254 SUMMON THE SHADOW
Leo returned to his Jade Throne, his hands outstretched as he settled into its ancient, glowing frame.
"It's about time," he murmured, his voice echoing through the chamber.
The throne captured the Cakra and essence of countless heroes and adventurers, and it began to pulse with energy. The stored magic, harvested from those who had fallen into the dungeon, surged into Leo's body filling him with an overwhelming force.
His body ignited with a radiant glow, every vein alight with raw power. Magic coursed through him, fortifying his muscles, bones, and spirit.
He had chosen to break through his limits, and the throne's energy made it possible. As the initial surge of power began to dim, it flared again—a second breakthrough, then a third. Each wave of energy pushed him further, elevating his strength to new heights.
When the light finally faded, Leo rose from the throne, his presence radiating enhanced power.
Sujira, watching intently, broke the silence. "What is your strength now?"
Leo glanced at the energy swirling within him. "I'm at the peak of Svad," he declared.
Petunia smirked. "Wow, it's so easy to level up with that damn throne."
Leo chuckled. "Yes, it is. Take a seat," he offered, gesturing to Petunia and Sujira.
"Us too?" Sujira asked, surprised.
"Yes," Leo confirmed. "The Jade Throne has collected enough magic to help us all reach the peak of Svad, at the very least."
Petunia and Sujira exchanged glances before settling onto the throne. Magic surged through them, their bodies alight with power as they experienced their own breakthroughs.
When the energy subsided, both women stood at the peak of Svad, their strength vastly improved.
"What about Sister Yun-Yun, don't she require an enhancement?" Sujira asked, glancing at the Yun-Yun standing nearby who merely smiled at them with satisfaction.
Yun-Yun shook her head. "My advancement isn't dependent on the throne's magic," she explained calmly.
Leo smiled with understanding.
Then he elaborated, "Yun-Yun's true magic is at the peak of Man tier or stronger. She wouldn't even tell me that. Her power is suppressed now due to an advancement curse. Once she overcomes it, she'll ascend to the divine tier of Ana or whatever."
Yun-Yun did not affirm or deny that. She merely smiled.
"That's the strength of a divine", Sujira murmured.
The women marveled at Yun-Yun's strength, their respect for their elder sister deepening.
"Now that you've reached the peak of Svad, you should activate your Shadow Minion," Yun-Yun advised Leo.
"Shadow Minion? Why does he need to activate it now?" Sujira asked, curious.
Yun-Yun explained, "There are benefits to having a Shadow Minion, but also drawbacks. With a doppelganger, you'll require significantly more experience and magic to advance to the next tier. More than double every additional doppelganger you command. It's a trade-off."
Petunia turned to Leo. "Is that why you're advancing to Peak tier now? Because it would become harder to advance once you summoned a shadow."
"Then why don't you just advance to Man tier directly first? With a shadow summon it would be almost impossible to reach Man tier under ordinary circumstance," Sujira asked.
Leo nodded. "I don't want to reach Man tier too quickly."
"Why not?" Sujira pressed.
Yun-Yun answered for him. "Because Leo would face Divine Retribution upon reaching Man tier, he's an exceptional talent in the eyes of heaven and his retribution would be far more severe than most mages."
"Exactly," Leo added. "I need to prepare before taking that step. Having a Shadow Minion will slow my advance to Man. That would give me time to control my advancement in a way beneficial to me."
Without further explanation, a shadowy figure began to emerge from Leo's body. It solidified into a perfect replica of him, standing tall and confident.
The doppelganger examined itself before grinning. "This bloody hell worked."
Petunia blinked in astonishment. "There are really two of you now?"
"Yes," both Leos replied in unison.
Sujira groaned. "This is going to be confusing. How do we handle two husbands?"
Petunia smirked. "You're the greedy one. Two is better than one, right?"
Sujira's imagination ran while as she pondered the possibilities with two husbands. Previously it was one husband shared with three wives, now its two shared with three.
"Chink…Chink…Chink"
Greed Counter falling.
Sujira laughed heartily. Even the thought of it helped her grow more greed counters.
"How will the world react if they discover two of you?" Petunia asked.
The original Leo reassured her, "Don't worry. I'll stay in the dungeon with you. There are plenty of magic codes I need to learn and master, and Yun-Yun can guide me here. I've neglected my studies for too long."
Yun-Yun glanced at him approvingly.
The Shadow Minion stepped forward. "And I'll handle business outside from now."
Yun-Yun clarified, "Leo's Shadow Minion is a complete double—identical in appearance, thought, and magic. However, their minds aren't linked psychically. Periodically, the shadow must return to the host to merge their experiences and become one again."
Sujira nodded in understanding. "And if the shadow dies, its consciousness returns to the host automatically."
"So, husband can adventure out of the dungeon without having to worry about getting killed", Petunia said.
"Yes, that is how villains conduct themselves. They send their Shadow Minions out to do their dark deeds while their true self remains hidden in their secret dungeon", Leo added.
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[The Inn of Travellers]
"Lady Dassa, we have bad news. The Rose Dungeon has vanished completely," Lord Aseran announced. The invisible force field opened a gap for him as he entered the room, his voice heavy with urgency.
Lady Dassa rose from her seat, her mind racing. "What do you mean, the dungeon has disappeared? What happened?" she demanded, her tone was sharp and unpleasant.
"The dungeon vanished shortly after Unna entered to capture it," Aseran explained, his expression grim.
Dassa's eyes narrowed with worry.
She opened her palm, reaching out to sense Unna's magic. Unna was given the powerful apparition of Hera, which maintained a connection to Dassa's magic.
As Dassa focused, her face paled.