Lucien appeared in a cave-like area, and the stone walls and dim lighting greeted him as he stepped through the red portal. In front of him stood a large door, ornate and imposing, clearly marking the entrance to the actual dungeon.
'The usual, huh,' he thought, looking at the door, 'Beyond the gate lie monsters.'
This was a B-rank dungeon, the first one he was going to attempt. The step up from C-rank would likely bring new challenges, but also better rewards and stronger shadows to add to his army.
Lucien didn't waste any time and summoned his status screen, wanting to review his current capabilities before going inside.
Name: Lucien Reynolds
Title: The Monarch of Shadows [+2]
Job: Shadow Monarch
Level: 62 Fatigue: 0
HP: 2120/2120 MP: 2040/2040
Strength: 251
Health: 212
Agility: 235
Perception: 171
Mana: 204
Stat Points: 6
Gold: 230,000
Passive Skills:
Ashborn's Blessing[+]
Tenacity[+]
Active Skills:
Critical Hit[+]
Stealth Quicksilver[+]
Mana Fortification[+]
Commander's Touch[+]
Bloodlust[+]
Dagger Throw[+]
Mana Slash[+]
Job Skills[+]
Shadows: 82/96
Normal Grade X65
Elite Grade X16
Knight Grade: X1
The Tenacity and Dagger Throw skills had come from the other two runestones he'd acquired after defeating Sukuna.
Bloodlust was gained from another runestone he got from one of the two C-rank dungeons he cleared this week, and was particularly useful, as it intimidated the opponents with intense fear and reduced their stats by 50%.
Mana Slash was his own creation, used during the Outrider battles. He could pour mana into his weapons and release wide-area attacks that cut through multiple enemies at once. The technique had proven effective against swarms of weaker opponents.
He put the 6 stat points he had into Mana before dismissing his status screen. 'There are many skills that I haven't used till now. If the boss is strong enough, then it would be a perfect opportunity to test them out.'
He approached the large door and pushed it open, entering the dungeon while fully aware that monsters would be waiting beyond. Since this was a B-rank gate, he needed to stay alert for potential ambush attacks the moment he crossed the threshold.
The moment he stepped through the doorway, a humanoid creature rushed at him with a sword raised high. Lucien reacted instinctively, his foot connecting with the attacker's chest plate and sending it flying backward across the chamber.
As the creature tumbled away, Lucien got his first clear look at his surroundings and the enemies he faced.
Dozens of humanoid figures filled the space, all wearing knight armor that had seen better days. A dark aura emanated from their bodies, giving them an ominous appearance that set them apart from normal knights.
Lucien found himself standing in an arena-like area. And, there was a sheet of darkness around it.
He activated his status viewing ability and scanned the nearest enemies.
They were called Abyss Knights, and their stats varied between 150 and 200 across different attributes.
Many of the Abyss Knights began moving toward him, the swords raised as they intended to put down the intruder.
Lucien had no intention of fighting them himself as he summoned his shadow army. Dark figures materialized around him, taking defensive positions as they prepared to engage the approaching enemies.
Most of his shadows were individually weaker than the Abyss Knights, but they had advantages that would tip the scales.
The battle began immediately. His shadows could regenerate from wounds that would permanently disable their opponents, and they coordinated their attacks to overwhelm individual enemies.
Sukuna materialized beside Lucien, the King of Curses observed the battlefield with four burning eyes. The Knight-grade shadow formed a symbol with his hands, holding the position for three seconds while mana gathered around his fingers.
When he released the technique, a massive slash erupted from his position, cutting through dozens of Abyss Knights in a single devastating attack.
It was a new skill that Sukuna had gained when he evolved from Elite to Knight Grade, a charged slash that dealt significantly more damage than his regular cleave attacks.
'Impressive,' Lucien thought, watching his strongest shadow demonstrate new capabilities. 'It is similar to my Mana Slash skill.'
Lucien remained in position, observing the battle rather than joining it directly.
This was simply because of his confidence in his forces. The Abyss Knights were strong compared to the Non-Boss monsters he had fought before, but not beyond his army's capabilities to handle.
Within minutes, the hundreds of Abyss Knights had been reduced to scattered armor and fading dark energy.
His shadows had overwhelmed them through coordination and their regenerative abilities, proving that individual strength wasn't always the deciding factor in combat.
The victory brought him five level-ups, a substantial gain that confirmed the value of tackling higher-ranked dungeons.
He only received three levels when he killed the non-boss creatures of the C-Rank dungeon, so this was much better in comparison to that.
He had also discovered during his recent C-rank dungeon clears that he gained experience even when his shadow soldiers made the kills rather than him personally. It was an efficient way to grow stronger while his shadows also slowly evolved.
Lucien looked over his shadow army, noting which ones had performed well and which seemed to be holding the group back.
His eyes fell on the Outrider shadows he had extracted during the Thanos invasion. They were the weakest members of his current force, barely competing with his other Normal Grade shadows.
He released them with a gesture, watching as they faded away into nothingness, freeing more slots in his Shadow Army. There was no point in keeping weak shadows when he had the opportunity to recruit stronger ones in their place.
Quality over quantity had become his philosophy as his army's maximum capacity remained limited.
"Arise," he commanded, directing his power toward the fallen Abyss Knights.
Dark energy swirled around the defeated enemies as they began to take new form.
[Normal Grade Shadows Extracted] X12
[Elite Grade Shadows Extracted] X8
The new Abyss Knight shadows were far stronger than the Outriders they replaced, with better combat skills and stats. They would serve him well in future battles.
Once the extraction process was complete, Lucien returned all his shadows to his own shadow. The arena fell silent except for the sound of his footsteps echoing off the ancient stone walls.
A new doorway had appeared in the far wall, clearly marking the entrance to the boss chamber. The door was larger and more ornate than the entrance he had used, suggesting that the boss would be significantly more challenging than the Abyss Knights.
Lucien approached the boss's room entrance and stepped through the door, ready to face whatever final guardian this dungeon had waiting for him.
The chamber beyond was another arena, but this one was different from the previous battlefield.
This was the ancient land of Oolacile, a place that had once been beautiful but was now corrupted and crumbling.
The circular stone arena was massive, with a wide, flat surface covered in cracks and patches of broken masonry. Crumbling walls surrounded the space, tall enough to feel enclosed but broken enough that dim light filtered through the gaps. The atmosphere was oppressive, with a twilight haze that gave everything a gloomy, ash-colored tone.
In the center of the arena stood a figure that made Lucien pause at the threshold.
The being wore dark, battle-worn plate armor with wolf motifs worked into the design. A long, tattered blue cape trailed behind him, shredded from countless battles.
His left arm hung uselessly at his side, clearly broken, while his right hand gripped a massive greatsword. Black energy clung to his armor, and his hunched posture suggested something more beast than man. A narrow, pointed helmet with a wolfish design completely obscured his face.
The figure wasn't moving, but Lucien stopped right at the door as his instincts warned him. This opponent was different from the opponents he had faced before. He was radiating an aura that was beastly in nature, yet it commanded respect.
He activated his status viewing ability to assess the threat.
Name: Artorias the Abysswalker
Strength: 430
Health: 610
Agility: 405
Perception: 380
Lucien smiled when he saw the numbers. 'Another boss whose not from the Solo leveling verse. He's going to be trouble; it would be worth the trouble to add him to my army. It would also scratch the itch from not being able to make Thanos my shadow.'
The stat difference was significant, but not insurmountable.
Artorias was stronger in raw numbers, but Lucien had skills that could level the playing field. More importantly, this would be an excellent test of his current abilities against a truly powerful opponent.
Plus, he had Sukuna.
But Lucien decided not to summon Sukuna or any other shadows immediately. This fight was going to be his fight.
He activated Mana Fortification, feeling the familiar surge of power as his physical abilities received a thirty percent boost. Then he activated Quicksilver, the evolved form of his Dash skill that now provided a thirty percent increase to his agility.
The combination of both skills transformed his capabilities dramatically. His strength jumped above 300, while his agility approached 400, bringing him much closer to Artorias's level. The gap was still there, but it was no longer insurmountable.
As Lucien took his first step toward the Abysswalker, he flexed his hands and materialized his weapons.
He looked directly at Artorias, meeting the empty darkness of the helmet's visor, and muttered a single word.
"Bloodlust."
.....
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