Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

The shadow element could be considered to be a shadow of other elements. A form of mana that could mimic the properties of other elemental forms.

It proved an optimal choice for runic arrays, a preference shared by Sansara Sage, who had a foundation in this element before becoming the prodigious Array Master of Anfang.

Particularly useful for creating spectral forms of Rankers, shadow-element runic arrays could mimic the attack patterns and powers of the original Rankers. Being a versatile void element, the shadow foundation allowed the generated spectral forms to wield a range of elemental attacks and maneuvers.

The true advantage of these spectral forms lay in their ability to phase in and out of material existence using their shadow-based mana bodies. This phasing allowed them to evade attacks by momentarily dissolving into the shadows.

However, these spectral forms couldn't maintain this state indefinitely and continue their attacks simultaneously. Overusing this phasing could lead to their permanent dissolution as well.

Thus, Eren's strategy revolved around using spells like Wind Blade Tornado and Lightning Wind Fire Shards to keep these spectral forms engaged. These spells were relatively economical in terms of mana consumption and could be stacked, creating a barrage of highly charged elemental shards and cutting wind blades.

Each individual shard or blade might lack the power to cause critical damage, but their strength was in their numbers and area coverage. Eren skillfully employed these spells in an area-of-effect fashion to immobilize the spectral enemies while conserving his mana to some degree.

Despite having access to these advantageous spells, Eren wasn't finding it easy to combat the spectral enemies. His difficulty was exacerbated as he neared the end of the test, primarily due to the spectral shadow of the Ranger that had emerged once he reached a score of 90 out of 100.

This spectral shadow was undeniably the major hurdle obstructing Eren's path to a perfect score. Initially, Eren had believed he should conserve his energy for potential future opponents.

However, grappling with the Ranger, who had managed to inflict a critical eye injury using his space-element powered bow and arrow mastery, led Eren to realize that there might not be subsequent opponents. The Ranger alone embodied the strength of tens of regular Expert Rankers, considering the formidable powers and abilities he had demonstrated thus far.

Eren wanted to use Blink against the Ranger. But the latter had interfered with the spatial fabric around him using his own space-element powers. As such, the butcher could not get close to him at all despite his mastery over Blink.

As a result, Eren shifted his strategy. He opted to employ the shadow-element spells acquired from the original Leo Longblade. Having mastered these spells and comprehended their corresponding Elemental Attainments, Eren had invested considerable resources.

The butcher obtained various Runic Steles associated with the element to deepen his understanding of this enigmatic force. Additionally, he had engaged in sparring sessions with his guild member Drin, a proficient shadow-element Ranker, drawing on Drin's expertise to further enhance his grasp.

The reason Eren had refrained from employing shadow-element spells within the illusory realm was his lack of complete confidence in utilizing them effectively during intense battles. After all, using these spells in pinch battles was a completely different ball game altogether than merely collecting experiences and engaging in safe sparring sessions. However, given the pressure exerted by the Ranger, Eren finally decided to harness the power of these spells, aiming to gain an elemental advantage.

There was another significant factor that emboldened Eren to employ shadow-element spells during this critical moment. His newfound confidence derived from the utilization of an Elder Seed Artifact he had formed a bond with several weeks earlier.

Unlike ordinary artifacts, the enigmatic nature of Elder Seed Artifacts granted them distinct properties and fewer constraints that blurred the line between what was possible and impossible. Even though the artifact, Shallot's Mirror, wasn't physically present with Eren, his connection with it allowed him to harness a portion of its capabilities.

While Shallot's Mirror remained situated within Grandmaster Baelin's workshop, Eren's unique rapport with the artifact permitted him to access some of its powers in his current predicament. As fate would have it, Shallot's Mirror's abilities harmonized perfectly with a particular spell associated with the shadow element.

Shadow Clone.

The Shadow Clone spell, according to the prevailing generation of Anfang's Rankers, was often perceived as one of the least practical shadow element spells. This sentiment stemmed from the clones birthed into existence by these spells, which lacked the cognitive capacity and real-time awareness necessary for effective engagement in genuine combat scenarios.

These shadow-generated duplicates couldn't even execute basic instructions their conjurer provided, rendering them ineffective even as fleeting diversions, all while siphoning a substantial amount of mana to sustain their ethereal forms.

Relatively speaking, the shadow element appeared to be the most suitable choice for crafting clones among Rankers. However, even this seemingly optimal element remained impractical for live combat due to its clones' deficiency in battle instinct and overall cognizance.

This predicament arose because Anfang's Rankers generally neglected training their Spiritual Force, an essential factor in imbuing satisfactory intellect into clones for practical battle application. The Rankers' path primarily concentrated on refining their mana cores and honing their Elemental Attainments after all.

The scarcity of awakened Soul Sense among Rankers was a result of this paradigm.

Moreover, even those rare few who possessed Awakened Soul Sense struggled to wield it in a manner that would offer strategic advantages through elemental clones. As a result, the Rankers abstained from employing elemental clones in real-time confrontations, despite the existence of various spells and artifacts related to such clones.

Eren was akin to the majority of Rankers in his reluctance to deploy elemental clones in combat due to their inherent limitations. However, his perspective shifted when Shallot's Mirror entered the equation.

This artifact endowed Eren with the capability to reflect his intent onto elemental clones, a revelation that transformed his stance. Given that the shadow element held greater promise for cloning tactics, he resolved to master the Shadow Clone spell.

Eren had yet to implement the combination of Shallot's Mirror and the Shadow Clone spell in actual battles. His comprehension of the Elder Seed Artifact's capabilities was only beginning to evolve, and he had recently discovered that he could harness the artifact's powers without its physical presence.

As such, the butcher was as nervous as a newbie Ranker when he cast his combo in front of his enemies.

Shallot's Mirror + Shadow Clone.