Chapter 521: Rael, The Platinum Swallower (idk)
Chapter 521: Rael, The Platinum Swallower (idk)
“…”
The thing isn’t lying, but… I have a feeling that by killing it, I’m doing the shadow a favor, Rael thought with a deep frown.
“Just what is your plan here?” he asked, continuing to drain its Mental Integrity rapidly.
The shadow’s smile grew even wider. “This is what you wanted and came here for, right? This is your one and only chance to kill me. If I were in your shoes, then I’d take it.”
“Hmm… Just like Solenne, you spout too much bullshit.” Rael shook his head and increased the rate at which he absorbed her Mental Integrity.
So, after just 10 seconds, the shadow was out.
<???’s Mental Integrity: 92,142% → 1%>
<Ding!>
Just as Rael was about to click yes, Gaia intervened.
[Wait! If you click yes, then the Mind Realm is going to unlock, and that thing is most likely just going to run away, only slightly weakened,] she said sternly.
What do you think I should do then? Rael mused. I only have around 30 seconds left of this transformation, so do a little bit of brainstorming.
[Kill the bitch,] Burger chimed in.
[Just lock the shadow away for all eternity or something,] Vatyra added.
And lastly…
[Why don’t you absorb the shadow?] Gaia suggested, causing him to raise his brow.
I’m listening.
[This shadow has a portion of Solenne’s powers. It’s also said to be as strong as a being with the Primordial God status… A Grade 8,] Gaia continued. [Usually, possessing the shadow of a powerful being comes with risks, such as the being’s shadow taking over your shadow.]
Her voice lowered:
[Now here’s the thing… You don’t have a shadow. At least, not your own shadow. You have the shadows of beings whose memories you’ve bought… That alone puts you at no risk of her shadow taking over yours.]
Rael nodded slowly. So you’re saying I can absorb Solenne’s shadow without consequences?
[That’s right,] Gaia replied. [You’ve already weakened it, so now all you need is a little push to absorb it.]
What about after my shadow returns? Rael asked.
[By then you’ll have already completely absorbed the shadow,] Burger chimed in. [Don’t be a wuss here. I already checked every single nook and cranny of that shadow. There are no tracking spells, no special shadow traits, no soul tracking… It’s almost as if this shadow had been abandoned.]
Silence ensued for a few short moments until finally, Vatyra spoke:
[Haha… this reminds me of the past… But if I’m understanding correctly, then if Solenne’s shadows die, she regains a portion of her powers that were stored in those shadows.]
[What…? I’ve never heard of something like that,] Gaia said. [Are you sure?]
[I’ll tell you later… But the baby dragon doesn’t have much time left on his God Mode, so as long as he doesn’t kill it, he can do whatever he wants to it,] Vatyra replied.
Hearing that, Rael let out a deep sigh. His first decision would likely have been something along the lines of absorbing its Mental Integrity and implanting a Seed of Fear in its mind.
However, with the help of those in his mind, he came to a simple decision.
How do I absorb it?
[Huh? Oh, right… Uh, it already gave you its core, so just… swallow it?] Gaia replied sheepishly.
[Kekeke… Yeah, swallow it, Rael.] Burger cackled. [Make sure to—]
[I’ve stuck a vine down his throat. You may go on now,] Gaia said coldly.
A shiver ran down Rael’s spine, and then, to the surprise of Solenne’s shadow, he leaned in and put the marble inside his mouth.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the shadow asked.
Rael shot it a smile, and then, with a bit of difficulty, he swallowed the marble, causing it to travel down to his stomach.
But instead of digesting, the marble suddenly dissolved into pitch-black mana that traveled directly into his heart.
It was a small dose of mana at first, but it gradually got bigger and bigger.
It was a similar sensation to when he usually manifested skills, but this time, there was so much mana entering his heart that he felt as if he was going to explode.
And by the looks of things, the amount of mana entering his heart wasn’t stopping any time soon.
“What have you done…” the shadow muttered speechlessly. “You’ve just made a very grave mistake… Huh…? Why can’t I…”
He felt a bit of mana trying to enter from the outside, but nothing happened, almost as if his entire body simply rejected it.
And as expected, no matter how much the shadow tried to interfere with him, it couldn’t do a thing.
But on the other hand, Rael’s heart was practically full of that black mana, yet it showed no signs of stopping.
[Hmm, I guess you should try to guide the black mana across your entire body. That should refine every single one of your cells and enhance them,] Gaia said. [After it’s done, the remainder of the black mana should settle in your heart, and you’ll be able to use many of the abilities the shadow could. Not only that, this shadow will become your primary shadow, which you will have full control over. I’ll explain more afterwards as you don’t have that much time.]
Rael frowned slightly. That’s it?
[Do you expect to become all-powerful from just one shadow?] Gaia giggled. [You’ll become more powerful… But just not that powerful, okay?]
Despite her reassurance, Rael felt as though it was a waste. The black mana would settle in his heart and then give him some special abilities and probably some extra boons on top of having the shadow of Solenne.
But…
What if I don’t let the black mana go to waste? Rael pondered. If its only purpose is to assimilate inside my heart, why don’t I just create something that could gather and store this black mana?