"Come forth."
Everything started with those two words.
WOOSH-
A tsunami of magic power incomparable to the one released by the high orc sorcerer exploded from Sung Jinwoo. But that was not all. Accompanying his release of magic power, the shadow beneath Jinwoo's feet started to spread out. With a terrifying speed, the black mass spread underneath everyone's feet and covered the ground of the room.
"Whoa!"
"W-what is this?!"
Son Gihoon's team looked at the shadow beneath their feet and gasped. How to explain all this? The experienced Hunters had never seen or heard of such phenomenon. In the face of the unknown, a new wave of terror fell upon the Hunters, and they trembled where they stood. Even Son Gihoon, who was still on the ground due to a lack of strength, looked at Jinwoo with fear in his eyes.
'Just what… are you about to do?'
Jinwoo's shadow finished covering the entirety of the boss room's floor. As if replying to the question in Son Gihoon's mind, the shadow around the E-rank Hunter rippled, and soldiers clad in pitch-black armor rose from the ground.
'Domain of the Monarch' has been activated. [1]
Shadow Soldiers fighting above the user's shadow will have their attributes increased by 50%.
Jinwoo smiled lightly.
'Good.'
This was the new class-specific skill he had earned when reaching Level 70 in the Demon Castle. Feeling the fighting spirit of the soldiers who had become stronger due to the skill, Jinwoo naturally became satisfied. Fifty Shadow Soldiers appeared and surrounded Jinwoo like his guards.
"Keu, kereureuk!"
"Gerreuk!"
The high orcs known for their ferocity and fearlessness started backing away in fear at the oppressive amount of pressure released from Jinwoo and his soldiers.
"Th-the orcs are backing off!"
"Just what the hell is happening…?!"
Even as they continued to tremble at this unbelievable scene, the faint embers of hope began to appear in the Hunters' hearts.
"Did you feel it too?" "Yeah."
"Is… is this even possible?"
The Mage-class Hunters, who were especially sensitive to magic power, could not calm their hearts beating like it was about to explode. This E-rank Hunter, a "mere" volunteer for the porter role, was releasing an unimaginable amount of magic power.
'My god, could this even be called magic power?'
'It feels more terrifying than the high orc sorcerer's…!'
With all the magic power filling the boss room, it was hard for the other Hunters to even breathe. However, the fact that this oppressive power was not aimed at them gave them a sense of relief. Meanwhile, the group that the oppressive power was aimed at, the high orcs, felt an incredible sense of dread. The initial odds of one man versus 150 of them quickly turned to 51 versus 150.
But that reinforcement of 50 was not just any 50 soldiers. After all the level-ups they had been through, the individual might of a single Shadow Soldier far exceeded their numbers. And then there was their leader…
Jinwoo walked past his soldiers and stepped up to the head of his army.
The high orc sorcerer shouted,
"What are you waiting for?! Kill that damn human!"
His voice filled with magic power broke through the fear of the high orcs. The sorcerer's army shrieked and swung their weapons.
"Kuwaaaaaah!"
slash, slash, stab!
The 'Domain of the Monarch' was only for the Shadow Soldiers; it had no effect on the user himself. However, even without the attribute buff, Jinwoo displayed a strength in a completely different dimension.
"Kuwaaaak!"
"Kuwah, kuwaaaah!"
Screams of the high orcs soon filled the room. Body parts flew and blood spilled whenever Jinwoo's two daggers flashed. The E-ranker moved so fast that even the elite Hunters of Hunters Guild saw afterimages in his movement.
"Hey, isn't that…?"
"Yeah, just like the Deputy Guildmaster."
Cha Haein's nickname was "Dancer". Unlike her normal timid self, the woman slew magic beasts with grace and finesse in battle. It was her movements like dancing to a fast tempo that earned her this nickname. Well, she was embarrassed by it and forbid anyone to use it, but it was still well known in Hunters Guild. And now, this porter was showing similar, no, far greater movements than their S-rank Deputy Guildmaster.
However, if Cha Haein's combat was like a dance, this man was a hurricane. And at the eye of the storm, magic beasts were being slaughtered like sheep.
ROOOOAR!
The Shadow Soldiers did not lose to their master. With a fierce roar from the former alpha of the ice bears, Tank, the Shadow Soldiers' offensive started.
Iron took the vanguard. As he always would do at the start of battle, the giant knight thrust out his chest and roared.
WUAAAAAH!
Iron has used 'Taunting Shout'.
The targets' resistances were too high. Taunt failed.
Angered by the fact that his skill didn't take, Iron let out another beastly noise. And with that, he just resorted to smashing the high orcs with his giant hammer.
Wooosh-
SMASH!
CRACK!
"Kuhaaak!"
"Kiek!"
The Hunters almost felt sorry for the high orcs in front of Iron. Almost.
Meanwhile, Ygritte was moving in a completely opposite fashion than Iron. With a great finesse and artful movements, the knight efficiently took the heads of his enemies. The high orcs slain by him did not even have the time to scream.
slash!
Drawing straight line through the air, Ygritte's sword removed another high orc's head from its body.
However, the combined might the ordinary soldiers were slightly behind the high orc army. Fortunately, their combat was supported by their infinite stamina and near-unlimited regeneration. And when they held back the line in order to buy time-
BAAAANG-!
flaaaare!
The Shadow Mages' fireballs fell upon the high orcs. The high orc's numbers diminished rapidly. The high orc sorcerer trembled with anger,
'This impudent mere human!'
The sorcerer fixed his gaze on Jinwoo. First, he would have to take care of that human. The pitch-black soldiers were that bastard's summons! If the human fell, the soldiers should disappear. To accomplish this, the sorcerer began to recite an incantation.
"..."
His lips moved quickly. 'Song of Slowing', 'Song of Blinding', 'Song of Fevers', 'Song of Pain' and 'Song of Slumber'. Five different powerful curses finished in an instant and flew towards his target.
"It's over, human!"
The high orc's mouth curled into a smile. Jinwoo felt the movement of magic power when the sorcerer completed its curses.
'Magic?'
Jinwoo met the sorcerer's gaze. The high orc laughed.
'It is too late, human.'
Unlike normal magic, curses could not be evaded. Once activated, it was over. Riddles with all the curses, this insolent human will soon be ripped apart by the high orc warriors. It was the fitting end for an existence that did not know its place.
However, in that moment, Jinwoo heard the familiar electronic voice in his head.
ring~
Abnormal effects have been detected.
The effects of the 'Immunity' buff will be activated.
ring, ring, ring
The electronic tone continued in rapid succession.
Curse: Slow has been removed
Curse: Blind has been removed
…
…
The five curses were removed before they could even show off their effects.
This time, Jinwoo was the one to smile. There was a buff he had received when he became a Player:
The Great Sorcerer Kandiaru's Blessing
Continuous buff, 'Longevity' will be applied.
'Longevity': Become immune to all diseases, poisons and ailments.
Sleeping will explosively increase your regeneration ability.
Thanks to that, he no longer had any reasons to fear things like curse magic.
"W-what?!"
The sorcerer shook in surprise. As expected of an rank Dungeon's boss, the thing quickly realized that his curses were removed by another power.
'How could the curses placed by me be…?'
It was an unthinkable occurrence. To nullify a curse, one needed a blessing or a removal magic with greater power than the curse user.
'Is there a sorcerer greater than me among the humans?'
Before he could ponder on this longer, the high orc sorcerer screamed at the sudden pain shooting up from his foot.
"Kuwaaaaak!"
Looking down, a dagger was sticking out of from the top of his foot. It was Knight Killer. The high orc raised his head and glared at Jinwoo with bloodshot eyes.
"You dare…"
Jinwoo looked directly into the sorcerer's eyes. Without looking away, the E-rank Hunter's arm blurred. A high orc warrior that was rushing at him lost its head. As the warrior's head rolled across in front of his feet, Jinwoo silently worded a message with his lips to the sorcerer.
You just wait your turn.
Don't do anything useless. When it received Jinwoo's message, the high orc sorcerer's head turned red with anger,
"You mere human!"
So it still had the strength to become angry. Jinwoo's face turned cold. If he wanted, he could've killed the thing the moment the battle started, but that's not what he wanted. Just as the high orc had done to the Hunters, Jinwoo wanted to instill the feeling of fear deep within its heart. But it seemed like that this was not enough to make this arrogant magic beast feel fear.
Not yet.
'I'll show you something interesting.'
The battle would now enter the true territory of a necromancer. In the eyes of the Monarch of Shadows, the battlefield had already turned to a scene of a delicious buffet. The black smoke rose from the corpses of the high orcs here and there, waiting for Jinwoo's calling.
And so the man called to them.
"Arise."
Shadow Extraction has been attempted.
With the System message that informed him of the skill's activation, a terrifying scream rang forth from an unknown place.
UWAAAAH-!
The high orc sorcerer's eyes widened.
"What is-!"
He could not finish his sentence. Before he could, black hands shot out from the shadows of the high orc corpses.
You have succeeded in Shadow Extraction.
Jinwoo looked over the new recruits of the Shadow Army and smiled.
'He turned my warriors into the undead…!'
The high orc sorcerer trembled. The number of the high orc warriors that had fallen were about fifty. It matched the number of the new soldiers in black armor.
'Then the rest of his soldiers are all…?'
The sorcerer finally realized that the mysterious summons wielded by this human were not ordinary. At the same time, the high orc realized just how overwhelming Jinwoo's might was compared to his own. The 50 versus 150 fight had now turned to 100 versus 100. The high orc warriors had bravely fought against the enemy that was stronger than them, but looking at their comrades risen as the Shadow Soldiers, they quickly lost their fighting spirit.
"Keu… keureureuk."
"Keureuk."
"Keuak."
The high orc warriors that were never afraid to spill blood now began to back away in fear. Instead of going to the afterlife after falling in battle, their comrades were now raised as puppets for the enemy. This was no different than a nightmare to the high orcs.
Jinwoo confirmed that Shadow Extraction had a great effect on morale of the high orc warriors.
'But what about the sorcerer?'
Jinwoo turned and looked over the sorcerer's face.
'Oh~'
The Hunter's face brightened.
Finally.
There was fear in the boss's eyes.
-
The sorcerer trembled as he recalled the existence that could raise the dead into shadows. There was no way that there were two beings in all of creation with that ability. That meant that this human in front of him was… him.
'This mere- I mean, this esteemed human is… him. Then what are we doing here?'
The moment the concept of "self" and "we" entered the high orc's mind, his mind turned blank and the memories disappeared.
All that remained was the fear.
-
Jinwoo's face looked satisfied.
'Yes, just stay like that.'
That bastard will be the last to die. Jinwoo felt like he had succeeded in leaving the boss trembling in fear until its last moments.
The Hunter smiled and turned around. He suddenly noticed a familiar woman standing at the entrance of the boss room. Jinwoo tilted his head,
'Who?'
She felt familiar and at the same time not so familiar. After a moment, Jinwoo realized who she was.
Hunters Guild's S-ranker, Cha Haein.
'Why is she here?'
The E-rank Hunter was lightly surprised.
The S-rank Hunter was incomparably more surprised.
She looked at Jinwoo and the Shadow Soldiers with wide open eyes.
Translator's Notes:
[1] "Domain of the Monarch" (군주의 영역): "monarch" 군주 + "territory/domain" 영역.