The Authority Of Shadows

Chapter 153 — The Authority of Shadows

By the following morning, Aether had already chosen a training ground several kilometers from his territory. The surrounding wilderness offered enough space to test his abilities without risking damage to the settlement he shared with the women.

He stood in the center of a rocky clearing and looked down at his shadow.

"Come out."

Darkness spread across the ground as Blackfang emerged first, followed by Ironhide and Grimhorn. The three shadows gathered before him, each displaying its own distinctive presence. Blackfang watched the surrounding wilderness with its crimson eyes, Ironhide stood like an armored fortress, and Grimhorn's six horns reflected the morning light.

Aether had relied on them in numerous battles, but he had recently realized that he was treating his Shadow Authority as a collection of individual combat techniques rather than developing it into something greater.

That needed to change.

He opened his System interface.

[Origin Shadow Authority: Advanced Resonance State]

[Shadow Resonance: 55%]

[Shadow Storage: Unlocked]

[Shadow Exchange: Locked]

[Shadow Evolution: Locked]

[Shadow Command: Basic]

[Shadow Realm: Locked]

[Origin Sovereign Path: Locked]

Aether studied the information. His authority had already developed enough to maintain several shadows, but he had yet to explore its full potential. More importantly, nothing in the displayed information suggested that three shadows should be the permanent limit of his army.

He focused on the Shadow Storage entry.

"System, explain my current summoning capabilities."

The interface responded.

[Shadow Storage allows the host to retain acquired Origin Shadows.]

[Summoning capacity is governed by Shadow Authority, Origin Energy reserves, manifestation stability, and command control.]

[The host is not restricted to a permanent maximum of three shadows.]

[Simultaneous manifestation and effective control depend on the host's current capabilities.]

Aether's eyes brightened slightly.

"So the three-shadow limit only reflects my current stable manifestation capacity, not the maximum size of my future army."

[Correct.]

That was considerably more promising.

Aether had never intended to collect only a handful of powerful creatures. An army offered advantages that individual fighters could not reproduce. Scouts could search vast territories, soldiers could overwhelm groups of enemies, specialized shadows could perform difficult missions, and powerful commanders could coordinate entire forces.

He could develop the army gradually without sacrificing his own cultivation.

"Then let's test it."

Aether looked at Blackfang and instructed it to remain nearby. He then concentrated on the darkness around his feet and attempted to manifest another shadow alongside his existing companions.

Origin Energy flowed through the connection.

The ground darkened, and a smaller beast-shaped silhouette emerged. Its form was less imposing than Blackfang's, but its movements were quick and alert. It was a basic shadow manifestation created from a weaker Origin Beast imprint that Aether had previously acquired.

The new shadow stood silently before him.

Aether examined it and then summoned another.

A second silhouette appeared beside the first.

The additional manifestations consumed Origin Energy, but the burden was manageable. His reserves were substantial, and the weaker shadows required considerably less energy to maintain than his three established combatants.

He continued until several smaller shadows stood in the clearing.

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Aether examined their movements. They were not as powerful as Blackfang, Ironhide, or Grimhorn, and their combat instincts were less refined. Nevertheless, each possessed a useful physical form and could follow basic commands.

"Move forward. Spread out, then return."

The shadows obeyed.

Their movements were initially uneven, but they eventually formed a loose line and returned to their positions. Aether could maintain the manifestations without immediately exhausting himself, although controlling each one individually would become increasingly inefficient as their numbers grew.

He recalled the smaller shadows and considered the problem.

A large army needed more than raw summoning capacity. Aether would eventually need a command structure that allowed him to issue broad instructions to groups while reserving detailed control for important targets.

That was where ranks would become useful.

He reopened the System.

"Can my Shadow Authority develop a hierarchy?"

[Shadow Command development can support hierarchical control.]

[Potential command ranks include Soldier, Elite, Captain, Commander, General, and Sovereign.]

[Rank availability depends on the host's development and Shadow Authority.]

[Higher command ranks require greater authority, suitable shadow strength, and sufficient control.]

Aether nodded.

The ranks were not cultivation realms, nor would a shadow automatically become stronger merely by receiving a title. They represented positions within the army's command structure, with higher ranks allowing exceptional shadows to coordinate larger forces and perform more demanding responsibilities.

A weak beast could become a soldier. A stronger, more capable shadow could eventually qualify as an elite or captain. Commanders and generals would require considerably greater strength and proven ability, while the Sovereign rank would remain a distant objective.

Blackfang, Ironhide, and Grimhorn would not lose their importance as the army expanded. Their experience, specialized abilities, and accumulated development made them suitable candidates for leadership as Aether's authority grew.

However, he would not promote them simply because they were his first shadows. Their future ranks would depend on their actual capabilities and development.

Aether closed the interface and turned toward the surrounding wilderness.

"Let's see how well you can work together."

He summoned the smaller shadows again and assigned them simple tasks. Several were instructed to move between the trees while others remained near the rocks. Blackfang acted as the lead scout, Ironhide guarded the center, and Grimhorn covered the opposite side.

At first, their movements lacked coordination. Some of the smaller shadows moved too close together, while others failed to react when Blackfang changed direction.

Aether corrected the formation and tried again.

This time, he focused on issuing broad commands rather than controlling every movement. Blackfang led the scouting group, Ironhide maintained the central position, and Grimhorn adjusted its movements to cover the gaps between them.

The smaller shadows gradually responded more efficiently.

Aether could still intervene whenever necessary, but he was beginning to understand how hierarchical control might reduce the mental burden of commanding a growing force.

He then concentrated on Shadow Resonance.

A faint pulse passed through his connection with the manifested shadows. He could sense their general positions and recognize changes in their movements, although he did not receive every detail of their surroundings. The connection strengthened when their actions followed a common rhythm and weakened when their movements became disorganized.

Aether experimented with adjusting his Origin Energy output, searching for the most efficient way to maintain the connection.

He discovered that flooding the shadows with additional energy did not automatically improve their coordination. Instead, he needed to maintain a stable connection while allowing each shadow to operate according to its own abilities.

After several attempts, the formation became smoother. The smaller shadows followed broad instructions with less confusion, and the three original shadows adapted to their movements without constantly interfering with one another.

Aether checked the System.

[Shadow Resonance: 55% → 58%]

[Shadow Command: Basic]

[Shadow Authority development: Progress detected.]

He smiled faintly.

The increase was modest, but it confirmed that his authority could develop through deliberate practice. He did not need to wait until some distant breakthrough before improving the army he already possessed.

Still, he understood the limitations of his current abilities. The smaller shadows could follow straightforward orders, but commanding a large force through complicated battles would require more advanced control. Powerful shadows would also place greater demands on his energy and authority than ordinary soldiers.

He would have to expand the army intelligently rather than summon every available shadow without considering the consequences.

Aether dismissed the smaller manifestations first, then recalled Blackfang, Ironhide, and Grimhorn. The clearing returned to silence, leaving only the faint traces of Origin Energy in the air.

He examined his System once more.

His Shadow Storage could continue to hold acquired shadows, while his summoning ability would develop alongside his reserves, manifestation stability, and command control. There was no permanent three-shadow ceiling, although he still needed to strengthen himself before attempting to maintain a truly enormous force.

That was acceptable.

He had only recently reached the tenth stage of Origin Tempering. His army did not need to become overwhelming overnight. What mattered was that the foundation of a scalable shadow force was now clear.

Aether turned toward the distant mountains.

The world beyond his territory was filled with powerful beasts, hostile cultivators, hidden ruins, and mysteries he had yet to investigate. Some enemies would provide useful abilities, while others might become valuable additions to his army.

He would not kill harmless creatures simply to increase his numbers, and he would not risk his life pursuing a shadow that offered little benefit. Every acquisition needed to serve a purpose.

His future army would have scouts, soldiers, elites, captains, commanders, and generals. Exceptional shadows could eventually rise even higher, provided both their own strength and Aether's authority developed enough to support them.

For now, Blackfang, Ironhide, and Grimhorn remained his most dependable combatants, while the weaker shadows offered the beginnings of a much larger force.

Aether started walking back toward his territory.

Aria and the others would probably ask what he had accomplished during his training, and he already knew what he would tell them.

He had discovered that his Shadow Authority was not merely a way to summon a few additional fighters.

It was the foundation of an army that could grow with him.

And as Aether's strength increased, the shadows beneath his feet would no longer be limited to three familiar silhouettes.

They would become the beginning of a force capable of spreading across the battlefield, led by powerful commanders and sustained by an authority that had only begun to awaken.