The power stone Rostova handed over held up for seventy two hours.
Three days straight, Leon stockpiled the stuff like some greedy lizard, sneaking doses every few minutes in the restroom meanwhile, his bunkmate, a jittery low-tier guy called Chen, kept yelling more frantic queries from outside.
"You okay in there?"
"Yeah, just... stomach issues."
"For twenty minutes?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want answered."
The crystal slipped into his center little by little. Every time was like swallowing sparks. It gobbled up the energy fast, his Shadow Core swelling from an empty throb toward something close to complete.
[CORE ENERGY: 47/100]
[SHADOW ESSENCE: 15/100]
[INTEGRATION: STABLE]
Thursday rolled around. Time for hands-on fighting drills. Kovacs broke the news at breakfast, sounding about as excited as if he were scheduling a dentist appointment.
"Class 9. Dungeon crawl. Shadow Grove. E-Rank. Mandatory participation." He smiled, all teeth and malice. "Try not to die. Paperwork's a bitch."
The lunchroom fell silent.
Shadow Grove served as the school's practice dungeon - basic yet genuine. Actual creatures lurked inside. True risks waited around every corner. Some students never made it out alive.
"We're going into a dungeon?" Someone's voice cracked. "Already?"
"Welcome to Vanguard Academy. We don't coddle." Kovacs scanned the room, eyes landing on Leon. "Vale. You're on point. Since you're so talented at obstacle courses."
Shit.
______________________________________________________
They showed up at the dungeon's front door two hours after that. A group of twenty Class 9 kids. All dressed for battle, tough armor, simple guns, rescue signals on their belts. Leon was handed a regular army knife, which seemed weak next to the steel pipe he'd smashed the Hounds with.
Elara stayed close by his side, looking shaky yet resolute. "Your first time in a dungeon?"
"Yeah."
"Same." She adjusted her gloves specially designed for Plant-types. "My ability's basically useless for combat. I can grow vines, accelerate plant healing. That's it."
Control skills decide battles," Leon repeated. Truly believed it.
The dungeon's opening seemed torn from thin air - a narrow split hanging in space, its borders flickering like heat haze. From within came blackness along with a stench of decay.
Class 1 sat around, relaxed, eyes on the scene. Right up front - Damian Horne - his B-Rank pin glinting, almost smirking in the sun.
"Look at the Fodder Group," he announced loudly. "Taking bets on casualties. I've got five credits on at least three."
His buddies snickered. When that happened, Leon tightened his hands into fists.
"Ignore them," Elara whispered. "Not worth it."
Kovacs activated his comm. "Command, this is Instructor Kovacs. Beginning Class 9 Shadow Grove insertion. Twenty students, E-Rank dungeon protocol."
"Copy that. Emergency extraction on standby. Try to bring them all back."
Go ahead. Not "I will" or "I ought to." Just give it a shot.
"Move out!"
They stepped into the dark room.
Everything bent sideways. Leon felt sick when the world crumpled like paper.
Forest. Only it wasn't right. Trees stretched up - way too high, way too black. Dark clung down low, heavy as sludge. Breathing felt flat.
[DUNGEON ENVIRONMENT DETECTED]
[SHADOW DENSITY: HIGH]
[THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE]
[RECOMMENDATION: CAUTION]
No shit, system.
"Standard formation!" Kovacs barked. "Tanks front, damage middle, support back. Vale, you're scouting ahead. Fifty meters, no further."
Leon shifted position. His quick moves let him weave through easily, no effort at all. He vaulted over tree roots, dipped under low limbs, slipped quiet as shadow through thick plants. Back there, Class 9 crashed forward like thunder. Twigs cracked beneath their boots. Grumbled swears floated through the air.
They wouldn't last a second out there in actual battle.
[ANALYZING ENVIRONMENT...]
[DETECTING MOVEMENT - SOUTHEAST, 30 METERS]
[SHADOW CRAWLERS IDENTIFIED]
Leon lifted his hand, fingers curled tight, a quiet command that meant hold on. For once, the group froze without fuss. Next to him, Kovacs showed up out of nowhere, moving so quietly you'd think he wasn't real.
"What?"
"Movement. Southeast. Thirty meters."
Kovacs grabbed a scanner. Looked puzzled. "Seems you're correct. How did that happen?" He quickly waved it off. "No time for answers. Get ready, everyone move into battle spots!"
The Shadow Crawlers arrived from the left, then another group popped up behind, while a third broke through up ahead.
They resembled a creepy dream about spiders, eight spindly legs, eyeless heads, jaws that split oddly. About as big as hefty canines. Quick movers.
Class 9 freaked out right away.
A shout rang out. Another person shot off their gun like crazy, almost catching a friend in the crossfire. The group fell apart fast.
Leon stepped forward, instinct taking over.
He grabbed the first crawler heading toward a frozen kid, jamming his combat knife into the weak spot between its shell segments. It screeched - sharp, grating, like metal on chalkboard - then dropped lifeless.
[HOSTILE NEUTRALIZED]
[EXTRACT SHADOW? Y/N]
Later. Out here? No way. People are watching.
He swiped away the alert, shifting focus to another Crawler right after. Thanks to his [Analysis] ability, vulnerable spots stood out - joints, eyes, thin armor below. Every hit landed just where it needed to. Quick. Precise.
Vale, seriously, Kovacs tried to speak, yet Leon missed it through the clash of battle.
Elara's voice cut through. "Binding Root!"
Vines shot up from the soil, coiling round a Crawler that was sneaking up on their teacher. It thrashed, but couldn't move.
Leon got it done. Fast though smooth.
The rest of the Crawlers slipped back into the dark.
Quiet. Then heavy breaths. One person sobbed.
Kovacs stared at Leon. Then at Elara. "You two. Good work. Everyone else is pathetic. We're drilling formation until you can do it in your sleep."
Yet his gaze didn't leave Leon.
They pushed deeper.
The dark inside the cave seemed to breathe. Closing in no matter where he looked. His vision flashed warnings, danger levels, how thick the shadows were, possible ways out. Almost like a voice was mapping everything ahead.
What he pretty much already did.
Leon." Elara walked next to him when they paused. "Hey, how'd you manage this?
"Doing what?"
"Moving like that. Seeing threats before anyone else. Fighting like..." She struggled for words. "Like you've done this before."
"Instinct."
"Bullshit." Not angry. Just honest. "I saw your file. You awakened two weeks ago. Nobody moves like that with two weeks' experience."
Leon looked into her eyes. He spotted real curiosity. No blame showed up. Fear didn't appear either. Simply… a quiet interest.
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."
"Try me."
Just as he started to reply, Kovacs shouted. "Something up there - lots moving." "Get set," someone else added
The boss chamber.
They stepped into a round open space, about fifty meters wide. In the middle, lit up by glowing mushrooms, stood a Shadow Panther.
Bigger than the Hounds more streamlined. Sharp eyes followed their move inside. The coat soaked up light, blurring its shape. Hard to lock onto what you were seeing.
[ANALYZING TARGET...]
[SHADOW PANTHER - DUNGEON BOSS]
[THREAT LEVEL: HIGH]
[WARNING: EVERNIGHT CORRUPTION DETECTED]
Leon stopped cold. That name, Evernight Corruption - it was new. Never heard it from the system prior.
"What's up?" Elara said quietly.
"Something's off about it."
The Panther darted off before Kovacs had time to speak. Quick - way too quick for something its size. In a flash it brought down a trainee, slashing through gear meant to keep them safe.
The kid yelled out. Red stuff everywhere.
Class 9 bolted in every direction like animals running from a threat. That's exactly what they'd become.
Kovacs moved in, showing off his C-Rank strength, rocks shaping into heavy gloves on his hands. Yet the Panther struck quicker, dodging most hits while countering hard oddly powerful for something ranked E.
Though he blocked several attacks, each hit felt heavier than expected. His stance wavered under sudden pressure from a beast that shouldn't outmuscle him.
A different kid fell next. Scratches on his chest from claws.
Leon's gut twisted, this had gone way past practice. It was life or death now. Not a drill, but real danger closing in.
Elara dragged the hurt kid back, palms shining soft green while she rushed to patch him up. Yet the Panther spotted her.
It lunged.
Kovacs went for it. Just a beat behind.
Leon moved.
[SHADOW STEP AVAILABLE]
[CONSUME 10 SHADOW ESSENCE?]
Yes.
Just for a split second, Leon floated - no shape, no mass, just void - in the gap where light didn't reach. Right after, he snapped into place behind the Panther, blade already slicing through air.
The blade hit bone. With a yell, the Panther spun fast. Its claws slashed Leon's shoulder, tearing metal and skin apart.
Yet Leon didn't let go. He pushed the blade further in. The Panther wavered, then fell down hard.
[HOSTILE NEUTRALIZED]
[CORRUPTED SHADOW DETECTED]
[PULL OUT THE SHADOW JUICE? YES OR NAH]
The clearing stayed quiet just hurt kids sobbing. Nobody looked away. Their eyes locked on Leon, then shifted to the fallen leader.
Just how he showed up outta nowhere.
"Vale." Kovacs's voice was steel. "What the hell was that?"
Leon got up, holding his hurt shoulder tight. He looked straight at the teacher. Not saying much just this: "I kept her alive. That's it."
That wasn't quick moves. It was… Kovacs paused. Glanced at the dead Panther. Then shifted eyes to Leon. "We'll talk about it. After."
Leon gave a quick nod. Meanwhile, as folks focused on the injured, Elara handled sorting cases.
He put his hand down right where the Panther's shade lay.
And pulled.
The extraction hurt. The tainted energy resisted, searing as it poured into his center. Strange thoughts flooded in beyond the Panther's mind, another presence lurked. A force observing from far away.
A dream
A pale face. Sharp features. Red eyes glowing. Changing a person slowly black veins spread, red tears run down. That's how a Blood Thrall begins.
The vampire looked at Leon - through distance, through moments.
"Interesting..."
[EXTRACTION COMPLETE]
[SKILL GAINED: EYES OF THE NIGHT (PASSIVE)]
[WARNING: FOREIGN ENTITY DETECTED]
[MASKING HOST PRESENCE...]
Leon jerked his hand away, catching his breath. The shadow of the Panther? Vanished. Its body seemed off, flat, almost hollow, as if whatever made it real had been taken out.
"Vale, move!" Kovacs was organizing evac. "We're extracting. Now!"
They sprinted. Leon tripped his shoulder flared, that twisted energy clawing inside him. Yet Elara grabbed his arm, holding him upright.
"What did you do?" she whispered.
"Survived."
Outside the dungeon, medics stood ready. Some class 1 kids looked on, some stunned, others annoyed, a few just nosy. Damian's expression? Impossible to tell.
Leon fell onto a narrow bed. Around him, helpers moved fast. Warm pulses ran through his body.
Yet the harm had already happened.