The giant hand gripped the edge of the rift, pulling a massive body into the lobby. The floor cracked under the weight. It was a Void Titan—a Level 15 mini-boss. It had skin like grey rock and a face with no eyes, only a giant mouth full of jagged teeth.
[Warning: Level 15 Mini-Boss Detected!] [The Titan is enraged by your presence.]
I didn't move. A Level 15 boss would have terrified me yesterday. But today, I was a Shadow Sovereign. I felt a cold, calm power flowing through my veins.
"Nero, keep the small ghouls away. Shadows, attack!"
My five shadow gargoyles flew into the air. They dived at the Titan, their smoke-claws tearing at its rocky skin. The Titan roared, swinging its massive arms to swat them away like flies. It hit one of my shadows, turning it into a cloud of black mist.
But a second later, the mist gathered back together. The shadow gargoyle formed again, perfectly fine, and bit the Titan's neck.
[Shadow Soldiers are immortal as long as the Sovereign has Mana.]
I checked my mana bar. It was barely moving. The Mana Spring in my bunker had given me a huge boost, and my new class made my energy very efficient. I walked toward the bone chest while the Titan was busy fighting my army. I didn't care about the monster. I cared about the prize. I sliced the silver chains with my blade and kicked the lid open.
Inside, there was a single item. It was a long, black cloak that looked like it was made of raven feathers. It pulsed with a dark, purple light.
[Item: The Monarch's Shroud (Rank: S)] [Effect: Increases Mana regeneration by 100%. Allows the user to hide in any shadow for an unlimited time.]
"Perfect," I whispered. I threw the shroud over my shoulders. It felt light as air, but I could feel my energy filling up twice as fast.
The Titan let out a final, pained roar. It was covered in hundreds of small cuts from my shadows. It was tired, and its movements were getting slow. It tried to grab me, its giant fingers reaching out to crush my skull.
"Enough play time," I said.
I used Shadow Blink.
I didn't appear behind the Titan. I appeared right above its head. I grabbed its horn with one hand and drove the Shadow-Slaying Blade deep into its skull. I didn't stop there. I poured my shadow energy into the blade, letting it explode inside the monster's head.
BOOM.
The Titan's body went limp. It crashed to the floor, sending a cloud of dust into the air that covered the entire lobby.
[Exp +1500] [Ding! Level Up!] [Current Level: 11]
I stood on top of the dead giant. I looked at its shadow. It was huge. It was powerful. If I could get this shadow, I would have a tank for my army. I reached out my hand. My shadow stretched out and touched the Titan's shadow.
"Arise," I commanded.
The ground began to shake. The black ink bubbled more violently than before. A massive shape started to rise from the floor. It was the Titan, but its body was now made of swirling black smoke and blue fire. It stood twelve feet tall, looking down at me with glowing blue eyes.
[Shadow Titan (Level 15) has been added to your army.] [You are the first to command a Giant-class Shadow!]
Nero landed on the Titan's shoulder and let out a proud chirp. He looked like a king sitting on a throne.
I looked around the bank. The rift was gone. The ghouls were dead. I had a new army, a new level, and a legendary cloak. But then, I heard something.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
I turned around. Standing near the broken front doors was a man. He was wearing a clean white suit and holding a golden cane. He didn't look scared. He looked bored, like he was watching a movie he had already seen.
"Impressive," the man said. His voice was smooth like silk. "I didn't think anyone in this city would reach Level 10 so fast. And a Hidden Class, too. Very lucky."
I raised my sword. My six shadows moved in front of me, growling. Nero bared his teeth, black smoke rising from his mouth.
"Who are you?" I asked.
The man smiled. He tapped his cane on the floor, and a gold screen appeared next to him.
[Name: Park Jun-Ho] [Level: ???] [Class: The Merchant of Fate]
"I'm just a salesman, Han Chen," he said. "The world is changing. The gods are watching. And they want to place bets on who will survive. I'm here to offer you a deal."
He pointed his cane at the pile of mana stones in the vault.
"You have the stones. I have the items. Do you want to keep playing with shadows, or do you want to buy the power to kill a god?"
I looked at him. In my past life, I had heard of the 'Merchant of Fate.' He only appeared to the strongest players. He sold things that didn't exist in the normal world—things like 'God-Slaying Spears' and 'Time-Turners.' But he always asked for a price. And it wasn't just mana stones.
"What do you want?" I asked.
The Merchant's smile grew wider. "A favor. One day, I will ask you to kill someone for me. Someone very, very high up. Do we have a deal?"
I looked at my army. I looked at the red numbers in the sky. I knew that the monsters coming in the 'Second Wave' would be much stronger than ghouls. If I wanted to win, I needed better gear.
"Show me what you have," I said.
The Merchant laughed. He waved his hand, and the entire bank lobby vanished. We were standing in a golden room filled with floating weapons and glowing books. It was a space outside of time.
"Let's go shopping, Sovereign," he said, waving his hand at the rows of treasures.
I walked through the golden hall. My eyes landed on a book wrapped in old leather. It was shaking, as if something inside was trying to get out.
[Item: The Book of Ancient Kings (Rank: SSS)] [Effect: Upgrades all Shadow Soldiers to their 'Elite' forms. Increases Shadow Army capacity by 50.]
"That one," I said, pointing to the book.
The Merchant nodded. "A fine choice. That will be all the mana stones in your vault, plus our little deal for the future. Do you accept?"
I didn't hesitate. "Yes."
I grabbed the book. The moment I touched it, a wave of dark knowledge flooded my brain. I felt my connection to my shadows grow stronger, deeper.
[Shadow Soldiers are evolving...] [Shadow Gargoyles -> Shadow Knights!] [Shadow Titan -> Abyssal Colossus!]
Outside the golden room, I could hear a loud horn blowing. It was the sound of the 'Second Wave' beginning. The sky over the city was turning red.
"The fun is just starting," the Merchant said, his voice fading away.
Suddenly, I was back in the bank lobby. But the city was different. The red numbers in the sky had hit a new milestone.
[28:23:59:59] [The Second Wave: The Orc Invasion has begun.]
I walked out of the bank. In the distance, I could see giant green figures carrying huge axes. They were walking through the streets, smashing cars and houses.
I looked at my new army. Five black knights in heavy armor and one massive giant made of shadow stood behind me.
"Nero," I said, my voice cold. "I think it's time we showed this city who the real boss is."
Nero let out a roar that shook the buildings. We weren't hiding anymore. The hunt was just getting bigger.