Chapter 7

Beru eagerly anticipated Suho's reaction to receiving Shadow Extraction, the Shadow Monarch's true power.

"Oh my gosh! Amazing!"

"They're giving me such an incredible ability as a reward?"

"The last quest gave me stat points, and now I get a rune stone that teaches me a skill?!"

"Wow! Can they really afford to give away this much stuff?"

Then Beru planned to say:

'Ahem. Did I not tell you? This Shadow Dungeon holds everything you could ever need, Young Monarch!'

The corners of Beru's mouth twitched as he spoke, looking thoroughly self-important.

[Ahem! This leveling system was designed from the outset as an aid to ensure your steady growth, Young Monarch. It is an improved version of the system my liege once used, intended to allow a frail human body to fully accept the power of a great Monarch...]

Suho cut him off.

"Oh, come on. It's just a summoning skill?"

[...!]

The expression on Suho's face was unmistakably one of disappointment.

Beru was stunned. What kind of absurd reaction was that?!

[W-what are you saying?! How can you react like that after receiving such an extraordinary power?!]

"Well, summoning skills are..."

Suho explained how hunters regarded summoning skills these days.

The dungeons beyond the Gates were truly brutal places. A moment's inattention could let a magic beast's claws rip a hunter's throat apart, and dangerous traps filled the ground beneath their feet and the ceilings overhead. In a place like that, no one could take responsibility for someone else's life.

Combat-type hunters had tough bodies, so that was less of a concern for them, but magic-type hunters were physically little different from ordinary people. Those with summoning skills were particularly vulnerable. Since they entrusted all the fighting to their summons, they themselves were little more than helpless baggage trailing along behind.

"That's not all. They burn through mana, and finding a useful summon is hard. Even when you finally get one, it isn't as strong as you'd expect."

[Nooo!]

Beru stamped his feet, looking utterly aggrieved and upset. Gone was the smug creature who had mocked Suho's pitiful combat strength. Now he was the one thoroughly worked up.

Suho felt a little guilty at the sight.

"Um. Sorry, but that's just how things are. Still, getting a new skill is definitely a good thing."

[Nooo! Stop pretending to be considerate and trying to comfort me! This really is an amazing skill!]

"Huh? Did the way you talk just change?"

[Huff! Huff!]

Beru's carefully maintained historical-drama persona had finally crumbled.

"Okay, okay. Anyway, accept reward."

A rune stone appeared in Suho's hand.

[Rune Stone: Shadow Extraction]

Break the rune stone to absorb the skill.

Suho broke the rune stone without hesitation.

[You have learned Skill: Shadow Extraction.]

WHOOOOSH!

At that moment, shadows surged up from beneath Suho's feet, coiled once around his entire body, and vanished.

FLASH!

A skill window opened before his eyes.

[Skill: Shadow Extraction Lv.1]

Shadow power.

No mana required.

Extracts mana from a lifeless body to create a shadow soldier.

The probability of extraction failure increases in proportion to the target's stats and the time elapsed since its death.

Number of shadows extractable: 0 / 3

"... Creates shadow soldiers?"

After reading the description, Suho's gaze naturally turned to Beru—a shadow magic beast with black vapor roiling all over his body.

[That is correct.]

Beru's mouth stretched into a wide grin.

[It creates soldiers just like me. Shadow Extraction is the very essence of the power that made Sung Jinwoo the Shadow Monarch he is today.]

Only then did Suho notice the countless goblin corpses surrounding him. Black smoke was slowly rising from the bodies of those he had killed over the past four hours.

[Shadow Extraction can be used on this target.]

[Shadow Extraction can be used on this target.]

[Shadow Extraction can be used on this target.]

The same messages appeared over and over whenever he looked at the black smoke.

'Shadow soldiers... So I'm some kind of necromancer?'

The idea of creating soldiers from corpses was similar to the necromancers commonly found in games.

'Still doesn't seem that great.'

He had read about this online before. Summoning skills came in various types. Some let you summon and tame spirits from nature; others let you tame living beasts and command them. Of them all, necromancer was the least impressive class.

'There are too many restrictions.'

The biggest problem was needing a corpse in the first place.

'I have to kill something first, like I just did. That means I can only control things weaker than me.'

Still, he would have to try it himself to know for sure.

"Shadow Extraction."

At his words, a message appeared.

[Set a command for the Shadow Extraction skill.]

"I have to set a separate command for the skill? Hmm..."

Suho considered it for a moment. Beside him, Beru was squirming, his eyes gleaming.

[Ahem. Ahehem.]

"What? Have something to say?"

When Suho looked at him, Beru feigned innocence.

[Oh, ahem. No, nothing. Cough! A-rise-cough! A-rise-cough-cough!]

"...?"

Why was he suddenly coughing like that?

Suho narrowed his eyes. He had no idea what Beru was getting at, but spoke without further deliberation. An intuitive command would be best.

"Arise."

[Kieeeek!]

As if he had been waiting for those very words, Beru clenched his fists and exclaimed, oddly, "That's the one!"

Then something extraordinary happened.

KEE-HEE-HEE!

Goblin laughter suddenly echoed through the empty air. At the same time, the shadows beneath the goblin corpses strewn across the ground began to writhe.

As though they were alive!

'My God.'

Suho's eyes widened as he looked around.

KEE-HEE! KEH-REK, KEH-REK!

Amid the constant, wicked laughter of mischievous imps all around him, pitch-black hands reached out of the shadows. The hands braced against the ground, and their owners began crawling free, like demons returning alive from hell.

[Shadow Extraction successful.]

SHWAA! SHWAA!

[Keh-rek!]

[Keh-rrk!]

Three black goblins appeared before Suho, their bodies formed entirely of roiling black vapor.

[Shadow Goblin Lv.1]

Normal Grade

The three shadow goblins stood in formation, awaiting Suho's orders. Looking at them...

"Yeah, they still don't look very strong."

[...]

By now, even Beru was beginning to understand. It might be the same shadow power, but the difference between this and when Sung Jinwoo, the Shadow Monarch, used it was far too great.

It made sense: Sung Jinwoo had been level 50 when he first obtained shadow power, while Suho was only level 7. Even the same skill was bound to perform poorly if the Player's level was low.

[Well, ordinarily... newly extracted shadow soldiers are somewhat weaker than they were in life.]

"And a bit smaller?"

[Y-yes...]

"And naturally, physically weaker?"

[Only a tiny bit?]

"And slower..."

[...]

Beru murmured in an increasingly faint voice.

[Shadow power is affected by your Intelligence stat and level. It truly becomes an excellent skill later on... An incredibly excellent skill... Ah, how can I possibly explain it...?]

"R-right."

Suho looked around at the shadow goblins awaiting his orders, then immediately began preparing to leave.

[What?! Were you not about to give them orders?!]

Beru was aghast.

At that moment, a tremendous noise came from Suho's stomach.

GRRRROWL!

"... I haven't eaten in two days."

Suho spoke with utter seriousness. Overwhelmed by that solemn air, Beru yielded.

[Y-yes, of course.]

Hunter or Shadow Monarch, everyone had to eat to live.

[You can return here whenever you wish using the Key to the Shadow Dungeon. For now, take some rest.]

At Beru's words, Suho took out the Key to the Shadow Dungeon and thrust it into his shadow, just as he had when entering.

[Would you like to exit the Shadow Dungeon?] (Y/N)

"Exit."

CLICK.

The instant he turned the key, the shadow swallowed him.

WHOOOOSH!

[You have exited the Shadow Dungeon.]

* * *

As soon as he returned to the hospital in the real world, Suho collapsed onto the soft bed.

'Whew. That was seriously rough.'

He lay back in bed for the first time in what felt like ages and let out a deep sigh. Only four hours had actually passed, but it felt like four full days. Leveling up had restored all his stamina, but mentally, he was utterly drained.

Just then, the door opened and several people in suits entered.

"Excuse us. Is this Sung Suho's room?"

'Hmm?'

Suho immediately realized who they were. In his current circumstances, there was only one group that would come looking for him.

"We're from the Hunters Association."

Just as he thought.

The suited visitors approached and bowed to him.

"Mr. Sung, first, we'd like to thank you."

"Sorry? What did I do to deserve thanks...?"

Suho looked puzzled.

"Many people survived thanks to you. We'd like to thank you on their behalf."

"Well, I didn't do anything that remarkable."

"It most certainly was remarkable."

Suddenly, the older man who appeared to be the highest-ranking of the group thrust his face uncomfortably close to Suho's.

'Whoa! That startled me.'

The man gave him an exceedingly warm smile.

"Sung Suho, I'm truly proud of you. A young man risking his life to save others in this cold, heartless world! Sob!"

"Uh, n-no... Excuse me?"

The large man was so moved that he took out a handkerchief and wiped his tears. Suho found the whole display deeply uncomfortable.

"Ahem."

The employee beside him patted his back as though accustomed to this.

"Team Leader, stop crying. We have work to do."

"Oh, right. Haha. I've become so weepy as I've gotten older. Mr. Sung, I'm Team Leader Han Jaehyuk of the Hunters Association. We're here to..."

With a decisive motion, Han Jaehyuk held out the bulky mana meter he had brought and grinned.

"Measure your mana."

There was no doubt that Suho had awakened. He had been found unconscious inside Hankuk University's art museum, which had become a field dungeon. Pieces of corpses confirmed to have been magic beasts had even been scattered all around him.

"Reporters keep asking us for information so they can write their articles, too," Han Jaehyuk added with a wink.

"Oh, okay."

Suho obediently placed his hand on the mana meter. The mana crystal embedded at its center gave off a faint glow. After a brief wait, the result appeared.

"Hmm. Oh, this is..."

Han Jaehyuk stroked his chin, looking surprised by the reading. Suho's expression did not change, as though he had no curiosity about the result at all.

Naturally. The status window in front of him already told him about his mana.

"Mana reading: 46. You've awakened at E-rank."

The employees beside him hid their disappointment. They had expected a hunter who had accomplished so much immediately after awakening to be quite high-ranked.

But he was only E-rank?

Han Jaehyuk felt differently.

'A hunter's worth isn't determined by rank. If anything, risking his life to save people despite being E-rank makes it all the more remarkable.'

With a warm smile, he patted Suho's shoulder with his broad hand.

"Mr. Sung, I'll look forward to seeing more good work from you."

"Oh, sure."

RATTLE.

Their business concluded, the Association employees said a brief goodbye and left the room. As if he had been waiting for his chance, Beru poked his head out of Suho's shadow.

[Now, then! Allow me to explain what comes next...]

RATTLE!

"Suho!"

Just then, the door to the room opened again.

Beru sank dejectedly back into the shadow.