CHAPTER 7

- Kim Chul (White Tiger Guild) -

"Haa. Ahh.." Chul ran until he couldn't feel his legs anymore.

How long has he been running? How long since he dropped his battle axe, abandoning the group of hunters he was supposed to lead?

There's no way… I, the Great Kim Chul, have been defeated! Impossible, I was supposed to become an elite member of the White Tiger Guild! Just how could I have been defeated?

"If…" Chul stopped to catch his breath as his lungs felt like they were going to burst, "If only I had s-some food…"

Kim Chul no longer heard the roar of any ice bears, nor did he hear the sadistic laughter of the elves reverberating throughout the trees. The terrified screams and shrieks of his fellow White Tiger guild members died out long ago, but every time he closed his eyes he could only picture their dead, mangled bodies.

He felt he finally had time to sit down and rest, his mind was continuously replaying the events of the red gate, and how it ended in spectacular failure. This was unacceptable! The shortage of food wasn't Chul's fault, though. No, he was the squad leader, so it was his responsibility…

It was too quiet for his liking, he could swear he saw his very own shadow flicker unnaturally.

"AAH!" The Fearless Kim Chul screamed in abject horror as a dark pair of hands grabbed his ankles.

Within a few seconds, Chul cracked his eyes open and he's reminded there's nothing in front of him. It must be delusion, just how long has he been without food? He tried to rub his hands together but he's lost all feeling in them as the first stages of frostbite have begun to surface on his cherry tipped fingers.

He needs to get up and move, otherwise he'll just freeze to death. As he slowly gets up on his blistered feet, he tries to search into the dreadful forest, the moons are barely shining through the canopy of the dense forest.

He suddenly hears loud footsteps, what sounds like a group of soldiers sprinting right at him. Chul starts running in pure self preservation, innately understanding whoever is chasing after him cannot possible be a friendly.

"AARGH!" Chul screamed out with all the energy he had left, as the footsteps of the hostiles started to get closer, it sounded like they were right behind him.

He dared to check who was after him and he looked over his shoulder, towards the source of the footsteps. Chul immediately flinched as he saw a pitch black crazy-eyed monster with a demented grin leaping at him with a dagger in each hand.

The tanker only froze and shut his eyes in fear as he wouldn't mind the sweet release of death right about now. But instead, he only felt a cool breeze as seconds went by and nothing happened. Chul opened his eyes expecting the shadow monster to be there, but was confused when he was all alone.

Was that even real?

- Mars -

I'm gently woken up by my shadow Kang sending me a signal through our shadow connection. As I slowly open my eyes I see Kang waving his hand at me through the tent flap. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I let out a tired groan as Igris slaps Kang on the back of his head. Kang turned to Igris in shock as my first shadow only shook his head at the lunatic turned shadow.

When I stand up I fully stretch out my wings and release a huge yawn as I look down at the two women still sleeping comfortably, snuggling closer to each other due to my sudden departure. As my shadows realize I'm finally up, my assassin shadows all drop down to one knee in greeting. In Kang's case, I think Igris is mad that Kang woke me up in the middle of the night, as the twin moons are still shining brightly at the top of the sky.

I look to the rest of the campsite, where I observe the rest of my immortal army. The archers are keeping watch from the top of the trees, as the infantrymen are quietly training with the new beast shadows. I can feel their chattering spirits as all of my shadows can telepathically communicate with one another. My mages are scattered throughout the camp, as some are keeping watch with the archers and some are observing the training with the rest of the shadows. I'm not sure how often my summons will be able to roam freely like this, so I'll spoil them a bit and give them some time out of my shadow.

I leave Igris to keep watch over the girls and the rest of the army as I'm escorted through the thick woodlands by Kang and the rest of my stealthy summons. I had earlier sent my assassins out into the gate for two purposes: to keep me updated on Kim Chul and his squad, and to map out the maze like forest for me.

Kang picks up a fallen branch as he starts to draw a map of the dungeon on an untouched plot of fresh snow. He drew child-like drawings of the monsters encountered in the red gate. In a spot just past the campsite, he marked a giant cave with a bunch of ice bears, with one gigantic alpha bear with crossed scars that towered over every other beast.

So they found the ice bear den, that will most likely be my first stop in the morning as the giant bears are the easiest monster to take care of compared to the elves and yetis.

The ice slayers were not located yet, as the elven warriors are masters of stealth as well. There were traces of their footsteps but their track went cold quickly. Maybe they are always on the move, never in one place for too long. It's especially important to keep a vigil eye out for them, as they are on their home turf, so they most likely won't make an appearance until the end.

"What happened to Kim Chul's group?" I ask my summon as he continues illustrating his findings on the snow.

Kang points to his crude depiction of Kim Chul, showing how he ran away from the other hunters as waves of ice bears and elves attacked the group relentlessly overnight. Unfortunately for him, my shadows chased him into yeti territory, so Kang stopped following, returning to camp to report to me.

While the final boss of this gate is the lead ice slayer elf, Baruka, the yetis are actually the strongest enemy in here. If I can add the yetis and elves to my army, then I'll consider this a massive success. All that's left is Iron and the remaining hunters. Unlike Jinwoo, I don't mind absorbing any potential shadow into my battalion. Human or monster, if you're strong or you can help me achieve my goals, I'll want you, no matter who you were before you died.

I give Kang and the rest of my recon soldiers head pats on a job well done, as we start to walk back to camp. We'll prepare to fight the bears at sunrise.

Ashborn, can I speak with you for a bit?

What's wrong, Mars?

It's just… I feel like I'm losing my humanity. I'm starting to realize just how ruinous these powers are. As fun as it is to walk around like I'm the king, there's an invisible pressure to it. The scary part is how easily this all comes to me, treating human life like it was worthless.

These powers do not come free, I'm afraid. Being the Shadow Monarch means you will become someone the world will watch with fearful eyes. Wielding this much power means you can shape the world as you see fit. This is why even Antares is so scared of us, eventually we'll surpass him in strength, whether it takes one year or one thousand years.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown… I don't want to waste the chance I've been given, I am quite aware how lucky I am, being chosen by the goddess. But I don't know if I want to become the kind of person who could easily kill thousands of people because it would be convenient for me. How simple would it be for me to kill and resurrect every hunter I meet, just so I can defeat all of my enemies.

I gave you my powers because I know you wouldn't lose yourself in them. Never forget I'm here with you, young Mars. There's no one else who could understand what it means to be the Shadow Monarch. You'll never need to hide any of your worries with me.

Thank you, Ashborn. I'll be sure to consult with you anytime I have a moment of weakness. I guess I finally understand what Jinwoo meant when he said he felt like he lost something, due to these powers.

The world is ours, partner. However much you want, as long as you're willing to fight for it.

I need to remember the big picture, this is bigger than even the Ruler-Monarch conflict. How many different universes and worlds am I going to visit? No matter where I end up; treasures, women, riches, power… I want it all.

- Later -

I look over my whole army I had assembled before we start my planned raids against the magical beasts. The real test today will be how my army fares against the yetis, but I believe our superior numbers and constant regeneration should overwhelm the hulking creatures. These ape-like beasts make my own shadow beasts look tiny, as they are easily 3 times as big as the average human male.

So far, I've only gained 11 new shadow beasts. I'm going to partner 11 of my infantrymen with these bears to create shadow cavalry units. That leaves me with 8 spare infantrymen to act as frontline. Of course, I don't plan on leaving this gate without the trusty Kim Chul, Jinwoo's reliable vanguard shadow Iron.

It's impossible to forget about those A-rank ice elves, as they are masters with daggers and bows. My offensive forces will receive a much needed boost once I add the ice slayers to my legion.

"We need to get stronger. So powerful that no one dares to challenge us…" I shout out to my current forces, who are standing straight at attention. "This is still the beginning, we have many wars ahead of us. The magical beasts shall remember once again the Immortal Army! Our enemies will tremble in fear as they bear witness to the Shadow Monarch's ascension!"

There's something about giving speeches to my shadow army that really brings out the edge lord in me. Igris is the first shadow to kneel in response to my battle cry as all of my summons follow suit, kneeling down in sincere reverence to me. It's a weird feeling, I can literally feel through my connection with them how much they worship me. The Shadow Monarch's powers are honestly horrifying. I can forcibly summon someone's essence, keeping them as a shadow slave forever. On the bright side, it's almost like they're forced to love me. I guess it's something I must get used to, but I'll promise to become a leader that commands this much respect.

"Stand proud, this will be a day to remember…" I call my shadows back up to their feet. "The first day of our long campaign against Antares and any mortal Monarch who dares stand in our way!"

The shadows jump and cheer silently, as I don't want them to wake up the girls. I look over to Igris, nodding to him as he knows how important it is to me that they stay safe. While I go monster hunting today, Igris will stay alone in camp with Song-Yi and Heejin. I plan on testing out some of my powers later on Park Heejin. Not only can she be my informant within the White Tiger guild, I'll know she'll be a good mentor to Song-Yi, as I won't always be around to keep her safe.

Right now that won't be an issue as Igris is the most fearsome being in the gate. Currently, I believe Igris is still stronger than me thanks to his promotion, as I don't think I could beat him if he went all out against me with his sword. Not that he ever would, as Igris is my most loyal and trustworthy shadow.

Without saying a word, I start the march to the alpha ice bear's den, Kang seamlessly leading the rest of the soldiers behind me. Igris waves goodbye as I see him hop back onto a tree, to keep careful watch over the campsite.

- Later -

I stand outside the ice bear den, basking in the sorely missed sun, waiting in an open field with all my summons in front of me. Kang and the assassins are going to watch the battle from the sidelines with me, as I plan on observing how my growing army can fight without Igris. As powerful as my first shadow is, I don't want to over rely on him, I need my whole army to be just as indomitable.

I look to my mages, giving them a nod, the signal letting them know it's time to start the attack. The mages all start reading from their tomes or raising their staffs in the air, as a giant fireball rapidly appears above their heads, the mages all channeling their mana into a single spell.

With a satisfying boom, the entire front side of the cave is destroyed when the fireball hits the target, sending chunks of rock and debris everywhere. I wonder if any bears inside were hit by my wakeup call. After a moment, the savage roars of many furious ice bears fill the air, echoing from deeper within the cave. Many bears must have been violently woken up in the explosion.

As the smoke clears, sets of red and white glowing eyes shine in the darkness, the uneasy sound of wild growls getting much louder. My cavalry units howl out in response, ready to start their assault.

The archers begin to draw their bows, wanting to use their ranged advantage before the bears started their charge. Ten holy lightning arrows fly through the air with thunderous speed, hitting some of the bears as they groan in pain. The war begins as bears from both sides meet in the middle, my infantrymen leading the way with their shields in hand.

My cavalry units make quick work of the weakened bears in the front, thanks to my infantrymen holding them back, as my archers volley arrows as fast as they can into the large mass of bears coming from the cave.

Some of my shadows get overwhelmed by numerous large claws swiping them into a black mist, as the infantrymen hop onto the backs of any free shadow beasts, the wild ice bears wisely aiming for the soldiers straddled on the beasts. They instantly return to my side as they regenerate, rushing forward to continue the battle, my superior numbers will always be a headache for any enemies I face.

The atmosphere suddenly changes as a much louder, deeper roar shakes the battlefield, as the alpha bear finally makes it appearance. The alpha has a thick gray mane and a purple, leaf-shaped crest on his chest with deep scars all over his body and face, the sign of a much more formidable and battle tested opponent. The wild bears all stop to look up at the much larger bear, it's as intimidating as a yeti.

My mages don't miss the brief pause in battle, as they blast the group of bears with an even bigger fireball, the smell of burnt flesh and fur causing me to bring a hand to my nose.

The alpha is the last bear remaining as the fireball only served to make it angrier, as the mammoth ice bear swipes down on my frontline, instantly wiping out half the shadows in a quick attack. The archers and mages shoot attacks at the bear to no success, as the massive beast only growls out louder with each projectile bouncing off it's thick hide.

I form a light spear as I get ready to assist my struggling army, before Kang and my stealthy shadows suddenly stand before me, bowing to me as they want to join the battle. I know Kang has been wanting to show off to me for a while, now.

Allowing them to finally join the fight, I watch as Kang gives me a wicked grin while he licks his lips. The rest of my shadows stop their attempts at hurting the bear as they watch Kang stride confidently to the lead beast.

The beast even stops to acknowledge Kang as it locks eyes with my crazy shadow. They stare at each other for a moment, before Kang disappears in a blink, confusing the bear as my assassins suddenly spring forward from out of nowhere at the beast with daggers in their hands.

The bear raises a paw to swipe at the speedy shadows before Kang suddenly appears from above, landing on it's head as he drives a necrotic dagger deep into it's right eye, one of it's only visible weak spots. The bear yelps in pain as it blindly swings up at Kang, who is far too quick to be hit by the giant paw.

Without wasting a second, Kang slices the bear's left ear off with two daggers, and the enraged alpha bear rises to it's hind legs to swipe at the laughing Kang. The beast roars out even louder as it only manages to hit Kang's afterimages.

My stealthy shadows launch an all out attack, as they all slash and cut the bear from all directions. The beast cannot deal with so many agile attackers at once swarming it mercilessly, my shadows aiming for it's muscle tendons. The alpha's tough hide is beginning to show vulnerabilities my dexterous shadows are quick to exploit.

After the brutal attack, the alpha bear can no longer raise it's front arms, as my shadows have completely shredded it's tendons and ligaments. It tries to charge at the closest summon in one final attack, as Kang flips into the air driving down his daggers deep into it's skull. The large magical beast drops dead to the ground with a loud impact, as the alpha bear must weigh close to a ton.

My shadows all start to cheer as Kang enlists multiple infantrymen to help hack the beast's head off. I have the rest of my shadows bring the corpses to one location, to make it easier for me to resurrect the beasts.

As they quickly gather the corpses, I walk over to the alpha's headless corpse.

"Arise, Tank!" I call out, as my biggest shadow yet pulls free from it's mortal shell.

It's no secret Jinwoo named him Tank, as the shadow ice bear could stop an army tank in its tracks if it drove into the enormous bear. Besides it's hulking size, it's much more distinct than the regular shadow beasts, as Tank's impressive mane flows freely like a wild blue fire. The deep scars across it's chest glows blue, and it's two jumbo front paws are completely glowing like it's mane.

Kang gets my attention as he points towards the bear corpses crudely stacked in a messy pile.

"Arise." I say in a confident tone, as a large shadow consumes the whole battlefield, and after a second, an entire squad of shadow beasts stares at me with burning blue eyes.

Tank quickly approaches my new faction of shadow beasts, standing on it's hind legs and roaring louder at them than it did when it was alive. Soon after, it drops back down to all four legs and bows it's head down towards me, as the rest of the bears mimic it.

Even with Tank submitting to me, I'm truly impressed with it's size as I softly scratch behind it's ear. Tank sighs in content as he gives me a slobbery lick right up the side of my face, as I mount the giant beast's back.

I added 19 regular ice bear shadows, plus Tank means I have 31 total beast shadows, my frontline has received a much needed upgrade. I look over to the beefed up army, who are buzzing after an exciting battle.

"We still have much to do today! The true test is how you fight against much stronger enemies. The yetis are each the size of Tank, and pack an even stronger punch thanks to their humongous fists." I announce to my Shadow army. "It's time to hunt some yetis!"

- Baek Yoonho (White Tiger Guild) -

The guildmaster checked his watch with an impatient look on his face. He's been anxiously tapping his foot on the ground since he decided to wait for the gate to open. It's been just over an hour since the strike team entered, since he watched the gate turn red, dooming many of those novice hunters to an early grave.

He was tired, but there's no way he can leave, knowing that his guild members are trapped inside. He'll wait until sunrise if he has to.

"It's already been a full day in the dungeon, how many hunters do you think are still alive?" Ahn Sangmin asked his rival manager, Joo Sungchan, who both were waiting further back with officials from the Hunters Association.

"Have some faith in the raid leader, Kim Chul, manager Sangmin! If that brat Mars is diligently listening to his superior, then I expect the whole party to return safely soon." Sungchan jawed back, clearly very confident in Chul.

Thanks to Yoonho's beast-like hearing, White Tiger's guildmaster can hear every quiet conversation in the area. Somehow, the red gate incident has already been leaked to the public, as he sees various reporters and their film crews and paparazzi starting to take pictures. He hated the opportunistic vultures, who shamelessly covered any dungeon break or any gate incidents.

Who the hell could have leaked this information? He knew none of his own officials would betray his trust; he also trusted Woo Jinchul's men, as they are just as professional as Go Gunhee himself.

The obnoxious sounds of a luxury car driving into the chaotic scene grabs everyone's attention, as Choi Jong-In's one of a kind custom red Rolls-Royce Phantom pulls up. The furious clicks of various camera's start as both Choi Jong-In and Cha Hae-In exit the vehicle, clad in their battle uniforms.

"Well, well, well…" Choi Jong-In immediately starts to antagonize his rival guildmaster, the source of the leak now clear. "Looks like your White Kitty guild needs some assistance?"

"Watch it, Jong-In." Yoonho growled back with glowing white eyes, ready to transform at a moments notice. "You seriously made this public while it was still ongoing?! Those are my hunters in there!"

"What are you mad at me for? Someone would have noticed this commotion eventually. A shame you're going to lose so many hunters, as a fellow guildmaster I really do feel for you." The spectacled mage couldn't hold back his twisted smile, as he studied the rare red gate. "I know Mars will be just fine, and after this mess there's no way he'd want to join your pathetic guild!"

"Are you looking for a fight?!" The hot-tempered Yoonho snarled while he started to raise his fist, his nails turning into sharp claws as his hair turned white, ready to strike his rival.

"Enough!" Woo Jinchul shouted as he got between the two S-ranks. "Guildmaster Choi, I didn't request your assistance so you could harass guildmaster Baek."

Baek Yoonho managed to hold back his strike with masterful control, not wanting to hit the chief inspector.

"Wow. I was just joking, you guys don't have to be such grumpy cats about it…" Jong-In said with his tongue out, before his smile disappeared and he turned to face Jinchul. "Although, if I wasn't in such a playful mood, were you going to stop me, inspector Woo?"

"Stop it, guildmaster." Cha Hae-In finally inserted herself into the argument, knowing Jong-In was going too far. "Don't forget the media is here, unless you want all your fans to turn against you…"

"Tsk. Fine." Choi Jong-In finally relented, stepping away from both men as he puts a cigarette into his mouth, lighting it with a snap of his fingers. "You guys are all too serious."

- Kim Chul (White Tiger Guild) -

The shell shocked raid leader looked up at the bright sky with traumatized eyes. He actually made it to morning. The Great Kim Chul had crawled into a hole and covered himself with his nearly destroyed shield, as he laid in a sleepless stupor. He didn't get a wink of sleep, as every time he closed his eyes, he flinched at any noise he heard from the endless forest. Anytime there was a peaceful silence he cringed as he remembered the hunters he left to die in the freezing dark, surrounded by ice bears and ice slayers.

His stomach grumbled loudly, as he wished he listened to his guild members, who had wanted to secure bear meat for the night. He shouldn't have tried to brute force his way out of the forest, as he didn't expect so many hostile forces, nor did he expect the temperature to drop to deadly levels so quickly. The Brilliant Kim Chul needs to find Mars, before it's too late. The A-rank tanker finally realized his biggest error, he shouldn't have kicked Mars out of the party, if only he had worked together with the S-ranker. His mind raced to his fantasy, where he was the vice guildmaster, where he was the reason White Tiger becomes the biggest guild in the country.

He slowly dragged himself back to his feet, ignoring the pain that soared throughout his body with each step. His adrenaline was long gone, and it was a challenge to even walk a couple steps. The Brave Kim Chul could not give up now! Not after the sacrifices of his underlings, not after that night of terror he survived. He will escape the dungeon where he will realize his dream of becoming an S-rank level hunter.

He mindlessly advanced forward, following his frantic tracks from the night before, as his footsteps were still fresh in the snow. He hoped it's the same direction Mars was, as the Courageous Kim Chul kept scanning the trees with paranoia as he remembered the cruel ice elves who might show up at any given time. It felt like he would collapse if he kept going, but he knew he couldn't stop, not for anything.

Eventually his footprints led him to a small clearing, where he found himself in the scene of a fresh massacre. Where he had deserted his fellow guild members. Now that it's daytime, he could see the bloodbath in full display. The Unshakable Kim Chul started to dry heave, as he realized they stood no chance. He dropped to a knee as he really wished he could repent, there were no survivors at all.

If he was going to grow from this tragedy, if he wants to accomplish his goals, he needed to prepare himself for the upcoming shit storm. Once he can escape this frozen hellscape, Chul will have plenty of questions he will need to answer. Guildmaster Baek will scrutinize his every choice when he explains what exactly happened in the gate. If he can at least secure the bodies of his fallen comrades, the guildmaster shouldn't be as mad.

He finally summoned the strength to do right by the hunters he was supposed to look after. At the very least, he could bring back their bodies to be buried back home. The Unyielding Kim Chul froze when he couldn't find any bodies, not even a single body part. Destroyed armor and broken weapons littered the battleground. Was it the ice bears? But ice bears shouldn't have the dexterity to strip armor from dead hunters like that...

"GRRAGH!" Something feral roared from behind Chul, rooting him in fear.

Chul felt his heart drop, as he realized he was in shade all of a sudden, noticing the gigantic shadow right behind him. He turned around while closing his eyes, opening them slightly as he had to look all the way up at a yeti staring him down. The yeti was chewing on the same hunter who suggested securing the bear meat earlier. The colossal pink ape had white fur on it's arms and legs, with dark red tribal-like stripes all across it's skin. With it's disproportionately large hands, it threw the rest of the hunter in it's mouth, where it chomped on the last hunter's body with it's sharp, bloody fangs.

The Intimidating Kim Chul prided himself with his physique, as not many hunters ever towered over him. But this yeti, it was at least three times as large as him, not even the Goliath Thomas Andre could make Chul look so puny. He peered into the yeti's glowing red eyes, where he could clearly see the yeti was still hungry. It raised it's large fist to crush Chul into a fine paste. But he was able to raise his shield in time, where his whole body shook painfully as he barely absorbed the blow.

The already cracked shield shattered into pieces, Kim Chul just stared at his broken shield in disbelief. He fell to his knees in despair, right as two more yetis emerged, looking at him like a snack. Well, at least the yeti will crush him in one merciful hit.

The sounds of large beasts charging into battle brought him back into reality, as a terrifying black bear the same size of the yeti tackled the huge ape to the ground, where it began to maul it. More of these shadowy bears came biting into the yeti savagely as the massive bear with a ghostly blue mane began to rip into the yeti's throat. He could hear the life leave the yeti's body, as the gurgling sounds of it's ripped open throat echoed in the forest, before becoming silent.

The two other yeti's stood there in shock, before they growled a battle cry at the mysterious beasts. The confused Kim Chul felt like his prayers were answered, as he looked up into the sky, watching the 4-winged Mars like he was descending from heaven. The blond-haired angel formed a spear of bright light in both of his hands, before he threw them with the full force of an S-ranker; both spears hitting the same yeti. The pink yeti screamed in pain as it tried to block the projectiles, the first spear sliced it's right hand off cleanly; the second one had pierced through it's torso. The bears turned their attention to the wounded yeti, as they started to mutilate the yeti, ripping off flesh with each vicious bite. The large bear smashed booming blows onto the yeti with no mercy, it's fiery blue claws tearing into the yeti's intestines with each swipe.

When the yeti flinched in confusion, Mars swiftly flew at full speed at the last remaining beast, ramming it with a beautiful golden shield that shined brighter than any star Chul's ever seen before. The S-ranker's rapid attack heavily connected with the yeti, slamming into it's face at ridiculous speed. A sickening crunch reverberated across the forest, as he heard the frightening beast squeal in agony. He looked up at the beast in disgust, Mars' attack had broken most of it's teeth, the yeti looked unrecognizable as most of it's face was completely crushed. He couldn't believe Mars' shield didn't even have a single scuff mark after.

The sound of the yeti crying out in pain was quickly silenced, as Mars created one last spear of light, slicing the yeti's throat, as it began to bleed uncontrollably to it's death.

- Mars -

I glance over at the stunned Kim Chul, he looks like complete shit. His eyes show his current mindset, the post-traumatic stress disorder cast a dreadful shadow over his face. He was muttering nonsense to himself as he stared at me, but his glazed eyes seemed empty, I wonder what he's thinking.

Name: Kim Chul

Level: 49

Race: Hunter (A)

Class: Tanker

Thoughts about you: He wished you went with him through the gate, he can't tell if he's dreaming this situation right now.

Reputation: -25

It looks like he leveled up since I last saw him. Actually, it would be quite weird if he didn't considering he survived the night. I'm a little annoyed the yeti's completely devoured the remaining hunters. I guess I should have expected that, but absorbing the yeti's into my army will be more than enough compensation. Tank was high A-rank, as he brushed off my shadow's ranged attacks with ease. Reviving him as my shadow instantly brought him to low S-rank. He grew a bit as well, as he had no problem taking down a single yeti. It makes me think Iron will promote instantly as well, just by looking at his level.

Turning back to the dead yetis, a smirk slowly starts to form on my face. I don't know how many yetis are left, but I'll be sure to defeat every single giant ice ape roaming this dungeon. I had my original shadow soldiers watch the fight from a distance, as I didn't want my own personal abilities to get too rusty. I can't have my shadows fight every single battle for me, unfortunately. As I took care of the yetis, I could feel each soldier in my shadow army cheering hard for me, even Igris sent positive vibes as he could sense me use my powers.

"Arise." I cast on the slain beasts, admiring the enormous shadows new form.

My yeti shadows look amazing, as their bright red tribal stripes shine in contrast to their shadowy dark skin. The white fur that covered parts of their body are now also the same dark red as the tattoo-like stripes. These shadow apes have to be my most mean, barbaric looking summons. These new shadows beasts are mid A-rank, each one is as strong as Kim Chul was, before we entered the red gate.

The three behemoth yetis drop down to their knee, as every new shadow does when they pledge their allegiance to me. The newest shadows look down at Kim Chul, who had been watching the process with wide eyes.

"Wh-what the fuck!?" Kim Chul yelled out in shock, his eyes starting to spot the countless shadows staring him down.

He even recognized the psychotic assassin that was tormenting him last night. Seeing me resurrect the yeti monsters must have brought his senses back. His mind is racing right now, not believing what he is seeing.

Kang gave him a friendly wave as my bloodthirsty shadow licked it's dagger. The shadow disappeared from sight, before appearing right next to him poking his cheek with his sharp finger, drawing blood.

He jumped back to his feet, stumbling backwards a bit, before he picked up the battle axe he left behind.

"You fucker..." He spat out. "You had this much power this whole time?"

I commanded my shadow soldiers not to attack Chul, not yet anyway, as I wanted to see this situation play out.

"Weren't you the one who left your comrades to die?" I shoot back with a puzzling gaze. "Even if I never joined this raid, the end result would remain the same. You had no hope as soon as this gate turned red."

"I'll fucking kil-" Chul started to bark out with hate in his eyes, when without warning, he was promptly decapitated.

His body dropped with a soft thud, as his killer broke stealth.

Baruka, the dungeon boss, suddenly comes into view on his pale horse. He was carrying Chul's head, flanked by an entire force of ice elves. The surprise entrance startled myself and all my shadows as even Kang couldn't sense their presence. The leader of the ice slayers held a bloody dagger, laughing as he wiped it clean. He tossed the tanker's head over his shoulder like it was some common trash.

My shadows immediately leaped in front of me as they got in position to fight.

In response, Baruka jumped off his horse and dropped his dagger into the snow. He put his hands into the air as he slowly inched forward before he dropped down to one knee.

"I humbly greet the Shadow Monarch." Baruka announces in monster tongue, as he respectfully bows to me.

- BONUS -

- Go Gunhee (Hunters Association) -

The current chairman of the Association sighed as he slowly went through the pile of paperwork on his desk, one piece at a time. He was supposed to be planning the logistics of the Jeju Island raid, but his mind kept on drifting to the current red gate situation. He wanted to drop everything and go down to the abandoned neighborhood, to wait at the gate with the rest of the emergency reinforcements.

It's only been an hour, so he mustn't be too hasty. Some red gate incidents don't even get resolved for days, as sometimes months go by in the mysterious dimensions.

According to Woo Jinchul, Mars was inside the dungeon, that young man certainly had a nose for trouble. He remembered the boy's extraordinary powers, and how it's an almost perfect counter to the ant army. Gunhee shuddered as he recalled the last attempt at winning back the island from the insect monsters. He thought of how there was an almost infinite amount of ants, each as strong as strong as B-rank. Mars would be instrumental in clearing out the island, as his army can search and destroy without needing to risk any hunter's lives.

Through satellite pictures, Go Gunhee was terrified to learn that most of the ant inhabitants on Jeju had wings now, as just last year that would have been considered preposterous. He was especially wary of a new unique ant, one that seemed much more powerful than the rest. The much more menacing ant was ordering the rest of the worker ants. They could even faintly detect it's strength all the way from the main island. The newer generation of ants felt different than simple magical beasts, the way the ants moved and organized themselves, it was as if they've evolved into intelligent magic beasts.

His worries are temporarily forgotten as his landline rings, a small smile forms on his weathered face as he was waiting for this hunter to call him back.

"Ah, Ryuji-san. Thanks for returning my call." Gunhee fondly greets a fellow S-rank hunter. "Did you get my message about the Japan-Korea joint training exercise?"