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 city was silent once more, but it was the silence of the grave.

Jin-Ho Kang stood amidst the corpses of the first wave of Hunters. Their blood painted the asphalt, a testament to the futility of their efforts. Shadows flickered around him, his legion absorbing the remains of those foolish enough to stand against him.

Yet, despite the carnage, he felt no triumph.

Deep within the hidden bunker, containment pods hissed open. The air grew thick with an oppressive energy as the figures inside stirred, their eyes snapping open with an unnatural glow.

Unlike the Hunters before them, these beings were not merely enhanced humans. They were something far worse—warriors who had been broken, reforged, and turned into monsters designed for war.

A heavily armored figure stepped forward, a massive cleaver resting on his shoulder. His eyes burned with a dull red light as he cracked his neck.

"It's been a while since we were let off the leash," he rumbled.

"Your target is Jin-Ho Kang," a voice instructed from the shadows. "Do not underestimate him. Destroy everything in your path."

Jin-Ho felt the shift in the air before he saw them.

A deafening boom echoed through the streets as the first Archon landed before him, cracking the pavement beneath his feet. He stood nearly seven feet tall, clad in reinforced armor that pulsed with an ominous energy.

"You're the one who's been causing all this trouble?" the Archon sneered. "You don't look like much."

Jin-Ho's golden eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Neither did the last ones. They died all the same."

The Archon grinned, revealing rows of sharpened teeth. "Then let's see if you can kill me too."

Without warning, he lunged forward, his cleaver cutting through the air with enough force to shatter buildings.

Jin-Ho moved, a blur of darkness. The blade missed by inches, but the sheer force of the swing sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

Before the Archon could recover, Jin-Ho struck. Shadows wrapped around his arm as he drove his fist into the warrior's gut.

The impact was thunderous. The Archon was launched backward, smashing through a row of abandoned buildings. Dust and debris filled the air, but Jin-Ho didn't pause.

He leaped after his foe, shadows coiling around him like living armor.

Igris and Beru stood ready as multiple figures materialized from the darkness. Each of these new foes radiated a terrifying aura—far beyond anything the Hunters had displayed.

"My lord's enemies are my enemies," Igris declared, his crimson blade humming with power.

Beru let out a low, predatory growl. "Let's rip them apart."

As Jin-Ho clashed with his monstrous foe, his shadows surged across the battlefield, ready to consume everything in their path.

This was no longer a mere skirmish.

This was the beginning of the true war.

Release of the Archons