Jade slowly opened his eyes.
For several seconds...
He didn't move.
His body still remembered the pain from creating the new shadow.
Every muscle felt strangely heavy.
His Soul Core continued pulsing beneath his chest, as though it had just survived a violent transformation.
Jade slowly lifted his head.
Then he looked down.
Two shadows stood beneath him.
One was familiar.
Very familiar.
Ling.
The little shadow was standing with its tiny arms crossed, staring at Jade with the same mischievous expression it had always possessed.
But beside it...
Was something new.
Jade's expression immediately changed.
He stared.
The new shadow stood completely still.
Unlike Ling, it didn't bounce around.
It didn't salute.
It didn't pout.
It didn't even move.
It simply stood there...
Watching Jade.
Its body was slightly taller and more slender than Ling's.
Its edges constantly shifted, as though darkness itself was struggling to maintain its shape.
Two faint crimson points appeared where its eyes should have been.
And those eyes...
Were locked directly onto Jade.
Jade felt a strange chill run down his spine.
The new shadow looked...
Eerie.
E-E-R-I-E.
There was something deeply unsettling about it.
Its presence wasn't hostile.
Not exactly.
But there was something hungry about the way it stared.
As if it were studying Jade.
As if it were wondering whether its creator was prey...
Or master.
Jade instinctively took one small step backward.
"...Okay."
He stared at the creature.
"You're definitely different."
Ling noticed Jade's reaction.
The little shadow immediately turned toward the newcomer.
It slowly approached.
One step.
Then another.
Its tiny body became slightly tense.
Ling stopped directly in front of the new shadow.
The two stared at each other.
Neither moved.
Then Ling slowly took one step backward.
Jade blinked.
"...You too?"
Ling pointed at the new shadow.
Then pointed at Jade.
Then pointed at itself.
Its gestures seemed to say:
Why is that thing staring at us?
Jade almost laughed.
"So even you think it's creepy?"
The new shadow suddenly tilted its head.
Its crimson eyes narrowed.
Its expression somehow conveyed a very clear question.
Why on earth are you staring at me like that?
Jade froze.
He looked at Ling.
Then at the new shadow.
Then back at Ling.
"...Did you two just understand each other?"
Ling immediately pointed at the new shadow.
Then crossed its arms.
The new shadow crossed its arms too.
Jade's eyebrow twitched.
"...Wonderful."
He had created another strange creature.
And apparently...
It already had an attitude.
Jade slowly crouched.
He looked directly into the new shadow's crimson eyes.
"Calmer."
He spoke much more calmly than Ling had behaved.
"I don't know what you're supposed to be."
"But you're mine."
The new shadow remained silent.
Jade thought for several seconds.
Naming things had never been his strength.
He had named Ling simply because his own name was Jade Hai Ling.
And now...
He had absolutely no idea what to call this new creature.
He stared at it.
The shadow stared back.
Jade scratched his head.
"Little Black."
He immediately shook his head.
"No."
"That name is already taken."
Little Black, who had been sitting comfortably on Jade's shoulder throughout the entire process, suddenly lifted his head.
He stared at the new shadow.
His expression became strangely serious.
Then Little Black spoke.
"Scary."
Jade blinked.
Little Black continued staring.
Then...
"I love it."
Jade burst out laughing.
"Of course you do."
Little Black proudly puffed out his chest.
Jade looked back at the new shadow.
He sighed.
"Fine."
"I'll call you..."
He paused.
Then pointed at the creature.
"Little Jade."
The new shadow froze.
Its crimson eyes widened slightly.
Then its body suddenly leaned forward.
Almost as if accepting the name.
Jade nodded.
"Little Jade."
The shadow's body flickered.
It seemed pleased.
Ling immediately walked over and poked Little Jade.
Little Jade stared at Ling.
Ling poked it again.
Little Jade poked Ling back.
Jade watched the two shadows silently.
"...I already regret this."
Little Black laughed from his shoulder.
"Good."
Jade glanced at him.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
Little Black simply smiled.
Jade slowly stood.
Enough playing.
He had created Little Jade for a reason.
Power.
Exploration.
Possibility.
He looked at both shadows.
"Ling."
"Little Jade."
The two shadows turned toward him.
"Wrap around me."
Both moved instantly.
They flowed across the ground like living darkness.
One climbed up his left leg.
The other wrapped around his right.
They traveled across his body without resistance.
Around his waist.
Across his chest.
Over his shoulders.
Then down his arms.
Darkness layered over darkness.
The two shadows merged with his body.
Jade's eyes widened.
Power surged through him.
BOOM!
His Soul Core trembled.
His muscles tightened.
His senses sharpened.
His blood seemed to boil with energy.
The God Body within him responded immediately.
The Beast God Body activated instinctively.
A faint pressure spread from Jade's body.
The surrounding trees trembled.
Leaves fell from nearby branches.
Jade slowly clenched his fist.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
"...This is..."
He could feel it.
The difference was enormous.
Ling alone already strengthened him.
But adding Little Jade created another layer.
Their energies didn't simply stack.
They interacted.
The two shadows wrapped around his body like a second layer of existence.
Jade could feel his strength rising.
His speed.
His reaction.
His physical power.
Everything.
He couldn't help smiling.
"If I combine both shadows with my God Body..."
He looked at his hands.
"I might actually be able to fight an Awakened Mythic."
He paused.
Then corrected himself.
"Maybe."
Jade knew better than to become arrogant.
The Awakened Mythics inside the Citadel had already taught him that lesson.
Those creatures had been terrifying.
Their strength had been overwhelming.
Fortunately...
They had been weakened.
Their bodies.
Their essence.
Their abilities.
Everything had been suppressed by the ancient environment.
If they had been at full strength...
Jade wasn't sure he would have survived even the first exchange.
The thought made his smile disappear.
He needed more strength.
Much more.
And that was exactly why he had created Little Jade.
He looked toward the two shadows.
"There's something else I want to test."
Jade pointed toward the surrounding wilderness.
"Scout."
Ling immediately understood.
Little Jade remained motionless for a moment.
Then it nodded.
The two shadows detached themselves from Jade's body.
The moment they left...
Pain exploded inside his head.
Jade staggered.
"Ugh!"
His hands immediately grabbed his temples.
His vision split.
Not into two.
Three.
His normal vision remained in the center.
To his left...
He could see through Ling.
To his right...
He could see through Little Jade.
Three perspectives.
Three worlds.
Three sets of movement.
Jade nearly fell.
"...Damn."
He gritted his teeth.
The sensation was horrible.
His brain wasn't accustomed to processing multiple visual perspectives simultaneously.
His normal vision showed the forest directly ahead.
Ling's vision showed the area to the west.
Little Jade's vision showed the eastern side.
Every movement existed in three different places.
A tree appeared in one vision.
A rock appeared in another.
A creature moved in the third.
Jade's brain struggled to combine everything.
He closed his eyes.
It didn't help.
The two shadows still transmitted their vision.
Jade groaned.
"I need to get used to this."
He slowly steadied himself.
After several minutes...
The pain became manageable.
Not comfortable.
But manageable.
Jade began experimenting.
He focused on his own vision.
Then Ling's.
Then Little Jade's.
He learned to shift his attention between them instead of trying to process everything simultaneously.
The pain gradually lessened.
His breathing became calmer.
A smile slowly returned to his face.
"This could be extremely useful."
The possibilities were endless.
He could remain hidden in one location while his shadows explored another.
He could hunt without exposing himself.
He could scout enemy territory.
He could search for resources.
He could even monitor multiple battlefields.
Jade looked toward Little Jade.
"You..."
He paused.
"You might be more useful than I expected."
Little Jade simply stared back.
Its expression seemed to say:
Obviously.
Jade laughed.
"You're getting arrogant already."
Then another thought entered his mind.
Jade slowly narrowed his eyes.
"What if..."
"What if I leave Little Jade here?"
He looked around the Spiritual Realm.
The idea became increasingly interesting.
He could continue his Trial somewhere else...
While Little Jade remained behind.
A fragment of his consciousness would effectively remain in the Spiritual Realm.
Little Jade could scout.
Explore.
Search.
Hunt.
Discover mysterious places.
Find hidden Citadels.
Locate powerful creatures.
Maybe even discover areas Jade would never find on his own.
Jade's heart began beating faster.
A strange excitement spread through him.
If the System allowed it...
He could essentially have an extra pair of eyes wandering through the entire Spiritual Realm.
Maybe more than one.
He looked toward the distant wilderness.
"There are probably countless places nobody has discovered."
"Ancient ruins."
"Hidden caves."
"Abandoned Citadels."
"Monster territories."
"Maybe even places connected to the gods."
The thought made him feel strangely excited.
He couldn't help smiling.
"I definitely need to test this."
Jade returned his attention to his shadows.
"Spread out."
Ling immediately moved west.
Little Jade moved east.
Their bodies flattened into the ground.
They became almost indistinguishable from ordinary darkness.
Within seconds...
They disappeared from sight.
Jade remained standing alone.
For the first time...
He truly understood the potential of his new power.
Then an even stranger idea entered his mind.
Jade looked at his fists.
"If two shadows can strengthen me..."
"...what happens if I use them differently?"
He smiled.
"Let's find out."
Jade called both shadows back.
They returned almost instantly.
Instead of wrapping around his entire body, Jade directed them toward his limbs.
Ling wrapped around his right fist.
Little Jade wrapped around his left.
Darkness condensed around his knuckles.
The shadows became dense.
Heavy.
Almost solid.
Jade could feel enormous power gathering inside his arms.
He looked at his feet.
Then gave another command.
"Now..."
"Wrap around my feet."
The shadows moved.
They slipped downward.
Darkness covered his ankles.
His calves.
His feet.
Jade crouched slightly.
Then—
He ran.
BOOM!
The ground exploded beneath him.
Jade shot forward.
His body became a black blur.
Trees passed by in an instant.
Wind screamed against his face.
The world seemed to slow.
Jade's eyes widened.
"So fast!"
He accelerated again.
The shadows around his feet pulsed.
Every step pushed him farther.
Faster.
Harder.
He wasn't simply running anymore.
He was almost gliding across the ground.
A black mass of darkness tore through the forest.
Branches snapped.
Leaves exploded into the air.
Dust rose behind him.
Jade laughed.
"This is incredible!"
He suddenly changed direction.
His body turned almost instantly.
The shadows responded perfectly.
No delay.
No resistance.
He jumped.
The darkness around his feet compressed.
Then—
He landed dozens of meters away.
BOOM!
The ground cracked beneath him.
Jade looked down.
The shadows were still wrapped around his feet.
He smiled.
"Movement enhancement..."
"This could be useful."
He continued running.
Faster.
And faster.
Until eventually...
SomethLing familiar appeared in the distance.
Jade immediately slowed.
His black hair whipped around his face as he came to a stop.
Dust slowly settled behind him.
His eyes narrowed.
A figure was approaching from the opposite direction.
A familiar aura.
A familiar presence.
Someone Jade hadn't expected to see here.
The figure stepped through the trees.
Jade's expression changed.
"...Kelvin?"
It was none other than Kelvin.
For several seconds...
Neither of them spoke.
Jade slowly straightened.
The excitement from testing his new shadows disappeared.
His instincts immediately became alert.
Because Kelvin wasn't simply someone from the past.
He was someone Jade had learned never to underestimate.
And now...
They had met again.
In the middle of the Spiritual Realm.