Chapter 5: The Shadow Army Grows
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🌒 Scene 1: Echoes of Revenge
Jin stood silently in Rago's ruined apartment.
Blood dripped from the ceiling. The room was dark, silent, cold.
Rago lay unconscious — not dead, but broken. Jin hadn't killed him.
> "Death would be mercy," Jin muttered, turning away.
He raised his hand.
> "Fang, let's go."
The wolf's shadow melted back into Jin's body.
A notification appeared:
> [You have completed an Unofficial Quest: Vengeance – Part I]
[New Title Acquired: Shadow Hunter]
[Title Effect: Increases fear aura and stealth in dark areas.]
Jin stepped into the alley and vanished like mist.
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⚔️ Scene 2: A New Dungeon – Knight's Rest
A few days later, Jin entered a mid-tier dungeon alone. The gate shimmered like silver fire.
Inside: stone castles, fallen warriors, and the broken bones of a once-great army.
> "This place…" Jin whispered, "feels ancient."
Suddenly, armored skeletons emerged — once knights, now corrupted. Their armor clanged as they surrounded him.
Jin didn't hesitate.
> "Stone. Fang. Arise."
His golem crashed into them like a battering ram. Fang slashed and bit through them.
Jin danced between enemies, slicing throats and striking weak points with deadly precision.
> [Enemies Defeated: 20]
[You may extract a new shadow.]
He knelt beside a fallen knight in black armor. Unlike the others, this one held his sword tightly even in death.
The System spoke:
> [Named Soul Detected: High Knight Kael]
[Shadow Extraction – 35% Chance]
[Would you like to attempt?]
Jin nodded.
> "Arise."
The ground shook. The knight's shadow screamed as it rose. Darkness exploded — and then knelt before Jin.
> [Shadow Extraction Successful.]
[New Shadow General: Kael – The Black Blade]
Kael stood, his black cape fluttering in the windless air. His voice echoed softly:
> "I serve… my king."
Jin's eyes narrowed.
> "Then rise. You'll lead them."
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🧠 Scene 3: Level-Up and Power Shift
Back home, Jin studied his status screen:
Name Jin
Class Shadow Monarch
Level 18
Title Shadow Hunter
Shadows 3 (Stone, Fang, Kael)
Skills Shadow Extraction, Shadow Exchange, Bloodlust, Dagger Mastery
Quests Daily Training, [Secret Quest: Rise of the Monarch]
> "Still not enough," Jin muttered. "There's something… coming."
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💬 Side Scene: First Mention of the Name "Jin"
In the Hunter Association office, guild leaders were arguing.
> "Another solo clear? That's five dungeons in two weeks!" "No casualties. No traces. Just shadows left behind." "He's not registered with any guild. No class. No rank."
One senior hunter dropped a file on the desk.
> "His name is Jin."
Everyone went silent.
> "Find him. Recruit him. Or stop him."
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🌺 Scene 4: Shadow Meets Light (Female Lead Intro Tease)
At the gate of a new dungeon, Jin was preparing to enter when he heard a voice:
> "Hey. You there. You're Jin, right?"
He turned.
A tall girl in silver armor, eyes glowing with divine light, stood confidently. A paladin — a rare healer-warrior hybrid class.
> "I'm Lira. You've been clearing dungeons that aren't yours. That's guild territory."
Jin's eyes narrowed. "And?"
> "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to ask you something."
She smiled faintly. "Are you human… or something else?"
Jin stared at her for a long moment. His shadow stirred.
> "I don't know yet."
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☠️ Final Scene: The Monarch Moves
In the void between dimensions, the True Monarch of Shadows stirred on his throne.
He watched Jin's progress through a broken mirror of time.
> "He carries my power… but not my will."
His fingers twisted, and a monster was born from pure shadow.
> "Let's test his heart. Send the Fallen Archbeast."
A portal opened — somewhere deep beneath the city.
The next dungeon… would be a disaster.
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📘 To Be Continued…