ERROR

"Shadow...Ki?" Aaron stuttered as he repeated with a flabbergasted look. "But, you are only human... How could YOU possess Shadow Ki?"

'Shadow Ki is what those of the Burnedead lineage call this energy which circulates through you and distinguishes you from humans. Of course, they only think of it as another attribute of Ki that a human could possibly possess. Well, the thing is, through 4 whole generations, they'd only come across one entity with affinity with 'Shadow Ki'.

'And as you would have guessed, it was an irregular Shadow. And when he talked to them about it being an energy, they'd assume it to be Ki' Void explained as Aaron manifested his own Ki, enveloping Quinn's body completely.

***

"Hrmm... I suppose this is sufficient information. I can't say I am able to fully trust you, but with the credibility of your words, it does seem that you are somehow connected with That person. An ancestor? Reletive? Or perhaps an indirect source of information that you came across?"

"Uhhhh....I don't think I should say"

"Acceptable. So, you came here to retrieve the scroll, I take it? I thought it due time that someone related to that person would come searching for it..."

"Yes.... That's exactly what I've been looking for." 

'Hey Void, what's this scroll he's talking about?'

'You will figure it out. Sooner or later.'

'Man... whatever.'

"I will give you the scroll right away. You will leave here with a satisfied face, I am sure. Keeping the scroll will not be of any help for us either way. We can't even decipher it. Much less, put it to good use.

"I hope you find what you seek in that scroll" Aaron . 'I hope so too....'

12:03

Aaron arrived with a small, expensive looking box, with red cloth wrapped around and under it. "Take it. Moving away from our previous... conflict, I didn't know better: how you were an emmissary of the King. Pray, tell: how does he fare?" Aaron questioned.

'What the actual fuck is he even talking about. What do I say?' Quinn asked the voice in his head for instructions. To which, Void replied: 'Hmph. Tell him that...'

"I don't know. He's never revealed himself after his message to the Sentinels," Quinn repeated after Void, "He's been... intoxicated, or so they say."

***

12:27

Finally, after the painfully long and tiring interaction with the ex-Major of the army, Quinn had finally left the Magic Weapon Class' training room with the box in his Dimensional Storage. The portal outing was finally over, the decontamination was complete, and there was nothing to do for a whole week. Despite the written exams being around the corner in a month, there was no event of great significance approaching.

"Haah... freedom-!" Quinn cheered as he let out a long sigh. 'The teach looked pretty shaken back there: when I said that the King had been intoxicated, right? What does that mean?' Quinn walked with long strides towards the isolated cubicles by the garden on the school property. 'Ah, yes. Let me think of a simple answer to that question,' said Void.

Whilst he waited for Void's answer, Quinn opened his status screen to distribute the 10 stat-points he had from the daily quests:

[Hidden Quest Completed]

[Hidden Quest: Retrieve the Ineffable Scroll Of The Shadows

Reward: 25 AP, Shadow-species Exclusive Skill](Completed)

"This is just fucking crazy now, the fuck?" he said out loud without noticing, 'Thank fuck these walls block sounds...'.

———

[Mist Of Nowhere] Lvl Max

All of the Shadows that existed aeons ago, did so in the voids between dimensions. Thusly, they were dimensionless and could reside in such bizzare places; they could be termed as omnipresent creatures of the Primordial Era of ---. Due to their undimensionless property, they might as well be deemed as outright indestructable, or even unharmable if not subjected to the most powerful Divine Authority(As of now).

Effect: The possessor of this skill(If any) may transcend as a Shadow, into a state of complete invulnerability for a split second; 99% Chance to Terrify mortal foes.

Cost: 80% of Total Mana[Compromised: May change as the user continues to grow]

———

"Whaaaaaaaat the fuck-," said Quinn with no other way to express his bewilderment, "Twenty-five stat-points and an i-frame? That's crazy... I wonder what will happen to me once I become a full-fledged Shadow. I don't really wanna think about it, though."

———

Strength: 82 Agility: 87

Intelligence: 93 Sense: 66

Stamina: 75 Dexterity: 74

AP: 35 

———

User: Quinn Maw(Quasi-Shadow)

lvl: 47

Job: Assassin Of The Eternal Darkness

Ability: Shadow/Darkness element

HP: 5100

Mana: 830

Strength: 85 Agility: 90

Intelligence: 110 Sense: 66

Stamina: 81 Dexterity: 80

AP: 0

———

[The 'Intelligence' of the User has exceeded 100. Verifying the User's 'Species' and 'Unique Job' to grant a viable 'Passive Skill']

[Shadow species encountered]

[ERROR]

[ATTEMPTING RECALIBRATION]

[ERROR]

[ATTEMPTING RECALIBRATION]

[ERROR]

[ATTEMPTING RECALIBRATION]

[ERROR]

[ATTEMPTING RECALIBRATION]

[ERROR]

[ATTEMPTING RECALIBRATION]

...

"Arrgh! Fuck... my head, " Quinn fell to his knee, "Ugh, why won't these messages stop?!"

He felt the Evil-Warding Talisman disintegrate into black smoke and the formation of a black precipitate around him. The cracks near his heart surged with no signs of stopping as they reached his forehead, and towards a point, at an equivalent distance from both of his eyes. The cracks met from each side of his forehead and formed an incision.

'Quinn! Use the other talisman the dwarf gave to you, hurry!' Void exclaimed, clearly afraid and worried at the same time.

With much effort did Quinn reach out into his dimensional space and drawed the talisman. [Evil-Warding Talisman]

He tore his academy training uniform and struck the talisman onto his chest, stopping the terrifying rampage of his sealed self. The cracks receded yet again, but most of them remained clearly visible near his forearms and shoulders. Most importantly, the incision on his forehead remained, although it appeared causterized.

"What is happening... Void?!" Quinn asked breathlessly, to which, no immediate answer was given.

[Human species encountered. 'Human' is labelled as a 'Weak species', therefore, additional boons will be granted]

['Accelerated Thinking' and 'Simultaneous Thinking' have been acquired]

[--- detected]

[ERROR]

[SYSTEM OVERRIDE]

[ERR-]

[System Override complete]

[Shadow Heart has been established. The Higher Will can no longer control the User, Quinn Maw]

[Shadow species encoutered]

[A special effect will be granted:

+50,000 Mana, +50 All Attributes]

[The 'Intelligence' of the User has exceeded 100. Granting a viable 'Passive Skill']

[In accordance to the previously granted skills, the User has acquired 'Energy Manipulation']

[The 'Strength' of the User has exceeded 100. Granting viable 'Passive Skills']

['Demi-God's Strength' and 'Indomitable Physique' acquired]

[The 'Agility' of the User has exceeded 100. Granting a viable 'Passive Skill' and 'Active Skill']

['Demi-God's Haste' and 'Instantaneous Acceleration' acquired]

[The 'Sense' of the User has exceeded 100. Granting viable 'Passive Skills']

['Enlightenment' and 'Clairvoyance' acquired]

[The 'Stamina' of the User has exceeded 100. Granting a viable 'Passive Skill']

['Demi-God's Vigor' acquired]

[The 'Dexterity' of the User has exceeded 100. Granting a viable 'Passive Skill']

[Unique Attribute encountered: Dexterity. Viable boons will be granted to the User:

'Mortal Shadow's Combat Experience' and 'God-like Bodily Control' acquired]

[The User has awakened as a complete Shadow as opposed to a Quasi-Shadow]

[The User's Soul has been unsealed]

[Stabilising the User:

8%

12%

...

97%

100%]

[Stabilisation completed]

[The User may undergo the process to awaken their Mask when they wish to do so]

[Organising the Updated User information may take a while...]

———

[Erstwhile Status:

User: Quinn Maw[Shadow]

lvl: 47

Job: Assassin Of The Eternal Darkness

Ability: Shadow/Darkness element

HP: 5100

Mana: 50,830

Strength: 135 Agility: 140

Intelligence: 160 Sense: 116

Stamina: 131 Dexterity: 130]