Kael didn’t leave immediately, there was something he had been meaning to settle.
His mother.
Lyra.
Now that he possessed Varek’s allegiance, there was no reason to leave the two of them without protection.
Kael turned toward the Quasi-Transcendent.
"Varek."
Varek immediately inclined his head.
"Yes, Master."
"Can you create powerful shadow constructs?"
"I intend to assign them to protect my mother and sister."
"I can, Master."
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in Varek’s answer.
He slowly raised his hand.
Darkness gathered beneath his feet.
Unlike the ordinary shadow constructs Kael had fought earlier, the shadows this time condensed far more slowly.
They layered upon one another repeatedly, becoming increasingly solid as an immense pressure gradually spread through the throne room.
Moments later...
A gigantic figure emerged.
It stood well over ten feet tall.
Its entire body was clad in heavy black armor that looked as though it had been forged from solid darkness. Broad shoulders, thick limbs, and an imposing physique gave it the appearance of an unbreakable fortress.
Unlike the ordinary shadow constructs, its form was remarkably stable.
Its body no longer rippled like smoke.
Instead, it possessed a tangible solidity that made it seem almost alive.
Even standing silently, it radiated an intimidating presence.
Kael instinctively narrowed his eyes.
"This..."
Even without exchanging blows, he could tell at a glance that this construct was in an entirely different league.
Varek looked toward the towering guardian.
"This is a Nether Sentinel."
"I created it after taking inspiration from a Nether being."
"It excels in both offense and defense."
"If the purpose is protecting someone, few of my remaining creations are more suitable."
Kael slowly nodded.
"Good."
His gaze remained fixed on the towering construct.
Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Just now, Varek said he took inspiration from a Nether being to create the Nether Sentinel.
That choice of words immediately caught Kael’s attention.
Did that mean...
Every shadow construct had been modeled after a different creature?
Almost as though he had read Kael’s thoughts, Varek began explaining before Kael even voiced the question.
"Most of the shadow constructs Master fought during our spar belong to the lesser class."
"They are created entirely from shadow."
"They possess no true substance."
"Their greatest advantage lies in their ease of creation."
"I can summon them in large numbers, making them suitable as expendable soldiers."
Kael listened quietly.
Varek continued.
"However..."
"There also exist specialized legions."
"To create those, I first needed to obtain the shadow of an appropriate being."
"That shadow served as the blueprint."
"Only then could I reproduce their characteristics and create an entirely new legion."
He briefly looked toward the Nether Sentinel.
"Each legion was designed for a different purpose."
"At my peak, I commanded many of them."
A faint pause followed.
"Unfortunately... most have been lost."
"With my current strength, the Nether Sentinel is one of the few specialized legions I am still capable of creating."
Kael nodded thoughtfully.
That explained the enormous difference between the ordinary shadow constructs and the giant standing before him.
The former were disposable soldiers.
This...
This was an elite unit.
He shifted his gaze back toward Varek.
"What makes these Shadow Legions different from the ordinary constructs?"
Varek answered without delay.
"The ordinary constructs rely almost entirely upon numbers."
"The Shadow Legions are different."
"They are soldiers designed with specific purposes in mind."
"Each possesses unique abilities and traits that ordinary constructs cannot replicate."
He gestured toward the Nether Sentinel.
"For example..."
"The Nether Sentinels were created to serve as absolute powerhouses on the battlefield."
"They specialize in overwhelming offense while maintaining exceptional defensive capabilities."
"They also possess a unique trait."
"Giantification."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Giantification?"
Varek nodded.
"When activated, their bodies double in size."
"The increase isn’t merely physical."
"Their strength and defensive capabilities rise proportionally."
Kael’s expression became noticeably more serious.
A construct this powerful...
Could actually become even stronger?
Before he could fully process that information, Varek added another sentence.
"They are also capable of manipulating metal."
Kael’s eyes widened slightly.
Metal manipulation...
That was an incredibly versatile ability.
Combined with overwhelming physical strength and immense durability, the Nether Sentinel was practically built to dominate defensive battles.
No wonder Varek had confidently recommended it.
After observing the towering construct once more, another question surfaced in Kael’s mind.
"If they’re this powerful..."
"Why didn’t you summon one during our spar?"
For the first time since the conversation began, Varek’s composed expression showed a hint of awkwardness.
He slowly lifted a hand and scratched the back of his head.
"I was concerned Master might destroy it."
Kael blinked.
Varek continued calmly.
"Unlike the ordinary shadow constructs, the Shadow Legions require considerably more effort to create."
"They cannot simply be remade with a small amount of mana."
"If one were destroyed..."
"With my current strength, recreating it would be extremely difficult."
Kael slowly nodded.
That explanation made perfect sense.
The ordinary constructs were expendable.
The Shadow Legions clearly weren’t.
After a brief silence, Kael spoke again.
"What other legions do you still possess?"
Varek lowered the hand that had been resting behind his back and stretched out his palm.
The next moment, the shadows beneath his feet stirred again.
Unlike the Nether Sentinel, however, there was no overwhelming pressure this time. Instead, the darkness gathered into a much smaller mass, steadily taking shape before the two of them.
A moment later, the shadows dispersed.
A peculiar creature stood where the darkness had been.
It possessed a tiny humanoid body no taller than a child, yet perched atop its shoulders was an enormous brain several times larger than the rest of its body. Countless dark veins pulsed across its surface, expanding and contracting rhythmically as though it were alive.
It had no visible eyes.
No mouth.
It simply stood there quietly, its oversized head giving it an almost unsettling appearance.
Varek looked toward it.
"This is the Hivemind."
"It possesses no combat ability whatsoever."
"But in terms of value..."
"It surpasses most of my remaining Shadow Legions."