The blue lights in the hospital room blinked softly. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Kai stood next to Minae's bed.
The dark, crystal-like veins on her arms were finally fading. The Mana-Crystallization was slowing down.
He pulled his hand back. The black mist of his Abyss Devour slipped back under his skin.
Minae took a deep, easy breath. She looked peaceful.
"Her pulse is steady," Aria Vance said from the doorway.
Aria kept her hand on her twin daggers. It was a habit she picked up during their deadly raids in the Dead City.
Director Han stood next to her. He rubbed his temples. He looked tired and stressed.
"The High Council is making their move, Draven," Han said. "They want you at the Central Citadel right now."
Kai didn't look away from his sleeping sister.
"Why?"
"Because they are terrified of you," Han replied. "You crushed Jaxon Sterling at the National Tournament. You cleared the Kalthar Red Gate all by yourself. General Iron-Side has two heavy strike teams waiting for you."
"It's a trap, Kai," Aria warned. "They want to lock up your mana core."
Kai finally turned around.
His shadow stretched across the white floor. It didn't look like a normal shadow. It was thick. It was dark.
Inside that darkness, Bane the Ogre Warlord waited. Fifty-four other shadow soldiers stood behind him in perfect silence.
Kai smiled. It was a cold, dangerous smile.
"Let them try to trap a shadow," Kai said.
His voice carried the heavy, deep weight of his Monarch's Presence.
"Han, stay here with Minae. Do not let anyone inside. Aria, you're coming with me."
BANG!
The heavy stone doors of the High Council Chamber flew open.
The room was huge. It was built like an ancient fortress. The walls were lined with special black stone to block magic.
Nine council members sat at the very top. General Iron-Side stood in front of them. Thirty heavily armored guards aimed their weapons at the door.
Kai walked right down the middle of the room.
His heavy boots clicked against the floor. He didn't even blink. Aria followed close behind, her eyes scanning for threats.
"Kai Draven!" General Iron-Side shouted.
The General's voice echoed through the massive hall.
"You broke the rules! You used forbidden, unclassified magic during a national tournament!" Iron-Side yelled.
Kai kept walking. He looked bored.
"You consumed the core of a disaster-class monster!" Iron-Side continued. "By order of the Council, surrender your powers right now!"
The General slammed his fist on the desk.
Four guards stepped forward. They slammed metal pillars into the ground.
ZAP!
Thick blue chains made of pure magic shot out of the floor. They flew through the air and wrapped around Kai's arms, legs, and chest.
The chains glowed brightly.
Ten thousand volts of anti-mana lightning blasted into Kai's body.
The council members leaned forward. They smiled. They waited for the former E-Rank pack mule to scream and fall to his knees.
But Kai just stood there.
He didn't scream. He didn't drop.
A dark, low laugh filled the silent room.
Underneath his clothes, Kai used Shadow Synthesis and Void Veil. Black mist coated his skin. It ate the lightning. It turned the deadly shock into a gentle breeze.
"Is this it?" Kai asked.
His eyes glowed with a bright, angry violet light.
"Is this the best the Council can do?"
Kai pulled his right arm forward.
CRACK!
He activated Void Grip.
An invisible force crushed the room. The blue chains shattered into a million useless pieces. The heavy metal pillars exploded into dust.
The shockwave picked up the four guards. It threw them through the air. They crashed hard against the stone wall.
"Shoot him!" a guard screamed in panic.
Thirty guns clicked.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"KNEEL."
Kai unleashed his Monarch's Presence.
It wasn't a spell. It was raw, heavy gravity. A crushing weight fell from the ceiling.
BOOM!
The stone floor cracked.
Every single guard crashed to their knees. Their guns fell from their shaking hands. They couldn't breathe.
Even General Iron-Side had to grab his desk just to stay standing. He was sweating. His face was pale white.
"I didn't come here to play your stupid games," Kai said.
He walked right up to the General.
"The Kalthar Gate wasn't a mistake. It was a scout. The real threat is coming from the ocean right now. If you want to live, stay out of my way."
Suddenly, red lights flashed across the room.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The Citadel's emergency alarm screamed.
A scared worker ran onto the balcony.
"General! A massive rift just opened in the southern sea trench! Thousands of monsters are heading for the coast! The defense line is failing!"
The council members froze in sheer terror.
Kai didn't care about them anymore. He looked at Aria.
"Let's go," he said.
Kai used Shadow Step.
Pure darkness swallowed Kai and Aria. They sank into the floor and vanished before anyone could speak.
WHOOSH!
Kai and Aria appeared on top of the southern sea wall.
The sky above the ocean was pitch black. Red clouds spun in a massive, ugly storm.
The sea was boiling. Giant monsters with black scales and long tentacles crawled out of the deep water.
Military ships were firing heavy cannons at them. Explosions lit up the water. But the monsters just brushed the fire away and kept swimming forward.
"There are too many," Aria said.
She pulled out her daggers. The strong wind blew her hair back.
"The wall will fall in five minutes."
"No, it won't," Kai said quietly.
He stepped to the very edge of the wall. He opened his arms wide.
"Arise."
His shadow exploded.
It poured over the stone wall like a black waterfall. It spread out across the ocean waves like dark ink.
Fifty-four shadows burst into the real world.
Bane, the giant Ogre Warlord, roared at the dark sky. His huge fists burned with black fire. He jumped straight into the crashing waves.
The Beetle and Weaver shadows ran fast across the top of the water. They cut through the monsters with razor-sharp shadow strings.
Kai activated Abyss Domain.
A whole mile of the ocean turned pitch black under his control.
He held out his hand. He used Shadow Forge to create a massive black sword.
Kai jumped off the sea wall. He landed perfectly on the back of a flying shadow beast.
"Let's hunt," Kai smiled.
He swung his huge sword. A wave of dark energy flew out. It cut three giant sea monsters in half at the same time.
[System Notification]
You have slain 3x Abyssal Leviathans!
[System Notification]
Experience gained. Stats increased!
Shadow Storage capacity expanded!
Kai ignored the blue boxes floating in his vision. He just kept flying. He just kept swinging.
But miles away.
Deep down at the very bottom of the dark ocean.
Two giant, glowing golden eyes slowly opened.
The true boss was finally awake.