Home / System / Shadow System Sovereign / Chapter 6: The Ghost of the Vanguard
Chapter 6: The Ghost of the Vanguard
Author: Disky
last update2026-03-03 04:58:53

​The transition from the sweltering heat of the kitchens to the biting chill of the Scout Corps barracks was like stepping from a furnace into an icebox. Lucian stood in the center of the courtyard, his new leather armor creaking with every breath. It was reinforced with boiled dragon-hide, a far cry from the grease-stained rags he had worn only yesterday. In his hand, he held a standard-issue short sword of blackened steel. It was heavy, balanced for thrusting rather than slashing, and it felt like a natural extension of his arm thanks to his increased Strength attribute.

​The Scout Corps was the dumping ground for the reckless, the low-born with a spark of talent, and the occasional disgraced noble. They were the eyes and ears of House Malphas, sent into the deepest parts of the Blackwood Forest to track werewolf movements before the heavy knights were mobilized. Most scouts survived less than a year.

​Line up, you pathetic leeches! roared a voice that sounded like grinding tectonic plates.

​A tall, gaunt vampire with a missing left ear and a scar that ran from his temple to his jaw stepped into the light of the dying moon. This was Captain Kaelen, a veteran of three hundred years who had survived more silver-burns than most vampires had had hot meals. He paced in front of the twenty new recruits, his eyes flaring with a predatory hunger.

​You are here because the House needs fodder, Kaelen continued, stopping directly in front of Lucian. I heard about you. The kitchen boy who got lucky with a meat hook. Valerius thinks you have eyes. I think you have a death wish.

​Lucian kept his gaze fixed on the horizon, refusing to flinch. He activated his Heart Seeker Gaze for a split second. Kaelen’s heart was a pulsing, jagged obsidian shard, beating with a slow and terrifying power. The man was easily Level 25 or higher.

​System Analysis: Captain Kaelen.

Class: Shadow Stalker.

Threat Level: Lethal.

Current Mood: Irritated.

​I have a mission for you, Kaelen said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. A werewolf raiding party was spotted near the Weeping Willows. They have a scent-masker among them. Our regular patrols can’t find them. If you are as good as the rumors say, boy, you will lead this group and find their camp.

​The other recruits groaned. The Weeping Willows were a death trap, a dense thicket where the trees themselves seemed to move to trap the unwary.

​If you succeed, Kaelen added, looking at the group, you get your first taste of noble blood-wine and a week off duties. If you fail, don't bother coming back. The wolves will save us the trouble of executing you.

​Lucian felt a surge of adrenaline. This was exactly what he needed. Away from the prying eyes of the castle, he could finally let the System off its leash.

​The group set out as the sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long, bloody shadows across the forest floor. Lucian led the way, his Night Vision Plus turning the pitch-black woods into a world of clear, emerald hues. Behind him, the other recruits stumbled over roots and cursed under their breaths. They were mostly dregs like him, but they lacked the digital edge that hummed in the back of his mind.

​Quiet, Lucian commanded, raising a hand.

​The group stopped. One of the recruits, a tall, arrogant fledgling named Marek, stepped forward. Why should we listen to you, kitchen scrap? You got lucky once. That doesn't make you a leader.

​Lucian didn't look back. He pointed toward a dense patch of ferns thirty yards ahead. There is a tripwire made of silver-silk hidden under those leaves. If you take one more step, your legs will be severed before you can scream.

​Marek scoffed, but he looked down. He used his sword to carefully part the ferns. A thin, shimmering strand of silver wire was stretched tight across the path, nearly invisible even to vampire eyes. Marek turned pale, stepping back quickly.

​How did you see that? he whispered, his voice trembling.

​The System, Lucian thought, but he said aloud, I spent forty years looking at the floor, Marek. You learn to notice when things are out of place.

​They moved deeper into the thicket. Lucian’s Heart Seeker Gaze suddenly began to ping with multiple red signatures. They weren't moving. They were waiting in the trees above.

​Warning: Ambush Imminent.

Number of Targets: 6.

Type: Lycanthrope Skirmishers.

​Lucian didn't warn the others immediately. He needed to see how they would react, and more importantly, he needed to ensure he got the killing blows for the experience points. He slowed his pace, letting the System calculate the best path of engagement.

​Skill Suggestion: Use Shadow Step to close the distance to the nearest target.

​Lucian felt a pull in his legs. He focused on the shadow of a large oak tree directly beneath the first werewolf pulse. In a heartbeat, he vanished from the path.

​The recruits gasped as Lucian simply ceased to exist in their field of vision. A second later, a horrific howl echoed from the canopy. A massive, brown-furred werewolf tumbled from the branches, its throat torn open with surgical precision.

​Lucian appeared standing over the body, his black blade dripping with hot, steaming blood.

​Combat Initiated!

Experience Gained: 200.

​The forest erupted. The other five wolves leaped from their hiding places, their claws extended. Marek and the others drew their swords, screaming in a mixture of fear and battle-lust. The air was filled with the sounds of tearing flesh and the metallic ring of steel on bone.

​Lucian moved like a ghost. He didn't stay in one place for more than a second. He used his Shadow Step to blink between the patches of darkness, appearing only to deliver a lethal thrust to a wolf’s heart or a quick slash to a hamstring.

​Critical Hit!

Experience Gained: 200.

Level Up! Level 7 reached.

​As he reached Level 7, a surge of warmth flooded his body. The world seemed to slow down even further. He saw a werewolf lunging at Marek from behind. Lucian threw his short sword. The blade spun through the air, guided by the System’s auto-aim, and buried itself in the wolf’s eye socket.

​Marek spun around, seeing the dead beast at his feet. He looked at Lucian, who was now standing unarmed in the middle of the clearing.

​Behind you! Marek shouted.

​A massive wolf, the leader of the skirmishers, rose up behind Lucian. It was nearly eight feet tall, its muscles bulging under a coat of charcoal fur. It raised a paw to crush Lucian’s head.

​Lucian didn't turn around. He reached into his mental inventory.

​System, use 10 Shadow Credits. Purchase: Bone-Chilled Dagger.

​A hilt of frozen white bone materialized in his hand. He spun on his heel, the air around him dropping ten degrees in a split second. He drove the dagger upward, plunging it into the wolf’s chest.

​The effect was instantaneous. A frost-pattern bloomed across the wolf’s fur, turning the blood in its veins to ice. The creature froze mid-motion, its eyes wide with a cold terror. Lucian kicked the frozen statue, and it shattered into a thousand jagged pieces of ice and fur.

​Boss Kill Detected!

Experience Gained: 1000.

Shadow Credits Gained: 15.

New Trait: Frost-Touch (Passive). Your physical attacks have a 5 percent chance to slow enemy movement.

​The clearing went silent. The remaining recruits stood amidst the corpses of the wolves, their armor shredded and their faces covered in gore. They looked at Lucian, who was calmly wiping the frost from his bone dagger. He didn't look like a kitchen boy anymore. He looked like the apex predator of the night.

​Collect the ears, Lucian said, his voice cold and commanding. We need proof for Kaelen.

​Marek walked over, looking at the pile of ice that used to be the wolf leader. What... what kind of magic was that? That wasn't Malphas blood-work.

​It was luck, Lucian replied, sheathing his dagger. Just like the meat hook.

​But as he turned away, he saw the System screen glowing brightly in the dark.

​Quest Progress: The Silent Rise.

Level 7/10.

Next Objective: Consume the heart of a High-Tier Lycanthrope to trigger the First Evolution.

​Lucian smiled. The first day in the Scout Corps had been a success. He wasn't just surviving; he was thriving. And soon, the trash talent of House Malphas would be a memory, replaced by something the world wasn't prepared to face.

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