Chapter 238: Chapter 240: Shadows, Making Bridal Attire for Shadows


    “`


    After a round of friendly exchanges, Qin Muye came away with a full harvest.


    Acquired: Dead Shadow×10.


    At present, he randomly found a secluded area to start disassembling this group of Dead Shadows.


    Just as he had thought, all these Dead Shadows seemed to be kinds of armors, except there were Leather Armors, Light Armors, and such.


    “That is to say, the awakened ability of a Shadow isn’t something that can be chosen at will, then what is the basis for the awakening?”


    ...


    Like Black Hawk, their Shadow is a huge eagle-hawk, which is somewhat normal, but it’s different for Han Gui, whose Shadow is a pair of daggers.


    Then there is Shan Ta, whose one seemed exaggerated, like a small mountain of sorts.


    Qin Muye had also seen the rest of them transform, and besides these types, there were also Element types, including flames, lightning, and the like.


    Qin Muye further dissected the Dead Shadow, and although it was hollow inside, it was not actually the case. Instead, there was a rich black color, just as unique as a person’s Shadow.


    From the prior Q&A, Qin Muye knew that Dead Shadows could absorb the omnipresent Shadows in the Shadow Realm as nourishment for strength enhancement, they could also hunt Shadow Monsters and take in the Spiritual energy within them.


    He knew there was another way they hadn’t mentioned, which was to kill other Dead Shadows and take the Shadow Spiritual energy within them as nourishment for power enhancement, which was much more than the strength converted from the Spiritual energy inside Shadow Monsters.


    The transfer efficiency between Shadow Monsters and Dead Shadows was not high, whereas the efficiency between Dead Shadows was extremely high, although some loss in the process was unavoidable, and it couldn’t be said that they truly absorbed everything 100%.


    These two peculiar forms of life existing in the Shadow Realm also had a hunger for Energy; although they wouldn’t die from hunger or thirst and wouldn’t perish by absorbing the Shadows of the Shadow Realm, they still suffered from the torment of hunger, mostly sustaining themselves by hunting Shadow Monsters and rarely engaging in fratricide.


    Qin Muye pulled a mass of black Shadow out of one of them; it felt like cotton candy but was accompanied by acute pain.


    Perhaps because his Attribute was high, despite the piercing pain, it was limited to the skin – the layer of Shadow couldn’t break through his skin’s Defense.


    Upon close observation, he discovered an interesting fact: the hand he used to hold the Shadow had blackened, as if it had been dipped in ink.


    Through the Crimson Pupil, Qin Muye could clearly see the particles within the layer of Shadow. These particles were moving rapidly and trying to break through Qin Muye’s skin to enter his body.


    “Interesting, it’s worth a try.” Qin Muye let down his epidermal guard, and the Shadow particles surged in instantly, akin to his right hand being a sponge and absorbing them all.


    “I can feel sharp pain, and it’s also accompanied by an erosive quality. It actually assimilated? Fascinating.”


    HIs right hand visibly turned into a mass of black Shadow that was in-cohesive and volatile. He could control it, though it was a bit painful.


    Qin Muye speculates that perhaps this is why the Familial Faction’s Dead Shadows developed and grew strong—otherwise, would they just end up like these Massacre Faction’s Dead Shadows, amounting to nothing more than a bunch of preemies?


    “Perhaps, to suppress the number of Dead Shadows, history was altered, and the existence of Shadows was concealed?”


    “The massive clandestine military operations throughout the ages may also be aimed at reducing the number of Dead Shadows. If there are too many, hungry Dead Shadows might indeed burst out of the Shadow Realm.”


    “Sealing is fine, but it’s not omnipotent.”


    Therefore, the only solution is to control the number of Shadows, then stir up chaos within the Dead Shadows and support the Shadow Monsters, all of this to keep the Dead Shadows in check.


    “It’s possible that Dead Shadows have shares in the Shadow Administration, and they meddle in the affairs within the Shadow Realm through this channel.”


    Qin Muye doesn’t know much about the world view expanding from the Shadow Realm and its shadows, and neither Black Hawk nor the ten Dead Shadows he caught for experiments can be considered as being from the high echelons—they’re at best middle-ranking.


    Therefore, this information should just be common knowledge. They probably don’t know much more, as it involves too broad an area.


    “It’s actually feasible to make contact with the Shadow Administration. As for using Shadows, we can utilize them, but not the original version.”


    Using the original would mean Qin Muye adapting to the shadow, which would be putting the cart before the horse.


    He wants the shadow to become his tool, not for himself to become food for the shadow’s growth.


    So, definitely not the original; modifications are necessary.


    “In the end, it all comes back to the Shadow Stone—it seems like bait thrown out by the Shadow Realm. If you want to get stronger, you have to hold your nose and swallow it.”


    Qin Muye naturally knows where the key to everything lies—it’s with the Shadow Stone, not the shadow.


    The shadow is merely a medium, not the core key.


    “Shadow Realm husk, huh?” Qin Muye doesn’t know why the Shadow Stone is called this, but the name is undoubtedly meaningful.


    On the other hand, the name ‘Shadow Stone’, which has become localized in the Human Realm, seems a bit out of place.


    “So the first thing is, I need a Shadow Stone, to understand the origin of everything and why this thing is the husk of the Shadow Realm.”


    But obtaining Shadow Stones is not easy. The Shadow Administration or some other major forces probably have them, but these forces keep them well-hidden, and it will take some time to reach them.


    “Alright, I think the Shadow Administration should have made their move by now. Next is to go back, touch base, and get myself mixed into the Shadow Administration.”


    Getting in touch with an official power like the Shadow Administration is an excellent opportunity right now. Other powers might let the expansion of the Shadow Realm entrance slide, but the Shadow Administration definitely won’t. As an official organization, maintaining stability is important.


    The unsealing of the Shadow Realm entrance is naturally a major destabilizing event. They will absolutely come to resolve it; otherwise, what kind of official organization would they be.