Love does not consist in gazing at each other,
but in looking outward together in the same direction.
Wonder Women..
........
"The moment I confirmed it, the question marks in the knight's name disappeared and were replaced with Igris.
Igris (Lv. 10)
Knight Grade
Even though it wasn't original, I just copied it. But who can judge me by his name, officially decorating the information box I gave, a sense of pride? It was as if the idea that the boss was now my soldier had solidified.
'My soldier...'
I turned around.
The 35 Shadow Soldiers awaited their command. Right now, my army's numbers are small.
Shadow Infantry (Lv. 7)
Veteran Grade
Shadow Infantry (Lv. 7)
Veteran Grade
Shadow Mage (Lv. 7)
Elite Grade
Shadow Infantry (Lv. 7)
Veteran Grade
Shadow Infantry (Lv. 7)
Veteran Grade
Shadow Mage (Lv. 7)
Elite Grade
Shadow Mage (Lv. 7)
Elite Grade
Shadow Mage (Lv. 7)
Elite Grade
Shadow Mage (Lv. 7)
Elite Grade
Shadow Mage (Lv. 7)
Elite Grade…
Unlike the armor-clad infantry, mages wore robes and had a skeleton structure.
They all had the same name and level, but their grades are higher than the original. Shadow Infantry was a normal grade, but now they are Veteran Grade, which is around C+++. Shadow Mages were Veteran Grade, but now they are Elite Grade, which is B-Rank.
So, there are no normal-rank soldiers in my army, which I like to keep that way.
'Well, I guess their base was all the same.'
'Only these 35 are the most powerful of all mages and knights...'
I am sure that the number of my army will only increase going forward.
'I really obtained an army.'
But I have more reserves in inventory, but first, let's see the boosted limit of storage.
Contrary to what every necromancer gets, an army made of shadows, not bone and corpses, so they are more immortal than death itself.
'Skill.'
I opened up his skill screen.
Class-specific Skills
Active Skills
• Shadow Extraction (Lv. 1)
• Shadow Storage (Lv. 1)
The one that I hadn't checked yet was Shadow Storage.
Shadow Storage (Lv. 1)
Class-specific Skill
Mana Cost: 0
Absorb the Shadow Soldiers into the user's shadow for storage.
The stored soldiers can be freely summoned and reabsorbed by the user.
Stored Shadows: 0 / 120
'As I thought.'
I nodded. So both skills got a 100 boost, so I got 130 summons, 100 more than the original, and 120 in storage for 100 more to store in the shadow.
And this is very good, as I do have many strong corpses just for this.
So getting an extra 100 is pretty convenient.
'The limit is far better than the original...'
Now how it will affect when the skill levels up?
Will 100 multiply or add up to or just be a one-time thing and remain 100? That is to be seen.
The limits of the storage were smaller than the limits of the summoning, but it was much better than the original. While I could make 130 soldiers, he could only store 120 of them.
Anyways, it's time to raise the army I am excitedly holding on to.
So with those thoughts, I opened the inventory function and went to the dead body section. After clicking there, I went into the section where I put the corpses of those who I want to turn into my minions.
So I carefully selected what I really wanted to be in my army. I did have plans to turn all of them into my army, but at the moment, I lacked the storage and summoning numbers.
So, after the selection process of 10 minutes, there were many corpses lying on the ground while my current army finished wiping the floor for the corpses to be placed in. And now they stood behind me...
The first was the first boss monster I slayed, Blue Poison-fanged Casaka. Yes, I do know he was just a D-rank monster, but he was here because of his size and his title 'Ruler of the Swamp.' So he could be pretty useful in Swamp biomes.
Plus, I wanted to do some experiments. Could he still use his poison? If he could, would that poison be strong or weak? And would it naturally regenerate?
Next was the opponent with whom I had one of the bloodiest fights, The Black Gorilla, Grimhand. His corpse was pretty damaged due to the fight, but he was here because of his intelligence in a fight and the skills he had. I also wanted to see if he would be able to become a shadow soldier with so much damage done to his body.
There was the Spider Queen from the Dungeon that solved most of my money problems for a while. For her size, powerful legs, and web abilities, I wanted to see if she could still use the web and if it would regenerate. Additionally, I wanted to observe her acid breath.
From the same place, there was a B-rank Mage who used Light Magic, whose name I won't even mention if I could. I would have forgotten his name, but with total recall, I remember everything. Just goes to show everything has its own flaws.
Next to him was the guy who was leading the party, whose brother is an enhanced S-Rank, Greed. I think I should have both brothers.
Next was the best: the Gatekeeper of Hell, Cerberus. Why not imagine a huge three-headed dog that can breathe fire and has a bunch of skills?
Next to him is Kang Taeshik, the Assassin who gave me a good fight. I wanted to see if he would still have the Stealth skill when I took the rune stone.
And next to him was the boss of that Dungeon, the Goblin Champion, along with five of his best troops: two Hobgoblins and three Shamans.
Next were the five boss monsters of five C-rank Dungeons that I cleared. There was nothing special about them besides the fact that they were the strongest in their respective dungeons. And they look cool.
The first was a hybrid between a crocodile and a Lizardman. He looked like Killer Croc, just more on the crocodile side than human. So, pretty good defense and offense with natural weapons. Plus, there was a heavy sword on his back which he didn't use when we fought.
Next is one of the evolved forms of Zombies, a 10-foot-long green Zombie that looked like a mashup between Hulk and Doomsday, with bones coming out of his shoulders, hands, and back, huge claws, and four chains that could extend and be controlled with his mind.
He looks pretty cool, but he lacks the power to back up his looks. His name is Corpse Collector, something I do more than him. A name much more suited for me, deeming that even his corpse was collected by me.
But aside from that, now I just need Jack the Ripper.
Next was a huge bee that looked akin to Mega Beedrill, but with more power and even better looks, with poison and Sonic attacks. Killer Bee.
Following the line is the Manticore, a hybrid between a man, a scorpion, and a wolf. He has a pretty cool appearance similar to the Manticore from Percy Jackson.
Next is the Displacer Beast. This monstrous predator takes its name from its ability to displace light, making it appear several feet away from its actual location. A displacer beast resembles a sleek great cat covered in blue-black fur.
However, its otherworldly origins are clear in its six legs and the two tentacles sprouting from its shoulders, both ending in pads tipped with spiky protrusions.
A displacer beast's eyes glow with an awful malevolence that persists even in death.
Then there is one of the bosses of two B++-rank dungeons, a Naga inspired by the myths of Olympus.
Specifically, a female Scythian Dracaena has the appearance of humanoid females with twin serpent trunks instead of legs. She wields a shield, and a spear, and carries a magical bow on her back. This tells me that she has somewhat of a ranger build with speed and weapons.
The boss of the other B++-rank dungeon is the Golden Werewolf Ardwolf. He looks just like a normal werewolf, only bigger and better. His weapon is one of the coolest things I've seen—a Chainsword that looks like it came straight from Warhammer 40K. It's essentially a sword with motorized teeth running along the blade, similar to a chainsaw.
The weapon emits an angry buzzing sound as the teeth spin around, intensifying into a high-pitched scream as they grind into armor. It is powered by magical energy. The biggest difference is that in 40K, the teeth are monomolecular-edged, and capable of cutting on a monomolecular level.
He is a ferocious beast that could have been a pain in the ass if I weren't a caster who can engage enemies from far away. He is like a glass cannon, with the highest DPS of any creature I've fought, even surpassing a minotaur. With the Chainsaw Sword, he can inflict serious damage.
The second-best stat of his is his speed, but he is like a glass cannon with pathetic magic and physical defense, as well as a low HP and MP pool.
I took precautions and ended the fight quickly, as he was only able to land a single hit on me.
Even then, that attack dealt so much damage that I was forced to activate my daily stat recovery. Now, anyone can imagine what he would be capable of when he doesn't have to worry about defense, as he can regenerate infinitely. And he more man than beast.
Next to him were two other silver werewolves, his subordinates.
Next were the five strongest Giant Rats, five huge Bloodthirsty Bats, four Primate Long Arm Apes, four Lynx Lions, four Huge Apes, four Huge Wolves, five Dire Saber Tooth Tigers, and five Poison-fanged Giant Sand Centipedes, all because of their amazing size.
And how can I forget Asuteriosu, the Minotaur? My strongest foe gave me a beating that could have killed me. I would have been dead if I hadn't obtained the regeneration skill at the last moment, which was pretty convenient considering I had been trying to get that skill since my second day in this world.
Of course, he will be the strongest enlistee in my army, leaving everyone else behind by a wide margin. The monsters from the labyrinth that I selected are among the strongest I have, so most of them would be around the level of Igris, if not surpassing him. Even the bosses from B-rank dungeons are strong, And if RNG was in their favor, they could very well surpass him.
So anyone can imagine how exhilarating this was for me as I collected all these bodies just for this moment and now look at them.
The black smoke emanating from their corpses indicates that Shadow Extraction was possible for all of them.
So with a final check, confirming that they have the weapons and armor they had before death, I nodded. With a wide mad grin, I said out loud, 'Arise!' My words were loud enough to shake the entire room.
Uwaaaaaah
With a heavy moan that came from somewhere, the shadows of the knights started quivering as if they were alive.
'Shake, shake, sssshhhhooooocked…' Crack Crack Crack Crack *Bam! Bam! Bam! Boom! Boom! Thud! Thud! Bam! Bam! Bam!'
The whole place was violently shocked by the sheer size of some monsters, as walls broke, pillars fell, and the floor shattered just from the shadows reaching out.
I looked at the fallen army. All of their shadows were moving. Black hands and legs appeared from the shadows, then they placed themselves on the ground and seemingly pulled themselves up from the shadows.
As they did, the room shook even more, and more and more ground broke, and everything in the room started to fall around.
It was chaos in the place.
I clenched my fists as I looked at it with a wide grin.
'Holy shit! It's amazing.'
Even though I knew this would happen, it still has my eyes wide open as most of them looked freaking cool, at least for me, although I'm sure people will think the opposite.
Their shapes and sizes didn't show any disgrace.
They all had their scales, claws, legs, fangs, hands, eyes, mouths, broken pieces of armor, peeling skin, and even the parts of the body that were broken or completely missing.
Like the fangs and claws of Ardwolf, which turned into the dagger I have, or the Scythian Dracaena on twin serpent tails, which was blown off by the fireball.
And those who used weapons were covered in pitch-black armor, wielding pitch-black versions of their former weapons.
And of course, the coolest of them all was the Chainsawsword, which was now spinning at a rapid rate with a light purple glow on its teeth. The holder of the sword doesn't look any less cool.
I looked down and saw something unexpected.
While their bodies were intact, the armor and weapons they had on themselves were gone, as if absorbed by the shadows..
I did not sense any life force coming from them. Not a sound of breathing or a hint of a heartbeat.
I looked into their eyes, and they seemed to be made of darkness itself, with a slight purple glow like Dark Saber inside.
I put everything aside and looked at the system screen.
[You've succeeded in Shadow Extraction]
[You've succeeded in Shadow Strengthening!]
The shadows that are Veteran Grade level will start at 6.
The shadows that are Elite Grade level will start at 3.
The shadows that are Knight Grade level will start at 5.
[Shadow Extraction failed.]
'What?'
'Wait, wait' In all the excitement, I overlooked looking at everyone to see if they successfully became shadows.
And I can already guess who didn't become a shadow. I command myself to step aside, and they instantly did, and I saw him still laying on the ground, with his back coming out of him. It was the strongest minotaur.
2 attempts remaining.
'Phew-'
I need to know why this is happening.
'Now that I think about it...'
The skill description did tell me that the success rate was dependent on the target's abilities. Seeing that in action was rather surprising.
I never thought this would happen to me, not after I absorbed the Dragon Vein and a whole mountain's worth of power grind.
My first extraction failure. It was like being slapped in the face, considering everything I have done since coming into this world. On top of that, there was a limit on the number of attempts.
'Two attempts remaining...'
If I fail those two attempts, would the Minotaur shadow return to the void? I shuddered at the worst-case scenario. I shook my head.
'Let's not be pessimistic.'
Be optimistic. If I believed, perhaps the universe would help out. Feeling a mix of dread and anticipation, I tried the second attempt.
'Arise.'
Compared to my previous attempt,
Crack!
With the sound of metal armor breaking, a message appeared.
My expectations were off.
Crack!
[Shadow Extraction failed.]
[1 attempt remaining.]
'...'
He was a pain in the ass while living with his absurd broken skills, and even in death, he was more annoying. I thought of the worst-case scenario again. After the second failure, the outcome looked bleak.
Whew-
I took a deep breath. There was only one chance left, the last chance. I closed my eyes and organized my thoughts.
'It might just be based on probability, but...'
I considered that maybe my desire for Asuteriosu the Minotaur shadow was not showing enough. I slowly opened my eyes.
I remember just how fierce our battle was. I nearly died in it.
Just a few days ago, he was an enemy who threatened my life more than once.
'...?'
I tilted my head, and this was giving me a headache...
Even after meeting him only for a few moments, it would be very regrettable to lose him. He is the strongest opponent I have fought, and I want him under my command. He would definitely be an S-rank shadow and maybe even stronger.
Plus, he has many uses. As I felt like I was losing him, I had a sorrowful look and scanned each of the Shadow Soldiers, focusing on me.
I slowly opened my eyes. The black smoke coming from Asuteriosu the Minotaur looked like it was holding out a hand towards me, asking me to rescue the beast. He seemed to be hesitating a little. My eyes became focused. As if to take the hand in rescue, I also held out my right hand.
"Aaaaa Du ruinierst mir das, ich bin hierher gekommen als der legendäre zukünftige Gott des Todes."
"Dude, don't do this to me. I beat you fair and square, even after you used your bullshit skills. Now there's no point in doing this. Wake up and grow stronger with me. Serve me. Become an undying power."
As I took a deep breath and looked into his lifeless eyes.
"Stop protecting a place that is already gone and won't be coming back, and try protecting me, who is right in front of you, the undying Shadow Monarch. Become stronger than you could ever imagine," I said while holding out my right hand, supporting him.
I knew it was just metaphorical, but I didn't have any other way to do this, so no matter how cringe-worthy it sounded, I still said it.
"Now, Arise and sever your new lord."
Something happened that I didn't mean to do, nor did I realize that it happened, but it was good. At that moment, the words I spoke echoed and vibrated with power.
...….
"Why power stone bullet train turned into a steam engine eyes
Everything is going bad as comments getting less and less head" - Remark.
Now, now, Stop being a horny cuck that reads harem (Which you are reading🤫💀☠️😜) and invest all of your stones in me!!! =)))