Kaelan focused his mind and gathered the shadow beneath his feet.
The moment the thought appeared, the shadow responded.
Darkness flowed across the floor like liquid ink.
Unlike an ordinary shadow, it remained completely unaffected by the lamplight.
No matter how the light shifted, the shadow remained under his control.
A hint of satisfaction appeared in Kaelan’s eyes.
The ritual had succeeded.
Now came the difficult part.
Control.
He concentrated and directed the shadow upward.
The darkness slowly climbed his body.
It moved beneath his feathers and gathered beneath one wing.
Kaelan attempted to shape it.
A hand.
Five fingers.
A palm.
A wrist.
The image was clear within his mind.
The shadow trembled.
It stretched outward.
Then collapsed into a shapeless mass.
Kaelan frowned.
He tried again.
The darkness rose.
Twisted.
Changed shape.
For a brief moment, something resembling a claw appeared.
Then it fell apart once more.
Failure.
Kaelan was not surprised.
The Shadow Demon Hand Spell was not something that could be mastered overnight.
Like all spells, it required practice.
Mastery of spells and techniques was divided into four stages.
Entry.
Proficiency.
Expert.
Master.
He had only just entered the Entry Stage.
The fact that he could already move his shadow at all was proof of that.
More importantly, reaching Proficiency in the Shadow Demon Hand Spell would allow him to form his Demon Seed.
Only then would he truly become a Demon General.
Many demons already mistook him for one.
His Tier One Energy created that impression.
However, appearances were deceiving.
His cultivation had never advanced through the demon system.
He possessed no Demon Seed.
No true foundation of a Demon General.
In reality, he remained outside the system.
Only after forming a Demon Seed would he truly enter the Demon General Realm.
With that thought, Kaelan settled onto the perch and continued practising.
Again and again, the shadow rose.
Again and again, it collapsed.
Hours passed unnoticed.
Inside the room, only the dim oil lamp illuminated the darkness.
Outside the inn, however, three eagle demons stood within a narrow alley.
Unlike ordinary birds, they possessed long legs and humanoid torsos.
Two arms emerged from beneath their wings.
Weapons hung across their backs.
At first glance, they resembled humans dressed in eagle costumes.
The youngest of the three brothers, Rowan, looked toward Kaelan’s room.
Every window had been sealed shut.
The curtains remained tightly drawn.
“In this weather, somebody covered everything?” Rowan muttered.
The eldest brother, Acer, folded his arms.
“He brought ritual materials earlier.”
“He must be performing some kind of ritual.”
The three brothers fell silent.
Minutes passed.
Then Rowan suddenly spoke.
“I’ll find out how many days he booked the room for.”
Without waiting for a response, he strode toward the inn.
Acer watched him leave before speaking again.
“I made some inquiries.”
“The reason Lucas wants the Crow Demon is that he’s capable of refining top-quality Flesh and Blood Pills.”
He felt his middle brother’s gaze land on him.
Blaze remained silent.
Acer sighed.
“Should we keep the Crow Demon for ourselves?”
Blaze’s expression did not change.
“Too much trouble.”
Acer nodded.
That was exactly what he had expected him to say.
Several minutes later, Rowan emerged from the inn and jogged back toward them.
“I found out.”
“He rented the room for a month.”
“Twelve days remain.”
Acer stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Then we’ll find a place nearby and keep an eye on him.”
Blaze turned his gaze toward the inn.
His eyes lingered on the upper floors where Kaelan’s room was located.
Rowan immediately understood what he was thinking.
“I checked.”
“The rooms nearest to his are already occupied.”
Acer shrugged.
“There are plenty of inns around.”
“We only need one with a good view.”
“Let’s go.”
The three eagle demon brothers left the alley together.
A few minutes later, two familiar figures entered Moonflow City.
Denver walked through the city gates with obvious excitement.
Beside him flew Francis.
The metallic-feathered crow glanced around curiously.
Moonflow City remained as lively as ever.
Demons filled the streets.
Merchants called out from storefronts.
Adventurers moved between markets and taverns.
Denver took a deep breath.
“I hope Senior Crow Demon Lord is still here.”
Francis nodded.
“He should be.”
“If Senior truly came to the city, finding him won’t be difficult.”
The two demons continued deeper into Moonflow City, completely unaware that multiple groups had already begun searching for the same crow.
Meanwhile, inside the inn, Kaelan remained focused on his training.
The darkness beneath his wing stirred once more.
This time, the shadow stretched farther than before.
A crude claw briefly emerged from the darkness.
Although unstable, it lasted several seconds before collapsing.
Kaelan’s eyes brightened slightly.
Progress.
Slow.
But real.
And with every successful attempt, he moved one step closer to Proficiency.
One step closer to forming his Demon Seed.
One step closer to becoming a true Demon General.
Several days passed in quiet practice.
Inside the room, a completely black hand slowly emerged from beneath Kaelan’s wing.
The hand looked as though it had been carved from solid darkness.
No flesh.
No feathers.
Only shadow.
Kaelan stared at it for a moment before flexing its fingers.
The shadow hand mirrored his thoughts perfectly.
He formed a fist.
Opened it.
Pointed a finger.
Made several gestures.
The movements felt awkward at first.
Yet with every attempt, his control improved.
Soon, he began lifting objects around the room.
A wooden spoon.
A bowl.
A chair.
A table.
The shadow hand moved clumsily but successfully.
Finally, he attempted to lift a wooden jug filled with water.
The moment the shadow hand wrapped around it, Kaelan felt resistance.
A strange strain travelled through the connection.
The shadow trembled.
He immediately lowered the jug.
The hand dissolved back into darkness.
Kaelan understood the reason.
His control had improved significantly, but the spell remained limited by his cultivation.
For now, lifting heavier objects was difficult.
Still, he was satisfied.
The Shadow Demon Hand Spell had reached Proficiency.
He knew it instinctively.
At the Entry Stage, every movement required conscious control.
At the Proficiency Stage, the spell began operating naturally.
Even while resting, he could feel shadow-attributed Spiritual Energy flowing toward him.
The spell had become part of his cultivation.
More importantly, it was now capable of serving as the foundation of his Demon Seed.
Kaelan immediately abandoned further practice.
There was no need.
The next step awaited him.
Advancement.
He settled onto the perch and closed his eyes.
Demon Energy circulated throughout his body.
At the same time, he guided Shadow Spiritual Energy into it.
The process proceeded smoothly.
His Spirit had already reached Tier Two.
Controlling Tier One Demon Energy was effortless.
The shadow element gradually fused with the Demon Energy.
Inside his dantian, changes began occurring.
A tiny seed slowly formed.
At first, it appeared translucent.
A mere projection.
As though it might disappear at any moment.
Then it pulsed.
Thump.
The pulse spread throughout his entire body.
The seed began spinning.
Every strand of Demon Energy rushed toward it.
The seed absorbed everything.
Then another pulse followed.
Thump.
A tiny grain within the seed suddenly solidified.
For the first time, part of it became real.
The change was small.
Yet it represented a transformation in essence.
The moment the grain became real, shadow energy erupted from the seed.
Darkness washed through Kaelan’s body.
His flesh began changing.
His bones began changing.
His blood began changing.
This was the true purpose of a Demon Seed.
Evolution.
Most demons used this opportunity to reshape themselves into humanoid forms.
The mysterious power released during advancement naturally guided them in that direction.
Humanoid bodies possessed many advantages.
Greater dexterity.
The ability to wield weapons.
More efficient cultivation.
Yet Kaelan had no interest in becoming humanoid.
He already possessed a shadow capable of replacing hands.
There was no need to imitate humans.
Instead, he directed every trace of transformative power toward strengthening his body.
Crack.
His skeleton expanded.
Muscles condensed.
His organs grew stronger.
Black feathers began falling from his body.
One after another.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
The floor gradually became covered in feathers.
Meanwhile, beneath each claw, shadows appeared.
The claws sank into the darkness.
The shadows reinforced them.
His wings broadened.
His bones thickened.
His body grew larger.
The increase was not temporary.
Unlike the size he achieved through Energy manipulation, this growth became permanent.
Minutes passed.
The transformation continued.
Eventually, the Demon Seed stabilised.
The shadow energy slowly retreated.
Silence returned.
Kaelan opened his eyes.
A faint darkness lingered around his feathers.
Even beneath the lamplight, his body seemed partially concealed within shadow.
His black feathers possessed an unnatural quality.
Whenever darkness appeared nearby, they blended into it effortlessly.
He looked down at himself.
The transformation was complete.
He now stood nearly five feet tall.
Far larger than any ordinary crow.
Far larger than his previous form.
The room felt noticeably smaller.
Black feathers still covered the floor.
With a casual wave of his wing, shadow energy swept across them.
The feathers crumbled into dust.
A moment later, Kaelan opened the shutters.
Wind rushed into the room.
The dust scattered into the night.
Only then did he open his panel.
*Name:* Kaelan
*Species:* Shadow Crow (Void Monster)
*Cultivation:* Low-Level Demon General (Tier One)
*Life:* Immortal
*Essence:* 1.80 (1)
*Energy:* 2.37 (1)
*Spirit:* 4.27 (2)
*Constitution:* 9.09 (0)
Kaelan studied the panel silently.
His breakthrough had succeeded.
His Energy had increased dramatically.
His Spirit had improved slightly.
Even his Essence had advanced.
Most importantly, he had finally entered the Demon General Realm.
A true Demon General.
Not a false one mistaken for such because of his cultivation system.
The Demon Seed slowly rotated within his dantian.
Shadow energy flowed from it continuously.
Kaelan could already feel the difference.
Every movement felt lighter.
Every shadow felt closer.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, he possessed a cultivation path that truly belonged to him.