Repent [48]

Yogumunt laid on the ground, taking heavy, pained breaths. His mana fluctuated rebelliously, and it became clear he was trying to heal himself. However, the mana was completely out of his grasp, even his ability, Soul Manipulation seemed to slip from him.

He was exhausted, and for him, evolving was usually not a fast process.

Suddenly understanding what a soul was and using his own Spiritual Body Manifestation pushed him beyond his limits.

As such, he failed to maintain himself, and Jin-Woo's attack was the last straw, knocking Yogumunt from his throne of development.

For a moment the Sovereign was just discombobulated, but then he put the pieces together and grew furious.

Being pushed around by three humans — friends, at that — angered Yogumunt beyond belief.

At first his breathing quickened, but when he tried to push himself up, he couldn't even move his arms. He screamed, frustrated and helpless.

Jin-Woo was still breathing heavily, but he managed to stay upright. His MP was starting to rise again, but after unlocking Void Manipulation and acquiring Chaos Void, he was still a bit disoriented.

Fanzer and Ichigo slowly found their ways to his sides, the former on the left and the latter on the right. They assisted Jin-Woo, making sure he could keep himself up. Underneath his feet he could tell his Shadows were watching and waiting. Soul Fusion had abruptly faded after Chaos Void stripped him of his MP, but his loyal allies were still there, waiting to assist him.

Yogumunt screamed unintelligibly, roaring out. He just sat for several minutes, screaming. Eventually, he barely managed to pick his head up, glaring daggers at the trio.

"I won't lose to you, you… pathetic humans! You sicken me! You can't fight on your own, so you gang up on me with friends, friends?! Friends will only make you weaker! They'll betray you and you'll be alone! But I'm stronger than you all! I don't need anyone else; I'll never need anyone else! You hear me?!"

Ichigo, Fanzer, and Jin-Woo stared silently. They defeated Yogumunt, their biggest threat and adversary yet. Now he was just spitting insults at them, helpless to do anything else.

Jin-Woo responded, a sudden understanding flashing within his eyes, "I've fallen into the habit of ignoring questions I don't think I've got enough answers to figure out, but I don't like doing that. One of the questions I've ignored is simply; 'why?'

"'Why have you spent years using Red Gates to create Constructs?'

"But I think I just figured it out. You're lonely, aren't you?"

Yogumunt scowled, clenching his teeth. His eyes shimmered with uncontrollable rage. "You're even dumber than I thought—"

"You live in a world on your own. You've worked alone on Constructs for decades in here. You've only interacted with them and them alone, and even that must've been scarce. Then, recently Pandora arrived.

"For me, it's only been… weeks since I last saw Julie — Pandora, but with the distorted time of this place, it's been months, hasn't it?"

Yogumunt snarled, but Jin-Woo continued.

"The first person you talk to in ages has a goal for you, to bring me into a Red Gate. Of course, you want to satisfy her, she's the closest thing you've had to a connection in ages, the closest thing to a friend—"

"No, no, no! She was not my friend! I don't need something as pathetic as—"

Jin-Woo persisted, "You followed her orders faithfully to please her. Dropping us three on Lycaon's Island, attacking us yourself, even bringing us all into the Gate to ambush us. You've tried your best to please her. And she betrayed you."

Yogumunt scowled, but it lacked vigor, "She didn't betray me! She… she'll be here any second to kill you all! Why would she ever choose you all, huh?! Of course, she'd choose me! She'll save me, she… she has to!"

Jin-Woo just stared silently. He could feel Fanzer and Ichigo's internal conflict without even looking at them.

Truly, he couldn't figure out why Pandora was his ally. She wanted him to grow stronger, but he didn't know why. However, she was not playing the fence with everyone. She left Yogumunt to die, regardless of his feelings.

Was that Pestilence's doing, or was it Julie's?

Yogumunt was, after all, a monster that'd taken the lives of tens of thousands of Hunters. Julie had reason to want him dead, but… Jin-Woo couldn't imagine Julie manipulating Yogumunt for months instead of just killing him outright.

So, it had to be Pestilence's doing, at least, the long running manipulation had to be.

But why? That was the question Jin-Woo continued to run into. Why would Pestilence work with Julie to make Jin-Woo stronger?

He couldn't figure it out. And he knew it mattered.

The Sovereign's mouth bobbed open, but no words came out. After a minute, he finally spoke.

"Why won't she come back…? What have I done to deserve this?"

"You've taken the lives of people who didn't deserve it," Ichigo said, her tone resolved.

Then, Fanzer added, "And you've toyed with humanity for far too long."

Yogumunt choked, silence overcoming him. "I… I… I just…."

He looked up and met the three's gazes. They were resolved, strong, and unflinching. However, they weren't filled with raw anger.

Fanzer turned away, letting out a small, subdued sigh. Ichigo just looked at him, understanding. Jin-Woo's gaze was complicated, hard for the Sovereign to gauge.

However, what he wanted was anger. He deserved it, he knew that. But he wasn't receiving it.

"I don't think… anyone deserves to be betrayed and used like Pandora has done to you, but you have done heinous and unforgivable things," Jin-Woo said.

Yogumunt growled, but it was clear his heart wasn't in it. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Ichigo spoke after a few minutes, "I think, Xuan Zang unlocked their Soul Attribute before they died."

Yogumunt's words died in his throat.

Fanzer sighed, "And Longshen was one hell of a dragon. It was scary."

The tough Sovereign, who was so used to loneliness and undeniable dissatisfaction, couldn't process the words. They weren't insults, nor were they humans beating him down and wishing for his death.

That was what he expected, what he wanted. The harsh words and death threats solidified his beliefs, but this….

Cracks began forming within him.

This was something he hadn't experienced for decades upon decades,

Rather than beating him down, Fanzer and Ichigo complimented him. Their words were not kind, but they were not rude either.

And then, Sung continued, "You're strong, Yogumunt. And your research is not only impressive, but it could help a lot of people."

Yogumunt cracked, his stomach sinking. Before he could look away, water swelled in his eyes. He tried looking away, but he was too weak to do so. His sobs were muted, but they were still there, undeniable.

Fanzer and Ichigo turned away. Jin-Woo patted them both on their backs, and they walked away silently. Neither of them wished to see what would happen next.

"Damn it… damn it…. What… what was it all for? Why have I spent so long doing this?" Yogumunt asked, his voice weak and frail. "What can I even do, Shadow Sovereign? I've done too much…."

His calling of Jin-Woo's class caught him off-guard, but the Hunter responded quickly.

"You must atone for what you've done."

"And how… how do I atone?"

Jin-Woo was quiet for a long time, and Yogumunt looked up to him. After a second, Yogumunt laughed in resignation, Jin-Woo standing above him, alone. The Hunter's golden gaze was all-telling, and Yogumunt instantly knew what the man was saying.

"I see. I don't even know if I deserve this, but maybe… maybe this was meant to be," Yogumunt took a few breaths, laying his head down on the ground before closing his eyes.

For a moment, Jin-Woo thought to ask Yogumunt several questions.

Were there other Sovereigns? Did he know the Sovereign of Hunters personally? What did he know about Pandora or her goals? What had happened with Yogumunt to make him so sure of his actions? Did he know anything about the Void or the massive being within it? What were souls really made of, if anything?

But he knew he was pressed for time. The Hunters Yogumunt injured were still alive, but they probably wouldn't live for much longer with Byung-Ho's energy being spent so drastically.

He'd find a way to get answers at another time.

Jin-Woo took a breath, suddenly understanding the System's original messages to him.

This was his responsibility because he chose to flow against nature's tide.

'If so, then fine. I'll bear this responsibility.'

He transformed Legacy, feeling more comfortable with a shortsword than a scythe, and then, with a slash—

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have completed the Elimination Quest: Killing the Sovereign of Magical Constructs, Yogumunt.]

[You have completed the Development Quest: Test Out Your New Abilities as The New Shadow Sovereign.]

—a wall of notifications stopped him from looking at Yogumunt's corpse. The Shadow Sovereign took a deep breath, sighing to himself. Behind him, he could hear a portal swirling to life, the exit of the Gate. He ran his empty hand through his hair.

It was undeniable, Yogumunt mercilessly killed too many Hunters to be forgiven for. He played with their lives and deaths like they meant nothing to him, and he had to atone for his crimes. However, Jin-Woo didn't feel like much of a hero for killing a lonely man after he was already beaten.

So, for a moment, he just stood there, mostly unwilling to dismiss his notifications. However, a few minutes passed, and the bitterness faded. Granted, ten levels and two finished quests certainly did help cheer up Jin-Woo's mood.

First, Jin-Woo accepted the first and second rewards from both quests. His Shadow Save and Shadow Extraction limit leapt up.

[Shadow Extraction (Active) | Lv. 2]

Revive the soul of a killed being by extraction its shadow. This is the exact same being that died, and the being cannot be forced into being revived. The being must choose to answer the Shadow Sovereign's call. The chance of skill failure increases as the target's stats rises.

Shadows able to be Extracted: 13/2113

[Shadow Storage (Active) | Lv. 2]

The Shadows saved after being extracted must reside somewhere, and that somewhere is within the shadows. The Shadow Sovereign's shadow is the comfiest location for their followers, but they can also be placed in other shadows for maximum usage. These Shadows can be summoned and stored at the user's will.

Shadows able to be Stored: 13/1613

The second reward of the quests granted him 200 additional stat points, bringing his total up to 250 points. He couldn't even fathom where he'd put all the points, especially when considering how much Agility had helped him so far.

He pushed the thoughts away. With Yogumunt dead, he didn't have any need to insert his stat points all at once. He'd have time to think properly about it later.

He thought about accepting the third rewards but didn't know if he should. The Elimination Quest's reward was incredible, especially for increasing the efficiency of a skill, but Jin-Woo didn't feel like recklessly just using such a valuable reward.

Then the Development Quest's third reward was just… a "Hidden Reward." There was no information about it and Jin-Woo had no idea what it could be. Some part of him thought to just open it, but he refused, shaking his head. He kept it in mind to look at later.

With his mind made up, he glanced over Shadow Extraction and Shadow Storage's descriptions. He hadn't considered the information Shadow Extraction presented—that his Summons were following him by their choice, rather than being forced to do so—but it reassured him quite a bit.

He made a mental note to ask Lolikiano about Summons. He didn't know if there was something he was missing, but he felt like getting a better idea of how other Hunters created Summons would help him with his own.

Jin-Woo let out a small sigh, cracking his neck.

After having sufficient time to ignore the truth before him, Jin-Woo swiped away his screens, staring at Yogumunt's corpse. The initial bitterness long-since faded, leaving only a sense of slight excitement.

A large plume of energy rose from Yogumunt's corpse, easily outpacing anything Jin-Woo had seen.

Yogumunt was strong as an enemy, but would he be as strong as a Shadow? Jin-Woo didn't wait to find out.

"Arise, it's your time to repent."

Suddenly, Jin-Woo's world was cloaked in black. The energy was immense, but not overpowering. He smiled as the energy gathered itself, Yogumunt's Shadow clawing its way up from its corpse. The Shadow met Jin-Woo's eyes and kneeled respectfully.

Jin-Woo wouldn't have recognized the Shadow as Yogumunt, and he almost didn't, even seeing where the Shadow came from.

The Shadow looked much younger than Yogumunt. He had the features of an attractive scientist, coated with sharp features that demanded respect. He wore a cloak that was in a better condition than his original one, smoky energy flowing off the ends.

Impressed by the Shadow's power, Jin-Woo looked at the notifications before him.

[Due to your Soul Attribute, the Shadow's power will be boosted.]

[Special Shadow, Sovereign of Souls Captain has evolved into Special Shadow, Sovereign of Souls Commander Lv. 1.]

'Another rank?! Sheesh, I thought he'd be a high leveled Captain, not a new rank entirely! It's amazing, I guess the power of a Sovereign is pretty undeniable. Jill's easily an S-Rank, and now I've got this one too! My power will only keep rising!'

Jin-Woo tapped his finger against his chin, humming to himself. His Shadows rose from the ground, curious to meet their new comrade.

Jill and Tempest poked and prodded the Shadow curiously, while Igris kneeled to Jin-Woo, seeming to like the new Shadow's respectable demeanor.

'The Sovereign of Souls, hmm….'

After a few minutes, Jin-Woo was still stumped. He tried his hardest, but nothing came to mind.

Then, a voice spoke.

"Master of Shadows, are you having a difficult time with a name? If so, I have a suggestion."

Jin-Woo suddenly jerked his head down, staring at his Shadow. His mouth hung open. Jill and Tempest were similarly surprised, rolling backwards and gasping excitedly. They were about to jump on the Shadow, but Igris's intervention stopped them.

"You can… speak?" Jin-Woo asked, trying to recollect his bearings. He understood, the Shadow could speak when it was alive, so speaking when it was dead wasn't entirely impossible, but Jill could also speak when she was alive, but didn't do so as a Summon.

The Shadow nodded, rising and standing as eye-level with Jin-Woo, "Yes, Master of Shadows. I believe it has to do with a Shadow's strength."

Jin-Woo slowly nodded, agreeing. "That would make sense, yeah. Well, then what name do you have in mind?"

The Shadow grinned, "I believe the name, Ultra Shadow of Destruction will—"

"Nope."

The Shadow deflated, and Jill sped past Igris, looking at the self-proclaimed Ultra Shadow of Destruction. Her eyes sparkled with intensity. The Shadow puffed up his chest, seeming proud of himself. Jin-Woo's rejection of his name seemed to be completely forgotten in mere seconds.

Igris sighed, and Tempest ran past him too, running around Jill and the newest Shadow excitedly.

"Then what about… Yama?"

Tempest jumped on the Shadow's chest, causing him to fall back with a laugh. Despite his respectable demeanor, he was just as carefree as Tempest and Jill.

"I'd like that, sir! I'd like that a lot!"

[Yama | Lv. 1]

[Rank: Commander]

[Special Title: Sovereign of Souls]

[Special Title: Sovereign of Souls]

[Upon Extracting a Shadow, the Shadow's abilities can be dramatically strengthened, allowing them to leap entire Ranks.]