My Second Shadow

The war raged on, and with my strategic commands and the unleashed power of Lucifer, our victory was imminent. I anticipated this outcome, and the ongoing battle played out as expected.

The first volume of <<Saga of the Divine Swordsman>> depicted Lucifer's journey effortlessly, emphasising the shock of other geniuses encountering the colossal mountain of talent he embodied.

'No wonder the characters despaired when they faced him,' I mused. Lucifer, the epitome of an overpowered MC, was brilliantly written, bringing his character to life in a way that surpassed other portrayals of overpowered protagonists.

However, he was undeniably broken, even without unlocking his second Gift, [God's Eyes]. His prowess in mana and martial arts, devoid of his Gifts, was remarkably high. Surpassing him was crucial for my plan to succeed.

Shifting my focus from Lucifer's dominance, I turned my attention to Kali.

Kali Luna, a dark magic prodigy second only to Jin (or third if Rin was considered), showcased the fragility of the mentality of these gifted teenagers early in the series. Despite possessing the potential to reach <Radiant >-rank, she was written off from the novel after losing to Lucifer.

Under my guidance, such a defeat would not occur. I approached where the unconscious Kali lay, her two arms lost due to my attack.

With tousled jet-black hair framing her tanned face, Kali's chest rose and fell with each breath, assuring me of her virtual existence. Chains of dark magic bound her body—Jin's 4-circle imprisonment magic.

'Way too realistic,' I thought, slapping her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing soft brown orbs that contradicted her overall sharp appearance. At sixteen, it made sense that she lacked the level of sharpness and deadliness I had initially assumed.

'I sometimes forget that these guys are still so young because of how powerful they are.'

"W-who are you?" Kali spluttered, still feeling the numb pain from losing her arms to me. She rattled the chains, but they held firm, absorbing the mana coursing through her body and dissipating it into the ground.

Naturally, such a spell had its limitations. If the enemy was conscious, disrupting the spell was as easy as overloading it. However, since Kali had been unconscious for an extended period, she lacked the mana to overwhelm the spell.

"Kali Luna," I said, adopting a cold and stoic expression, "I have a proposition for you. If you agree to serve as my second shadow, I'll grant you the opportunity to reclaim your family's Grade 6 art, now known as <Shadow Eclipse Blade>."

Her eyes widened in shock at my words, a reaction I anticipated. Surprisingly, for a minor villain, the author delved into Kali's background extensively. The Luna family, once a dominant force in dark magic alongside the Ashbluff family, had fallen centuries ago.

Much like other fallen families such as the Namgung clan, the Luna family's decline came after the loss of their Grade 6 art. What set them apart was not just losing a part of the art but the entire technique. Every possessor of it perished during the Ogre King's invasion, and the martial art manual was lost.

They later learned that the art hadn't been destroyed but taken by the ogres. Unfortunately, the Luna family was too feeble to reclaim it. The presence of the current generation's Ogre King and the absence of any <Radiant >-rank members hindered their efforts.

'This explains Kali's intense pressure to become powerful enough to slay the Ogre King,' I mused, 'But reaching <Radiant >-rank without a Grade 6 art is nearly impossible. Only anomalies like the Martial God can achieve it.'

Despite their new head creating a Grade 5 art with his expertise, the Luna family couldn't ascend to their former heights with a mere Grade 5 art, considering its commonality in the present era.

"How can I trust you?" she questioned, a hint of doubt in her voice after regaining composure. I simply offered a smile before replying, "I will craft you a mana oath. If you serve me faithfully, I'll ensure your art is returned once I have the capability to do so."

In the realm of fantasy novels, mana oaths were a known entity. Mana wasn't merely an energy source; it could be manipulated by biological beings using intent. Hence, an oath, a criss-cross of mana intent, could be forged.

If the oath were broken, the very mana inside one's being would rupture, regardless of their strength. The mana would go berserk, resulting in the individual's demise.

"Ah!" I added before I forgot, "I'll need the pill your family gave you as well."

Her dark brown eyes narrowed at my remark, but she had no choice once I mentioned the mana oath. Although a mana oath couldn't be created in VR, given its technological nature, we could make it a reality.

After agreeing to meet up after the battle, I unsheathed my sword. Kali gulped, the fear of a virtual death evident in her expression.

"I'll make it as painless as I can," I assured before swinging my sword to swiftly sever her neck.

With that act, the war came to an abrupt end.

'Was she the last person alive?' I pondered, scratching the back of my head. All this thinking was taking its toll on my brain.

The sky in front of me lit up with the contribution rankings for the year:

Lucifer Windward.

Arthur Nightingale.

Rachel Creighton.

Ren Kagu ....

Number 2, huh? As high as expected. The school's AI did the rankings based on the strength of the enemies eliminated and the strategic value brought by the student. I was the most crucial in strategic value and had taken down Kali, but Lucifer single-handedly eliminated a quarter of our enemies, earning him the top spot.

Darkness clouded my vision as we were ejected from the virtual world.

The pod silently opened, and I was greeted with the light of the room and a smiling Nero.

My body felt sluggish, which made sense since it hadn't moved for over a day. I used mana to allow myself to get up, grunting as I did so.

Everything felt so real in there! The touch, the sense of smell, the sense of vision!

It was so realistic that even now, after being out, I couldn't distinguish what I experienced there from reality.

With a wild grin plastered on my face, I gripped the edge of the VR pod and hoisted myself up using my hands for support.

It was only after I stepped out of the pod that I noticed not everyone had enjoyed the experience in the virtual world as much as I did.

As I emerged, I was greeted by a sea of faces displaying a variety of emotions, including shock, anger, admiration, fear, regret, irritation, and a myriad of other feelings.

Fortunately, the target of their looks wasn't me; it was Lucifer Windward.

This was exactly what happened in the novel after Lucifer exposed his Gift during the mock war.

Up until this point, he was only the strongest, but not by a huge margin. But after now, he would be regarded as an untouchable monster.

"Tsk."

This sight once again served as a reminder of how I wasn't able to change one of the major events of the novel.

But it's fine. The story was only starting. I'll have many more chances to bend the plot according to what I deem fit in the future.

And now that the first arc – the Mock War – is over and the plot has started to move forward, I can finally start to execute my own plan.

It's about time I start to get stronger. I needed to reach the level that Lucifer is at by the end of this year.

"Hah," sighing, I looked around my surroundings once again. As I did so, a grin formed on my lips.

Jin and Kali were looking at me with both shock and fear evident in their eyes.

My two shadows, I am going to make good use of you both.