Chapter 19: The Shadow Devouring Specter

Upon hearing what had transpired with her daughter, Xia Zhiquiu was filled with profound surprise and doubt.

Yet, being no ordinary person, she was well aware of the many unsettling phenomena that existed in the world, and so she spoke without delay.

“Xia Wei, don’t be afraid. Can you let Daddy see what’s going on?”

Xia Wei hesitantly nodded her assent.

Observing this, Xia Zhiquiu took out her phone, switched on its flashlight, and shone it upon her daughter.

Indeed, just as Xia Wei had described, not a trace of a shadow could be discerned on the girl’s form!

This remained true from every conceivable angle, a fact that struck Xia Zhiquiu as utterly inconceivable!

Here, a deep furrow appeared between Xia Zhiquiu’s brows, for she knew this matter was far more complicated than it seemed, especially since she had sensed lingering traces of eerie energy within the house moments earlier.

With this thought, she offered Xia Wei further words of reassurance before making her way to the balcony, where she retrieved her phone and logged into TNS.

She quickly located a contact known as The Oracle.

This man was a self-proclaimed expert in the fields of folklore and feng shui, though in the eyes of others, he was nothing more than an old charlatan.

Even Xia Zhiquiu held this opinion; however, despite finding him largely unreliable, he could always offer some semblance of an explanation for any given situation, a trait that, in itself, suggested he truly possessed a vast breadth of knowledge.

–Old Tong, this is a matter of utmost urgency.

I need to ask you about something.–

The official government of Hua Nation maintained dossiers on all ability users within TNS, yet each user was permitted to interact under a chosen screen name.

Xia Zhiquiu’s TNS handle was ‘A Leaf Knows Autumn,’ and she consistently referred to herself as male when exchanging messages with other ability users.

Consequently, all her friends believed her to be a man, never once suspecting that she was, in reality, a fierce and stunning beauty.

–What’s got you in such a hurry, little Zhiquiu?–

Swiftly, the old charlatan replied, his message accompanied by a comical emoji.

Xia Zhiquiu, however, had no time to waste, and she quickly typed her query.

–Old Tong, you’re exceptionally well-informed.

Do you know if there have been any recent incidents of shadows going missing anywhere?–

–Shadows going missing?–

Upon reading her message, the old charlatan instantly perked up, eagerly inquiring about the entire sequence of events.

Xia Zhiquiu refrained from revealing that her own daughter was in trouble, stating only that it concerned a friend of hers.

After listening intently, the old charlatan simply left a message: –Wait a moment.

I’ll go look up some information.–

Not long after, the old charlatan sent several images, followed by another message.

–If my guess is correct, your friend has been targeted by a Shadow Skin (TL Note: A colloquial term referring to a spirit that preys on shadows.).

Of course, ‘Shadow Skin’ is merely a folk designation; in Daoist traditions, it’s known as a Shadow Devouring Specter.–

–It is a peculiar spiritual entity that feeds on human shadows, existing in the liminal space between yin and yang.

Typically, it does not directly harm people, but it will devour human shadows to sustain itself.–

Xia Zhiquiu clicked open the photos sent by the old charlatan, which appeared to be a page from an ancient, leather-bound tome.

The page depicted a gaunt, contorted black silhouette in the act of consuming the leg of another human shadow.

Beside the illustration lay indecipherable ancient script.

–In many cinematic works, the shadow is regarded as an intrinsic part of one’s soul. Once a Shadow Devouring Specter consumes a target’s shadow, the person whose shadow was devoured will gradually ebb away their life force, and after seven days, they will become a soulless husk, much like what we now refer to as a person in a vegetative state.–

Upon reading this, Xia Zhiquiu’s countenance immediately darkened.

Xia Wei was her absolute boundary; she would not allow anyone, not even a specter, to harm Xia Wei!

–So, I have a few days to find that Shadow Devouring Specter, and once I eliminate it, my friend will be fine, right?–

To this, the old charlatan replied:

–In theory, that should be the case, but a Shadow Devouring Specter is unlike ordinary specters.

It simply cannot be eradicated through conventional means.–

–Tales of the Shadow Skin have been passed down from antiquity to the present day, spanning thousands of years, and the methods for its destruction have long been lost to the annals of time.–

Xia Zhiquiu momentarily stiffened at this, instantly growing anxious.

–Then what can I do?

I can’t just stand by and watch my friend die, can I?–

The old charlatan had no immediate solution, so he could only message:

–I can help you look.

There must be a way.–

Xia Zhiquiu understood that his words were mostly meant to comfort her.

She sent a thank you, then somberly tucked away her phone.

Staring at her daughter’s bedroom door, she found herself utterly unable to deliver this devastating news to her, her heart consumed by a simmering indignation.

She couldn’t comprehend why it had to be her daughter.

Xia Wei was such a wonderful child, yet she had encountered such an unforeseen calamity!

***

Over the next two days, Xia Zhiquiu arranged for her daughter’s absence from school, meticulously concealing her pervasive anxiety as she assured Xia Wei to ease her mind, promising that everything would undoubtedly be alright.

Though Xia Wei still felt uneasy, seeing her Daddy’s comforting gaze diminished much of the fear in her heart.

However, as time slowly trickled away, Xia Zhiquiu still had not found a way to deal with the Shadow Devouring Specter, and her heart grew as frantic as an ant on a scorching griddle.

She resolved not to passively await her fate; she had to find that Shadow Devouring Specter first!

While Xia Zhiquiu’s city was neither exceptionally large nor particularly small, finding the Shadow Devouring Specter that had consumed her daughter’s shadow was akin to searching for a needle in a vast ocean.

Fortunately, she could leverage the information within TNS to locate other addresses where shadow loss incidents had occurred, thereby significantly narrowing the scope of her investigation.

In the early hours of the third day, Xia Zhiquiu once again came up empty-handed.

By now, the sky was steadily dimming, and heavy rain poured outside.

She walked through the office building linked to her latest clue, which was almost entirely deserted due to the late hour.

Just as Xia Zhiquiu was about to take the elevator downstairs, the corridor lights flickered erratically due to unstable voltage!

In the intermittent flashes of light, she clearly saw her own shadow stretch and twist into grotesque forms.

Then, suddenly, a gaunt, skeletal black silhouette seeped forth from the corner of the wall, enveloping her shadow like a viscous black oil!

For a moment, Xia Zhiquiu’s mind momentarily went blank.

Thankfully, this sensation lasted only an instant before her primal sense of danger surged to the forefront, and her combat saber instinctively cleaved towards the attacking black silhouette!

To Xia Zhiquiu’s dismay, her strike only landed on the ground, sending a shower of sparks, but the black silhouette on the ground remained utterly impervious!

In Xia Zhiquiu’s vision, the entity suddenly opened a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp fangs, a veritable black hole, and began to rend and tear at her own shadow!

She had slain countless specters, yet this was the first time she had encountered such an utterly bizarre and uncanny entity.

In response, Xia Zhiquiu could only create a strategic distance.

When she retreated to a safer spot, she discovered that one of her shadow’s arms had vanished!

However, seeing Xia Zhiquiu hide in an area devoid of shadow, this Shadow Devouring Specter did not press the attack further, but instead rapidly retreated into the deeper shadows and departed.

At this point, even if Xia Zhiquiu wished to pursue, she was powerless to act, for there was simply no way to inflict harm upon the entity.