[You have entered the Shadow Dungeon.]
Rigid body training center.
Ammit, who was sitting with his back against the depths of the pyramid, slowly opened his closed eyes.
[… … An uninvited guest has come in.]
Saaaaaaaaa-
Suddenly, it felt like a dimensional gate had opened, and an enormous presence stepped into the Shadow Dungeon.
But why is that?
To say that they were simply intruders, there was nothing unnatural about the process.
‘He’ opened the door and appeared in front of Ammit as naturally as if he had entered his own home.
[Who are you…?]
Ammit bared his teeth at the man.
The moment the giant crocodile-man raised his body, an enormous pressure weighed down on the man.
Kukukukukuku… … !
But he was calm, as if he didn’t care about such pressure.
He nodded, looking over Ammit’s appearance with rather interesting eyes.
-Ammut… …Are you a Jain?
[… … .]
Ammit paused at the strange atmosphere he felt from the man.
The man was looking at himself and not speaking.
His gaze remained on his head, not on his face.
As if there was something there.
[No way, you… … .]
Ammit belatedly noticed that the black aura flowing out of the man strangely resembled Seongsuho, and his eyes lit up.
[… … Are you the Shadow Lord?]
-No. It’s something similar to that, to be exact.
[what?]
-You would know, right?
[What on earth are you talking about?]
Ammit frowned at the ambiguous answer.
But despite that reaction, Sung Jin-woo’s welcome made eye contact with Ammut’s and he smiled faintly.
-So, magically speaking, I am more like you.
[… … !]
At those words, Ammit’s eyes widened.
As if it was an expected reaction, Sung Jin-woo turned his gaze with a calm expression and looked around.
His gaze pierced the Candiaru incantation carved into this pyramid.
Pavat! Pat! Pat!
Following that gaze, numerous magical circuits engraved throughout the pyramid blinked and emitted streaks of light.
[You wouldn’t believe it… .]
Seong Jin-woo’s vision opened as he admired the results of the circuit diagram.
-Yes. I am also a fake soul created by sorcery, just like you. There are some nice-sounding expressions like avatar or NPC, but in the end, it’s all the same.
[… … .]
Looking at Ammit’s appearance, Jinwoo was reminded of the Demon King Baran that he had encountered on the top floor of the Demon Castle dungeon a long time ago.
Baran, the king of demons and lord of the white flames.
Baran was the only monarch he encountered who was not alive.
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To be more precise, Baran was already killed by the first Shadow Lord Asborne before he encountered Sung Jin-woo.
Only the soul was recreated by Candiaru’s hands and used for the level-up system.
However, the Demon King Baran created in this way was not at all like his original power.
This was because the ‘primordial darkness’, which could be said to be the source of the power of the monarchs, had disappeared.
-But I’m curious. How long have you been trapped in here?
[Crunch.]
Ammit opened his mouth and snickered at the sight of those black eyes that seemed to pierce through him.
[Well, I don’t remember. Because I can’t tell the flow of time inside here.]
-Should I kill you?
[What? Hehehe. That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard recently.]
At those words, Ammit chuckled self-deprecatingly.
and.
Boom-!
He swung his huge arm and shattered the wall next to him.
The bricks around it came crashing down, creating a huge hole.
But strangely enough, after a while, the hole in the wall began to repair itself.
[Have you seen it?]
Ammit’s eyes looked straight into Seong Jin-woo’s eyes.
[Even if you are the true Shadow Lord, I will never die. This is my grave, and at the same time, myself.]
-So you’re saying that it’s a spell that automatically recovers even if it’s destroyed.
Sung Jin-woo nodded at those words, his eyes growing deeper.
But even if it was impossible for him, it was not a difficult problem to bring death to his ‘real’ self.
However, since he didn’t ask because he really wanted to kill him in the first place, Sung Jin-woo’s illusion decided not to interfere any further.
Rather than that, it was better to check this place first.
About this pyramid that doesn’t exist in ‘Sung Jin-woo’s’ memory.
… … This place was, so to speak, the legacy of Candiaru.
There must have been many experiments he conducted while developing the leveling up system, and this pyramid must have been one of them.
But the question was, how on earth did this massive magical device end up in Seongsuho’s shadow?
‘It’s a system that automatically recovers even if destroyed.’
Soon, Sung Jin-woo realized the reason.
-… … Could it be that the level-up system, which has lost its purpose and become incomplete, is moving to restore itself?
In fact, the leveling system has long since lost its reason for existing. It achieved its purpose long ago.
In that situation, a new player named Seongsuho reactivated the level-up system.
Then the system started to repair itself.
Just like before.
No, to be exact… … .
-Are you reorganizing the system to adapt to the changing circumstances?
The purpose of the level-up system was obviously to ‘make the player a vessel for the Shadow Lord.’
But no matter what Seongsuho did, he could not become the Shadow Lord.
So then, what exactly is the purpose of the system?
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-Is this really a job change quest?
The level-up system is complementing itself for Seongsuho’s job advancement.
So, Sung Jin-woo’s welcome was certain.
The existence of the NPC named Ammut and the results of interpreting the magic circles carved into this pyramid all proved it.
-That’s right.
When he finally realized that fact, he soon burst into laughter.
I am both anxious and excited about what kind of job my son will get.
If you think about it, isn’t this not much different from the worries of ordinary parents?
but.
-I know exactly what I have to do.
It was a moment when Sung Jin-woo, who had gathered his thoughts, smiled faintly.
Passover.
Suddenly his body began to shake and his entity began to disperse.
Like a radio wave that has lost its frequency.
Ammit, who had been watching the scene blankly from the front, opened his mouth and chuckled.
[Still, you’re better than me. You can move freely, even if only for a moment, outside the realm of sorcery. But I guess that’s where it ends.]
Passover.
Seong Jin-woo muttered as he looked down at his own hands, which were blinking as if they would go out at any moment.
-Okay. I guess I should probably go back soon. I’ve already checked everything I needed to check anyway.
As he gestured in the air, a system message appeared.
[Do you want to exit the Shadow Dungeon?](Y/N)
Ammit asked, watching him turn around without hesitation and walk towards the shadowy door that appeared before him.
[But why on earth did you come here?]
-Why? I came here because I wanted to help my son in some way.
[Crunch? So did that help?]
-Okay. A lot.
[for example?]
In response to Ammit’s question, Sung Jin-woo’s illusion reached out and touched the air.
Pavabavat!
At that gesture, the magic circles carved into the pyramid all began to emit light at once.
Seong Jin-woo spoke to Ammit, who was standing blankly as always in the center of the splendid magic circle.
-Ammut, I have linked your soul trapped here with the real soul in the afterlife sea. Just like mine now.
[… … What does that mean?]
-If you want, you too can now become a shadow soldier.
[… … !]
Seong Jin-woo continued speaking with a mischievous smile towards Ammut, who opened his eyes wide as he realized what those words meant.
-You don’t want to rot away in this prison forever, do you? In that case, you should become my son’s soldier. Oh, then at the very least, my son… … .
[I need to become… strong enough to take care of myself. Much stronger than I am now!]
Kkwaduk!
In an instant, Ammit’s expression changed to one of incredible enthusiasm, and he clenched his two huge fists.
He banged his fists together and bared his teeth fiercely.
[Leave it to me. I’m going to double, no, triple the intensity of the daily quests going forward.]
-… … I ordered you to drink the potion while eating it.
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Sung Jin-woo became a little anxious at the overflowing enthusiasm that seemed ready to explode.
But if only he could endure that training and have Suho take the real Ammit as his shadow soldier.
It was clear that the Guardian Legion would become much more powerful than it is now.
-Oh, and one more thing.
Taaak!
As Sung Jin-woo snapped his fingers, the magic circle he had prepared in advance began to work in earnest.
Kugugugugugu!
[… … !]
Ammit looked puzzled as the entire pyramid suddenly shook as if it were going to collapse.
Since he was one with the pyramid, he noticed that the pyramid was growing bigger and bigger.
and.
Paaaaaaaah!
The top of the pyramid.
From its pointed center, a black beam of light shot up vertically.
The light even penetrated the dimensional walls and stretched vertically toward the distant universe.
[What the heck is this!]
-This is a kind of insurance. It has nothing to do with you, so don’t worry about it.
After leaving those words, Sung Jin-woo returned to where he came from.
[her…….]
Ammit just stared blankly at the place where he had disappeared with a dejected expression.
‘How can a being that is nothing more than an illusion have such power… … .’
During his long life, Ammit had occasionally thought about such things.
If by chance he, the strongest factor, had also participated in the war, following the strong monarch.
Maybe we could have won the war.
[I guess nothing has changed.]
* * *
[Exited the Shadow Dungeon.]
The moment when Sung Jin-woo returned to Su-ho’s side.
The battle of Suho was also coming to an end.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
The Guardian’s strong hands tore off all of Xavier’s tentacles and grabbed the neck of the main body hidden within the illusion.
[Ugh. How could this be… … .]
The true body of Xavier, the illusionist of the Demonic Tribe who boasted of incredible illusion skills, was nothing more than a worthless skeleton.
Between those pure white ribs, Xavier’s soul was emitting an evil light.
[This is ridiculous… … !]
Xavier gritted his teeth and glared at Suho.
Thanks to the activities of the shadow assassin Kira, the hunters who were bound by illusions were breaking free one by one.
Then, Xavier’s magical power, which seemed infinite, eventually ran out, and his illusions gradually lost their power.
But Suho was hesitating to strike the final blow even though he was holding onto the back of his neck.
The reason is, of course… … .
-What are you doing? You’re not finishing it.
“……father.”
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Suho’s eyes wavered at the sight of his father approaching him without him noticing.
Although his heart was admirable, what actually came out of Sung Jin-woo’s mouth was the same reproach as before.
-Just kill him. Don’t worry about Dad.
Kuk.
Suho’s mouth was forced shut, piercing Xavier’s ribs and destroying his soul.
bang!
[You have defeated the Demonic Tribe’s illusionist, Xavier.] [Your level has increased!] [Your level has increased!] [Your level has increased!]
… … .
