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Arthur stood over Beru's mangled corpse, Kamish's Twinblade lowering slowly to his side. The cavern was silent save for the faint hiss of acid blood searing into the stone. The Ant King, a creature whose presence alone had made the earth quake, now lay dead at his feet.
Arthur exhaled, almost disappointed, then raised his voice.
"Arise."
The word was a command from something beyond mortal understanding. Shadows erupted instantly, spilling out of Beru's carcass in violent waves. They gushed across the walls and ceiling, filling the vast chamber with choking pressure so suffocating that every ant in the hive dropped flat, paralyzed in dread.
The corpse twitched. Blackness wrapped around the chitin, pulling flesh and bone into something darker, grander. Then, with a tearing scream of shadow, a figure emerged, Beru reborn. His new form was a nightmare of living darkness: wings unfurled wide, claws gleaming violet at their edges, eyes blazing violet like twin fires in the abyss.
And then he knelt.
Head bowed low, his monstrous body folding to the ground, Beru's voice thundered but carried reverence.
"My liege."
Arthur's lips curved into a smile, calm but sharp, violet glow flickering in his gaze. "With you, Beru, now part of my shadow army… there is only one more left."
A system chime flickered in his eyes:
[Shadow Extraction Successful]
[Beru]
[Rank: Marshall]
The words made his smile widen. A Marshall. Not just another soldier, but a commander in his ranks.
Arthur turned his gaze over the cavern endless tunnels and dead creatures lurking beyond them, the one he killed earlier. The remaining ants had frozen when Beru fell, but their presence pressed against his senses. He sighed, expression souring as if the thought alone weighed on him.
"Ugh. I can't deny it… the others could be useful too." His grip tightened faintly on his blade before lowering it. "So I should take them as well."
He closed his eyes, annoyance plain on his face, and he said once more. "Arise."
The command dropped. Shadows swept out again, this time flooding through every tunnel. The ants bodies writhing as their shadows were ripped from the husks and reforged in darkness. One after another, their forms began to emerge until the cavern was filled with only shadow, an army birthed from Arthur's will alone.
And then
He blinked.
The air shifted, pulling violently at his body. A sudden force wrenched him backward, like invisible hooks dragging him through space itself.
The cavern vanished.
Arthur staggered once and found himself standing in dim lamplight. The scent of lavender, faint parchment, and Raven's quiet essence filled the air. He was in her room, seated upon her bed, Kamish's Twinblade resting across his knees as if he had never left.
He ran a hand back through his ashen white hair, exhaling through his nose. "That was level eight…" His voice was calm but thoughtful, eyes glowing faintly violet in the dark. "If Beru was among the soldiers I was meant to gain, and the only one left is Bellion..the lieutenant of Ashborn, and the one who carries the Black Heart, then…"
His brow furrowed.
"…what's in level ten?" His tone carried a rare note of genuine curiosity, almost unease. "Or is level nine something else entirely, it isn't Bellion?"
For a moment he just sat there, silent, lost in his own puzzle. Then he stood, sliding the Twinblade back into system inventory. His violet gaze turned toward the window, the faint glow of Jump city's scape glittering beyond the tower.
"I'll need to wait until the dungeon becomes accessible again," he murmured, his voice calm but resolved. "Only then will I know."
The words hung in Raven's room for a moment before he lifted his hand, summoning the translucent interface only he could see. Lines of glowing text and numbers streamed before his eyes, each value pulsing faintly with power.
[Status Bar]
[Name:] Arthur Blackwynd
[Job:] Shadow Monarch
[Title:] Architect of Fear (+40 int +30 sense +30 agi +30 str)
Passive: [Dread Architect]
[Level:] 125 → 170
[Fatigue:] 10
[HP:] 12,050
[MP:] 13,650
[Strength:] 226 → 300 (+80)
[Health:] 205 → 250
[Agility:] 215 → 300 (+80)
[Intelligence:] 223 → 279 (+90)
[Sense:] 200 → 300 (+80)
[Available Ability Points:] 135 → 0
[Passive Skills:]
• Tenacity (Level 1)
• Insanity's Gambit (Immunity to Mind Control, Fear, and Sanity-Based Debuffs)
[Job-Specific Skills:]
• Shadow Extraction
• Shadow Exchange
• Monarch's Domain
[Skills:]
• Bloodlust (Level 2)
• Ruler's Authority
• Mutilation
• Sword Rush
• Speed Step
• Kryptonian Flight
• Dragon's Fear
[Equipment:]
• Omega-Hardened Hide
• Abyssforged Necklace
• Cape of Silent Descent
• Ring of the Monarch of Beginning (+50 all stats)
• Kamish Twinblade
[Inventory:]
• Doomsday's Bone Gauntlets
• Abyssforged Necklace
• Azarath Knight Armor Set
• Promethium Sword
• Anti-Kryptonian Blood Vial (Epic)
• Shattered Bolt
• Kryptonite Sword
• Solar Gauntlets
• Ring of The Shadow Corps
• Lasso of Submission
• Venom Sac Flask ×10
• Tower of Fate Key
• Legacy Shadow Legion Dungeon Key
Arthur exhaled slowly, letting the numbers sink in. His reflection glimmered faintly in the status window, violet eyes staring back at him with quiet fire.
"Well," he said, flexing his fingers as a pulse of raw strength coursed through his veins, "the numbers aren't for show. I do feel stronger than ever."
He closed the interface with a flick of his hand, shadows rippling at the edges of his presence as though the world itself acknowledged the surge in his power.
The silence in Raven's room didn't last long. The air warped, dark ripples folding into one another until a portal opened in the corner. Out of it stepped Raven, her cloak brushing against her ankles as the glow faded behind her. Arms crossed tightly against her chest, she regarded him with her usual deadpan look.
"The usual intruder still lurking in my room" she muttered, voice flat but her eyes betraying just the faintest twitch.
Arthur was still standing by her bed, violet eyes meeting hers with calm amusement. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Stop acting like you dislike me being here."
Her brows arched ever so slightly, though she didn't uncross her arms. "I don't. I just never understood why something like this exists in my room."
Arthur chuckled low, shaking his head. "It's fate making a joke on me." His smile thinned as he thought privately, 'more like the system does.' Then out loud he added, "Honestly, I would've preferred if the entrance to that dimension was somewhere else. It just happens to be here."
Her head tilted, and her lips curved into a faint pout. "Are you saying you hate coming here?" The question was almost too casual, but the flicker of pink on her pale cheeks betrayed her.
Arthur's smirk deepened. "No. Not what I said."
He stepped closer, until he was right in front of her. His hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer in one smooth motion. Raven stiffened, her arms pressing slightly against his chest as her face flushed deeper. Their lips were so close now that even the slightest movement could close the gap.
She turned her head quickly, eyes averted, as if she was trying hide her embarrassed face. "You.." she cleared her throat softly, her voice suddenly smaller. "Did you at least obtain what you wanted?"
Arthur studied her with a soft glow in his eyes. "A step closer, yeah."
He lifted his other hand, brushing it along her jawline until she was forced to look back at him. Their eyes locked, her violet to his. His voice dropped lower, smoother. "You know… I have some time off now. We can.."
He didn't even get to finish.
Raven surged forward, her lips crashing into his with unexpected force. The kiss was passionate, raw, the kind of kiss she'd never let anyone else see her give. Arthur blinked once at the suddenness of it, then closed his eyes and kissed her back with equal fervor, pulling her body flush against his, one hand still on her waist, the other on the back of her neck.
Her hands, once stiff against him, curled into his back, gripping tightly as if she couldn't let go. Her cloak brushed against both of them, wrapping them in her scent of incense and night air.
When she finally pulled back for breath, her face was bright red, her chest rising and falling quickly. She didn't look him in the eye, though her hands refused to let go.
Arthur tilted his head, a rare softness mixing with his teasing smirk. "That was… interesting from you."
"Shut up," she muttered, eyes darting away again. But there was the faintest curve of a smile tugging at her lips.
Arthur leaning his forehead against hers. "Fine. I'll shut up. For now."
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want