Shadow's Hand-Chapter 28: Mana

Ever since Damien was enlightened by the existence of mana, he had been secretly trying to experience what it was like.

Although he failed inertially, thanks to the sudden ambush from Jessica and Lucas, he was able to react instinctively in response to the danger.

From there, he had managed to succeed in conjuring mana despite it being a fluke.

So, when he forcibly snatched the tablet from Jessica once again. He was actually researching something more about mana and Mana Core.

It was thanks to the information that enabled him to become knowledgeable and explain some of the theory to Karl.

Simultaneously, his enlightenment caused him to realize that he really had a Mana Core within his body.

He never constructed one, but Damien had a feeling that the existence of the Mana Core had something to do with the incident back on Earth.

The mysterious shining Joker dancing card that had pierced through him. Maybe the piercing was never meant to harm him but was intended to inject him.

As for what it was precisely, Damien still didn't have much of an idea and dared not make any conclusion.

Having learned the lesson that the Shadow resides in him was not under his control nor was it his protector. He would be a foolish man to make any conclusive judgment.

Nevertheless, that didn't stop Damien from commencing the current action.

The weak point of a reptile, or better to say, for all monsters, was definitely the inside of their body. Hence, Damien had been waiting patiently for the moment when the reptile monster would use toxic spit.

With its mouth opened wide to do the spitting action, it would become the opening that Damien desired.

And at this moment, Damien's hand had already begun conjuring mana. It was not some great spells. It was just pure mana, considering he lacked the knowledge to physically form any spells.

However, what he knew was that when mana goes uncontrollable, it would result in a blast.

"Have a taste of an explosive powder keg inside your stomach," Damien shouted and launched the mana toward its mouth.

Simultaneously, the reptile monster managed to launch the toxic spit straight at Damien. Based on their current distance and trajectory, Damien knew he wouldn't be able to avoid the toxic spit this time.

Nevertheless, it was a price he was willing to pay in exchange for the reptile monster's death. Without any actual combat experience, a prolonged battle would only prove difficult for him.

Much to his surprise though, when Damien tried to shift his body to allow the toxic spit to land at this least vulnerable spot, the Shadow's hand suddenly emerged.

Like a shield, the Shadow's hand used its dorsal side to block the toxic spit from harming him.

Shocked, both the reptile monster and Damien were confused by its intervention.

Of course, the reaction from both sides differed. The reptile monster was clearly infuriated whereas Damien remained stoic. He wasn't thankful or grateful for the Shadow, given that the battle would have been over had it simply obeyed his command.

Despite the situation, the reptile monster soon felt a surge of foreign substance entering its body. Its eyes widened in horror as it quickly tried to distance itself from Damien and spat out the foreign substance.

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Unfortunately, it was a little bit too late.

The surge of mana was volatile—uncontrolled, but powerful. It radiated out from deep within the reptile monster, erupting like an uncontrollable force of nature.

The reptile monster screeched in pain and banged its body everywhere in hopes of containing the explosion.

However, the explosive force was immense. Mana blasted out in a powerful burst, creating a destructive wave that collided with the inside of the monster's body. The explosion tore through the creature's organs, ripping them apart from the inside.

Its flesh shredded, and its body recoiled as the destructive force spread through it like wildfire.

"Kreeeeee," The monster groveled in pain, feeling its life force leaking out exponentially. It continued to groan and shuddered, its body constantly shaking as it struggled to stay alive.

Amidst its painful cries, Damien finally spoke up. "Now, will you answer my question from earlier?"

The monster shot a hateful glare at Damien. It hissed coldly, its tongue slithering as in a sign of telling him to scram.

"What a pity. I would have given you a less painful death had you answered." Damien uttered. He was about to conjure another mana and recreate the blast effect, only to be snatched of the opportunity.

The Shadow from within him surged forward and slammed its palm directly on the reptile monster. Pieces of flesh splattered across the ground, some landing on the nearby walls, and some landing in the murky water.

Surprisingly though, Damien didn't get hit at all. It was as if the Shadow had calculated every form of possibility before making its move to kill and consume the reptile monster.

Although there was no mouth from the Shadow, the reptile monster appeared to have been vacuumed away.

In the blink of an eye, only the splattered fleshes remained evidence of the reptile monster's existence. Its deformed body due to the explosion was consumed and vanished from the world.

Following the consumption, the Shadow returned to its original place, remaining nothing more than just an ordinary shadow.

Damien's expression, however, was cold and solemn. He had some form of connection and was able to discern the power of the Shadow seemed to have improved upon consumption.

Precisely because of that, Damien began to wonder if the Shadow had deliberately allowed the reptile monster to transform and grow stronger. Perhaps the Shadow had intended for it, knowing that only by consuming a more powerful being would its own strength be further enhanced.

'If my conjecture was right, then it's possible that my life would constantly be in near danger but not threatening enough to be killed.' Damien was appalled by the situation. His eyes shifted to his left arm.

The left arm, which had been slashed earlier by the reptile monster's barbed tail, began to show signs of recovery. The Shadow coated the wound, numbing the stinging sensation as it started to heal.