I thought about infesting the shadow with that body I gained. The moment I thought so, that body became hazy as if it was going incorporeal, then it went directly towards my shadow like a bolt of lightning.

I felt like my mind was opened up in front of the raging ocean waves. I was like a feather in the wind, pushed up and down with each passing pulse.

The shadow I infested wasn’t like anything I imagined before. I thought it would be a dead form of energy where I could control using that body easily.

But when that body got into my shadow, I realised how deeply wrong I was!

That shadow of mine was like another world attached to me, hidden from me by a mighty wall that was cracked open at this moment.

Immense waves of energy gushed forth from my shadow, trying their best to control my mind and soul. I gritted my teeth and even bit my tongue to resist the unbelievable desire to sleep.

I knew if I closed my eyes even for one second, I’d be gone! I wouldn’t fail! Not after suffering all this!

All I could do was to silently resist and endure. The waves keep crashing at my soul and mind, but I never faulted against them.

I stood erect like a sturdy ancient rocky mountain in front of the tide of time. I wouldn’t let that shadow take control over me. It was my shadow, and it belonged to me.

The more I sustained this, the more I noticed something interesting. I felt after the passage of an unknown amount of time that my soul and mind became much stronger.

It was like I was bringing forth everything I got to resist the incoming energy pulses. But now I could relax a little, spare a few of my power to examine that shadow.

It was like an entire galaxy attached to my body. Its darkness was boundless, yet I could spot few shining dots acting like scattered stars.

Yet I failed to determine the source of that energy at first, and also failed to spot the body I sent inside. The link between me and that body was still there, so I didn’t panic even when I couldn’t find it.

I knew if it was supposed to do something, then it would be going to the source of all this energy and take control over it. This was the only way I had in mind to control such a berserk shadow and put it under my control.

I didn’t know why, but when I thought about this idea, a flash of light appeared at some point in my shadow. At this point, my shadow wasn’t just that small dark line attached to me through my feet.

It was a colossal thing, seemingly extending beyond the horizon, acting as if it was another version of me, a hellish and scary one.

And somewhere at this colossal thing a flash of bright silver white light appeared. I knew once spotting it that it was my other body, and it was ready to act.

It just needed me to think about a solution to execute it. I didn’t know that for sure, yet the sequence of events that happened later proved me right.

That body kept flashing up, seemingly resisting against the darkness of my shadow. Then it started to move.

At first it moved slowly, like it was finding it so hard to wonder in such risky darkness. But after some time, my soul and mind got another upgrade and with this the body connected to me started to roam faster.

It wasn’t heading towards the centre of that shadow, or towards its colossal top that was hidden beyond the horizon. I thought the source of energy came from there.

But when I noticed the direction it was going towards, I couldn’t help but feel more shocked.

It was going towards my feet! Yes, you read it right! It was going towards the area where that shadow got attached to my body through my feet.

Without thinking too much about it, I decided to endure and keep watching in silence.

What attracted my attention was the fact that the higher up system person was all silent. He didn’t speak since I started controlling my shadow, like he was enjoying a good show or something.

Yet what I thought to take not much time for the body to reach my feet seemed to take a lifetime. The closer it got to my feet, the fiercer the energy assaulting my body became.

It seemed my shadow had a will of its own or something. It felt the danger approaching its core and tried to put a final fight against me in a futile attempt to control my body.

Yet I kept enduring and resisting, buying time for my body inside the shadow to reach my feet. The moment it reached that area, a burst of energy appeared as if a mighty clash between the two sides erupted violently there.

I had nothing in my power to do except to keep enduring the shockwaves coming from that clash. At some point, I thought that a star was born in that darkness out of the intense clash that was happening there.

When I thought this would take forever, a sudden rumble occurred. It wasn’t that loud, but the moment it happened, that shining star dimmed as if it was dying out.

The remaining shining light prevailed and extended to cover the area connected to my feet. At this point I could clearly see and feel everything that was happening down there.

It wasn’t just an area, it was like a planet. The ground, sky, even air was there. Its energy was all dark, even when my body started to emit its dazzling silver white energy, it seemed that darkness prevailed.

Without wasting any more time, I thought again about taking control over the source of that darkness energy. My body in the shadow seemed to dig into the depths of that place, until reaching a strange cavity which held a pitch black ball, acting like a black hole.

And just as that body got near it, it was controlled by an irresistible force that sucked it into the centre of that ball. Damn! It was really a black hole!

All the silver white light that body emitted vanished the next moment. It took only one moment for it to disappear, and it even couldn’t put up any fight against such a berserk beast.

Damn! Damn! Damn! What should I do now?!

I felt powerless, frustrated, and helpless when I witnessed what happened. I got no spare bodies of Curasee, and even thinking about finding another gave me an instant headache.

But as I was on the verge of screaming in frustration, a sudden change occurred that gave me hope again.

That piece of land started to quake. I didn’t know how but its quaking moves were felt clearly by my perception.

It was like my body was the one that quaked not that land. It kept doing that for a few minutes before A sudden burst of energy erupted from this point, extending to cover the entire shadow space.

And with that I felt like I gained control over that shadow of mine. It wasn’t a clear concept of control like what I felt with that body, but it was like I could perceive everything happening in that shadow.

I could feel each spot, see through it if I wanted. The first impression I got was an overwhelming awe.

My shadow… It wasn’t just a shadow but a cosmos of its own! It was massive, endlessly able to expand it I wanted. It got energy that made me feel like a dwarf in front of a giant.

“It’s done,” I took a deep breath before exhaling it. I found that all this time I was closing my eyes, and when I reopened them I felt the world was strangely brighter than before.

Congratulations! You gained your shadow cosmos seed

You gained three points of favour with the system higher ups

The system higher up Yonker has a positive impression of you

You gained access to the system higher up Yonker in times of need and danger

Strange system messages popped in front of me. Yet I didn’t care about them. All I understood was that I gained that higher up’s name and favorability. Something that would grant me his help in times of need.

You did it! Bravo! the sound of Yonker came into my mind. Yet somehow it lost a lot of its pressure after what I did.

“Thanks,” I said before adding in gratitude, “without your help, I would have never done it.”

It’s you who showed great tenacity and strong will at such a challenge, bravo! He gave me credit for what I did, and I simply smiled and accepted the praise.

“Now it’s time to merge with the bone,” I said before pondering about something.

Why are you standing still? Start the merge now

“There is an issue I have to consider first,” I didn’t listen to his words, “that shadow of mine absorbed and destroyed the Curasee body I had. So I won’t be able to merge the bone with it.”

The body is gone!

It seemed that what happened in my shadow was shielded from even the eyes of Yonker. It felt great to have my private space, a place where no one else could pry or spy upon.

“It’s gone,” I nodded in confirmation, “so now I have to merge the bone with me.”

This… Yonker got the dilemma I had now. If I would merge with that bone, then all I did so far was pointless. What do you have in mind?

“I think I can use that shadow of mine in a different way,” I started speaking about my thoughts, “I plan to make my body work as a channel, shifting all the energy inside that bone into the shadow.”

That might work provided that your body can endure the first bursting waves of energy

“That’s not the main problem” I shook my head before adding, “that shadow is like a massive place with no physical form. It got my silver white energy without flinching or getting affected by it.”

You are afraid it will absorb that energy?

“That’s the most possible and realistic scenario,” I nodded, “if that happened, then I’d gain nothing in the end.”

Well… Then why not try to make something out of that energy? Yonker said something I didn’t get at first, Like you create your own dantian there. A dantian has the ability to safeguard the energy against anything

“Creating a dantian?” this came out of the blue. It was out of the area of my knowledge, “is that possible?”

Possible yes, but costly indeed and quite risky as well he paused before adding, You also have to put in mind that once building an outside dantian, you’ll doomed to work on it all the time for the rest of your life

“I don’t mind that!” without even flinching, I accepted. “What shall I do?”

You need a dantian seed, I’ll bring it to you but its price is slightly costly

“How much?” I felt my heart clenched when he mentioned the high price.

One hundred million souls and the answer he gave to me was such brutal to leave me all hopeless and depressed, I can lend it to you but you’ll repay me in interest

“Interest?”

Of course you don’t think I’ll lend it to you for free

I didn’t know why but that Yonker was more shameless than that nymph.

But what else could I do? I didn’t have any other options but to accept his offer.

“How much interest are we talking about?”

Not that much… Only one third each one year, with addition of the same amount with each passing half year

“What?!!” It was such a heavy interest. I’d pay one third twice a year then or what?

You have no other way anyway he shamelessly said, Without my help, you won’t be able to finish what you started