Shadow Sovereigns : A New Beginning

The dungeon air felt heavier as Jin-Woo pressed deeper into the maze of twisted, skeletal trees. The once sporadic skittering of claws and faint growls now formed a cacophony around him, and the enemies weren't the pushovers he had faced at the start. He wasn't sure if it was the System scaling the difficulty or just his terrible luck, but he had stopped feeling smug after the third ambush.

"This place just keeps getting better," he muttered, brushing dirt off his Steel-Toed Boots as he paused to catch his breath.

His dagger spun idly in his hand as he scanned his surroundings. The System's glowing interface hovered in front of him, showing his progress.

XP: 300/500

"Halfway there," he said, slipping the dagger back into its sheath. "If the boss doesn't kill me, the suspense might."

His sarcastic musings were interrupted by a low growl from the shadows ahead. Three pairs of glowing red eyes emerged from the gloom, followed by sleek, black forms with sharp claws and snarling fangs. The glowing text above their heads confirmed his suspicions.

Name: Shadow Hound

Level: 6

HP: 80/80

MP: 30/30

"Shadow Hounds," Jin-Woo muttered, drawing both daggers. "Because nothing says 'fun' like overgrown dogs."

The hounds didn't wait for an invitation. They spread out, moving to flank him as their claws clicked against the ground. Jin-Woo grinned despite himself, his blood pumping as he adjusted his stance.

"Alright, boys," he said. "Let's see if you can keep up."

The first hound lunged at him, its jaws snapping inches from his arm. Jin-Woo sidestepped, his enhanced agility making the movement almost effortless. His dagger lashed out in response, slicing into the hound's side.

Critical Hit!

Enemy inflicted with Bleeding.

The hound yelped, its HP bar ticking down steadily as the bleeding effect took hold. But there was no time to savor the small victory. The other two hounds were on him in an instant, their claws swiping at his legs.

He activated Dash, the sudden burst of speed propelling him out of their reach. Pivoting mid-run, he drove one dagger into the nearest hound's back, watching its HP bar plummet.

Dash Activated.

Movement speed increased by 40% for 10 seconds.

The remaining hound snarled, charging at him with surprising speed. Jin-Woo dropped low, rolling under its leap before springing to his feet and slashing upward. The dagger connected, leaving a deep gash across its chest.

Within moments, the fight was over. The hounds collapsed into black mist, their HP bars drained to zero. Jin-Woo exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow as a notification appeared.

Monsters Defeated: 3.

+75 XP.

Loot Acquired:

• F-Rank Monster Cores (x3).

The glowing F-Rank Monster Cores dropped to the ground, faintly pulsing with captured energy. Jin-Woo crouched down, inspecting them before slipping them into his Inventory.

"Three cores, no items," he said, shaking his head. "Guess my luck stat needs some work."

He stood, rolling his shoulders as he scanned the area. The path ahead was clear—for now. He adjusted his Common Goblin Bracelet and started walking, his thoughts drifting to the boss room.

The massive, rune-covered doors loomed ahead, their surface pulsing faintly with energy. Jin-Woo could feel the oppressive aura radiating from beyond them, and he tightened his grip on his daggers. This was it—the final challenge.

He pulled up his Status Window for a quick check.

Name: Sung Jin-Woo

Level: 5 (XP: 375/500)

HP: 120/150

MP: 130/150

Fatigue: 25

Stats:

• Strength: 15

• Agility: 19 (+3 from Dual Bleeding Daggers, +2 from Steel-Toed Boots, +1 from Common Goblin Bracelet)

• Stamina: 16 (+1 from Steel-Toed Boots)

• Intelligence: 15

• Sense: 15

Unallocated Points: 12

"Still alive," he muttered, glancing at his dwindling HP. "Barely."

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the doors open. The room beyond was massive, its black stone walls reflecting faint, eerie light. In the center stood the Shadow Beast, its massive frame bristling with dark fur and raw power. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Jin-Woo the moment he stepped inside.

Name: Shadow Beast

Level: 8

HP: 350/350

MP: 50/50

"Level 8?" Jin-Woo said, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, big guy. Let's see if you can handle someone half your size."

The beast roared, the sound echoing through the chamber as it charged at him with surprising speed.

Jin-Woo activated Dash, the boost in speed allowing him to dodge the beast's claws by a hair. He retaliated with a series of quick strikes, his daggers slicing into its side. The bleeding effect triggered, but the beast barely seemed to notice.

Bleeding Effect Applied:

-5% HP over 5 seconds.

The beast roared in frustration, swinging its massive claws in a wide arc. Jin-Woo ducked low, narrowly avoiding the attack, but the force of the swing sent him stumbling. He activated Dash again, repositioning himself behind the beast.

He struck at the back of its legs, watching as its HP bar dipped into the yellow. But the beast wasn't done yet.

Shadow Beast Activated Skill: Berserk.

Effect: Increases speed and strength by 30% for 15 seconds.

The sudden burst of power caught Jin-Woo off guard. The beast moved faster now, its claws swiping with deadly precision. One of its strikes connected, raking across Jin-Woo's side and sending him tumbling.

HP: 60/150.

"Okay," Jin-Woo muttered, pulling out a potion. "Time to stop playing around."

He downed the Potion of Healing, feeling the warmth of recovery spread through his body.

HP Restored: 110/150.

The beast lunged again, but this time, Jin-Woo was ready. He dodged to the side, driving both daggers into its neck. The beast roared in agony, its HP bar plummeting as the bleeding effect took hold again.

With one final, desperate roar, the beast collapsed, its body dissolving into black mist. A notification appeared.

Boss Defeated.

+150 XP.

Loot Acquired:

• F-Rank Monster Core (Boss Grade).

• Skill Scroll: Blink (Rare).

Jin-Woo crouched down, picking up the glowing Skill Scroll. His heart raced as he read its description.

Skill Acquired: Blink (Rare)

Description: Instantly teleport to a location within 10 meters.

• MP Cost: 15 per use.

• Cooldown: 10 seconds.

"Teleportation?" Jin-Woo said, a grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I can work with that."

A notification appeared, catching him off guard.

Would you like to extract the shadow of the defeated boss?

[Yes] [No]

"Extract its shadow?" Jin-Woo muttered, scratching his head. "Wait. I've had this skill all along? What kind of idiot doesn't use this on a boss? Am I dumb or what?"

He selected Yes, and shadows began swirling around the beast's fading form. The System prompted him for a command.

Input Command to Extract Shadow.

Jin-Woo frowned, crossing his arms. "A command, huh? What do I even say? 'Rise and shine?' 'You're hired?'"

After a moment of thought, he grinned. "Nah. Let's keep it simple. Arise."

The shadows surged upward, coalescing into the form of the Shadow Beast, now smaller but still imposing. Its glowing red eyes stared at Jin-Woo, awaiting his orders.

Suddenly, the beast melted into his shadow, vanishing completely. Jin-Woo blinked, stunned.

"It went… into my shadow?" he said, his voice filled with disbelief. "What the hell… That's so cool."

Shadow Beast Extracted.

MP Cost: 30 to maintain.

Jin-Woo grinned. "Looks like I just got my first shadow minion. Welcome to the team."