The Obsidian Shadow Drake let out another ear-splitting roar, the force of its breath blowing back the purple mist of the Crystal Forest. Arthur stood firm, his boots digging into the glass-strewn earth. To any other hunter, this would be a death sentence. But to Arthur, it was the ultimate opportunity.
[Warning! Shadow Drake is preparing 'Void Breath'.]
The dragon's chest began to glow with a sickly violet light. Arthur didn't wait. He didn't have long-range spells, but he had something better—explosive speed. He kicked off the ground, shattering the obsidian floor beneath him, and propelled himself forward like a cannonball.
As the dragon unleashed its Void Breath, a beam of pure darkness that disintegrated everything in its path, Arthur performed a mid-air maneuver. He twisted his body, the beam grazing his shoulder, and landed directly on the dragon's snout.
"My turn, lizard!" Arthur yelled.
He gripped his shortsword with both hands and plunged it into the soft tissue between the dragon's armored scales.
ROAAAAAAR!
The Drake thrashed violently, trying to shake him off, but Arthur held on with iron-like grip. He began to run up the dragon's long neck, his sword trailing behind him, carving a deep, jagged line through its obsidian scales.
The dragon swung its massive tail, a blow that would have crushed a tank. Arthur sensed the vibration through his feet and jumped, the tail passing beneath him with a thunderous WHOOSH. While in the air, he grabbed the handle of the 'Heart of the Shadow Dragon' pendant around his neck.
Even though it was sealed, the artifact reacted to the presence of a pure-blood Shadow Drake. It pulsed with a blinding light, and for a split second, a spectral dragon claw emerged from the pendant, striking the Drake across its eyes.
[Ding! Hidden interaction detected.]
[The Seal on 'Heart of the Shadow Dragon' has weakened by 5%!]
The Drake was blinded and disoriented. This was the moment.
Arthur landed on the dragon's back, right above its heart. He felt the massive organ beating beneath the scales. He channeled every ounce of his C-Rank mana into his blade. The steel shortsword began to hum, unable to contain the sheer pressure.
"This is for every time I was called trash!" Arthur roared, thrusting the sword down with all his might.
The blade pierced the dragon's heart. A fountain of black, glowing blood erupted, soaking Arthur from head to toe. The Obsidian Shadow Drake let out one final, mournful cry before its massive body collapsed, sending a tremor through the entire Second Floor.
Silence returned to the Crystal Forest. Arthur stood on top of the fallen titan, breathing heavily, his heart racing.
Then, the notifications began to flood his mind like a torrential rain.
[Ding!]
[Host has successfully slain an A-Rank Field Boss: Obsidian Shadow Drake!]
[Base Experience gained: 200,000 EXP]
[Base Loot: Dragon Scale x10, Dragon Heart String x1, 10,000 Gold Coins]
[Passive Skill '100x Multiplier' Activated!]
[Experience gained: 200,000 x 100 = 20,000,000 EXP!]
[Loot gained: Dragon Scale x1,000, Dragon Heart String x100, 1,000,000 Gold Coins!]
[Ding! Total Experience exceeds current Rank limit.]
[Host has leveled up to Level 46... 47... 48... 49... 50!]
[MAX LEVEL FOR C-RANK REACHED!]
[Ding! Requirement for Class Evolution met.]
[Available Evolutions:]
[Shadow Monarch: Control the souls of the fallen.]
[Void Slayer: Absolute destruction of all magical defenses.]
[Infinite Berserker: Power grows with every drop of blood spilled.]
Arthur stared at the screen, his mind reeling. Twenty million experience points. A million gold coins. He was now wealthier than some of the top guilds in the world. But it was the Evolution options that truly shook him.
"Shadow Monarch..." Arthur whispered, his eyes lingering on the first option. The power to turn his enemies into his soldiers. To never be alone again. To have an army that would never betray him.
"I choose... Shadow Monarch!"
[Ding! Class Evolution: Shadow Monarch selected.]
[Evolution in progress... 1%... 50%... 100%.]
A pillar of black light erupted from Arthur, piercing through the ceiling of the Second Floor and reaching up toward the surface world. His ragged clothes were replaced by a suit of dark, ethereal armor that seemed to be made of shifting shadows. His shortsword transformed into a sleek, black dagger that hummed with the power of the abyss.
[Ding! Class Evolution Complete.]
[Host is now a B-Rank Shadow Monarch.]
[New Skill Acquired: 'Shadow Extraction' - Turn a fallen enemy into a loyal Shadow Soldier.]
Arthur looked down at the massive corpse of the Shadow Drake beneath his feet. A dark, predatory smile spread across his face.
"Stand up," Arthur commanded, his voice echoing with the authority of a king.
From the shadow of the dead dragon, a dark, spectral form began to rise. The Obsidian Shadow Drake was no longer his enemy. It was his first soldier.
Arthur looked toward the path leading to the Third Floor. Zane and Elara were still somewhere behind him, struggling to survive. The top hunters of the world were still oblivious to his existence. But not for long.
"The world thought they could throw me away," Arthur said, his shadow army growing behind him. "Now, they'll have to pray I don't decide to throw them away."
The Sovereign had truly risen.