The battle ended not with a bang, but with a wet thud.
Shadow Jack moved with a speed he never possessed in life. Without the fear of pain or death, he charged straight through the Goblin Shaman's fireballs.
His shadowy blade—a replica of his old broadsword—swung in a brutal arc.
SPLAT.
The Shaman's head flew off, spinning in the air before landing in the dirt.
The remaining goblins shrieked in terror, dropping their weapons and scrambling toward the tunnels.
Kai didn't chase them. He didn't need the measly 5 EXP from running trash.
"At ease," Kai commanded.
The shadows—Jack, Fang, the Mage, and the Scout—immediately stopped and turned to face him, standing at attention like statues.
Kai walked over to the Shaman's corpse.
[Loot]
He picked up the Skull Totem.
[Item: Goblin Shaman's Totem (E-Rank)]
Effect: Slightly increases Fire Magic damage.
Value: ~$2,000.
"Trash," Kai muttered, tossing it into his inventory. "But money is money."
Then, he turned to the real prize: The Humans.
He walked to where Jack's physical body lay. Or rather, what was left of it.
Since the soul had been extracted, the body was rapidly turning grey and brittle, losing its connection to the world.
Kai crouched down and began the Looting Phase.
[Jack's Alloy Chestplate (D-Rank)]: Dented, but repairable. High defense.
[Hunter's Smart Watch]: Locked. But Leo (the black market dealer) could probably crack it to access the encrypted Guild chats.
[Wallet]: Inside was $800 in cash and a Platinum Credit Card. Kai took the cash and burned the card.
[Ring of Agility (E-Rank)]: +2 Agility. A nice stat boost.
Kai slipped the ring onto his finger.
Hum.
He felt his body become slightly lighter.
Next, he walked over to the Healer. The boy was dead, killed by the goblin arrows and the shockwave earlier.
Kai felt a pang of... nothing.
He checked the body. No good gear. Just a cheap staff.
"System," Kai asked mentally. "What happens if I extract him?"
[System Alert]
Shadow Storage Capacity: 3/3
(Fang, Mage, Jack)
Note: The Scout (Ren) was automatically dismissed to make room for Jack.
"Ah." Kai nodded. "So I have to choose."
He looked at the Healer's corpse. A D-Rank Healer shadow would be useful, but he didn't have enough mana to perform another extraction right now. And frankly, a healer without mana was useless.
"Dust to dust," Kai whispered.
He didn't extract the Healer. Instead, he had Fang use his corrosive venom to melt the Healer's body and equipment until nothing remained but unrecognizable sludge.
Then he did the same for the Mage and Ren's physical remains.
Evidence Disposal: Complete.
To the outside world, this would look like a classic "Party Wipe."
The monsters swarmed, the team died, the bodies were eaten.
Tragic. Common.
And completely unverifiable.
Kai stood in the center of the silent cavern.
He opened his Status Window.
[STATUS]
Name: Kai
Class: Necro-Monarch
Level: 6
Fatigue: 45
Mana: 12/350
[Shadows Stored]
Fang (D+ Naga)
Jack (D Assassin)
Cinder (E Mage)
Three soldiers. But they were worth an entire E-Rank raiding party.
"Return."
The shadows dissolved into black mist and were sucked into Kai's shadow.
Kai felt a cold weight settle in his chest. It wasn't uncomfortable; it felt like wearing a suit of armor made of ice.
He picked up his respirator mask, wiped the blood off it, and clipped it to his belt.
He didn't need to hide his face anymore. The witnesses were all with him now.
Kai walked toward the dungeon exit.
As he stepped through the swirling blue portal, the bright morning sun hit his face.
Construction workers were smoking near the entrance. Other Hunter teams were gearing up.
Nobody looked at him.
They just saw a dirty, solitary survivor walking out of a low-level dungeon.
Just another F-Rank nobody who probably hid while his team did the work.
Kai walked past them, his hands in his pockets.
His shadow stretched out long and dark on the concrete behind him.
Inside that shadow, a Naga hissed, and a Captain sharpened his blade, waiting for the next command.
Kai pulled out his phone.
He dialed a number.
"Leo," Kai said into the phone, his voice calm. "I have more goods. A lot more. Have the cash ready."
He hung up and merged into the bustling city crowd.
The prey had become the predator.
And the hunt was just beginning.
（"Enjoying the massacre? Drop a Power Stone to feed the Clone Army!"）