Before long, the iceberg had completely evaporated, revealing what was frozen inside.
The tall demonic body that was there before seemed to have dissolved along with the iceberg, leaving only a flowing mass of shadow that seemed to be alive, floating silently where the iceberg’s core had been.
Chen Yu, along with Count Brand who was perched on Nili’s shoulder, moved closer to observe.
"Minister Blanc, what is this?" Chen Yu asked curiously.
Count Brand was also completely dumbfounded. It had lived for a long time and seen plenty of strange and bizarre things, but it seemed it had truly never seen this particular item—or perhaps it had simply forgotten.
But it couldn’t possibly reveal its own ignorance in front of His Majesty. It immediately cleared its throat, puffed out its chest, and said with feigned gravity, "Hmm... I already have some inkling, but I would like to leave the honor of revealing the answer to the clever and beautiful Miss Nili. It’s a matter of respect for a lady."
Nili shot it an exasperated glare. She knew this fellow was all bluster, always passing the buck when it mattered.
Still, she felt like she had seen this thing somewhere before, or at least heard the elders of her clan mention it. She spoke hesitantly, "It seems to be a relic left behind by a Shadow Spirit. I’ve only seen one once, so I can’t be certain."
"A Shadow Spirit?" Count Brand’s small, beady eyes suddenly lit up, as if the term had flipped a switch deep within its memory. "Aha! I remember now!"
It flapped its wings excitedly, but then, realizing its slip of the tongue, it quickly cleared its throat twice and added, "CAW! What I meant was... I had long suspected it was a relic left by a Shadow Spirit. I was merely testing Miss Nili’s knowledge."
It hurriedly turned to Chen Yu, gesturing with its wings as it explained in a rapid-fire voice, "Your Majesty, you might not be aware... ahem, that is to say, someone as wise and brilliant as yourself has probably known all along."
"The truth is, the Shadow Creatures in the Shadow Mountain Range are incredibly diverse; they come in all shapes and sizes. After death, the indelible will of certain heroes with exceptionally strong spirits can project onto their own shadows, transforming them into special Shadow Spirits."
"They are the guardians and witnesses of the ancient order within the Shadow Mountain Range. A long, long time ago, they were the ones who brought an end to the chaotic dark age that plagued the mountains."
"Back when I was in the Shadow Mountain Range, I met with these ancient spirits on several occasions. Of course, with my vast network and esteemed reputation there, even those arrogant spirits had to treat me with the utmost respect..." As it spoke, its old habits flared up, and it began to boast extravagantly about itself.
Chen Yu ignored its boasting and kept his eyes fixed on the mass of shadow. "So, this thing is still alive? Is it part of a Shadow Spirit?"
"No, no!" Count Brand shook its head emphatically, its tone certain. "It’s dead. Been dead for a very, very long time. It was even devoured by this Demon. But clearly, the Demon had a bit of indigestion and left these remains behind."
Chen Yu wobbled his Gel body in a thoughtful nod. He stared at the mass of shadow, and an irrepressible, gluttonous thought popped into his mind.
"This thing... is it edible?"
"GACK..." Count Brand was taken aback by the blunt question. Its beak opened and closed, uncertain. "Well... if a normal magical beast, or even a Demon Lord, were to rashly devour the remains of a Shadow Spirit, their soul would likely be shattered by the chaotic will still lingering within. They might even be assimilated by the shadow and turn into a monster..."
It glanced at Chen Yu’s springy Gel body, then recalled its liege’s unfathomable devouring ability. Its tone grew hesitant. "However... if it’s Your Majesty we’re talking about, I suppose... it might be edible..."
Before it could even finish, Chen Yu’s Gel body swelled up like an inflating balloon and, with a SLURP, sucked the dark, floating shadow into its stomach.
GULP.
Chen Yu let out a small, satisfied burp. Faint ripples of shadow spread across the surface of its Gel body before it quickly returned to its clear, emerald-green state.
[Devouring and Digesting Lv.8 has been triggered—Shadow Spirit characteristics fully recorded. Talent acquired: Create Nether-soul Lv.6.]
[Note: My master was once a loyal follower of Erin, the "Dragon of Shadow." The dragon fell with the collapse of the Divine Kingdom, and my ruined body became the source for the rebirth of an unknown heroic soul. —A remnant from the Shadow of the Ancient Shadow Dragon]
Huh?
’Looks like I got something incredible.’