[[World of Shadows] Lv 1: Can create, shape, and animate shadows across vast distances. Attributes increase by 75% in shadows or darkness. If surrounded by absolute darkness, attributes instead increase by 100%. Shadow beings and weapons created by the user gain full sentience and act independently. Shadow beings within shadows or darkness are empowered by 200%. Connection to the moon intensifies. Once per week, the user can invoke the Shadow Eclipse.]
Shadows spread beneath him like a tidal wave, consuming the incoming blood skewer and everything else in their path.
Itaya lunged forward with her spear, her law technique, [Sky Piercing Spear], enveloping the weapon in a sharp energy that tore through the shadows. She aimed for where Sol had stood moments before, intending to take him down directly. But as her spear pierced through the darkness, it revealed nothing, Sol had vanished.
The hole left by her attack was quickly filled by the ever expanding shadows, which surged toward her and the vampires. Caution overtook them as they retreated, wary of what might happen if they were caught within the shadows. Commander Zaman, however, was left behind, enveloped as the shadows consumed him.
The darkness continued to grow until it stretched over 100 feet, swallowing a significant portion of the palace wall and the combatants below.
Inside the shadows, defenders and vampires alike were disoriented. Their senses dulled, and their vision was reduced to nothing. Panic set in as they stumbled over one another, desperate to escape the oppressive void.
Commander Zaman couldn't see beyond a few feet in the inky blackness, but to his surprise, the shadows passed harmlessly around him. Suddenly, a pair of hands lifted him from the ground, and the darkness surrounding him dissipated just enough for him to recognize his savior, Sol.
"I've got you, Commander. [Life Drop]."
Sol quickly cast a healing spell, forming three drops of water brimming with rejuvenating energy. The drops absorbed into Zaman's body, but the effects were disappointingly minimal.
Frowning, Sol retrieved his strongest healing potion and poured it over the gaping wound in Zaman's stomach. The potion worked better but still fell short of fully healing him.
Zaman coughed, spitting blood. "Itaya infected me with her mana when she struck. The wound won't heal until I purge her energy. Don't waste your time. Deal with them first."
Sol hesitated, his instincts screaming to keep healing, but through his connection to the shadows, he sensed another attack coming. He barely dodged as Itaya's spear pierced through the darkness, followed by another strike and a wave of blood.
The shadows devoured the blood wave but couldn't stop the spear's penetrating strikes.
'Itaya's law technique excels at pure penetration.' Sol realized. 'I can't block those no matter what. But blood magic... that's another story.'
Even so, staying within the shadows wasn't a long term solution. Sol could feel his [World of Shadows] tether fraying under the strain. Prolonging the expansion risked not just his energy but the skill itself.
"Amber, I need your help. Come into the shadows."
Through his PAL, Sol called for Amber. Without hesitation, she leapt into the ominous black sphere. The shadows parted to guide her to Sol and Zaman.
"I need you to get him somewhere safe." Sol said without preamble.
Amber nodded, lifting the massive Commander with ease despite her smaller frame. Zaman, though unfamiliar with her, trusted Sol's judgment and didn't protest.
Amber activated [Vanish], the evolved form of [Invisibility], and disappeared along with Zaman. Sol parted the shadows for their exit, then refocused on the relentless assaults from Itaya and Nisha.
Through the shadows, Sol observed Carmilla wreaking havoc on the soldiers outside. Unable to affect the shadows directly, she focused on slaughtering the knights and adventurers still in the open.
'The longer I take, the more die.' Sol thought grimly. 'Let's deal with the blood moon first.'
The shadows surged upward, defying gravity as they reached for the sky. They spiraled higher, coalescing into a vortex of darkness that consumed the blood moon. Its eerie red glow flickered and dimmed before vanishing entirely.
In its place, a black moon with a faint silvery halo emerged, casting a cold, ethereal light over the battlefield.
The effects were immediate. Nisha, Carmilla, and every vampire across the city felt their strength drain away as the blood moon's empowering energy vanished. Their bodies returned to their natural states, devoid of its amplification.
"What is this?!" Nisha screamed, clutching the Blood Reign orb tightly. She tried to reestablish her connection to the blood moon, but the orb trembled in her hands, refusing to respond.
"This isn't possible! The Blood Reign contains the blood of a god!"
While it was true that the blood drop held divine power, the legendary artifact couldn't channel its full might. The orb only tapped into a fraction of its potential; attempting more would overwhelm and destroy it.
But the vampires' troubles didn't end there. Across the city, shadows began to shift and stir. From the darkness, humanoid figures emerged, armed with an array of spectral weapons. These silent, menacing beings moved with deadly purpose.
"W-what are those?!" a soldier cried out in terror.
Exhausted and overwhelmed by the vampires, the defenders despaired at the sight of this new force.
"Is this city doomed to fall?"
"The gods have forsaken us!"
The vampires were equally shaken, believing another faction had joined the fray. Yet, observing the soldiers' panic, they wondered if an alliance might be possible. After all, their goal was not to take the city.
The shadow beings made their purpose clear. As a soldier slashed at one of the figures, the being sidestepped without retaliation, continuing its silent march toward a nearby vampire. The vampire, realizing it was the true target, tried to flee. But with the blood moon's power gone, he was easily caught and torn apart.
"Look! They're helping us!" an adventurer shouted in relief.
"Hahaha! We're saved!"
The tide turned rapidly. Across the city, shadow beings overwhelmed the vampire forces, cutting them down with ruthless efficiency. Realizing the shadows were allies, the defenders rallied and joined the battle with renewed vigor, taking revenge on their weakened foes.
Back on the bridge, Carmilla, Nisha, and Itaya stood united, their glares fixed on the one responsible for the chaos. Sol, no longer cloaked in shadows after using them to create the shadow moon, exuded an air of confidence despite facing three A-rankers.
'Not only have they lost the boon from the blood moon, but my attributes have nearly doubled.' Sol thought to himself as he analyzed the situation.
Though he wasn't fully enveloped in absolute darkness to gain the full 100% boost, the 75% increase he did achieve was more than sufficient. He also tried to use [Analysis] to gain a better idea of his opponents strength, but all of his attempts were blocked by a thin layer of mana that protected them.
Nisha shot a quick glance at her companions, her tone sharp. "We need to work together. Don't let him control the flow of the fight."
Itaya nodded, gripping her spear tightly. "Understood."
Sol didn't wait for them to strategize further. With a wave of his hand, shadows surged from beneath him, splitting into a web of tendrils that lashed out like living whips. Each tendril aimed directly at their vitals, forcing the trio to react immediately.
Itaya's spear glowed brilliantly with the power of her law technique, cleaving through the oncoming shadows as she pushed forward toward Sol.
Sol sidestepped her radiant attack, only to catch sight of Carmilla's whip streaking toward him from the side. Reacting quickly, he dissolved into shadows, phasing through the whip.
"Tch." Carmilla grumbled in frustration as her attack passed harmlessly through him.
Reforming nearby, Sol summoned shadowy figures around them, each one lunging in for a surprise attack.
"[Blood Ring]!"
Nisha swiftly countered, creating a circular blade of blood that cut through the advancing shadows, dispersing them instantly. With the area momentarily clear, Carmilla took the chance to activate her law technique. Her crimson eyes gleamed as she cast him a seductive wink.
"C'mon~ You wouldn't attack me, right?"
Sol paused as an inexplicable flutter stirred in his chest. But he quickly recognized the danger.
'This is just like [Beguiling Gaze], only much stronger.'
Realizing it was likely a law technique based on similar principles, he steadied his mind with psychic energy before enveloping his head in a helmet of shadows. The protective shroud blocked her gaze, even covering his eyes, while still allowing him to perceive his surroundings by sensing nearby shadows. While there was the option of also directly disabling her law technique he was already directing a lot of his attention to maintaining his tether from reverting back to normal. It was possible for him to still disable one or even two law techniques, but he wouldn't be able to concentrate on the fight simultaneously.
With her charm neutralized, Sol summoned more shadow beings to keep the pressure on, fashioning a blade of shadows for himself. The weapon radiated sharp, corrosive energy, its potency even surpassing the Lipon. With his shadow sword in hand, he charged alongside his summoned beings toward the trio.
"Hold him back!" Nisha commanded, her voice resolute as she began chanting a powerful spell.
Itaya darted forward to intercept him, her spear blazing with radiant energy. But instead of engaging her, Sol maneuvered past, directing his focus toward Carmilla while the shadow beasts went after Itaya and Nisha.
"Hey! Why are you targeting me?!" Carmilla yelled angrily as she deflected his strikes with her whip.
"Yeah, I'm not fighting someone with a weapon type law technique head-on. You're just the easier target." Sol said bluntly, combining [Weapon Empowerment (Variant)] with [Vorpal Blade Rush] to unleash a relentless assault.
Carmilla gritted her teeth, doing her best to hold her ground, but the odds were stacked against her. Her law technique was ineffective, and her whip, a weapon best suited for mid range combat, left her at a severe disadvantage in close quarters. Sol's enhanced strength and speed made every second of their engagement a struggle for survival.
Meanwhile, Itaya was faring better but was still being overwhelmed. She was forced to move back to protect Nisha from the hordes of shadow beings. Her spear pierced through the shadow beings effortlessly, each strike destroying one. Yet for every shadow she vanquished, two more emerged in its place. Her law technique excelled at single target damage, but against such a swarm, she was forced to rely on her standard abilities, which couldn't always finish them off in one blow.
Amid the chaos, Itaya noticed Carmilla's peril and used her law technique to assist. Brilliant streaks of spear light pierced through the swarm of shadow beings, targeting Sol directly.
Sol was on the verge of reaching peak power from his continuous use of [Vorpal Blade Rush], but the radiant strikes forced him to disengage. He leaped back, narrowly avoiding Itaya's attack, giving Carmilla the chance to retreat.
Annoyed, Sol summoned even more shadow beings, flooding the battlefield to keep Itaya occupied. Then, he turned his attention back to Carmilla, only to pause as a sudden shift in the air caught his attention.
The ambient mana surged wildly, crackling with power.
Nisha, who had been chanting uninterrupted thanks to Itaya's protection, finally completed her spell. Her eyes burned with determination as she raised her hand and unleashed it.
"[Crimson Cataclysm]!"