The shadows around the Dungeon Guardian's corpse began to twist violently.
Dark smoke rose from the massive armored body as if the darkness itself was being pulled out of the creature.
Arin stood silently in the center of the chamber, staring at the scene.
The blue system screen hovered in front of him.
[Shadow Extraction in Progress…]
The surviving hunters watched with stunned expressions.
None of them had ever seen something like this before.
Even Mira, an experienced A-Rank hunter, looked completely shocked.
"Is he… turning the monster into another shadow?" one hunter whispered.
Arin didn't answer.
His entire focus remained on the swirling darkness.
The air inside the chamber grew colder.
The shadows beneath the guardian's corpse suddenly expanded across the floor like spreading ink.
Then—
CRACK.
A loud sound echoed through the dungeon.
The corpse trembled.
More dark smoke burst out of it.
Suddenly a tall figure began to rise from the shadow.
The shape slowly formed into the same armored guardian that Arin had just defeated.
But this version was different.
Its entire body was made of deep black shadow.
Purple energy burned inside its eyes.
The shadow creature slowly stepped forward.
Then it dropped to one knee.
"My King."
The deep voice echoed across the chamber.
The hunters froze in complete disbelief.
Arin stared at the massive shadow knight kneeling before him.
The system flashed again.
[Shadow Soldier Created]
[Name: Guardian Knight]
[Rank: A]
[Status: Loyal]
[Shadow Capacity Used: 2/10]
Arin blinked.
"Two… out of ten?"
Did that mean he could create eight more shadow soldiers?
The thought sent a wave of excitement through him.
Just minutes ago he had been the weakest hunter alive.
Now he commanded an A-Rank shadow knight.
Mira slowly approached him.
Her eyes moved between Arin and the towering shadow soldier behind him.
"I don't know what power you just awakened…" she said quietly.
"But that thing…"
She pointed at the shadow knight.
"…is stronger than most hunters in this city."
Arin didn't deny it.
He could feel the power radiating from the shadow knight through their connection.
It was terrifying.
But the system appeared again before he could think further.
[Dungeon Core Located]
[Destroying the Core will close the Gate.]
Arin turned toward the center of the chamber.
The glowing red crystal floated silently above a stone pedestal.
The Dungeon Core.
The entire dungeon existed because of that crystal.
Destroying it would end everything.
Arin slowly walked toward it.
His two shadow soldiers followed behind him like loyal guardians.
The massive Stone Guardian stood on his left.
The armored Shadow Knight walked on his right.
The remaining hunters quickly stepped aside to give him space.
No one dared to stop him now.
When Arin reached the pedestal, he examined the glowing crystal.
It pulsed like a beating heart.
The system displayed new information.
[Dungeon Core – Rank B]
[Destroying it will reward additional experience.]
Arin raised the broken dagger in his hand.
He hesitated for a moment.
Then he stabbed it into the crystal.
CRACK.
The moment the blade touched the core—
The entire dungeon shook violently.
Alarms echoed inside Arin's mind.
[Dungeon Collapse Initiated]
[All lifeforms must exit immediately.]
Large cracks spread across the walls and ceiling.
Stones began falling from above.
"Everyone move!" Mira shouted.
The hunters quickly rushed toward the exit tunnel.
Arin ran with them.
His shadow soldiers followed closely behind.
The dungeon continued collapsing around them.
Dust filled the air.
The ground trembled with every step.
Finally—
They reached the glowing Gate.
One by one, the hunters jumped through it.
Arin was the last one to leave.
The moment he stepped out—
The Gate collapsed behind him.
The purple vortex disappeared instantly.
Silence filled the subway station.
Everyone stood there breathing heavily.
They were alive.
Several hunters looked at Arin.
No one spoke.
The atmosphere felt strange.
Almost tense.
Finally Mira stepped forward.
"You saved everyone in that dungeon," she said.
"But I need to report this to the Hunter Association."
She glanced at the two shadow soldiers standing behind him.
"They're going to want an explanation."
Arin already expected that.
What had happened today was impossible to hide.
But before he could respond—
The system appeared again.
[New Main Quest Available]
[Shadow Monarch Path]
[Objective: Grow the Shadow Army]
[Requirement: Reach Level 20]
[Reward: Shadow Domain Skill]
Arin's eyes widened slightly.
A new path had opened.
The Shadow Monarch Path.
The system displayed another message.
[Host Current Level: 7]
Arin clenched his fist.
Level 7 already…
That meant the dungeon had given him an enormous amount of experience.
But something else caught his attention.
The shadow capacity.
[Shadow Capacity: 2 / 10]
He could create eight more shadow soldiers.
Eight more powerful creatures under his command.
The thought made his heart race.
Mira spoke again.
"Arin."
He looked up.
"You should come with us to the Association headquarters."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"Because after what happened today…"
"…you're no longer the weakest hunter."
The other hunters nodded.
Some of them even looked slightly afraid.
Arin slowly turned toward the subway exit.
The night sky waited above the stairs.
Everything had changed.
The weakest hunter in the world had died inside that dungeon.
And someone far more dangerous had taken his place.
Arin walked up the stairs toward the city lights.
Behind him, two massive shadows followed silently.
And somewhere deep inside the darkness…
The Shadow System continued watching.
Because this was only the beginning.
The rise of the Shadow King had just begun.