[ SHADOW SOVEREIGN SYSTEM ]
Nishikawa Hinata ⟡ Human
Lifespan: 18/125
Class: None | Rank: —
Adventure Rank: —
STR 22 | AGI 40
CON 20 | INT 32
MAN 0 | CHA ??
Bloodline ⟡ Shadow God
↳ Rank: Unholy One
↳ Talent: The Extractor Who Evolves Shadows
*Skill: Navigation
Shadows:
• Goblin [Blight]
– Progress until [Hazard]: 7/100
– Ability: Deception [Normal Goblin]
– Ability: Exemption [Hobo-Goblin]
– Ability: Projection [Shaman-Goblin]
…
Hinata studied his stats for a moment, then tapped on the two new abilities:
[Exemption]
[Description: Grants the user the ability to exclude selected parts of their body from specific properties or influences. At higher levels, Exemption can be projected beyond the body, affecting the surrounding environment.]
[Projection]
[Description: You can project your elemental affinity in the form of an attack. Your range and control increase with rank.]
…
With his hand beneath his chin, Hinata read the glowing texts again and again. He could understand what the second ability did, though he did not find it that useful at the moment since magic required mana. However, things were different for the first one.
"Exemption…" An idea immediately flashed through his head as the word left his lips.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he concentrated on the stinging pain in his left rib and tried activating Exemption. A second passed, then another. Slowly, the pain that had been stinging him faded away as if it had never existed.
Hinata opened his eyes. He was still bleeding from his side, and his ribs were still broken, but he could not feel anything.
Honestly, he did not know if this ability was a good thing or not. On one hand, it allowed him to move even after being fatally injured. On the other hand, he knew that without pain, he would become reckless and foolishly brave.
Hinata sighed, relaxing his back against a tree. His hand was still pressed against his wound to stop the bleeding. With the exemption of pain, he was now able to push it even harder without hesitation.
"At least I cannot be tortured now."
Hinata read the last few lines on the status window that showed Exemption before dismissing it. There was no point in thinking about an ability he would get in the future when he had not fully awakened yet.
"Goku, can you watch over me as I sleep?"
The dragon, who was staring at him with wide eyes, nodded slowly. "Sure, I can do that."
Hinata tied his cloak around his rib area after washing off some blood. Once the blood stopped pouring down like an ocean, he rested against the tree again, closed his eyes, and slept.
In his dreams, he saw a vast golden chamber and faces that looked like those of his classmates. His form hovered in the air as they spoke to thin air.
The dream was a strange one, but he was able to get something important from it. Somehow, he could hear the voice speaking to them for just a moment, and it said:
"I am the Goddess of Love, and welcome to the Vaeloria Continent."
Hinata looked around in his dreamscape, and on a golden altar, he could see the continent she was speaking about. It was a flourishing land, and although the culture looked medieval, it also had technology within it.
After staring at the continent for a moment, he moved slightly, and six other continents were displayed. One had a dark aura, one seemed submerged underwater, one was covered in forests, one was underground, and one was a thriving desert city filled with clubs, businesses, and wealth.
However, the one that immediately drew his attention was the last one, marked with a symbol of the sun. The place looked somewhat like the first continent he had seen, but within it was a vast forest with a twisting tree and a mountain on each side.
The moment he saw this, he felt his consciousness being pulled back into his body. Gradually, his eyes opened. The world was dark, and a single ocean-blue moon hung in the sky.
On his chest was Goku, whom he had asked to watch over him, now sound asleep.
His wound was still there, but the bleeding had reduced significantly. Hinata rubbed his temples vigorously.
"What did I just see?" He tried to recall every single detail of what had transpired in his dream. "The Aethelgard Empire…"
He was not sure if what he saw in his dream was real or not, but at least now he had an idea of where he might be.
'That means my classmates might not even be on the same continent as me.'
Hinata felt like his goal had suddenly become a lot more complicated.
From the little information he had gathered from the dream, if he really was in Aethelgard, then he would have to travel to the opposite side of the world to find his classmates.
"Damn it…"
As if awakened by his cursing, Goku's eyes fluttered open. When he saw Hinata already awake and staring at him, he jumped off his chest and flew a short distance away.
"Wait! I can explain why I was—"
Hinata put a finger to his lips. "Shhh… the night is quiet. You might attract something."
Goku immediately covered his mouth with both hands. "You're right."
Hinata sighed. "Hey, how much do you know about this world?"
Goku lowered his hands. "Not much, really. I told you, the reason I exist is because of you. There was no me before you. I am yours and the Shadow God's causality."
Hinata pinched the bridge of his nose. "I didn't ask you any of that."
Goku nodded. "I understand. But like I said, I don't know much about this world. What I do know is that it is divided into seven continents, each ruled by one of the seven gods."
Hinata's eyes widened. 'So the dream wasn't lying.'
"And which continent do you think we are on?"
Goku looked around. "Most likely Aethelgard, the continent ruled by the Goddess of Light."
Hinata pondered for a moment before looking at Goku. "Would you believe it if I told you I saw that in my dreams?"
Goku's finger was in his nose when Hinata said this. He glanced at the young man. "Oh, you saw it in your—" He cut himself off abruptly as his eyes widened, his jaw nearly dropping. "You did what?!"