Chapter 1319: The Prototype of Shadow-based Spell
“Don’t worry, I have a way. Go to the cauldron first,” Samantha said. I did as she said and walked over to the large cauldron. It was more like a large iron tub than a cauldron, bigger than any soup pot I had ever seen. I really couldn’t reach the rim without a stool.
This pot was set up in an open space within the Medical Camp, visible to everyone around. I felt that my potion brewing would attract quite a bit of attention, especially with the aroma and glow when the potion was ready. Any doctor with some knowledge of medicine would surely notice. I disliked being the center of attention, especially when the constant chatter of people around me would affect my state.
However, if it was to save those wounded soldiers and refugees, I could reluctantly brew a batch in public. At worst, I would intentionally avoid entering that state and brew an ordinary Life Elixir, as long as it could save lives.
As I was thinking this, I suddenly felt a sense of oppression, as if something terrifying had descended upon the camp. I could vaguely sense that it was Samantha’s true form, that deep-sea creature resembling a jellyfish and an octopus. Looking up, I could faintly see its shadow, obscuring the sky and even distorting the sunlight. Even if others couldn’t see it, they would likely feel an inexplicable chill, a primal warning of danger.
I switched to my mutated compound eyes, increasing my Spirit Vision further. Finally, I could see the deep-sea creature enshrouding the camp in the air. Samantha had actually summoned her true form. What was she trying to do?
“Don’t be nervous. I’m just briefly manifesting my body here to help you create a suitable environment. I can’t stay in the outside world for too long,” Samantha’s voice came.
The deep-sea creature unfurled its countless tentacles, revealing a circular, millstone-like mouth. Then, like a squid, it sprayed a large amount of ink. Although sprayed into the air, the ink dispersed as if sprayed into water, enveloping the open space where the cauldron was located.
In an instant, all the surrounding noise vanished. The screams of the wounded, the voices of the doctors, the sound of nurses pushing stretchers – all gone. From chaos, there was sudden, complete silence, creating a stark contrast. It felt very much like the sensation when I entered Amelia’s Clinic. The noisy street outside and the clinic felt like different worlds. If there were no patients talking inside, it would feel like a scene from a horror movie.
Then, the deep-sea creature, resembling a jellyfish and a squid, disappeared, and the oppressive feeling vanished with it. However, the thick ink it sprayed remained, drifting around. I could see it, but others could not. Moreover, they seemed to ignore me as well. People were constantly coming and going, looking in various directions, but no one approached my area or looked in my direction. Even if their gaze occasionally swept this way, it would flicker past, not lingering.
At first, I thought they just hadn’t noticed me. It wasn’t until I saw the Knight Captain looking around, seemingly searching for something, that I understood. I walked out of the ink’s range a few steps.
“Hmm?! Parul, so you’re still here. Strange, I thought I suddenly couldn’t see you just now,” the Knight Captain asked, looking at me with confusion, doubting his eyesight. If he weren’t wearing his helmet, he would have rubbed his eyes.
“It’s nothing, I’ve been here all along,” I replied. Looking back, the large cauldron was indeed gone, as was the black mist drifting around. It was as if the open space in the middle was empty. This wasn’t simple invisibility; it involved a cognitive shift. Otherwise, the sudden large empty space in the middle would have raised suspicion. But now, not only passersby but even I strangely accepted it as natural.
Only when I reactivated my mutated compound eyes could I see the layer of black mist drifting in the air. Unlike the ink-black fog I saw inside the open space earlier, it appeared as thin as smoke from the outside. If I hadn’t been deliberately looking, I would have easily overlooked it.
“How was it? You felt it too, right? Within the range of my black mist, no one will disturb you, and you won’t be noticed. Does this meet your requirements?” Samantha asked.
“It certainly does… Wait! No!” As I recalled the effect of the black mist, concealing a part of space, making people not only unable to see but also subconsciously ignore it, I blurted out, “Shadow-based Spell? Are you using Shadow-based Spells?”
“I don’t control magic through incantations and gestures like that. It’s an innate ability. But if you call it a Shadow-based Spell, then it’s indeed similar. My ability can be considered one of the origins of the Shadow-based arts,” Samantha replied. I knew that those monsters didn’t need to chant spells or make fixed gestures, using no mediums or materials, to directly release spell-like abilities. That was talent. They could directly control magic power, whereas human bodies couldn’t withstand that volatile power. Hence, they developed various indirect methods. Many spells were developed by imitating the innate abilities of monsters. Samantha claiming to be one of the origins of the Shadow-based arts meant our fundamental natures should be very similar.
“Samantha, can you tell me the weakness of Shadow-based arts? Or perhaps, can you tell me any method to counter them?” I asked urgently. My question clearly stunned Samantha. Who would openly ask about the weaknesses or counter-methods of someone’s spells? If our relationship wasn’t so good, it could even be considered a provocation. But I couldn’t help it. There was too little reference material on Shadow-based Spells. The last time I dueled that murderer and encountered the inscrutable mage, I felt uneasy. Now that I had finally met a master who used a similar innate ability to the Shadow-based arts, I naturally wanted to understand it thoroughly.
Actually, I had considered asking others about the characteristics or weaknesses of Shadow-based Spells. However, those around me were not proficient in magic, let alone the very unpopular Shadow-based arts within magic. I couldn’t even find a single reliable book on the subject. I had never thought to ask the young nurse beside Amelia. Although I knew she was powerful and mysterious, often giving off an aura of unapproachability, I had never associated her with Shadow-based Spells. One major reason was that our relationship wasn’t close enough for me to casually inquire about her magic or weaknesses. We hadn’t interacted much.
