The fifth monster nearly killed him.
A gigantic black bear with three eyes.
Its body was covered in natural armor.
It possessed incredible regenerative ability.
Nero fought it through an entire valley.
His sword strikes barely slowed it.
Every wound healed.
Nero finally stopped attacking its body.
Instead, he looked at its shadow.
He remembered Nyx.
Darkness could devour.
It didn't always need to attack the physical body.
Nero reached toward the shadow.
His Darkness touched the bear's.
Then—
He pulled.
The monster staggered.
Its shadow began stretching toward Nero.
The creature resisted.
Nero's expression hardened.
He poured more Darkness into the connection.
Slowly—
The shadow detached.
The bear's regeneration stopped.
Nero's sword flashed.
The fifth Shadow Slave was born.
Nero looked at his hand.
He had discovered another technique.
Shadow Extraction.
Not the complete technique.
Not yet.
But the foundation was there.
