Lukas was on his hands and knees, groaning in pain, but couldn't have been happier. It felt like red-hot wires were being forced through parts of his body. The pain consumed his whole being, and Lukas immediately knew that this ability would be fundamentally different compared to his first one. With his Amber Eye of the Alchemist ability, the pain had been confined to his eyes since that's what the ability affected. This meant that this new ability most likely affected his entire body, and Lukas just hoped it was worth it.

Eventually, Lukas' glee passed and he was rolling around the forest floor in pain, to the point he wasn't even aware of his surroundings, just wanting the pain to pass. He clutched his chest, feeling like his internal organs were being skewered and melted, only to be reformed and melted all over again. He was covered in cold sweat and was just lucky he hadn't accidentally rolled into the puddle of rotten flesh that had been the Swipe-Swatter's leg.

The pain only lasted for just over a minute before it began to fade, but to Lukas it had felt like hours. As his agony started to pass, Lukas was able to prop himself up on one arm and draw in heaving breaths. He looked around wildly, wiping the sweat from his face and making sure nothing had snuck up on him while he was incapacitated.

Only when he was certain he wasn't about to be attacked did Lukas check the notifications.

You have inflicted [Swipe-Swatter] with [Inferior Necrotic Poison].

You have slain [Swipe-Swatter - lvl 18] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.

Level gained: [Rogue of Night] has reached level 4 - Stat points allocated.

Level gained: [Rogue of Night] has reached level 5 - Stat points allocated.

New ability earned: [Lurker of the Shadows] - Ability: A child of the night, the darkness is your domain. While some might fight their foes head on, it is the rogue that strikes from the darkness that brings the killing blow. This ability allows you to melt into the shadows, becoming one with them. Allows you to travel through connected shadows of sufficient size. Mana cost: Low

Level gained: [Human (Outworlder)] has reached level 11 - Stat points allocated.

Level gained: [Rogue of Night] has reached level 6 - Stat points allocated.

Level gained: [Combat Alchemist] has reached level 18 - Stat points allocated.

Level gained: [Human (Outworlder)] has reached level 12 - Stat points allocated.

You have looted [Swiper-Swatter].

10 [Copper Mana Coins] have been added to your inventory.

5 [Shards of the Trees] have been added to your inventory.

It was a lot. A lot of levels in his rogue class and some in his race; he even gained one in his alchemy class. Lukas hadn't felt the huge stat jump, but that was probably because of all the pain he'd been dealing with.

Lukas' eyes did a quick once-over of the notification and saw that he had looted something he'd never heard of before. He'd looted five Shards of the Trees, and while he didn't know what they were exactly, he had a feeling they were related to essences based solely on the name. He thought the discovery was interesting, but he couldn't be bothered to deal with that at the moment. More important was his brand-new skill.

Reading over the description, Lukas' eyes went wide. It was a classic type of movement and stealth skill. It would allow him to travel through shadows, a typical assassin-type ability. The possibilities were endless, and just the thought of turning into shadows and reappearing was extremely cool. It would also be extremely useful for traversing complex terrain and sneaking up on beasts and monsters.

While he couldn't be happier with the skill, Lukas did wonder why he'd gotten it. Sera had told him that abilities were gained based on actions, and Lukas had only had the class for less than a day. Sure, he had snuck up on the Swipe-Swatter, but that couldn't be enough, could it? Maybe it was because he'd spent a lot of time moving around in the dark last night, or he'd gotten to level five too quickly and just gained some random ability that happened to be this one.

Lukas sure as hell wasn't going to complain; he was just curious. He could've done without the whole soul-rending pain as he gained the ability, but at least that was over now. He couldn't wait to test out the ability and get out there to use it on some beasts. Before that though, Lukas wanted to check the large gains he'd just earned.

Lukas Hellstrand

Race: Human (Outworlder [unique]) - Level 12 Class 1 - Combat Alchemist - Level 18 Class 2 - Rogue of Night - Level 6 Health Points: 793/800 Stamina: 548/580 Mana: 800/800

Stats Vitality: 80 Endurance: 58 Intelligence: 66 Wisdom: 80 Agility: 66 Perception: 57 Toughness: 66 Strength: 53 Willpower: 35 Free Points: 25

Titles: Prodigious Dimensional Traveler, Unkillable, True Heart of a Warrior, Indomitable Worm, Hierophant of the Risen Goddess.

Abilities:

Combat Alchemist Abilities: (Amber Eye of the Alchemist [lvl - 0]).

Rogue of Night Abilities: (Lurker of the Shadows [lvl - 0]).

Race abilities: (Dimensional Traveler), (Tribute of the Fallen), (Steel gut), (Tongue of the Multiverse), (Stranger in a Strange Land).

It was all very impressive to Lukas' eyes, and it was gained in as little as twenty-four hours. The new row with his Rogue of Night abilities was also satisfying to see, and he couldn't wait for it to fill up. For now though, Lukas only had the two, only one of which he could really use at the moment. That just so happened to be his brand-new one, the one he was about to begin experimenting with.

With a grunt, Lukas pulled himself up off the ground, dusting off all the dirt and pine needles that had stuck to him. Glancing around, he found the corpse of the Swipe-Swatter, and his nose wrinkled at the smell. It was no wonder why no other beast had come by—they were all held at bay due to the odor. A smell that Lukas himself readily retreated from as he began moving through the forest again.

As he walked, Lukas went over the instinctual knowledge he had gained as the ability carved itself into him. It was fairly basic, but Lukas understood the ability and how to activate it, which was the most important part. He just had to cycle mana through the new channels in his body and the ability would do its thing. It was an interesting concept, one that Lukas wasn't going to be able to fully understand any time soon.

Instead of trying to figure out how the ability worked, Lukas focused on testing it and getting it to function. Once he was ready to start, Lukas tried the nearest shadow to him—his own. He stopped and stood still, staring down at his own shadow for a few moments, attempting to get the ability to activate. It wouldn't activate, as though there was something blocking it or a requirement that wasn't being met.

Then he realized he'd entered a small clearing, the early-morning sun falling on him with no shadow nearby. It made sense that he couldn't enter his own shadow; if he did that, then he wouldn't be there to create the shadow. He still got the feeling he should be able to enter his own shadow, though. Walking over to a patch of nearby shade, Lukas made sure at least half of his shadow was within the other shadows.

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Circulating his mana and activating the ability, everything compressed in a moment, giving him a strange sense of tunnel vision. It was as if he'd been sucked into the shadows, entering through his own. The wild sensation lasted only a moment, passing as fast as it had come on. When Lukas got a handle on himself, he looked around, stunned by what he saw.

It was like he was in a different dimension or a separate part of reality. Everything around him had turned black and white. The places covered and protected from the sun's light were black or a darker gray. Where the light of day hit was white and lighter shades of gray. The darker spots looked like solid platforms that shifted as the shadows shifted. When the wind blew, branches rustled and light changed, making the darker platforms Lukas stood on move. While they shifted under him, Lukas stood rooted in place, unaffected. The lighter spots on the ground seemed like pits, ready to swallow him up if he got too close. But Lukas instinctively knew that if he entered one of those lighter areas, exiting the shadows, he'd just be expelled from this strange place.

Marveling at everything around him in this strange gray world, Lukas noticed that time seemed to pass a bit more slowly here. He assumed this meant that he would travel faster when moving through the shadows. That itself was a great boon to the ability, as it meant he could sneak up on or run away from enemies much more quickly than normal. Then there was the fact that his aura was slightly hidden while in the shadows; it wasn't a lot, but it would make him harder to detect when using the ability. The effect was made even stronger when Lukas contracted his aura. It was truly a stealth ability.

Fascinated by what he was experiencing, Lukas began moving through this strange world, walking along the shifting platforms. He looked around the place, curious about what it was and what it held. The shadowy dimension was nice—it felt like the night. The environment was cool and quiet. He could hear the things around him, but unless he focused on them, they all seemed to fall away.

Lukas moved through the shadowy forest, getting a feel for this unusual realm. As he went, he kept an eye on his mana, watching as it ticked down one point after another. The expenditure wasn't excessive, but it was a good deal larger than his Amber Eye ability. Still, Lukas figured he could spend roughly an hour or two here before worrying about mana usage.

It didn't take long before Lukas began testing and pushing the limits of his ability. He found out that as long as shadows were connecting, he would be able to pass through them, but if there was even a centimeter dividing them, he couldn't cross. If Lukas tried to jump from one shadowy platform to another, he'd just be kicked out of the ability and forced to reenter the next one.

He also discovered that there was a limit to what he could move through. Lukas was unable to squeeze himself through a shadow that was too thin; if he tried, he'd be kicked out. The limit seemed to depend on whether or not he could literally squeeze through. It was like the edges were poles and he was forced to turn sideways to slip through; if he couldn't, he was thrown out. Luckily, he had always been rather lean and thin, so it wasn't too bad.

The ability seemed to be somewhat limited, only allowing travel through connected shadows and imposing a size limit on the ones he could pass through. These drawbacks did suck, but Lukas assumed they existed because the ability was just that good. There had to be balance with things like this; otherwise, it would be an absurdly overpowered ability for someone at his level. Besides, the upgraded version was probably amazing.

In the course of Lukas' testing, he came across a beast, and learned something else. The beast looked like a mix between a bear and a wolf with mange. The creature's head came up to Lukas' chest, and it was large and strong. Its skin was gray and flaky, with a few stray hairs poking out, but Lukas knew it was actually stiff and hard like an elephant's. The strange creature was slowly lumbering through the forest, using its long, spiky tail to remove its tracks as it walked. Most importantly, the beast was transparent, as though it weren't truly substantial. Lukas knew instinctively that this was a result of his ability—it made all creatures insubstantial so he could be under them and in their shadow.

Lukas also learned that he could not only identify things while in this shadowy state but also apply hemotoxin to his dagger here.

Ursis - lvl 14

Eager to test out the combat potential of his newest ability, Lukas contracted his aura as much as possible and moved toward the Ursis at a run. While within the shadowy realm, he moved even faster, the bear-like creature continuing at a slow, lumbering pace. In a flash, he was under the beast, and jumping out from the monster's shadow, Lukas aimed for its throat. Before the Ursis could even react to the sudden appearance of Lukas' scent and aura, his blade had already cut into its neck.

The beast's thick skin was tough, but Lukas' new dagger was extremely sharp, carving a long horizontal slash in the Ursis' throat. Lukas was showered in blood as the hemotoxin on the blade was introduced to the creature's insides. The moment his opening attack had been made, Lukas jumped out from under the Ursis, readying himself for its retaliation. But instead of a pained and angered roar, all he got was a gurgling as the beast collapsed to the ground, the wound in its neck pouring blood like a waterfall.

Lukas stood crouched in a defensive position for a moment, surprised by how quick the "fight" had been. Straightening, Lukas frowned and pulled up his notifications to double-check the beast's level.

You have inflicted [Ursis] with [Inferior Hemotoxic Poison].

You have slain [Ursis - lvl 14] - Bonus experience gained for killing an enemy above your level.

Level gained: [Rogue of Night] has reached level 7 - Stat points allocated.

It was a little anticlimactic and probably a waste of poison, but a kill was a kill. He hadn't taken any damage, and the kill had been quick but not clean, as Lukas was drenched in fresh blood. It was an assassination if anything; the Ursis probably didn't even know what had hit it before it died. Lukas didn't mind the quick kill, but it didn't feel as fun. Sure, the one-hit assassination was satisfying, but he also liked getting in a real fight, taking and giving blows.

With a shrug, Lukas looted the body before wiping the blood off his face with his cloak. With a few more copper mana coins in his pocket, Lukas went back to wandering the forest, continuing to experiment with his new ability. He wanted to find a higher-level beast, as the ones around here weren't really providing any challenge, nor would they offer much experience soon. He didn't know where to find stronger foes, but he figured that if he walked around the forest long enough, he might stumble across some.

For the rest of the day, Lukas roamed the forest looking for fights and goodies. He couldn't take too much, as he only had a handful of open inventory slots now that he was carrying so much. He was hoping to find some essences or other natural treasures that might be of value. Naturally, he had no idea what they were used for, but he could just sell whatever he found once he came across a town. He hadn't found anything yet, but he still held out hope of stumbling across something.

By the time evening rolled around, he hadn't found anything, but he had gotten in a few more fights and gained some levels. That left him at level 14 in his race, level 19 with his Combat Alchemist class, and level 9 with his Rogue of Night class. The fights he'd gotten in were good, as they allowed Lukas to use his shadow ability more in combat to test its efficacy. He'd done another assassination like with the Ursis, while the other two had been straight-up fights.

Lukas wanted to practice using the ability mid-fight, trying to see if there were any limitations. It turned out he could use it in a fight, employing it to move around the battlefield more quickly and dodge attacks, so long as he was fast about it and didn't fall out of the shadows. There was one downside, though. If a beast or monster knew Lukas was there, it could still sense him and knew where he was. They could attack him while he was in the shadow, doing damage not to his physical body but to something else. He didn't think it was the soul or mind, but something separate. It was like the beast was attacking the channels he used to power the ability, forcing him out of the shadows and leaving him weakened from the backlash.

It was during those times that Lukas began to suspect he was missing something—not with the ability, but with himself. It was almost as if he had some kind of secondary spiritual or metaphysical body superimposed over his actual body. That would explain the "channels" he felt and the mana that ran through him. They weren't a part of his physical body, as no cut or gash affected the flow of mana through those channels. That meant they were a part of him in another way.

Lukas was unsure of how to approach or investigate this second spiritual/metaphysical body, so he could only drop it for the moment. But it was worth looking into, as it had some interesting implications. It was just another reminder that he still had so much to learn about this world, so many questions to ask, and even more he didn't yet know to ask.

Lukas tried not to let the unknown bother him, though. He knew there was little he could do about it now. He'd just add it to the list and ask people once he finally found civilization. For the moment, he was going to get some rest. He'd been up for gods know how long, and he was exhausted after fighting. Before, he would just sit in the lab for hours on end expending no energy, but today he'd been all over the place and active.

After stumbling upon a decent-sized tree, Lukas climbed up to one of the lowest boughs like he had done the night before. He took a moment to get comfortable, sitting with his back against the trunk, wrapping himself up in his blood-covered cloak. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and relaxed, listening to the sounds of the forest and the roars of beasts off in the distance. He would've liked to sleep in the bed, but he didn't want to risk having some beast come upon him while he slept. Not to mention the fact that he'd just get it dirty with all the dried blood he was covered in. It was best to sleep up in a tree, out of the reach of most beasts.

With a yawn, Lukas got settled, and as the sun set on the forest, he drifted off to sleep.

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