Chapter 1033: Feeding the Darkness

The Karven Mountains appeared on the horizon shortly before noon.

Strax and Lithara flew over an extensive range of forest-covered peaks, searching for the caves marked on the map. Below them, an old trade road ran through a narrow gorge. There were signs of abandoned wagons, fallen trees, and bones scattered among the rocks.

Lithara slowed down and pointed toward a slope.

"There. The first pack occupies those caves."

Strax examined the dark entrance between two rock formations. He could distinguish dozens of magical presences scattered throughout the mountain’s interior, along with several creatures patrolling the nearby forest.

"How many?"

"I counted sixty-four when I was here. They may have joined up with other groups."

Strax raised his right hand.

The chains of the Gauntlet of Darkness slid along his forearm.

"Let’s find out."

He descended first.

The first wolf emerged from between the trees before Strax touched the ground. It was an enormous creature with black fur, long fangs, and reddish eyes. As soon as it noticed the two of them, it let out a growl that was immediately answered by other animals nearby.

Lithara landed beside Strax.

"Do you want me to kill some?"

"I do. But leave the leaders to me."

"Why?"

"I want to find out whether the gauntlet reacts differently to stronger souls."

Lithara nodded.

The first wolves charged.

Strax opened his right hand, and three black chains shot out in different directions. Each wrapped around a creature’s neck, violently dragging it to the ground. Before they could get up, the chains tightened and brought their movements to an end.

The gauntlet vibrated.

Strax felt three presences detach from the bodies.

He extended his hand.

The wolves’ shadows stretched, separating from the ground before being pulled into the weapon.

"Three."

Lithara looked at him.

"You’ve already started counting?"

"I want to know when something changes."

She smiled.

"Then I’ll help."

Lithara spread her wings and charged at the wolves emerging from between the trees. Her claws pierced the first creature, while a burst of demonic energy struck two others. The animals fell almost simultaneously.

Strax felt the gauntlet react.

Three new presences appeared within his reach.

He directed the weapon toward the bodies.

The shadows were absorbed immediately.

"Six."

Lithara landed on a rock.

"Are you going to count every single one?"

"Until I lose count."

"That shouldn’t take long."

Strax looked at her.

Lithara smiled innocently.

Before he could respond, a deep howl echoed from inside the mountain.

Dozens of wolves began emerging from the caves.

Strax smiled.

"Now this is getting interesting."

The first pack was eliminated in less than fifteen minutes.

Strax and Lithara advanced along the slope, drawing the wolves out of the caves and preventing them from scattering into the forest. Lithara used her speed to intercept groups attempting to flee toward the road, while Strax focused his attacks on the larger creatures.

With every death, the gauntlet reacted.

Black shadows detached from the bodies and were pulled into it, forming new presences that Strax could distinguish individually.

When the last adult wolf fell, he remained motionless for a few seconds, examining the weapon.

Lithara approached.

"How many?"

"Seventy-two."

"More than I counted."

"Some were inside the caves."

Strax opened his hand.

A shadow appeared before him.

The black wolf had violet eyes and a body formed from dense darkness. Its appearance reproduced the original creature almost perfectly, although it emitted no heat and showed no sign of breathing.

Lithara crouched in front of it.

"It looks more solid than the birds."

Strax nodded.

"It’s stronger, too."

He ordered the wolf to attack a nearby tree.

The creature charged immediately.

Its jaws closed around the trunk, tearing away a considerable chunk of wood before retreating.

Strax smiled.

"It retained its physical strength."

Lithara watched the animal.

"And the leaders?"

Strax extended his hand again.

A second shadow emerged from the ground.

It was a much larger wolf, with two fangs protruding from its jaw. Its black fur seemed to move like smoke, and a faint magical pressure spread around its body.

Strax pointed toward a rock.

"Destroy it."

The wolf opened its mouth.

A blast of dark energy struck the stone, breaking it into several fragments.

Lithara raised her eyebrows.

"It kept its magical ability."

"Yes."

Strax observed the two creatures.

"That means I don’t need to strengthen every shadow in the same way. Some already have useful abilities."

He returned the wolves to the gauntlet.

The weapon vibrated again.

This time, the sensation was more intense.

Strax frowned.

Lithara noticed.

"What is it?"

"Something changed."

He focused his perception on the gauntlet’s internal structure.

All seventy-two presences remained stored, but a greater amount of energy was circulating between them. Part of the absorbed essence seemed to have been incorporated directly into the weapon, strengthening its structure.

However, there was still no sign that it was approaching a limit.

Strax smiled.

"Let’s go to the next pack."

By nightfall, all three packs in the Karven Mountains had been eliminated.

Strax sat on a rock, examining the gauntlet while Lithara organized the Guild’s reports. The total number of stored shadows had risen to two hundred and eleven, including the five birds and the Wyvern he already possessed.

Most were Black-Fanged Wolves.

Strax had tested some of the new shadows during the battle. He had discovered that he could summon dozens of wolves simultaneously and command them as a single pack, although controlling each individual separately required much more attention.

He had also noticed that the wolves retained their hunting instincts.

When given a simple order, such as pursuing prey, they could act without constant instructions.

Lithara closed the folder.

"We’re done here."

Strax nodded.

"And the reward?"

"Rogue will confirm the mission’s completion when he receives the report."

"Great."

Lithara looked at the gauntlet.

"You seem satisfied."

"I am."

Strax raised his arm.

"But this still wasn’t enough."

The weapon continued to transmit that sensation of growth, as though it were being fed without ever becoming satisfied.

He opened the folder and found their next destination.

"Let’s pay the Wyverns a visit."

Lithara smiled.

"I thought you’d say that."

The Valley of Ashes was completely different from the Karven Mountains.

The air was hot and heavy with sulfur, and great rivers of lava flowed down the mountainsides. Dozens of caves dotted the rock walls, while winged creatures flew over the region in search of food.

Strax and Lithara landed on a rock formation near the valley’s entrance.

A Red-Scaled Wyvern passed above them.

Its wings spanned almost twenty meters, and its body was covered in red plates that reflected the light of the lava.

Strax observed the creature.

"That one’s bigger than the last."

Lithara nodded.

"The adults here are quite large."

"How many are flying?"

"Seventeen."

Strax opened his right hand.

"Let’s start with them."

Lithara looked toward the caves.

"Without hitting the nests."

"I know."

She smiled.

"I’m just reminding you."

Strax disappeared into his own shadow.

The next instant, he appeared above a Wyvern flying over the valley.

The creature sensed his presence and opened its mouth, preparing a blast of fire. Strax raised the gauntlet and launched a chain directly at its neck.

The chain wrapped around the creature.

Strax pulled.

The Wyvern lost its balance and began to fall.

Before it struck the ground, Strax appeared in front of it and delivered a punch with the gauntlet.

The impact crushed its head.

The creature fell onto a rock formation, sending up an explosion of dust.

Strax landed beside the body.

The gauntlet vibrated.

A presence much larger than those of the wolves began to detach from the corpse.

He opened his hand.

The Wyvern’s shadow slowly emerged, forming a black creature with violet eyes.

Strax smiled.

"One."

Lithara landed beside him.

"Are you going to count every single one again?"

"Naturally."

She sighed.

"You’re impossible."

The battle in the Valley of Ashes lasted almost two hours.

Strax and Lithara focused their attacks on the adult Wyverns patrolling the territory and the creatures that charged at them. The hatchlings remained in the caves, while the juveniles that were not yet strong enough to face the two of them were left alone.

The adults, however, were not so fortunate.

Lithara intercepted three Wyverns attempting to attack Strax from behind. Her black wings spread, and an enormous amount of demonic energy gathered around her hands.

She launched a blast at the first creature.

The impact pierced its chest.

The second tried to bite her, but Lithara dodged and struck its head with a direct blow. The third opened its mouth, preparing a blast of fire, but Strax appeared above it and crushed its neck with the gauntlet.

Three bodies fell onto the rocks.

Strax extended his hand.

The shadows were absorbed.

Lithara landed beside him.

"How many now?"

"Thirty-four."

"And the gauntlet?"

Strax remained motionless for a few seconds.

The energy inside the weapon was increasing rapidly.

The Wyverns’ shadows occupied a considerable portion of his perception, and he could sense the presence of every creature stored within it.

However, something different began to happen.

The black chains moved on their own.

Strax looked at his arm.

A small violet mark appeared on the gauntlet’s surface.

Lithara noticed immediately.

"That’s new."

"Yes."

Strax touched the mark with his left hand.

It disappeared.

But the sensation remained.

It was as though the weapon had absorbed enough energy to awaken something within its internal structure.

Strax smiled.

"We’re getting somewhere."

By the time they left the Valley of Ashes, Strax had absorbed forty-two adult Wyverns.

The gauntlet felt considerably heavier.

Not physically.

Its actual weight remained practically the same, but the amount of energy stored within it produced constant pressure on Strax’s arm.

Lithara noticed that he was quieter during the flight back.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you keep looking at the gauntlet?"

Strax raised his arm.

"The shadows are different."

Lithara moved closer.

"Different how?"

"More organized."

He closed his eyes for a few seconds.

Before, each shadow had seemed to occupy an individual space inside the weapon. Now, however, the presences were beginning to group together naturally, forming sets of similar creatures.

The wolves remained close to one another.

So did the Wyverns.

Even the five birds seemed to have found a specific position within that structure.

Strax opened his eyes.

"It’s as if the gauntlet is organizing an army."

Lithara grew thoughtful.

"Maybe it’s adapting to the number of shadows."

"Maybe."

Strax looked toward the horizon.

"But it’s not finished yet."

The third destination was the Black Jaws Swamp.

The region was covered in thick mist, and the dark water concealed enormous creatures beneath its surface. Strax and Lithara landed on a small island of solid ground, watching the ripples appearing around them.

Lithara pointed toward the water.

"There."

An enormous head slowly emerged.

The creature had black scales, red eyes, and a jaw filled with long teeth. Its body was much larger than that of an ordinary crocodile, and dense demonic energy spread around its head.

Strax raised the gauntlet.

"Let’s find out whether demonic beasts feed this thing differently."

Lithara smiled.

"Finally."

She spread her wings.

The first creature charged.

Strax launched a chain around its jaw and pulled violently, dragging it out of the water. Before it could react, Lithara appeared above it and unleashed a blast of demonic energy directly at its head.

The beast fell dead.

Strax extended his hand.

The shadow began to detach from the body.

However, this time, the gauntlet reacted much more intensely.

The black chains thrashed.

The creature’s residual demonic energy was pulled in along with its essence, forming a dark mass that disappeared into the weapon.

Strax’s eyes widened slightly.

Lithara landed beside him.

"What happened?"

Strax examined the gauntlet.

"It absorbed more than the shadow."

"What else?"

"The demonic energy that was still inside the body."

Lithara grew thoughtful.

"So these creatures can feed it in two ways."

Strax smiled.

"Exactly."

He looked toward the water.

Dozens of red eyes began appearing through the mist.

"Let’s continue."

When the last demonic beast fell, the swamp was covered in craters and large stretches of boiling water.

Strax stood on a rock formation, holding the gauntlet up before his eyes.

Lithara landed beside him.

"How many?"

"One hundred and three."

"And now?"

Strax did not answer immediately.

The gauntlet was vibrating.

The black chains moved slowly, and several violet marks appeared on its surface before disappearing again.

The amount of energy accumulated inside the weapon had increased enormously.

Strax closed his eyes.

He could sense hundreds of stored presences.

Wolves.

Wyverns.

Demonic beasts.

Birds.

All organized within the darkness.

But there was something else.

A deep presence, far beneath the shadows, seemed to be awakening.

Strax opened his eyes.

Lithara noticed the change in his expression.

"Strax?"

He continued watching the gauntlet.

Then he smiled.

"I think we’re finally getting close."

Lithara looked at the weapon.

"Close to what?"

Strax opened his right hand.

The black chains slowly extended.

An enormous amount of demonic energy began spreading around him.

"Finding out what happens when this thing gets full."