Chapter 169
A new skill had emerged.
[Skill: Domain of the Monarch has been activated.]
Shadow Authority.
Its next stage—
Domain of the Monarch.
[Shadow soldiers fighting within the caster’s shadow gain a 50% increase in stats.]
KRAAAAAAAHH!
The soldiers standing atop Suho’s shadow, which had blanketed the area in darkness, surrendered to the overwhelming surge coursing through them and roared.
[Th-This power…!]
Zarvier could only be horrified.
An impossible phenomenon had occurred.
It was the aura of a Monarch!
The Shadow Monarch’s domain had unfolded before his very eyes!
[…Lies!]
He denied reality.
Yes! This had to be some trick.
Some high-level illusion—nothing more than a mirage.
It had to be.
It must be.
There was an obvious reason for it.
[Only by the death of a Monarch can that power be inherited! Then how…!]
But the Shadow Monarch does not die.
Why?
Because he is the King who governs death!
[Then how could someone like you inherit the Shadow Monarch’s power?! You’re not even a Monarch—!]
RUUUUUUUMBLE!
Gripped by a sudden surge of dread, Zarvier unleashed a ferocious assault on Suho.
The sandstorm raged violently.
The illusions with physical form transformed into vicious monsters and lunged toward Suho all at once.
Suho bared his teeth in a grin as he faced them.
“Can’t a son take after his dad?”
That’s right. From the moment of his birth, he had been capable of using the Ruler’s Authority.
Even without being a Ruler himself.
So now—what was the big deal about being able to wield the Monarch’s power?
Domain of the Monarch.
It was time to test the effects of this new skill.
Suho gave the command—
To the soldiers who stood ready, awaiting only his word.
“Full advance.”
The command was given.
[UOOOOOOOOOOH—!]
As if they had waited for this very moment, his soldiers surged forward with unstoppable momentum.
The Shadow Army.
A tiny elite force compared to the vast army his father once led.
Smaller even than the hordes of illusions that Zarvier summoned from every direction.
And yet—
It was enough.
[One-hit kill.]
SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!
Like a single torrent of spears, Shadow Spear Knight Quay ripped through the battlefield, shredding everything in sight.
A confident smile curved across his lips.
[Let’s make this a contest. Whoever gets the most kills becomes captain.]
[Captain, you say? I can’t ignore that.]
Harmakan’s eyes glinted darkly in response.
Despite being one of the strongest elite soldiers, he had always been treated as a low-ranking member—so he eagerly accepted the challenge.
[Souls steeped in hatred! All come to me!]
He raised both arms and invoked a new spell.
[Harmakan uses Skill: Taunt of the Dead.]
[Nearby enemies are overcome with hostility toward Harmakan.]
KII-HEHEHEHEHEHEHE!
In that moment, every nearby enemy launched their attacks directly at Harmakan.
[Harmakan uses Skill: Damage Amplification.]
[Harmakan uses Skill: Thorn of Agony.]
[Harmakan uses Skill: Drain.]
And Harmakan returned every single attack to the enemy.
[That’s… cheating!]
Quay gritted his teeth and intensified his assault.
[You’re a shaman, not a tank!]
[UOOOOOOOOOOOH—!]
Meanwhile, the Shadow Minotaurs charged straight through the fierce sandstorm without hesitation.
And more fearsome than ever, they mercilessly trampled the enemy underfoot.
BOOM! CRASH!
KRAK-BOOM!
At the center of it all, Suho could clearly feel the effects of his new skill.
‘So this is the Domain of the Monarch.’
A buff-type skill that enhanced his shadow soldiers.
With this skill alone, their combat effectiveness had more than doubled.
And the more soldiers there were, the greater the synergy would become.
A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of what might happen once his army grew.
‘Yeah. That’s exactly…’
—Exactly. A legion.
As if reading his thoughts, his father’s voice echoed in his head.
When he turned around, he saw him smiling with satisfaction as he watched the battlefield where the shadow soldiers rampaged.
—Now that’s more like my son.
FWISSHH.
With a flick of his hand through the air, Sung Jinwoo summoned Suho’s status window.
Status window.
The culmination of all the choices and efforts Suho had made on his journey so far.
Sung Jinwoo scanned the contents and nodded.
—Good. Prioritizing your Strength stat was the right call. To command powerful soldiers, you first need to be strong yourself.
But it was more impressive than expected.
Suho’s Strength stat was abnormally high for his level.
The leveling system Sung Suho used was only a half-complete version.
Because the final objective of raising the player to become a vessel for the Shadow Monarch had been lost.
‘To grow this much using a half-finished system without even a class advancement quest…’
That alone showed just how much effort Suho had put in until now.
However—
The path of growth would have to shift from here on.
Because everything had changed with just this one skill: Domain of the Monarch.
…Still, that wasn’t something he needed to advise him about.
After all, the journey only held meaning if Suho chose his own path and walked it.
—Alright, my son’s in good shape. Time to check on the others.
As Sung Jinwoo turned his gaze elsewhere—
He vanished from that spot in an instant.
* * *
Hot.
So unbearably hot.
His whole body was burning.
But surely, the wife he had killed with his own hands must have felt this very same heat.
“Ghhhk! I’m sorry… I had no choice… I had to save Do-Gyun…!”
Im Taegyu wailed, still clinging to the illusion of his wife engulfed in blue flames.
In truth… he knew.
He knew this was all just an illusion.
But sometimes, even knowing—it was easier to want to believe.
Besides, who knew?
What if this wasn’t just an illusion… but her real soul, called forth somehow?
Even the slightest chance that this might truly be his wife’s soul—if it existed—was enough for Im Taegyu to sincerely believe he could die here with her.
[Kuhuhuhuhu!]
Zarvier burst into maniacal laughter at the sight.
[This is too perfect!]
Enemy or ally—
He couldn’t figure out the Shadow Monarch’s true intentions.
The illusion circle that had been tampered with had now evolved into a far more perfect structure.
And the result was exactly what he saw now!
—Darling, I don’t want to die. I need more mana.
FWOOOSH!
Engulfed in burning flames, Im Taegyu obediently poured his mana into his wife’s demand.
S-rank mana.
It was a vast, boundless power. Unlike the others, no matter how much was drawn out, it seemed endless.
That massive energy was flowing through the illusion of his wife, straight into Zarvier.
And not just from him—every Hunter trapped in illusions was the same.
[All of this… is my power!]
Overwhelmed with exhilaration, Zarvier trembled with delight.
Then, glaring at Suho, who was annihilating his illusions from across the field, he clenched his teeth.
[Whatever your plan is, things are different now!]
Zarvier finally rose from his crouch.
The mana being funneled into his core was burned in an instant as he unleashed it directly upon his body through an illusion circle.
[Maeryung illusionist Zarvier uses Skill: Mirage.]
FWOOOOOOOSH!
The illusion of Mirage began to swell his body, inflating it rapidly.
At the same time, his mouth split wider and more savagely.
[I’ll show you the greatest terror I can conjure.]
Zarvier recalled it—
That being he once encountered while drifting through the dimensional rifts.
That godlike, horrifying existence!
[I’m curious myself—just how far I can imitate His great power!]
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!
Zarvier’s massive body split open as dozens of tendrils spread out in all directions.
Finally, the colossal form broke through the sandstorm and revealed itself before Suho.
[Maeryung illusionist Zarvier]
“…Kraken?”
[Be careful! That form is undoubtedly one of Itarim’s Apostles! He must have encountered one while drifting between dimensions!]
Suddenly appearing at his side, Beru quickly added an explanation to Suho’s muttering.
‘He copied an Apostle of Itarim as an illusion?’
Suho narrowed his eyes, locking onto Zarvier—who now resembled a giant Kraken.
But it wasn’t just the appearance. The aura he felt was far from ordinary.
[At least an A-rank high-tier, no… an S-rank magical beast.]
“He’s still growing stronger.”
Suho clenched his jaw as he sensed the flow of mana intensifying around them.
He realized it.
This was the true quest.
The real trial his father had given him.
‘Can I do it?’
It wasn’t his first time fighting an S-rank beast.
But back then, he had always fought alongside others.
Even with other S-rank Hunters by his side.
But not this time.
‘I have to take it down alone.’
Could he do it?
There was no time to consider such odds.
The outcome had already been decided from the beginning.
FLASH!
His body moved first.
[Break through!]
SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!
As Suho charged toward Zarvier, his shadow soldiers cleared a path by striking down every illusion in his way.
Suho leapt forward, dashing down the corridor of shadows they created.
Thump, thump!
His heart pounded like it was going to explode.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
Bounding through the air, Suho’s figure instantly surged toward Zarvier.
[You pitiful insect!]
Right then, massive tendrils swung down from above.
At a distance that made dodging impossible—
KRAAAANG!
With a deafening boom, Zarvier’s enormous tentacle slammed directly into Suho.
[Kuhaha!]
Zarvier laughed maniacally.
But despite the blow—
[Skill: Resilience reduces damage.]
[……?!]
Suho still stood firm beneath the crushing strike.
And then—
GRAB.
His hand reached up and gripped the enormous tentacle.
His hand began to grow.
FWOOOOOSH!
[Skill: Giant’s Armor activated.]
Suho’s body swelled in size as he held the tentacle in his grasp and swung it with brute force.
WHOOOSH—
[……?!]
BOOM!
[Gahk!]
Zarvier’s massive form was hurled through the air and slammed into the ground.
[What strength is this…?!]
Zarvier cried out in disbelief, even forgetting the pain.
The path Suho had walked—acknowledged even by Sung Jinwoo himself.
That strength.
[Strength: 140]
That’s right.
In terms of pure Strength—
Suho was on par with the S-rank Hunter known as humanity’s strongest—
The Goliath, Thomas Andre.
A single punch containing the full force of that strength was now raised high.
With blazing eyes, Suho stared straight into Zarvier’s monstrous face.
“This is going to hurt.”
[Skill: Strong Strike activated.]
FWOOOOOSH!
His fist was wrapped in a swirl of black energy.
And to top it off—
[UOOOOOOOOOOH—!]
Form shift—Gauntlet.
A Shadow Minotaur coiled itself around Suho’s fist.
