EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC111: Fall Of the Arrogance
Depth Level 3, South Side
The Shadow held Harrison's head in a tight grip.
He tried to break free.
It was useless.
His Shadow continued to contaminate him.
Harrison's consciousness blurred.
He was being overtaken by the Shadow.
Losing himself to it.
'I can't…fall… here.'
Harrison struggled to keep his eyes open.
A single mistake was about to cost him his life.
The Shadow would replace him and no one would ever realize the original Harrison was long gone.
'I don't want that.'
His chest heaved.
"Don't… fuck… with me!"
He grabbed the Shadow's wrist with a last surge of strength and tried to flip it over.
The Shadow scoffed.
It didn't budge.
As Harrison's Shadow, it always knew what he could and would do.
There was no way Harrison was going to win against it.
Maybe, he shouldn't have insisted on fighting his Shadow alone and asked for someone's help.
If Lucas was here with him, Harrison could've won.
Harrison realized he was defeated.
Regrets started to slip in.
The last vestige of his consciousness was about to disappear when suddenly he heard the noise of air being torn apart.
An iron rebar hit the Shadow's head from the side and pierced its head.
The powerful momentum behind the throw carried the Shadow's body away and pinned it into the ground far from him.
Harrison was free.
He heaved.
The Shadow, despite having a pole shoved through its head, continued to move.
The mimicked Invincible kept it alive.
Red lightning wrapped around the rebar surged.
It flowed into the Shadow's body through the iron pole and killed it from the inside.
The Shadow stopped moving and it fell with a limp.
"Who… was it…?"
A single attack killed his Shadow.
Only Morrigan could achieve such feat, but she never came with them into the Window.
Harrison turned his head.
He stared in the direction from where the iron rebar came flying.
"There is no one there…."
He squinted.
Far into the distance, he could see broken wreckages flying around.
The distance was too great for Harrison to see the person who threw the rebar.
But…
"Red Lightning."
There was only one person among them who could manifest Death element.
Neo.
He saved Harrison by defeating his Shadow from a distance where Harrison couldn't even see anything and that too in a single attack.
Harrison's face contorted.
Had Neo been hiding his strength?
Was it funny to act like a weakling while he waited for an opportunity to reveal his strength?
The gratitude and relief that came from behind saved turned into something darker.
Harrison punched the ground.
…
Depth Level 3, Extreme-South side
"It doesn't look like he appreciates the help."
Neo could see the frustrated expression on Harrison's face.
He did not regret saving Harrison.
It was his job as the mission leader.
Suddenly, a silvery portal appeared behind him.
Lucas stepped on the rooftop.
He smiled wryly.
"I never knew you could use such a massive Aura Blade.
"It was visible from my location even though we were so far."
He gave the Sean Shadow's elemental seed to Neo.
The elemental seed was almost half evaporated.
After the seed evaporated completely, it would reform at the deepest part of the Window and the Shadow would be revived.
"What are you going to do with the elemental seed?"
"This."
Neo used Darkness to devour it.
The voices returned for a brief moment.
[Digestion +3]
"Isn't that harmful to you?
"If you keep devouring everything, your body will enter a state of imbalance where your Secondary Stats are completely mismatched," Lucas asked.
"This is the only way we can make sure the Shadows don't get revived."
Neo knew a way to handle the imbalance.
Though, he would not reveal that to Lucas.
"Bring Nathan here," Neo said.
Lucas used a portal to teleport Nathan after Neo revealed his location.
Nathan stepped onto the rooftop with a strained expression.
"How did you… do that with a single attack?"
"Hmm?" Lucas realized something was wrong with Nathan's words. "What do you mean by that?"
"He defeated your Shadow with a single attack."
Lucas' smiling face stiffened.
He stared at Nathan as if he had heard an absurd joke, but Nathan's half-awed, half-afraid face made it clear he was not joking.
"Stop talking about unnecessary things.
"The Shadow monsters are climbing the building to attack us. Let's move somewhere else."
Neo's words snapped them out of the shock.
He added,
"We should meet up with Harrison before regrouping with Arthur and others."
Lucas nodded.
He quickly composed himself, and the determination in his gaze solidified.
Lucas, able to see Harrison despite the distance, created a portal.
The three entered the portal.
They appeared next to Harrison.
Harrison was in a daze.
Half of his body had been contaminated with shadow elementals and he was on the verge of becoming a shadow monster.
Lucas used Holy Affinity to baptize Harrison.
While they were busy, Neo devoured the elemental seed left behind by Harrison's Shadow.
[Constitution +1]
'Now only Clara and Arthur's Shadows are left.'
Clara's Shadow was not a threat alone.
They had to focus on Arthur's Shadow.
Neo looked around.
He made sure no one was looking at him.
"Paimon, I want to make the contract."
"Are you thinking of fighting against the lightning clan's boy?"
"Yes."
The skeletal doll on Neo's shoulder held a tiny fan in her hand.
She used it to hide her mouth.
"I hope you are not overestimating yourself after the chains binding you disappeared."
"…"
"Good, seems you have a clear grasp of your limits."
She smiled.
"So what do you want? A full blessing that will disappear after one use or the partial blessing that will remain with you forever."
"Give me the partial blessing."
Neo made his decision after careful consideration.
He had to look at the future.
Losing almost half of his God Blood in exchange for the blessing would weaken him greatly.
On top of that, if he took the temporary blessing and lost it after one use, he would become weaker than a Grade 5 Awakened Demigod.
"Done. I've unsealed the blessing."
"…I don't feel any different."
Paimon smiled at his words.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC112: Protagonist VS Protagonist's Shadow
"I've used your sword to link your blessing to you. You should be able to feel the blessing's effect when you unsheathe it."
"What about the God Blood? It doesn't seem like you've taken it."
"Indeed, I haven't.
"I'll take your God Blood after you've returned from this mission. Until then, use the blessing to complete the mission."
Paimon closed the fan.
"I need to return to the Underworld. Barbatos is complaining about unsealing your blessing."
Her figure started to disappear.
Before she left, she flew and patted his head.
"May you be in good health and prosperity when we meet next again, child."
Paimon disappeared.
"Thank you," Neo said.
Although she had left, Neo had a feeling she heard him.
Suddenly, Neo's earpiece came to life.
Arthur's voice followed through it.
"Neo, I need your help!
"Come here quickly!"
He sounded desperate.
"What happened—"
"There is no time to explain! Please, be quick!"
"Got it."
An ominous promotion seeped into Neo's heart.
He turned to Lucas.
"We need to regroup with Arthur."
Lucas nodded.
Since Arthur was not within his line of sight and out of the range of his senses, he had to create multiple portals.
They returned as quickly as possible.
…
Depth Level 3, North-east side
Fifteen minutes ago
The white mist curled around Arthur and Leonora.
Arthur held his daggers in reverse grip and waited for his Shadow to attack.
Leonora stood with her back against Arthur's back.
Her breathing was labored.
She was exhausted due to the aftereffects of Neo's elixir and her Divine Energy had barely recovered.
"Stay sharp." Arthur warned her.
His heart thumped against his chest.
He was nervous and… afraid.
'The Shadow can use Invincible already.'
'Did it kill itself to reset the skill countdown?'
It was bad news.
"Leonora, don't let the mist disperse.
"My Shadow should be able to sense us with the Sound affinity, but the mist still blocks its vision."
"Okay."
She was used to fighting in the mist.
It didn't hinder her as it did others.
Leonora used an ice defense Spell to create an armor.
The sound of lightning crackling echoed from all directions.
Arthur tried to concentrate and use his Sound Affinity to locate the Shadow.
It was of no use.
The Shadow was faster — much faster — thanks to the Invincible skill that Arthur could not use himself.
"It's near," he whispered.
"Mhm."
Leonora prepared to cast Spells.
Her Holy Affinity was their only advantage against the Shadow, but she was too exhausted to make full use of it.
Suddenly, there was a sharp shift in the mist.
The Shadow appeared at the corner of their vision.
It looked no different from a black lightning running around.
A portal flickered open at its side, conjured by Lucas' Shadow, and it stepped through it.
Arthur's breath was caught in his throat.
Portals.
Lucas' Shadow was helping it.
Arthur's expression worsened.
Lucas Shadow's ability to sense them inside the mist spoke volume of Lucas' talent.
Unfortunately, it was no time or place to praise him.
The Shadow reappeared next to Leonora without warning.
It swung the dagger towards her neck.
Leonora reacted just in the nick of time.
She created a wall of water to block the strike.
The force of the blow sent her staggering back.
Her ice armor cracked.
"Leonora!"
Arthur rushed forward to shield her.
Another portal opened beneath his feet.
His Shadow jumped out from it and slammed a fist into his gut.
Arthur doubled over in pain.
The air was forced from his lungs.
His vision blurred for a split second.
The Shadow's speed was terrifying.
It was enhanced beyond anything what Arthur and Leonora could match.
Leonora struggled to regain her balance.
She summoned a shard of Holy Ice and threw it with all her strength.
It shot through the air, glowing with divine energy, aimed straight at the Shadow's heart.
But the Shadow turned into lightning ad dodged it effortlessly.
Another portal opened, and the Shadow vanished again.
It was toying with them with its overwhelming speed and the portals to stay untouchable.
Arthur gritted his teeth.
He focused on the faint ripples of sound around him.
His Shadow was close—too close.
A flash of light erupted and the Shadow reappeared behind Leonora again.
The Shadow's dagger coated in black lightning moved toward her throat.
"Leonora, watch out!" Arthur shouted.
He was too far to intervene.
Leonora's eyes widened.
Time seemed to slow down.
Her body too tired to react.
She could see the blade coming.
The strike that would end her.
If only she had trained like others...
If only she did not laze around, drunk on her talent...
She would've known how to fight even if she was exhausted.
She could've pushed herself beyond her limit.
But.
There were no second chances.
The dagger slid across her throat.
Blood poured out from the wound.
"No!"
Arthur's scream tore through the mist.
Another person died because he was too weak.
Because he could not defeat his own Shadow.
In that moment, as death loomed closer, something shifted in Leonora's mind.
This was it.
Her last chance.
The Shadow thought it had won and let down its guard.
Leonora's hand glowed with one last surge of holy energy.
The moment the Shadow's blade cut her, she unleashed her magic in a blinding explosion of light.
Holy magic—the Shadows were weak against it.
Arthur's Shadow staggered back.
Its body writhed in agony as the holy energy seared his flesh and broke through its mimicked Invincible.
The Shadow never expected it.
It thought it had won.
It should've won.
But Leonora used her own impending death to deal the final blow.
"De…defeat it," Leonora spoke as she tried to stop the blood flowing out of her wound.
Arthur gritted his teeth.
He rushed forward.
His gaze was filled with desperation and fury.
He pulled a small vial from his coat before uncorking it with his teeth.
Shadow Ink.
The trump card against the Shadows, even his Shadow.
Arthur's Shadow remained calm.
Although it was injured from Leonora's attack, it could escape through the portals easily.
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