The Extra System: Summoner of Shadows

Cedric and the rest were inside the forest of Zelorin, a stretch of wilderness that formed the border of the Valoria Kingdom. Beyond this forest was the Valley of Death, an entrance to unexplored lands where countless guilds tried their luck. Valoria was a land of warriors, boasting the highest number of adventurers among the six kingdoms. Zelorin was swarmed with such warriors, who answered to the Adventurers Guild. It was their duty to keep the number of monsters in Zelorin minimal.

"It feels odd, I tell you," an old man said to his companions, waving his cane at the forest. His robes were made of silk that shone with an ethereal gleam. "The forest is darker than usual! We should go back!"

"The Greater Moon is full tonight, old man. We can see just fine," said a younger warrior, yawning. "Blame your eyes for getting old, not the forest. We have to hunt at least ten more Level 50 monsters before we go back."

"A few gold coins aren't worth our lives, I tell you!" the old man repeated as he turned toward the armored man cleaning his sword. "As the leader of our team, how can you not trust your mage? We have the highest intelligence and perception!"

The leader did not reply, focusing on cleaning his sword. A rattling bush scared the old man, who hid behind a young woman holding a grimoire. As the branches parted, a figure emerged from the forest. It was a man holding a bow and wearing a long hat that looked like a boat.

"My perception is higher, old Kain," said the archer as he turned toward the leader. "There are no monsters ahead. We can enter the druids' territory soon. But we better hurry since they are the weakest at night."

"I know," muttered the leader as he rose and sheathed his giant sword. "Stop hiding behind our healer, old Kain. You are the highest level among us, but still act like a coward. Have some backbone and cast a protective barrier."

"I am the highest level, but you don't trust me!" spat Kain as he emerged from behind the young healer, who looked troubled. "Don't worry, miss. I will protect you when the time comes!"

The rest of them snorted and snickered at his obvious lies. Although disheartened and scared, Kain created a barrier with him in the center.

Their leader led the way as their shield, with the young warrior striding beside him. The archer, Kain, and the young healer walked behind them. The party of five advanced through the forest.

After hours of searching, they did not encounter a single monster. This baffled them, as such a thing had never happened before. Kain once again advised them to return, but the leader decided to keep looking.

After a few more minutes, the leader stopped walking and raised his hand. His square face held a frown as he looked at the figure standing ahead of them.

"We finally found a monster," said the young warrior as he brandished his sword. However, the leader raised a hand to stop him.

"That is no monster, but a man," muttered the leader with a frown. "But how come we couldn't sense his presence?"

The man in question turned to face them, his face hidden beneath a hood and mask. He seemed to study them for a while before pointing in the direction they had come from.

"Please leave this place. Sinister creatures are gathering, and I cannot guarantee your safety," said the man in a voice that was neither masculine nor feminine. His polite tone and monotonous voice created an eerie impression in their minds.

"I told you something was wrong with this place!" shouted Kain as he backed away. "We literally have a ghost telling us to return! How can you all be so reckless? I will tell my grandson about you!"

"Shut your mouth, old man," said the leader with a scowl as he turned back to the man ahead of them. "Who are you? Identify yourself and take off that mask. And explain what you mean by your earlier words."

"Listen to the old man. The forest is being swallowed by creatures you cannot defeat," said the man again. "Return at once."

After repeating the same words, the man turned around and walked into the darkness. Moments later, he could no longer be seen, heard, or felt. The team stood in silence, unsettled by his appearance and calm.

"Who was that?" asked the young healer, now scared. "My eyes could see him, but I couldn't feel his presence before me. Can it be… a ghost?"

"Don't be foolish. That was a Good Samaritan who wanted to save us from the sinister forces in the forest. We should listen to his advice and leave, I tell you!" demanded Kain again as he strode toward the leader. "Listen—"

"Enough, old man. If you step out of line even one more time, I will send you back alone," said the leader with a frown. "Even if the forest had sinister creatures, how could we abandon our duty to eliminate, or at least investigate, the threat lurking so close to Ironheart?"

His strong outburst silenced Kain, and he could not answer the leader, who advanced forward again. The rest followed as old Kain was left behind before he too followed them into the forest to investigate.

The moonlight seemed to dwindle with every passing second. The darkness crept around them, and even the others began to grow restless. The archer, who had the highest perception, stepped forward. "I cannot see shit in this place. Kain is a paranoid coward, but he has a point now. The darkness is too thick."

"I… think so too…" concurred the healer.

Once the two voiced their opinions, the leader could not push forward anymore. He expected the old mage to take this chance to nag him some more, but he was met with silence. As he looked at the four, he found them to be three.

"Where the hell is Kain?" asked the leader with a frown. The rest looked around in confusion, and their faces paled when they saw that Kain was gone. "Did he return without us knowing?"

"He was here just seconds ago," answered the healer with a shivering voice. "I didn't hear anything. Not a single sound."

"Are you telling me a loudmouth like him just vanished without a word?" asked the archer as he strode toward the healer, looking around. "Damn this darkness. I can't see a thing."

The leader realized it too late. The darkness had somehow crept close enough to envelop them like a bubble, and not a thing could be seen beyond an arm's reach. And now, they had lost their protective barrier with Kain gone.

"We need to return. I got a spooky feeling, y'all," said the young warrior as he shivered. "Did the old man actually die? Was he devoured like that masked man said earlier?"

"Follow me and remain quiet. We don't want to be attacked out of nowhere," said the leader as he walked back the path they had come from. Although it was dark, they hadn't entirely lost their sense of direction.

The team tried to find their path, but it soon became impossible because the torches turned useless. The darkness was unbearable, and the archer had to use his skill, Illuminate, to cast some light for them. It allowed them to travel through the forest some more before they heard a shriek in the distance.

"What was that?" muttered the healer.

The leader, however, bolted in the direction of the otherworldly shriek. His intuition told him that if they remained any longer in this darkness, they would never leave it.

As they crossed a barren wasteland filled with bones, they finally saw something tear through the darkness. It was a single masked figure radiating an ethereal light, with his hand manipulating it. The next instant, they saw several shadows rise from the ground and attack him.

"Ember!" shouted the man, and the world was bathed in moonlight. The team stopped in their tracks as they raised their eyes toward the sky to see the source of the moonlight.

It was not the Greater Moon breaking through the darkness, but a female knight standing atop a giant tree. Then, she jumped from the tree, bringing down the moonlight with her as she slammed it into the ground. The world then exploded with moonlight.