Later that night, Aren lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling of the inn. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then spoke.

"System, start the evolution."

The moment he said it, the system screen activated. Just like before, three evolution paths appeared before him.

[Shadow Warlock.]

[Shadow Necromancer.]

[Shadow Battle Mage.]

The system began explaining each one.

[Shadow Warlock — draw upon ancient shadow powers from primordial shadowy beings, harnessing borrowed strength for battle and overwhelming enemies with power that does not belong to the user.]

[Shadow Necromancer — gain additional skills focused on summoning shadowy beings from the depths of the abyss and beyond.]

And finally—

[Shadow Battle Mage — harness shadow both as a mage and as a martial combatant, combining spellcasting and close-quarters combat into a single destructive path.]

Aren focused on the last option. It wasn't as detailed as the others, but it made the most sense.

It felt as though the system was observing him, his choices, his habits, and tailoring his evolution paths accordingly.

He didn't want to rely solely on shadow summons. He wanted to fight with his own hands. That was why he'd been reluctant to summon shadows at every turn, only doing so when his own strength wasn't enough.

The Shadow Warlock path was tempting. Drawing upon unknown, ancient powers sounded powerful, beautiful even, but Aren didn't like it. Borrowed power never sat right with him. Strength that wasn't truly his, only granted for a time, felt wrong.

He dismissed it immediately.

Shadow Necromancer leaned heavily into his original abilities, consume and summon, but that wasn't all he wanted to be. He didn't want to stand behind his shadows forever.

His eyes returned to the final option.

Shadow Battle Mage.

Without hesitation, he made his choice.

"Evolve to Shadow Battle Mage," he muttered.

Instantly, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His vision blurred, his body grew heavy, and the next moment, everything went black.

His evolution had begun.

[.....]

The sweatshirt girl walked down the pristine hallway, her boots clacking against the marble floor. The walls were painted a clean, flawless white, trimmed with gold along the top and bottom. Statues, pottery, and other high-quality ornaments were placed along the sides, preventing the long corridor from feeling empty or lonely.

She walked with her head held straight and her pace brisk. When she reached a large, brown, polished wooden door, she stopped and stared at it for a moment. Taking a deep breath, as if preparing herself for what was to come, she raised her hand and knocked.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

A calm voice answered from inside.

She pushed the door open and stepped in.

The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a single crystal lamp standing in the corner. A figure sat on a chair near an open window, gazing outside as the cool night breeze brushed against his skin. A glass of wine rested in his hand, but from where she stood, she couldn't see his face clearly.

"Hello," he said, his tone calm and composed.

"I've brought some news," she stated.

"Oh?" he replied, turning in his chair as it slowly swiveled around. "News? What could that possibly be?"

As he fully faced her, his features came into view.

It was none other than Louis, the person from the Floating Palace.

"Information concerning Shadow," she stated.

"Oh?" he asked, taking a sip of his wine. "Is he really the one we're looking for?"

Ever since Shadow had announced himself, both the Black Dragon Sect and the Floating Palace had taken interest in him. But interest alone wasn't enough. They needed certainty. They had to be sure he was truly Shadow before taking action.

After his post gained attention and his name spread, many began digging into his background. That was when things stopped making sense. There were no records of where he had awakened. No reports. No traces. It was as if he had appeared out of thin air, a ghost who suddenly existed.

That alone made them suspicious.

"He is not," she said.

He raised a brow.

"What?"

"The Shadow who claims to be Shadow is not," she replied calmly. "I joined his party and followed them."

She continued, recounting everything.

"At first, we were hunting weak horned black snakes. Nothing suspicious. I assumed he simply didn't want to face bigger prey yet. But then something else happened."

Her tone sharpened.

"Someone lured a massive black-horned snake toward us and killed it alone. Completely by himself. A powerful awakened, stronger than me."

His hand froze mid-motion.

"What?" he asked.

"You're trained by the Sacred Palace," he said slowly. "Your master, an old friend of mine, trains you personally, without taking a single other disciple. The Sacred Palace is one of the highest authorities in the entire domain."

His eyes narrowed.

"And you're telling me there's a newly awakened individual stronger than you?"

He leaned forward slightly.

"Who is he? Black Dragon Sect? The Floating Palace?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know who he is," she admitted. "I haven't looked into him yet. But after killing the snake, he brought Shadow to his knees without even throwing a punch."

Her voice lowered.

"He was completely dominant. His presence alone was suffocating, even for me."

He fell silent.

"So the Shadow we know is a fake," he muttered, "and there's another awakened, a real monster."

"That's not all," she added.

She hesitated for just a fraction of a second.

"This person used abilities related to shadows and darkness."

The moment she said that, he froze.

"Shadow abilities?" he asked slowly. "Could it be…?"

"It's possible," she replied. "He might be the real Shadow."

"I see," he said after a moment. "Good."

He straightened.

"Then you will find him and observe him. Keep this information to yourself. Tell no one. I want the Black Dragon Sect and everyone else to keep believing the false Shadow is the one they're chasing."

His eyes gleamed faintly.

"We'll watch the real one from the shadows."

"Wherever he goes, follow him," he continued. "Even during the tryouts, make sure to establish a connection with him."

He took another sip of his wine.

"If you do this well, I'll inform your master. You might even advance further within the Sacred Palace."

She nodded.

"That's all, then," she said, turning toward the door.

Her hand was on the handle when his voice stopped her.

"Wait."

She paused.

"When you return to the Sacred Palace," he said, "tell your master something for me. There was a promise he made, and I believe it's time to fulfill it."

She glanced back at him. A faint trace of disdain flickered in her eyes.

"I'll do that," she said, then walked out, leaving him alone in the dimly lit room.

He stared at the closed door, then suddenly hurled the wine glass at the wall.

It shattered.

"That little brat…" he muttered. "Born into the Sacred Palace while I'm stuck in the Floating Palace my entire life."

His fists clenched.

"Just one day," he whispered. "If only I had been a genius, I would be up there too."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.