Chapter 533 A Secret Battle

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I sent Eleanora to make sure the situation could be taken care of properly. With all three of my spirits, boosted with the power of several Skills, I was confident I could capture them. However, not without a bit of my external help, and Hendrick had already finished the creation of these items I was about to employ against them as well.

Naturally, the moment they felt the shadows wrapping around their legs and pulling them down into the shadows themselves, they panicked.

"What?!"

"Enemy attack?!"

"H-How?!"

"Nnnggh..! T-This is Shadow Trap and Shadow Sneak?!"

Of course, it wasn't merely those two Skills, Eleanora had used her Ninjutsu Skill's Technique [Shadow Seal] which can seal an opponent's movements with the user's own shadows monetarily, all combined with my own Shadow Techniques which she acquired through our Link Skill.

Hendrick's presence emerged from within the shadows, stretching his long and large arms, greeting them by taking off his hat like a gentleman.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all, my dear guests. Let the show begin!"

"A man?!"

"No, that's a spirit!"

"A talking spirit… this is bad, escape!"

"[Smoke Bomb]!"

The four quickly attempted to escape, as all four of them utilized Smoke Bomb Techniques using their special Spirits. Their spirits were all the same. They had a Shadow Stealth Cape, and an All-Purpose Spying Tool, they were both equipment and tool-type spirits modified through the means they had talked about earlier.

The All-Purpose Spying Tool was a Tool-type Spirit that came with a few abilities, one of them was [Smoke Bomb].

POOOOF!

Suddenly, four smoke bombs exploded right in front of my three spirits, the four of them quickly attempting to cover their sight so they could make a run for it.

"Nngh?!"

"Ah?!"

"This is…!"

"I can't move?!"

However, they had already fallen into my clutches. [Shadow Manipulation] once more proved to be a superior Skill. Thanks to the Spirit Link Skill that all three of my Spirits had acquired beforehand, they were capable of acquiring Link with my [Shadow Manipulation] Skill.

And like this, all three of them were able to use the Skill at its current level, and all of their techniques. Once they converged this Skill with one another, its potential skyrocketed, especially when it was now level 5!

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[Shadow Manipulation: Lv5]

Skill Proficiency: 153/50000

Only those incredibly proficient in Shadow Magic can acquire this Skill. It grants control over the element of shadows limited by the Skill Level and mastery over the power of Shadow Magic, the range of this Skill is also dependent in the Skill Level. Additionally, it grants a +20% enhancement to the power of any Shadow/Darkness Attribute Magic Spell, alongside special techniques unlocked with each Skill Level.

Available Shadow Techniques:

Level 1: [Shadow Domination] [Dark Whip]

Level 2: [Shadow Strings] [Dark Puppeteer]

Level 3: [Shadow Control] [Steal Shadow]

Level 4: [Shadow Parasite] [Shadow Transportation]

Level 5: [Shadow Jaws] [Void Bullet]

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Without wasting any second, Eleanor, Hendrick, and Saphira channeled this power within them through their Link Skill, and then conjured in succession [Shadow Domination], [Dark Whip], [Shadow Strings], [Dark Puppeteer], [Shadow Control], [Steal Shadow], [Shadow Parasite], and [Shadow Transportation] at the same time.

Shadow Domination allowed them to imbue their shadows into an object, the rooftop they were using as the place where these four would die. Shadow Strings and Dark Whip fused into long, sneaky tentacles that wrapped around the four spies' limbs, Dark Puppeteer made sure to capture their movements, temporarily inhibiting their ability to move their muscles properly.

Meanwhile, Shadow Control and Steal Shadow allowed them to temporarily steal the shadows of their opponents and control them from a distance, all while Shadow Parasite completely allowed them to manipulate their shadows without much resistance, all while Shadow Transportation helped them at dragging them towards them.

Of course, the power of such as Skill as Shadow Manipulation seemed rather rare, especially due to the large quantity of techniques it brought, which were more effective than conjuring normal spells with half the MP cost. And even if they took that into consideration, they could had never guessed three spirits would own such a skill, all at the same time.

FLUOOOSH!

The enormous shadows suddenly shapeshifted into a gigantic jaw through the [Shadow Jaws] Skill conjured three times in a row, the four spies desperately attempted to fight back, only to be hit by transparent chains which had emerged right from the shadow tentacles wrapping around their bodies.

"Uuuggh..! I can't use magic properly?!"

"Unnngggh…! My Tool Spirit cannot transform!"

"T-This is… someone of a very high level is targeting us… But when?! And who…?!"

"T-Those are two more spirits?!"

As they depsetately began to think what to do now, Hendrick shut them down, as his poison emerged from his hands. With a carefree wave from his arms, the poison suddenly drenched over the spies' faces, covering their eyes and mouths.

"Sssh, why don't you stay silent for a bit? Don't you think you're being rude by screaming all over the place? My lord is having a lovely time and you were trying to ruin it?!"

"MMmmmggggh…!"

"Gggraagggh…!"

"Aaaaggh!"

"Nnngghh…!"

As they screamed with their mouths filled with a sticky poisonous substance, Eleanora and Saphira extended their shadows and dragged them into the darkness, completely making them disappear from the scene.

Peace quickly was brought back to our surroundings, as if they were never here… However, as I saw Erika happily talk with her mother, a smiled.

Who would had thought I would get four of them in my first day?

"My lord, we've got them." Hendrick said through telepathy.

"They're strong, the Seal Magic Chains you used on them through us are already being broken…." Eleanora said.

"What do we do?" Saphira asked.

"Kill them. Use this opportunity to train your abilities and skills. Saphira, once they're dead, capture their souls. Also, cut down their hands so they cannot explode, now!"

The three spirits immediately did as I told them, their weapons and attacks slicing through the four spies' hands mercilessly. Their screams couldn't be heard anywhere but within the shadows they found themselves trapped.

What a good harvest.

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