Shun POV:

“Shades! Sai’s moved to the front!”

A tall woman cratered the earth. Glints of red light scattered ahead in a straight line. Her finger flicked to the side, connecting them together into the most ideal form. She grabbed hold of the whip before lacerating the entire wave in half.

“Why?”

Their bodies exploded. Wisps of light faded, and Shades faced the woman with wavy black hair. If he was in charge of the left, then she handled the right. However, once I saw her decimate the battlefield, I avoided her.

Yonse had no mercy.

Even the monsters knew that, so they rushed toward Shades instead.

“Well... He said he’s feeling more confident today.”

Shades placed his hand on her shoulder. Another wave spawned but failed to harm their bodies. Weapons, limbs, and even techniques phased through them.

“Confidence gets people killed.”

Yonse placed a hand on her hip. The scarlet dress matched the red heels she wore. Plump lips puckered before a ball of spit penetrated the head of a Bloodborne Orc.

‘...’

All the monsters stared at the Orc crash to the ground. They hesitated, but the urge to kill overrode common sense.

“I told him that too.”

“Yonse, I need you to take charge.”

Dark hazel eyes stared past the black sunglasses that blocked out the light of the world.

“It’s time?”

“It’s time.”

Yonse wrapped her arms around his waist. She compressed her body against Shades’s in an effort to convey how much he meant to her. Shades didn’t move, nor did he rush Yonse.

She stepped back only when she was ready to. Red lips left a mark on dark skin, signalling a departure.

“A shade is more than a shadow.”

Hands returned home. The chimney leaned forward.

“Necroshade: Diminishment.”

Shades’s foot hit the ground, and everyone on this side of the Safe Floor entered his Domain. Afterimages phased next to him with every advancement until...

The monsters vanished.

They were submerged beneath the darkness.

The afterimages dispersed in all directions. They reached different positions and rested their hands against the earth. That was when the horde rose from the dead.

‘...It’s his sunglasses: they cast a shadow over closed eyes and allow the mist to form. When pushed closer to the skin, the next technique is empowered.

Whenever Shades phases through attacks, he remains still. A shade only moves when the light does, but his ability only recognises his eyes as the light source. The more he phases, the more of the ‘Shade’ is utilised.

In other words, Ki Sense is Shades’s specialty. It’s also likely that the ‘Shade’ is a separate resource, capable of being stockpiled by wearing those sunglasses... Or are they made out of Ki too?’

It was plausible.

As for his afterimages, the word ‘shade’ had the meaning of ‘ghost.’ Necromancy was also in the name of his ability: Necroshade.

‘Yonse could be his counter.’

The plains shook from the roars of empowered monsters. Shades stood to the front; his army behind him before two fingers pushed the bridge of the sunglasses even closer to the skin.

“Clean them up.”

***

“I take it most of you slept well?”

“...Yeah.”

“Yep.”

“Mm, yeah. It was good, but how about you?”

Phoebe and Aiden stretched while Gerard yawned. I sat near a tree till my gaze met Katherine’s.

“I decided to keep watch in order to make sure everyone was alright.”

She spoke without breaking eye contact with me. I knew my outburst from yesterday continued to play on her mind. That was why she rushed toward me when I returned from the battlefield.

‘...’

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I... looked away.

“Our Katherine is so sweet.”

Gerard wiped his eyes, prompting Aiden to stroke his back. Phoebe chuckled at his usual antics that lightened the mood of the party. However, her laughter was cut short once she saw Katherine’s focus resting on me.

“...Katherine, are you sure you’re not interested in Shun?”

Her lips spread into a gentle smile. Care coated the wind and pressed against my chest.

“My only desire is to make my master happy.”

“...”

Katherine’s fair cheeks darkened as the seconds ticked by. The silence only exacerbated her awareness of how her words could be misunderstood.

“W-what’s the matter? I-I meant by proving myself to be capable, this would naturally lead to my master being happy as a result of my growth...”

Aiden shifted his gaze to Phoebe. The tension in her shoulders lessened, but he didn’t seem pleased by it.

“You should really stop teasing her, Phoebe.”

“I agree! Our Katherine is so innocent.”

“...Well, I just wanted to make sure. I’m sorry, Katherine.”

Katherine turned her head to each of them; her cheeks still red.

“W-why are you apologising, Phoebe?”

The corners of Aiden’s mouth rose. He stepped forward and looked ahead at the other Adventurers already starting the day’s work.

“Make your master proud, Katherine.”

“O-of course I will, Aiden. Thank you for the encouragement.”

Pure blue eyes shimmered underneath the morning sun. Their slight curvature accentuated its genuineness, but the rise of thin lips made others look her way.

Gerard threw his hands up, pretending to be blinded by the sun. Despite their laughter, this was who Katherine was: a light to those she came in contact with.

My mother was the same.

“Let’s go.”

I got to my feet and left the settlement first. Dozens of Adventurers blocked the path to the gate in the distance; none of them fought in the Night Wave.

“I’m Shorey. What do you guys want?”

I peered down at the short man walking forward. His eyes paid me no mind, prioritising their lecherous gaze over Katherine.

“Please let us pass.”

A simple sentence made his hands sweat. Shorey’s cheeks burned, yet he still managed to stare at Katherine.

“The sexy lady can pas—“

The back of my fist popped the blood vessels in his nose before blasting him to the other side of the Safe Floor. He smashed through several trees until his head crashed into a small hill.

“Move.”

Renewed bloodlust laced the air with death. If these idiots wanted to test the minuscule amount of patience I had left, then they would regret it.

“Kikiki!! Hahaha!!! Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a tough guy here!!”

I swivelled my eyes toward a man wearing fur clothes. He cracked his neck to the side, and the other Adventurers bowed their heads.

“Ojon, we... weren’t going to let them pass. Shorey was just infatuated with th—“

“The Angel.”

Ojon examined Katherine. His dark green eyes sparkled before moving on to Phoe—

“Who do you think you’re looking at like that?”

Ojon’s eyebrow rose, and even my own party members looked at me. I didn’t give a damn about their surprise, nor was I going to let this little mug go through his short story arc.

“I’m only going to say this once: move or I put a bullet through your thick skulls.”

Ojon’s eyes curved upward. His shoulders rose, bobbing up and down with his head. Laughter penetrated the air, then pressed down on everyone in the area.

“Watch your little mouth, you weakling.”

Ojon’s Ki leaked out. It went beyond what I could sense when Katherine tried to step forward, but I spoke first.

“Rise.”

Spy peeled away before white shadows jumped out of the darkness. Armoured Sentri Knights, Sentri Warriors, Reavers, Goblin Warlocks, Bloodied Deadmin, Troll Guardians... The list went on and on until the entire area behind me was full with their presence.

“Should I be sc—“

A gun rematerialised, and a mist wrapped around the Shadow Monsters. It empowered their roars even further when Shades flickered into view.

“Shades...”

Ojon shifted his gaze to the side. The desire to engage in combat dwindled once he saw two fingers push black sunglasses closer to the skin.

“Mind telling me why you’re making a racket so early in the morning?”

A woman ran her hands through curly hair, unable to be held back by the cloth on her head. Black eyelashes fluttered; they locked onto Shades and made full lips part.

“How my baby looks so sexy every time I see him is a mystery I’ll never solve.”

She pushed past Ojon but left a gathering of Adventurers behind her. Their eyes narrowed at the others, yet no one made a move.

“Shades is not your baby, Mel.”

Yonse’s hand smacked the woman’s outstretched arms away.

“Unrequited love. Devoted affection. A lecherous brute, and a dead man walking.”

‘Tch. This isn’t good.’

A middle-aged man strolled into the conversation with his own faction behind him. Mel chuckled until her face contorted at the remark he had made. Yonse’s eyebrows dropped to the top of her eyes, threatening to let her hands fly forward.

“Kikiki! Hahaha! Is Zon wrong though? We all know the moment Shades steps through that gate, he’s dead. Don’t tell me you two idiots think he can survive an SS+ Dungeon alone?”

Ojon peered down at Mel and Yonse.

“He isn’t Keo Yeboah.”

His words meant that Shades had been here the longest. Every night, he put more people in danger, not just his own faction. The Adventurers behind bit their lips to hold back the tears but could offer no rebuttal.

Shades was going to die.

Either he took more lives with him, or he died alone. The light only shone two ways, so the shade chose a direction to lay in.

“Does he need to be?”

‘A fifth power?’

A teenage girl swivelled the orange and red snapback to the front. The open jacket showed a thick hoodie beneath that contrasted well with her jeans. High-top trainers had vibrant scarlet shoelaces and a red outline. Everything she wore was in mint condition, yet also contained a deep understanding of fashion.

“It’s all about this in the end.”

Her slender finger pointed to her head.

“Break down every factor of information into possibilities. Possibilities that create scenarios. Scenarios that adjust to external and internal variables. Circumstances can be manufactured but also free-flowing. The point is, the more you can calculate, the higher your chance of survival.”

“...”

Ojon clicked his tongue. Mel’s eagerness faded, and Yonse stood next to Shades. Zon scratched the back of his head, content with not adding to the conversation.

“If you want an example, why don’t all of you attack me at once? A free-flowing situation with only one outcome: my victory.”

My fingers twitched when Katherine closed the distance between us. Was it because this girl was dangerous? Or was it because we could get past this without a fight?

I didn’t care.

The latter would benefit me in the end.

“I like Shades. I think everyone here does. So let’s send him off in a respectful way.”

Shades kissed the top of Yonse’s head before rubbing Mel’s shoulder. His hand pressed against Sai’s back, then a fist hit Zon’s and Ojon’s chest.

“May I?”

Katherine raised her hand, and Shades clasped it. He lowered his head, prompting everyone to close their eyes for different reasons.

“Thank you for healing those who were injured.”

“You are welcome.”

Katherine’s eyes softened. The care multiplied in her voice. The gentleness consoled the burden on those two broad shoulders. She was a woman few had permission to touch, but she let Shades stroke her hand for some seconds before he moved away.

The mist wrapped around everyone. Friend or foe; it didn’t matter.

“Thank you for extending your stay, Nova. Give your uncle my regards.”

The teenage girl shook her head.

“I’ll tell him an old friend will be visiting soon. You’re much stronger than me, Shades.”

His lips curved into a slight smile. Shades stepped in front of the empty gate.

“A shade... is more than a shadow. Take care, everyone.”

[Adventurer Shades has left the Safe Floor and returned to the SSS+ Dungeon: ‘Disaster Cliff of the End.’]