Shadow Embrace

Tanuj's heart pounded in his chest as he slowly turned to face whatever was casting the shadow over him. His mind raced through possibilities—another wolf, one of the guards, or something even worse.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the shape before him came into focus. Standing tall, its eyes glowing with an eerie, pale light, was a creature unlike any he had seen before. It was massive, easily towering over Tanuj, with a sleek, black fur that seemed to absorb the light around it. Its body was muscular and powerful, its stance exuding both grace and menace.

Tanuj's breath caught in his throat as he realized what he was looking at—a Shadow Wolf, and a much larger one than the cub he had fought before.

"Oh crap," Tanuj whispered, every instinct in his body screaming at him to run. But his legs felt like lead, his mind frozen in place by the sheer intensity of the creature's presence.

The wolf regarded him with cold, calculating eyes, its head tilted slightly as if it were sizing him up. Tanuj could feel the weight of its gaze, every fiber of his being telling him that this was not an opponent he could take on—not even close.

"Okay, Tanuj," he muttered under his breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "Stay calm, stay quiet, and maybe it won't tear you apart."

The wolf took a step forward, its massive paws making almost no sound as they touched the ground. Tanuj felt a fresh wave of fear wash over him. He had to do something—anything—but what?

He activated his Forgotten Eye skill, desperate to get some kind of read on the creature. But the result was the same as before.

DING

[Error: Target Level is too high. Unable to analyze.]

Tanuj swallowed hard, his mind racing. "No good… it's way out of my league. I need to get out of here—fast."

Tanuj's heart hammered in his chest as the massive Shadow Wolf loomed over him. Even though the wolf was heavily injured and barely standing, its eyes still burned with fierce intensity. He had no time to react, no chance to escape. The wolf's gaze locked onto him, and Tanuj braced himself, every instinct screaming at him to run, but his body wouldn't obey.

The wolf began to lunge forward, its massive form casting an even larger shadow over Tanuj. But just as the wolf was about to strike, something darted in front of him. Tanuj blinked in shock, struggling to process what he was seeing. His new summon, Shadow Fang, had appeared out of nowhere, placing itself between him and the ferocious beast.

"What the—how did you—" Tanuj stammered, his mind racing. He hadn't summoned Shadow Fang. In fact, he hadn't even thought about using his summon, given the chaos and fear that had gripped him. And yet, here it was, standing protectively in front of him, facing down the monstrous Shadow Wolf.

The Shadow Wolf halted mid-attack, its glowing eyes narrowing as it focused on Shadow Fang. A low, rumbling growl emanated from the wolf, but it didn't strike. Instead, it seemed… confused. The wolf's posture shifted from aggressive to something almost cautious, as if it were trying to understand what it was seeing.

Tanuj watched, bewildered, as the massive wolf lowered its stance slightly, its head tilting as it sniffed the air around Shadow Fang. The wolf's growl softened into a confused whine, and it took a hesitant step back, its eyes filled with something that resembled recognition.

"Is it… is it mistaking Shadow Fang for its cub?" Tanuj whispered, the realization creeping in. Shadow Fang, his new summon, bore an uncanny resemblance to the Shadow Wolf cub he had fought and defeated earlier. But why was this happening? And how had Shadow Fang appeared on its own?

Before Tanuj could even begin to figure it out, the system chimed in with an unexpected explanation.

*DING*

**[System Notification: A critical error occurred during the previous use of the Summoning Skill. The data from the defeated Shadow Wolf was mistakenly merged with the Summoning Skill data during the dismantling process, resulting in the creation of a new summon, Shadow Fang. This summon is now registered with a partial connection to this world, allowing it to summon itself without the user's input or mental power cost.]**

Tanuj's mind reeled as he tried to wrap his head around the information. "So… Shadow Fang is a mix of the Shadow Wolf I defeated and my summon skill? That's why it can summon itself?"

*DING*

**[Correct. The Summoning Skill is now undergoing repairs and will take approximately one year to fully restore. Upon completion, the skill will be upgraded as compensation for the error.]**

Tanuj opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, the Shadow Wolf made a sudden, deliberate movement. It raised one massive paw, placing it gently on Shadow Fang's forehead. The wolf's eyes, which had moments ago been filled with aggression, now softened with what seemed to be a sorrowful recognition.

"Wait, what's happening now?" Tanuj whispered, feeling a mix of confusion and concern. He took a step forward, but the sheer intensity of the power radiating from the interaction forced him to stop in his tracks. Shadows began to pour from the wolf's paw, swirling around Shadow Fang's body like a living mist.

The air around them grew thick with energy, the kind that made Tanuj's skin prickle with unease. The sheer force of it was overwhelming, and Tanuj felt himself being physically pushed back by the power emanating from the two creatures. His heart raced as he watched the shadows envelop Shadow Fang, the smaller creature standing motionless, seemingly entranced by the process.

"No, no, no! Don't you dare—" Tanuj shouted, reaching out instinctively, but the words were swallowed by the swirling vortex of shadowy energy. Shadow Fang's eyes turned pitch black, its entire body shrouded in the dark mist as the shadows from the wolf's paw continued to flow into it.

The pressure in the air intensified, and Tanuj could only watch helplessly as the Shadow Wolf's form began to dissolve, its body breaking apart into pure shadow. The last remnants of its being flowed into Shadow Fang, who now stood alone in the clearing, enveloped in an aura of dark, potent energy.

Tanuj stared in shock, his mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened. "What… what the hell was that?"

As if in response to his bewilderment, the system's notifications began to flood his vision, each one more surreal than the last.

*DING*

**[Congratulations! Your summon, Shadow Fang, has defeated the Shadow Wolf (indirectly).]**

**[Method of defeat: Indirect. Rewards have been greatly reduced.]**

**[The Shadow Wolf was already severely injured by another entity. Rewards have been greatly reduced.]**

**[The Shadow Wolf transferred its remaining power to your summon before its death. Rewards have been greatly reduced.]**

Tanuj barely had time to process the notifications before a sudden surge of power slammed into him. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before—a tidal wave of energy that flooded his body, overwhelming every sense. For a brief, exhilarating moment, it felt incredible, like he was on the verge of some incredible breakthrough.

But then the power began to spiral out of control. What had started as a rush quickly turned into a torrent, more energy than his body could possibly handle. His muscles seized up, pain lancing through every part of his body as the energy continued to pour into him, far beyond what he could bear.

"Too… too much!" Tanuj gasped, barely able to stay upright as the power threatened to tear him apart from the inside. The pain was excruciating, his vision blurring as he felt his body starting to buckle under the pressure.

*DING*

**[System Warning: Experience overload detected. User's body is unable to handle the current influx of power.]**

**[Body integrity compromised. Initiating emergency measures.]**

**[Converting experience into system points to stabilize user.]**

**[Upgrading system… upgrading…]**

The notifications flashed before Tanuj's eyes, but he could barely comprehend them through the pain. It was too much, too fast. His body was being pushed to its absolute limits, and he could feel himself slipping away, consciousness fading as the system scrambled to save him.

With one final, desperate gasp, Tanuj's world went dark, his senses overwhelmed by the sheer force of the energy. The last thing he heard was the faint hum of the system working frantically to prevent his total collapse.

And then… silence.