The Beginning Of A Five Year Agony - Chapter 7: We live at sunrise

Ernest Quelt, the alchemist renowned for his unparalleled mastery of alchemy, has perished.But his death wasn't a noble sacrifice in battle, nor the result of a failed expedition—it was a betrayal. The very comrades he trusted most turned on him, driven by envy of his growing power.Yet fate wasn’t entirely cruel. With his final breath, Ernest's gaze fell upon the tube that contained his greatest achievement: a perfect artificial being known as the Homunculus.More than just a vessel resembling a human, this creation harbored the power of a catastrophic beast—one that had once nearly brought the world to ruin.

[Your shadow is alive.][Feed your shadow, devour souls, level up, gain skills, complete quests, and grow stronger.][Do you wish to view your current stats?]In the magical world of Aetherus, Damon Grey is the weakest student at Aether Academy, relentlessly bullied and ridiculed for his lack of power and defiant personality. Yet, he endures the torment, clinging to his scholarship—the only thing providing him with the funds to keep his sick sister alive.After a brutal attack leaves him near death, Damon encounters a dark viscous entity in the forest that fuses with his shadow, awakening the Living Shadow System. This strange power grants him unimaginable abilities but comes with a grim cost—a relentless hunger for souls and flesh to feed his shadow.Now, with his shadow alive and insatiable, Damon faces a terrible choice: feed it to grow stronger or starve it and die with it.In a world ruled by ruthless nobles, deadly monsters, and power-hungry demons, Damon must decide if his newfound power is a curse or the only way to survive. With the Living Shadow System, his fate is clear: devour or be devoured.

Within the world of Arcadia, there exists an eccentric restaurant. The restaurant causes countless apex Mages to set aside their arrogance and pride, just to feast upon its delicacies. What did you say? You want to abduct the Chef? Could it be that you also want to force him to be your personal Chef? Are you an idiot? You would first have to get through a legion of men and women whose stomachs and bodies were thoroughly satisfied. Not to mention, the restaurant is guarded by a Divine Fox who killed a Mana God Realm Mage with a casual whip of her tail. What, a Divine Fox isn’t strong enough to scare you? Then, how about a group of Yanderes?

People talk about Kwon Ihyeok and Hyeseong. The two must have been married in a past life. For 6 years, until the gangster became a respectable company CEO, Hyeseong was always by Ihyeok’s side. They were perfect partners. Until Hyeseong dropped a bombshell.“I’m going to become a farmer.”Hyeseong abruptly announced his resignation and left Ihyeok’s side.“Hyeseong. I can’t let you go.”But Ihyeok, unwilling to easily let him go, begins actively investigating the reason for Hyeseong’s departure.“Sir, by any chance…are you living next door to me?”“Yes.”There must be some scumbag who lured Hyeseong to a place like this. Ihyeok is convinced, and even does background checks to uncover Hyeseong’s secret, but he is missing a very important point.“Strange. Why do you smell so sweet?”>> A Taste“How much have you been drinking?”“I don’t know. As much as was given to me?”Ihyeok’s voice seemed normal, but Hyeseong knew. He was drunk now.“I’ll bring you a blanket so sleep here.”As Hyeseong got up to get bedding from his room…“…?!”Suddenly, Ihyeok sat up and grabbed Hyeseong’s arm, pulling him down. Caught off guard, Hyeseong fell onto the sofa.“What are you doing…?”He tried to break free but couldn’t.“Strange. Why do you smell so sweet?”‘Could it be…my pheromones are starting to flow?’That was not a good sign at all.“Sir. Step back for a bit.”Then, out of nowhere, Ihyeok pressed his lips to Hyeseong’s neck. A tingling sensation began burning through his body.“Sir, wait…ah…”Ihyeok, who had been brushing his lips against him, slowly started licking and sucking his neck.