CHAPTER 20: SHADOW STRIKER

"Shadow Striker?" Edward’s thoughts lingered on the words for a long moment.

His first summon had been called Shadow Soldier—a relatively simple and predictable name, its capabilities matching its straightforward design. Then, from the hammer-wielding man, he had extracted Shadow Warrior, a summon that was both larger and stronger. And now, after using Soul Extraction on Selene’s body, he had received a Shadow Striker.

He let the names roll over him, trying to make sense of the system behind the summons and their names. Were there different Classes? Levels? Ranks or perhaps tiers for all summoned beings?

Questions spiralled in his mind, but he had no means of answering any of them. There was only one place where he could seek answers, in the System itself.

He shifted his focus and opened his system window, letting the interface float before his eyes like a translucent slate. He focused on the list of his minions.

Souls Controlled: 2/10

—Minions: Shadow Soldier x1, Shadow Striker x1

Edward’s eyes lingered on the list, taking in the numbers.

There were only two summons in his possession right now. The other two had fallen during the fight with Selene. But he didn’t dwell on the loss.

Instead, his attention shifted to the Shadow Soldier as if trying to pierce through the mystery behind it.

Another smaller window popped into existence, highlighting the first summon in detail.

[Shadow Soldier]

—Type: Warrior

—Evolutions: Shadow Soldier → Shadow Warrior → Shadow Knight → Shadow Commander → Shadow Warlord

"Huh..." Edward murmured, reading the description carefully. "So the summon from the hammer wielder was already evolved..." He frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose that’s because the man himself was far stronger than the other person I extracted the first summons from."

The logic made sense. The strength of the original person dictated the starting tier of the summon. He had suspected as much, especially after receiving a different summons from the hammer wielder, but seeing it confirmed in the system felt... surprising.

His gaze then drifted across the screen toward the second window, the one labelled Shadow Striker.

[Shadow Striker]

—Type: Assassin

—Evolutions: Shadow Apprentice → Shadow Striker → Shadow Assassin → Shadow Reaper → Shadow Sovereign

Edward’s expression shifted into one of mild disappointment.

He had hoped that the summon from Selene’s soul, based on her speed and strength, might have been at the third evolution tier already. Instead, she was on the same evolutionary tier as the hammer-wielding man, despite a clear difference in their strength.

He exhaled slowly and closed the status window.

There was no point dwelling on what could have been. The system didn’t care about hope or expectations. It showed things as they are, and Edward had no intention of complaining about any of it.

The soft crunch of footsteps on dirt broke his thoughts. Edward’s head snapped toward the sound, his senses on high alert. From behind the cover of the trees, the Chief appeared, flanked by two soldiers and his daughter, Aeris.

His gaze swept the clearing with precision, lingering briefly on Selene’s body before finally settling on Edward. He stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Tell me everything," he said, his tone steady but demanding.

Edward nodded and began telling the Chief everything from the start. At the same time, Aeris helped patch his wound with the bandages she brought.

Edward told Chief about the blood he noticed on Selene’s dress and the blood patterns around Ormund’s body. Then he told him about her sudden arrival and their confrontation. He told him everything he could remember, every motion, every strategy, but he refrained from mentioning one particular truth.

He didn’t mention that this was the place where Selene had killed Edward, and that he had reincarnated into the boy’s body. The whole thing was as confusing to him as it would’ve been to them. The questions that followed, how or even why he came to this world, were beyond anything he could answer.

Instead, Edward focused on facts that the Chief could act upon. He described Selene’s abilities, her speed, the fire magic she used, and Aeris’ intervention.

For about ten to fifteen minutes, he spoke, while the Chief listened intently, interjecting only occasionally to clarify minor details. His expression remained grave throughout the whole conversation.

Aeris too remained silent, her pale green eyes scanning Edward carefully, absorbing the story, yet giving nothing away about what she might have seen or felt, as if testing if he would tell the truth or trusting that he would.

When he finished telling everything he could, there was a moment of silence, heavy and tense. The Chief regarded him for a long, measured moment before finally cutting through that very same silence.

"Very well," he said at last. "You’ve handled yourself well, Edward. Thank you for everything."

Edward nodded his head and excused himself.

The exhaustion from the day’s events and the wound on his abdomen pressed upon him like a physical weight. The adrenaline was fading, leaving only fatigue and a persistent thrum of pain along his side.

He made his way back to the village, moving quietly through the familiar streets now bathed in moonlight. Each step brought him closer to the inn, the place he had been staying at. It was shabby, but it was his only refuge for the night—a place where he could finally rest and process the events that had just unfolded.

The door creaked as he pushed it open, the smell of wood and a hint of rot greeting him. He didn’t bother with lighting the lone candle on the floor. Nor did he bother to remove his boots.

He crossed the small room in a few quick steps and collapsed onto the bed, the rough wooden frame creaking under his weight. The cushion was thin and uneven, but it didn’t matter. Exhaustion claimed him instantly, dragging him beneath the surface of sleep as his mind replayed the events of the night.

Just before sleep could claim him, he remembered that he had forgotten to tell the Chief about something Selene had mentioned.

Some form of a Pact.

He lingered on the word for a lone moment before the tiredness finally claimed him and he fell into a deep, and long-needed, slumber.