Lewis looked at Lundar's decapitated body as he replayed the fight in his mind.
"His fighting style is quite aggressive; it seemed specifically designed to take advantage of the inhuman strength granted by the Sailor's potion... He may have been part of the Mandate Punishers at some point; that would explain how he got hold of the potions."
That fighting style wasn't something that could be learned simply by gaining experience; it had a solid structure and clear fundamentals, like some kind of military fighting style.
As his thoughts wandered, Lewis felt the familiar current flooding his body and filling him with strength, but this time with much greater intensity than before.
"Indeed, Shadow Fragments granted by a Beyonder are the most abundant; it's like the equivalent of killing three murlocs... However, I still feel that I am far from the limit I can collect."
His path to forming another Shadow Core was still far away.
Without another word, he merged with the shadows and disappeared from the scene.
***
Bayam, "City of Generosity"
A tall man with bronze-colored skin moved cautiously through the dark streets of Bayam. As he walked, he suddenly turned into a dark alley, at the end of which were some cracked stairs that looked like they hadn't been maintained in years. Finally, after reaching the bottom of the stairs and walking a little further, he came across a metal door with clear signs of rust.
The dark-skinned man stopped in front of the door and knocked twice, then four long knocks. The rusty metal door opened with an irritating squeak, but the man ignored it as he looked at the person who had opened the door.
It was a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties; his hair was black and slightly curly, and he had clear blue eyes; his face was attractive, displaying the features of a typical Loenese. He was wearing a brown trench coat, and a cigarette hung from his mouth. Upon seeing the tall, tanned man, he smiled slightly before stepping aside and letting him pass.
"Hey, you're here just in time. I've gathered all the information you wanted."
He said in a disinterested tone as he took a drag on his cigarette. The tanned man following behind him frowned at the smoke, but he was willing to put up with it for the information. He had heard from some contacts that this informant was one of the best in Bayam; despite having appeared out of nowhere a few weeks ago, people talked about the accuracy of the information and the speed with which he obtained it; it was clear that this informant had some contacts with important people.
After walking down a dark, damp hallway, they both arrived at what was supposed to be an office, but the cracked and peeling walls, along with the furniture that looked like it was about to fall apart, gave it more the impression of an abandoned place.
At this point, the tall, tanned man began to have doubts. Had his contacts lied to him about this informant? Was it all a joke to make fun of him and waste his money?
But before he could delve deeper into those thoughts, the young informant handed him an envelope that appeared to be quite thick. Seeing this, the tanned man regained some of his confidence; perhaps this would not turn out to be a scam. He solemnly took the envelope and read it to confirm the quality of the information. The further he read, the more surprised his expression became. When he reached the middle of the pages, he couldn't help but exclaim with surprise and some admiration.
"What they said was true; this information is incredibly detailed."
The young informant laughed slightly and replied after taking a drag on his cigarette.
"Only the best for my clients, of course, as long as you have the money."
He understood what he meant; the man put the rest of the papers back in the envelope; he had already confirmed the accuracy of the information. From his coat pocket, he took out a thick wad of $10 bills and handed it to him. The young informant grabbed the money and quickly counted it.
"Oh? I'm not complaining, but the agreement was only for £100."
The tanned man replied with a smile.
"Consider it a bonus for a successful collaboration."
The young informant smiled back and said as he put the money in the inside pocket of his trench coat.
"Clients like you are my favorites; if you ever need information of any kind, you know where to find me."
Once the transaction was complete, the tanned man left the dilapidated office; as for the young informant, he stretched before sitting down on a splintered wooden chair and putting his feet up on his desk.
"Another satisfied customer. You and I make a great team, don't you think?"
Lewis looked at his shadow, who simply stared back at him before retreating to a dark corner of the office.
"Still as weird as ever..."
During these three weeks, he had not only been hunting pirates but had also started a business. Using his new identity as Lewis Constantine and the money he had collected from the Kraken Blood, he had purchased this dilapidated room in a forgotten corner of Bayam at a fairly cheap price. Then, using the ability to separate and see through his shadow, he introduced himself as an informant, gathering large amounts of information quite easily with the help of his shadow, without even needing to put himself in danger. After completing a few jobs in an outstanding manner, word began to spread, and his business was doing quite well.
"Thanks to this, I've also learned a few things."
He discovered that he could use some of his powers even without wearing the Waver Mask and the Mantle of the Underworld; without them, he was still able to control his shadow, although it required much more concentration and energy on his part, and he could not enhance himself with it, only move it and share his senses.
This was partly due to his inexperience in controlling his spirituality; he didn't even know how to perform Cogitation yet, so his control was imprecise, and he expended much more than was necessary.
"I need to get a book or manual like the ones Klein got when he joined the Nighthawks; I might be able to get it tonight."
Not only had he been gathering information for his work, but he had also been researching the general situation in Bayam, things like the state of the Resistance, which at this point still believed in Kalvetua, and thanks to his research, he managed to find the place where a Beyonder meeting was held. After spying on them for a few days, he discovered the exact times and days when the meeting was held, and today was one of those days.
Leaving his ramshackle office, Lewis walked through the dark streets of Bayam illuminated by the glow of the crimson moon. After walking for an unknown amount of time, he put on a robe that covered most of his features and approached a door at the end of an alley. He stopped in front of it and knocked in the rhythm he had learned from his observations.
After waiting a few seconds, the door opened, and a person, also wearing a robe that covered them completely, handed him a metal mask. Lewis accepted it and, guided by the person, arrived at a large room where there were several people, all wearing robes and masks covering their faces. He looked for a free seat in a corner and sat down, waiting for the meeting to begin. After about two minutes, a man with an aged voice said,
"It seems that everyone is here; we can begin the meeting."
The moment he said that, a female voice echoed through the room.
"I would like to know if any of you have any information about the Shadow Specter."
The room fell into a deep silence, with no one in the room making a sound; it even seemed as if they had forgotten to breathe. Meanwhile, Lewis looked at the woman who had made the request, as she was not far from where he was sitting.
'Well, look at that.'