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Chapter 142 — Return of the Darkness
Shen smiled.
For the first time in a long while, it was a smile of true happiness.
"I accept," he said simply.
Saen's eyes trembled.
And so—
the training began.
---
At first, it felt light.
Almost joyful.
One hundred push-ups.
One thousand sword swings.
Short runs through the palace grounds.
Saen trained with a smile.
Sael watched with bright eyes, admiration filling his face.
But time did not stop.
And neither did Shen.
---
One Month Later
The training became inhuman.
One hundred push-ups became—
A thousand.
A million.
A trillion.
Five thousand meters of running turned into—
A million repetitions.
Then a trillion.
Pull-ups climbed from—
One thousand
to millions
to trillions.
Sword techniques followed the same path—
One hundred strikes
to a million
to a trillion.
No rest.
No mercy.
And yet—
Saen endured.
His body screamed, but his will never broke.
Shen watched silently.
The moment I accepted him, Shen thought,
I knew.
From the very next day, he trained without regret.
Perfect. Steady. Decent.
Sael stood nearby every day, eyes shining.
---
Lare appeared beside Shen, arms crossed.
"You were never this patient," Lare said.
"And we still have too much work to do."
He looked at Shen.
"Why did you accept him?"
Shen didn't look away from Saen.
"Because of him," Shen replied calmly,
"I can regain my power."
Lare frowned.
"But how?"
Shen finally turned.
"I'm absorbing his negative energy," he said.
"Slowly. Naturally."
Lare's eyes widened.
"But he doesn't hate you."
Shen nodded.
"He doesn't."
"But his hatred still exists," Shen continued.
"Not toward me—"
"Toward the man who betrayed his family."
Lare went silent.
Then his eyes sharpened.
"…That explains it."
"When I first saw him," Lare said,
"his body was overflowing with dark mana."
Shen nodded once.
---
That night—
Shen stopped the training.
"This is enough for today," he said.
Saen bowed deeply.
---
Midnight
Shen sat alone in his chamber.
The palace was silent.
He closed his eyes.
And focused.
Dark mana gathered—slowly, carefully.
Then—
Something answered.
The room trembled.
Cracks spread across the walls.
Dark energy erupted from Shen's body, wrapping around him like a storm.
His muscles hardened.
His presence sharpened.
His soul reconnected.
One by one—
His powers returned.
Pure Identity.
Null.
Dark Mage.
Terminal Curse.
The room shattered.
Shen opened his eyes, shocked.
"…How?" he whispered.
Lare appeared instantly.
"Shen," Lare said, stunned,
"how did you regain your other powers too?"
Shen clenched his fist.
"I don't know," he said honestly.
---
The doors burst open.
Sael and Saen rushed in, soldiers following behind them.
Saen stared at the ruined chamber.
"What happened to you?" Saen asked.
Shen simply smiled.
"It's nothing."
But inside his heart—
Now… I can finally meet my friends again.
---
Suddenly—
A chilling presence flooded the palace.
A voice echoed.
"Soldiers," it said coldly,
"hand over those two."
A man stepped forward.
The Assassin King.
Sael and Saen immediately moved into battle stance.
"Soldiers," Saen shouted,
"CHARGE!"
But the Assassin King did not come alone.
More appeared.
Ten.
Fifty.
One hundred.
Killers.
Shen stepped forward calmly.
Still smiling.
He raised one finger.
Dark mana exploded.
Dark Mage — Form One.
The pressure crushed the ground.
Saen froze.
Tears streamed down his face.
"This…" he cried, voice shaking,
"this is our treasure."
"This is our destination!"
He fell to his knees.
"Father… I found the truth."
Shen moved once.
Just once.
A flick of his finger.
Darkness erased everything.
The assassins collapsed—lifeless—before they even understood what happened.
Only one remained.
Shen walked toward him slowly.
His smile turned sharp.
"Go back," Shen said softly.
"And tell your master—"
"If he touches them…"
"I will kill him."
His eyes burned.
"Because I am Shen Karguro."
The assassin trembled.
"…Y-you're the one who defeated the Arcane King?"
Shen nodded.
"Yes."
The assassin vanished in fear.
Silence returned.
Darkness settled.
And the legend—
had returned.
---