Shadow Being System

The boy cooking the hotpot finally stood up and announced, "The hotpot is done! Anyone want to try it? I can share!"

Some students eagerly rushed forward, plates in hand. William blinked, wondering where they even got plates from. Before the boy began serving, he raised a hand and said with a smug grin, "But just so you know, this isn't any ordinary hotpot. The chilies I used were grown with the help of an ability—so it's super spicy."

At this, some students withdrew their plates, hurriedly retreating to their seats. But a few brave souls remained.

"Oh, so we have some tough ones, huh?" the boy teased, laughing as he began to serve them.

The first student, full of confidence, took a bite. The moment the spicy broth hit his tongue, his expression went blank. He silently placed the spoon and plate down, stood up, and—without saying a word—began performing a graceful Chinese dance. His movements were fluid and elegant, surprising everyone.

And then, he collapsed.

The remaining students quickly shoved their plates away, visibly sweating. Mr. Duke hurried over to check on the collapsed student, feeling his pulse. "He's fine. Just fainted from the spice," Mr. Duke announced.

The hotpot boy grinned proudly. "You see? Growing magical chilies is my family's specialty." Then, to everyone's shock, he calmly took a spoonful of the same hotpot and ate it as though it were a bowl of regular soup. "Delicious."

As the students stared in awe, the boy turned to William and held out a plate. "William, want some?"

"No thanks," William said quickly, waving him off.

But the boy persisted. "Come on, don't you want to know which is hotter—you or the hotpot?"

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The other students began to cheer, chanting William's name. Feeling defeated by peer pressure, William sighed and reluctantly accepted a spoonful. As soon as the spicy liquid hit his tongue, it felt like his entire mouth was on fire. The heat spread rapidly down his throat, through his stomach, and all the way into his intestines.

The pain was intense, but oddly enough, it wasn't nearly as bad as the pain when he accepted the system's offer.

Seeing that William was still standing, the boy announced, "Looks like William is hotter!"

The students erupted into cheers, especially the girls, who seemed quite impressed. The boy, still proud of himself, wandered off, challenging the other male students to eat the hotpot. Several boys, eager to show off to the girls, took the challenge but immediately regretted it.

The moment the spoon touched their lips, they turned pale, and some had to sprint to the window and open thier mouth to the air.

The system chimed in, sounding amused. "Why did you eat that? It's not like you're trying to impress anyone, right?"

William grumbled under his breath. "I've eaten those chilies before and passed out like that guy. I just wanted to see what happens now that I'm a Shadow Being."

"Fair enough." The system said.

William looked out the window, observing the dense forest beside the road. In the distance, he saw a facility come into view. Mr. Duke stood up and announced, "We're going to stop here for a while to rest and wait for the other academies to arrive."

The students cheered happily. Many were tired, hungry, and needed to use the restroom. As the bus pulled into the facility, William noticed that students from other academies had already started gathering. Stepping off the bus, he took a deep breath and stretched his arms.

The facility itself was massive, with numerous security personnel and military officers stationed at every corner. Rows of armored vehicles were parked nearby, and a large tent served as a canteen, where students could grab food.

William's stomach churned. "Ugh, I shouldn't have eaten that hotpot," he muttered, rubbing his belly. He scanned the area and spotted the restroom.

As he made his way to the restroom, he saw Mr. Duke ahead of him, glancing around cautiously before slipping inside. William narrowed his eyes.

"It's him, isn't it?" he asked the system.

"Yes," the system confirmed. "He's the spy."

William clenched his fists. "I knew it. His soul crystal was different from the others."

He followed Mr. Duke into the restroom, entering the cubicle beside the teacher's. William made exaggerated noises, pretending to use the toilet, while pressing his ear against the wall to listen in. But something was off. It was too quiet in Mr. Duke's cubicle.

"Strange," William thought. "I'll have to take another approach."

Stepping back, he activated the Third Eye. The world around him shifted, and he focused on Mr. Duke's cubicle. Immediately, a powerful dark energy engulfed it, making it impossible to see through. A notification appeared in William's mind:

"Ability detected. System nullifying. Continue or cancel?"

"So he's using an ability to conceal his presence. No wonder I can't hear or see anything," William thought.

He sent a mental command: "Continue."

Another notification flashed: "Ability nullified."

Now, William could see through the cubicle, but the dark energy was still lingering. Finally, he got a clear look inside—and immediately regretted it.

"Oh, gross!" he winced. "He's just... taking a dump?" He deactivated the Third Eye in disgust. "Maybe he's just a weird guy."

But something felt off. His instincts told him to check again. Hesitantly, William reactivated the Third Eye and focused on what Mr. Duke was expelling. His eyes widened in shock. "Wait… that's not… that's not regular… that's…"

A strange, dark fluid was oozing out of Mr. Duke. William focused harder, trying to read the properties of the substance, but nothing appeared. "What is this?"

As William watched, the dark fluid rose from the toilet, defying gravity. The liquid had a coarse texture, almost as if the molecules were at war with each other. Slowly, it began to creep upwards, reaching Mr. Duke's height before it entered his body through his ears.

"What the—" William gasped.

Mr. Duke's eyes turned blood red, and he dropped to one knee. A deep, sinister voice echoed from within him. "How goes the plan?"

Mr. Duke responded in a low voice, "As planned. Those idiots suspect nothing. I can't wait to blow them all up in the tunnel."

The voice responded, "Your sacrifice will be remembered."

Mr. Duke smiled darkly. "It is my honor to serve the Heretics. Death to the traitors."

As soon as the ominous words left his mouth, the dark fluid oozed out of Mr. Duke's body and evaporated into thin air. The teacher stood up, adjusting his clothes as if nothing had happened, and calmly left the restroom.

"That bastard!" William hissed, punching the wall of the cubicle. "He's a suicide bomber! I have to stop him."

The system, however, remained calm. "And how exactly are you going to stop him, with your mighty 4 points of strength?"

William blinked. "You know, this is not the time for sarcasm!"

"Just stating the facts," the system replied dryly. "You might want to think of a plan first, because punching him won't work."

William groaned, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. "Great... Just great."