Odey's shadow rippled, then something stepped out of it. Its body was entirely black. Two arms, four legs, though "arms" was hardly the right word. One ended in a massive claw, the other in something like a hammer. Its body was hunched, yet that bend did nothing to lessen its height. It stood as tall as Unwan, shaped like a monstrous crab.
Black flames seemed to flicker across its form, while its eyes shone pure white, the only light in that darkness.
— Well then, Unwan, judging by its appearance, what would you call it? What rank? And what class?
Unwan stared at it. Those crushing claws and that enormous hammer, capable, it seemed, of smashing him flat with ease, made his chest tighten.
— An Awakened Predator?
— No. It was an Awakened Beast. Though you could call it Dormant as well. Truth be told, it looks strong, but it's not that impressive. It's slow. And carrying a hammer with that kind of speed? Doesn't quite match. Its only real merit is that shell, extremely thick.
Unwan kept studying the crab-like monster, still unsure what it truly was.
— Is it a Night Mirror?
Odey laughed. At the suggestion, or perhaps a little at Unwan.
— No. It's a shadow. If it were a Night Mirror, its color would be closer to sand. My Blessing allows me to create things like this.
Unwan's body trembled slightly. This was an End Beast–class existence. And not even among the strongest. The thought of what stood above it sent a chill through him.
Sensing that, Odey spoke again.
— Want to try fighting it?
'What?'
'Congratulations on your journey to the eternal world.'
— What do you mean, Captain Odey?
— I mean fight it. I'll give you a weapon. Your goal is simple: don't let a single blow land on you. You have one minute.
Unwan would have refused, if it were a real Night creature. But this was a shadow. Still… perhaps it was even more terrifying than a Night creature. He could only hope his captain would step in if things went wrong. After all, it was his shadow. Surely he controlled it completely.
Besides, Unwan had come here for strength, for experience to learn how to fight monsters and survive.
— Alright.
Odey walked to the edge of the hall and returned with a reddish tachi, handing it to him.
— This isn't forged from pure essence, but it should be enough. About ten percent themir of all. It can hurt Night creatures.
Unwan took the blade and settled into a ready stance. The fight began.
The shadow lurched toward him. It was moving, yet far too slowly to reach him in an instant. Unwan sidestepped and struck at its arm before it could turn. The blade slid uselessly across the creature's armor.
— That didn't damage it? Isn't this supposed to be ten percent?
— Of course. By royal standards. The reason it didn't penetrate is that its shell is extremely hard, and—
A massive black hammer came flying toward Unwan's head.
— You lost.
Unwan jolted. Distracted by Odey's explanation, he barely saw the blow in time. The hammer brushed lightly across his face and passed behind him.
— What…?
Odey gave a small laugh.
— Relax. It can't actually hurt you. It's just a shadow. A shadow can't truly strike you.
He paused, then continued more seriously.
— But first lesson: when you're fighting, don't pay attention to anything else. Don't stare off. That's death. Again. One minute.
Not long after, Unwan lost again. In eleven seconds. The creature had nearly seized him, ready to split him in two with its claw.
— Focus on dodging. Grip the tachi properly. Honestly, we may need to train you separately with the tachi. I can see you've practiced, but you're still thinking about which move to use attack or defense. They need to become instinct.
Unwan stared at him with a little fatigue, though something unpleasant flickered deep inside.
— Fine. What do I do?
***
Over the next couple of days, they trained with the tachi and the shadow.
It wasn't that Unwan's swordsmanship improved dramatically, but he now understood which technique suited which situation. He fought the shadow countless times. Sometimes he simply ran, but Odey didn't count that. When Unwan used his spell, that didn't count either. Only pure tachi combat mattered.
Gradually, hour by hour, his results improved. He learned how the shadow moved, how it attacked. Perhaps he had memorized it through repetition. Now he could last at least thirty seconds. Until this fight.
The claw lunged. Unwan dodged, shifted before the second strike came. A heartbeat later, the black hammer smashed through the space where his head had been. Taking advantage of the opening, he slashed across the creature's chest. This time, a faint mark appeared.
He retreated to the right, keeping distance. As he studied its form, he noticed something, a small detail.
Between its oddly human-like oval head and the stone-like armor of its body, there was a narrow gap. Just large enough for a blade's tip. A weak point.
Unwan widened the distance, then circled behind it. He leapt over the hammer, deflected the claw with his tachi, and closed in on the gap.
At that moment, the shadow flattened against the ground and slipped swiftly back into Odey's shadow. Unwan looked at Odey, confused. Odey met his gaze coolly, masking what might have been annoyance.
— Well done, Unwan. You found the weak point. And because I knew what would happen in the next ten seconds, I chose not to let my shadow remain in such a dangerous situation.
— Heh. Fine.
Unwan drank some water. His body was drenched in sweat. Odey spoke again, now in a casual tone.
— Do you know what day it is?
— No.
— It's the first day of the month. September first. The day we receive our mission. A messenger should arrive in a few hours. Until then, let's go.
They left the training hall and sat in the waiting room. Not just them, Harde, Slor, and even that girl were there. Harde and Slor hadn't formally introduced themselves to Unwan, but he was certain they had asked Odey about him. He didn't care.
A few minutes later, something knocked from behind the wall.