Reborn Regress Return: I Am the Heir of Shadows!-Chapter 60: Graug-Fam The Slaughterer!!

The overdrawn mana sucked from his veins and body like a vacuum, drying his core and squeezing his heart as his pupils shrank. An unbearable pain exploding from his abdomen as the orb flew into the enemy pack.

"Umbra!"

A guttural, monstrous voice escaped his dry throat, forcing his shadow to obey his command. With an almost unwilling, defiant struggle, and Umbra pierced through the three goblin warriors with her skill.

Dealing 40, 40, 30 damage to the enemies, and staggering them for a moment before her body dissipated and the next moment his magic exploded.

The chaotic power of his shadow bomb seemed to be something beyond his current level.

An enormous explosion of darkness with streaks of purple lightning caused the bridge itself to shake, while Julian's body stumbled, almost falling, before he leaned against the stone pillar, panting... wheezing as his throat suddenly burned, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

Within the chaos, the four goblins popped, crushed by the weight of the shadow bomb, suffering 468 damage.

His health plummeted in an instant as he vomited black blood, covering his tunic and causing both Maria and Fran to cry out in alarm. But even amidst this chaos, he heard a faint whisper.

"You dare oppose me..."

In his daze, the words of the goblin seemed to be a language he understood.

However, Julian's mind focused on one thing in that moment of immense pain, and suffering as he reached out into the air, his fingertips breaching into the nether.

——Create Lesser Shade

Graug-Fam's eyes shone as he lifted his cleaver and rushed towards Julian after using [Bloodlust Charge]. Eclipsa's shadow expanded from Julian's chest as she used [Eclipsing Guard], causing a blue-glowing diamond to protect the pair.

Julian's eyes shone as he tried to stop the blow.

——Shadow's Grasp!

A thick trio of shadowy hands grabbed the goblin elite's arms and legs, yanking his body back the moment after he charged—as the force struck Eclipsa for 40 damage. Julian's spell also dealt 35 damage.

Bzzzt!

A shock jolted Julian's fingertips the moment he cast the spell, the electrical current shooting down his arm, tearing a lightning-shaped laceration along his arm.

"Argh!!!"

Julian screamed in agony after suffering 30 Lightning damage!

'So Eclipsa cannot stop attacks like this...'

The moment his health dropped below 20% he staggered and collapsed off the stone railing, backwards.

A black shadow spread from his back and sank into his chest as the pain faded. Eclipsa's body started to crackle and shudder, her health dropping rapidly from the sudden lightning damage.

Umbra's body throbbed as she watched her master.

Ba-Dum!

Ba-Dum!

"Mas...ter..."

A sense of pain that faded with her death.

She gripped her spear tightly, twirling it around as she lowered her body. Her aura exploded, like a raging storm of flames furiously swirling around her.

The fire roared as Umbra placed one foot slightly in front of the other, keeping her shoulders forward and the opposite arm forward, touching the ground, as if she were about to rush forward like a short-distance sprinter.

After the goblins died, Fran and Maria noticed Julian fell while dealing with the boss.

"Julian!"

"Hurry, Maria heal him!" Fran's bow continuously fired her quiver, emptying with each shot as she waited for her arcane arrows to recharge.

"It's on cooldown!"

Maria shouted back, her mana too low to finish the healing dance as she flicked sharp orbs at the boss for 10 damage.

Umbra's shadow body slipped through the air with her shadow eyes narrowed—like a bullet she flashed through the battlefield and stepped on Nocta's shoulder. She then spring boarded off her shoulder, lunging at the boss using her [Shadow Dash] as her lance pierced into the throat of Graug-Fam for 30 damage.

As her body fell, she kicked off the goblin, twisting her body as she rotated the spear and stabbed it with a powerful thrust for 30 damage.

The goblin boss retaliated, slicing off her left arm, for 50 damage.

Umbra ignored the damage and twirled her spear like a spinning top, increasing the force as she pierced his thigh with a second strike, dealing 30 damage.

And with her final thrust she pierced the goblin's neck as its blade shone and cleaved across the air.

Woosh!

Umbra's body flung across the air—the brutal Savage Cleave dealing 70 damage and reduced her health to 0.

Thud!

A moment before the boss became immobile, Nocta's huge shield smashed him in the face, causing another 46 damage.

"Grrrraaak Nor!!"

Graug-Fam's voice caused the very air to vibrate.

Meanwhile, distorted and confused... Julian's body shifted on the ground, his fingertip circling the floor to cast his summoning spell.

All noise and sound vanished from Julian's senses—darkness surrounded him, he lost the sense of time, and a distant voice echoed in his mind.

[◊ Oh my, little prince is this all you can do? ◊]

The low voice of the goddess Solaria echoed in the darkness, not the usual mechanical voice... the sound of displeasure oozed.

[◊ Hmmm... Is this truly all you can do? ◊]

Solaria huffed at him, her low, judgmental voice echoing beside his ear.

Julian felt the warmth of her breath and the faint scent of raspberries and flowers, which snapped him out of his sudden shock.

'What happened... that sudden pain?'

[◊ Well, it's because you were about to do something stupid! ◊]

'Huh? If I didn't call another shade, then we would be wiped out!'

'He's not even at half health and our party is almost spent! Nocta cannot take tank him forever he's six levels higher than us at least!'

[◊ Are you stupid... have you forgotten what this world is? ◊]

Her words dug into his chest like a sharp blade gouging his chest as she snickered before a soft, warm hand brushed his cheek.

'What... it's a game-like world...'

[◊ So, are you not familiar with how games work? Sure you've been good with your upgrades... ◊]

[◊ However... wouldn't a SUMMONER be able to improve his summoned beings normally? ◊]

Her hands cupped his cheeks, and her sweet, sultry voice vibrated through his mind. Information and knowledge filled his mind.

'Why didn't I notice this, there should have been a message, right?'

Suddenly, a box in the corner of his vision started flashing brighter, something he tapped during the battle with the Harpy Matriarch and forgot about.

'Eh...'

[◊ Silly fool... that poor girl died again because she can't help herself. ◊]

'Silly... who?' He wondered before the soft hands tapped his cheek, as if scolding him lightly.

[◊ Let me give you a hint! ◊]

The next moment a system notice appeared, causing him to realise who she meant... a sense of gratitude growing in his chest.

His lips curled into a smile after he imagined opening the notification.

[Shade Eligible for Evolution]

The broken screen flashed, as if lightning struck the red and black panel.

Momentarily, the cracked screen became whole, and several lines of text appeared. Three names appeared, and then two were still greyed out, while the first name was white with "eligible" beside it.

[Evolution]

• Umbra (Eligible)

• Nocta

• Eclipsa

'What kind of system is this... how does it work, what do I need to do to activate it?'

[◊ I'm sorry Julian~ this goddess doesn't kiss and tell... put your mind to it and you'll understand! ◊]

He couldn't ignore the others for too long, so he focused his mind and tapped the accept button.

A pop-up with several lines of text appeared, telling him about her evolution.

The process would revive her and upgrade her class and attribute points, while the system would restore part of her soul, giving Julian more information about her on the status screen.

The only trouble was that her CP cost would double.

'Damn... but I cannot stop now, if it's going to make her stronger!'

[Accept]

He pressed the accept button, and the world around him faded into a void of shadow and flame.

[◊ My dear little prince, it's good to be confident but please... be careful. ◊]

[◊ They won't go easy on a third time... ◊]

Julian struggled to hear Solaria's voice because her voice faded as the raging void pulled him from the serene darkness that made him comfortable.

A loud thud echoed before the void cracked.

From the cracks, a shadowy figure flowed into the void, hovering before Julian.

A glowing light descended from the sky like a shooting star as it pierced her form and Umbra's broken form started to reform with a flicker of purple light.

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Her pale silhouette rose from the shadows and hovered above the ground... a slim waist, her hips and rump deliciously thick with a heart shape that bounced.

'You look so strange... but beautiful.'

An eerie yet mysterious allure came from her sleeping figure... he noticed the scars across her chest and body, and realised that she must have suffered greatly in life for wounds to follow her soul even to the afterlife.

'Focus, Julian... it's about to start!'

His eyes opened wide, as the world started to undulate with a shadowy aura—no... the energy was flowing from his abdomen!

'Umbra, awaken!'