The Trash Author Cleans his Novel

When morning arrived, I sat groggily on my bed. My entire body creaked with muscle pains.

Relying on pure Willpower to go through the Wilderness Park was equivalent to breaking my body down and rebuilding it from scratch. Now, as my body healed, my physical attributes soared — a byproduct of my methods.

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> STR: F-Rank (1/3) -> E-Rank (7/9) [Hidden: F-Rank (1/3)]

> DEX: F-Rank (1/3) -> E-Rank (7/9) [Hidden: F-Rank (1/3)]

> RES: F-Rank (1/3) -> D-Rank (3/27) [Hidden: F-Rank (1/3)]

[]=[]=[]=[]=[]

Now, I had the Resistance of an average Awakened. My Strength and Dexterity needed more work, but I would eventually get there. 

Especially when I had yet to 'Awaken,' which was something I would work on today.

Suddenly.

—Boom! Boom! Boom!

Heavy footsteps thundered from below. 

My eyes flashed, sharpening away the sleepiness from my gaze.

'Is this the signature thump of steel-plated greaves?' A nervous chuckle left my lips.

I had to leave. In my novel, this particular sound was always vividly depicted. It was the arrival of a certain Bounty Hunter.

'Calla de Veru, with the alias, [Lady of the Shade].'

A noblewoman who secretly does bounty hunting on the side. Acting like a mercenary hunting down different targets for the money.

'For her though, it's more of the thrill.'

To an extent, I expected to be tracked down today. That was simply how Vircadia functioned. However, I did not expect to be found by a significant character from my story.

'The only reason I escaped yesterday was because they hadn't zeroed in on my location... But now they have a good idea of where I am.'

Dozens of shadowy squads were moving to find me. Hiding from plain sight, seeking the famous figure for their various goals.

Some were curious, while some wanted to strike a deal. Others, like Calla, wanted my knowledge for themselves.

Dealing with them was a dangerous chore I'd rather ignore.

'True Shadow,'

I activated one of my Traits. Gradually, my shadow, previously living only beneath my feet, crept up and devoured my body. As the thunderous footsteps grew louder, I became one with the shadows.

My instinctual ability to use Shadow Assassination Arts became especially strong after my evolution. It was that evolution that also wiped my demonic signature, making it identical to humans.

Thus, by extension, my shadow became a perfect version of itself. Only those specialized in sensory would be able to sense me coming for their lives.

In this situation where I wasn't going for the kill, I would be nigh undetectable.

'As long as I don't move.'

—Blam!

The door to my room slammed open and a masked figure swaggered in. Her eyes scanned the empty bed, untouched desk, and dry bathroom. Other than the creased sheets, there were no signs of anyone being in this room.

A frown appeared on her face as her calculations proved to be mistaken.

I almost chuckled at the sight. Luckily, I held my laughter in.

'Yeah, she's the type to get frustrated easily. Luckily, she's already in her twenties. We won't be meeting anytime soon.'

All I had to do now was wait.

Even when Calla left, I continued to wait. I sat still for hours on end.

[ > WIL: D-Rank (23/27) -> (24/27) ]

I had to make sure no one would come back for me. Even when the hotel staff cleaned up the room, folded sheets, and replaced amenities, I stayed unnervingly still.

A part of me was going insane, but another part of me felt great. Perhaps this was truly what a Shadow Demon was.

Something that just... existed without change.

Humans were opposites in that regard, always restless, always in flux. How ironic, especially when the first thing a newborn Shadow Demon had to do was evolve. The more humans they killed, the more like humans they would become.

Sprouting with intelligence, emotions, and even a soul.

A shadow becoming real.

So, I stayed like this until nightfall, wasting an entire day. Standing in an empty alleyway, a distance away from the hotel, I sighed.

"Fuck,"

I was supposed to Awaken today — a ceremony all races could undergo, an unshackling of themselves from the tethers of the world. However, perhaps it was fate that I would have to undergo my Awakening at night and in secret.

***

The Awakening ceremony would usually allow a person to wield a Gift, a so-called blessing from the heavens.

Although this Gift came with complications in the far future, I needed to pass my upcoming examinations at the very least. Other characters had awakened at the start of the year or even earlier, allowing themselves to acclimate to their new Gifts.

I, on the other hand, had to cram.

Although humanity had complex rituals for their Awakening ceremonies that involved various gods, the core of an Awakening was simple. All I needed was an altar, a single Mana Stone, and a drop of my blood.

Given that I was also a Shadow Demon, I could use the ceremonies that Demons were fond of — sacrificial rituals.

However, I planned on something else. Something... a lot more fun.

With my money, I bought a few items. An extravagant pen, an empty hard-bound book, an ornate bottle of ink, a fresh change of clothes, and a new phone card.

Then, I got changed and wrapped my old belongings in a paper bag. After extracting my blood using a syringe, I mixed it with the ink to form a viscous mixture of crimson darkness.

Once I had everything ready, I went to an abandoned hospital and looked for a decent room. The moon was high in the sky. It was midnight, and my Shadow Demon blood was reacting wondrously to the darkness.

Even the blood that had mixed in with the ink was pulsating with mana, absorbing it from the ambient atmosphere.

With the pen, book, ink, and my old belongings, I built an altar. One that was unnervingly ornate yet somehow still poorly made. As if reflecting the fact that the [Creator] had become a mortal, capable of dying in the world of their creation.

Indeed.

It was an altar to myself.