The dungeon groaned as though it resented his victory. Stone cracked, the ceiling shuddered, and Ethan swore he heard whispers bleeding out of the walls themselves.
He wiped the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, still grinning like a lunatic. Hegris—no, Igris—stood before him, kneeling, sword planted in the ground like an oath. A knight of shadow reborn.
Ethan couldn't help but mutter, "Well, this is either the best cosplay reveal I've ever seen, or I just unlocked DLC for life."
Igris raised his head. "My liege?"
"Nothing," Ethan waved it off. "We'll work on the humor later. Right now…" His eyes slid to the dark mouth of the cavern, where glowing eyes were beginning to blink open one by one. "We've got incoming."
The rumble grew louder. Shapes shuffled forward—half a dozen goblins, larger than the ones before. Their skin bubbled in patches, blistered with red cracks that glowed faintly. Their teeth were jagged, their claws dripping with black ichor. Not normal goblins.
"Ah, lovely," Ethan muttered. "Demonic goblins. Because regular goblins weren't already nightmare fuel."
The creatures screeched in unison and charged.
Ethan felt the shadows around him stir, tugging at his focus. The System's whisper slid across his thoughts:
[Arise is available.][Limit: 5 Shadows may be stored at current skill level.]
He glanced at the bodies littering the stone floor behind him. The goblins he'd already killed, their eyes still glassy in death. His lips curved into a dangerous grin.
"Oh," he murmured. "Now that's just unfair."
He stretched his hand toward the corpses. His voice, steady despite the ache in his ribs, rang out: "Arise."
The shadows rippled. Black smoke poured upward like reversed fire, curling into crude shapes. Four of the slain goblins staggered upright, their eyes glowing pale blue now, weapons clutched loosely in their hands. They turned to Ethan and bowed, their screeches reduced to whispers.
"Shadow goblins," Ethan breathed. "Yeah, that's going to mess with my therapist later."
The charging demons didn't pause. Ethan pointed at them like a conductor setting his orchestra. "Alright boys, show me what you've got. Attack!"
The goblin-shadows hissed and launched forward, clashing with their living kin.
Igris stood tall, sword raised. Ethan smirked. "And you, knight—time to earn your keep."
The fight erupted in chaos. The shadow goblins weren't strong—they were clumsy, their strikes shallow—but they slowed the demonic horde enough for Igris to cleave through them like a storm. His greatsword sang, slicing one creature in half with a single swing.
Ethan limped closer, watching the melee with a strange mix of awe and relief. His summons fought for him. He wasn't alone anymore.
Still, his body screamed with every step. His cut from earlier had reopened, warm blood soaking his shirt. His stamina gauge felt like it was scraping bottom. If he pushed too far, he'd collapse.
But then one of the demon-goblins broke through the shadows and lunged at him. Its claws slashed across his chest. He stumbled back with a grunt, pain lancing white through his body.
"Shit!"
Igris blurred forward, sword cleaving down. The goblin's head hit the floor, body crumpling at Ethan's feet.
"Thanks, buddy," Ethan gasped, wiping blood from his mouth. "Remind me to get you a loyalty card or something."
The battle raged on for what felt like hours. Goblins fell. Shadows rose. By the time the chamber quieted, Ethan stood trembling amidst a field of corpses—half of them glowing faintly as his minions.
The silence didn't last.
From the back of the chamber, the ground split open. A massive claw, black and burning red at the edges, dragged itself up. The beast that emerged was nothing like the goblins. It was hulking, skin cracked like volcanic stone, tusks jutting from its jaw. A corrupted ogre, veins pulsing with hellish fire.
Its roar shook the cavern. The sound made Ethan's bones ache.
"Oh, hell no," Ethan muttered, backing up a step. "That's not even a mini-boss. That's… that's a season finale cliffhanger."
Igris shifted in front of him, sword raised.
Ethan chuckled despite himself, adrenaline spiking again. "Alright. Showtime."
The ogre charged.
Igris met it head-on, greatsword clashing against claws like steel against stone. Sparks flew. Ethan barked an order: "Shadows—flank it!"
The goblin-shadows swarmed the ogre's legs, biting, clawing, stabbing. They were crushed almost instantly—smashed into wisps of smoke under its fists.
Ethan cursed. Too weak. Need more.
The ogre slammed its fist into the ground. The shockwave threw Ethan off his feet. He hit the stone hard, stars exploding in his vision. His HP bar nosedived.
"Damn it," he hissed. He struggled to his knees. Blood dripped from his lip. His whole body screamed give up.
But he remembered something—Howard's death. December 16, 1991. The date burned in his skull like fire. He couldn't quit. Not here, not now.
He forced himself up, leaning on a broken spear. His voice cracked but carried. "Igris! Hold it!"
The knight roared wordlessly, blade blazing with shadow as he forced the ogre back step by step.
Ethan staggered closer, staring at the monster's shadow writhing under its feet. His hand shook, but he thrust it forward anyway.
"Arise!"
The shadows quivered, fighting against him, resisting. The System's warning screamed:
[Target too strong.][Synchronization unstable.]
The ogre swung, smashing Igris into the wall. Ethan's chest clenched.
"Arise, damn you!" he shouted, blood and spit flying. "You belong to me now!"
For a heartbeat, nothing. Then the shadow snapped.
Black fire erupted from the ground, crawling up the ogre's body. It shrieked, clawing at itself as its form dissolved into smoke. The cavern plunged into silence.
When the mist cleared, the ogre stood again—but now cloaked in shadow, eyes glowing blue. It bowed to Ethan, massive frame shuddering.
"My liege," it rumbled, voice deep and guttural.
Ethan swayed on his feet, exhausted beyond words. His lips still pulled into a crooked grin. "Big guy… you're hired."
The dungeon trembled again, but softer this time, like a sigh. The gate shimmered at the edge of the chamber. The exit.
Ethan limped toward it, shadows trailing behind him, his body screaming with every step.
"Not bad for day one," he muttered, half to himself, half to the System. "Not bad at all."
Status Window
Name: Ethan StarkLevel: 5Class: ??? (Pending)HP: 210/420MP: 65/130Fatigue: 89
Strength: 20 (+15) = 35Agility: 17 (+15) = 32Vitality: 16 (+15) = 31Intelligence: 22 (+15) = 37Sense: 18 (+15) = 33
Skills:
Passive:
Tenacity Lv.1
Unarmed Combat Basics Lv.2
Active:
Arise Lv.1
Shadow Storage Lv.1
Shadow Storage:
Capacity: 5/5
Igris [Lv.1 | Rank: Knight] – Shadow Knight, reborn in weakened form.
Demon-Goblin x3 [Lv.1 | Rank: Normal] – Basic shadows, weak but obedient.
Corrupted Ogre [Lv.1 | Rank: Elite] – First demonic summon, immense physical power, unstable shadow.