BLINK, BLINK.
"Aaah… my head!"
Drake groggily opened his eyes, sitting upright.
"What's happening? Why does my body hurt so bad—like I got run over by a truck? Am I alive, or am I dead?" Drake muttered, completely disoriented.
He looked around, his breath catching in wonder. He was in a forest unlike anything he'd ever seen.
Old ancient trees soared skyward, their massive trunks vanishing into a canopy so high it looked like they stitched the sky together. At the base of these towering tress, clusters of glowing gems shimmered softly—sapphire blues, fiery crimsons, and deep emeralds pulsing with a soft glow.
The air was thick with enchantment. Birds with gem-like feathers chirped melodious tunes, and the breeze carried the sweet, heady scent of blooming flowers and golden pollen, wrapping around him like a spell.
"Wooow! What is this place?" Drake said, struggling to his feet.
DING!
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
Reincarnation of soul complete!
System loading…
Welcome to Celestial Woods, Drake Lorenzo.
A glowing translucent screen appeared before him, suspended in the air.
"I can't believe it. I really got isekai'd into a fantasy world. This is sick!" Drake said, staring at the screen floating before him.
"But still… I really did die," Drake muttered, eyes lingering on the glowing system screen. "Yeah, my old life sucked… but still—leaving it behind hits different." He took a deep breath, then smirked. "Well, no point looking back. I've got a new shot now... and this time, I'm living it to the fullest."
"So this is my system. I got my very own system! This is just so freakin' cool. I can't wait to see what this Shadow Arsenal System has in store for me!"
"Show me my stats," Drake commanded.
DING!
The system shifted, revealing his status board.
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
Class: Shadow Gunslinger [Lvl: 1]
Status:
• Mana: 2,000 / 10,000 Race: Human
• Endurance: 80 / 100 Name: Drake Lorenzo
• Health: 100 / 100 Height: 6'6"
Attributes:
• Charm: 100 • Strength: 1,000
• Intelligence: 10,000 • Agility: 80
• Precision: 100 • Stamina: 100
• Adaptability: 100 • Speed: 100
Abilities:
• Shadow Step: Ready • Stealth: 20s
• Phantom Shots: Ready • Skill Craft: Ready
• Eclipse: Cooldown 30s • Black Vortex: 10s
"Oh my God! These stats are amazing. I mean, look at my skills—not to mention my charm and strength. It's way over the charts. I'm invincible!" Drake said, jumping around like an excited kid who just got a new game console.
"I died, but here I am in this amazing new world. I think I'll test my abilities out," Drake said, clenching his fingers into a fist.
"Okay, agility—let's go. I'll try a backflip," he said, psyching himself up.
WHOOOSH! THUD!
With swift, fluid motion, Drake performed a daring backflip.
"That was insane!" he exclaimed.
"I wasn't able to pull this off before, but now? I'm like an athlete. I need to push this further."
He looked at one of the towering trees nearby, determination in his eyes.
He dashed toward it, kicking up dust in his wake. As he neared the base, he launched himself up, using his momentum to sprint a few steps up the trunk before grabbing onto a thick branch. With powerful, graceful movements, he climbed higher, swinging from branch to branch like a natural-born acrobat. His body felt light, balanced, and incredibly responsive.
Before he knew it, he was perched at the top of the tree, wind brushing against his face.
"I did it. I made it all the way up!" Drake shouted, a wide grin on his face as he gazed out at the horizon.
From his high vantage point, he spotted a massive kingdom in the distance, about a mile away.
It was a grand realm enclosed by towering white stone walls, each etched with glowing gems that pulsed with protective energy. The buildings inside rose elegantly, with golden, green, red, and white rooftops glinting under the sun. At the far end of the kingdom, perched atop a majestic hill, stood a magnificent castle. Its spires pierced the clouds, and flags bearing a silver phoenix on a navy blue background fluttered proudly in the wind.
The sight was breathtaking—like something out of a fairy tale.
Drake climbed back down the tree, landing gracefully with a soft thud.
"That was a really big kingdom. I wonder if I'm supposed to go there next?" he asked aloud.
"Hey, System—I got a question. What was that kingdom I just saw now, and am I supposed to go there next?" Drake asked.
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
Processing info…
You are currently in the Celestial Woods of the Kingdom of Sidonia.
Yes, your next destination is the Kingdom of Sidonia. Once there, you will receive your first mission.
"Kingdom of Sidonia, huh? I think I'll try out the rest of my skills while I head over there," Drake said, locking his eyes on the floating screen ahead.
TAK! TOK! TAK! TOK!
That was the only sound echoing through the stillness as Drake made his way toward the kingdom.
"If I remember correctly, my class is Shadow Gunslinger and I'm level one. I need to check my inventory to see what kind of firearms I've got," Drake said to himself as he walked, his eyes scanning the forest path. "And while I'm at it, I should ask the system what my various abilities do—and what exactly a Shadow Gunslinger is."
"System, I'm sure you heard my questions from earlier. Can you please clarify my doubts?" Drake asked.
DING!
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
Analyzing info…..
A Shadow Gunslinger is a special kind of fighter who combines shadow magic with gun-based combat. Instead of using traditional guns, they summon weapons made of darkness, enhanced by their speed, precision, and stealth. Think of them as a mix between a magical assassin and a deadly marksman. They're fast, sneaky, and can deal a ton of damage from the shadows.
Abilities Explaination
1. Black Vortex (Instant cast— cost 400 mana per use . Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Creates a swirling black hole of shadow energy that pulls enemies in and weakens them.
Effect: Drags nearby enemies toward the center.
Bonus: Slows them down and makes them vulnerable to your next attacks.
Simple use: Great for crowd control or stopping enemies from running.
2. Eclipse (Instant cast— cost 600 mana per use. Cooldown: 30 seconds)
Cloaks the area in total darkness for a short time.
Effect: Enemies lose sight of you and each other.
Bonus: You move faster and your attacks hit harder in the dark.
Simple use: Use it to escape, sneak attack, or confuse enemies during a fight.
3. Shadow Step (Ready— cost 150 mama per use)
Teleport instantly to a nearby shadow or spot within your sight.
Effect: Blink from one location to another in a flash.
Bonus: Can dodge attacks or sneak behind enemies.
Simple use: Use it to move fast, dodge, or get into better position.
4. Phantom Shots (Ready— cost 300 mana per use)
Fires a rapid burst of magical bullets that phase through objects.
Effect: Hits enemies even if they're hiding behind cover.
Bonus: Each shot drains a little bit of their stamina or mana.
Simple use: Great for finishing off fleeing enemies or attacking hidden ones.
5. Stealth (Duration: 20 seconds— cost 250 mama )
Turns you invisible for a short time.
Effect: Enemies can't see or hear you.
Bonus: Your first attack while stealthed deals extra damage.
Simple use: Perfect for sneak attacks or escaping danger.
6. Skill Craft (Ready— cost 800 mana per use)
Lets you craft or customize a weapon or skill using shadow energy.
Effect: Creates a new shadow weapon, Creates new abilities or upgrade an ability.
Bonus: Can adapt to different enemies or missions.
Simple use: Use it when you need a new tool or boost in battle.
"Huh! System, you just had to go and spoil the fun in this new world of mine, right?" Drake muttered, crossing his arms as he stared at the floating interface.
"I've got super powerful skills and abilities—not to mention an impressive mana pool—but each of them drains a crazy amount of mana every time I use them. I guess I really do have to use them wisely."
"Huuuh!"
He sighed, shaking his head. "The system definitely knows how strong these skills are. No way it's gonna let me spam them endlessly. Sneaky bastard!", Drake thought, narrowing his eyes at the screen.
"This is way too much info to take in all at once. But hey, with time, I'll figure it out," he said with a smirk. "Besides, my intelligence is 10,000. That basically makes me a genius! How sweet is that?"
"Haah!"
Drake laughed to himself. "If I had this kind of brainpower back in my old life, I probably would've been the next Einstein. But whatever—this is still pretty damn cool."
He stretched his arms, then added, "Alright, why don't I check my inventory next?"
"System, show me my inventory, please," Drake commanded.
DING!
[SHADOW ARSENAL SYSTEM]
[ Inventory Interface]
Inventory Slots: 4/50
Weight Capacity: 120 lbs / 500 lbs
Type: Shadowbound Dimensional Storage
Equipped Weapons:
1. Twin Pistols of Midnight Howl
Type: Dual Shadowfire Handguns
Damage: Medium-High (Scales with Precision and Intelligence)
Special: Bullets are made of compressed shadow energy. Can phase through light armor and leave a cursed mark that amplifies damage from other shadow skills for 3 seconds.
Cool Factor: The pistols glow faint violet in the dark and whisper like wind when drawn.
2. (Empty Primary Weapon Slot)
Inventory Items:
2x Shadow Charges
Use: Recharge 300 mana instantly
Cooldown: 5 minutes
2x Basic Healing Flask
Use: Restore 50 health
Type: Single-use item
1x Blank Skill Core
Use: Stores a shadow ability when absorbed
Drake's eyes widened slightly as he looked over the weapons. "Twin Pistols of Midnight Howl? Now that sounds badass!"
"Now how do I get those Twin Pistols Of Midnight out of this screen"
WSSSSH!
He reached for the air instinctively, and the twin guns materialized into his hands with a flicker of dark energy.
The Twin Pistols of Midnight Howl, they appeared in a swirl of dark mist, their obsidian-black frames radiating with faint violet light. A cold aura surrounded him as the pistols hummed with shadow energy, dark smoke coiling lazily from the barrels.
The grips molded to his hands like they belonged there
WSSSSH….WHOOOM!
And a soft, ghostly howl echoed through the air. Shadows from the vegitation around bent subtly toward him, and the temperature dropped just enough to raise goosebumps. In that moment, Drake didn't just hold the pistols—he wielded the shadows itself.
"Wooow, check out this pistols. These babies are gonna tear things up," he grinned, spinning them around his fingers before letting them vanish back into his inventory.
So I can just reach out into thin air, call out to my babies, and boom! —they come running straight to papa?" Drake grinned, flexing his fingers dramatically. "How cool is that?"
"My inventory's stacked too. This system's a straight-up blessing!" he said, raising his hands in mock reverence. "Thank you, dear God, for choosing a random dude like me to get overpowered in a magical world like this."
He joined his hands in prayer and looked up at the shimmering canopy above, a single tear clinging to his cheek like he was starring in a heartfelt anime moment. The light caught it just right. Oscar-worthy.
"I'll make sure to explore my inventory more later," he added, wiping the tear with a dramatic sniff. "I need to know what goodies I've got."
Just then—
SSSSSH! SSSSH!
A rustling sound came from the bushes nearby. Leaves twitched. A twig snapped.
Drake turned, eyes narrowing. "Hello? Who's there?" he called out, already flexing his fingers to pull out his pistols.
GRRAAH! GRRR! GRAAH!
GRRRR! GRRRR!
Suddenly, five wolves burst out of the underbrush.