S Ranked Reincarnation: My Infinite Leveling System-Chapter 31: The Shadow Self

The crack of thunder split the sky as the armored figure stepped forward, its every movement making the earth tremble beneath Ning’s feet. The creature’s black armor gleamed under the storm’s flickering light, its crimson runes pulsing like veins of molten blood.

The blade in its grip was an eerie mirror of Ning’s own curve, same deadly glint, yet the aura radiating from it was suffocating, as though the very air refused to breathe in its presence. It was a monster unlike one Ning had ever met, and even the system, after its hysteria, had gone blank and silent.

Ning’s fingers tightened around his katana. His heart hammered against his ribs, his instincts screaming at him to run, yet his feet remained rooted as if the ground itself had ensnared him. The figure’s glowing eyes locked onto him, unblinking. A slow, cruel smile curled across its face, revealing teeth too sharp, too predatory.

"You opened the door." It repeated in a voice that could split mountains in half.

The voice was deep, and distorted waves of something beyond human speech rippled beneath each syllable. It was the sound of a storm given consciousness.

"Now face what you were... before you fell." It thundered as it took another step towards Ning Que and Lian.

Ning’s breath hitched. The words struck deeper than any blade could. His mind raced, trying to unravel their meaning, but there was no time. The monstrous reflection of himself was already moving.

Beside him, Lian twirled her glaive, the metal singing through the rain-soaked air. A reckless grin split her lips.

"Come on, handsome!" she called, bloodthirsty excitement lacing her voice. "Let’s see what this thing can do. We’re not gonna get out of here without a fight!"

Ning lunged forward, his hand clamping onto her wrist before she could charge.

"Nonsense, Lian! We’re not ready for this!" His voice was raw with urgency.

Her grin faltered for only a second before she yanked her arm free.

"Since when do you back down from a fight? I thought you were getting real comfy with your little tricks a little while ago."

"This isn’t just any fight!" Ning snapped. His grip on his katana betrayed the tremor in his fingers. "That thing that thing is me!"

Lian scoffed.

"Yeah, I noticed the resemblance. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna let it gut us without a fight!"

Before he could argue, she was already gone, a blur of motion as she hurled herself forward with her glaive flashing. The black-armored figure barely moved. Its blade lifted with infuriating ease, meeting hers in a clash that sent sparks flying.

Shoot! That girl was stubborn! Ning Que groaned inside of him. How could one person be so naive and stubborn?!

A sickening crack echoed as the force of the block reverberated through Lian’s arms. She gritted her teeth, muscles straining, but the figure didn’t so much as flinch. With a flick of its wrist, it sent her hurtling backward. She hit the ground hard, skidding through the mud.

Ning’s pulse spiked. "Lian!"

She rolled to her feet, wiping blood from her lip.

"Damn, he hits like a truck." She complained.

The figure’s laughter was a grating, inhuman sound.

"Is this what you’ve become?" It stepped toward her, each footfall leaving fissures in the earth. "Pathetic."

Lian spat on the ground and grinned.

"You think a few scratches scare me?" She adjusted her grip, flipping the glaive in her hands. "I’ve killed things ten times uglier than you."

Another charge. Another clash. This time, she feinted low before twisting midair, aiming for its ribs. The blade struck true

And shattered against the armor without leaving so much as a mark.

Ning’s stomach dropped.

The figure’s gauntleted fist shot out, slamming into Lian’s stomach. She gasped, the air driven from her lungs as she crumpled to her knees. The creature didn’t hesitate. A backhanded strike sent her sprawling across the battlefield, her body carving a trench into the earth before finally stilling.

Ning Que couldn’t believe it! Lian was stubborn, that was true, but the girl was an S-Ranked Hunter! The girl could fight and had seen her defeated so easily got to scared the hell out of him!

"Lian!" Ning’s voice tore from his throat. He sprinted toward her, but the figure moved faster, a shadow crossing the distance in a blink. Its blade arced toward her exposed back.

Something inside Ning snapped.

His katana flared, a surge of golden energy bursting to life as he intercepted the strike in a shower of sparks. The shockwave sent him skidding backward, his boots digging furrows into the dirt. His arms burned from the strain.

The figure tilted its head, studying him with a predator’s patience.

"You still resist?"

Ning’s breath came in ragged gasps.

"I won’t let you kill her."

"Sentiment." The word dripped with disgust. "This world made you weak."

With a roar, Ning pushed forward, his blade a blur. Each strike was met with effortless precision, the figure countering with movements too familiar as though it had known his fighting style long before he had.

A brutal kick to his ribs sent him crashing to the ground, his katana skittering out of reach. The figure loomed over him, its blade rising for the killing blow.

Ning closed his eyes.

A burst of dark energy exploded between them, throwing Ning backward. His vision blurred. The world spun. The last thing he saw was the figure turning away, walking back toward the shrine before darkness swallowed him whole.

Consciousness returned in fragments.

Cool earth beneath his fingers. The scent of rain-dampened soil. A throbbing ache in every muscle.

Ning groaned, pushing himself upright. The sky was black, the storm spent. His body screamed in protest as he turned, searching for Lian.

She lay a few feet away, motionless.

"No."

He stumbled toward her, his legs threatening to give out at any moment. Dropping to his knees beside her, he pressed trembling fingers to her neck for a pulse. Weak, but there.

Relief nearly choked him.

Gritting his teeth, he gathered her into his arms, her weight sending fresh waves of pain through his battered body. They couldn’t stay here. That thing, whatever it was, could return.

With Lian slung over his shoulder, he trudged into the forest, his steps unsteady. The trees seemed to loom taller, their branches clawing at the sky. His vision swam with exhaustion, but he forced himself forward.

Hours or maybe minutes later, a cavern yawned before him, hidden beneath the gnarled roots of an ancient tree. He dragged them inside, collapsing against the stone wall as he lowered Lian to the ground.

His mana was nearly gone, the well of his power scraping dry, but he had to try. Placing a hand on her chest, he summoned the last dregs of his energy, pushing it into her battered form. Golden light flickered weakly, sealing cuts, mending fractures, but it was sloppy. Unstable.

He could barely heal a scratch like this.

Panting, he slumped against the wall, watching the slow rise and fall of her breath.

Then

A groan.

Her eyelids fluttered.

"...The hell hit me?" Her voice was rough, but the smirk tugging at her lips was unmistakable.

Ning exhaled sharply.

"You’re alive."

Lian winced as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"No thanks to you."

He scowled.

"I told you not to fight it!"

"Yeah, well, I don’t take orders from you." She rubbed her ribs, hissing. "Damn, that thing packs a punch."

Ning’s hands curled into fists.

"You could have died."

"Could’ve, didn’t." She stretched, rolling her shoulders with a wince. "Not the first time I’ve been knocked around by something stronger than me."

Ning stared at her, incredulous.

"You’re impossible."

Lian smirked.

"And you’re dramatic."

A silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Finally, Ning exhaled.

"...That thing, it was me, Lian."

She frowned.

"Yeah, I noticed the family resemblance. What’s the deal? You got a twin you didn’t tell me about?"

Ning shook his head, eyes distant.

"No. It’s... It’s not a twin. It’s me or what I should have been. Before I fell. Before I lost everything."

Lian studied him, her usual bravado slipping just enough to reveal the sharp mind beneath.

"You saying that thing’s some kind of what-if version of you?"

"Maybe." His voice was raw. "Stronger. Unbroken. Whole."

She scoffed.

"You really think you’re some kind of failure?"

Ning’s jaw tightened.

"Look at me, Lian. I can barely heal you. My power’s locked. That thing obliterated us without trying."

"So what?" She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "You gonna sit here and whine, or are you gonna get stronger?"

He glared.

"It’s not that simple."

"Bullshit." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "You think I got to S-Rank by crying every time I got my ass kicked? You fight. You survive. That’s how this works."

Ning opened his mouth, then froze.

Footsteps.

Lian’s eyes snapped toward the cave entrance, her body tensing.

Someone or something was outside.

She met his gaze, all traces of amusement gone.

"Shit," she muttered. "We’ve been found..!"

The crack of thunder split the sky as the armored figure stepped forward, its every movement making the earth tremble beneath Ning’s feet. The creature’s black armor gleamed under the storm’s flickering light, its crimson runes pulsing like veins of molten blood.

The blade in its grip was an eerie mirror of Ning’s own curve, same deadly glint, yet the aura radiating from it was suffocating, as though the very air refused to breathe in its presence. It was a monster unlike one Ning had ever met, and even the system, after its hysteria, had gone blank and silent.

Ning’s fingers tightened around his katana. His heart hammered against his ribs, his instincts screaming at him to run, yet his feet remained rooted as if the ground itself had ensnared him. The figure’s glowing eyes locked onto him, unblinking. A slow, cruel smile curled across its face, revealing teeth too sharp, too predatory.

"You opened the door." It repeated in a voice that could split mountains in half.

The voice was deep, and distorted waves of something beyond human speech rippled beneath each syllable. It was the sound of a storm given consciousness.

"Now face what you were... before you fell." It thundered as it took another step towards Ning Que and Lian.

Ning’s breath hitched. The words struck deeper than any blade could. His mind raced, trying to unravel their meaning, but there was no time. The monstrous reflection of himself was already moving.

Beside him, Lian twirled her glaive, the metal singing through the rain-soaked air. A reckless grin split her lips.

"Come on, handsome!" she called, bloodthirsty excitement lacing her voice. "Let’s see what this thing can do. We’re not gonna get out of here without a fight!"

Ning lunged forward, his hand clamping onto her wrist before she could charge.

"Nonsense, Lian! We’re not ready for this!" His voice was raw with urgency.

Her grin faltered for only a second before she yanked her arm free.

"Since when do you back down from a fight? I thought you were getting real comfy with your little tricks a little while ago."

"This isn’t just any fight!" Ning snapped. His grip on his katana betrayed the tremor in his fingers. "That thing that thing is me!"

Lian scoffed.

"Yeah, I noticed the resemblance. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna let it gut us without a fight!"

Before he could argue, she was already gone, a blur of motion as she hurled herself forward with her glaive flashing. The black-armored figure barely moved. Its blade lifted with infuriating ease, meeting hers in a clash that sent sparks flying.

Shoot! That girl was stubborn! Ning Que groaned inside of him. How could one person be so naive and stubborn?!

A sickening crack echoed as the force of the block reverberated through Lian’s arms. She gritted her teeth, muscles straining, but the figure didn’t so much as flinch. With a flick of its wrist, it sent her hurtling backward. She hit the ground hard, skidding through the mud.

Ning’s pulse spiked. "Lian!"

She rolled to her feet, wiping blood from her lip.

"Damn, he hits like a truck." She complained.

The figure’s laughter was a grating, inhuman sound.

"Is this what you’ve become?" It stepped toward her, each footfall leaving fissures in the earth. "Pathetic."

Lian spat on the ground and grinned.

"You think a few scratches scare me?" She adjusted her grip, flipping the glaive in her hands. "I’ve killed things ten times uglier than you."

Another charge. Another clash. This time, she feinted low before twisting midair, aiming for its ribs. The blade struck true

And shattered against the armor without leaving so much as a mark.

Ning’s stomach dropped.

The figure’s gauntleted fist shot out, slamming into Lian’s stomach. She gasped, the air driven from her lungs as she crumpled to her knees. The creature didn’t hesitate. A backhanded strike sent her sprawling across the battlefield, her body carving a trench into the earth before finally stilling.

Ning Que couldn’t believe it! Lian was stubborn, that was true, but the girl was an S-Ranked Hunter! The girl could fight and had seen her defeated so easily got to scared the hell out of him!

"Lian!" Ning’s voice tore from his throat. He sprinted toward her, but the figure moved faster, a shadow crossing the distance in a blink. Its blade arced toward her exposed back.

Something inside Ning snapped.

His katana flared, a surge of golden energy bursting to life as he intercepted the strike in a shower of sparks. The shockwave sent him skidding backward, his boots digging furrows into the dirt. His arms burned from the strain.

The figure tilted its head, studying him with a predator’s patience.

"You still resist?"

Ning’s breath came in ragged gasps.

"I won’t let you kill her."

"Sentiment." The word dripped with disgust. "This world made you weak."

With a roar, Ning pushed forward, his blade a blur. Each strike was met with effortless precision, the figure countering with movements too familiar as though it had known his fighting style long before he had.

A brutal kick to his ribs sent him crashing to the ground, his katana skittering out of reach. The figure loomed over him, its blade rising for the killing blow.

Ning closed his eyes.

A burst of dark energy exploded between them, throwing Ning backward. His vision blurred. The world spun. The last thing he saw was the figure turning away, walking back toward the shrine before darkness swallowed him whole.

Consciousness returned in fragments.

Cool earth beneath his fingers. The scent of rain-dampened soil. A throbbing ache in every muscle.

Ning groaned, pushing himself upright. The sky was black, the storm spent. His body screamed in protest as he turned, searching for Lian.

She lay a few feet away, motionless.

"No."

He stumbled toward her, his legs threatening to give out at any moment. Dropping to his knees beside her, he pressed trembling fingers to her neck for a pulse. Weak, but there.

Relief nearly choked him.

Gritting his teeth, he gathered her into his arms, her weight sending fresh waves of pain through his battered body. They couldn’t stay here. That thing, whatever it was, could return.

With Lian slung over his shoulder, he trudged into the forest, his steps unsteady. The trees seemed to loom taller, their branches clawing at the sky. His vision swam with exhaustion, but he forced himself forward.

Hours or maybe minutes later, a cavern yawned before him, hidden beneath the gnarled roots of an ancient tree. He dragged them inside, collapsing against the stone wall as he lowered Lian to the ground.

His mana was nearly gone, the well of his power scraping dry, but he had to try. Placing a hand on her chest, he summoned the last dregs of his energy, pushing it into her battered form. Golden light flickered weakly, sealing cuts, mending fractures, but it was sloppy. Unstable.

He could barely heal a scratch like this.

Panting, he slumped against the wall, watching the slow rise and fall of her breath.

Then

A groan.

Her eyelids fluttered.

"...The hell hit me?" Her voice was rough, but the smirk tugging at her lips was unmistakable.

Ning exhaled sharply.

"You’re alive."

Lian winced as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"No thanks to you."

He scowled.

"I told you not to fight it!"

"Yeah, well, I don’t take orders from you." She rubbed her ribs, hissing. "Damn, that thing packs a punch."

Ning’s hands curled into fists.

"You could have died."

"Could’ve, didn’t." She stretched, rolling her shoulders with a wince. "Not the first time I’ve been knocked around by something stronger than me."

Ning stared at her, incredulous.

"You’re impossible."

Lian smirked.

"And you’re dramatic."

A silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Finally, Ning exhaled.

"...That thing, it was me, Lian."

She frowned.

"Yeah, I noticed the family resemblance. What’s the deal? You got a twin you didn’t tell me about?"

Ning shook his head, eyes distant.

"No. It’s... It’s not a twin. It’s me or what I should have been. Before I fell. Before I lost everything."

Lian studied him, her usual bravado slipping just enough to reveal the sharp mind beneath.

"You saying that thing’s some kind of what-if version of you?"

"Maybe." His voice was raw. "Stronger. Unbroken. Whole."

She scoffed.

"You really think you’re some kind of failure?"

Ning’s jaw tightened.

"Look at me, Lian. I can barely heal you. My power’s locked. That thing obliterated us without trying."

"So what?" She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "You gonna sit here and whine, or are you gonna get stronger?"

He glared.

"It’s not that simple."

"Bullshit." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "You think I got to S-Rank by crying every time I got my ass kicked? You fight. You survive. That’s how this works."

Ning opened his mouth, then froze.

Footsteps.

Lian’s eyes snapped toward the cave entrance, her body tensing.

Someone or something was outside.

She met his gaze, all traces of amusement gone.

"Shit," she muttered. "We’ve been found..!"