Chapter 870: Chapter 871: Shadow Drones He followed them deeper into another section of the underground chamber, one he didn’t recognize. That alone told him everything. This place hadn’t existed when he left. Damon stepped through the threshold and slowed. The environment changed instantly. The air felt sterile and clean. The floor was smooth and reflective, polished to the point that faint reflections stared back at him with every step. Strange devices lined the walls, arcane instruments, containment arrays, unfamiliar mechanisms humming softly with restrained power. But what drew his eyes were the black cocoons. They were everywhere. Capsule-like, embedded into the walls and floor, each one pulsing faintly as if something inside was breathing. For a brief moment, Damon felt like he had walked into an illegal alchemist’s laboratory, the kind whispered about in back alleys. A place where immortality was chased through cruelty and bodies were reduced to ingredients. Ironically, this was a place for inhuman experimentation. Just not for immortality. Damon moved forward and spotted a young man in his late teens at most, standing before one of the cocoons. He held a parchment and quill, carefully documenting minute shifts in the structure of the capsule. The young man turned, smiling easily. "Welcome back, Damon." His gaze flicked over Damon’s face, lingering for half a second longer than necessary. One eyebrow rose. "Why are you in such a sour mood, my friend?" Damon reached up and brushed his cheek absently. Was he really that easy to read? "It’s a long story." Sithara suddenly darted past him, nearly bouncing on her feet as she ran up to the young man. "Show him! Show him the advanced combat drones!" The young man laughed softly and patted her head. "Of course. Of course." He turned and began walking down the length of the lab, gesturing for them to follow. "While you were gone, we kept ourselves busy. At first, the drones Maw created were meant purely for surveillance, the skull models and the floating shades." Damon frowned slightly as he walked. "The shades too, huh." Lyn nodded. "They’re part of the hive mind as well. We tested whether Maw could replicate shade-like constructs, and it worked. They have slightly more offensive capability than the skull models, but their primary function is still surveillance." Damon nodded, absorbing the information as they continued until the space opened into a wider chamber. This one felt different. Standing in formation were knights, an entire squad, but unlike the earlier models, these wore black armor. Nearby stood cavalry units mounted on equally unnatural horses, their bodies unnervingly still. And then Damon saw them. Five massive beasts with wings folded tight against their bodies, far closer to wyverns than anything else. Lazarak raised a hand and pointed toward the black-armored knights. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞 "These are third-generation combat units. Unlike the basic models, these possess a limited degree of independent thought." He crossed his arms, clearly pleased. "Pretty neat, right?" Damon raised an eyebrow. Beneath the armor, he could feel it, shadows. Not metaphorically. Literally. The same essence as Maw, layered and refined. "How much did these cost?" Lazarak glanced at Lyn and Sithara. Both smiled. "You should read the report." Damon flipped through the parchment, skimming until he reached the resource requirements. He almost coughed. "...That many corpses?" Lyn raised a finger. "Don’t forget the magical ores, mana crystal and mana cores." Damon’s eye twitched. "These are more expensive than regular knights." "But their power justifies it," Lazarak replied calmly. "Try one." Sithara gestured eagerly. Damon studied them for a moment. Third class advancement, just like him in this world. Having even a handful of units at that level was no small thing. He approached one and gave a simple command. "Step forward." The knight obeyed instantly. Then Damon spoke again. "Destroy me." Nothing happened. Sithara shook her head. "I don’t think they’re allowed to follow commands like that. Try sparring." Damon nodded and corrected himself. "Fight me." The world blurred. The next thing Damon knew, he was slammed into a wall. It was fast, far faster than he had anticipated. Matia glanced at him. "This model has already adapted to my combat style. You shouldn’t underestimate them." Damon pushed himself upright. With a flash step, he reappeared beside the drone and drove his palm upward, launching it several meters into the air before it crashed down. Before he could follow up, it rolled aside and grabbed his legs. The world spun as he was hurled back into the wall. Damon smiled. He melted into the shadows and surged forward, reappearing above it. He drove a punch down with intent— A shield formed instantly. The impact sent a shockwave rippling outward. A blade flashed from behind the shield, slicing the air and severing a few strands of Damon’s hair. He circled, but the shield moved seamlessly to guard its back. Damon’s eyes flicked to the dent in its armor. It was already repairing itself. "...Impressive." And there was an entire squad of them. "Let’s see how you handle fire." Ashborn flames erupted from Damon’s hand— The drone vanished into the shadows. It reappeared beneath him. Damon twisted midair, dodging, then drove his foot down. "Hmm. I’ve seen enough." With a casual motion, he tore the drone’s arm clean off and tossed it aside. They were strong, but Damon was stronger. Still, this thing would be troublesome. "This black-armored unit is an infantry variant," Lazarak said evenly. "The one you fought was a tank model." Sithara nodded. "There are cavalry, archer, assassin, and mage types." She gestured toward the wyvern-like beasts. "And the most expensive, air units. Creating flying shadow drones is extremely resource-intensive." "All models retain fragments of independent intelligence," Lazarak added. "Though they remain bound to the hive." He glanced at Maw, shifting and reshaping nearby. "Since Maw is a shadow entity, they all inherit that trait. Unfortunately, we’ve exhausted our materials for now." He smiled faintly. "Shadow drones. A fitting name. How does it feel, having your own shadow army?" Damon crossed his arms. "...Still too weak to matter." He paused, then shrugged. "But it’s progress. With a few years—and a few wars—I could build an army. Assuming I live that long." Lazarak met his gaze, smiling knowingly. "You will." Sithara glanced at the damaged model. "Also, could you not show off? Why did you have to break it? This model is expensive." Damon awkwardly scratched his head.