Death… And Me

Chapter 3765: Anger

Roan walked to the end of the tunnel, now having a better sight of the place. Right in front of him, there was a strange realm, spherical buildings floating in space without any visible pattern as far as he could see.

Rean also came out with the shadow kid, asking. "Say, Xian, what is this place?"

Xian didn’t expect that question. "It is us?"

Rean and Roan looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Xian then put his hand on the wall by his side, which merged with it. Rean and Roan saw how the black wall seemed to turn liquid, getting a more ’shadowy’ color before Xian took his hand off, and the black wall went back to normal. "Everything here is us."

Now the twins understood. These aren’t buildings made of some black material. This entire installation was made of shadow beings, just like Xian.

"Wow... were all the things here made of shadow beings like you?" Rean asked, curious. "How did they change into these walls, spheres, and such?"

Xian was about to answer. However, he suddenly felt something and pushed Rean and Roan back into the tunnel. "Quick, hide!" At the same time, a little bit of the shadow energy from his body detached from his chest, taking a cloudy appearance before enveloping Rean and Roan.

Only Xian stayed outside as the twins watched Xian from inside the tunnel. Rean even used his Light and Divine Sense Bending Skill to make Roan and him disappear. As for the shadow energy around them, they obviously could tell it was the same as the shadows outside, but it did not try to enter their bodies, let alone take over their souls. It was also different somehow.

A few seconds later, another shadow appeared, this one much bigger than Xian. Rean and Roan got ready to fight. After all, since Xian noticed Roan’s presence because of his soul, this shadow that appeared will feel them even easier.

Surprisingly, the shadow didn’t even look in Rean and Roan’s direction. ’Did Xian just hide our souls’ presence?’ Rean and Roan thought together.

The newcomer then grabbed Xian by the neck. Suddenly, a lot of the shadow energy that made Xian’s body began to flow into the bigger shadow to the point Xian got close to disappearing. As that happened, it was obvious the suffering Xian was experiencing.

Rean gritted his teeth, and his Elemental Intent Swords appeared. There was no way in hell he would just look at it and do nothing.

’No...’ Before he attacked, however, Xian’s voice echoed inside Rean’s mind, just like it did with Roan before. ’He will leave. Don’t... don’t come close...’

Roan raised his hand, holding Rean in place. Rean glared at Roan, ready to cut Roan’s arm if Roan didn’t let him go. Yet, looking at Roan’s face, he also noticed the frown between Roan’s eyes. In Roan’s case, that was a clear sign that he wasn’t enjoying that experience either... and he only knew the kid for a few minutes.

Before Rean lost his patience, the bigger shadow, which looked like an adult demon beast in humanoid form, threw Xian away against the black wall. The black wall didn’t change into that more shadowy form this time. "Better than I expected. It seems like you managed to hide well for a while to be able to accumulate this much emotional energy."

*Bang!*

Then, the big shadow stepped on Xian’s head, forcing him against the black wall. "But that also irritates me. Trash like you should just give yourself up and tell us every time you get to accumulate something."

Rean almost snapped at that point, but before he moved, another newcomer appeared.

"Fuck! You again, Tissal! How dare you rob my meal? I’ve been keeping my eye on that shit for the last six months, and now it is all gone!"

The shadow who had his feet on Xian’s head snorted. "It was your fault for not acting when he gained sufficient emotional energy for absorption, Calanti. What? Are you going to fight me and take the energy back? Come, come! Let’s see who will end up absorbing whom."

Tissal began to emanate black energy, but it was many times thicker than Xian’s. That wasn’t all, the twins could feel the laws following the shadow, and judging by the laws’ state, that shadow was definitely something equivalent to a Divinity Realm Middle Stage.

Calanti didn’t just watch it happen. The shadow energy coming from his body was pretty much at the same level as Tissal, and he was ready to fight back. His laws, too, were at the same level. No, maybe slightly inferior, but you would still consider him a Middle Stage Divinity Realm. "So you think I can’t do it, uh? I’ve already taken too much of your shit. Today I’ll make you disappear!"

"Hmph!" Tissal wasn’t the least bit afraid.

*Bang!*

Tissal then kicked Xian away like he was kicking trash. Following that, he made his move, his body changing into a shadow cloud that shot in Calanti’s direction.

Calanti wasn’t any slower, and he too changed shape, becoming another shadow cloud that rushed against Tissal.

And so, the battle of two shadow beings started, with dark explosions, lightning, fire, water, you name it. They took various shapes, and so did their attacks, although everything was colored black.

Meanwhile, Rean and Roan saw Xian entering the tunnel once more, barely able to move. His body looked so feeble that he might disappear at any moment. Rean wanted to help, but Xian stopped him. ’Im-I’m fine...’ Xian was actually surprised by Rean’s concealing skill. He knew Rean and Roan were there because his shadow energy was enveloping them. Yet, Rean made it look like there was nothing inside the tunnel.

Then, he passed by the twins, reaching the end of the tunnel that connected to the outside, the same tunnel Roan used to enter this place. He didn’t go out, though. Instead, he extended his hand outside, and it changed into a cloudy form, very similar to Calanti and Tissal.

The mindless shadow beings outside noticed that, and they all rushed into Xian’s cloudy hand. Xian was ready, though. As soon as the first shadow touched it, Xian pulled his hand back, dragging that shadow with him. The other shadows quickly retreated, instinctively afraid of touching the black walls.

As for Xian and the shadow being he lured, the shadow looked to want to escape at all costs, but Xian worked hard to keep it as he absorbed the shadow.

’Something isn’t right...’ Rean said, narrowing his eyes.

As Xian absorbed that shadow, he looked to be suffering even more than when his energy was taken away from him. Of course, neither Rean nor Roan intervened. They didn’t even know how Xian was doing it. If they tried to help, they might actually make things worse.

’It seems like this is the only way Xian can replenish the lost energy,’ Roan commented.

Rean nodded, looking back at the two shadows, Tissal and Calanti. Their fight moved into the distance, neither backing down. They also seemed to have attracted some attention, as other shadows positioned themselves far away to watch.

That seemed to work as a ceasefire for both Calanti and Tissal, though. They knew the spectators weren’t there because their battle looked like a lot of fun. Instead, those around were waiting for a chance to make a move themselves, potentially absorbing Calanti or Tissal in the end.

Tissal faintly smiled, knowing he gained more even though he fought just now. "Well then, I’ll take my leave. You can keep trying if you want, though." Tissal turned around and began to fly away.

Calanti’s anger was sky high, but he didn’t make a move anymore.

Seeing that both Calanti and Tissal stopped their fight, the other shadows felt disappointed, beginning to leave one after another. They also noticed Xian, but seeing how dry Xian was, they understood what started this fight. They didn’t bother trying to take Xian either, as a dry husk like that wasn’t even worth their time. It was always better to wait for the pigs to get fat first.

Once they all left, Calanti’s expression turned even worse, and he turned in Xian’s direction.

*Zush!*

Immediately, he rushed into the tunnel, grabbing Xian by the neck from behind while Xian was in the process of absorbing that shadow from outside. "You piece of shit can’t even stay hidden for a short time. Now look at the humiliation you made me go through? That Tissal will definitely pay for it sooner or later, but for now, you will have to placate my anger."

That naturally made Xian’s situation even worse, as that absorption process looked anything but easy. Well... Calanti truly couldn’t have chosen a worse time to do such a thing...

"How about you placate my anger instead?" Rean’s hateful voice echoed in the surroundings.

*Kabrum!*

An explosion of Bright Red Lightning followed as a pair of Elemental Intent Swords and Scythes appeared out of nowhere. It was too late for Calanti to do anything. Before he could even think, his shadow body was burned into nothing!