Chapter 22: Ended Before It Began

The commander was about to say something else when one of the shadows near the middle of the group suddenly moved.

It stretched across the ground and reached the feet of another Laughing Fiend.

Before anyone could react, a dark blade came out of it and cut across his neck.

He fell heavily to the ground.

The Laughing Fiends around him froze.

The one standing beside the dead man looked down at his own shadow, then at the body beside him.

"That came from my shadow..."

The Laughing Fiend stared at his own shadow, clearly unsure of what he had just seen.

Another Laughing Fiend stared at him. "Your shadow killed him?"

"I didn’t do anything!"

The commander looked at the dead man, then back at the shadow beneath the Laughing Fiend’s feet. He finally understood what had happened.

The shadows weren’t just moving.

They could attack.

His eyes returned to Ethan.

"You can control them."

Ethan gave him a calm look.

"Looks like you’ve figured it out."

The Laughing Fiends tightened their grip on their weapons and started moving toward Ethan, but the shadows beneath their feet were already moving again.

The commander gritted his teeth. "Kill him!"

The Laughing Fiends charged.

They had barely taken a few steps when several of them suddenly stopped. Their feet wouldn’t move.

Dark lines had spread from their shadows across the ground, wrapping around their legs.

"What is this?"

One of the Laughing Fiends pulled hard, but his legs remained locked in place. Another swung his weapon down at the dark strands, only for the blade to pass through them.

"Get them off me!"

The others quickly moved around them, but that only gave the Shadow Wraiths more openings. A dark figure rose from the shadow of a nearby Laughing Fiend and struck him before he could react.

He fell to one knee and barely blocked the next attack.

"Watch your shadows!"

The warning spread through the group, but there was little they could do. Some tried to keep moving, while others attacked anything they thought was a Shadow Wraith. A few even swung at the strange shadows on the ground, but their weapons passed through them without effect.

Then another group was caught by Shadow Bind.

Their shadows stretched across the ground and pinned them in place.

The battle quickly became chaotic.

They could fight the Shadow Wraiths when they saw them, but the real problem was that they never knew where the next attack would come from. A Wraith could appear from a shadow behind them, while another could pin someone down before they even noticed it.

The commander watched several of his men get dragged into the darkness.

"Spread out!" he shouted. "Don’t bunch up!"

The order came too late for some of them.

Ethan remained on the road, watching his legion tear through the formation.

He hadn’t needed to move from his spot.

The Laughing Fiends tried to fight back, but their formation was already falling apart. Some swung at their own shadows while others tried to stay away from the strange shadows beneath their feet.

Ethan watched for a moment, then ordered the shadow wraiths to bring the essence buffs left on the ground.

"Bring those here."

Several Shadow Wraiths moved through the battlefield and gathered the glowing essence buffs before returning to Ethan.

He crushed them one after another.

[Agility +60]

[Strength +70]

[Constitution +50]

As soon as the buffs entered his body, the effect of One Mind, One Legion activated.

[One Mind, One Legion activated.]

[Agility +10 has been shared with all 800 Shadow Soldiers.]

[Strength +10 has been shared with all 800 Shadow Soldiers.]

[Constitution +10 has been shared with all 800 Shadow Soldiers.]

The Shadow Wraiths moved faster almost immediately.

Shadow Bind spread across the ground, catching more Laughing Fiends before they could react. Shadow Strike followed from different directions, cutting down those who were trapped.

The difference was obvious as the Laughing Fiends could barely keep up.

The commander swung his weapon at one Shadow Wraith and forced it back, only for another to strike from his blind spot. He turned and blocked it, but another Shadow Wraith had already appeared behind him.

"How many of these things are there?"

There was no longer any formation to command. Every attempt to regroup only gave the Shadow Wraiths another chance to use Shadow Bind.

The commander finally realized that the battle was already over.

They had come here with hundreds of Laughing Fiends, yet they couldn’t even reach the human standing on the road.

Ethan didn’t need to fight them himself.

He simply watched as his legion finished the job.

Within a short time, the remaining Laughing Fiends were dead.

The commander was the last one still standing. He looked around at the bodies scattered across the forest, then tightened his grip on his weapon. Blood ran down his arm, but he still refused to drop it.

He looked back at Ethan.

"We’ve been fighting humans for thousands of years," he said, his breathing becoming heavier. "We’ve lost entire groups before. This little force means nothing to the Laughing Fiends."

Ethan watched him quietly.

The commander gave a tired grin. "Even if I die here, there will be others."

"Don’t worry," Ethan said. "I’ll send you plenty of company."

Before the commander could react, a Shadow Wraith rose from the darkness beneath his feet. Shadow Strike flashed across his neck, and his body fell beside the others.

Ethan stood on the road as the system’s voice sounded in his mind.

[Regional Quest Completed]

[Quest: Protect a Novice Village]

[Quest Participant: Ethan]

[Completion Condition Met]

[The incoming Laughing Fiend attack has been stopped.]

[The Laughing Fiend force has been completely eliminated before reaching the novice village.]

[No casualties among the protected villagers.]

[Contribution: 100%]

[Quest Rewards]

[Experience +1,000]

[Reputation + 300]

[Contribution Reward: Skill Book]

Ethan read through the notifications and nodded slightly.

A thousand experience wasn’t bad, and the Reputation would probably be useful later. He was more interested in the last reward, though.

Ethan checked its name.

[Skill Book: Shadow Clone]

"Shadow Clone?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

He had expected another reward related to his legion, but this was different. It was a skill he could use himself.

He took it out from his inventory and simply tore it in half.

The skill book broke apart into tiny points of light and disappeared into his forehead.

[Skill Learned: Shadow Clone]

Information about the skill immediately appeared in his mind.

Ethan looked down at his shadow.

"Shadow Clone..."

The skill wasn’t meant for direct combat. Instead, it created a temporary clone that could take damage in his place.

Ethan nodded slightly.

"That could be useful."

Ethan had already experienced how dangerous this world could be. A shadow clone that could take a hit in his place could save his life when it mattered most

Ethan glanced around the forest.

The Laughing Fiends had come with hundreds of men, yet the battle had ended before they could even get close to the village.

Ethan turned around and started walking back. The villagers were probably still waiting for him, so he should let them know the attack was over.

...

Back at the village, the guards remained behind the barricaded western gate.

The laughter that had been coming from the forest had stopped. The sudden silence made the captain uneasy.

He stood near the gate, listening for any sign of movement.

"The laughter has stopped."

Mira, who was nearby, glanced toward the forest. "Maybe something happened."

The captain frowned. "Something happened?"

He looked at the trees again. The Laughing Fiends had been laughing constantly since they arrived. They weren’t the kind of creatures that simply stopped and retreated without a reason.

"Could they have changed their plans?" he muttered.

Before Mira could answer, a voice came from the other side of the gate.

"Open the door."

The captain froze.

That voice...

He exchanged a quick glance with Mira.

"Was that Ethan?"

"It sounded like him."

The captain stepped closer to the gate.

"Ethan?"

"It’s me, Ethan."

The captain’s eyes widened.

"Quick! Open the door!"

The guards immediately began removing the barricade. As soon as there was enough space, Ethan walked through.

"Close it!"

The guards shut the gate and quickly put the barricade back in place.

The captain turned to Ethan.

"What happened? Where are the Laughing Fiends? Why did they stop laughing? Did they retreat? Did you reach some kind of agreement with them?"

The captain fired off the questions almost without stopping. Then he shook his head.

"No. That doesn’t make sense. They don’t retreat that easily."

The captain finally stopped, still looking at Ethan as if waiting for an explanation.

Ethan understood what he was asking.

"They’re all gone."

"All gone?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean by all gone?"

Ethan gave him a simple, straightforward answer.

"Dead."

They were all dumbfounded by what Ethan had said. Hundreds of Laughing Fiends had entered the forest, yet Ethan had gone out alone and now returned alone.