Chapter 500

["D-C22, comply immediately or face execution!"]

The researchers didn't care who he was. No matter what kind of connections he might've had, as a D-Class test subject, he was expendable—pure cannon fodder.

"Go to hell!"

D-C22, full of arrogance and rage, cursed them. It was obvious he was the kind of guy used to wielding unchecked power. Even prison was just a vacation to him.

But after glancing around and realizing the order might not be a bluff—and that a firing squad was genuinely possible—he had no choice but to grit his teeth and move toward the Shadow Fiend.

"Damn it… When I get out of here, I'll make you all pay."

D-C22 had no idea just how terrifying the SCP Foundation was. He still clung to the illusion that he'd walk out of here alive and have his revenge.

As he stepped closer, his shadow began to overlap with the Shadow Fiend.

"Whooooosh!!"

Suddenly, the creature transformed into a black mist roughly the size of D-C22, and surged toward him.

D-C22 tried to turn and flee, but the mist moved with terrifying speed, engulfing him before he could even scream.

No sound. No struggle.

The mist dissipated.

D-C22 was gone.

The mist condensed again, reforming into the Shadow Fiend.

["Experiment One complete. Proceed to Experiment Two. Release the elephant."]

The researchers spoke with chilling calm. They didn't care about D-C22's fate. From his attitude alone, it was clear he wasn't some innocent soul. He was dead now—no one would mourn.

The lab door opened again, and the loud trumpeting of an elephant echoed through the room. The massive beast nearly filled the entire chamber.

[As soon as it entered, the outer team shut the door in panic—afraid they'd be next.]

Due to its size, the elephant's shadow inevitably fell upon the Shadow Fiend.

Next moment—the black figure transformed again, this time into a massive, swirling cloud of smoke equal in size to the elephant!

The elephant sensed something was wrong and attempted to back away, but it was too late. The black mist enveloped it entirely.

When the smoke cleared, the elephant had vanished.

The creature had returned to its original size, unchanged.

["Begin Experiment Three. Introduce the Visual Phantom."]

This time, the researchers' tone had a hint of tension.

The door opened once more. A cracked, reinforced glass container was wheeled in—and slammed shut quickly, as chaos broke out outside.

Inside the case, a Visual Phantom struggled violently, ramming the walls, desperate to escape.

"CRASH!"

As expected, even reinforced bulletproof glass couldn't contain it. The Visual Phantom broke free.

It darted around the lab at high speed, casting long, flickering shadows due to the intense lighting—shadows that looked terrifying under the glare.

And then… one of its shadows touched the Shadow Fiend.

"SWISH!"

The Shadow Fiend turned to mist—faster than in the previous experiments.

The Visual Phantom seemed to sense danger and tried to flee even faster, but the mist matched its speed, mirroring its movements.

Soon, multiple streams of smoke surrounded the phantom from all directions, overwhelming it in seconds.

Poof—in less than two seconds, the mist dissipated. The Visual Phantom was gone.

The cloud reformed into the Shadow Fiend.

["Experiment Four: Open the roof."]

Even after everything so far, the researchers still hadn't stopped.

The lab's ceiling was peeled open, revealing the scorching midday sun.

"ROOOOAR!!"

A thunderous beastly roar echoed from outside the facility.

Approaching the lab was a gigantic creature over a kilometer tall—a monstrous hybrid of dinosaur and gorilla, covered in grotesque boils. It looked like something straight out of the Blood Pool.

Compared to it, the Shadow Fiend was a speck of dust.

And yet…

The giant's shadow stretched forward and fell across the Shadow Fiend.

In the next instant, the Shadow Fiend released a colossal wave of black mist, matching the size of the titan!

Before the monster could react, it was completely engulfed.

Moments later, the mist cleared. The beast had vanished.

Only the tiny, unchanged form of the Shadow Fiend remained.

[With that, the experiments concluded.]

Through repeated testing, SCP Foundation researchers finally confirmed the nature of the Shadow Fiend:

Any object—living or non-living—whose shadow touches the Shadow Fiend, will be instantly consumed by it.

Whether the victim is destroyed or teleported elsewhere remains unknown.

The Foundation tried to investigate what lies within the Shadow Fiend's blackness, but every attempt failed. The moment any tool or camera's shadow crossed its boundary—they too were consumed.

They could not even begin to understand the creature's composition.

Is it absorbing everything as nutrients? Or sending it to another realm? No one knows.

Even ranged attacks proved useless.

Be it magic, physical, or energy-based, nothing harmed it.

Trying to hit it was like trying to strike a cloud of vapor—except anything that touched it was instantly devoured.

Footage showed even the attacks themselves being swallowed on impact.

The screen paused.

The introduction to the Shadow Fiend had concluded.

Its abilities and anomalous nature left countless viewers speechless with horror.

(End of Chapter)

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