Modret watched the departing figures of his uncles and aunties, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
As soon as they had completely left, his expression transformed into an ice-cold gaze.
'Aunt didn't look particularly happy about the fact that I survived. Based on the expression on her face, it seemed like she was smiling pleasantly, but I could definitely tell it was forced.'
He frowned slightly at the thought but chose not to dwell on it.
'At the very least, I now have another powerful helper who is on the same level as me.'
The idea made him grin. He turned to Axel, who stood respectfully to the side. Just then, his stomach rumbled loudly.
Axel's eyes briefly flashed with recognition, and without a word, he bowed and turned around.
'Young master, I will be back in a few minutes,' he said before quickly leaving the room.
Modret shrugged, knowing that Axel had gone to prepare a quick meal for him.
'Should I use this time to spin the roulette?' Modret touched his nose, hesitation filling his heart. 'What if I awaken multiple low-grade abilities again?'
The thought brought back the memory of losing his SSS-grade ability, and a wave of frustration washed over him.
He swiftly summoned the shadow servant and issued a command. This time, he specifically chose the blue-masked man.
'Since he's stronger, he should be able to capture stronger creatures. As for Xara, I no longer have much use for him. He can be sacrificed at any time.'
Even though ten years had passed, Modret still felt no emotional attachment to the shadow servant. He treated him like a disposable piece in a game of chess.
…
Time passed slowly. Modret sat down for a sumptuous meal with Axel. The dining room was filled with a heavy silence that reminded him once again of his parents' departure. The thought made him reach up and gently touch his scarf before continuing his meal.
After eating, he waited patiently for the shadow servant to return. He had many questions for him, but now wasn't the right time to ask.
He continued pondering what to say…
Eventually, night fell. The air cooled, and the room dimmed, lit only by a flickering lamp. Later that night, Modret was startled awake from his cultivation by the sound of movement.
He opened his eyes wide and fought the urge to slap the person responsible.
'Why are you returning so late?'
The voice beneath the blue mask sounded tense and filled with frustration.
'My lord, I considered the others in the manor. To avoid suspicion, I captured the creatures quietly and placed them in a warehouse.'
Modret rubbed his forehead slowly. 'That's actually quite reasonable, depending on the size of the beasts he caught.'
A faint smile appeared on his face. He rose to his feet and nodded. 'Lead me to the location.'
The blue-masked man gave a nod of acknowledgment, then his figure vanished into the night. His movements were swift, almost exaggerated, but Modret was able to keep pace.
'He's holding back…' Modret observed silently, comparing the servant's speed now to the burst of power he had shown during their earlier battle.
They soon arrived at a quiet warehouse tucked behind a cluster of trees. The area was remote, hidden from the gaze of the manor's servants.
Modret hesitated. 'Could this be a trap?'
He focused on the spiritual link connecting him to the shadow servants. Feeling the connection's strength, he suppressed the rising suspicion in his chest and stepped into the warehouse.
'It seems this servant isn't as powerful as the lady with the blue mask. Perhaps she is his superior?' he wondered. The thought arose because the blue-masked woman had been able to detect the possession of his first shadow servant.
As soon as he entered, a strong metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils. The air was heavy, almost suffocating. Ahead of him lay rows of animals, neatly arranged.
Most of the creatures had broken limbs, their bodies bruised and still. Others were merely tied up, trembling, but otherwise uninjured.
Modret's eyes widened in mild surprise at the efficiency of his shadow servant.
'To think he captured over thirty beasts… and all of them are worth at least fifty shadow fragments each!'
A wave of joy washed over him as he scanned the variety of animals: wolves, deer, sheep, and others.
He gave a short nod to the masked man and stepped forward. In a smooth motion, he raised his hand. Black strings of shadow began to swirl around his palm.
The moment he activated the ability, the eyes of the masked man widened in alarm beneath his mask.
'What? Isn't that my ability? How? How does he possess my ability?'
His heart pounded in shock as he stared at Modret.
'There's no mistaking it. The aura, the form, the mana structure—it's exactly like mine. Even the flow of mana used to control it is identical to my technique.'
'This means the lord possesses two abilities… no, wait. There was that other incident before.'
He remembered the moment when he had doubted the possibility of Modret possessing even a second ability, and now his eyes widened further.
'Three abilities. It could be more… what the hell is going on?'
The man cursed inwardly, his composure slipping away entirely.
His thoughts turned to the Illuminati. A creeping unease tugged at his chest.
'If they don't deal with him soon… he will spell the doom of the entire organization.'
He looked at the cold, unreadable face of the youth, who now calmly waved his hand.
The black strings extended, swiftly wrapping around the necks of the beasts. With a slight twist, all thirty animals dropped dead in unison.
'We should have eliminated him while he was still a child… even if it meant risking everything.'
He gritted his teeth, regret surging through his heart.
Meanwhile, Modret sensed the emotional turbulence rolling off his servant like heatwaves. He simply offered a faint smile, then turned his gaze to the system notification flashing before his eyes.
[Congratulations, you have gained 1,750 shadow fragments.]
[Shadow Fragments: 50 / 1,000]
[Shadow Roulette: 6]
'So many?' Modret inhaled deeply, his excitement barely containable. 'If I could collect this amount daily, I might really get another shot at awakening an SSS-grade ability.'
'No…' His face darkened. 'If I kill this many every day, the forest will soon become barren. These aren't like the smaller creatures that can reproduce rapidly.'
Frowning at the thought, he left the warehouse.
Time was steadily passing, and the awakening ceremony for everyone was drawing near.
Author's note: chapters today came in late, i thought i had set them to upload at the right time. as soon as i realised the error i decided to just upload anyway...