After a small examination, Jin-Woo figured out a few things.

First of all, the ranks of the shadow soldiers were:

Normal Grade < Elite Grade < Knight Grade < ???

The boss monster-Igris-has the highest rank among them all, the Knight Grade. Other than that, The 5 Mages were Elite Grade and the rest of the Knights were Normal Grade.

He could also summon the shadows at any time without any mana consumption which was great when compared to the normal mage hunters with specific summoning skills.

“Even the higher rank hunters can only summon up to a few before depleting their mana while I can easily summon more than a dozen.”

Still, that was not the main attraction of the skill he obtained.

“An Undead Army…”

His soldiers would not die even if beheaded but instead keep regenerating, that is, as long as enough mana was supplied to them. But…

“Profile.”

 

[Status

——————

Name: Sung Jin-Woo

Level: 52

Class: Shadow Monarch

Title: The one who overcame adversary

HP: 23100

MP: 740

Fatigue: 60

——————

Strength: 136

Agility: 115

Sense: 97

Vitality: 95

Intelligence: 74

——————

Remaining points: 0]

 

He couldn’t help but click his tongue looking at the status window displaying his stats in front of him. “Tsk, I need to raise my mana fast.”

His intelligence Stat was still in its seventies-unlike the rest of the stats which were well over hundreds. It was the result of him neglecting the Intelligence stat due to it not being of utmost priority.

“I will have to invest all points in mana for the near future.” Grumbling, he averted his attention and opened up the skill information.

[Class-Specific skills:

Skill: Shadow Extraction

A shadow soldier is created from a body without life by taking out its mana. The chance of failure increases the higher the target's stats are, and the more time passed since the target's death.

Resource Consumption: None

Shadows able to be extracted: 30/30

-

Skill: Save Shadow

Absorb the created shadow soldiers and save them. Saved soldiers can be summoned and reabsorbed whenever and wherever the animator desires.

Resource Consumption: None

Saved shadows: 0/20]

 

He stared at the screen-more specifically, at the end of it where it was written [Saved shadows: 0/20].

“I have to cancel the extraction of 10 soldiers…” He pursed his lips. Despite it being little time, he already felt a little attachment to the soldiers.

After a short while, he sighed. “Well, there is no choice.” It went without saying which 10 of the soldiers would be sent to the void.

He picked the nearest 10 Knights and canceled their extraction.

[Are you sure you want to cancel the <Shadow Extraction> on the target?]

“Yes.”

[Initiating cancellation.]

[The selected shadow soldier will be sent to the void. The shadows sent to the void cannot be called back.]

[Cancellation complete.]

Along with the mechanical voice, the shadow soldiers dissipated in the air like smoke.

With a slight tremor, the surroundings started to dissipate along with the soldiers.

[You have completed the <Class Quest>!]

[Initiating Transfer!]

His vision became clear and he found himself standing in the middle of the abandoned warehouse. The moonlight filtering through the broken window mirror and the chilly breeze silently blowing in the peaceful silence made everything seem like a dream.

“But it wasn’t a dream.” The taste of iron in his mouth and the feeling of cold sweat on his back clearly told so.

“Sigh…I guess everything is over for the time being.” As his tense nerves finally relaxed, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Jin Woo quietly made his way back, strolling under the night sky leisurely while taking in the sight of the seemingly dead town.

---

Gathered around a table was a family of four, sitting and eating their breakfast. The older man had a newspaper in his hand while a toast of bread in his other.

A small girl hurriedly stuffed her mouth with food while an older woman reprimanded her. “Jin-Ah, you shouldn’t eat that fast.”

Hearing the usual nagging, she pouted. “Mom, I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry!”

“Sigh, this kid…” Rubbing her temples, the older woman spoke, “You should learn to wake up early like your brother.”

“Hahaha, you shouldn’t be too harsh on her now.” The man lowered his newspaper a little and laughed heartily, “Don’t worry about getting late. I will drop you on the way so eat slowly.”

“Really, it’s because you spoil her too much that…”

Jin Woo just sat at one chair and stared dubiously at the spectacle unfolding in front of him. ”Just what is…?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t recognize the scene, but he recognized it too well. How could he not? It was still before that incident happened and his father went missing…

‘…I see. It’s a dream.’ He could vaguely remember being too tired and instantly falling asleep. ‘Still…’

“Huh? What’s wrong, Jin-Woo?” Noticing that he hadn’t touched his plate at all, his father asked him worriedly.

“No…”

Before Jin Woo could say anything, a bright light forced him to close his eyes.

---

When the light subsided, he opened his eyes slowly.

The scene that greeted him was completely different from before.

An unknown man wearing a suit bowed in front of his mother and sister quietly. He had a strained expression on his face as if he had swallowed a hard pill. Maybe he knew how much grief his words would cause the little family? He opened his mouth with much hesitation.

“…We are very sorry to inform you, but Hunter Sung Ill-Hwan has disappeared inside a dungeon while trying to save his…”

His statement wasn’t finished yet, but Jin-Ah stumbled back in disbelief and couldn’t stop her tears. Her mother comforted her with tightly pursed lips and a strained smile on her face with the corner of her eyes getting red.

Jin Woo stared quietly with firmly clasped fists before another bright flash occurred and swallowed everything. This time, though, he didn’t close his eyes.

---

The view transitioned to show his mother lying on the bed with various machines attached, her chest heaving up and down peacefully as if in a deep sleep.

The doctor’s slightly emotionless voice resounded in his ears.

“We are very sorry but, she has entered the final stage of Eternal Sleep. There is nothing we can do now.”

Maybe the doctor had long gotten used to such cases? Whatever the reason, he still couldn’t maintain his demeanor and his face crumpled slightly at the sight of a young girl breaking down in front of him.

---

Next, Jin-Woo found himself lying in a familiar yet unfamiliar place. 

“Oppa! You got admitted into hospital again?!”

His sister barged into the room and shouted worriedly. It was obvious that she had rushed over from her school, as evident from her backpack and uniform.

“Jin-Ah…”

---

Next, Jin-Woo sat on the couch in his apartment with his dominant bandaged and limping by his side. His sister said while feeding him cantaloupes.

“Oppa, you really need to stop getting injured every time you enter a gate. Do you know how worried you made me when I got the call from the hospital?”

“…Did you think I won’t notice you are only feeding me the hard parts?”

“Geez, Oppa! Don’t ruin the mood!”

---

Next,

“Oppa, you will die at this rate!”

---

Next,

“Oppa, I’m not listening to any excuses this time! You are going to quit your job as a Hunter!”

---

Next,

“Oppa, you again…”

---

Next,

“Oppa!”

---

Until, when she opened the door.

“Oppa?”

There was no one sitting at the table giving her a weak smile.

The barrage of excuses that she had gotten used to didn’t come.

The ridiculing voice whenever she messed up something stopped.

The face full of excitement whenever she got good grades but still tried to hide it was nowhere to be found.

Her stubborn but kind Oppa disappeared completely.

“…Oppa, why?”

Her voice sounded frail like a candle in a storm.

---

Jin Woo abruptly woke up from his sleep and sat straight, his back drenched in cold sweat and his heart palpating like a steam engine.

He looked around and was welcomed by an unfamiliar room.

“This…”

He covered his face with his hands and slumped back into the bed.

“…This is really shitty.”