Shadow Being System

William's jaw clenched as he observed the scene before him. Ten students, including Billy Stark, were standing around Liam, who lay crumpled on the ground. Blood ran down Liam's face, his breathing ragged and shallow. His red hair clung to his skin, matted with sweat and blood, blending in with the crimson stains on his clothes. His eyes were half-open, bloodshot, struggling to stay conscious.

Liam's chest rose and fell irregularly, his breath wheezing with every intake of air. The injuries were brutal—bruises marred his face and body, his lips were split, and there was a sickening gash across his forehead. William's heart pounded in his chest, an overwhelming urge to run washing over him.

But his feet remained rooted to the spot, he didn't know why, perhaps the scene in front of him, "Bullying in an alleyway" reminded him of the bullies that bullied him also in an alleyway and almost killed him, or no, they killed him, he was alive due to the system, and he made a promise to himself that he rip their hand and shove it up their but and use it to pull their intestine out, a promise that he never planned to break.

The strange thing was, despite their numbers and obvious strength, there was no sign of a struggle. Liam was stronger than most—he should have been able to take them down, or at least hold his own. Yet, there he was, beaten and bloodied, and the boys around him were practically unscathed.

As the bullies caught their breath, they exchanged laughs, mocking the state Liam was in. One of them wiped sweat from his brow, clearly tired from the effort, but none seemed injured. It was almost as if Liam hadn't been able to put up a fight at all.

Without thinking, William's body moved. His legs carried him forward before his mind had caught up. "Hey!" His voice cut through the sound of the rain and the low murmurs of the bullies. "Mind if I join the party?"

The group turned to face him. Billy Stark raised an eyebrow, his expression twisted with annoyance. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care. This has nothing to do with you. Leave."

William paused. His heart pounded. There were ten of them. Ten. He might be able to take down two, maybe three, but all of them? Not a chance.

He had no abilities yet, no real way to win this fight. And Billy—Billy Stark was the son of one of the B10, the ten most powerful ability users in the city. Messing with him was dangerous.

But then his eyes drifted back to Liam, who lay unconscious, drenched in blood and rainwater, struggling to breathe.

Something snapped inside William.

"I'll leave," William said calmly, his voice steady, "but I'm taking him with me."

Billy stared at him for a moment, then smirked. "Be my guest."

At that moment, Liam's voice, weak and slurred, broke through the silence. "Will… i-am… ge ou o' ere," he whispered. His words were barely audible, his voice choked with blood. "They… they usin' an arti—"

His sentence cut off as a violent cough wracked his body. William couldn't understand what he was trying to say, but his feet kept moving forward, determination surging through him.

Two of the bullies began advancing toward him, clubs in hand. William's system flashed before his eyes:

His sentence cut off as a violent cough wracked his body. William couldn't understand what he was trying to say, but his feet kept moving forward, determination surging through him.

Two of the bullies began advancing toward him, clubs in hand. William's system flashed before his eyes:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

---

[Quest Received: Save your friend from the bullies!]

Quest Reward: Level Up

---

That's it? Just a level-up for all this? William thought bitterly. But then, another notification popped up:

---

[Artifact detected. The artifact is blocking access to soul essence within the area. Do you want to block the artifact's effects?]

[Yes]

[No]

---

William's eyes widened in realization. That's how they'd beaten Liam. The artifact had cut off his access to soul essence, rendering him just as powerless as a mundane human. But that also meant none of the bullies could access their powers either.

A surge of confidence filled William. With his system, he could block the artifact's effects. They wouldn't stand a chance against him.

He chose Yes.

Instantly, he felt the energy return to his body, his muscles buzzing with the power of his soul essence. The system had given him the edge he needed. The quest suddenly felt… achievable.

The two boys reached him. One swung his club toward William's head, but to William, the movement felt slow. He easily dodged to the side and grabbed the club out of the boy's hand. The bully's eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, William jabbed his hand toward the boy's throat, his fingers striking like a blade.

The boy's eyes bulged, saliva flying from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his throat. A soft ding echoed in William's mind, but he didn't have time to check the reward.

The second boy was already swinging his club toward him.

Author's Note:

Hey dear readers! If you're enjoying Shadow Being System, I would really appreciate it if you could add this book to your library and send gifts. Your support means the world to me and helps keep me motivated to bring you even more exciting chapters. Writing is my passion, and with your help, I can focus on this full-time and deliver updates more frequently.

Every gift, comment, and library addition boosts my morale and shows that you're eager to see where William's journey leads. Let's make this book a success together! Thanks for being part of this adventure!

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