What’s this? The Book of Shadows?


    The book lay in my hands, its cover dark and foreboding, with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and ripple as I gazed at them. The sensation was almost hypnotic, like it was drawing me in. Shadows danced around its edges, and I could feel a strange, almost magnetic pull.


    This was no ordinary book. I could feel it in my bones.


    Item Acquired


    The Book Of Shadow''s


    Congratulations! You have learned Shadow magic


    Accept Shadow Magic? Y/N


    You have learned Shadow Magic!


    Shadows? That was... peculiar. I had always dreamed of having an army of shadows, bending anyone''s shadow into a lethal weapon, wielding them like extensions of my own will. I had often imagined myself a master of the dark, commanding the shadows as if they were my soldiers, my servants. But to think that I might actually have the power to control them in this world... I never expected my wish to come true like this.


    Without hesitation, I opened the mysterious black book, my fingers trembling with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. The moment the pages turned, a soft, female voice echoed from the book, clear and melodic, yet laced with an otherworldly power.


    “Hello, Samuel. You’re probably wondering how this book got here. Well, I purposely summoned it to you,” the voice said, sending a shiver down my spine.


    I paused, confused. Summoned it to me?


    The voice continued, unfazed by my astonishment. “You may be wondering why I summoned this book to you. The answer is simple. It was your desire and your will to control the shadows that led to my decision.”


    I blinked, my thoughts racing. This was unreal. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it made sense. I had always wanted to control the shadows, to wield them as a weapon. The universe, or whatever force was behind this, had heard my wish.


    The voice spoke again, its tone now serious.


    “Two more things, Samuel. First, only you can see this book. No one else will be able to perceive it, for you will be the first person in this universe to wield Shadow Magic. Second, by accepting this book, you will notice a few new changes. Things that will aid you in your journey.”


    I could feel the weight of the voice''s words settling over me. Was I ready for this? Shadow magic—my magic—was now a part of me. But what did that mean?


    "One more thing," the voice added, "I’m giving you a leveling system, just like those games from your world. You''ll have stats that you can level up—Strength, Agility, Sense, Reaction Speed, Reaction Time, Mana Capacity, Intellect, Perception, and Shadows Fortune. But Shadows Fortune is locked for now. You won’t be able to access it until you reach level 250."


    I almost laughed out loud at that. Leveling up? Stats? Was this some sort of game? But there was no time to dwell on that. The voice was still speaking.


    “There’s also a shop—like a game shop. A black page will appear in front of you, and you can use it to buy things like weapons, gear, abilities, stat points, and more. As you progress, more pages of the book will fill up with powerful abilities and techniques, enhancing your skills even further.”Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    That was a lot to take in.


    But before I could say anything, the voice cut through my thoughts. “That’s all for now. Goodbye, Samuel. May the shadows guide you.”


    And then, just like that, the voice was gone, leaving me in stunned silence.


    I stood there for a moment, trying to process everything. Shadow magic. A leveling system. A shop. I couldn’t help but feel like I had just stepped into some kind of video game.


    Curiosity got the better of me. "Let’s see if what the female voice said is true," I muttered to myself. “If I turn the page, it should show me what ability I have, right?”


    With a sense of anticipation, I flipped the page, and there it was. Three abilities. Simple, yet powerful.


    Known Abilities<ul><li>Shadow''s Sword (10 Mana to create): Conjure the surrounding shadows into a sword to deal shadowy damage to opponents. Consumption: 1 mana per second.</li><li>Shadow Stealth: Use the shadows around you to hide your presence. Enemies won’t be able to detect you while you''re within the shadows. Consumption: 2 mana per second.</li><li>Shadow Ball: Use the surrounding shadows to form a shadow ball. The size and power depend on the mana invested. Consumption: Varies per use.</li></ul>


    I frowned. “Interesting, but a bit disappointing, to be honest. Only three abilities? Well, I guess that''s what I get for being level one.” I shook my head, trying to stifle the slight feeling of letdown.


    But then, my eyes wandered over to the section marked Stats. My hands trembled slightly as I searched for more information. I had to know. What was I working with?


    I flicked through the pages, finally finding the right one. I mumbled aloud, “It says here to say ‘status’ out loud to view my stats.”


    As I spoke the word, a translucent window appeared in front of me, floating in midair, just like a notification in a game. The words on the screen were as clear as day.


    Samuel Raveish


    Title: None


    Shadow Mage: Beginner


    Level: 1 (EXP: 0/100)


    Health: 100/100


    Mana: 14/14


    Strength: 1


    Agility: 1


    Sense: 3


    Reaction Speed: 10


    Reaction Time: 7


    Intellect: 4


    Perception: 3


    Shadows Fortune: Locked


    Emotion Enhance: Not decided


    Rage Manager: Locked


    Rage Consumer: Locked


    Buffs: None yet


    Skills: None yet


    I stared at the stats for a moment, taking it all in. My strength, agility, and intellect were practically non-existent—of course, I was only eight months old. But that Shadows Fortune being locked… That sounded intriguing.


    The mention of Emotion Enhance, Rage Manager, and Rage Consumer intrigued me as well. They were locked, just like the Shadows Fortune, but I had a feeling that these abilities were tied to something bigger.


    “Well, I guess my stats are decent for level 1," I mused. "But I wonder what these locked abilities are. Well, I guess I’ll find out when I’m older. After all, I’m only 8 months old.”


    A soft creak broke my concentration. The door to my room slowly opened, and Claire stepped in, looking a little disheveled.


    “Sam, why are you still up?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.


    I shrugged, trying to act casual. “I was just thinking about stuff.”


    Claire tilted her head. “Don’t tell me you woke up because you heard strange noises coming from the other room.”


    I froze for a moment, a knowing look crossing my face. Strange noises? Did she think I heard them?


    I tried to act innocent, though the mental image of my parents… doing the deed... was hard to ignore. “What do you mean by strange noises, Mum?” I asked, trying to sound as clueless as possible.


    Claire looked at me for a moment, then sighed. “You’re far too young to be thinking about those things, Samuel.” She chuckled softly before ruffling my hair.


    I gave her a look, unsure of how I felt about the entire situation. Why had she even brought it up? Was this some kind of subtle hint about their activities? I wasn’t sure, but I decided it wasn’t worth thinking too much about.


    With a yawn, Claire pulled the blankets around me. “Get some sleep, Sam. We’ll talk tomorrow.”


    A few moments later, as I lay there on the cool but surprisingly comfortable floor, I couldn''t help but reflect on everything that had happened. Magic, leveling up, shadows... and the strange book in my hands. My life in this new world was only just beginning, and it felt like the possibilities were endless.


    I closed my eyes, and for the first time since I arrived here, I felt a sense of peace wash over me.


    Tomorrow would be another day of discovery.