Haeundae, Busan.
During the fight against the demon Javier in Haeundae, Busan, Suho received a quest from Sung Jinwoo's phantom.
[Emergency Quest: Prove Your Worth!]
[The phantom of the Shadow Monarch 'Sung Jinwoo' demands proof of worthiness from his son.]
[Defeat the demon magician 'Javier' and gain a new Shadow Authority skill.]
Suho acquired 'Monarch's Domain' while carrying out this quest, but it was something he awakened on his own, not a reward from the mission. The Shadow Authority skill he received as a reward for completing it was separate. It was this...
[Skill: Shadow Exchange Lv.1]
[Shadow Authority. No mana cost.]
[Allows you to switch positions with a designated Shadow Soldier.]
[After one use, there is a 3-hour cooldown before it can be used again.]
[Cooldown time varies depending on skill level.]
This skill allowed him to switch positions with a Shadow Soldier regardless of their location, making it practically teleportation. Suho immediately grasped the principle behind this skill upon seeing it.
'It works like a gate.'
This ability was quite familiar to Suho, who frequently used his shadow as a gate to freely travel between the Shadow Dungeon and the real world. After that, he practiced a few times to grasp the effectiveness of this skill, then sent the Shadow Soldier Kira to India with Rio Singh, just in case. And this was the result.
Thud!
"Graaaagh-!"
[Hahaha! You're withstanding this? You've got quite the resilience!]
[High Priest, no, Greed! It's not that, we've just become weaker!]
Shadow Soldiers Greed and Iron were unilaterally beating up a gigantic and hideous Dragonian, bursting into hearty laughter. Rio Singh, watching this awe-inspiring scene from behind, couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
'Oh my god. Were Suho's summons always this strong?'
'Naga', with its human-like upper body and sea serpent lower half, was a mini-boss level monster that only occasionally appeared in high-ranking dungeons. Although their size and strength varied, the steel-like 'scales' covering their entire bodies boasted extreme defense, making them suitable materials for armor, shields, and other protective gear.
'But those Naga scales are being torn so easily...'
[Uhahahaha!]
[Khahahahahaha!]
"Kraaagh-! Kyaaagh!"
Thud! Crash! Bang!
The tough and sturdy scales of the Naga were being crumpled and torn like paper under the Shadow Soldiers' relentless attacks.
'They're at least A-rank, maybe even equivalent to S-rank Hunters. To think such powerful monsters are just summons created by a single Hunter.' Rio Singh couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't believe it even as he witnessed it; who would believe him if he told them about this? But…
'This is dangerous! According to the information, Nagas definitely...!'
As expected of the elite he was, Rio Singh had gathered as much information as possible about Nagas before coming here. They were high-level magical beasts proficient in both combat and magic, giving even experienced Hunters a hard time. Moreover, they always moved in groups despite being very strong on their own, making them even more difficult to deal with. And since this information wasn't widely known because Nagas rarely appeared, Rio Singh shouted urgently,
"Suho! Be careful! I heard Nagas always move in packs of at least 30...!" But before he could finish his sentence, large and small magic basts hidden in the lake emerged all at once. And they attacked Greed and Iron, who were still fighting a single Naga.
Slash!
Swish!
Roar!
But they weren't outnumbered either.
Grin. "So you're going for a war of attrition?" Suho spoke with a meaningful smile.
"Arise."
"...!"
At that moment, Shadow Soldiers rose from Suho's shadow all at once. The sight of them fighting against dozens of Nagas was truly spectacular. And witnessing this, Rio Singh finally realized.
'Oh my god. He didn't just gain a new powerful summon.' He finally understood the identity of the doubt that had been lingering in his mind while following Suho.
'...A Hunter who keeps getting stronger!'
The strength of a Hunter doesn't change. That was the basic common sense widely known in society. Hunters could train and become more proficient in fighting magical beasts through training and runestones, but their fundamental power, determined at the moment of awakening, never changed. But to think that a Hunter existed who defied that common sense and continued to grow stronger day by day. And he was right here before his eyes!
'You idiot...! Why did I only realize this now?!' Rio Singh lamented his lack of insight. Even though Summoners had various variables depending on their summons, how could he only now confirm that his comrade, with whom he went through life and death situations several times, possessed a special ability?! And then, suddenly.
"...Ah! Jackson! Jackson!" This wasn't the time for that. Rio Singh came to his senses belatedly and rescued his friend, who was unconscious in the overturned truck. Judging from the state of the mangled vehicle, it was an accident that could have easily killed the driver. Thankfully, Jackson, a C-rank Hunter, seemed to be alive.
[Hmm. Don't worry. He's not dead.] Beru approached and checked on Jackson, then flew towards Suho. Who was busy commanding the battle, but he immediately approached the wounded hunter and poured a potion into his mouth.
"...Cough!"
Rio Singh breathed a sigh of relief as Jackson's wounds, which had been bleeding, gradually healed. He felt responsible for dragging his former subordinate into this mess because of his ambition for promotion. At the same time, he was once again awestruck by how special a Hunter Suho was. To think that he commanded S-rank level summons and also possessed healing abilities. At this rate, even alone was like a walking army.
"Suho! I have a favor to ask!" Rio Singh hurriedly called out to Suho while supporting the unconscious Jackson. Appearing at the perfect moment and saving him was a debt he couldn't repay, but he had no choice but to ask for help shamelessly.
"All the forces of our Asura Guild are currently deployed here! But at the entrance of this field..."
"It's too strange that Nagas are appearing at the entrance of the field!"
He was right. This was the entrance to the field. The Asura Guild, which had entered to clear this dungeon, would inevitably pass through here. What were the chances that they would miss such a large group of massive magical beasts?
"There's no way they would leave them alone intentionally. Something big must have happened that we don't know about...!"
"Maybe they did ignore them intentionally." That answer didn't come from Suho.
"Huh?"
'A-a lizard?' Rio Singh was bewildered. A small lizard with wings was perched on Suho's shoulder, looking around with a stern gaze.
"Hmm. To think there were still remnants of the Naga tribe alive. Well, only cowards survive wars." Antares, who quickly repossessed Ragnar's body as soon as his mana recovered, scanned the Nagas and then narrowed his eyes, sensing a familiar energy resonating around the lake.
"But this is strange. I sense the presence of Dragonians somewhere."
"Dragonians?"
"Yes. Dragonians, like the Nagas, were one of the many tribes that served Us. And they were all annihilated by your father, leaving not a single one alive."
"They became part of the Shadow Army."
"Yes. So I don't understand why there's a Draconian scent here. Could there be survivors like those Nagas?"
Just then, the battle ended.
Rumble!
"A-already?!" Rio Singh was shocked at the sight of countless massive bodies collapsing.
"As expected of experienced workers." Suho nodded with a satisfied smile at Greed and Iron, who had finished clearing the Nagas.
Greed and Iron once served as part of the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo's army. They were new recruits who had just joined Suho's forces, but at the same time, they were experienced veterans when it came to commanding Shadow Soldiers. Well, it was only natural when he thought about it. In his past life, Greed was Hwang Dongsoo, an S-rank Hunter who belonged to the Scavenger Guild, the strongest guild in the United States. And Iron was Kim Chul, an A-rank Hunter who was a promising ace of the White Tiger, one of Korea's best guilds. Not only were they strong individually, but they were also general level soldiers who excelled at commanding troops.
[Little Monarch! We have successfully completed the task according to your command!]
After hunting the Nagas, Greed and Iron had other soldiers drag the massive corpses before Suho, even though he hadn't given any specific orders.
[How about taking these Nagas as Shadow Soldiers?]
[The Naga tribe are stupid, but they're quite useful as livestock.]
As expected of those who had served under Sung Jinwoo for a long time, they were knowledgeable, just like Beru. Antares also licked his lips at the sight of the corpses.
"Child of Shadow, did you know? Originally, the Naga tribe were cowards who hid in the deep waters because they didn't want to become prey for our dragons."
"Prey?"
"Yes. They're the perfect prey with plenty of meat."
Gulp. Antares, who had been licking his lips and drooling while explaining about the Nagas, declared confidently.
"I, the King of Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, Antares, hereby declare! I will devour all of them! That might increase the mana of this pathetic Ragnar a little!"
"Sure, go ahead."
Suho readily agreed. After extracting them as Shadow Soldiers, he didn't care about the magical beast corpses anyway. Of course, he could sell them on the market for a high price, but increasing Ragnar's mana was much more beneficial to him than money.
[Shadow Extraction is possible on this target.]
[Shadow Extraction is possible on this target.]
"Arise." At Suho's command, the shadows of the giant Nagas swirled and rose all at once.
"Gasp?!"
"Wh-what?!"
Rio Singh and Jackson collapsed, their legs giving way at the awe-inspiring sight. The giant magical beasts they thought were killed had risen from death! Although their sizes were slightly smaller than before, their appearances, with black steam billowing from their bodies, were truly demonic. But ignoring their shocked reactions, Suho chose the strongest one among them and stored it as a Shadow Soldier under his command.
[Please name the soldier.]
As usual, a message appeared, asking him to name the soldier.
"Hmm. Naga, Naga... Hmm… Let's call him Gordon."
[Name: 'Gordon']
[Confirm?]
"Yes." Suho casually named him 'Gordon.'
With this, a powerful giant Naga was added to Suho's Shadow Army. But he had a bigger concern. The job change quest. He had gained a whopping 4 levels from hunting this Naga pack, and as a result...
[Level: 87]
Suho glanced at his status window and smiled faintly, focusing on what was ahead.
"...This place is much better than I thought, huh?"
"Be careful of the Dragonians. It seems…" Antares advised Suho with a stern gaze.
"Beep?" Ragnar was back.
[The King of Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, covers his face in frustration.]
[The King of Dragons, the Monarch of Destruction, nags Ragnar about having to eat those Nagas...]