The feeling of sickness didn't go away and It started to chip at my mana. It's currently at half even with most of my concentration on making more. I can't eat anything yet because of the mana situation.

"I can take away the pain."

Great, I'm starting to hear things. Well might as well give it a chance.

"What's the deal?"

"Ah strate to the point. I will cure your symptoms and prevent this from happening again. I will also defend my host to a degree, what I want is a place to sleep and to have mana given to me whether by you or your pray."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

I don't have an idea of when the sickness will end and I need to eat soon.

"Okay sounds like a deal."

[A partnership has been formed between you and Scran]

I see my mana drop 20 points and the sickness starts to fade. I also see another shadow form behind me.

"I'll be your shadow from here on out."

Start generating my body and hunt for food in an instant. I search every bone pile but in a hurry I pass over one. It bites onto my leg and I feel pain. I didn't feel pain unless it was my real body.

My shadow surrounds it and it starts getting broken. First it was the legs then the head got hit hard making it fly. This took my legs with it. It was agonizing. Why do I have to feel pain now? I dropped onto the ground flailing about for a little while. I regenerate new legs and go towards the now pile of bones and enjoy the meal. I get moving with a less empty stomach.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I didn't realize at first but it has gotten hotter than when I first got here. Maybe it's just my imagination? Oh that right I have somebody to talk to. What was their name? Scom, swan, score ah I'll just work it out later. Wait, how am I going to talk to them? The ground is stone so carving writing is going to take too long. Maybe mind magic?

I attempt to make a string that carries words instead of commands. It works and I connected it to the shadow.

"Testing, testing. Can you hear me?"

"Yes?"

"Yes it works!"

I won't have to talk to a machine.

I feel like the system is staring daggers at me.

"It feels like it's getting hotter right?"

"I guess, I can't really feel the temperature."

Awkward silence filled the air. My communication skills aren't that refined when I have to start a conversation. I was good with talking to military type people because I had some ideas of how to talk to them. In this case it's a person that I have no idea how to talk to. Whether we're underground, heat that's just complaining to a stranger, fighting then it turns into a competition of best monster. Maybe about the past?

"So where did you come from?"

"I was using that scorpion as a host before that I rode around on a wolf until it died from dehydration in this place."

"Well this place does seem quite barren of water and the heat is almost unbearable. Was this place always this hot?"

"It did have a lot of water for a while but the water ran out even making steam."

"This may seem rude but what are you? Like are you a shadow?"

"Well I'm a spirit. I can take on many different forms but all are shadows. My only limit is how far I can stretch. I have a limit and I need to stay connected to a host."

The shadow seems to change shape.

"Sence you have to stay a shadow, how did you hit the skeleton?"

"I'm able to take a physical form for a little while but the shape I take stays the same."

We continue to talk for a while about what skills we have and how our body works. They seem to have more hiding skills and terror skills. This could help me if I want to intimidate but with the size I am that isn't something I can do very easily. During this talk the heat started to get to the unbearable part. My body started to smoke and I had to rest for a while. I found a small indent in a pillar and rested there.