CHAPTER 29,Shadow Monarch Awakening
The moment those words were spoken—
"The King of Killers has truly returned."
—the atmosphere across the battlefield changed completely.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Elara's eyes widened in disbelief, while Lira instinctively stepped backward, unable to understand why those words felt so heavy.
But Jay—
stood completely still.
His face showed no reaction.
No surprise.
No anger.
Only silence.
Kael, the leader of the Veil, watched him carefully.
Observing.
Studying.
As if searching for confirmation inside Jay's eyes.
And after several seconds—
he smiled.
"…So it's true."
Jay's voice finally broke the silence.
"…Who are you?"
Kael slowly lowered his hand.
"My name is Kael."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"And long ago…"
"…people like us feared people like you."
Jay's expression remained calm, but internally his thoughts were moving rapidly.
People like us.
That sentence alone revealed too much.
Kael took a slow step forward.
"You don't remember everything yet."
"It's incomplete."
"But the fragment accelerated the process."
Jay narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You know about reincarnation."
Kael nodded calmly.
"Of course."
"The Veil has existed for far longer than kingdoms."
His voice grew quieter.
"We watch cycles."
"Rise."
"Collapse."
"Rebirth."
A cold silence spread across the battlefield.
Even Elara felt uneasy listening to him.
This wasn't ordinary knowledge.
This sounded ancient.
Dangerously ancient.
The spear wielder rested his weapon against his shoulder impatiently.
"Can we stop explaining history to him and just capture him already?"
Kael ignored the complaint.
His eyes never left Jay.
"You were supposed to remain dead."
For the first time—
Jay's killing intent leaked outward.
The air around him darkened slightly.
"…Supposed to?"
Kael nodded.
"The King of Killers died in another world."
"That was the natural end."
"But somehow…"
His eyes sharpened.
"…your soul crossed worlds."
Lira felt chills run through her body.
Elara's grip tightened around her staff.
But Jay—
finally understood something important.
This world.
His reincarnation.
The system.
The fragments.
They were connected.
And the Veil—
knew more than anyone else.
Kael spoke again.
"You should come with us willingly."
"We can help you regain your memories safely."
Jay laughed softly.
The sound alone made the others tense.
"Safely?"
He slowly raised his blade.
"I don't trust people who hide behind masks and hunt strangers."
The armored giant stepped forward again.
"Then we break him."
Kael sighed quietly.
"…Unfortunate."
Then his voice turned cold.
"Subdue him."
The battlefield exploded once more.
The spear wielder attacked first.
This time—
far more seriously.
His spear shot forward with terrifying speed, cutting through the air like lightning itself.
Jay vanished instantly.
But the spear changed direction mid-strike.
"…What?"
The attack followed him.
Jay barely blocked in time.
The impact forced him backward across the broken ground.
The spear wielder grinned.
"Surprised?"
Jay realized immediately.
The weapon itself was abnormal.
📜 SYSTEM ANALYSIS
Weapon Detected: ➡ Stormfang Spear
Special Effect: ➡ Tracks hostile energy signatures
Threat Level: High
Jay clicked his tongue softly.
"…Annoying."
The hooded assassin moved next.
She disappeared into shadows—
completely silent.
Elara reacted instantly.
"Jay, your blind side!"
Too late.
A dagger emerged from darkness—
aimed directly at his heart.
But at the last second—
Jay activated Shadow Shift.
His body blurred unnaturally.
The dagger phased through afterimages instead of flesh.
The assassin froze briefly.
"…Impossible."
Jay appeared behind her instantly.
His blade moved toward her neck—
but—
CLANG!
Kael blocked the strike with one hand wrapped in black energy.
Shockwaves burst outward.
For the first time—
Jay felt pressure from a single opponent.
Kael looked directly into his eyes.
"…You're still unstable."
Jay pushed him back and jumped away.
"…And you talk too much."
The armored giant roared and charged again.
This time the ground itself trembled beneath his steps.
Jay teleported repeatedly, avoiding the massive attacks while observing carefully.
Each enemy covered the others perfectly.
The spear user controlled distance.
The assassin targeted openings.
The giant forced pressure.
And Kael—
controlled the battlefield itself.
This wasn't random teamwork.
It was trained coordination.
Elara suddenly appeared beside Jay.
"We need to retreat."
Jay glanced at her briefly.
"…You think I can't win?"
Elara shook her head immediately.
"That's not it."
Her voice lowered.
"They're testing you."
Jay already understood that.
And that realization bothered him more than the battle itself.
Kael wasn't fighting seriously yet.
None of them were.
They wanted information.
About him.
About what he remembered.
About what he might become.
Kael suddenly raised his hand.
Dark symbols spread across the battlefield.
Elara's face turned pale instantly.
"…Move!"
The ground exploded.
Dark chains erupted upward from dozens of directions.
Jay teleported repeatedly—
dodging most of them.
But one chain wrapped around his arm.
Instantly—
cold energy surged through his body.
His movements slowed slightly.
The spear wielder attacked immediately.
Jay barely blocked.
Another chain wrapped around his leg.
Kael's voice echoed calmly.
"Your instincts are incredible."
"But your power is incomplete."
More chains surged toward him.
Jay's eyes darkened.
Deep inside him—
something stirred violently.
The fragment.
And suddenly—
memories flashed again.
A throne made of corpses.
Endless bloodshed.
Shadow-covered assassins kneeling before him.
Fear.
Respect.
Death.
And then—
a voice from the past.
"A true killer does not escape traps."
"He turns them into graves."
Jay's eyes widened slightly.
Then—
he smiled.
A dangerous smile.
The chains around him trembled.
Kael noticed instantly.
"…What are you doing?"
Jay slowly raised his head.
His eyes—
for a split second—
glowed crimson.
"I remembered something useful."
Darkness burst outward violently.
Not corrupted darkness.
Not Core energy.
His own.
The chains shattered instantly.
A terrifying pressure spread across the battlefield.
Even the Veil members stepped back instinctively.
For the first time—
Kael's calm expression cracked.
"…Impossible…"
The shadows around Jay began moving unnaturally.
Twisting.
Alive.
📜 SYSTEM WARNING
Unique Ability Resonance Detected
➡ Shadow Monarch Path Synchronization Initiated
Compatibility Rising…
29%... 32%... 35%...
Jay barely looked at the screen.
Because his instincts were taking over.
The battlefield suddenly became silent.
Too silent.
Then—
every shadow in the ruins moved at once.
And the hunt—
truly began.
🔥⚔️👑