1 Looking For A Purpose

Purgatory;

The only befitting word for the sight Infront of Jin Woo, the current shadow monarch. Ground splintered , with crevices all over them while some decimated to an extent that it made grand canyons faint in comparison.

Looking up to the sky, it looked cracked. Multiple cracks ran along it, which felt like the sky would crumble at any moment now. An eerie silence as not even a single bird was spotted flying.

All buildings flattened and mountains scorched. Trails of burnt ground everywhere. And amidst them were two figures. One stood tall with a red blade in his hand. Fair height, long black coat which was tattered. The man's long black hair fell over his eyes, but wasn't enough to stop the glimmer of his purple eyes which shone brilliantly.

In his feet sat a red haired, middle aged man. Long red hair which reached well below his waist now laid sprawled on ground, his shining armour crumbled to pieces as multiple aura blades and swords stabbed and mutilated him. He was dying but he still had a huge grin over his face.

"Why?" The man dressed in black, the monarch of Shadows, Jin Woo asked

"Why, you ask? That's because that is what makes us monarchs. We are beings of destructions. Beings created to annihilate and destroy worlds upon worlds, and everything that resides on it. That is the sole purpose and mission granted to us by the absolute being" the red haired man, monarch of destruction, king of berserk dragons, Antares replied.

Jin Woo let out a deep sigh. He tried so hard. Everytime the outcome would be the same. Everytime he fights the monarchs, he ends up loosing his family and his world.

He used the cup of reincarnation multiple times which helped him to reverse the time of whole planet again and again, while keeping his memories. But higher beings aren't affected by it.

His coma induced mother, his father who dies due to the stress on his body for being a vessel for rulers who were the nemesis of monarchs, his sister dying repeatedly to different monarch's plots, his lover Hae In, killed and tortured repeatedly.

The final string broke with the destruction of cup of reincarnation. It was the end. It was his last chance and he failed. The shadow monarch, king of the dead, won the battle but lost the war he prolonged for a melenia.

Jin Woo looked down at Antares, in a spiteful gaze

*squelch* *slip* *thud*

Jin woo's dagger, which was a blur passed through antares',s throat. His head slipped along the diagonal cut and fell with a thud. A fountain of blood protruded from the place where his head once used to be.

The long war between the Darkness born from Light (jin woo) and A Fire born of darkness (Antares) ended. Jin Woo hovered his hand over Antares's corpse.

ARISE

*swoosh*

The dark aura spread from Jin Woo and enveloped Antares as a shadow emerged from it. Aura of death emanating from him... Jin Woo's newest summon. He retained his all features except for his slit red eyes. Which were now a glimmering light purple akin to his new master.

Jin Woo summoned 8 more shadows;

Antares.     (Monarch of destruction, king of berserk dragons)

Legia.          (Monarch of beginning, king of titans)

Baran.         (Monarch of white flames, king of demons)

Quresha     (Monarch of plague, queen of insects)

Yogmunt.   (Monarch of Transfiguration, king of demonic spectres)

Frost           (Monarch of Frost, king of snow folk)

Beast          (Monarch of beasts, king of beasts)

Iron Body (King of monstrous humanoids)

The once gods of destruction were now turned into Jin Woo's summons. Despite being so prideful before dying, being reborn by him made them totally loyal to him. They all got on two knees, indicating a worship gesture

"Our liege, please command us" they all said in unison.

"Get the remnant of your former army. We are leaving this world"

The command of Shadow monarch was absolute. All 8 shadows dispersed as they started to gather what mesely amount remained after the war with Jin Woo.

(A/n alright now I know Due to monarchs having an astral body they can't be resurrected using shadow extraction. But let's say he can, for plot convenience 😏😏)

As the shadows moved out jin woo stood there quietly, his gaze Rock hard on the sky.

"Any moment now" he mumbled as the cracks in the sky started to widen. 7 figures appeared out of them, clad in divine light. 2 pairs of wings adorned the backs of each figure. Their faces had mass with a crevice in the centre which overflowed with divine energy.

"Rulers." Jin woo said

All of the rulers descended en-circling Jin woo. The figure with brightest light also known as brightest fragment of light stepped forward

"We thank you, Shadow Monarch. For getting rid of the abominations that plagued not only this world but also to others in the future."

'Should I be happy ?'

'Should I celebrate ?'

'Should I be feeling joy at finally killing Antares?'

The same thoughts resonated in Jin Woo's mind. All he felt was loneliness, emptiness, pain and endless suffering. He kept thinking of ways to respond to their gratitude but couldn't.

"I don't think the cost was worth it" Jin woo replied with a bitter tone and solemn expression.

The rulers could do nothing but stare at him. Stare at the strongest monarch. Stare at the man who lost everything. Stare at the man who was left with nothing to fight for.

One of them snapped at Jin woo for his words against the rulers. The solemn expression of Jin woo remained un-faltered, but he soon released his aura of death. A palpable pressure making the ruler's feet shrivel. The smell of death was so suffocating that rulers got into a fighting stance, unbeknownst to them.

The brightest fragment of light interfered l;

"Please quell your anger, Shadow Monarch. We know what you went through. My apologies for your losses. But you must know the path you took to fight alone was destined to end like this."

Jin woo's rationality returned, as he understood he shouldn't have snapped. However he didn't take his gaze off of them nor showed an apologetic face.

Meanwhile the monarchs he turned into shadows returned with denizens of chaos that were still alive. The ruler's eyes bulged out seeing the sight in front of them. Monarchs and rulers had astral bodies which meant once they died they'd die. They can't be turned into shadows. However in front of them stood all other 8 monarchs as Jin woo's shadows.

*sliiiing*

The sword of one of the rulers unsheathed as white light enveloped it.

"3rd brother, stand down. What are you doing.?"

"He's too much of a threat to be left alive."

"Do not brandish your swords against him" the brightest fragment roared.

"Let him do as he wishes. It seems like you don't know the situation you're in, RULERS" Jin woo replied with blood lust.

The aura around the ruler's sword thickened

"Ashborn" Jin woo mumbled.

A shadow emerged from Jin Woo's own shadow. A man having jet black armour with purple flames like hair, which flowed like air blowing them instead of sitting down. The mere sight of him instilled fear into the very fibre of their beings.

'Ashborn' was formerly a ruler, who then turned into a monarch due to the betrayal from rulers. The predecessor of Jin woo. The progenitor of all shadows. The first shadow monarch.

"An honour to see you again, Shadow Monarch" the brightest fragment of light said with a Curt bow.

"Off with the formalities. I'm here to ask for one thing. Do you plan to eliminate my SUCCESSOR.?" Ashborn asked

"No. We're merely here to to offer him freedom"

"And who are you to grant him freedom?" Ashborn asked with a tinge of annoyance.

A silence enveloped them. "What I mean is he will not be ever hindered in any regard. Treated like us, have the status of rulers and will never do any of the work."

Ashborn pondered over the suggestion "Jin woo. It's all up to you now."

Jin woo's eyes reverted back from light purple to black. He looked over to the scorched and brazen land.

"I'll travel and search."

"Search? Search for what?" Everyone though but Ashborn was the one who voiced his thoughts.

"A purpose. There's nothing left for me here. Only bad memories. I'll search for a new purpose in my life."

As soon as he said that Ashborn nodded and no one else decided to hinder them.

"Thank you rulers. It's about time I go." He waved his hand as a purple portal shimmered to life. Before stepping into the portal, the shadows around the remnants of armies of all monarchs warped as spikes  of shadows emerged from them, mutilating the armies.

ARISE

He commanded, as the corpses reanimated, and turned into his shadows. All of them merged with Jin woo's shadow. He took one last look at his world, which was nothing more than ancient ruins. A pang of guilt and sadness flooded his heart as he stepped inside the portal.

Just as he arrived inside the portal, his pupils were bombarded with changing colours. Once he arrived he took his surroundings into consideration. A world with mana much more dense than his previous world.

His eyes glowed as he started to see multiple motes. Green, red, orange, blue and purple. He focused on the purple motes as his eyes widened with shock. Just as he was about to say something, a huge amount of purple motes  concentrated in a small house.

Jin woo focused on the house. A woman was giving birth. But more importantly, the purple particles were surrounding the incoming child. Jin woo further enhanced his vision,

"That...." Jin woo exclaimed

"Yeah, that soul is not of a kid. He's a reincarnated" Ashborn said as his head emerged from the side.

"Maybe it was the right decision to come here after all." Jin woo said, his voice laced with excitement.

***************

(A/n woohoo, I'm back, finally got my account back. Was bored with all those studies so decided to write a chapter of this fic)

That's all for today. Won't be updating this fic before 8 June. Until then take care and stay blessed.

Whooper signing out

SAYONARA