"See you again, Leo," Jasmine said with a smile that made his heart skip. "Don't forget to drop by, okay?"
"Y-Yeah… see you," Leo stammered, then darted out of the store before she could notice his flushed cheeks.
Once outside, he pressed a hand to his face. "Whew… Jasmine… she smells nice." The words slipped out before he could stop them. Realizing he was grinning like an idiot, he quickly shook his head and hurried home.
Back at his small room, he dropped onto his thin mattress with a sigh. "Today's been long… so much happened. But… now I can finally see my goals." His smile lingered as his tired eyes grew heavy, pulling him into sleep.
…..
Morning light crept through the cracks of Leo's window. He groaned, stretching out on his thin mattress, when a sudden flood of notifications rang in his mind.
(Experience point +1)
(Experience point +1)
(Experience point +1)
…
(Your shadow Mor2 has been destroyed)
(Your shadow Mor3 has been destroyed)
Leo blinked hard, still half-asleep. "Huh… what?" He quickly willed open his status window.
…..
Name: Leo Vale
Level: 1 (30/100 exp)
Rank: Exclusive (Demon Lord)
Skill: SSS Rank – Shadow Awaken
Shadows: 4/5
Health: 10/10
Mana: 12/15
Strength: 5
Intelligence: 7
Speed: 6
Agility: 6
Perception: 4
Stamina: 4
Vitality: 4
Stat points: 0
…..
Leo's eyes widened. "Twelve experience points… added just like that?" His lips curled into a grin. "This is sick. I didn't even move a muscle, and I'm gaining experience. This skill's too amazing."
But his smile dropped when another thought hit him. "Wait… Mongmor. The crystals. If he got destroyed too, then…" His stomach knotted. "Better hurry and check before it's too late."
He slurped down a cup noodle in less than ten minutes, not even tasting it, then bolted out the door. His legs carried him across the dirt roads, through the fields, straight toward the mountains.
About an hour later, he stopped at the spot where he had hidden his gear. His eyes lit up with relief. "Still here." The armor was untouched, not even a scratch. He strapped it on in seconds, then dashed into the forest, deeper and deeper until the sounds of birds and rustling leaves gave way to silence.
Another hour passed before he finally spotted Mongmor.
The shadow kobold stood hunched under a tree, his dark figure flickering weakly. His body looked battered, chunks of shadow missing, one arm completely gone.
Leo's chest tightened. "Whew… thought I lost the crystals." He hurried closer, checking every detail. "So? Did you manage to get any?"
Mongmor slowly stretched out his one good arm. Resting in his palm were two faintly glowing crystals.
Leo's grin returned at once. "Two! Plus fifty percent income from yesterday… not bad at all." He patted the shadow's shoulder like he was praising a loyal pet. "Good job, Mongmor."
…..
Shadow Kobold
Name: Mongmor
Level: 1 (29/100 exp)
Rank: Exclusive (Demon Lord's Shadow)
Skill: None
Health: 3/12
Mana: 3/3
Strength: 10
Intelligence: 5
Speed: 9
Agility: 8
Perception: 11
Stamina: 9
Vitality: 7
Stat points: 0
…..
"Gkk…" Leo winced at the numbers. "You're almost out of health. But my mana hasn't fully recovered yet… Bear with it for now, alright? I'll summon you again once I'm back to full."
He then called out two more shadows. "Mor2, Mor3."
The instant they rose from the ground, his chest sank. His mana dropped sharply, leaving only two points. His vision swam, a wave of nausea twisting in his gut.
"Ugh… I'll never get used to this." He clutched his forehead, forcing himself to breathe through the dizziness.
After a short rest, they set out again. The shadows followed closely, weapons in hand, silent and obedient. But after an hour of searching the woods, not a single kobold appeared.
Leo frowned, his steps slowing. "What's going on? Where are all the monsters? Don't tell me we actually wiped them out already." His voice shook a little. 'No way… don't tell me I have to go back to being penniless again.'
Just then, Mongmor raised his remaining arm and waved it awkwardly, trying to get Leo's attention.
Leo blinked. "What? What are you trying to say? I don't get it."
Mongmor made a strained expression, if a shadow could look frustrated, that's exactly what he looked like. Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up with an idea. He crouched, gripped his spear, and began scratching into the dirt.
The lines were crooked and messy, but after a moment, a rough shape of jagged peaks took form.
Leo crouched beside him, tilting his head. "Wait… that's the mountains, right?"
Mongmor nodded firmly.
Leo smirked, tapping the dirt drawing with his finger. "So this ugly sketch is supposed to be us?"
Mongmor gave a sharp nod again, looking surprisingly proud of his terrible art.
Leo chuckled under his breath. "Well, at least I can understand it."
Mongmor continued scratching with his spear, dragging a long line in the dirt. At the end of it, he carved a rough cave entrance.
Leo leaned closer, brows raised. "So you're telling me the kobolds come from that cave?"
Mongmor nodded hard, his head bobbing like he wanted to make sure Leo understood.
Leo's lips twitched. "You guys… why didn't you just take me there in the first place? We wasted an hour wandering around like idiots."
But Mongmor quickly shook his head. Then, right at the cave entrance, he jabbed his spear and drew circle after circle, dozens of them, crowding the dirt.
Leo stared at it for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Ah… I get it. You mean there's too many of them inside?"
Mongmor nodded vigorously again.
Leo rubbed his chin, thinking. "So it's basically a nest… and they've got numbers on their side. Hm." His grin crept back as he muttered, "Doesn't mean we can't deal with it though."
After a moment of silence, he straightened up and said firmly, "Lead me to them. I've got a plan."
Mongmor tilted his head, clearly confused, but obeyed without question.