6 Kage Kurayami (Edited)
"System, why is everything greyed out in the store?
Why can't I buy anything!" shouted Ben aloud, furious at the broken 'System' he was stuck with until the end.
[The System Level is too insufficient currently]
[Most items will be available to Host once the System upgrades]
The System spoke with its cold and monotonous voice, yet to Ben it sounded like mockery.
"Then tell me how to upgrade the damn System!" cursed the young Prince, left wriggling in rage since he couldn't control his body just yet.
[To upgrade, the Host must complete missions the System will issue at random]
[Currently the insufficient age of the Host restricts the application of Missions, Tasks, and Quests]
[Host must wait until they have reached an appropriate age to receive Missions, Tasks, and Quests issued by the System]
[Please grow up quickly Host 😊]
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Ben couldn't solve the puzzle of survive that wracked his mind after witnessing the useless System in action.
Besides offering an insane amount of mental and physical torture like it was chilled bear, only for it to choke the individual to a near death state.
Even if he were a baby right now, Ben felt the System could still offer him some missions to aid in his growth while developing the System Interface.
Something like being cute or not pooping himself for day.
A mission or task that he could achieve and not waste away until the System found him 'suitable' to finally take action.
Up until now, Ben's pent-up frustration was near its peak and ready to implode after repeating the same continuous routine day in, day out.
So, he thought the System would help alleviate the perpetual boredom and anxiety but no, it just told Ben to wait until the age restriction was lifted.
Ben couldn't help himself as he continued to curse at the System for the injustice of being bound to do nothing but sit and wait.
A small part of Ben wanted to cry out aloud, but he stopped due to his strong mental will that saved helped survive the painful torture inflicted by the System.
Not only that, but the System also spoke up with a useful thought which aided in calming Ben's anxiety and aggression.
[System would advise Host to use the issued Welcome Gift!]
[Other than the egg of the Manticore Creature, the other two issued gifts can be utilised immediately!]
"But most of the store is locked anyway.
How can I choose a Special Forces unit or a Master of Skills?
Unless the System has preselected choices set up… which I pray you don't."
One thing Ben knew deep down like it was a subconscious thought of its own was to have control over his own choices.
Even if the selections weren't vast enough, Ben still preferred his own choice than something being forced upon him if he could help it.
Luckily for Ben, the System wasn't entirely useless and broken in this moment.
[System would like to remind Host the System interface and database is still quite damaged but certain choices are available to the Host]
[Currently there are three choices for both the Special Forces Unit and the Masters of Skill]
[System recommends Host go ahead with System's preferred choice for Special Forces Unit and the Masters of Skill]
[System strongly recommends Host follows along with Personal Training Development schedule that'll be provided to Host upon selection of Master of Skill and Special Forces Unit]
"…*Sigh* If you can explain the reasoning behind it, then I'll accept your choice.
Otherwise show me the other options."
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..
…
[Understood, the recommended choices are:
[Special Forces Unit]:
[Shadow Force]
- [Host will receive the ability to manipulate and control the Shadow Energy Source]
- [Members of the Shadow Force will be loyal to the Host upon calling them for duty]
- [The existence of every member part of the Shadow Force is formed together through endless Shadows]
- [The Shadow Force can gather strength from Darkness and Shadows from their position as an Energy Source for replenishment]
- [To achieve the maximum potential of the Shadow Force, it is advised to employ them at night or in area with minimum sunlight]
- [Their clear weakness is Light (Subject to Host Level and Power)
Abilities - <Error >]
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[Master of Skills]
[Master of Shadows]
- [Host will receive the sworn allegiance of a Master of Shadows]
- [As the name suggests, they have complete mastery and control over the Shadow Energy Source, gifting them many different abilities and skills]
- [The Master of Shadows can help the Host develop and train in the rare artform of Shadows, while educating the appropriate method to practise the Shadows Energy Source]
- [Master of Shadows can oversee the management of the Host's Shadow Force if requested by the Host]
- [Master of Shadows can grow and develop their skills and abilities through experiencing life and its perils]
- Abilities - <Error >]
…
..
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[Other Choices]:
[Special Forces Unit]
[Legion of Wrights]
- [1,000 Master Craftsmen, who are knowledgeable in all crafts from blacksmithing, masonry, carpentry, tailoring and much more!]
- [They will provide their sworn allegiance to the Host after his abilities reach Master Craftsman]
- [Master of Trades can manage the Legion in the Hosts case]
[Knights of a 1000 Handles]
- [1,000 Knights proficient in all swords, spears, shields, siege weapons, and more]
- [They are all capable Knights part of an Order that emphasises skill and mastery above all else when it comes to weapons]
- [They will provide their sworn allegiance to the Host after his abilities reach Mastery of Armaments]
- [Master of Armaments can manage the Legion in the Hosts case]
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[Master of Skills]
[Master of Trades]
- [Host will receive the sworn allegiance of a Master of Trades]
- [Master of Trades is trained extensively in the art of all crafts, making them capable of constructing all sorts of magnificent items and structures at a whim]
- [Master of Trades will be responsible in educating Host in all crafts to the point they are able to manage the Legion of Wrights and gain their sworn allegiance]
- [Master of Trades can be tasked as foreman of the Legion of Wrights while Host completes education]
[Master of Armaments]
- [Host will receive the sworn allegiance of a Master of Armaments]
- [Master of Armaments will have extensive knowledge and abilities in relation to all weapons and their strengths in combat
- [Master of Armaments will be able to train and develop Host's proficiency in all weapons
- [Training will enhance Host's Strength to eventually lead above the Knights of a 1000 Handles and gain their sworn allegiance]
- [Master of Armaments can lead as Grand Commander of the Knights of a 1000 Handles until the Host is prepared]
- [During times of combat, Master of Armaments will command Host in the battlefield if they have not achieved Grand Commander status]
…
..
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Ben didn't even think twice before confirming the recommended choices over the others.
Rather overjoyed by the recommended choices by the System, Ben felt a moment of relief that things were finally going his way.
When Ben saw the description for the System's recommendations, countless methods for their appropriate use for his own advantage and in a broader scale, went through his mind.
Unfortunately, most of its potential wouldn't be unleashed until a much later date, yet Ben knew a kingdom required a strong and powerful military force to keep the people safe and secure from exterior threats.
But Ben wanted to deploy the Shadows Force on internal threats as well if they truly fought and acted as he believed.
He also thought the Master of Shadows education would be unique and rather rare to enable someone to control shadows.
Momentarily, Ben believed having a Master of Shadows serving at his side would help alleviate threats on himself.
The Master of Armament could easily perform this task, as could the Master of Trades, but Ben realised the enemies wouldn't be prepared for someone like a Master of Shadows.
Not just that, the Knights and Legion would not serve Ben's interests until he achieved Mastery of their respective fields of expertise.
Another worry Ben had deep down was of the Knights leaving to join another Order if he took too long in achieving his Mastery of Armaments.
The same problem plagued him when he considered the Legion of Wrights, afraid they would leave for another part of the Kros Empire or further away.
At worst, if either force ended up with his enemies, Ben knew it would be the end for him and those like Alfred, Liz, Agatha, and the Withering Roses Adventurer Party.
However, the Shadows would swear their loyalty from the start after being summoned.
Not exactly sure about the summoning part, Ben still upheld his gut belief that the Shadows Force would end up helping him to a greater sense than the other two for a time.
Another part of the decision-making process was finding which of the choices would have a greater effect on himself and those close by.
Master of Armament and Master of Trade might offer strength building and proficiency with weapons, it was brute power at the end of the day.
Whereas the Master of Shadows supplied Ben with the affinity to practise the Shadows Energy Source.
All the thoughts on the choices and plans for the future finally weighed down heavily on the little Prince's mind, leading him to falling asleep in his mother's arms.
By the time Ben awoke, he noticed a unique change in his visual perception of the environment.
He felt and sensed the faint energy coming from the darkness formed from shadows of trees, plants, and even the carriage and horses.
Yet the faint energy floating around was uncontrollable from what Ben could see and notice after a while of failed experiments.
Ben realised it was a fool's errand to think he could automatically find himself wielding the Shadows Energy Source effortlessly.
From his faint senses alone and what Ben could see with his own two eyes, there was plenty of untapped energy swirling in the pockets of darkness from the shadows.
It confirmed to Ben that a Master was required to truly control and absorb the free-flowing energy all around him.
Some of the energy in the vast shadows behaved differently, much like water and oil, so Ben began to understand there was much more to the Shadows Energy Source than what he originally thought.
It went back to his lack of knowledge related to the field, which required a suitable educator, and in Ben's case, the Master of Shadows would be that very individual.
Besides the questions on his mind, Ben's imagination was running wild at the possible methods of implementing his Shadow Energy right now and in the future, but he lacked the training and knowledge of the shadows to truly know if the Shadows could be manipulated in such unique ways.
While he failed to control the Shadow Energy around him to experiment with, Ben was far too focused on his enhanced senses to notice a small commotion occurred in the rashly built campsite.
A while earlier, Lue walked away from the campsite in a rather grumpy mood after losing out on staying back and left to patrol the surroundings.
Lue wanted to stay back and rest after driving the carriage for the last few hours, which left him exhausted, but he drew the smallest stick and found himself walking around the campsite.
The sun was setting in the horizon, leaving Lue with no choice but to examine the environment around the campsite for Bandits, Beasts, or worse, a Monster incapable of being killed without sustaining great losses.
Yet as Lue walked around, his mind drifted to thinking about the food young Agatha would prepare for dinner.
He remembered how Agatha ran over to him in the morning with a wooden bowl full of porridge and foraged fruits for breakfast.
Never once did Lue have indecent thoughts about Agatha, rather he missed his own daughter waiting for him at home and today would be the last stretch before they arrived at Alynthn.
Her bright and innocent smile reminded Lue of his daughter back home, waiting for his return.
All that was going through his mind was getting home to hug his dear daughter and never letting her go.
Lue was too indulged in his thoughts that his focus on the surroundings was all but gone, leaving plenty of gaps in his defence.
As he stumbled around, daydreaming about his daughter and the cute little Agatha doing her best to make nutritious meals for everyone, Lue did not pay any attention to the person that randomly greeted him out of the blue.
.
"Hello there…"
"Heya there… buddy…"
Lue replied uncaringly as he continued for a couple paces before realising his mistake.
"WAIT…FUCK!?!
How the hell did you get here?!
Wait!! I mean who are you?!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping the others would realise that trouble appeared as Lue looked straight ahead at the black cloaked man.
On edge and worried for his own safety as well as those back at the campsite, Lue drew his sword just in case of a sudden attack.
Yet the other party appeared far too calm for his liking, which further intensified the terror Lue experienced.
Worst of all, Lue couldn't get a reading on the guy, making it even harder to deal with the dark hooded man.
It was difficult to even make out the appearance of the cloaked man, leaving Lue with only one option to move back slowly without causing any concern for a sudden close-range attack.
Yet as Lue shuffled back, he swore to himself the cloaked man grinned slyly, like they were expecting Lue to move back foolishly.
Cold chills ran down Lue's spine, while the sly smile carried a suppressive aura that made it difficult for the veteran Adventurer to breathe through the fearful current.
Standing alone and petrified by fear aroused by the cloaked man, Lue wasn't able to notice someone creeping up behind him, only to place they hands on his shoulder.
Lue let out a shrill of a scream loud enough to rival the temper tantrums of the little Prince, as he turned abruptly to see who the assistant was behind him.
To his surprise and delight it happened to be a dear friend who'd come over after hearing his earlier shouts from the campsite.
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"What the hell are you screaming on about Lue?!"
Shouted Allat, who looked deeply at his dear friend after racing over from the border of the campsite the moment he heard Lue shouting.
When Allat heard Lue's childish screams, he sped up the pace, afraid his brother in arms was being attacked by an assailant.
Struggling to even say a single word, Lue spoke with a slight stutter from the shock still afflicting his mind and body, "T-There was this cloaked guy just over there!"
Still facing Allat, Lue pointed to the spot where the dark cloaked man stood, "This guy just popped up out of nowhere!
And his smile… the damn smile to send cold sweat down my back without uttering a word…"
Allat wanted to interrupt, but Lue continued on as if his life depended on it, "I swear, if I didn't move away in time, the man would have crushed the life out of my body with his bare hands before I could blink my damn eyes…
*Sigh* Honestly, we need to move fast and get the hell out of these woods now!" Lue shouted, frantically grabbing a hold of Allat.
"Let's move fast and warn the others as quickly as possible before the silent 'Reaper of Death' comes again!"
Lue propelled himself forward with Allat right beside him, only to find he'd been stopped by Allat, who looked back at him with concerned eyes and an expression of heightened senses.
"Hold on…
First off, who are you talking about?
You're pointing to no one." Allat watched Lue swing his head around to the area he pointed to before only to find no one standing there.
The dark cloaked man was gone, leaving Lue questioning himself if he really saw the unknown man.
But soon all misgivings were cleared up the second a gentle and soothing voice entered the ears of Allat and Lue, freezing them cold where they stood side by side.
"Hello there…"
Unlike Lue who screamed at the very top of his lungs, Allat only shouted for a second, before strengthening his will to not show any fear or worry in front of the unknown.
He quickly controlled his emotions before going on the defensive stance as he turned to face the suspicious man greeting them.
Allat gazed at the mysterious foe who stood a couple metres away, having moved away from the spot Lue believed the cloaked man to standing at.
Suddenly, Allat sensed the Stranger grinned under the hood, encasing the veteran Adventurer into the same dreadful fear Lue was earlier doused in.
Yet there was a slight difference, with the mysterious man adding a bit of his murderous aura to increase the pressure befalling Allat and Lue.
The oppressive nature of the adjusted fear suppressing Allat and Lue made him the two understand their survival was near impossible against the Stranger, but it didn't stop either from tightly gripping their swords.
Allat tried to compose himself to face the enemy, however the Stranger simply chuckled at their antics, gazing from time to time at Lue.
Lue's knuckles were going white from gripping his sword tightly, with the blood rushing to his head to keep him steady in the face of the unknown.
The Stranger turned his gaze back to Allat, who at least behaved far more relaxed in comparison to his companion.
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"Before we speak, I have some gifts to present… if you don't mind." the Stranger didn't wait for Lue or Allat's reply and simply waved his hand horizontally across the body to summon dozens of bloodied figures.
Lue felt the urge to hurl his guts up, but since he hadn't eaten anything for some time now, he could only dry heave.
It wasn't his first-time seeing guts and blood, but the gruesome sight before his eyes was unlike anything he'd experienced, even when travelling deep in unknown parts of jungles and forests, rampant with Beasts and Monsters.
Allat on the other hand wasn't concerned with the bodies laid out in front of him, but rather the Stranger and his ability to summon the bloodied figures from thin air.
He remembered noticing dark smoky mist flashing past his eyes as the figures appeared on the ground, which let Allat to believe the strength wielded by the Stranger was far more than they could deal with right now.
Ignoring the figures on the ground, and Lue, who turned away to steady his guts, Allat addressed the Stranger directly without any malice or anger expressed in his tone of voice.
But it didn't stop Allat from releasing his own aura to fight back against the Stranger's oppressive nature.
"Care to explain or will you leave us guessing?" Allat's eyes flickered in the direction of the bloodied bodies and figures strewed across the ground.
There were beheaded bodies with their entrails spilled out onto the ground, while others couldn't be recognised due to the deformities.
"As much as you may think I am here to harm you, I can assure you I am not." Replied the Stranger without being bothered by Allat's release of willpower through his aura.
The Stranger couldn't help but make a mental note of the man in front of him after being surprised by Allat's release of strength.
"Then why are you here…?" Allat struggled to say aloud with all of his will focused on strengthening his aura that fought against the pressure exuded by the Stranger.
"To help the Young Prince of course…"
Mentioning the Prince, caused Allat to be more wary of the Stranger.
His hands tightened around the sword, but Allat wasn't prepared to strike at the Stranger without hostile intent.
Thinking to himself, Allat wondered, 'Is he like the others that came before and attacked the caravan earlier on the trip?
Was he the boss of those fools?'
Nothing that came to his mind sounded reasonable for Allat to believe the Stranger knew the bandits from earlier.
Especially after noticing the clothing worn by the bloodied figures on the ground appeared to resemble that of the bandits from earlier on in the trip.
The Stranger, after not hearing a peep from Allat, chose to speak up, excuding annoyance through his tone of speech.
"Look,… the Prince has certain skills and abilities that others will find strange… and possibly may find themselves afraid of his talent.
It'll end up increasing the stigma around the Prince to be cursed and worse… his position could easily reach the ears of enemies.
Do you wish to add to that…?
Or help end any sort of madness to even let those thoughts form in the first place?" said the hooded man, shrouded in the darkness of the shadows from the overgrown fauna and flora.
"…No… I do not wish that for the Young Prince…" stated Allat with a heavy sigh before continuing, "but I can't let someone unknown to us get too close or near the Prince.
There's already been an attack on his life, so I don't believe it's wrong to stop any and all who wish to meet with the Prince.
After all, I know nothing about you, nor have I seen your face, which you've kept hidden so well under the hood of your cloak."
Allat couldn't care less if he sounded rude to the Stranger because the main goal was to ensure no harm came to the Prince.
"If you desperately want to meet with the Young Prince then you'll follow our instructions and rules without any issue.
For now, please aid my friend along until we reach the campsite.
If are no threat to us, you won't have any issue with a small request like that right?"
A part of Allat hoped to see some sort of reaction from the Stranger, but the man did nothing of the sort.
"I do not mind at all.
I shall be in your care." He replied, moving over to Lue's side to grasp his right arm around the Veteran Adventurer.
Keeping Lue up right was fairly easy, but the Stranger could still see Lue's stomach wasn't settled yet, even with the dry heaving.
Allat took one last meaningful glance at the Stranger before leading their small group of the fauna of the forest and towards the campsite where the others waited for their return.
.
Once the Stranger steadied his grasp on Lue, the two followed Allat to the campsite without anyone saying a word.
Lue focused on himself while the Stranger tried to keep his clothes safe from possible vomit.
Allat on the other hand wondered about the Stranger's words concerning the Prince and his possible strengths appearing due to latent talent.
Over the course of the last leg of the trip, Allat spent more time with the Young Prince than anyone else, even exceeding the time Alfred spent with Ben.
This caused the Imperial Royal Butler to drag away Allat so the two could spend time 'training' when the truth was Alfred needed an outlet for his pent-up frustration.
Even so, Allat's time with Ben revealing nothing unique or special that could match the words spoken by the Stranger.
Only after the Stranger asserted his words regarding the Prince's abilities that Allat considered the possibility of it being truthful.
…
..
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*Ding*
[The Master of Shadows is close by and heading towards the Hosts currently location!]
[Host will receive their first mission!]
[Main Mission: ???]
[Sub – Mission 1: ???]
[Sub – Mission 2: Train under the Master of Shadows until the Host is proficient enough handling Shadows]
[Completion time: ?¿?<Error >?¿?<Unknown >?¿?]
[Goodluck Host 😊]
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…
Ben was being fed dinner by his mother, when the System sent him a notification that he least suspected right now.
After arguing with the System earlier for a mission or quest, it finally delivered, but after reading through the notification issued by the System, Ben realised he couldn't do much right now.
The System Interface revealed nothing about the mission besides training under the guidance of the Master of Shadows.
Wondering how he would train with a baby body; Ben noticed his list of issues with the System grew by the day if not the hour.
As he rambled on about his issues while in Liz's arms, Ben found himself exiting the tent to find Allat, Lue and a Stranger walking over to the campsite.
Just like everyone else, Ben noticed Lue was leaning on the Stranger, and appeared a little sick, which confused him and the others after noticing Lue gripping his sword with the right arm.
For a second, Alfred, and the other members of the Withering Roses were preparing themselves for an attack, believing Lue came across an enemy for his sword to be drawn.
Yet they stopped once Allat raised his hand and spoke up to stop them from moving forward.
"Before you ask what happened and why Lue is being assisted by a random stranger, I'm going to make it clear that neither Lue nor I know of him," this caused a couple people like Zio and Roth of the Adventurer party to wonder how Allat would risk bringing a possible enemy to the campsite.
They didn't speak up or ask anything yet because Allat continued to talk, further pointing out the Stranger, "Nor do either of us know where he came from.
The only thing I do know, is that he wishes to meet the Prince and ensure his training regarding certain 'talents' that may show themselves as he grows."
As Allat finished with the semi-introduction of the Stranger, Lue fell to the ground after being let go of by the man who'd brought him back to the campsite.
It caused the group around the campfire to closely watch the Stranger who'd tried to step away from Lue, yet the Veteran Adventurer grabbed the hem of the dark cloak, holding the man back.
The Stranger didn't want to turn around and break Lue's grip on the cloak as it would alert the others and possibly start a battle between the two sides.
Other than dragging Lue alongside him, the Stranger decided to make his pledge a little distance away from the individual he'd come to find.
Everyone never moved their gaze off the Stranger as he kneeled, bowing his head slightly in the direction of Ben.
Removing the hood hiding his face, the Stranger's appearance caught everyone's attention in the vicinity.
With the burning glaze of the campfire illuminating half of the Strangers face clearer than the rest, everyone noticed the short dark black hair, similar to the Young Prince's.
Though the eyes of the Stranger were just as dark as the hair, making it seem like the pupils contained the deepest depths of the abyss.
Yet his pearly skin reminisced of someone who'd protected themselves from the harsher elements of the environment.
"I, Kage Kurayami, the Master of Shadows, swear to serve and protect the future King and noble leader of this land, till my very last breath...and even beyond deaths final gate of life to another future…"
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The dead silence through the campsite ended by the sound of Lue finally hurling his guts out, spewing violently into the nearest bush.
In between throwing up, Lue screamed to have someone end his life, but instead a member of the Adventurers party rebutted, "You bloody ate wild berries while patrolling, didn't you?
I swear Lue, one day your own hunger will get you killed."
