his expression changed. This world was full of wonder, he knew. But shadow gaining consciousness still surprised him.
It left the ground, bouncing up. Wriggling like a worm–creatures that easily disgusted Roy–it shaped into a venus flytrap. Its mouth was opened wide, and it moved its head back and forth as if urging him to hurry up and give it to him.
Roy, too, was looking forward to the benefits he would get from it, so he threw the Runic Ring in its mouth.
Almost instantly, its mouth closed.
And then, Roy heard a gulp.
[The embodiment of the Mark of Shadow has swallowed a low-level runic item.]
Runic items were divided into different grades. From weakest to strongest, they were low-level, high-level, rank-5, rank-4, rank-3, rank-2, rank-1, and divine-rank. It was very common for low-level and high-level runic items to appear in the local market of the county, but even the worst one was worth a thousand gold coins. Rank-5 to Rank-3 items weren't plenty. They only appear in auction houses. As for rank-1 and rank-2 runic items, they existed, but it was pretty hard to get them. They were either the heirloom of families with a history of more than a hundred to a thousand years or belonged to the Magic Association or the Weapon Master Association. Of course, not all runic items were unearthed. If you are lucky, you can stumble upon them.
[The Living Shadow has digested the Runic Item, producing the Subspace and Mana Wall ethereal spells and acquiring its Memories.]
[What would you like to do with them?]
"Weave the two spells into my soul and show me the memories."
[You'll witness the memory of the ring as the living shadow threads the two ethereal spells on your soul.]
The ring had a complex origin. It was the token of love given to Ninam by his fiancee. Ninam was the head of the Mountain clan many centuries ago. He was the Great Shadow Sorcerer, but of course, he wasn't born great. Kiyara, the love of his life, was killed. To avenge her, he dabbled in forbidden sorcery, giving "Life" to his shadow. He experimented for decades, discovering ways to raise one's own shadow. He stripped himself of his shadow. The shadow was divided into six. Each was nourished to the level of an archmage. Only then did he dare to face the Master of the Depth, the killer of Kiyara. The Master of the Depth was a cruel entity, terrorizing the Far West in days bygone. Ninam had to combine forces with his six shadows to subdue it. Even then, he wasn't strong enough to kill it, for it could only be pierced by the hole trident. It was owned by the King of Merman. He had an old score to settle with the Master of the Depth, so he joined hands with Ninam. And finally, the subdued Master of the Depth was killed. But Ninam was too injured. Separating the shadow from his body came at a high cost, limiting his lifespan to just 50 years. Sitting across his wife's grave, he breathed his last. The memories ended there. Roy snapped back to reality, his body all sweaty.
For the first time, Roy questioned the existence of the system.
Just what was it?
Why was the Mark of Shadow similar to the forbidden sorcery of Ninam?
How did this ring end up here? That was a mystery in itself.
[You witnessed the life of Ninam. You get +1 skill point.]
[Ding! The ethereal spells Subspace and Mana Wall have joined with your soul.]
[Your soul slot is nearly full. You only have two left.]
A burning feeling emerged on Roy's hands. He looked down and saw strange marks appearing in the center of his palms. It was as if a hot rod was being pressed there, engraving a brand. The burning feeling vanished, but two tattoos were left on him.
[You can now activate them by pouring the Inner Energy into their insignia!]
One of the tattoos was like a box. While the other was like a brick. They seemed silly but gave off an air of mystery.
"So these are the insignia of subspace and Mana Wall. I can use them in exchange for a small amount of my aura. Sweet!"
Amelia returned. Roy was sweaty from head to toe. Seeing him like that bothered her. She wet a towel and wiped his body with it gently. He didn't stop her, even though he was capable of washing himself. A pretty faced maid servicing him was the reward he deserved for working so hard. He took it with a smile.