Shadow Being System

Chapter 64 - 64

On the night of the fight between Liam and William against Billy Stark and his henchmen in the alleyway, the principal's office lay shrouded in dim light, with only a single lamp casting a faint glow over the polished oak desk. The silence was broken as the door creaked open, and a soldier stepped in, his expression tense.

"Sir," he began, his voice steady but cautious, "I've come to report the incident."

The principal, an imposing man with cold, calculating eyes, leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming against the wood. His face twisted in displeasure. "That boy again," he muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth. "He's interfered with the plan."

The soldier's jaw tensed. "Yes, sir. It seems he… disrupted the situation with the Stark child."

The principal's gaze darkened, eyes narrowing to slits. "And what of the artifact?"

The soldier hesitated. "I questioned the Stark boy, sir. He… doesn't know where it is. I

William nodded, his mind already listing the essentials he needed to buy. Some soul potions would be his first priority—he needed to raise his soul essence as soon as possible. He only had seven right now, which was low for what he wanted to achieve. With everything he had to master, he needed all the power boosts he could get.

Before long, William told his friends he had somewhere to be and wouldn't be back until late. Liam and Gavin exchanged knowing glances, smirking.

As the door closed behind him, Liam turned to Gavin with a raised brow. "Where do you think he sneaks off to every night?"

Gavin replied that "You know how the boy usually goes to the girls dorm every night right." Liam nodded, Gavin continued that "Well with William's good look, he probably has a lot of work to do there." Liam made and understanding expression and nodded.

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Contrary to his friends' assumptions, William wasn't heading to the girls' dorm. Instead, he made his way through the thick, darkening trees, heading toward the secluded area where the chasm was hidden. He tightened his fists, feeling the weight of responsibility settle over him. There was so much to do, and time wasn't on his side.

He had to balance mastering the wind ability, learning lightning, increasing his soul essence, and forming his shadow crystal—all while keeping his guard up against the heretics who wanted him dead.

Before long, he reached the edge of the chasm and jumped down, his eyes adjusting to the dark, mist-filled abyss below. The fog hung heavy, a ghostly blanket over the deep forest. In the center of the chasm, a lake glowed softly, its surface still.

William took a deep breath and plunged into the cool water, feeling its icy grip surround him as he dove deep below the surface. After 2 hours, he resurfaced, rubbing the water from his face as he swam toward the shore. He stepped out, water dripping from his clothes, and immediately changed into a fresh set he had stashed earlier. He shook his damp hair, letting the cool night air dry him off.

As he stood in the silence of the chasm, he summoned the wind ability book from his system's inventory. The white cover shimmered in his hand, the intricate designs winding across its surface almost alive under his touch. He ran his fingers along the patterns, feeling a surge of anticipation. Where did these abilities even come from? he wondered briefly.

But the thought faded as he focused on the task at hand. No time for that now. I have to learn this ability.

He opened to the first page, and almost immediately, a notification popped up in front of him. He nearly stumbled in shock as the system's familiar message appeared.

[Ability book detected. Do you want to learn this ability? Yes/No]

A grin spread across William's face, a thrill running through him. "Looks like I've got a cheat code," he muttered, selecting Yes without hesitation.

A new message flashed in front of him:

[Host is learning ability. 1%…]

He watched as the progress bar began to fill, his grin widening with each passing percentage. This was just the beginning, and he was ready to take full advantage.

Author's Note: Thank you Cornelio_Gonzalez for the gift, I really appreciate it. Your gift is my motivation. Thank you all for reading. Love you all.