Sahil_Ashat

Jin-Ho Kang was just another B-rank Hunter—one of countless warriors struggling to rise in a world dominated by monsters and guild politics. When an A-rank dungeon scouting mission goes horribly wrong, he and his team are slaughtered. He should have died.

But instead of death, he awakens in an abyss beyond mortal comprehension. A voice older than time itself speaks to him, a decree is made, and the truth is revealed—he is no longer human. He has inherited a power that was never meant to be his.

The world forgot him.

But he has returned.

As a Sovereign.

As the Monarch of Shadows.

And as the boundaries between life and death begin to blur, the world will soon realize…

The true King has awakened.

Shadow Monarch’s Requiem

The night was suffocatingly silent.

Jin-Ho Kang stood atop a ruined skyscraper, his golden eyes piercing the abyss beyond. Below him, the city lights flickered like dying embers, unaware of the war brewing in its shadows. He could feel them—unseen figures slithering through the darkness, their presence like pinpricks against his heightened senses.

Across the city, elite operatives moved like ghosts through the empty streets. Each one was a legend in their own right—killers, warlords, enhanced humans, and supernatural entities that had been conditioned to hunt monsters. But none of them had ever faced something like Jin-Ho Kang.

"Target is aware of us," a masked leader whispered into their comms. "We proceed with extreme caution. Phase One begins now."

With mechanical precision, the city was locked down. Power grids flickered off, communication lines were severed, and surveillance drones hovered in the sky, tracking Jin-Ho's every movement.

They thought they were hunting him.

Jin-Ho closed his eyes. A low hum of power resonated through him as shadows rippled at his feet. "Igris, Beru."

The two most powerful of his Shadow Legion materialized, their forms flickering with boundless energy.

"It's been a while since we've had prey worth hunting," Jin-Ho mused, stepping off the skyscraper's edge. He plummeted like a phantom before landing effortlessly in the center of an abandoned boulevard.

The first wave was already waiting for him.

Figures emerged from the darkness—clad in tactical gear, their weapons laced with enhancements meant to pierce even the most formidable defenses.

"Jin-Ho Kang," one of them called out. "Stand down. You have nowhere to run."

Jin-Ho chuckled, his voice cold as the abyss. "Run? You think I would run from insects?"

The air grew heavy. A pressure unlike anything the Hunters had felt before pressed against their souls. The streetlights above flickered, and from the depths of the pavement, shadows slithered forth like a living tide.

"Kill him!" someone shouted, and the world erupted into chaos.

Gunfire rang out, but before a single bullet could reach him, the abyss swallowed them whole. Jin-Ho moved, a streak of darkness against the neon-lit backdrop, his fingers slicing through the first operative's armor like it was paper.

Igris cut through the ranks, his crimson blade painting the streets with blood, while Beru's monstrous form leaped from shadow to shadow, tearing through enemy formations with ruthless efficiency.

Screams filled the air. One by one, the elite Hunters fell. Their tactical formations, their years of training—none of it mattered.

Jin-Ho was a force beyond their comprehension.

Within minutes, the first wave had been annihilated. He stood amidst the ruins of his enemies, his breath steady, his power growing stronger with each soul devoured into his legion.

Deep within an underground bunker, a shadowed figure watched the massacre unfold through a dozen monitors. Their fingers tapped against a metallic table in amusement.

"As expected," the voice murmured. "Phase One was never meant to succeed. It was merely an assessment."

A hidden panel slid open, revealing a row of containment pods. Inside each one, monstrous figures twitched and snarled, their bodies enhanced beyond human limitations.

"Phase Two begins now. Release the Archons."

The Hunters’ Arrival