CHAPTER 291: 291. QUEEN

[Shadow System: Online]

[Host]: Tama | Age: 9 years | Rank: A

[Race]: Blackcat Folk

[Title]: Shadow’s Heir, Queen of the Shadows

[Core Stats]

Agility: 7/10 (Natural feline reflexes)

Strength: 4/10

Intelligence: 4/10 (Street-smart; combat tactics still developing)

Endurance: 3/10 (Short stamina in prolonged fights)

Perception: 6/10 (Excellent night vision)

**

[Unique Skills]

1. Shadow Step

Rank: A

Teleports short distances through existing shadows.

**

2. False Night

Rank: A

Description: Creates an artificial veil of darkness, allowing shadows to exist where light should dominate. The darkness is absolute within a chosen radius and unaffected by normal light sources.

Combat Use: Enhances stealth, boosts other shadow skills, and allows teleportation in daylight.

Limitations: Drains stamina while active; ends if Host loses focus or consciousness.

Cooldown: 2 minutes after deactivation.

**

3. Black Spiral Gate

Rank: S

Description: Summons a massive, spiraling vortex of living shadows beneath the Host, swallowing them whole and releasing them at a chosen location. Two-way for 3 seconds after activation.

Requirement: A stable shadow large enough to engulf the Host. False Night can be used to create one.

Limitations: High mana/stamina cost; destabilizes if interrupted.

Cooldown: 1 hour.

**

Other Skills: LOCKED

Will unlock as Host grows stronger.

**

Tama stared at the floating interface with wide eyes, her tail twitching.

"This... system thing is amazing! It knows everything about me! Even things I don’t."

Curiosity tugged at her. "Let’s see if these skills actually work. False Night—activate!"

The instant she spoke, an inky cloud of darkness burst outward, flooding every inch of the throne room. Shadows writhed along the floor and walls, clinging like living things.

Tama bounced lightly on her feet. "I feel... faster and a bit lighter. It’s like Adrian’s darkness skill that we used during the academy tournament, except this feels thicker... and warmer. Like it’s made specifically for me."

She vanished with a blink, Shadow Step then reappeared across the room, then again, and again. Her vision was crystal-clear in the gloom, every detail sharp.

"This is perfect. If I used this in a fight, they’d be stumbling blind while I danced around them."

Her ears twitched in satisfaction. "And Shadow Step barely uses mana in this darkness. Nice."

Her tail swayed lazily, cheek hairs twitching in excitement until a low, rumbling hiss echoed above.

She froze. Slowly, her gaze lifted... and her breath caught. Two massive crimson eyes, vertical and unblinking, peered down from the rafters. The rest of the shape followed a huge black serpent, its coils draped across the ceiling beams, staring at her like a predator sizing up prey.

Her claws slid free, tail straightening, body lowering into a defensive crouch. But she felt... no killing intent. The serpent’s head dipped, moving with slow, deliberate grace.

"Tama..." the voice was deep, vibrating in her bones.

She narrowed her eyes. "A talking snake? That’s... new."

"You are a cat. And you are speaking. That is ironic. Rin is sad."

Her ears twitched at the name. "...Rin?"

"Rin cold. Make fire."

Tama blinked. "And how am I supposed to make fire without matches?"

"Search firewood. Rin will put fire."

She bared her teeth. "Quit ordering me around! And how exactly are you a giant snake right now?"

"Rin has no idea."

With an annoyed flick of her tail, Tama Shadow Stepped through the ruined palace until she found a kitchen; oddly pristine despite the age of the place. Clean plates were stacked neatly, the counters dust-free, fresh wood already in the fireplace. Could someone be using this old palace? She ignored the lingering question and piled the logs together with some old papers, then yelled, "Alright, Rin. Come start it!"

Rin slithered in, keeping her body low to avoid knocking things over... but still managed to knock things over. A few dishes clattered to the floor before Rin loomed over the fireplace, mouth gaping wide—

Cough... cough, cough...

Tama raised a brow. "Uh... you okay there, smoke machine?"

Puffs of black smoke escaped Rin’s mouth until finally, a tiny flame caught on the papers. Tama immediately crouched down, fanning it until the fire spread to the logs.

Rin brightened instantly, wrapping her tail around Tama in a crushing coil.

"You’re—hrrrk—suffocating me, you big lizard!" Tama choked until Rin loosened her grip. Eventually, they settled by the fire, Tama stretched out along Rin’s massive coils like a queen on a living cushion.

"You have something on your head..." Rin said.

Tama smirked. "My crown. Beautiful, isn’t it?"

It was like a thin halo of shadows hovering above her head.

"Ugly. Rin wants a crown too."

Tama squinted. "...You just said it’s ugly."

"Rin wants one!" she insisted.

With a sigh, Tama shaped a crown from pure shadow and placed it atop Rin’s head. Being a shadow Queen allowed her to manipulate the shadows into any shape she wanted. The snake’s grin was absurdly wide for a reptile.

They talked lazily, the warmth driving away Rin’s cold, until they both drifted off to sleep.

They woke to voices. Tama’s ears flicked to the unfamiliar voices. She shook Rin awake, whispering, "Someone’s here."

Six figures in dark cloaks entered the palace—five female, one male.

"Maybe it’s the bandits," one woman muttered.

"How dare they use our sacred place!" another growled. "I’ll strip their bones and feed them to the wild dogs!"

They stormed into the throne room only to stop dead.

Tama sat calmly atop Rin’s massive head as the snake slithered forward from the kitchen, black scales glistening under the flickering firelight.

When the group of these people saw a massive snake in the palace, and a girl sitting on top of its head, they stepped backwards a little in fear. Then, the young man amidst them suddenly had a realization when his eyes landed on Tama. He immediately adjusted his glasses and flipped open a small leather-bound book. His eyes widened. "It’s... it’s our Queen! Look at her crown—it matches the prophecy! The ruler will be blessed with the shadow crown!"

The women with him instantly removed their hoods, showing their respects and bowed low.

Tama’s eyes narrowed. These people were ordinary catfolk.

"Forgive us, Your Highness," one said. "We didn’t mean to intrude."

"This is a blessing. At last, His Excellence Velsvog has sent us a Queen to guide us to a brighter future."

Tama blinked slowly. What the fuck? Normal catfolk bowing to a blackcat?

Her tail flicked once with curiosity. Oh, she was definitely going to get to the bottom of this.

Tbc