ATG: God of Shadows

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In the heart of a dense, untamed jungle, Alex sat on a moss-covered stone, surrounded by towering trees and the sounds of nature. The air was thick with the scent of earth and foliage, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves overhead. Alex closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath as he centered himself.

The profound energy of the jungle, rich and vibrant, pulsed through the ground beneath him. He reached out with his senses, feeling the flow of energy in the environment. Due to his physique, Alex knew that he could absorb different types of energies in this world. Moreover, his body by default had all of its profound entrances open.

The only energies he knew of that existed in the Primal Chaos were the Profound Energy and some of its elemental variations like Ice Profound Energy, Fire Profound Energy, etc. And the other one was Primordial Energy, the energy used for cultivation by the True Gods and Devils.

But Alex could not feel the Primordial Energy in the surroundings; maybe this was the reason for the absence of any new True Gods or True Devils in this current era.

Alex's POV

"Ah man! I thought I would be able to use Primordial Energy right from the start like a certain fanfiction I read, but it seems like that won't be the case for me, huh?"

Stretching my hands to the sky, I thought about a few possibilities.

'Well, that doesn't matter, as in that fanfic, the protagonist did not have cheats like me from the start; he only had knowledge about some specific topics.'

'Moreover, I do not need to think about the absence of Primordial Energy from the Primal Chaos because of my absolute cheat of a body. The Black Heart seems to work like a converter of energy according to my cultivation's requirement. So, it would probably help me with that once I am about to transition to that realm.'

Shaking my head a bit, 'Fuck, I need to stop procrastinating and thinking about realms I haven't even reached yet.'

'Fucking hell, Alex, focus on what you're currently doing. Hmm, that sounds good.'

"Now, let's start, shall we?"

As I settled back into my lotus position, the ambient sounds of the jungle faded away, leaving only the rhythmic beating of my heart and the subtle hum of the profound energy coursing through the earth beneath me.

I could feel the dense, rich energy of the jungle resonating with my own internal flow. The life force of the ancient trees, the vibrant pulse of the soil, and the gentle whisper of the wind all seemed to merge into one harmonious rhythm that I could tap into.

The cultivation technique that was given to me with the powers just focused on increasing the cultivation realm as fast as possible without causing any problems for future cultivation. It wasn't useful for anything else other than fast cultivation.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the flow of energy, letting it seep into my body through every profound entrance. The sensation was like a warm current, invigorating yet soothing, as the profound energy melded into my body.

Ding! You have reached the First level of Elementary Profound Realm!

'I have finally truly embarked on my path of cultivation. This is my first step in becoming the biggest ant in the colony.'

'I can feel the flow of energy inside my body. It feels kind of soothing but also tingling to have energy flow inside my body. But unlike what I read in the novels, I do not have a dantian—or basically a core for energy storing; my entire body is basically like an energy container. No, wait, not even the physical body. It's more like the energy is being stored somewhere that is not physical?'

'What the fuck am I even saying? I don't fucking know where my energy is being stored. Am I even doing it correctly? I should be, otherwise, I wouldn't have reached the Elementary Profound Realm. Fuck it, let's just continue.'

I began to circulate the energy through my profound veins. My heart—the Black Heart—pulsed in tandem with the flow, subtly altering the energy as it passed through, refining it, purifying it, and making it even more potent. I could feel the energy strengthening my body, sharpening my senses, and expanding my awareness of the jungle around me.

Despite the fact that this planet—or more like this star realm—is supposed to be low in the energy levels required for cultivation, I could feel that it would be more than enough for my initial progression.

Narrator's POV

As Alex continued to cultivate, he entered what might be called a deep meditative state. He paid no heed to his surroundings, confident that his shadows were guarding him. So, he fully immersed himself in cultivation.

Speaking of the shadows, a short distance away, hidden within the shadows of the jungle, three figures stood watch over Alex as he cultivated. Their forms were imposing, each radiating a distinct aura of power and loyalty. Igris, Beru, and Bellion, the most trusted of Alex's shadow retainers, maintained a vigilant guard, ensuring that no harm would come to their liege during this critical time.

Igris, his crimson eyes glowing faintly beneath his dark helm, was the first to speak, his voice a low, resonant murmur. "Our liege's progress is astonishing. In just a few minutes, he has transitioned from a mortal to the first level of cultivation."

Beru, his insectoid form towering over the others, clicked his mandibles thoughtfully. "Do you expect any less from our liege? Just the awakening of his powers subconsciously created us, three beings of the Sovereign Profound Realm. I doubt that if it wasn't for our creation, our liege would have just directly stepped into the Divine Realm."

All of a sudden, Beru's eyes filled with tears as he spoke, "Yet our liege is truly magnanimous. Instead of blaming us, he accepted us wholeheartedly and gave us the honor of guarding him. What more could this pathetic servant of my liege ask for in life? I, my liege's most loyal servant, shall serve him until the world collapses and even beyond!" Saying so, he sneezed.

Looking at the antics of their fellow shadow, Igris and Bellion couldn't help but get a sweat drop on their heads.

Bellion, ignoring the antics of Beru, nodded in agreement. "This is but the beginning. With each step, our liege grows closer to his true potential, but we must remain ever vigilant. There are many in this world who would seek to disrupt his progress."

Igris crossed his arms, his gaze never leaving Alex's meditating form. "They would have to get through us first, but I doubt even the strongest of this realm could pose a true threat to our liege with the three of us standing guard."

Beru chittered, his wings flickering slightly. "Let them come. I will personally rip them to shreds if they dare to even look at my liege with malicious intent in their eyes."

Bellion placed a hand on the hilt of his greatsword, a faint smile playing on his lips. "We shall see, Beru. But for now, our duty is to ensure that nothing disturbs our liege. His growth is paramount, and we must do everything in our power to facilitate it. Moreover, we shouldn't forget that the battle experiences in our minds are just that—experiences. We don't know how we would fare in actual combat. Though I am sure that we would win against even opponents of higher realms due to our nigh indestructible physiques and rapid regeneration, we still need to actually fight."

Both Igris and Beru agreed with what Bellion said.

The three shadow soldiers fell into a comfortable silence, their senses on high alert as they continued to watch over Alex. The jungle may have been a place of wild, untamed beasts, but with Igris, Beru, and Bellion guarding him, Alex was in no danger. He could cultivate in peace, knowing that his most loyal retainers were ever vigilant, ready to strike down any threat that dared approach.

And so, as the day turned to night and the stars began to appear in the sky above, Alex remained in his meditative state, his cultivation steadily increasing, each breath bringing him closer to his ultimate goal.