NOVPUB
Chapter 100
At the far reaches of the vast universe, a black hole connected to the outer universes opened in the darkness.
“A new gate has emerged!”
“All troops! Prepare for enemy invasion!”
Whoosh!
The silver soldiers followed their Ruler’s commands and unfurled their wings in unison. Their radiant energy clashed with the aura of the Outer Gods that emanated from the black hole.
At the center of that fierce battlefield stood a man shrouded in a cloak of dark energy.
“I sense that someone is trying to call out to me...” Jinwoo suddenly furrowed his brows and turned his head.
“Do you think it might be Beru?” Bellion responded, suddenly appearing beside him.
As Jinwoo thought of the shadow ant, his brows furrowed deeper. “Now that I think about it...” I told him to return as soon as possible, but I haven’t heard a word. He had better be doing what I sent him there to do.
“If something has happened to Beru, my liege, then the Young Monarch may also be in danger.”
“That’s unlikely.” Jinwoo firmly shook his head. “If that were the case, I would have noticed right away.”
Jinwoo could immediately sense if any sort of anomaly occurred to a shadow soldier. But so far, there had been no sign that anything was amiss with Beru. The shadow ant might have sustained some injuries while fighting remnants of the Itarim on his way to Earth, but it was unlikely such beings posed a mortal threat.
Besides, Beru possessed a unique ability that other shadow soldiers lacked: Gluttony. The commander was essentially a magic beast in insect form with an exceptional survivability. He was a soldier capable of independently replenishing his own strength, even when separated from his Monarch.
“If I may be so bold...” Igris suddenly appeared at Jinwoo’s other side. He was well aware of Beru’s nature precisely because of their constant bickering interactions. “Even if Beru is a foolish insect, he should have completed his mission by now. What’s more concerning is...”
“Whether or not he’s decided to settle down on Earth,” Bellion added.
Bellion and Igris exchanged looks and sighed in unison as they thought of the shadow ant.
Within the Shadow Army, Beru was known as the most overprotective and excessively doting figure. As Suho’s sealed memories unraveled, he would undoubtedly recognize the commander. Beru had been anxiously awaiting this very moment and was highly likely to settle back on Earth. In his excessive loyalty and self-possessed zeal, he asserted that no one but himself could protect the Young Monarch. It was part of his instinct as an ant.
Well, in a way, that might be for the best. It was a factor I considered when deciding to send Beru. Jinwoo smirked, shifting his gaze away from Earth’s direction and back to the battle ahead.
The war had been deadlocked for years now. It doesn’t seem like it will end easily, Jinwoo mused.
In hindsight, the long and arduous battle against the King of Dragons had been comparably more simple. That was a straightforward power struggle. The war with the Itarim was entirely different. The Itarim reveled in creation and destruction, and the followers they spawned used bizarre methods of fighting and unconventional strategies. This led to constant unpredictable scenarios, and it became more a battle of wits and tactics than a scramble for power. The most critical aspect of facing the Itarim’s soldiers was the ability to make swift and accurate judgments.
So... I’ll leave it in your hands. Jinwoo’s eyes gleamed with determination. Suho had unleashed his potential and was reaching new heights. The same was true for Beru, who had ascended to the level of Commander Grade. Knowing this, Jinwoo was confident that they could be trusted to handle the rear.
It would be troublesome for the Itarim to pull their strongest away from the front lines and send them on a long detour to Earth. This tipped the balance of the war in Jinwoo’s favor. The Itarim could only afford to have their lesser forces target Earth.
But there was one notable point of concern. The balance has already been disrupted.
Jinwoo had already tested the waters and sent Beru, a frontline commander, to Earth. The Itarim could also send someone of the commander’s caliber in kind. In the end, the crucial point is when they will realize this fact. The moment they did, they would undoubtedly make a move.
Beru would normally be able to handle such a foe, but what if he’s not at peak condition? Jinwoo feared that the situation could quickly unravel if there was a power mismatch. Even with that possibility, he had been left with no choice but to send the shadow ant. Earth was in danger of being breached. His home planet would have been doomed sooner or later if left unattended.
Suho... “You must do it,” Jinwoo said as he thought of his only son struggling back home. Get stronger, my son.
***
“Arise,” Suho said.
At the stern command, Beru remembered. He remembered the dignity of their great king, Sung Jinwoo, the Monarch of Shadows, and the solemn requiem of the vast Shadow Army that covered the immense universe. He remembered that he was the core of this immortal army of warriors that transcended even death, hellish emissaries that would burn their very souls if commanded by their lord.
But Suho’s army—or rather, the legion of soldiers he commanded—numbered only one: Que. Before gaining Shadow Preservation, the soldiers he summoned lasted only a day. They were effectively single-use shadow mercenaries, and they had all long since returned to nothingness.
“Oh! My master calls for me!” Hearing Suho’s command, Que rose energetically from the shadows.
Realizing the situation, Beru frantically shouted to Suho. “You mustn’t, Young Monarch! If you use that power now...!” He had to stop him immediately. Suho’s opponent was a follower of Itarim, and summoning a shadow soldier now would surely reveal his identity. “It would only expose you as— Huh?!”
But before the commander could finish, something unexpected happened.
“Arise, Que.” Suho suddenly grasped Que as he was rising from the shadows and pulled the soldier out entirely.
“I shall follow my master’s command!” In that instant, Que’s body soared into the air with Suho’s hand.
Swish!
His appearance... was that of a spear.
Whoosh!
Que had instantly transformed into a spear, rippling with dark energy.
“I am Lancer Que! As you command, I shall be the spear that pierces the enemy’s heart!” Que’s entire body had transformed into the massive stinger that was usually in place of his hand.
Ding!
[Skill: The level of “Shadow Extraction” has increased.]
The skill window unfolded before Suho.
[Shadow Extraction - Level 2 - Shape Transformation
Authority over shadows. No mana required. The shape of shadow soldiers can be transformed at will.]
Beru was genuinely astonished. “Unbelievable! Turning a shadow soldier into a weapon! Even our Monarch has never shown such an ability!”
“Really?” Suho raised the transformed Que into the air proudly, his eyes shining. “I was just trying to mimic Esil.”
“M-me?!” Esil’s voice could be heard from within Vulcan’s Horn.
A demon noble had the ability to use spirit transfer. This allowed Esil to transform her horn into a weapon or inhabit it herself.
Having witnessed this several times, Suho intuitively realized something. While transferring or possessing spirits appeared impressive at a glance, shadow soldiers were fundamentally spirits themselves. The same went for Beru, who could change his size and shape at will. That’s why I thought it would work for me as well.
“My goodness...” Beru was profoundly moved. Ah, so this is talent! Admirable, indubitably admirable. “Astounding! Our Young Monarch is truly a prodigy! You used Ruler’s Authority before you could even walk. From that moment, I knew...!”
The Monarch of Shadows had long been able to freely manipulate shadows. Suho, in contrast, had just awakened to that power. He was a mere novice, an ant larva. Yet, this larva had unexpectedly taught himself the next phase of shadow power without requiring any guidance at all!
“Oh? Son of Vulcan... I wondered why you only had one horn, but it turns out you had an incredible second one hidden away.” The Mad Blood Tyrant continued to profoundly misunderstand Suho’s identity, mistaking the shadow spear that suddenly appeared from his hand as a demon’s horn. “Do you plan to defy me with that spear? Do you realize how many demons I have devoured? Your resistance will be in vain. Just surrender your body to me and—”
Fwoosh!
The Mad Blood Tyrant was unable to finish his sentence. He hastily turned his head, barely dodging the shadow spear as it shot forward like lightning. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
“How dare you!” The moment he turned back toward Suho with a menacing glare...
Swish!
Like it was propelled by wings, the shadow spear that had flown past him changed direction and rocketed back into his shoulder. The blade of the spear pierced his flesh deeply.
Confused and startled, the Mad Blood Tyrant quickly pulled the spear out of his body. “How dare you use such petty tricks on me!” Enraged, ominous flames erupted from his body.
“An opening.” Suho finally made his move.
Whoosh!
[Title: “Demon Slayer” buff effect has been activated.
When facing demon-type monsters, all stats increase by 40%.]
Suho’s swords swirled around furiously. The storm of blades was further enhanced by Rakan’s mystical wind.
[Skill: “Storm Slash” has activated.]
In response, The Mad Blood Tyrant wickedly curled his lips and unleashed an explosive burst of power. “Fine! Struggle all you want! I can’t wait to find out firsthand just how resilient the body of a demon noble really is!”
Boom! Boom!
His flames collided with the storm of swords, creating a tremendous chain of explosions. Suho’s dual swords tore through even that chaos, bearing down fiercely on the Mad Blood Tyrant.
The Mad Blood Tyrant was slightly taken aback. “Ugh. You’re quite impressive. You’re proving that a young demon noble is a demon noble, after all.”
While only a feeble aura emanated from Suho, his attack power was beyond imagination. It should not have been all that surprising, however. The ominous flames the Mad Blood Tyrant was currently unleashing were fueled entirely by the blood and flesh of the demons he had devoured over time. As the Demon Slayer, Suho’s title provided a buff that was most effective against the power of demons.
“But that is all you are...” As the Mad Blood Tyrant glared at Suho, he unleashed an immense power. “...Because your body is already tainted by the curse of the mad blood! Spread and consume!”
Whoosh!
A sinister fog of curses enveloped the entire area. Before it, the Mad Blood Tyrant burst into maniacal laughter. “Hahahahaha! Did you know? The first meal given to these demons was mixed with mad blood poison!” He could even accelerate the effects of the poison inside his opponents whenever he chose.
Suddenly, there was movement within the impenetrable and ominous fog.
Swoosh!
Suho burst through the mist and plunged his swords into the body of the Mad Blood Tyrant.
