The extraction process was nothing like Elion had expected. When he'd raised the orc chieftain, it had been in the heat of battle, adrenaline and desperation pushing him through the strangeness of it all. Now, in the cold light of dawn, with time to actually feel what he was doing, the experience was far more unsettling.
Each extraction began the same way: darkness swelling up from his own shadow, reaching out like grasping fingers to envelope the corpse. There was a moment of resistance, as if the soul—or whatever remained of it—wanted to cling to its mortal shell. Then came the pull, a sensation like drawing water from a deep well.
The darkness consumed the body, breaking it down into constituent shadows and memories and stolen strength. Elion could feel the life that had been lived—fragments of experience, skills learned, battles fought. With the first raider, the scarred man, came memories of a dozen desperate fights for survival in the Verdant Forest's depths.
Then the shadow formed. Not the massive, imposing figure of the orc chieftain, but something more modest—a soldier of average height, lean and quick, wielding a shadowy approximation of the shortsword he'd carried in life.
╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ EXTRACTION SUCCESSFUL ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ Shadow Soldier Gained: Human Shadow Scout Rank: Infantry Current Mana Cost: 10/120 Shadow Army Count: 2/50 Remaining Mana: 70/120
The shadow scout knelt before Elion, crimson eyes burning with eternal loyalty. "Master."
Elion had to resist the urge to recoil. It was one thing to command the orc chieftain, a monster even in life. But this had been a man—desperate, brutal, but still human. And now he was something else entirely, bound to Elion's will for eternity.
Is this what I am now? Elion thought. A grave robber? A slaver of the dead?
But he pushed the doubts aside. The village needed help, and philosophical qualms wouldn't stop dire wolves from killing innocents. He moved to the next body.
By the time the sun reached its zenith, Elion had extracted twelve shadows from the raider corpses. Twelve soldiers to add to his orc warrior, forming the core of what the system called his "shadow legion." They stood in silent ranks in the courtyard, a black-clad army that looked like they'd been carved from midnight.
The cost had been severe. Elion's mana reserves were nearly depleted, and exhaustion pressed down on him like a physical weight. The system had flashed several warnings about mana exhaustion, suggesting rest periods that he'd largely ignored. Now he paid the price—his vision swam, his hands trembled, and every extraction had become harder than the last.
╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ WARNING ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ Current Mana: 10/120 Status: Severe Mana Depletion Recommended Action: Rest for minimum 4 hours to recover Note: Continuing to use abilities while severely depleted may cause temporary system shutdown or permanent stat reduction.
"Enough," Mira's voice cut through the haze. She stood in the manor doorway, her expression stern. "My lord, you can barely stand. You need to rest."
"The village—"
"Can wait two more hours while you recover enough to actually be useful." She crossed the courtyard to take his arm, supporting him as his legs threatened to give out. "Come inside. You'll rest, eat, and let your... your mana or whatever it's called recover. The shadows can stand guard."
Elion wanted to argue, but he simply didn't have the energy. He let Mira guide him inside to a chair in the main hall, where someone had laid out more bread, cheese, and—wonder of wonders—actual meat. His stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since yesterday morning.
"Eat," Mira ordered, pushing the plate toward him. "All of it. Kael says that magic-users burn through energy like a forge burns coal. You need food to recover."
"Kael knows about magic?" Elion asked around a mouthful of bread.
"Mercenaries learn all sorts of useful things." As if summoned by his name, Kael appeared from the corridor, looking significantly cleaner than he had last night. "The elf explained it to me once—magic comes from the body's energy, converted through force of will into external effects. Use too much, and you'll burn yourself out. Use way too much..." He made a throat-cutting gesture. "Well, let's just say there's a reason most mages are careful with their spells."
"I'm not a mage," Elion said.
"No," Kael agreed, glancing out the window at the shadow army standing in neat ranks. "You're something else entirely. Can't say I've ever heard of anything quite like what you're doing. Necromancy, sure, but those shadows of yours don't feel like undead. They're more..." He searched for the word. "Solid. Real. Like they're actually alive in some weird way, not just animated corpses."
He was closer to the truth than he knew. The shadows weren't animated corpses—they were the extracted essence of who those people had been, reformed into loyal soldiers. It was necromancy and something beyond it, a power that the system had simply labeled "Shadow Extraction" without explaining its true nature.
Lyssa joined them, her staff making soft clicking sounds on the stone floor. The druid looked tired but alert, her eyes studying Elion with professional interest. "Your mana reserves are depleted. I can sense it—there's a hollowness around you, like a well that's been drained dry."
"The system said four hours to recover," Elion said.
"The system?"
"The... the thing in my head that tracks my abilities." He tapped his temple. "It's called a system. Don't ask me where it came from or why I have it. I genuinely don't know."
Lyssa's expression was thoughtful. "There are legends from the Age of Heroes. Stories of individuals blessed—or cursed—by the gods with unique powers tied to their fate. System Bearers, they were called. I always thought they were just myths."
"Apparently not," Kael said dryly. "Lucky us."
"The question," Mira interjected, bringing the conversation back to practical matters, "is what we do next. Elion has his shadow soldiers, but taking them to the village openly will cause panic. People are already frightened enough."
"Could we pass them off as regular soldiers?" Elion suggested. "Keep them in the shadows, only bring them out at night?"
"Maybe," Lyssa said doubtfully. "Though anyone who gets a good look at them will know they're not natural. The way they move, the way light seems to bend around them..." She shook her head. "Shadows they're called, and shadows they appear. You'd need to keep them well away from anyone who isn't loyal."
"Then that's what we'll do." Elion forced himself to sit straighter despite the exhaustion. "We'll take the healthy guards—Garrick and whoever else can ride—along with Kael and Lyssa if they're willing. The shadows follow at a distance, stay hidden until we need them."
"And what's to stop people from asking where you got a dozen soldiers from?" Kael asked. "Last I checked, Silverwood was broke."
"Mercenaries," Mira said. "We'll say they're mercenaries that Elion hired with the last of the barony's emergency funds. Not ideal, but believable enough if we don't let anyone get too close."
Elion nodded. It was a thin story, but it would have to do. "We leave in two hours. That should give me enough time to recover some mana and prepare."
The others dispersed to make their own preparations, leaving Elion alone with his thoughts and his slowly recovering strength. He focused on the system interface that had become a constant presence in his mind:
╔════════════════════════════════╗ ║ STATUS ║ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ Name: Elion Crestfall Level: 2 Class: Shadowborn Monarch Current Mana: 10/120 (Regenerating) Shadow Army: 13/50 - 1 Orc Shadow Warrior (Elite Infantry) - 12 Human Shadow Scouts (Infantry) Available Extraction Targets: 11 corpses remaining Current Quest: None Active
Thirteen shadow soldiers. Not a large army by any means, but more than enough to deal with a pack of dire wolves. And if things went well, he could extract the wolves themselves after killing them, adding more soldiers to his growing legion.
The thought should have disturbed him more than it did. Instead, Elion found himself already planning how to maximize his extractions, which enemies would make the best shadow soldiers, how quickly he could build his forces to defend not just the manor but all of Silverwood.
Is this what power does to people? he wondered. Make them stop seeing individuals and start seeing resources?
"Deep thoughts, lordling?"
Elion looked up to find Kael leaning against the doorframe, his cleaned and sharpened sword hanging from his belt.
"Just wondering if I'm becoming a monster," Elion admitted.
"Probably," Kael said with brutal honesty. "Power usually does that to people. Question is whether you'll be a monster who protects his people or a monster who devours them." He pushed off from the doorframe. "For what it's worth, I've served both kinds. The second type tends to not pay their mercenaries, so I'm hoping you turn out to be the first."
"That's... surprisingly philosophical."
"I contain multitudes." Kael's grin was sharp. "Also, I'm not stupid. What you're doing is dangerous, and not just because of the magic. You're literally creating an army that only answers to you, that can't be bribed or threatened or reasoned with. That's the kind of power that nobles kill for."
"I know."
"Do you?" Kael's expression turned serious. "Because right now you're thinking about saving a village and defending your barony. Good, noble goals. But what happens when you've got a hundred shadow soldiers? A thousand? What happens when you're strong enough that no one can tell you no?"
"I—"
"I'm not saying you'll definitely go dark lord on us," Kael interrupted. "But it's worth remembering that every tyrant in history started out as someone who just wanted to protect their people. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and shadow armies."
He left before Elion could formulate a response. The mercenary's words echoed in the silence of the hall, uncomfortably close to the doubts Elion had been trying to suppress.
What am I becoming?
The system offered no answer, and neither did the shadows standing silent vigil in the courtyard. Elion was on his own to figure out where the line was between protector and monster.
He hoped he'd recognize it when he crossed it.