The Tower appeared without warning, changing the world overnight. Dungeons, monsters, and Awakeners followed-and so did chaos.
Joo Donghyun never Awakened. While others grew stronger, he starved. While others climbed the Tower, he buried his mother in a forgotten grave-because healing costs money, and he had none.
So when a strange system calls out to him and drags him into the Tower’s backdoor trial, Donghyun steps through without looking back. No weapons, no allies, no powers-just a flickering status window and a single message.
Now, with the ability to extract shadows from fallen enemies, Donghyun begins a quiet, brutal ascent. His power grows in silence, feeding off corpses and memory.
Shameless Author Review - 5 Stars Yes, I'm giving myself five stars. Why? Because I stayed up at 3AM writing this and nearly fused with my chair. But more importantly. What to Expect from I Became an S-Rank by Extracting Shadows Dive into a dark fantasy world where survival isn’t just about strength, but how much darkness you can carry within. Follow Joo Donghyun, a broken young man who’s lost everything, as he faces the mysterious Tower of Trials and the sinister soul - link System that bonds to his very soul. “Joo Donghyun isn’t an unstoppable hero. He’s a flawed, determined fighter who struggles at every floor of the Tower, forced to rely on wit, willpower, and the uneasy bond with his soul-link system to survive. Victory isn’t handed to him it’s earned through pain, sacrifice, and sheer grit.” Expect: A gripping tower-climbing adventure with intense battles and evolving powers. ✪ A unique soul-link system that’s as much a curse as a gift constantly testing Donghyun’s sanity and resolve. ✪ Emotional depth through Donghyun’s struggle with loss, trust, and identity. ✪ A cast of complex allies and enemies that blur the line between friend and foe. ✪ Slow-burn suspense with plenty of twists, dark secrets, and moral dilemmas. ✪ Exploration of themes like sacrifice, power, and what it truly means to be human in a world overrun by monsters. If you love dark fantasy with psychological tension and a system twist, this novel will pull you into its shadowy depths and keep you there.