With the immense power JinWoo had acquired, defeating Kandiaru was as easy as walking on a smooth path. After a grueling battle and overcoming a storm of challenges, JinWoo, exhausted and battered, finally returned home. His body felt heavy from fatigue, but the momentary peace of lying on his bed soothed his soul like a cool breeze.
Time flowed like an unrelenting river, and many events unfolded in JinWoo's life. Following the storyline, he faced Thomas Andre, the powerful hunter. But this time, unlike the original story, the battle was one-sided. JinWoo crushed Thomas as if he were fighting a ragdoll.
JinWoo's strikes fell like thunder upon Thomas's body, shattering his pride with each blow. In his heart, Thomas cursed Hwang Dong-Su for turning this merciless monster into his enemy. Thomas's eyes, filled with terror and despair, stared at JinWoo as his body trembled under the relentless assault.
After absorbing divine blood in another realm, JinWoo had reached a level that no longer fit within the confines of human limitations. He was now a being beyond imagination—a god in human form. Before him, S-rank hunters seemed like helpless children. Thomas Andre, with all his pride and strength, was humiliated under JinWoo's blows, left hospitalized for weeks with a bruised body and a broken spirit.
But this era of glory and power for JinWoo did not last long. Following the storyline, the Monarchs War Arc arrived. JinWoo, with power dozens of times greater than in the original story, entered an epic battle with the Monarchs. Yet even this immense power could not alter fate. Perhaps it was the merciless law of cause and effect, making certain events inevitable. JinWoo fought with all his might.
Moving faster than the wind and striking with earth-shaking force, he destroyed Querehsha and brought Sillad to the brink of death. But the battle had been uneven from the start. JinWoo was alone, while his enemies numbered three.
Under the shocked gazes of the hunters and humans present, Sillad's icy spear pierced JinWoo's heart like an arrow from the darkness. Warm blood spilled from his mouth, and his eyes, filled with rage and despair, stared at the spear embedded in his chest. Pain engulfed his body like a burning wave, yet he remained standing, as if defying death itself.
"Goodbye, human. Too bad you won't get to watch your kind get slaughtered!" Sillad smirked devilishly, driving the spear deeper. His eyes gleamed with the pleasure of victory, as if savoring revenge.
"Damn it... just... a little more..." JinWoo's voice trembled with weakness as he struggled against the darkness swallowing his vision. But death, like a merciless shadow, embraced him. Under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, his eyes slowly closed, and his lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
[Player's health points have reached zero.]
[Player has died.]
[Player has acquired a Black Heart.]
[All conditions for the unknown passive skill have been met.]
[Unknown skill has been activated.]
An icy crystal, like a radiant cage, encased JinWoo's lifeless body. Sillad, grinning arrogantly, stared at his corpse. Though somewhat relieved, his heart still pounded from the intensity of the battle. "He really does deserve to be the Shadow Monarch's vessel. Even incomplete, he's this strong... He almost killed me!" His voice carried reluctant respect. Having been pushed to the brink of death, he couldn't deny JinWoo's true power. "If the Shadow Monarch fully awakens, what kind of monster will he become...?"
Then, Sillad turned his gaze to the terrified humans around him. "Well, now that this problem is dealt with, it's your turn, monkeys! As promised, a painful death awaits you!" His devilish smile cut through their hearts like a cold blade. His laughter echoed across the battlefield, sowing terror in their souls.
At that moment, JinWoo found himself in a strange illusion. It was as if he had returned to the past—to the days when he was still weak, still entangled in the system and its endless missions. But he was no longer the naive JinWoo of before. His experiences had taught him that this was merely an illusion, no matter how real it seemed. His heart burned with anger and exhaustion. He couldn't tolerate this meaningless game.
He went through the stages again like a repetitive playthrough. But his patience had run thin. This world, no matter how beautiful and real it appeared, was nothing but a deception. JinWoo, who never deceived himself, decided to end this charade.
"I know this is all an illusion! How much longer are you going to stare down at me like this? End this game and show yourselves!" JinWoo roared, his voice filled with fury and certainty. His eyes, like two blazing flames, scanned his surroundings.
With his shout, the world around him cracked like fragile glass and shattered.
JinWoo found himself in an endless dark space. At its center stood a simple table with two chairs. On one chair sat Shikama Doji with his usual enigmatic smile, and on the other was a humanoid being radiating boundless power. JinWoo stared at them without a trace of fear, his composure honed through years of battle.
"So, you're the Shadow Monarch. What do you and Shikama Doji want from me? What's your goal?" JinWoo asked, his voice calm yet commanding.
"Hmm, I know you have many questions, little JinWoo. But how about sitting down first?" Shikama Doji replied in his usual playful tone. With a wave of his hand, a third chair appeared. JinWoo sat without hesitation, his eyes locked onto the two beings before him, ready to hear the truth.
Ashborn, the Shadow Monarch, spoke in a deep, majestic voice that seemed to resonate from the depths of history. He revealed the entire truth to JinWoo—from the creation of the system to JinWoo's role in this game. With illusions unfolding like scenes from a play before JinWoo's eyes, Ashborn showed everything:
The wars of the Monarchs, the system's purpose, and the destiny written for JinWoo. JinWoo listened intently, his heart filled with questions yet an odd sense of calm.
When Ashborn fell silent, JinWoo turned his gaze to Shikama Doji. "One more question. Who are you, Shikama Doji? What's your goal?"
Shikama Doji smiled mysteriously. "Hmm, my identity is a bit complicated. But in the simplest terms, I'm an Outer God. A being from beyond your dimensions who came to this world for entertainment." His eyes sparkled with childish mischief, but behind that playful facade lay unimaginable power.
JinWoo was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. Ashborn showed no reaction, as if already aware of Shikama Doji's identity.
Ashborn looked at JinWoo again. "Now, you have two choices, JinWoo. Either continue your painful path in reality and awaken as the new Shadow Monarch, or live in this dream, where everything is peaceful and painless."
JinWoo smirked, his eyes filled with determination. "Like I told Shikama Doji, I choose to fight."
His answer brought smiles to Ashborn and Shikama Doji's faces. Ashborn stood and approached JinWoo, extending his hand. "Then this is our farewell."
JinWoo glanced at Ashborn's hand for a moment before smiling warmly and shaking it. "Thank you for everything."
With those words, JinWoo's body transformed into radiant light under Ashborn's gaze and vanished into the darkness. At the same moment, the system's voice echoed in his ears:
[The system has been altered by the Administrator's command.]
[Certain system functions have been erased.]
[The shop section has been modified. Players can now purchase system items with a specific currency.]
[All power restrictions on the player have been lifted.]
[Without power restrictions, all shadow soldiers with commander rank have regained their full potential.]
[The power of the commander-rank soldier Igris has been restored.]
[The abilities of the commander-rank soldier Beru have significantly increased.]
[The Shadow Monarch, Ashborn, returns to the endless void.]
In reality, JinWoo opened his eyes. Dim light seeped through the cracks of the icy crystal. His heart beat again, stronger than ever. He was no longer just a hunter.
He was the Shadow Monarch—ready to change destiny.