Published at 25th of May 2026 6:57 am

Chapter 1756 Dark Echo

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There were no celestial bodies in the Shadowmuir.

The passage of day and night was made clear by how dark the sky would get. During the daytime, it would appear grayish-dark. And at night, it would be pitch black.

Judging from the color of the sky in this mysterious realm, it was probably past noon in the material world. Adam had been fighting for about six hours straight. And the shadowkins weren't the only foes he was battling.

This sunless world was home to a type of creature known as Shadows. They were incorporeal beings and hated light. They were solitary creatures and often moved through the lands alone. Like magical beasts, they, too, grew stronger with time.

Moreover, they were extremely aggressive toward outsiders. Perhaps it was their instinct to fight anyone who trespassed on their world. Oddly enough, they were also hostile to shadowkins, despite the latter having a connection with the Shadowmuir.

After hours of brutal fighting, Adam finally found a moment of respite when he stumbled upon the ruins of a town.

He knew this town well.

In the material world, this town served as a direct supply depot for the Union's army. It was bright, busy, colorful, and alive. The streets were always crowded with people, and the scent of meat and bread always lingered in the air.

But here in the Shadowmuir, it was a dark echo.

The town was not bustling at all. It lay in ruins, the streets were broken, walls were reduced to rubble, and a perpetual aura of dread permeated the air. Instead of living people, Shadows prowled through the streets. A twisted reflection of what once was.

Adam had managed to find a relatively intact storeroom. It was small, but it was whole. That was more than he could say for the vast majority of the buildings in this town.

The moment he entered the storeroom, he quickly used his blood to carve runes on the walls, the ground, and the ceiling.

The runic magic concealed his presence from the Shadows and the shadowkins. It also cancelled out any scent or sound that might come out from the tiny chamber.

After he was finished with his preparations and was more or less certain that he wouldn't be found or disturbed, he finally collapsed to the ground, drawing in ragged gasps of air.

Gaping injuries riddled his body. Blood continued to gush out of his wounds, only to freeze and return to its source. After battling the devil assassins for nearly six hours, he was a total mess, to say the least.

Things had gotten so dire that he had to desperately retreat and hide to recuperate. Although he believed the wounds he had sustained and the frantic efforts he had made in his fight had been worth it. As a result, he had been able to take down six shadowkins!

Even though he had received grave injuries in return, Adam truly believed that the trade-off had been worth it. After hours of fighting, he had been able to chip down the devils' strength by more than half.

The remaining five shadowkins, including Rekan, were also similarly wounded. However, they fared far better than Adam. Just being in this sunless world allowed them to heal quicker, after all.

As for Adam, he had to proactively mend his wounds and consume potions. The only silver lining was that he wouldn't have to worry about any blood loss. Because no matter what, his blood always mysteriously returned to him.

And if given enough time, his injuries would heal by themselves. But time was a luxury he could not afford in this dark and cruel realm.

He sank against a crumbling wall and worked quickly. Gritting his teeth in agony, he tore his upper robes. Then he smeared medicinal ointment over his torn flesh. It was cool and biting as it numbed the pain. He then uncorked a vial and drank the burning potion. Then he drank another one.

He didn't even bother with the blood. It crept back on its own, seeping into his wounds and knitting them shut, forming dark and hardened scabs in its wake. Only after he'd administered basic first aid did he retreat to his inner body and studied it with a grim expression.

The magic of the Shadowmuir had seeped deep within him. All this while, he had been keeping it at bay while circulating the Five Elemental Codex. But there had been times when his focus had slipped.

After all, it was incredibly difficult to handle two things at once, especially when one of those things was to battle a dozen Mana Core-level shadowkins forged in the brutal landscape of Hell.

But it was during those few times when he had failed at keeping the Shadowmuir's magic at bay that he learned something fascinating and… horrifying.

Just what the hell have I become? He thought to himself as he subconsciously gulped.

The faint crunching of stones, followed by a distant rumble, snapped Adam out of his thoughts. His first reaction was to hold his breath and check to see if the runic magic that he'd carved with his blood was working.

It should have. His blood was a highly potent material component, after all. So theoretically, it should have worked better than any magical ink. But still, he couldn't be entirely certain. This world was strange, and its natural laws were stranger still.

A tense moment passed.

Then another.

And then…

Boom!

A towering creature emerged from the shadows, the upper half of its body twisting into two muscular and monstrous arms. Then, with strength that betrayed its size, it viciously struck the storeroom where Adam had been hiding.

The sudden commotion drew the nearby Shadows prowling the ruins of the town. From the dust and debris, a figure shot out, his face pale and filled with urgency.

Adam gritted his teeth as he turned toward the Shadow that had just attacked him. How the creature had managed to find him in the first place was beyond him. But it was the creature's aura that made his heart sink.

It was a Shadow at the Mana Core Rank!

Even weaker Shadows had proven to be a handful for Adam to deal with. These beings were incorporeal, after all. So all physical and magical attacks phased right through them.

And here came a Shadow one arcane rank higher than all the ones he'd face until now.

Damn it! He cursed inwardly as he bolted through the maze of streets.

Things just can't get any worse, can they?!

They could.

And they did.

Just as Adam turned a corner, a shadow on the ground stirred to life, and from it, a familiar face jumped out and pounced on him with cold bloodlust.

"There you are!"

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