After the hearty meal at the inn, Arlene paid for a room for the three of them, and Noir, since he had nowhere else to go, said nothing; he wasn’t going to complain either; he had no reason to worry about mundane homes.
As the sun disappeared behind the enormous treetops that embraced the city walls, another life began to awaken.
Glass lanterns floated slowly through the streets, illuminated by tiny glowing creatures resting inside them.
The shops closed their doors one after another, while the taverns began to fill with adventurers, merchants, and travelers seeking a hot meal before dawn.
From the window of his room at the inn, the young dragon watched the city grow darker and darker.
His reddish eyes slowly drifted down to the streets.
A small group of blue-furred foxes was scurrying across the rooftops, carrying tiny mailbags.
Below, several guardian cats walked along the ledges with the calm confidence of those who knew no one was stupid enough to bother them.
Nori slowly turned his head.
Arlene was fast asleep in the next room.
After the journey and the fight against the bandits, exhaustion had finally gotten the better of her.
Uki didn’t seem willing to move either.
The white wolf slept curled up by the door, with the golden orb resting peacefully on his head.
A somber smile played on Noir’s lips, and he vanished into the shadows. Then he reappeared on the inn’s roof.
The cool night breeze caressed his horns as he took a deep breath. The time had come to get up to his old tricks.
The young black dragon was very curious about the magical creatures in this city, so his encyclopedia had to grow—and what better way to expand it than by devouring them.
’I’m just going to devour a few; it’s not like that’s going to cause any trouble, right?’
Noir scanned the city once more with his Draconic Senses and detected all the creatures around him.
He could make out birds, small mammals, magical insects... Even something emanating an enormous amount of mana, several streets away.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
’Perfect.’
Mana immediately enveloped his entire body. His presence began to fade as if he had never been there.
It wasn’t invisibility.
He still existed.
But any creature not actively searching for him would have tremendous difficulty sensing him.
Noir looked at one of his own claws.
’Hmm...’
’Much better than I expected.’
However, he still had one more thing to do to make it much harder to detect. The young dragon felt his heart begin to race as he uttered a single word in the Dragon Language.
"Concealment."
Large amounts of mana vanished in an instant, but thanks to his evolution and all the monsters he had devoured, his mana reserves were plentiful.
’Perfect.’
Now it was nearly impossible for any creature to detect him. Noir took a single step, and his body blended into the shadow cast by the roof, using his [Movement of Shadow] ability.
For a split second, he vanished completely.
The next shadow appeared several meters ahead of him.
Then another.
And another.
It was as if he were leaping between fragments of darkness scattered throughout the city. Little by little, Noir began to make his way into the quieter parts of the city.
His goal was simple: he wasn’t out to hunt monsters or look for trouble. He just wanted to find out what kind of creatures roamed Greenhollow when everyone else was asleep.
And if any of them turned out to be interesting enough... Maybe he’d end up as a snack for an overly curious dragon.
***
As Noir moved through the shadows, his Draconic Senses quickly detected the first creature that caught his attention.
Perched on a branch jutting out from one of the gardens was a tiny creature the size of a squirrel. Its body was completely white and covered in fur so fine it looked like freshly fallen snow. Two long ears ended in small green leaves that slowly changed color as it slept.
Without wasting any time, the young dragon moved through the shadows. He appeared behind the creature and activated his unique ability.
[The Unique Skill Devourer has been activated.]
The whole creature vanished in an instant.
It was devoured in a single bite.
[Compatible biological material successfully consumed.]
[Analyzing biological traits...]
[Analysis complete.]
[Minor increase in Mana Recovery.]
Noir didn’t pay much attention to those status windows, but rather to the last two that had appeared, which were what really interested him.
[Moonleaf Hare]
A magical creature of a peaceful nature. It feeds exclusively on the dew that collects on leaves during full moon nights. Its long ears slowly absorb ambient mana, which is why they are highly prized.
’Hmm... I see.’
Without lingering too long, Noir vanished once more into the shadows of Greenhollow.
A few streets further on...
A small pond reflected the moon like a huge silver mirror.
Dozens of water lilies glowed softly as tiny fireflies fluttered around them.
Another creature was resting on a damp rock.
It looked like a completely transparent frog. Inside it, small streams of water flowed like tiny rivers.
The young dragon didn’t hesitate to devour it.
A new window appeared.
[Crystal Brook Toad]
A magical amphibian that stores extremely pure water in its body. It can purify small polluted streams and is often found in gardens, temples, and natural springs.
Noir smiled.
He was gathering valuable information that could help him if necessary.
Although, in reality... he just wanted to expand his encyclopedia as much as possible.
The third creature appeared almost an hour later.
This time, it was resting on the roof of an old library.
It was a small, completely black bird. Its feathers seemed to absorb the moonlight. Every few seconds, it would vanish for an instant, only to reappear a few centimeters further ahead.
Noir opened his eyes slightly.
And, of course, he devoured the creature.
After all, that was precisely why he had gone out.
A new window appeared.
[Night Whisper Raven]
An extremely elusive magical bird. Its body maintains a slight connection to the shadows, allowing it to make small, instantaneous movements to escape predators. Some nighttime travelers consider it a symbol of good luck.
A smile slowly spread across the dragon’s face because something completely unexpected had happened. Something that had never happened before.
The notifications appeared immediately.
[Compatible biological material successfully consumed.]
[Analyzing...]
[Analysis complete.]
[Movement of Shadow proficiency has increased.]
Noir’s eyes sparkled.
"..."
"Now that I like."
He hadn’t acquired a new ability. But the one he already possessed had just grown stronger.
That confirmed another theory.
Devouring creatures with similar abilities could improve techniques he had already acquired. This was extremely valuable information.
Noir slowly looked up at the night sky. He had learned much more than he had expected.
He didn’t need to keep hunting.
His figure began to fade away again.
A moment later... He leaped from one shadow to another.
The rooftops began to flow beneath his paws like a dark river.
When the moon reached its highest point in the sky... The inn’s window opened again with a faint creak.
Noir slipped back in as quietly as he had left.
Uki was still fast asleep.
Noir smiled with satisfaction.
’It was a productive night.’
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