Genshin Impact: Supreme Justice of Teyvat-Chapter 20 - A Soul’s Projection? The Infinite Potential of Skills!

Chapter 20: A Soul’s Projection? The Infinite Potential of Skills!

With a faint sound, delicate as the snip of scissors slicing through paper, the shadow beneath the grey rabbit was severed.

Truly severed!

As though cleaved into two distinct entities, the sliced shadow was drawn by an unseen force and absorbed into Lu Yu’s palm.

The grey rabbit, now devoid of its shadow, resembled a phantom from folklore—ghostly creatures that leave no shadows behind after death. Stripped of its shadow, the rabbit’s eyes dulled and glazed over, as if its very soul had been snatched away. It staggered, swaying unsteadily, before collapsing inside the cage. The remaining rabbits, alarmed, shuffled nervously, their movements creating a cacophony of sound.

The shopkeeper, accustomed to the occasional scuffle among the rabbits, glanced up briefly but dismissed it. With no further commotion from Lu Yu, the shopkeeper resumed scrolling through the day’s most sensational news—the North District had been attacked by the Twisted Spiders, resulting in massive casualties.

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Even with the censored photos, the grotesque scenes still oozed through, a grim reminder of the tragedy. The shopkeeper sighed in relief, grateful to be in the relative safety of the East District. “Maybe I’ll celebrate tonight by roasting a rabbit,” he mused aloud.

Lu Yu’s gaze remained fixed on the grey-furred rabbit. Its lifeless eyes stared blankly, its body visibly shrinking, until it finally closed its eyes and exhaled its last breath.

The shadow in Lu Yu’s palm, however, came alive, writhing like a sentient being. Under his will, it morphed into the shape of an arm.

“Stealing its shadow… does that mean stealing its life as well? No, that’s not quite right. It’s the soul—or perhaps its essence—being taken, leading to sudden death and the rapid decline of vitality…”

Lu Yu analysed the phenomenon with precision, recalling old legends that linked shadows to souls. In some myths, a shadow was said to be a projection of the soul.

If that’s true, then to steal a shadow is to steal a soul by proxy! But no… it must be more than just a projection. There’s a deeper, uncharted connection at play here.

Could it be the material manifestation of a soul’s core essence?

This power reminded Lu Yu of a character from a past life’s anime, One Piece. Gecko Moria, one of the Shichibukai, wielded the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, enabling him to sever shadows and implant them into corpses, creating zombies with the abilities of the original shadow owner.

However, unlike those cursed by the Devil Fruit, Lu Yu’s abilities were unbound by weaknesses like sea-stone or seawater. His power brimmed with untapped potential.

This world was no mere game. While Lu Yu’s abilities originated from solidified monster skills, there were no rigid mechanics here. This was reality—a world where he could reverse-engineer the fundamental principles of his powers.

For instance, the skill [Shadow Servant] clearly drew strength from the domain of shadows, just as [Hellfire Whip] was derived from infernal flames.

Lu Yu was determined not to be a mere spell-caster, mindlessly unleashing skills. Instead, he sought to unearth their primal sources, mastering shadow and hellfire alike to unlock entirely new abilities.

One day, when he had unravelled the mysteries of shadow, hellfire, and even the power of time itself, he would wield unparalleled might, independent of the system. His destiny would be his own to command.

With this resolve, Lu Yu turned to the shopkeeper.

“How much for this entire cage of rabbits?”

By his estimate, the cage held thirteen rabbits, including the recently deceased grey one. Their shadows would suffice to create a single Shadow Servant. Additionally, he wanted to test whether shadows from different creatures would yield distinct results, necessitating a broader range of experiments.

The shopkeeper, engrossed in the news, jolted upright at the mention of a large purchase. His excitement caused him to misstep, his shin colliding painfully with a protruding corner of the table. His face contorted in agony.

“Ow, ow, ow…” he muttered, rubbing the sore spot. Forcing a smile through the pain, he replied, “Thirteen rabbits in total. Normally, that’d be 1,300, but for a valued customer like you, it’s 1,200.”

At roughly 100 per rabbit, and given their likely domestic origin, the price seemed steep, especially since they weren’t breeding stock.

Still, Lu Yu didn’t haggle. He paid without complaint, though he noted the grey rabbit’s death could arouse suspicion upon closer inspection. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he also requested some mice and birds, citing “research purposes.” The shopkeeper, delighted by the prospect of a hefty commission, eagerly obliged.

Birds were pricier, at 200 each, and Lu Yu purchased twenty. The mice, being smaller with minimal shadows, were cheaper, so he bought fifty.

In total, Lu Yu spent over 7,000. The shopkeeper, beaming, offered delivery services, which Lu Yu gladly accepted. Transporting such a large number of animals in his own vehicle would have been both cumbersome and malodorous.

Back home, Lu Yu secured his windows and arranged the animals methodically. Drawing on his earlier experiments, he began extracting their shadows one by one.

As each creature lost its shadow, it fell into a trance-like stupor before succumbing to death. The once-lively room was now eerily silent.

Three enormous, ink-black shadow clusters hovered in the air, writhing and shifting their forms…