Twilight Initiator, Zed, Son of Shadows, Shadow
Imperial Calendar: Year 1596, Month 3, Day 28
Enchanted Forest, north of the Imperial Territory
Bang!
The clinking sound of a sword penetrating what seemed to be thick armor rang out in front of him. The soldier withdrew the sword from the monster, and murky red blood spilled onto the ground. The creature was nearly two meters tall, black, with many deformities on its body, red eyes, and a variety of tails on its back. It was hard to describe, especially since I didn't see it up close; I was at a distance from the confrontation between that thing and the soldier.
It appeared unexpectedly in the middle of the night. I had sensed it, but I thought it was just a normal soldier coming to bring me food. I never imagined it was a monster. My shadow sense apparently doesn't discriminate between human and non-human... this could be a problem. Not being able to distinguish is very bad; it makes me vulnerable to situations I can't predict and could even lead to killing an innocent person. I'll have to solve this.
Every time my shadow sense activates, it happens when someone enters the range of 30 meters from my position. I can't see their shadow or distinguish their appearance; all I can feel is like a shadow walking in the middle of the night. It's like hearing a silent murmur, a small voice in the middle of the night; you don't know if it's the voice of a child or something else, and that's exactly what happened now. But the monster first encountered the soldier who was watching over me.
And so the battle between those two began. I decided it was better to observe than to intervene. I wanted to see what kind of battle the soldier would have. He used his sword as his main weapon; according to my eyes, he was very good in his movements because he killed the monster with five blows. On the other hand, maybe that thing was too weak.
Although I can see in the dark, that changes. I can only see from my point of view, but the problem in this forest is that there are literally trees everywhere. So, the shadow projected by a tree from behind is something I can't directly see, only sense. It's not a big problem; I'm not directly blind, just a quality I need to improve. It was a great opportunity for self-reflection.
Closing my eyes, I expanded my shadow sense. I can see in another way; it's a range of black and bright colors that project a shadow, very deep and vast. I focused my mind, seeing how the soldier's shadow crouched and knelt beside the creature's body. With his sword, he cut deeply into the flesh and put his hand into its chest, searching for a few seconds....
Opening my eyes, my body melded into the shadows. I want to see this with my own eyes....
In the soldier's bloodied hand was a small orb, bright as the sun itself. It looked like a small star in the deep sky. Particles of light moved inside it, looking like a world unto itself. It was the size of an adult's thumb. The soldier, overjoyed, placed the orb between his hands and closed his eyes. The light was so intense that the soldier's hands began to shine, and a pure energy I've never felt before entered his body.
Soul Orbs
That's the name by which these orbs extracted from creatures are known. They are small orbs found inside them. According to what is known, these orbs are the concentration of mana that these things have extracted during their life. Of course, if it were just that, it wouldn't be a big deal, but during their days of life, the essence of the soul, an energy much purer and vaster than dragon stones, accumulates in these orbs.
The essence of the soul is in each of us. It is very different from the sea of the soul. The essence is the vital energy, the mana reserved in the sea of the soul. An example of this is water in a glass; the essence of the soul is the water, and the soul is the glass.
So the soul orbs are, so to speak, fragments of the monster's soul, the outer crystal part that covers the essence of the soul, giving shape to the soul orb. If you manage to absorb this essence, your own soul will become much stronger and deeper, allowing you to have more of the same essence. This also means that because your soul becomes much stronger, your vital force will extend, allowing you to live for thousands of years.
I saw how the soldier went happily back to his post. After a while, another soldier came and gave me another piece of meat.... And so the night passed peacefully.
*****
Twilight Initiator, Zed, Son of Shadows, Shadow
Imperial Calendar: Year 1596, Month 3, Day 29
Enchanted Forest, north of the Imperial Territory
From the black horse, I could clearly see two pairs of immensely large mountains. They reached higher than the clouds, and dark clouds hovered above these mountains.
-Mountains of Riberland....
We're almost there; there's still a day's journey left, but the mountains seemed right in front of us, stretching out as far as the eye could see.
I was calm. I had thought about almost everything that could happen. I have in mind what I need to do and what has to be done. I won't die in these stupid mountains; I won't care in the least if others die for me.
Looking at the soldiers around... How many of them will survive? Surely only a few, the men of the carriage, they could all die.
I felt a gaze; it was the noble lord. He simply nodded with his eyes. He also knew what was about to happen; we both know.
-...That's fine. After all, we are both killers with personal interests. His is his daughter, and mine is power.