Menchi

It was nearing its limit...

Like a bottle about to overflow, unable to hold any more water.

As the master of the Shadow Copy, Moyu could clearly feel it.

Even if he continued hunting, he would gain nothing substantial.

"The limit came sooner than expected..."

"In terms of strength, the Shadow Copy's level is at least C-, isn't it?"

"Compared to it, I'm only at E+ at best."

"Though my combat strategy mainly relies on the shadow..."

"If the 'master' is too weak, that would make no sense at all."

"If the Shadow Copy had an independent consciousness..."

"It might develop thoughts of usurpation and want to seize the right to control the 'reins.'"

"That possibility... just thinking about it feels rather interesting."

Outside a farm, Moyu stood on a muddy path with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the first star to appear after sunset.

Rustle—

A faint sound came from the haystacks piled around him.

A fierce-looking man gripping a sickle suddenly burst from a haystack and charged straight at Moyu.

He moved as fast as a cheetah pouncing on its prey.

The next moment.

With a sharp whistle tearing through the air, the sickle in the man's hand slashed viciously toward Moyu's carotid artery.

At that very moment, something like black swamp mud suddenly bulged rapidly from the muddy ground behind Moyu and pounced on the man before he could react, knocking him to the ground.

At a glance, it looked like an incredibly thick black carpet, completely covering the man.

Crack.

A crisp sound of breaking bone came from beneath the black carpet.

Immediately afterward, the man beneath the thick black carpet seemed to vanish into thin air. The black carpet slowly flattened against the muddy ground.

As night fell.

The thick black carpet