The ruins were quiet, but the air felt heavy with anticipation.
Every shadow around me throbbed with energy, as if aware that greater challenges were approaching. The system hummed in my mind, calculating probabilities, analyzing enemies I hadn't yet met.
[NEW TARGET DETECTED — High-Ranking God's Scout]
[Suggested Action: Evaluate Strength, Prepare Ambush]
I moved through the shattered streets, shadows flowing ahead like sentinels.
Suddenly, a ripple of light sliced through the mist — a scout, radiant and quick, attempting to flank me.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Target Speed — 92% of maximum divine potential]
I smiled. Shadows responded instantly, forming multiple false images of myself, moving unpredictably. The scout hesitated, trying to discern the real me.
From the side, a silver streak appeared. The woman — always a step ahead. Her blade gleamed faintly as she intercepted the scout, striking with surgical precision.
[HINT: Coordination with Ally Effective — Combat Efficiency +10%]
I let the shadows tighten around the scout, siphoning energy and restraining movement. The system pulsed, sensing the first taste of a high-ranking divine essence.
[REWARD: Darkness Mastery +5%, Shadow Mimicry Ready for Use]
The scout fell, leaving a residue of divine energy in the air. I absorbed it with a flicker of shadow, feeling my power grow heavier, darker, hungrier.
She watched me, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
— You're becoming dangerous… but not yet unstoppable. Some of them will be harder than this, she whispered.
I nodded, letting the shadows settle. Her presence was faint but grounding — a reminder of what I could gain in this world beyond just power.
In the distance, I sensed it — the first tremors of notice from the higher gods. The hunt was shifting from skirmishes to a storm of divinity.
And I, the predator of shadows, was at the center.