Chapter 169

[A new skill has been acquired.] A new shadow skill called 'Monarch's Domain.'

[Skill: 'Monarch's Domain' has been activated.] 

[The stats of the Shadow Soldiers fighting on the caster's shadow are increased by 50%.]

Arrrghhh! The soldiers standing on Suho's shadow, which had dyed the surroundings black, roared, surrendering themselves to the surging thrill.

[Th-this power...!] Javier couldn't help but be shocked. Something unbelievable had happened.

[...Impossible!] The aura of a monarch! The Shadow Monarch's domain was unfolding before his eyes!

He denied reality: 'Yes! This must be a trick. A high-level illusion or a mirage. It had to be. It had to be that way. There was a clear reason for it!'

[You can only inherit that power after the monarch dies! But how...!]

'But the Shadow Monarch can't die.' 

'Why?'

'Because he is the one who rules over death!'

[How can you inherit the Shadow Monarch's power?! You're just a mere human!]

Rumble! Feeling an immense sense of unease, Javier launched a fierce attack on Suho. Sandstorms raged, and illusions with physical substance transformed into menacing monsters, all pouncing on him at once. Facing them, Suho grinned, revealing his teeth.

"Isn't it possible for a son to resemble his father?"

He had been able to use the Ruler's Authority from birth. Even though he wasn't a Ruler. So what if he could now use the power of a Monarch too?

'Monarch's Domain' It was time to test the effects of his new skill.

"All forces, advance." Suho gave the order to soldiers waiting for his command.

[Aaaaaa!] As if waiting for this very moment, his shadows charged forward with tremendous momentum.

His Shadow 'Army'. A small, elite force,but far too meager to be compared to the endless legions led by his father. Their numbers were dwarfed even by Javier's illusions now closing in from all sides.

But. It was enough.

[One Strike, One Kill.] Shadow Lancer Que charged forward, her spear becoming a streak of light, slashing through everything in sight. An especially confident smile graced her lips.

[I bet you all. The soldier who defeats the most enemies becomes the captain.]

[A match to determine the hierarchy. I can't ignore that.] Harmakan's eyes gleamed darkly. As the strongest soldier treated as a mere underling, he had to accept the challenge, so he could raise his status.

[Spirits filled with hatred! Come to me!] He spread his arms and used a new spell.

[Harmakan uses Skill: 'Provocation of the Damned'.]

[Nearby enemies burn with hostility towards Harmakan.]

Kikikekekekekeke! Instantly, all attacks from the nearby enemies began to pour onto Harmakan.

[Harmakan uses Skill: 'Damage Amplification'.]

[Harmakan uses Skill: 'Thorn of Pain'.]

[Harmakan uses Skill: 'Exploitation'.]

And he returned all those attacks back to them.

[This... is cheating!] Que gritted his teeth and started attacking even more intensely.

[A mage fighting like a tanker?!]

[Muuuuuuu-!]

Boom! Crash! Kwang! Meanwhile, the Shadow Minotaurs relentlessly charged through the fierce sandstorm. And with a terrifying momentum trampled their enemies mercilessly.

At the center of it all, Suho fully experienced the effects of his new skill.

'This is the Monarch's Domain.' A buff skill that strengthened his Shadow Soldiers. With this one skill, their combat power had more than doubled. And this effect would undoubtedly create even greater synergy the more soldiers he had. A shiver ran down his spine as he imagined having an even bigger army.

'Yes. That's exactly...'

"Indeed. It's a legion." As if reading his thoughts, his father's voice suddenly reached him. Looking back, he saw him watching the battlefield where the Shadow Soldiers were rampaging, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Now you're finally acting like my son." With a flick of Sung Jinwoo's hand in the air, Suho's status window appeared before him. Showing the result of all the efforts and choices his son had made on his own. Sung Jinwoo scanned its contents and nodded.

"Good choice prioritizing Strength first. To gather outstanding soldiers, you need to be strong yourself." But it was more than sufficient. His Strength stat was incredibly high compared to his level. In truth, the Leveling System Suho was using was incomplete. This was because the ultimate goal of developing the player into a vessel for the Shadow Monarch had been removed. 

'To have grown this much using an incomplete system without even a job change quest.' Just this alone showed how much effort Suho had put in.

However, the direction of his growth needed to alter a bit from now on. The entire game had changed just by acquiring 'Monarch's Domain'.

'...But there is no need to advise him on this. The path he would walk had to be chosen by himself for it to have value.'

"Now that my son's situation is settled, shall we move on to other issues." As he suddenly turned his gaze elsewhere, his figure suddenly vanished.

* * *

'Hot.'

'So hot.' 

His whole body was burning. But his wife, whom he had killed with his own hands, must have felt this too.

"Ugh! I'm sorry... I had no choice... To save Dogyoon..." Lim Tae-Gyu was embracing the illusion of his wife, still engulfed in blue flames, and wailing.

'In truth…' He knew that all of this was an illusion. But sometimes, one just wants to be deceived. Besides, who knows? Maybe this wasn't a lie, but a summoning of his wife's actual soul. If there was even the slightest chance of that, he felt like it would be okay to die here with his wife.

[Kehehehe!] Javier burst into laughter at the sight.

[This is perfect!] Enemy or ally. He couldn't fathom the Shadow Monarch's intentions. The magic circle he had been tinkering with had evolved into a truly perfect structure. And this was the result!

[Honey, I don't want to die. I need more mana.]

Fwoosh! Engulfed in hot flames, Lim Tae-Gyu readily surrendered his magic power at his wife's demands.

S-rank mana. There was such a vast amount of it that, unlike for other hunters, it seemed endless, no matter how much was drawn out. All that was flowing through Lim Tae-Gyu's wife, directly to Javier. And the same was happening with all the other hunters caught in the illusion…

[All this power is mine!] Javier trembled with overwhelming exhilaration. Then, he gritted his teeth, glaring at Suho, who was mercilessly crushing his illusions in the distance.

[I don't know what you're up to, but things will be different from now on!] Javier finally rose from his crouched position and he unleashed all the magic power that had been steadily accumulating inside him, activating a magic circle directly on his own body.

[The Demonic Illusionist Javier, uses Skill: 'Mirage'.]

Whoosh! The illusion began to inflate his body. While the corners of his mouth stretched into a sinister grin.

[I'll show you the greatest fear I can conjure.] Javier recalled the being he had encountered while wandering through a dimensional rift. The divine power of that great and terrifying being!

[I'm excited too! To see how far I can mimic the great power of that being!]

Whoosh! Javier's massive body split, and dozens of tentacles sprouted in all directions. His gigantic form finally emerged from the sandstorm, standing before Suho.

[The Demonic Illusionist Javier] His name tag also finally appeared

"...Kraken?"

[Be careful! That form is definitely based on one of the Apostles of Itarim! It seems he encountered them somewhere while wandering through dimensions!] Beru, who had approached at some point, quickly provided additional explanation to Suho.

'He's mimicking an Apostle of Itarim with an illusion?' Suho narrowed his eyes, glaring at Javier, who had transformed into a Kraken-like form. The energy he felt was too ominous to dismiss as a mere imitation of simple tricks.

[He is at least high A-rank, or even S-rank monster level.]

"And still getting stronger." Suho clenched his teeth, sensing the flow of mana in the surroundings. He realized that the real quest, the test his father had given him, was starting now.

'Can I do it?'

Of course, it wasn't his first time facing an S-rank monster. But before, he had always fought alongside others. And even then, it was with S-rank hunters. But not now.

'I have to defeat it alone.' As the question of whether he could do it appeared in his mind, he realized it wasn't the moment to contemplate such possibilities. The answer had been evident from the start. Without hesitation, his body sprang into action.

[Clear the path!] As Suho charged towards Javier, the Shadow Soldiers cleared away all the illusions blocking his way and he leaped along the path they had created.

Thump! Thump! He felt his heart race as if it would explode.

Tap! Tap! Tap! He stepped on the air charging towards Javier.

[Foolish human!] At that moment giant tentacles struck from above. From a distance impossible to evade.

Boom! With a tremendous explosion, the huge limb crushed Suho.

[Kehaha!] Javier laughed triumphantly.

But…

[Skill: 'Tenacity' reduces damage.]

[...?!] Suho's body still stood firmly beneath it. And then.

Grab. Suho's hand seized the giant tentacle. His hand began to grow larger.

Whoosh!

[Skill: 'Giant's Armor' is activated.] Suho's body swelled, and he swung the grasped tentacle with all his might.

Whoosh!

[...?!]

Boom!

[Cough!] Javier's body was flung through the air and slammed onto the ground.

[What kind of power is this...?!] Javier cried out in shock, forgetting his pain.

[Strength: 140] The path Suho had walked, the strength even Sung Jinwoo acknowledged. That's right. At least in terms of physical might, He was on par with Thomas Andre, the Goliath, the S-rank hunter called the strongest of humanity.

A fist, concentrating all that power into a single point, was raised. Suho's burning gaze met Javier's giant eyes, and he spoke:

"This might hurt a bit."

[Skill: 'Iron Body Technique' is activated.]

A black aura enveloped his fist. And one more thing.

[Muuuuuuu-!]

"Shape Transformation, Gauntlet."

The Shadow Minotaur wrapped around Suho's fist.