My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 4 The Living Shadow System

The morning sun cut through Damon’s heavy eyelids, its intense glare forcing him to squint. He remained motionless for a moment, lost in a daze, as his hands instinctively touched his face in sheer disbelief.

"I... I’m actually alive... I didn’t die," he murmured. His voice was thick with shock, trembling as if he were on the verge of letting out all the tears he had been holding back.

He scanned his surroundings quickly. The bizarre, dark, and viscous entity that had lunged at him in the ditch the previous night was nowhere to be found. He struggled to make sense of the situation, but before his thoughts could settle, a translucent black panel with white lettering materialized in the air before him.

The text read:

[System initialization complete]

[Do you wish to Proceed]

[Y/N]

Damon’s forehead creased with confusion as he whispered, "Proceed...?"

The moment the word left his lips, the text flickered, and a cold voice resonated within his mind.

[Welcome to the Living Shadow System, individual Damon Grey]

[Your shadow is alive.]

[Feed your shadow, devour souls, level up, gain skills, complete quests, and grow stronger.]

[Do you wish to view your current stats?]

[Y/N]

The voice continued its explanation as if it expected him to already understand these concepts. With a hesitant breath, Damon whispered,

"ermh... Yes..."

The display transformed, presenting his personal attributes in meticulous detail.

[HP: 50/50]

[Mana: 30/30]

[Strength: 9]

[Agility: 12]

[Speed: 25]

[Endurance: 10]

[Class: —]

[Shadow: 100]

[Shadow Hunger Levels: 0%]

[Shadow Level: 1]

[Condition: Shadow Is Full]

[Attributes: Umbra]

[Skills]

------ No skills acquired--------

[Locked]

---

Damon stared at the interface, completely stunned, his mind spinning as he tried to process the information. The voice had claimed his shadow was a living entity. Could such a thing be possible? He looked down abruptly, and there it was—his shadow, stretched out upon the earth.

He let out a long breath of relief.

"Phew... thank the goddess. I was afraid my shadow had been stolen."

In this world, certain terrifying monsters possessed the ability to steal a person’s shadow or even end their life by attacking it directly. He had heard dark rumors of such creatures prowling the demon continent of Centros, though they were rarely seen in Soltheon, his homeland.

However, as he continued to watch, his shadow... shifted.

He hadn't moved a muscle, yet the shadow did. A wave of fear washed over Damon, causing him to stumble back in fright. His shadow stayed put, but its posture changed slightly, almost as if it were mocking him with a roll of its eyes.

"W-what is going on... my... my shadow?" He whispered, his throat suddenly dry from the shock.

He remained on high alert, his eyes fixed on the dark shape. Swallowing his fear, he began to edge closer. In response, the shadow seemed almost irritated; it rushed back toward him and reattached itself, appearing like a perfectly normal shadow once more.

Damon flinched, but the shadow now behaved as expected, mimicking his every motion. He took deep breaths, forcing his racing heart to steady. Casting a suspicious look around, he grabbed a nearby stick and poked at the dark patch. It remained a simple, inanimate shape on the ground.

A sudden realization hit him. The shadow was making a gesture, as if it were indicating something. Damon followed its lead and noticed the floating status panel right in front of him.

"You... you want me to look at this?" he asked softly.

The shadow gave a small nod of confirmation. Damon felt his anxiety ease just a fraction, though he remained on guard. Looking at the screen, his attention was drawn to the [HP: 50/50] section. As he focused on it, the panel expanded further.

[HP: 50/50] – Health Points

Your total Health Points (HP) represent your physical vitality. When HP drops to zero, you will perish. Physical injuries, magical attacks, or overuse of certain shadow abilities and skills can deplete your HP. Use healing items or abilities to restore HP when it falls below safe levels.

Current Status: Your HP is at its maximum, indicating you are in good physical health.

The detailed explanation startled Damon, making him realize something incredibly obvious—something he should have noticed the moment he regained consciousness.

"My injuries... th-they're gone..."

He began to pat his body down, pulling off his academy jacket as his hands searched frantically for any sign of a wound.

He ran his tongue and fingers along his gums, checking for the tooth he had lost during the struggle—it was back in its place. Stunned, he pulled up his shirt to inspect his torso. There wasn't a single scar to be found, not even the marks from his previous encounters.

"I don’t have a single injury left..."

Damon lifted his white shirt once more, double-checking his skin. Every old scar had vanished, a fact that felt deeply unsettling. His fingertips glided over smooth skin where there used to be jagged reminders of his hard life.

Everything about today felt surreal, and he couldn't decide if it was a blessing or a curse. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He needed to focus. There were other details to investigate.

[Mana: 30/30] – Magical Energy

Mana is your energy pool, used to cast magical abilities, including those drawn from the system. Shadow-related abilities and some skills will deplete this pool. Keep a close eye on it during battle, as running out of mana may leave you vulnerable.

Current Status: Full mana allows for optimal casting of abilities. Spend wisely.

Note: You have an unusually low mana pool. Leveling up is highly recommended.

A pang of resentment hit Damon. He was painfully aware of how pathetic his mana capacity was—the academy's evaluations had made that clear. A measly 30 was the lowest score in the history of the school, making him a prime target for torment. The student with the next lowest score had 656; the gap between them was an impossible canyon.

"But... the voice mentioned I could level up. No, it called itself the system..." He hesitated, a spark of hope igniting in his chest.

"But how exactly do I level up?"

The system offered no reply this time.

Sighing, he proceeded to review his other characteristics.

Strength – Physical power. As he expected, his rating was quite low.

Agility – A combination of his reflexes and dexterity. The system judged him as average here, which was far better than his mana rating.

Speed – His movement velocity, which was slightly better than average, though not particularly impressive.

Endurance – A metric of his physical durability and stamina. Damon knew he could survive a beating after everything he had been through. Even so, the system labeled him as below average.

Finally, he reached the section regarding his class.

[Class: —] – No Class Assigned

At present, you have no formal class assigned. Once you unlock a specialized combat or magic class, you will gain access to class-specific skills and perks. The system may allow for an unconventional class in the future.

Current Status: Undefined. As you explore the depths of your shadow abilities and level up, a class may be discovered or created.

Damon’s heart skipped a beat.

"I... I can actually get a class?"

These words offered him a small ray of hope. While people in this world could potentially awaken up to seven classes over a lifetime, he had long ago given up on ever attaining even one.

[Shadow: 100] – Shadow Energy

Shadow Energy is the primary resource for utilizing the abilities of the Living Shadow. It regenerates through certain actions such as consuming life force and souls. Shadow energy is spent when manipulating shadows or using certain skills, and it's critical to maintain this resource, or risk weakening your shadow and death.

Current Status: Your shadow energy is full. This is ideal for activating and sustaining shadow abilities during combat or exploration.

Warning: Shadow Energy must be kept at a stable level.

Damon scanned the description, though he didn't fully comprehend the mechanics. Nevertheless, the prospect of controlling shadow powers was fascinating. He moved to the next, and far more disturbing, statistic.

[Shadow Hunger Level: 0%] – Shadow's Appetite

The Hunger Level represents the shadow's need to consume flesh and souls. As you use your abilities, the shadow's hunger will increase, urging you to feed it. Neglecting this hunger can lead to dangerous consequences, such as losing control over your actions or the shadow taking over. Be mindful not to let the hunger grow too high.

[Note: When Shadow hunger reaches 100% HP will begin to decline until individual perishes.]

0%-20% Hunger: Safe range. The shadow is under control.

20%-50% Hunger: Increased temptation to feed. Minor stat boosts.

50%-80% Hunger: Loss of partial control. Significant power boosts.

90%-100% Hunger: Shadow becomes ravenous, fully takes control. Immediate risk of losing your humanity.

Current Status: The shadow is currently sated, leaving you in full control.

The color drained from Damon’s face as he digested the information.

"Feed my shadow... but with what... flesh? What kind of flesh?"