The Sherry in Shadow

Chapter 15: The Defiler

Moreover, Sherry managed to coat the purified substance into a slow-dissolving compound, transforming the short-lived, potent boost into a mild, enduring enhancement. The result was a pill that could last all day, albeit at a fraction of the original's strength.

Sherry still didn't like the idea of taking Shadow Garden's drugs, but remembering how powerful her peers at the training grounds were, she knew she couldn't get hung up on this. As long as they start handing her pills, she can purify them with her alchemy set. As she improved her alchemy, she could refine the process to be more efficient, and hopefully, her strength will end up matching her instructors' expectations.

> Scraps of food

Even after succumbing to the temptation of the heavenly cheesecake at lunch, Sherry's suspicious nature hadn't fully eased off the food. As a safety measure, she ensured she carried out a thorough analysis of the leftovers, despite feeling completely lucid. An assurance was always better than a simple guess.

"Negative, negative, negative... at least against known substances," Sherry muttered to herself. The food was clean as far as she could verify. Sherry licked her lips. "I guess I can eat the food without guilt. I mean, worry."

Sherry was relieved. Her backup would've been to use her alchemy set to clean the food at night, which in turn would've robbed it of its delectable taste and freshness. On top of that, Sherry personally found it awkward to gather food scraps, or let alone do anything, discreetly, as she reluctantly admits her spatial awareness may be a bit below average. Thankfully, she avoided detection today, but all that spinning in place to check for observant eyes was exhausting for Sherry.

A random memory from the day suddenly tickled Sherry's mind.

"Why did that therianthrope ask if I was a raccoon?" Sherry reflected. The obvious answer was no, of course. She was human, and so Sherry answered as such. She was too busy trying to secretly get the food off of the plates to think much of it, but thinking back, that question was strange, wasn't it?

Sherry shrugged. It was probably nothing. Sherry discarded the food scraps and set her sights on the next item in her inventory.

> The Eye of Avarice and its Control Unit

Sherry had retrieved the Eye of Avarice and its control unit from the chilling embrace of her father's lifeless body. Her comprehension of how her father had come to possess the Eye was foggy at best, yet she surmised that he must have been trying to obstruct the plans of Shadow Garden.

During the assault, Shadow Garden wielded the Eye of Avarice to siphon and immobilize everyone's magic, all while trying to steal the control unit that Sherry had been examining. In retaliation, Sherry used the control unit to disable the Eye, effectively restoring magic to the students, enabling them to resist. Amid the ensuing chaos, her father, Lutheran, miraculously managed to seize the Eye and safeguard the control unit from falling into enemy hands.

Despite Sherry's desperate efforts to save her father, she was forced to witness his demise at Shadow's hands. Shadow merely deserted her with the cryptic phrase, "You're better off not knowing," leaving behind the charred remnants of her father. The only reason Sherry presumed she was left with the Eye of Avarice was because it was damaged during their confrontation.

Was it necessary for him to murder her father? Absolutely not! The cruelty of killing her father for something Shadow didn't even bother taking anyway infuriated Sherry to no end. He merely left behind a shattered Eye and a heartbroken Sherry, and Sherry vowed to make him regret such an act.

Since then, Sherry resolved to complete her mother's research. The Eye of Avarice in her possession now is a testament to a year of diligence. She has not only managed to restore it but has also gained a more profound understanding of it, further improving its capabilities. This was to be the backbone of her scheme to annihilate Shadow Garden's base.

Sherry planned to siphon the magic from the members of Shadow Garden and use it against them. The only magic Sherry would feel justified in stealing was from Shadow Garden, and this notion of poetic justice was vital to her. Additionally, the control unit could adjust the absorption rate of the Eye. Sherry just had to make it slow enough to go unnoticed by Shadow Garden members and install it somewhere frequented by members.

With the control unit, Sherry could remotely manipulate the Eye. Through her research, she had significantly extended its range, so all that remained was to strategically install the Eye somewhere frequently visited by Shadow Garden members.

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Preparations complete, Sherry's final task was to discreetly install the Eye of Avarice. Looking out the window, Sherry had identified the perfect spot. Sherry donned her invisibility cloak, disappearing completely apart from her eyes, which gleamed with a devilish light. She slipped out the window and into the night, ready to make Shadow Garden pay.