I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space

Chapter 105: Shadow affinity

Razeal jolted upright, gasping as if he’d just breached the surface of deep water after drowning.

His eyes snapped open, darting wildly as they adjusted to the warm light of the room. His back was drenched in sweat, the sheets beneath him damp. His chest rose and fell in rapid waves. For a long second, he didn’t move, just lay there in the soft bed clutching at the air like someone coming back from the dead.

”That was... fucking terrifying,” he muttered, his voice hoarse and shaky.

The memory of that place.. that void still clung to him like smoke. The way it consumed every sense, sound, breath, everything made him feel like he had disappeared. Not died. Not slept. Just... ceased.

No sound. No pressure. No time. No self.

He shivered, rubbing his arms as if that could wipe away the ghost of that space. His mind knew he was safe now, but some part of his soul still floated out there in that endless dark.

He exhaled slowly, eyes still wide. ”I never want to go through that again. Ever.”

Good thing the system purged any negative psychological effects once he was out, or he might’ve cracked then and there.

Trying to pull himself back together, he sat up straighter, forced his breathing to steady, and focused on the one thing that could ground him: progress.

”System,” he said, voice getting calmer now or atleast trying to be. ”Show me what I got.”

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have acquired a Universe Artifact!]

[Name: Shadow Heart]

[Rank: SSS]

[Type: Elemental]

[Description: The crystallization of all shadows across the universe, fused into one. The Shadow Heart is the purest and highest form of shadow ever created the ultimate sacred artifact of the shadow element.]

[Ability: Absolute Shadow]

[Grants the user complete and unrestricted control over shadows. The user can shape, manipulate, and command shadows in any way they desire: for offense, defense, movement, creation, concealment, or destruction. The only limits are the user’s energy and the purity of their shadow affinity.]

Razeal read the details, rubbing his chin as he absorbed every word.

An SSS-ranked artifact.

He nodded slowly. Then again. And again. ”Haaah,” he finally breathed out.

But then the question hit him. The one he’d wanted to ask first.

”...System. That heart I saw... it didn’t replace my actual, original heart, right?” he asked, his voice dipping low half joking, half bracing for the worst.

[Yes. It did. Your useless human heart is gone. Replaced with a legit SSS-ranked Shadow Heart. You should be happy.]

”Happy my ass...” Razeal’s lips twitched.

Of course. Of course the moment he saw the name ”Shadow Heart,” he just knew something was going to be messed up.

He touched his chest lightly, fingers pressing over where his heart was supposed to be.

”...System. Just.. will this thing work like my real heart did? It’s not gonna malfunction, right?” His voice was serious now. Not panicked, but cautious. This wasn’t just some limb it was his fucking heart.

[Don’t worry, Host. It’s better than your last one. Only difference is the material and color. You could say... you officially have a black heart now.]

Razeal groaned. ”Hilarious.”

Still, he had to admit.. it didn’t feel bad. No discomfort. No pain. Just... different.

Razeal exhaled. Slowly.

”Can’t do anything about it, huh?” he muttered. ”As long as it works, I don’t care what’s in there.”

Still...

”First my bones turned black, now my heart. Why are all my organs being replaced piece by piece? Can’t I just keep what I already have?”

[It’s just an upgrade, Host. Be grateful.]

”Yeah, yeah...”

He rolled his shoulders, stretching a little. ”Alright, next question: how many times did I die to get this heart?

Because that’s how it always went. Nothing came for free. He had died 10,000 times just to obtain the Obsidian Skeleton, which was just S-ranked. This was SSS. And numbers definitely be fucked up...

[None, Host. Your Absolute Dark Genius talent helped. You hold the highest favorability toward dark-element items, so your body didn’t reject it in fact, it fully accepted it.]

”...None?” He blinked.

”So you’re saying it just fused into me? Without dying a thousand times in agony? No pain or organ rejection deaths?”

[Yes.] The system kept it short.

”...Well shit. That’s a first.”

”...Good.” He didn’t ask anything else.

Not that he was complaining. Just... surprised. If it worked, it worked.

But now onto the important part.

”...System. This is an SSS-rank artifact. Why is there only one ability?”

He stared at the line:

[Ability: Absolute Shadow]

Manipulate, command shadows. Offense, defense, movement, concealment, destruction. Sure. But that was it? One line?

”Shouldn’t an SSS artifact have, like, many broken abilities stacked together?” he asked, raising a brow.

[Host, please remember: having many abilities doesn’t equal being stronger. A high-ranked item with one ability usually means that one ability is extremely powerful refined, not bloated. In this case, it gives you complete proficiency over the shadow element.

Absolute Shadow gives you complete and instinctive control over shadow itself. That’s not a skill you’re not learning to use shadows. You just can. Like a master swordsman who doesn’t need training to swing a blade he just knows.

But even a master needs a sword, and strength to swing it. In this case, your ”sword” is shadow affinity, and the strength is your dark mana.

Right now, your affinity is low. So your control is limited. But the potential? It’s massive.

Keep pushing. The ability isn’t the thing which limit you.. you are.

That said, it still needs two things to truly shine

1. Energy (Dark Mana).

2. Affinity (Your natural connection to Shadow).

Increase it

Razeal blinked.

”...Umm. Alright. I mean... if the System says it’s SSS-rank, then it must be something very special and unique, right?”

He scratched the back of his head, unsure whether to trust the screen.

Absolute Shadow - Manipulate and command your shadow as an extension of your will.

It looked impressive. Sounded fine even. But it felt... off. Underwhelming, even. Especially compared to the insane, over-explained, universe-bending abilities he had already unlocked. Flow came with a whole thesis on energy movement and combat synergy. Killing Intent had levels, and psychological breakdowns amd even others many hidden effects totally overpowered.

And this?

”Absolue shadow.”

That’s it?

He scrolled back through the description again, just to make sure he didn’t miss some hidden page or fine print. Still the same lines. Still vague. Still no instruction manual. He exhaled slowly, lips tightening.

Villey said it’s top-tier...

He glanced at the glowing System window again. he trust him. Even if this doesn’t feel like it yet.

He rubbed his chin. ”So... how do I even use this?”

His gaze dropped to the ground. His shadow stretched out beneath him, still and shapeless, cast by the overhead lights. Just... a shadow. Silent. Harmless. Dead flat.

”...Alright. Let’s try something stupid.”

He pointed a finger at it.

”Hey, you. Move.”

Nothing.

Of course nothing.

He didn’t know any sensing techniques. No training. No control skills. No secret activation words. All he could do was try. Still, it felt ridiculous talking to his own shadow like it owed him something.

But then

A ripple.

Small. Subtle. Like a single drop of water had fallen onto a still lake.

”...What the hell?”

His eyes narrowed. He crouched slightly, watching the dark shape beneath him shift just barely as if it had flinched.

”Lets try this then.”

Razeal slowly raised his hand again. Twisted it.

The shadow responded.

From its edge, a thin tendril, blacker than black, slid out like liquid ink. It slithered a few inches, then another, its tip curling upwards.

”Heyyyyyy its working damm. Wait leme try”

”...Left,” he whispered.

The tendril jerked left.

”Right. Up. Down.”

It moved exactly as he said, each motion clean, reactive, obedient.

His heart began to race.

”Okay... okay. Uh make a hand.”

The front of the tendril split. Shadow peeled apart, stretching and folding into five crude fingers. A rough hand formed, still slick and formless like animated tar, but undeniably shaped.

Now grinning, Razeal didn’t speak the next command aloud. He just thought it.

Full arm. Make it look muscular.

The shadow pulsed once. Then it surged. The tendril thickened, extending and reshaping into a solid, muscular arm completely black, as if carved from obsidian smoke. It was bizarre: rising straight out of his own shadow, still anchored to the floor, but real. Tangible. Alive.

He paced a half-step back, eyes wide.

”That’s... actually crazy.”

”Turn into a sword,” he said next.

The arm morphed in an instant. The fingers closed, flattened, hardened into a sleek black blade.

”...Hammer.”

Boom bulkier, heavier. A shadow-forged hammer now replaced the sword.

”Trident.”

Sharp. Jagged. Three-pronged.

”How about... a shirt?”

The arm melted, shrank, and climbed his torso. Within seconds, an inky-black shirt was formed. Smooth. Seamless. Shadow-born.

It matched the exact design he’d imagined in his head.

But it was still black. Always black. And even now, it was still faintly connected to the pool of shadow at his feet like a cable or root that never quite let go..

A low breath escaped him. A mix of awe and disbelief.

”...This thing listens to my thoughts. And it doesn’t just follow commands it understands them as if it can read my mind.”

It felt less like a tool and more like a limb. A limb waiting for orders.

And it’s... kinda very interesting, Razeal thought, eyes narrowing. Wait is this thing... touchable?

That thought alone set his pulse jumping. Shadows weren’t supposed to have substance. They were the absence of light. Nothing more. Just shapes, illusions. But this... this was different. This wasn’t some hollow silhouette mimicking his body it was behaving like its object or atleast liquid which can be controlled.

Driven by curiosity, Razeal dropped to one knee and slowly placed his palm on the shirt where the shadow had pooled.

Instantly, it reacted.

The shadow flickered under his touch, shivering like liquid caught in the breeze. Then it moved. Not just passively shifting it reached for him. The shirt it had disguised itself as began to melt, unraveling into an oily-black swirl that danced around his hand. It wasn’t aggressive even almost felt playful. A teasing motion, like a cat batting at a string.

A cold tingle crawled up his arm, followed by an eerie sensation of movement not his own, but something else. Something like a very very light liquid. It wasn’t just mimicking life. It was like its alive itself.

”...Okay, yeah. That’s not normal,” Razeal muttered aloud, eyes wide. ”I can feel it. I can actually feel it.”

He flexed his fingers slowly. The shadow clung like some half-liquid fabric, responding to the slightest movement. Definitely not nothingness shadow is supposed to be. Definitely not just absence of light. It felt solid. Material. Tangible.

”As far as I know,” he mumbled, thinking aloud, ”a shadow isn’t even supposed to be a thing. It’s just darkness, Wait Can light be felt too or touched? Never felt it.

Fucking cool, he thought, grinning.

He stood up and gave a cautious command:

”Stand up and copy my body.”

The moment the word left his mouth, the shadow on the floor stirred. It began to pull itself upward, stretching from the base like smoke rising except this smoke had weight. Shape. Purpose.

Two feet formed first. Then legs. Tendrils spiraled upward, weaving together like threads pulling flesh from thin air. It climbed up until it reached the waist... and then it stopped.

Frozen. Half-formed.

”...Huh?” Razeal blinked, his growing excitement colliding with a wall of confusion. ”What happened? Why’d it stop?”

The shadow didn’t respond.

”Hey. Form man, or whatever you are.. what’s going on? Did we run out of shadow or something?”

Still no movement.

Annoyed now, Razeal pulled up his system interface and checked his mana.

Mana (MP): C (499,560 / 1,000,000)

He stared. ”What the fuck? Wasn’t that number supposed to be five million? Where the hell did all hundreds of that mana go?”

A sharp pit of unease settled in his stomach. even if its just small number...

Does it eat up this much mana.. literally 500 close mp just to form a damn little tentacles?

”Okay, whatever,” he grumbled. ”Even if it does drain mana, shouldn’t it at least keep building until it’s out? Why did it just stop halfway?”

He crossed his arms, tapping one foot. ”Not like I’m asking for a full bodyguard here, but at least finish the job.”

Frustrated, he let out a sigh. ”Alright, Villey. You wanna explain this or what?”

The system responded immediately, its voice clinical and unmoved.

[Your shadow affinity is too low, Host. You’ve only absorbed a D-ranked and an F-ranked shadow affinity monster core. What exactly were you expecting? Your current affinity level cannot support more than three feet of shadow projection. Strength, length, control, and versatility all scale directly with your shadow affinity. If you want more than this train for it.]

Razeal rubbed his temples. ”Three feet? What am I even supposed to do with that? It’s slow, it’s tied to the shadow beneath me, and it’s practically useless for mobility.”

The system didn’t budge.

[Please dont complaining now host, Also let me remind you: fire elemental users at your level can only create a flame the size of a pinky finger after months of training. And that’s just enough to light a candle.]

[You, on the other hand, just summoned a half-body construct with zero training, full control, and no backlash. Why? Because you’re holding an SSS-ranked artifact.]

[You’ve been handed absolute control over a fucking high-level element. Total freedom. You can shape it however the hell you want no restrictions, no blowback, no instability. That’s not normal. The only reason it’s not doing more is because you don’t have the energy to power it or the affinity to guide it. That’s on you. So yeah work for i

Razeal fell quiet, lips pressed in a line. The system’s voice, as always, was blunt but it wasn’t wrong.

[There’s a lot you can do with this, Host. But you need to put in the work. For both our sakes.] System again said this time in softer voice.

Razeal stared down at the half-formed figure, shadow legs planted firm and torso flickering like a hologram stuck mid-phase. It was clumsy. Incomplete. Barely anything compared to what it could be.

But still it had moved.

It had responded.

”...Alright,” he muttered under his breath. ”I guess we’ve got a long way to go.”

He clenched his fist, shadow swirling faintly beneath his feet.

”But we’ll get there.”

Even after the failed attempt at forming a full figure, Razeal wasn’t done experimenting. His curiosity was burning hotter now.

”Let’s try something different...”

He stood up, eyes grazing the shadow at his feet. Concentrating, he shaped it not into a humanoid, but a flat, solid square, hovering like just a few inches above the ground. It was small, barely the size of a stool.

Without thinking too hard, he stepped onto it.

For a split second, he braced himself expecting it to collapse, vanish or something. But it didn’t.

Instead, it held.

Solid. Unshaking.

”What the hell... it’s actually supporting me?” he muttered, testing it by shifting his weight back and forth even jump but it stayed still.

Then something really strange happened.

He moved his body slightly, expecting the light around him to shift and change the shadow’s position beneath him basic physics. But the shadow platform didn’t budge. It stayed locked beneath his feet, perfectly steady, like it was glued to him but still held its own shape.

It defied everything he knew about how shadows behaved.

No flickering. No lag. Just... there.

He grinned. Interesting.

A thought sparked. Just one word in his mind:

”Move.”

Instantly, the shadow beneath him glided forward.

No bounce. No drag. Just smooth, silent motion like he was skating on the world’s quietest hoverboard.

”...Oh shit.”

The sensation was unreal.

His body wasn’t even moving his legs were still, arms relaxed at his sides but he was sliding. Effortlessly. The surface carried him across the room like he was standing on silk, and it responded to his thoughts like it was wired into his nervous system.

He tilted his weight slightly. The shadow veered left.

He pointed with his finger. It drifted right.

He leaned back, and it stopped.

”This... is insane,” Razeal whispered, spinning slowly on the spot like a kid discovering rollerblades for the first time. ”It’s like a skateboard, but with a perfect suspension system. No sound or friction... it’s just floating.”

He started zipping side to side across the room, grinning like a maniac.

Then the real thought hit him.

What if I could scale this up? Make it bigger... shaped like a monster truck? Something massive moving and armored Wait Could I fly with it? I mean... there is way right?

The possibilities lit up in his mind like fireworks.

But before he could start molding the shadow into anything more complex, the system’s voice cut into his thoughts like a buzzsaw.

[Host, shall we move to training now? You can test all of this out in a controlled space.]

Razeal frowned slightly, still coasting across the floor like a ghost.

[Also you’re wasting mana here. This is a normal environment. Inside the System Training Space, you’ll have time amplification and unlimited mana. You want to experiment without limits? Do it there.]

”Tch... fine,” Razeal muttered with a pout, already feeling no mana fatigue pr whatever not even tired. Still he stepped off the platform, retracting the shadow back into himself.

As it vanished, his feet touched the wooden floor beneath with a soft thud almost silent, like he’d never left the ground to begin with. His shadow returned to its natural, static state, hugging the floor like nothing had happened.

But his mind was racing.

I need to start requesting shadow affinity monster cores in the next deal, he thought. I’ve been too careless on general mana boosts. It’s time I started specializing.

And I also need to level up my Killing Intent skill too. I still haven’t figured out what effects be unlocked next.

”Alright,” he said aloud, stretching his neck, ”Send me into the system’s training function.”

[Confirmed.]

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Huge thanks to Telephotoleek80 for the 20 golden tickets! And a special shoutout to everyone who’s been contributing powerstones and golden tickets seriously, thank you all for the love and support.

The work keeps going just because of all you guys. Just know the author truly appreciates every single one of you.

3.1k word ch guys

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