CHAPTER 2

- Mars -

I'm covered in sweat and blood as I battle wave after wave of enemies.

Since I spawned on one end of the hall, it's obvious the only way out is to keep going forward.

The royal hallway stretched out farther than I could see, destroyed armor littering the battlefield.

So far, my spears have had no problem slicing through these hollow armored knights. A light spear through the helmet takes care of these guys in one hit, the only problem is there seems to be an unlimited amount of them.

While these knights are numerous, they are slow as fuck, so I swapped to using two spears instead of having my shield out at all.

Unfortunately for me, my lightning doesn't seem effective at all, either they have lightning resistance or the armor is magically insulated.

The more I think about it, this reminds me of a weird, custom zombies map. Hopefully you guys weren't nazis in your previous lives.

These slow knights alone are not a big threat, so I was surprised when an invisible assassin suddenly stabbed me in the back with a necrotic dagger, rendering one of my wings useless until I could get it healed.

Now that I have to watch my back, I have to slow down my pace to the end. Which is unfortunate because I can start to see mages and archers starting to take position in the distance.

This is going to take a while.

- Woo Jinchul (Korean Hunters Association) -

The chief inspector of the Hunters Association watched the entertainment channel on the television with a dumbstruck look on his face, growing paler by the second.

"Who is this new mystery hunter?" The television blurted out in his modest office, in the Association headquarters.

"...Maybe I should have requested Mars to stay in the hospital before taking the retest." Jinchul sighed to himself, realizing his workday has no end in sight now, thanks to Mars' powers being prematurely exposed to the public.

The tv segment showcased different angles of cellphone footage of Mars walking through the shocked Seoul streets, with a hungry reporter interviewing anyone ranging from confused citizens, speculating rival hunters, to lovestruck fans dubbing Mars 'Seoul's Saint.'

He had misread his initial meeting with Mars. The tired man expected the kid to have called before he would have ever stepped foot outside the building, or in Mars' case, flew out the building.

Jinchul lit a cigarette as he watched the Korean entertainment channel display 'breaking news' of previously unseen footage of Mars flying around last night. He took a lengthy drag from the cigarette, his mind racing on what he needs to now, and fast. The clock is ticking now, since Mars' power is no longer a secret, he must find him immediately.

What is it with this society's obsession with celebrities and idols? It seems like Mars will be joining the list of Korean hunter/idols such as Yoo Soohyun or Cha Hae-In very soon.

The Korean Hunters Association is in a precarious situation now. They must find him before any of the major guilds do, because if a guild gets to Mars first, the already volatile power struggle in South Korea will explode.

In the past, the chairman Go Gunhee was able to keep the rest of the guilds in check. But now that the chairman is aging and his powers are in decline, the whole country's power is up in the air, the Hunters Association barely holding on. Sadly for them, there is no suitable replacement for Go Gunhee, as no one else in the organization can match his charisma, let alone his strength.

The Hunter's guild is growing in power by the day, with the White Tiger guild not far behind. If Mars is truly revealed to be an S-rank, he must not join the Hunter's guild, as they are already the only guild in Korea with two S-rank hunters, guildmaster Choi Jong-In and vice-guildmaster Cha Hae-In, respectively.

In the brutal world of hunters, monsters and dungeons, strength is everything. Infamous examples of individual hunters having so much power, they are effectively National level.

Not wanting South Korea to lose authority over it's hunters, he has to formulate a plan.

"You called for me?" Kang Taeshik whispered into his ear.

"FUCK!" Jinchul choked out. "I hate when you slither around like that!" He glared at the man nicknamed the Association's Lunatic.

"Hehe, sorry inspector Woo~" The sneaky Taeshik sang out (who is very much aware and delighted by his moniker).

"That's Chief Inspector to you, Kang. Don't forget I'm still keeping a close eye on you after that incident in the dungeon last month..." Jinchul growled out, "I need you to locate a hunter, Mars Valentino."

He handed the psychopathic inspector Mars' file, ignoring the dangerous glint in Taeshik's eye.

"Ooh? Is this Seoul's Saint?" Taeshik laughed at the photo of Mars on file, comparing it to the footage of him on the television. "What happened in that double dungeon?" He asked, having skimmed the folder.

"That's not important. What is important, is every guild out there is looking for him right now." Jinchul informed his subordinate. "Find him and call me as soon as you do."

"What did he do?" The tricky hunter looked to pry for more information.

"You're wasting precious time. Track him down." The annoyed inspector ordered, his tone signaling the conversation is over.

"Yes, sir!" he hollered out, mockingly saluting Jinchul, marching out with Mars' file in hand.

When the aggravating hunter marched out, Jinchul let out a sigh, as he hates dealing with the creepy hunter. Despite his reputation, Kang Taeshik is one of the best assets they have, no one else in the Association can sneak around and gather information like he can.

Before he could start his almost futile task of triangulating Mars' whereabouts through social media, the phone on his desk began to ring.

He breathed out heavily as he put out his cigarette on the ashtray, picking up the receiver.

"Sir?" He answered the phone to the only person who calls him on the landline, Go Gunhee.

The chairman's booming voice was unmistakable, you could feel the power just when he spoke.

"Tell me about this Valentino."

- Mars -

Knights, assassins, archers, and mages, all coming together to kill me.

Since I had to switch up my tactics for each different type of enemy, the battle slowed down considerably.

The worst part is I don't think I'm gaining any experience for this. Usually, I would feel the progress in real time, but I haven't felt even a little bit stronger yet, despite killing hundreds of these foes.

It isn't until what feels like hours later, I make it to end of the hall. Behind these fancy doors is the throne room, I have to prepare myself for the upcoming boss battle.

Igris.

The last thing I want to do is look like a fool in front of my future shadows.

Taking one last breath, I burst through the royal doors.

Chills immediately run through my body as I try to get used to the cold temperature. The only thing notable in the room is the empty golden throne, with sharp red accents.

Red, like the armor of the giant knight that suddenly appeared from behind a pillar.

"Observe." I whisper to myself, trying not to visible react to how intimidating, yet badass he looks.

[Knight Commander, Igris The Red]

[Level: 45]

[Thoughts about you: Curiosity]

Hmm? I guess updating [Observe] to Apprentice level unlocks a new feature. I'll need to max that skill as fast as possible.

The knight commander stood there, menacingly. It feels like he's comparing our power.

I can feel the slight difference as well, I know I can beat him.

Jinwoo was A-rank level when he first met Igris. I, however, am low S-rank.

Remembering how chivalrous he was, I make the showing of dropping my shield to the ground with a heavy thud, and let my light spear dissipate in my hand.

Igris tilted his head at me, interested in my intentions.

I cracked the knuckles in both of my hands and got into a southpaw boxing stance, stretching my four wings as far as they could while I squared up with the giant.

This seems like the perfect opportunity to see how strong I am hand to hand against a strong enemy.

There should be no mistaking my intentions now, Igris.

He responded in kind, slamming his sword into the marble floor beneath us as he let his throwing knives drop to the ground. Igris 'cracked' his gauntlets, then leapt at me with inhuman speed, his cape expanding, mirroring my wings in intimidation.

Fortunately for me, I can react even faster, catching his fist with two of my wings as I throw the commander into the throne behind him, destroying it as I am not holding back a single iota of my strength.

Igris smashed into the wall with a sickening crunch, if there was a man inside that suit of armor most of his bones would have been crushed. Without wasting a second, I shot towards him and slammed my fist right into his breastplate, leaving a sizeable dent.

I calmly back away, ignoring the roaring pain in my hand as I give the commander a chance to get up. I'm certain that each potential shadow has some sort of 'ego', the more powerful they are, the more personality and identity they seem to retain as shadows.

And Igris? He should be considerably nerfed at the moment, and he's still at high A-rank level. I hope he can appreciate my showing of chivalry, as I remember Jinwoo had difficulties trying to raise his shadow.

Igris nodded to me, as if acknowledging the first round went to me. He launched at me even quicker than before, and I barely raised a wing in time to redirect his strike before I countered with a jab of my own.

Igris didn't disappoint as we matched and countered each of our attacks against each other, until we were just throwing wild haymakers at each other at full speed. The surroundings were completely destroyed, as each blow caused tremors in the now ruined throne room.

I was able to maintain max speed longer, as I didn't fail to capitalize when Igris momentarily dropped his speed, grabbing him by the helm and smashing him into the ground with all the strength I had left.

As Igris was slow to get up, I summoned a fully charged light spear. Right as he rose to one knee, I javelin tossed the spear right into his helmet. If he was human, he would have an apple-sized hole right through his brain.

[Dungeon Boss Igris The Red defeated]

[Knight x 400 defeated]

[Assassin x 200 defeated]

[Mage x 200 defeated]

[Archer x 200 defeated]

[100 000 coins earned]

[Quest Completed: Job Change]

[Objective: Clear the Special Dungeon]

[Reward: Job Change, Rune Stone]

Wait, wasn't there one more trial to do in this quest?

Not that I'm complaining, maybe I've already proven myself to Ashborn.

Which reminds me, does the system made by the Architect even know about the Gamer System? I doubt the Monarchs can sense the Gamer System at all, but it's dangerous to make an assumption about something important like that.

Moving on, I check my Inventory. Besides the mountain of coins, I received two items: a rune stone, and a 'Job Change' token.

Summoning and crushing the gray rune stone unlocks the skill [Dominator's Touch].

Using the token causes all the torches in the throne room to die out instantly. The already cold temperature in the room drops into a freezing atmosphere.

An ethereal voice echoes within my very soul.

WHEREVER YOU GO, DEATH WILL FOLLOW. THE SMELL OF BLOOD WILL FILL THE AIR AS YOU WILL LEAVE COUNTLESS TRAILS OF CORPSES IN YOUR WAKE...

YOU LUST FOR GREAT POWER, HOPING TO NEVER RELY ON THE HELP OF OTHERS. YOU WILL CARVE YOUR OWN PATH IN WHATEVER WORLD YOU MAY VISIT...

I ANSWER YOUR CALL FOR POWER. WHETHER YOU BECOME AN ADORED KING, OR A DETESTED TYRANT, YOUR STRENGTH WILL REMAIN ABSOLUTE...

BECOME THE MONARCH OF SHADOWS, AND TAKE COMMAND OF THE WANDERING SPIRITS WITHIN THE VALLEY OF DEATH...

As quick as it happened, the torches light back up, and the macabre pressure disappears.

New Skills added:

Dominator's Touch (Active) lvl. 1 (Novice)

- The ability to physically control objects without touching them.

Shadow Extraction (Active) lvl. 1 (Novice)

- Extract the mana from a lifeless corpse to create a Shadow Soldier.

- Number of extractable shadows: 0/50

Shadow Preservation (Passive) lvl. 1 (Novice)

- Shadow Soldiers can be absorbed and preserved. Soldiers can be summoned at anytime or be reabsorbed for later use.

- Number of preserved shadows: 0/50

Hand-to-hand Combat (Passive) lvl. 12 (Novice)

- Your proficiency when fighting opponents unarmed.

Thanks to [Gamer's Mind], I'm able to handle situations like those in stride.

That chilling voice could have only been Ashborn. I mentally go over his cryptic (and tastefully edgy) message one more time.

Whatever world I visit? Does that mean he knows I'll be leaving for different universes?

My thoughts are interrupted by a bone-chilling howl. It could only be described as an unintelligible shriek from a soul in an unfathomable pain.

I follow the feeling to Igris' corpse, I can actually see the black mist of mana I can form into a shadow soldier.

The light spear I killed him with is still embedded in his helmet and into the ground, keeping his corpse in a kneeled position.

"Arise... Igris!" I shout confidently.

With a great burst of energy, the mana around his hulking corpse detonates in itself like a black hole. Igris' shadow begins to manifest, as the shadow crawls out of it's blood-red armor.

The pitch black shadow stands at full attention, towering over me, before it sinks down to one knee once again.

[Igris - Rank: Knight]

How many shadow ranks were there again? Knight is A-rank clearly, and I can feel it, Igris is already on the cusp of promoting.

Looks like each shadow I resurrect receives a power boost, and I imagine that boost will grow stronger as I do. Igris grew even larger when I revived him into a shadow soldier.

Turning back to the quiet hallway, my first shadow wastes no time as he dutifully marches behind me like a bodyguard.

I have 49 spots remaining. How should I divide my forces?

After spending way too much time on it, I settled on a safe, evenly split battalion. That would amount to Igris leading a force of: 19 Infantrymen, 10 Assassins, 10 Archers, and 10 Mages.

Looking for the appropriate corpses with the highest concentration of mana. I cast [Shadow Extraction] on the 49 bodies I had Igris help me assemble. Their mana combined still wasn't as potent as Igris'. I'm not sure how to feel about Igris being worth the same as a single infantryman, but if it means more shadows for me I won't complain.

The entire hall dims as the screams of 49 different souls are heard from the Valley of Death. Each shadow rises from the depths, pulling free from their lifeless corpses.

The infantrymen are about high C-rank, armed with shields and either a sword or a spear. These guys are perfect for front lining and for general use. Assassins are B-rank, armed with daggers and the ability to go invisible. The archers and mages are also B-rank; the archers equipped with various bows while the mages either have magical tomes or staffs. The mages are all specialized in fire or explosion magic, it seems.

My new army organizes itself rather quickly, the infantrymen in two orderly lines at the front, various crosses and slits of glowing blue light shining through their helms, contrasting from their shadow black armors. The assassins stand behind them, clad in what appears to be pure black ninja armor. The mages and archers fill out the flanks, the mages wearing shining blue hoods. The archers wear similar hoods, but instead of black magical robes, they are wearing black light armor, quivers on their back.

Igris instantly claims the spot directly to my right, calling each soldier to one knee, as if swearing eternal loyalty to me. This will be a moment to remember, the start of my Immortal Army.

The rest of the shadows look up to me, as if they're expecting me to say something. I turn to Igris and he nods to me, gesturing I should make a speech.

Not expecting to be put on the spot like this, I say the first thing that comes to mind.

"Take great pride in the fact you have been chosen as the first soldiers of my Shadow Army... Pave the way for your Shadow Monarch!" I triumphantly roar out, inwardly thanking [Gamer's Mind] for erasing my cringe.

With a title like the Monarch of Shadows, I have no choice but to embrace the edginess.

The shadows all rise to their feet, weapons in the air as I can sense them roar back in response. Igris gives me a thumbs up, looks like they loved it.

Looking over my forces, with the exception of Igris, they're quite underwhelming. I'll need to have a special excursion to the dungeons to increase their strength, and honestly, I'm going to do it right now. I'm exhausted, but if things go as planned, I won't have to raise a finger this time around.

"ID Create." I tiredly mutter out, remembering I'm doing all this work now, so I can take it easy later.

Launching the zombie ID, my shadow army dematerializes as I wait for the instant dungeon to load. Expecting to find myself in a classic zombies map, I'm taken by surprise when I spawn in a large empty grassland. The sun is shining bright on me, a welcome change to the usual dark lit settings I'm used to.

I'm surrounded by hills, it feels like a natural arena. The ground suddenly starts to shake violently. An earthquake?

I swiftly realize that isn't the case at all, the reason the ground is shaking is because thousands of zombies are coming from all directions. It's a zombie stampede as countless mobs are being crushed to death in their mad rush for me. Casting [Observe] on one reveals

[28 Days Later Zombie lvl. 25]

Great. So these are infected humans with the Rage virus, they will stop at nothing to get to me.

Summoning my army, they go into a formation around me right away, the infantrymen setting up a wide perimeter around me, their shields at the ready. The archers and mages scurry to find various vantage points as the assassins go invisible, ready to launch attacks or cover flanks when needed.

I send an order to Igris, who was patiently waiting to my right. He gives me a quick bow as he leaps towards the largest group of zombies, sword in hand ready to thin the herd for the rest of my shadows. Igris charges the horde with no hesitation or fear, if he gets overwhelmed, he will immediately revive as any shadow will continuously regenerate as long as I have the mana to do so.

While Igris draws attention from the biggest group, I command my ranged units to start launching volleys of attacks at the rest of the zombies. The infantrymen are to hold until the horde reaches us, and the assassins are ready to cover any break in formation.

I've only sent one general order to my shadows: don't let a single zombie touch me. Shadows make for the perfect soldier, besides being unkillable, they have no need to be paid or fed. As soon as I raise a shadow soldier, they become immortally linked to me, as long as I draw breath they will fulfill any task I give them with 110% effort.

If I remember the original story correctly, the shadows will feel every emotion I feel, my happiness becomes their happiness as they will follow any command I have without question. And I can trust them to follow me to the ends of the multiverse.

The longer they hold the horde back, the more experience they get, and the more time I get to rest and regenerate so I can step in if things get bad. My main goal is to level up my soldiers, experiment with their powers, and watch how they fight as an army; ready to adjust and alter anything if necessary.

This is going to be another long grind.

- Choi Jong-In (Hunter's Guild) -

The Ultimate Soldier smirked as he strode through the lively offices in the Hunter's guild skyscraper. He had spent more than a decade growing and cultivating the guild. From fighting for territory in Seoul, to now fighting for control of the whole country. The guildmaster could feel it in the air, whatever happened in that double dungeon, it's going to shake the nation to it's very core. His reptilian instincts have warned him so, and it has never led him astray.

While he wasn't there personally to witness the double dungeon incident, he does have a mole in the Korean Hunters Association. Through that connection, he was able to read the classified testimonies and statements from the survivors of the gruesome scene. Including the one from the man of the hour: Mars Valentino. While the public doesn't know his name just yet, he knew everything as soon as Mars was admitted to the hospital.

Thanks to a contact within the hospital, a spy cam was hidden in Mars' room. The original plan was as soon the kid left the hospital, he would have a team nearby ready to recruit the young hunter before any other guild would have a chance to talk to him. Unfortunately, he didn't expect the reawakened hunter to fly out the window during his first night there. The morning after, the team sent to offer him a contract froze in awe as they approached him. The 'divine aura' described on television must have incapacitated them.

The Hunter's guild's reach is deep, due to years of successful high level dungeon raids. He has all the resources at his disposal to find Mars within the city faster than any police force or guild could dream of. Thanks to traffic cams and an elite surveillance department, his guild was able to partially map out Mars' route when he flew out the window the first night. Including finding an alleyway the 'angel' disappeared in for a couple hours last night, and all day today. At least until he vanished again, this time who knows where.

Jong-In had just arrived to the Hunter's skyscraper office from the said alleyway, looking to find an answer to his theory. If Mars is indeed an S-rank, there would be evidence left behind. The mana in the air itself was distorted, confirming his suspicion, as only S-rank hunters can warp the mana due to their sheer strength.

If he can secure a third S-rank hunter, the whole country will fall to the Hunter's guild, his mind racing to having more influence than the Prime Minister himself. As soon as he confirmed Mars' rank, he called a code red in the guild; every department was to stop what they were doing to to either amass information on 'Seoul's Saint' or to find him.

The guildmaster chuckled to himself as he recalled the footage he reviewed earlier in the day, Mars flying with his new wings like a child plays with a new toy on Christmas day. Who could blame him? It reminded him that he's dealing with a 17 year old, he might be one of the strongest beings in the country, but he's still just a kid at the end of the day. If Jong-In remembered anything from his school days, it was how he made more decisions with his 'lower head' than his upper one.

The Ultimate Soldier approximated himself to be the second strongest hunter in South Korea, but he took pride in the fact he was the most ruthless. After all, he viewed himself as a businessman first, and a hunter second. He was infamous for doing anything that would either benefit his guild, or sabotage his opposition. It's the reason his guild was positioned where they were, that and the fact he paid handsomely to have the strongest hunter in the country as his vice-guildmaster.

It's also why he leaked the footage of Mars flying to various news outlets, he knew it would cause chaos within the country, making it harder for the Association or any other guilds to act. An almost evil grin broke out as he knocked on his vice-guildmaster's door, the key piece to Mars' recruitment.

- Cha Hae-In -

The meticulous woman sat at her desk, fighting back a yawn as she went through the guild's monthly expense report. She didn't need to be involved at all in the guild's day-to-day operations, Choi Jong-In had let her know as long as she participated in dungeon raids, she can do whatever she wants in her free time.

Her pride as a swordswoman wouldn't allow her to claim the empty title. If she was going to be the vice-guildmaster, she would do everything in her power to help the company thrive and succeed, not wanting to be a liability. That meant learning all the roles and responsibilities needed to properly run and operate a guild, especially considering they were the country's biggest guild.

Considering how much she was being paid, she wanted to be involved in the guild's direction, anything that would look bad on the Hunter's guild would reflect poorly on herself, as well.

Her nose suddenly picked up a specific smell, her guildmaster Jong-In was about 20 meters away, and he was heading straight to her office. She purposefully chose an office far away from everyone else's for this reason, as she was quite sensitive to the smell of mana. The Hunter's guild (unsurprisingly) only employed hunters, so every person in the building had a certain stink to them. Every hunter had mana, and for whatever reason it meant they all smelled like monsters to her, the stronger the hunter, the more foul they smelled.

Unfortunately, this caused her to act more cold and distant to her fellow hunters. She was aware of her 'ice queen' reputation, which she normally wouldn't mind, but she did want to interact more with her subordinates and colleagues. Hae-In felt lonely, as normal humans can't really date very strong hunters, for obvious reasons. Even her infamous nickname, 'The Dancer' based on her beautifully devastating Sword Dance, felt like a curse. No hunter in the country would dare get on her bad side, which meant they always acted somewhat fake to her.

While she could handle the scent of lower ranked hunters, her fellow S-ranks always caused an overload of her senses, so she was always aware if her guildmaster was nearby. As she waited for him to arrive, she deducted it was regarding something important, as Jong-In knew she preferred phone calls and emails over in-person meetings.

"You're visiting my office rather than calling me?" The beautiful woman scoffed, bringing a handkerchief to her nose. "Let me guess, you need my help with something, and it's probably something you know I'd hate to do..."

She had quickly learned whenever Jong-In displayed any kind of humility, it meant a favor was soon to be asked.

"Hate is a strong word... Besides, can't a guildmaster check in on his beloved disciple~?" Jong-In teased.

"I am not your disciple... What do you need?" Hae-In responded in a cold tone.

"It's serious." The man quickly changed his tone, the importance of the upcoming task clear on his face. "I forgot you don't get my code red alerts, I'll need to update you on the situation."

He turned on the large television in the neat office, quickly changing programs until it landed on the often scandalous entertainment channel.

There appeared to be a panel of experts on Christianity, discussing fallen angels, scripture, general Theology and comparing it to footage of an admittedly handsome young man with a huge pair of shadow-like wings.

"This is Mars Valentino, South Korea's newest S-rank hunter..." the bespectacled man pulled out his cellphone. "I'm sending you what we have on him right now."

Opening the new message in her inbox, she opened up a Hunter's guild scouting report, which summarizes a hunter's skill level and potential. The photo in file was of a boy, but the resemblance was there.

"A D-rank hunter? It said the photo and file was made over a week ago? How did he change so much?" She asked, contrasting the boyish photo to the winged man on the screen.

"He's a survivor of the double dungeon incident a couple days ago. As you can see, he reawakened." He informed her as her eyes widened. "If we can sign this kid... No one will be able to challenge us." Jong-In's eyes glared the same way they do during dungeon raids, his eyes beamed like a predator who just spotted his prey.

He's got a point... 3 S-ranks in one guild would completely disrupt the delicate power balance in this country, especially now that Go Gunhee has lost a step.

"What do you need me to do?"

- Mars -

I look over my army with a satisfied smirk on my face. I didn't really need to lift a finger at all, especially once Igris promoted mid fight. Going from Knight grade to Elite Knight, he's as strong as I am, if not stronger now. It was quite the productive outing, as not only did the shadows all level up, I was able to test out all sorts of techniques and strategies, all while I was practicing [Dominator's Touch] on stones and branches near me.

My favorite discovery was learning I could imbue my own holy light attribute with my shadows. Infantrymen tore through multiple zombies with each swing of their holy swords and spears. Mage's fire became holy fire, each holy fire ball or wall of holy flames incinerated zombies by the second. Assassins and archers were able to coat their weapons in holy light, arrows with holy lightning were especially effective, a single charged arrow able to electrocute dozens of zombies at once.

The MVP was a without a doubt Igris, as he kneels towards me with what I can sense is pride and triumph. He was toying around with the boss' head he left at my feet. The boss was a giant Minecraft zombie, it was over 20 feet tall. When it spawned, Igris sent me a look as if he wanted to solo it himself, his bloodlust sent clearly to me. Igris made quick work of the boss, while it was huge, it was painfully slow, allowing Igris to slice his way up like he was Levi cutting up a titan, eventually ending the fight by hacking it's head off.

Since Igris promoted to Elite Knight grade, he grew considerably. He's around 8 feet tall now, and the hair-like ornament extending out of his helmet is now colored a bloody red, like his old armor. As soon as I imbued his holy sword with lightning, it was a wrap, as each swing of his great sword shot out a devastating lightning bolt, causing massive casualties, rallying the rest of the shadows to fight even harder.

[28 Days Later Zombie x 4000 defeated]

[Minecraft Giant Zombie Boss defeated]

[50 000 coins earned]

Each faction of shadows promoted to their next rank. I wasn't able to gain any new shadows, it seems all monsters spawned in a Gamer Instant Dungeon are unavailable for extraction. I guess I'll have to hit the dungeons the old fashioned way if I want to expand my army.

With a blink, the field I was in disappears and I find myself back in Seoul, seemingly in the old alleyway I am becoming accustomed to.

Thanks to the job change quest, and my new and improved shadows, National rank is within my grasp. Checking my phone tells me it's past midnight, I've earned myself a good night's rest now.

"Status."

Name: Mars Valentino

Level: 66

Race: Fallen Angel-Human Hybrid

Class: Battlemage: (Holy Lightning) lvl. 66

Title: Monarch of Shadows, Host of Gamer System

Skills:

Gamer's Mind (Passive) lvl. MAX

Physical Endurance (Passive) lvl. 41 (Adept)

Magical Endurance (Passive) lvl. 15 (Novice)

Spear Mastery (Passive) lvl. 44 (Adept)

Shield Mastery (Passive) lvl. 27 (Apprentice)

Hand-to-hand Mastery (Passive) lvl. 12 (Novice)

Shadow Preservation (Passive) lvl. 18 (Novice)

Shadow Extraction (Active) lvl. 18 (Novice)

Dominator's Touch (Active) lvl. 11 (Novice)

ID Create (Active) lvl. MAX

ID Escape (Active) lvl. MAX

Observe (Active) lvl. 24 (Apprentice)

Flight (Active) lvl. 36 (Apprentice)

Holy Lightning (Active) lvl. 49 (Adept)

The Ancile (Active) lvl. 27 (Apprentice)

Taunt (Active) lvl. 5 (Novice)

Shadows:

Igris - Elite Knight (S)

Archers (10) - Knight (A)

Assassins (10) - Knight (A)

Mages (10) - Knight (A)

Infantrymen (19) - Elite (B)

Guess I did gain some experience during the job change quest. Interestingly enough, besides the shadow skills, it seems my holy lightning skill increases when my shadows use it, considering I didn't use it at all against the waves of knights or against Igris himself. My first shadow essentially power leveled it for me, at this rate it'll be my first maxed out combat skill.

Out of nowhere, the link between me and my shadow assassins in my Shadow instantly alerted me of upcoming danger, just in time for me to instinctively vault backwards, narrowly avoiding the dagger that was aimed at my neck.

I don't think it would have killed me if that strike did land, but I can't let an attempt at my life go unpunished. Casting [Observe] on the now reappearing attacker, I let out a groan; stealthy enemies are always the most annoying.

[Kang Taeshik]

[Level: 39]

[Thoughts about you: Surprise]

- Kang Taeshik (Korean Hunters Association) -

- Earlier -

The self-admitted psychopath stomped on the cigarette butt, he already smoked through 2 packs waiting for a target that may never even show up. He studied the file and read the report on Mars, there wasn't much information that could help track down his current whereabouts according to Chief Inspector Woo.

What he does know, is that the major guilds must be doing the exact same thing. Why do pointless grunt work when you can rely on others to do it for you?

The Hunters Association simply could never match the resources of the most powerful guilds in the country, the Hunter's guild would have the best chance at finding the boy first.

All Taeshik needed to do was trail Choi Jong-In, the smug bastard was so full of himself, every time he dealt with the cocky guildmaster, he wished he could plunge his dagger straight through Jong-In's throat. If he was also an S-rank, he would have done so already. The old laws of man no longer applied to Hunters, the rules of society have been permanently altered, he who is strong is the only law.

Tracking down and following Jong-In was simple, his custom red supercar isn't exactly subtle. The rundown alleyway he stopped at must have some significance, as the twisted expression on the four-eyes' face must mean one thing, Mars was here recently.

He waited until the snake of a man left the area to break his stealth. Taeshik took pride in his senses, as an assassin it's basically your lifeblood. While he can sense the rotten stench of Jong-In, there was also a mark of another strong hunter's presence, one that reeked of Death.

His instincts told him there's a decent chance he would return, and this is also the perfect location for an ambush. He perched up on a rooftop, once he activated his stealth he would be invisible.

The deathly feeling returned even stronger than before, as he spotted Mars return from out of nowhere, this time sporting a second pair of black wings. A normal hunter would recognize the stronger hunter and decide to not piss him off, but for Taeshik, it meant a challenge, this measly D-rank might have reawakened to S-rank, but few hunters possess the speed and ability to completely mask their presence like he does.

Taeshik is no fool, he knows if Mars joined up with the Hunter's guild they would be in charge, with no one to oppose them. Just like how the Hunter's guild found him first, they probably had the best chance at recruiting him, too. That wouldn't be good for Taeshik, as his protection within the Association grants him the ability to basically do whatever he wants.

He watched the young hunter stand still for several moments, is he meditating? Regardless, there will never be an opportunity to kill a top hunter like this ever again, if he launches a sneak attack, the angel won't know what hit him. His file said he was a tank type hunter, he was noted to have used a basic wooden shield in the double dungeon file.

So when he watched Mars dodge his fatal strike at the last second, he knew something was very wrong.

- Mars -

Glancing over at the shocked assassin, I sighed to myself as I remembered his arc in the story where he is killed by Jinwoo. I never thought I would have crossed paths with this guy. Whatever forces are at play, this doesn't feel like a coincidence.

Most hunters would run away or if they are shameless enough, they would apologize after missing their one chance at surprising a much stronger foe, but this freak? He just started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I grill the psycho, forming a light spear in my hand.

"Ahaha~" The man kept laughing. "It's too late to turn back now... I missed my chance, but I always wanted to kill an S-rank..."

His demented smile grew even wider and the look in his eyes somehow got crazier. He then pulled out a second dagger. The only emotion I could feel from him now was bloodlust.

"In order to live, you must kill your opponent, no matter who they may be... Even a reawakened S-rank!" He whispered to himself, but I could hear him. Was he trying to psyche himself up? I suppose even a lunatic like him has to prepare for an all-in attack, knowing if he fails he will die. Death is perhaps the most powerful motivator in anyone's life.

The difference here is he's a measly B-rank, I'm sure even one of my infantrymen could beat him now. I don't even know why he's here or why he even wants to kill me. The look in his eye implies he isn't that interested in talking anymore. It's confirmed when Taeshik's presence is completely erased as he withdraws from my vision.

"Even with your cute little magic trick, you'll never land a hit on me... Do you really think you can keep up with me?" I scoffed at the now hidden opponent, casting [Taunt] with my words.

I can't tell if I'm feeling more wrath for his attempt at my life, or the shot at my pride as he thinks he can even harm me right now. I close my eyes, if all I need to sense is his bloodlust, I should be able to dodge his attacks at the last second. If I imagine a single cut could kill me, this is good practice if I ever run into more enemies that can turn invisible.

- Kang Taeshik -

He watched the 4-winged angel close his eyes, clearly baiting an attack from the assassin. This is the perfect chance to escape, to lick his wounded ego and live another day.

But Taeshik couldn't flee right now, what hunter would let their attempted killer go, especially an S-rank? Even if he went back to the Association, no one would take his side over Mars, we both knew that.

The young hunter still hadn't made a move, if they're going to fight, it'll be up to the assassin to start it. No, he already started it when he tried to slice his carotid artery.

He could sense it, Mars was toying with him, it's obvious by the smirk on his face. One Taeshik knows all too well, that's why he loved working for the Association, he could toy with low ranked criminal hunters whenever he wanted.

It only made him angrier, it's why he envied all S-rankers, they truly had the strength to do whatever they want. Having had enough, he launched forward aiming for Mars' eyes.

Right as he would have made contact, a golden shield materialized out of nowhere, completely blocking the attack.

"Is that all you got?" Mars shrugged off his strongest attack, chuckling to himself as he kicked the B-rank back a couple feet, the shield vanishing as fast as it appeared.

For some reason, that only enraged him even more, as he broke his stealth and started to swing both of his daggers wildly at 'Seoul's Saint'. The only thought on his mind now was to kill Mars brutally.

"AAARGH!" Taeshik screamed as his only goal was to stab a dagger in each of his eyes. "DIE!"

- Mars -

After about 10 minutes of watching Taeshik make a fool of himself, I decide to end things. I shoot out a weaker version of my lightning at him, tasing him as he falls to the ground, every muscle in his body contracting violently. His mouth was foaming like a rabid dog.

[Taunt] is extremely effective it turns out, at least on lower ranked hunters. He had completely lost his mind trying to kill me, I had subtly casted a weaker version so he wouldn't just flee, but at full strength he lost all reason as he tried to kill me even in this pathetic state he is in now.

Summoning Igris, no words needed to be said as he dutifully carried out my mental orders to him, bringing out his sword as he prepared to put the man out of his misery.

"Any last words?" I bluntly ask, cancelling the spell as I look down on him with a neutral look on my face.

"Your shadow..." Taeshik managed to cough out, blood and frothy drool spilling out of his mouth. "It's become one with the darkness..."

I nod to Igris, and he wastes no time in slicing the weakened hunter's head in one swift and vicious swing.

Looks like you'll be my first original shadow. The question is what do I name you? I look over to Igris, and he just gives me a shrug, he's more interested in playing with Taeshik's decapitated head anyway.

I kind of prefer his family name over his given name, no reason to over complicate things.

"Arise, Kang!" I recite.

The shadow pulls itself free from it's headless body, as it drops to one knee, pledging everlasting loyalty to me. He's already stronger in death than he ever was while he was alive. I study the shadow with a smile on my face.

Kang is clad in armor almost identical to the ninja robes of the shadow assassins, the key difference instead of a helmet like an infantryman, I can see his head, and his spiky hair has a thin blue streak in it.

Shadow added:

Kang - Knight (A)

"Stand up Kang, you will lead my shadow assassins in battle, but more importantly, you will be the shadow I send to do my dirty work, while I keep my hands clean." I say as I place my hand on his shoulder, puffing up his chest. "You're not mad at me for killing you?"

Kang immediately shakes his head rapidly, crossing his arms like an x, then making a heart symbol with his hands, pointing to me. Since none of my shadows are high enough rank to speak yet, they can only communicate to me through gestures and body language. It's quite endearing, I have to admit.

I already kind of knew he wouldn't harbor any ill will to me, but it's nice to know for sure. Turning to Igris, he only shakes his head at how animated Kang is.

Calling my two unique soldiers back into my Shadow, I snicker to myself as I start to think of any potential threats I can get rid of now. With Ashborn's powers, no one will be able to stop me from taking over.

"Oh my, it sounds like you no longer need my help?"

A heavenly voice echoes throughout my mind. There is no doubt at all to whose voice that just was. The unmistakable white void begins to overtake all of my senses as I find myself back where I began. It hasn't been long at all, yet last time I was here I was completely different. I don't ever want to be that weak again.

Instead of a silhouette forming, I see a rip in the Void itself as it grows larger. I see what looks like a bedroom, but before I can investigate any further the Goddess Herself steps out, before the tear repairs itself.

My words die in my throat as I watch the celestial deity look me over.

"Let's talk."

- BONUS -

Ahn Sangmin (White Tiger Guild)

The department chief had fire in his eyes as he thought of ways to entice Mars to join the White Tiger guild. If guildmaster Baek wants Mars to be a White Tiger, he would do everything in his power to do so.

He was given a blank check to do whatever he needed to do to recruit him. Even against the vast resources the Hunter's guild possessed, Sangmin was confident he could snatch up Mars if they found him first. Money isn't the only way guilds can attract him, if Mars could just see how they operate as a guild, he won't be able to say no. He just needed to find the young hunter's weakness.

He and his team interviewed anyone who had a connection to Mars: neighbors, teachers, his old classmates. There was only one real lead he found, a girl, a young awakened E-rank hunter, Han Song-Yi. She's a former classmate, before Mars dropped out. According to her, she and a friend of hers, Sung Jinah, were going to meet Mars soon.

Sangmin told the girl he would give her a contract to join the White Tiger guild if she managed to get him a meeting with Mars. For an E-rank, joining a large guild would be next to impossible, but if she managed to get him an in with Mars, then it could just be considered a hiring cost.

"Oi, Sangmin. Where's the guildmaster?" A deep voice startled the department chief.

Looking up from his desk, he spotted Kim Chul, the guild's newest A-rank recruit. The large man immediately gained a reputation for being arrogant and rude, anyone who wasn't B-rank or stronger was basically a bug in his eyes. Those kind of hunters annoyed him the most, and he hoped Mars wasn't like that at all.

"Sir, guildmaster Baek won't be back anytime soon, he has urgent business regarding recruitment of a new hunter." Sangmin replied back, always the professional.

"Pfft. Fine, it better be as important as it sounds. Tell him I need to speak with him when he's back." Kim Chul ordered, leaving before he could even answer back.

Asshole.

Trying to forget his encounter with the disrespectful hunter, his mind raced back to Mars, and how else he could recruit the hunter.