- Mars -
As I step through the gate, I mentally prepare myself for anything, as I doubt many events will be true to canon from here on out. I expect guildmaster Yoonho and inspector Jinchul to be waiting right outside, so I made sure to keep Kang, the assassins, and Iron within my shadow. There's no need to draw any unnecessary suspicion, I can easily get away with hiding the full extent of my power.
The two men will each be on high alert for Kim Chul and Kang Taeshik, respectively. Chances are, they won't recognize my shadows for their human counterparts, but it'll make my life a lot easier if I convince everyone I can only resurrect beasts and creatures as shadows. If the world realizes I can resurrect humans and hunters, the world will rightfully fear me, and many people will try to kill me or use me for their own goals. Either way, it'll bring me a lot of unwanted attention, so this is for the best. I internally apologize to the pouting Kang and Iron, who both wanted to show off with the rest of my shadows.
Finally returning back to Earth, I'm greeted by more people than I expected, as Yoonho runs up to me, I can tell right away by the look on his face he has a million different questions.
Name: Baek Yoonho
Level: 74
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Brawler (Tiger Transformation)
Thoughts about you: Wonders what happened to you and his forces in the red gate, confused why only the three of you survived. He's amazed you and your summons seem a lot stronger since entering, he's trying to speculate how you gained the new shadows.
Reputation: 75
I skillfully drop down from Tank, letting him join the rest of the shadows who are all gathered in a corner; a safe distance away from the officials from the Association and the White Tiger guild. I briefly notice the sizable group of media, being prevented by White Tiger and Korean Association officials from getting too close to the scene. My shadows seem to understand the commotion, as some of my shadows are flexing and posing for the cameras.
"Mars… What happened?" Baek Yoonho asks me with a gloomy look on his face. "Only the three of you are left?"
"Guildmaster Baek, we split up right after we entered the gate." I answer back without any hesitation, knowing Yoonho would appreciate the truth more than anything. "In fact, it was raid leader Kim Chul's idea…"
"His idea?" Yoonho responded with a pained expression, as if he's slowly coming to terms with the situation, with how many of his hunters have perished in the red gate. "I know I asked you to stay back and let Chul lead the raid… But why would he want to split up with you?"
"Guildmaster…" Park Heejin cuts into the conversation, as Song-Yi and Sangmin were also listening in. "That's not the full story. Kim Chul actually kicked Mars and Song-Yi out of the group, he called E-rank Song-Yi here a burden to the rest of the party. I only survived because I went with Mars, as the gate was easily A-rank."
I watch Yoonho deeply sigh in acceptance, he knew very well how big Kim Chul's ego was. He closed his eyes for a moment, I could see the gears spinning in his mind.
"If it's worth anything, I don't think the other group suffered much before they died. There were strong, hostile magic beasts and creatures littered all over the gate. On top of that, it was a deadly frozen forest, and the dungeon boss was an S-rank ice slayer." I reveal to the stressed out guildmaster. "I'm sorry, but since raid leader Chul kicked Song-Yi out of the party, I had no choice but to accept his decision and protect her, instead."
"I understand… Thank you for at least keeping the two guildmembers with you safe." Baek Yoonho mutters out with a defeated smile, gently gripping my shoulder. "Park Heejin, Han Song-Yi, as the two surviving White Tiger members of the red gate incident, I'll need to discuss everything with you more in depth."
I nod to the two ladies, who looked back at me once Yoonho requested their time. It's obvious they are quite frazzled with the whole situation, who could blame them?
"It's okay. We'll catch up later, sound good?" I reassure them both, as Song-Yi nestles into my arms for one last hug, before separating from me. "I'll meet up with you and Jinah as soon as I can."
"Don't worry, Mars. I'll take Song-Yi home right after this, I don't think you're off the hook just yet." Heejin winks back at me, before pointing at another group of hunters behind us, waiting for me to finish with Yoonho.
Woo Jinchul and the two S-rank Hunters guild leaders approach me, as the White Tiger guild members and officials leave the scene, in a convoy of white SUVs.
- Choi Jong-In (Hunters Guild) -
The cocky guildmaster couldn't even hide his smile as he observed Mars' new and improved summons. Not only are the medieval looking soldiers he showed before clearly stronger, but he suddenly has a bunch of new snow folk based shadows? He studied the intimidating ice elf standing proud with Igris, Mars' imposing S-rank summon. Since when did Mars have these soldiers, was Mars hiding them during the meeting with Gunhee? Or are the new summons related to the red gate?
"Mars, just how do you have so many strong summons?" Inspector Woo Jinchul broke the brief silence, as he asked the question on everybody's minds.
"Well, this is part of the power I gained when I reawakened. I can call the spirits of slain magic beasts and creatures as shadow soldiers." The continually interesting S-rank Mars responded, before calling the rest of his summons to stand in formation behind him. "I know you've already met Igris here, and the rest of my basic shadow summons."
Jong-In locked eyes with his vice guildmaster, who had been quiet this whole time.
"So that means…" Cha Hae-In finally spoke, realizing the implications of Mars' words.
"Yes, I can revive fallen dungeon monsters and beasts as my summons." Mars bluntly discloses, as he gestures to the giant beasts and evil looking elves. "These are all new shadows, this is Baruka, the S-rank boss of the red gate."
Baruka bowed to the shocked group with an almost psychotic grin itched on it's blue face. Even Woo Jinchul was speechless, as nobody could have expected a single hunter to be able to control so many strong creatures.
A similar smile appeared on Jong-In's face as he just thought of a way to appeal directly to the power hungry angel.
"Mars, I know it's been a tiring couple days for you, but I have an offer for you." Guildmaster Jong-In confidently proposes to the reawakened hunter. "Our guild just recently booked two A-rank dungeon gates, are you interested in joining the raids?"
"Hmm. Right now?" Mars said with a yawn, but Jong-In didn't miss the gleam in Mars' eyes. "It's been what, like two hours since I entered the red gate? Luckily, I managed to get a lot of rest inside the dungeon…"
"We can go anytime you like, Mars." He eagerly responded, pushing up his glasses on his nose. "Right, vice-guildmaster Cha?"
"Yes!" Hae-In sounded uncharacteristically excited, I guess she really wants Mars to join the guild, too. "This is a great opportunity for you to observe how exceptional our guild is. We have efficiently created a perfect system for clearing dungeons, as we have teams solely dedicated for mining and collection."
"Oh I'm quite aware, vice-guildmaster Cha, and I'm impressed." Mars replied with a charming smile. "It would be a lie if I said I wasn't interested, but I have some conditions. First, I'd like to claim any killed monsters as my shadows."
"Sure, not a problem, Mars." Choi Jong-In answered with an eager nod, as that would be expected of him. "What else?"
"I'm willing to go right now, but only if it's just the three of us entering the gate." Mars spoke with serious eyes, surprising the two strongest active hunters in the country. "Unless you don't think we can handle a measly A-rank dungeon?"
Jong-In looks to his vice-guildmaster with wide eyes, not expecting that condition from Mars.
"Honestly, my shadows can serve as the main attack force as well as the mining and collecting team." Mars continued, with a shrug. "Think of how much money you can save, not needing a huge team for either extracting magic crystals or collecting monster corpses. You won't even need to spend on magic fused equipment, either."
- Mars -
I stare directly into Jong-In's eyes, if he thinks he can manipulate me, he's got another thing coming. I'll give him credit where it's due, though. The Hunters guild is truly remarkable, since modern machines that run on electricity do not work inside any gates, they were able to create a well oiled machine that relies on an attack force, a mining team and a collections team working in perfect cohesion. That makes my power even more covetable, however, as manual labor is a sought after commodity for this large guild. Jong-In would be an idiot not to realize how many costs he could cut if he successfully recruits me.
Name: Choi Jong-In
Level: 76
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Grand Sorcerer (Fire)
Title: The Ultimate Soldier
Thoughts about you: He realizes your potential is limitless, every battle you'll be in will only make you stronger. Wary of the spotlight he put on you so early, wants to secure you before foreign guilds make any plays for you.
Reputation: 35
Name: Cha Hae-In
Level: 83
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Master Swordswoman
Title: The Dancer
Thoughts about you: She confirmed you smell heavenly to her, wants to get closer to you. Really wants you to join Hunters guild.
Affection: 55
Name: Woo Jinchul
Level: 49
Race: Hunter (A)
Class: Fighter
Thoughts about you: Dumbfounded by your powers, he understands the media being here will only serve to add more work to his plate. He is already preparing for countries like Japan and the United States to start asking about you.
Reputation: 60
Jong-In thinks he's being sly by inviting me to the dungeons right away, as if he knows I won't join White Tiger guild after the incident. He's probably right, as White Tiger is firmly third in strength, behind the Hunters guild and the Association. After this red gate, it's basically up to the two remaining organizations, but who knows how things will play out from here.
"No, let's go now. We just have to make some calls before we go, excuse us for a second." Jong-In confirms, walking off to the side with Hae-In, leaving me alone with Woo Jinchul.
"So, inspector Woo. Do you have anything planned for my trial run with the Association?" I asked the tired man, who only sighed in response.
"To be honest, I'm not sure. I'll leave it to the Chairman to decide. For now, I need to focus on the fallout of this red gate accident." Jinchul decided, as he wiped his sunglasses clean, before putting them back on. "If you'll excuse me, Mars, I'll speak to the media now. I'll call you if anything comes up."
"Before you go, inspector." I reach out to the man, calling my infantrymen to drop the dozens of magic crystals they were holding. "I don't need these, if possible, can you distribute the proceeds of these crystals to the families of the deceased hunters?"
"Sure, Mars. Thank you." Jinchul gave me a small smile before he left, ordering his subordinates to collect the pile of magic crystals my summons dropped.
I reflect on the events of the gate with a melancholic mood, as no hunters needed to die in that dungeon. I could have easily saved them all, but I left them all to die, without so much as a second thought. A thought kept on racing throughout my mind, however, if I raise any hunters as my soldiers, would they still remember their loved ones? What if they have family members waiting for them, depending on them… It's one thing to revive beasts like Tank or hostile creatures like Baruka and his Hyakki. Even shadows like Kang or Iron are fair game, I won't hesitate to resurrect anyone who's crossed me. But what about innocent humans and hunters who did no wrong, besides simply crossing paths with me?
Mars, you cannot think about things like that, you must think of all the lives you'll be saving when we eventually confront the Monarchs. They will be quick to exploit any weakness, especially if they sense your hesitancy when it comes to innocent casualties.
I know… It's just this power, when I create a shadow soldier, it's as if I'm erasing their history. Don't worry Ashborn, I'm fully committed to seeing this thing through, I just don't want to look in the mirror and not recognize what stares back.
It'll all be okay, young Mars, just focus on what you want to accomplish, and who you want to protect. When you're focused on a goal, you will feel much better, I promise.
Thanks Ashborn. Now that I have a moment to myself, I check the window that popped up when I first exited the dungeon.
[Secret Quest Completed: Red Gate]
[Objective: Survive the Red Gate]
[Reward: Demon Castle's Key, Gold]
Hmm. The S-rank Demon Castle, from what I remember I won't be able to revive any demons into shadows, as they have tainted mana. But there should be one specific shadow I should be able to raise on the top floor. At the very least, this will prove to be a good training dungeon for my immortal army. I'll wait until I complete my raids with the Hunters guild. I'll need to level up my forces for the upcoming Jeju Island raid, as I plan on using the raid to ascend as the world's 6th National rank hunter.
I quickly check my gold count, I have 61 370 coins left, looks like I gained 30 000 by completing the red gate. I'm glad I can earn coins outside of the instant dungeons as well. I'm still not sure which organization to join. Luckily I won't need to rush to a decision, as I'm sure the Hunters guild will be quite generous when it comes to my recruitment.
"Thanks for waiting, Mars." Jong-In interrupts my thoughts, as he gestures to his car. "Do you want a ride to the gate?"
"Sure." I nod to the two hunters, turning to my shadows, recalling every single summon back. "Let's go."
- Later -
The trip to the gate was rather annoying, as the paparazzi followed us the whole way. I suppose I can't blame them, as me joining the two most famous hunters in the country in Jong-In's fire red Rolls Royce can only invite rampant speculation. It's no secret I'm South Korea's newest S-ranker, as there's no way Jong-In and Hae-In would give any normal hunter such special treatment.
Arriving at the gate, I bring out Igris, who is quick to block any photographers trying to capture the latest development. The dispatch for top Korean hunters must be going crazy, as the rumors of the Hunters guild gaining a third S-ranker must be the talk of the country currently. If I really do join Hunters guild, it would mean we would stand among the top guilds in the entire world.
I turn my attention to the massive A-rank gate, it makes the C-rank gate that turned red look quite tiny in comparison. A gate of this size warns hunters of giant enemies, as each gate is measured by its mana output. My guess is this is the gate where Jinwoo was a miner, where he first met Cha Hae-In. It certainly feels more threatening than the C-rank gate, as the humans taking photos of us instinctively know to keep a wide birth from the entrance.
Jong-In and Hae-In were both called to be backup in case there was a dungeon break, so they are both ready in their battle gear. Jong-In wears an expensive magically infused white suit, with a red and gold cape, the same color as his hair. Hae-In is wearing a tight red battle suit, equipped with silver gauntlets and knee high boots. Her outfit does a very good job at showing off her amazing figure.
Hae-In informed me they were supposed to raid this dungeon tomorrow, but with me requesting it be just the three of us, they'll save the rest of their forces for the second A-rank gate. That sounds like the gate filled with high orcs, I can't help but smile as I imagine my forces once Tusk and the orcs join.
"If it's okay with the two of you, I'd like to take the lead in this raid." I ask the two S-ranks, knowing they have no choice but to follow my wishes, if they want me to join the guild. "I want my shadows to gain as much battle experience before the Jeju Island operation."
"Of course, Mars." Jong-In said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "That won't be an issue at all."
I shouldn't be so surprised at how accommodating he is acting, as he'll quite literally do anything if it means I'll join his guild. I'd be a fool not to take advantage of this, as he's the one Korean guildmaster who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty if it means securing his position at the top.
"We're ready. I'm excited to see your powers in action, up close." Hae-In said to me with a bright smile, she's warming up to me quite quickly.
I nod to the two hunters, entering the gate first, Igris following closely behind me. Entering the gate, I'm greeted by eerie bone chilling howls in a giant cave. How many meters high does it stretch? I can barely even see the ceiling, it's as if there were clouds at the top of the cave.
"The dungeon this time is quite deep." Jong-In says with a whistle, echoing throughout the den. "How do you want to proceed, Mars?"
I call forth my S-rank shadows: Baruka, Tank and Iron. I leave Kang in my shadow, as I only plan on letting him loose when there can be no witnesses. The three summons join Igris, as Hae-In and Jong-In analyze four of my strongest shadows.
"The four of you shall clear a path to the dungeon boss. Igris, I expect you to lead the way, I need you to promote as quickly as possible." I order the four S-rank summons. My infantrymen come out from my shadow next, as their main job is to mine the magic crystals scattered throughout the maze-like cave. The yetis are to act as the collection team, securing the bodies of any monsters killed.
The ground shakes completely as three towering earth golems appear from deep within the cavern. Their red eyes are visible from high up in the air, as these gigantic humanoids make my yeti shadows look puny. The monumentally huge golems either have horns or antlers sticking out of their heads, thick roots spill out of their mouth like giant fangs.
"Earth golems... These creatures are all A-rank minimum." Choi Jong-In comments while he smokes a cigarette. "Are you sure your shadow summons can handle this dungeon by themselves?"
My shadows don't take his doubt kindly, as Iron roars out first, charging at the three behemoths with no fear. Tank rushes one of the golems with unexpected speed, the impact of two monumental beasts clashing causes small tremors. Iron screams a shout of provocation, and the two remaining monsters focus on him, their heavy boulder-like fists smashing against Iron's unbreakable shield made of pure darkness. Igris leaps at one of the distracted golems, and starts to chip off large pieces of rock and dirt as it groans in pain. His great sword illuminates the murky cave, as each swing has the force of a devastating lightning bolt.
Baruka, who had went invisible as soon as the golems showed themselves, reappears as he shoots an arrow with booming speed at the other monster Iron was holding back. The arrow jammed into the golem's eye, the red glow disappearing like it was a neon sign that ran out of energy. It yelps in agony, and Iron uses the distraction to swing his battle axe at it's knee, crushing it, causing the giant to fall down with a great thud. The earth golem that was dueling Tank was the next one to fall, as constant swings of the alpha bear's mighty paws brought it to it's knees.
"Holy shit..." Jong-In watched with wide eyes as Mars' summons put on a spectacle.
Igris was the first to kill his opponent, as the shadow carved up the golem, slicing off it's arms one by one, before finally decapitating the golem, it's red eyes going dark. Baruka was next, as the Hyakki warrior climbed the slow one eyed creature rapidly quick, stabbing the golem in it's remaining eye, his holy lightning infused dagger electrocuting the golem until it stopped moving. Igris finished off the last golem, as Tank was holding it in place, my first shadow impaled his sword deep into it's head, killing it instantly.
Hae-In watched Igris fight while she held her breath, his style was brutally graceful, she hadn't forgotten when Igris indirectly challenged her to a duel.
"Arise."
Jong-In and Hae-In felt a sudden chill, as three new earth golems spawned, but this time as shadow soldiers. They were now completely black, their blue eyes cutting through the darkness like spotlights, their horns and spikes the only other part that glowed blue. I could tell they were much more durable, as they were no longer simple earth golems, but rather, shadow golems.
[Shadow Golem - Knight]
My biggest shadows to date dropped down to their knees, and they still dwarfed the rest of my forces. At full height, the golems stood about twenty feet tall, as big as a two story house. More thick shadow roots covered their bodies, these are definitely my toughest soldiers.
I turn to the silenced hunters, who were only watching my new shadows in awe. Jong-In was basically drooling, as he personally witnessed the power of the Shadow Monarch. Hae-In was also rendered speechless, as the first time a person watches me resurrect a monster can be quite horrifying.
"Let's finish this dungeon as quickly as possible!" I say with a cocky smile, as my new shadow golems start to march forward with my S-rank soldiers.
- Cha Hae-In (Hunters Guild) -
Hae-In couldn't believe what she was watching, as Mars' summons blitzed through the gate with vicious efficiency. Not only did his S-rank shadows dominate the menacing earth golems, but the rest of his summons acted as the perfect support force. She could only gawk as his countless shadow soldiers mined the copious amount of magic crystals with lightning quick speed. Their mining teams could never hope to match the shadow's pace, as she watched the summons load up the shadow bears with the crystals, forming a perfect assembly line. The fearsome yeti shadows that startled the hunters at the red gate were the perfect labor force for transporting the weighty monster corpses to the entrance of the gate.
She looked over to her guildmaster who must have been doing the exact same math in his head. Guildmaster Choi was infamous for cutting costs wherever he could, never thinking of a hunter's wellbeing if it meant he could save a single dollar. No guild could ever imagine one single person was the equivalent of an elite raiding force, mining and collection team.
Cha Hae-In had quickly gotten used to Mars' powers, as each time his death squad killed a group of golems, they were immediately brought back as shadows. The new colossal shadow golems acted as an immovable frontline, the earth golems stood no chance as the shadow versions held them in place, ripe for Mars' bodyguard Igris to finish them off.
The further the group travelled into the dungeon, the stronger the wind blew from the heart of the cave. Thanks to the revolting smell, she soon realized it wasn't any ordinary wind, but rather, constant waves of magic energy. Hae-In could only assume the boss of the dungeon further inside was emitting the terrible pressure.
They soon found their way in the boss room, the clearing was ginormous, as she could feel the sheer force of the dungeon boss' mana. It was an Earth Giant, if the golems were the size of a two story house, then the giant was the size of a small building. Luckily for them, it was in some sort of hibernation, as the ancient looking monster appeared to be in a deep slumber. The tremors of the battles further out of the cave should have woken it up, but they still need to be careful as she wasn't sure how sharp it's senses were.
"This boss is very clearly an S-rank, we should be a bit careful here." Hae-In was the first to speak, bringing a handkerchief to her nose as Mars and Jong-In silently studied the resting colossus. "Maybe we should all attack it?"
"Do you guys trust me?" Mars said with a reckless smile on his face, his eyes had a dangerous glint to them.
- Mars -
I strained my neck to even look up at the earth giant. I could barely see it's face, it's one red eye was burning through the thick steam emanating from it's nostrils. It reminds me of the Colossus Titan, the vast size of the thing caused it to emit boiling hot steam with each breath. It's two arms were almost as massive as it's torso, I can only imagine the shockwaves it can generate. What a shame Jinwoo never absorbed this boss into his army, according to him, this boss is way stronger than the two lower floor bosses in the Demon Castle, Vulcan and Metus.
If I enlist Choi Jong-In and Cha Hae-In's help, it'd probably be an easy battle. But this is the perfect test to see how strong I really am, as I definitely have to be careful here, it's size is absolutely no joke. I order my summons to stand back, as I want the boss all to myself. I was able to summon twelve shadow golems, it seems like the boss of this dungeon holds the majority of the mana in the whole gate.
"Are you really going to fight that thing alone?" Jong-In questioned me with a smirk, his arms were crossed together in a smug pose. "There's no shame in asking your Hyung for help~"
"It's okay, I got this." I shake my head confidently, before sticking my tongue at the egotistical guildmaster. "And please don't ever call yourself my older brother ever again~"
We were standing pretty far from the earth giant, not wanting to wake it up accidentally. I begin to form one light spear, packing as much energy as I can into a single spear, stopping once it starts to crackle dangerously. I calmly close my eyes as I take a deep breath. I shouldn't be too afraid, even Jinwoo was going to attack it when he first met the giant, before he was intercepted by Hae-In. The two hunters step back as they realize I'm starting my attack. Flying into the air, I slowly start to move in a circle, gathering momentum as I prepare to ambush the sleeping giant.
- Cha Hae-In (Hunters Guild) -
The beautiful swordswoman didn't realize her heart was beating faster and faster as she carefully watched Mars fly into the air gracefully. It looked like he was carrying a bolt of lightning in his hands. She had a pretty good idea of what he was going to do, as the radiant red eye of the giant was a rather convenient target. Studying the rest of the creature, there was no other feasible weak spot.
"Hahaha... This kid is hilarious!" Guildmaster Choi snorted to himself as he also couldn't take his eyes off the unpredictable hunter.
She looked to Mars' shadow summons next to them, every single shadow was observing Mars with intense reverence in their gazes. She turned her attention to the steadfast Igris, the knight stared up at Mars while it nodded it's head approvingly, like it was a proud parent.
Hae-In jerked her head upward, when she heard a loud boom. She could barely spot Mars flying as fast as he could at the earth giant, before he javelin threw the spear at the giant's eye like it was a big red bullseye. The spear seemed to accelerate after it left his hands, the sonic boom so close to the giant woke it up. Just in time for the spear to embed itself deeply into the earth giant's eye, detonating once it was buried in.
She braced herself as the dungeon boss' roar shook the clearing violently. The force of it's scream caused boulders to fall from the ceiling, Mars' summon with the giant shield blocked the rocks and stalagmites from damaging her and guildmaster Choi.
The destructive explosion caused a thick veil of smoke, obstructing her own vision. She could barely see Mars, standing alone in the middle of the cave, staring up into the haze. When the smoke finally cleared, she could only gasp loudly as she spotted the giant swinging it's two goliath arms down at Mars.
Mars suddenly formed a bright golden shield, as Seoul's Saint braced himself for the impact. The sound of two unstoppable boulders meeting an immovable force reverberated emphatically throughout the cave. This time, Mars' large summon jumped in front of the two hunters, blocking the debris with his bulky shield.
The large summon cheered loudly with the rest of the shadows, as she peeked up at the scene. The earth giant shattered it's fists on Mars' shield, it's hands crumbled into many pieces as a huge fracture appeared all the way up it's arms. Mars looked a little banged up, but he was in much better shape than his opponent, who dropped to it's knees, causing another slight tremor.
The deafening sounds of the giant screaming shook the entire cavern, she was genuinely starting to get concerned about a cave-in. She looked towards her guildmaster, he had a expression she never saw before, it was some mix of fear, respect and excitement?
"Mars is a lot stronger since we last saw him, since that meeting with the other S-rankers." Guildmaster Jong-In noted, as they both watched Mars shrug off an attack that would have wiped out an entire squad of soldiers. "Even his summons, they're growing at an alarming rate."
"We need to secure Mars now. Before Korea loses him to the rest of the world..." Cha Hae-In muttered out in response, also understanding how infamous Mars will soon become.
Mars flew high into the air once more, gripping his shield tightly as he started to increase his speed for one last charge. This time, she could clearly see him accelerate; it looked like a black hole formed right in the giant's eye, as Mars shield looked like a shooting star high up in the air. Mars didn't stop this time, crashing into the giant's head as the black hole forcibly brought the giant's eye forward. A deafening boom blew up the earth giant's head, Mars' kamikaze attack proved to be rather effective, his shadow soldiers were cheering and jumping into the air in a crazed frenzy.
"No way..." Jong-In said with a dropped jaw. "He just used telekinesis, something only National rank hunters are capable of..."
- Mars -
I try to shake off the numb feeling in my arms, as I felt my entire skeleton rattle when I absorbed the mammoth's heavy hit. The Ancile is sturdy as fuck, I wonder if it could tank a nuke point blank.
If I can raise this shadow, I'll need to be extremely careful, it's size alone can easily cause devastating incidents. It takes no time at all for me to come up with a name for this S-rank beast, as a giant with one eye can only go by one name in my mind.
"Arise, Cyclops!"
The whole cave is enveloped in darkness as a dark sphere of mana starts to form around the dungeon boss' corpse. It feels like a wild storm as a destructive wind starts to surround us. The cavern shakes fiercely as my colossus shadow drops down to one knee. I'm taken by surprise when I notice the new change to my shadow soldier. Just like the shadow golems, the shadow giant is completely black, except for his eye, which is glowing a vibrant purple. My black heart pumps with a renewed energy as I turn towards the rest of my shadows, and they all sport the new regal color.
Skill unlocked and set to MAX
Monarch's Domain: Shadow Soldiers fighting above the caster's shadow will have their stats increased by 50%
I'm sure the two confused hunters can feel the drastic change in energy, as all of my shadows received a huge buff. I finally unlocked [Monarch's Domain], the requirement must have been to hit level 80. Anyone who has knowledge of the Shadow Monarch will know I'm back as my much stronger army all glows a more menacing purple now.
I look back to Cyclops, who's still kneeling. Unfortunately due to his sheer size, I won't be able to use him in every single fight, but when I do, he'll cause catastrophic damage to my enemies.
"So... Are you guys still down for that second dungeon raid?" I ask the two hunters, who are both still processing what just happened.
- BONUS -
- Baek Yoonho (White Tiger Guild) -
The orange-haired man sighed, slumped in his chair, as he loosened the tie around his collar. For over an hour straight, he had to withstand countless questions and comments from the media. They certainly didn't hold back their punches, especially when he announced Kim Chul, their up and coming A-ranker had perished within the gate, along with ten other hunters. He shuddered as he prepared himself for the meetings with the families of the many hunters who died inside the red gate. It was easily the hardest part of the job, having to explain to grief-stricken spouses, parents and children.
He couldn't deny the existence of an outside party being in the gate, as the whole world saw as Mars' summons marched out of the gate. The only comment he made regarding Mars was that the Association was still investigating the situation. He needed to call Mars tomorrow, as he needed to have an earnest conversation with the young man. He wished he was in the red gate with Mars, as he almost couldn't believe Han Song-Yi and Park Heejin's stories about his powers. First, he could revive fallen dungeon monsters as shadow soldiers? Then there's his spatial magic, ability to talk the language of magic beasts, and finally: Mars could share his immense power with other hunters...
The more he learned about Seoul's Saint, the more he needed Mars to join his guild. He was desperate after losing so many hunters, he would even be willing to offer Mars co-guildmaster.
"Master, hunter Min Byung-Gyu is requesting a call." Yoonho's secretary blurted out through his phone's intercom on the desk. "Shall I put him through?"
"Byung-Gyu? Connect him." Guildmaster Baek confirmed, his best friend always knew the perfect time to call him.
"Baek Hyung, why is your phone turned off?" The always friendly voice of Min Byung-Gyu already cheered the grumpy guildmaster up. "Let me guess, you're hiding from the reporters until the news dies down? I heard the news in Japan, don't worry, Hyung looked brilliant on screen~"
"Don't mess with me. I'm not in the mood for jokes..." Yoonho fondly sighed as he heard Byung-Gyu giggle. "You're in Japan?"
"Oh yes, don't worry too much about the red gate, it'll quiet down soon. There's big news... Japan secretly called the Korean Hunter's Association." Byung-Gyu paused to take a sip of beer, before continuing. "After checking it out for myself, it's more serious than I thought. This will spread all over Korea very soon. It's about Jeju Island, I should have expected it, since you told me about the meeting with chairman Gunhee."
"Ah, of course! Japan needs to be wary of the ants too, since the insects have wings now..." Yoonho uttered out, he had almost forgotten about the details of the secret meeting since the red gate happened.
"Apparently, Goto Ryuji and the Japanese don't think us Koreans have enough firepower to clear the island." Byung-Gyu revealed with a slight hesitation in his voice, neither man could ever forget their near death experience fighting against those ants. "You've met that new hunter, so you tell me. Is Seoul's Saint the real deal?"
"Honestly, if both you and Go Gunhee come out of retirement..." Yoonho thought briefly, before his eyes shined stubbornly. "With Mars and his summons, those ants are fucked."
- Hwang Dongsoo (Scavenger Guild) -
The brutish man leaned forward in his chair as he watched the television with interested eyes. The program was covering his home country, apparently a red gate disaster killed many White Tiger guild members. He chuckled softly, he wished he was there in person to see Baek Yoonho's manic expression. Dongsoo and Yoonho never got along, his theory was two alpha males could never get along if they perceived each other as threats.
He focused back to the television, as the hunter community was currently ablaze with excitement over the newest S-rank hunter. This time, he was more invested as this hunter was Korean. As usual, the community wanted to rank Seoul's Saint within the rest of the S-ranks throughout the world, but this new hunter felt different. Not just his peculiar wings, but his summons. The hunter's power was revealed when his summons were seen exiting the red gate. He could instinctively tell, watching the dark summons, that they were strong, far stronger than what should be considered normal. To be fair, there has never been a recorded S-rank hunter specialized in summoning magic. Either way, Dongsoo found something else to look forward to once he returned to Korea.
His phone started to ring, the barbaric man's eyes widened when he realized his guildmaster was calling. Dongsoo cleared his throat, as he knows to never miss Thomas Andre's calls.
"Guildmaster. Is everything alright?" Dongsoo asked in accented English.
"Hey Dongsoo, Laura told me you're heading back to Korea back soon?" Thomas Andre's booming voice blared through his phone.
"Yes sir, I've managed to clear up some time to visit home for some personal matters. This won't affect any of my duties for the guild." He replied back, knowing his guildmaster could prevent him from going back if Thomas Andre didn't want him leaving.
"Oh no, it's fine, I'm sorry to hear about your brother..." The strongest hunter in the world responded in an almost sarcastic tone. "I'm glad you're going to back to Korea, you'll be the perfect tour guide for me!"
"Excuse me, sir?" The man gulped as he thought he would be able to enjoy his trip back home without his overbearing guildmaster. "You're coming to Korea?"
"Of course! I need to visit the home country of my favorite hunter at least once..." The aggressive guildmaster started to laugh. "But seriously, I'm sure you saw that new Korean hunter, wouldn't it be fun if he joined Scavenger guild?"