Shadow Being System

The noon sun cast a warm glow over the academy grounds as William walked alongside Liam and Eleanor, their footsteps echoing on the polished stone path. Sweat began to gather on William's forehead as he wiped it away, glancing at the system interface he had summoned.

[Status]

[William]

Age: 16

Male

Level: 9

Experience Value: 50/1500

Strength: 11

Agility: 10

Endurance: 10

Skills: [The 3rd Eye Level 1] [Darkseer Level 1] [Immunox]

Attribute: [Shadow Being] [Child of Thunder]

Soul Essence: 42

Ability: Wind

Store Coins: 300

A small grin formed as he reviewed his progress over the week. The daily 50 experience points had bumped him up a level, and he'd earned an extra 50 store coins, bringing his total to 300. His Soul Essence, now 42, had climbed steadily with consistent effort, and his six soul portions remained untouched.

"Look at you, all smug," Liam teased, nudging William as he dismissed the system.

They approached the Elemental Combat Hall, a vast room with wooden floors that gleamed under the light streaming in from high windows. There were no seats; instead, it resembled a giant basketball court, complete with a raised platform in the center.

Just then, the teacher walked in. He was a tall man with piercing eyes that scanned each student with an intensity that made even the bravest hesitate.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Good day, everyone," he began, his voice carrying easily across the hall. "Today's lesson will focus on something essential for battle: cooperation."

The students exchanged puzzled looks, uncertain about what he meant.

"In war, elemental users rarely fight alone," he continued, pacing on the platform. "Combining abilities with others can amplify your power in ways you can't achieve alone. Today, you'll partner up and find a way to combine your abilities."

The room buzzed with murmurs, doubt clear in the air.

A voice piped up from the back. "Uh, won't combining powers cause an explosion or something?"

The teacher raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Only if the proportions are off. Balance is key."

He looked around the room with an appraising gaze. "Each of you will work with the person beside you. Discuss your abilities and come up with a combination that utilizes both elements. You have one hour."

William turned to his left and found himself face-to-face with Malik, the boy who shared his fury against the beast in the cooking special class. Malik's lips twisted into a smirk. "Looks like we're partners."

William chuckled. "Yeah, let's make it count."

Malik's element was earth—a grounded, formidable power. Together, they quickly brainstormed, testing ideas and discarding the ones that felt unstable.

__________________________

The teacher's voice cut through the hum of conversation an hour later. "Alright, time's up. Come to the platform with your partner and show us what you've prepared."

The students gathered around as the first duo stepped up. A shimmering barrier covered the platform, ensuring no stray attacks could reach the onlookers. As they launched their combined attack, it became clear they were struggling with balance, yet they managed to topple the dummy target.

Several more pairs followed, some with promising results, others a bit less impressive. Then, it was Eleanor and Billy Stark's turn.

The room fell silent as the pair took their positions. There was a certain anticipation in the air—Eleanor, a princess of the most powerful country, and Billy, the son of one of the B10, an elite family, were expected to showcase something spectacular. Whispers flitted among the students, some murmuring it wasn't fair that two of the most powerful students were paired.

The two of the made their way to the platform and began their demonstration, and they didn't betray the expectations of the students.

Eleanor took a step forward, extending her hand as the temperature dropped. Ice crystallized in the air, forming a long, menacing icicle that floated above her hand. The sheer cold made the air brittle, crackling under its deadly presence.

Beside her, Billy's fingers crackled with electricity, tiny arcs of lightning sparking between his fingertips. With a look of fierce concentration, he directed his energy toward Eleanor's icicle. The lightning surged through the frozen shard, making it glow with an eerie, deadly light as it hovered, brimming with lethal energy.

The students gaped, captivated by the sheer power radiating from the icy spear now charged with thunder. Its pulsing energy sent chills down the spine of everyone watching, the hum of electricity filling the room with a tense, vibrating aura.

Then Eleanor moved her hand and the thunder charged icy spear moved at a fast speed and struck the dummy, the dummy didn't fell down, instead it was obliterated into particles.

Eleanor and Billy stood together on the raised platform, the icicle thrumming with electric energy between them. The students were speechless, their wide eyes reflecting awe and a little fear.

The teacher, standing just outside the barrier, stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Quite destructive," he murmured, clearly impressed. "For students your age, this level of synergy is rare. Ice and Thunder—two elements of sheer force. No surprise they created such a powerful attack."

The teacher's eyes sparkled as he continued, "That charged icicle of yours, it's potent enough to hold back even a tier-2 or tier-3 beast for a while."

As Eleanor and Billy stood proudly, their creation hovering ominously, the other students erupted in admiration.

"Dude, with that combo, they could totally take down any beast!" someone whispered excitedly.

"Did you see that lightning charge? It looked ready to blow up the whole room!"

William watched quietly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He couldn't deny he was impressed, but he also felt a slight itch of competitive spirit. Maybe he and Malik could pull off something unique too. Malik nudged him with a grin. "Guess we've got some high standards to meet, huh?"

"Yeah, no pressure or anything," William joked, rolling his eyes but feeling the adrenaline pump.

The teacher clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Eleanor, Billy, well done. This combination has a rare destructive force for your level, but remember, power isn't everything. Pride can be blinding, so don't let it fool you into thinking you're invincible."

He extended a finger toward the deadly icicle. Suddenly, a thin beam of gray light shot from his fingertip, colliding with the charged icicle. In an instant, it shattered, sending a shower of icy shards and crackling electricity across the platform. The impact even made the barrier ripple, showing just how strong his strike had been.

Billy's jaw dropped as he stared at the icy shards scattered on the ground, laced with lingering sparks of electricity. His face flushed in shock and maybe a touch of embarrassment. "What… how…?"

The teacher chuckled. "See? Even the most powerful attack can be brought down if you know its weakness." He turned to the group, his gaze sharp. "Strength is important, but so is humility. Don't let success cloud your vision."

Billy nodded, still looking a little stunned, while Eleanor's expression was as calm as ever. She gave a slight, respectful nod to the teacher, acknowledging his words.

After Eleanor and Billy, the remaining pairs gave their demonstrations, each trying their best to combine their powers. Some combinations were promising, but nothing quite matched the intensity of Eleanor and Billy's display. By the end of it, a quiet murmur of disappointment filled the room as each duo stepped down, their attempts unable to shine as brightly.

And finally, it was William and Malik's turn.

The two boys, Malik and William, strode toward the raised platform in the center of the training hall, their footsteps echoing softly. Rows of students watched intently from the surrounding seats, a low hum of whispers filling the space as they exchanged glances. At the edge of the platform stood their teacher, his stern gaze fixed on them. He gave a slight nod, signaling them to begin.

Malik knelt on the platform and pressed his hand firmly against the stone floor, summoning his power. Small pebbles began to tremble and lift from the ground, each one slowly rising to join the others as he pulled more fragments up. Gradually, he combined them into a single large chunk of earth, rough and heavy, floating between his hands. His brow furrowed with concentration as he worked, slowly compressing the chunk of earth, tightening its mass further and further until it grew smaller and denser. He continued compressing, his fingers trembling slightly with the effort, until the mass had condensed to a sharp, solid point—its tip now fine as a needle and glinting under the light. Satisfied, he looked up at William and gave a single nod.

William, standing beside him, felt his heart quicken. During the past week, he'd practiced relentlessly, fine-tuning his control over the wind element he wielded. Now was the moment to put that control to the test. He raised his hand toward the needle-shaped mass Malik had created, his fingers splayed as he called upon the air around him.

A thin, almost invisible layer of wind began to wrap around the earth needle, hugging it close, sliding along its surface with a delicate precision. William focused, steadying his breath as he shaped the wind's edge to match the sharpness of the needle's tip. The wind condensed even further, refined into a razor-thin point at the very end, now spinning along the needle's surface.

With each passing moment, the speed increased, the wind accelerating into a spiraling blur around the needle, forming a powerful and deadly drill. The audience watched in awe, captivated by the intensity of their combined abilities.

The two boys, their eyes fixed on the training dummy across the platform, stretched their hands forward in unison. At once, the spinning, wind-shrouded needle shot forward, streaking through the air at a blinding speed, aimed directly at the target.

The needle struck the dummy's chest with a force that made a low, whistling sound as it cut through the air, piercing deep into its center. The wind around it continued to spin, tearing through the dummy's layers before it finally dissipated, leaving behind a gaping hole where the needle had struck.

Author's Note: I apologize for the previous 3 chapters, I was held up cause of my birthday, it was on 9th of November, I'll be expecting your gifts. Thank you all.

(Pls check out my other book, Demon Being System)