The glowing billboards of Times Square, which usually displayed advertisements for perfumes and movies, were now flickering with static. All over the world, television broadcasts were cut short. In their place, a single image was being transmitted to every screen on Earth: the image of a young man with white hair and violet eyes, standing amidst a sea of absolute darkness in the heart of New York City.
Arthur looked into the nearest camera drone. He knew that the leaders of every nation, the heads of every guild, and every single human was watching him.
"This is not an attack," Arthur's voice echoed, not just through the speakers, but directly into the minds of everyone listening. "This is a change of management."
Behind him, the million-soul army of shadows stood motionless. The air was heavy with the scent of mana—energy so dense that normal humans were collapsing to their knees, unable to breathe.
In the high offices of the World Hunter Association, the atmosphere was even worse. The President of the Association, an old man who had spent forty years controlling the lives of hunters, was staring at the monitor with trembling hands.
"Who is he?" the President whispered. "Search the database! Every F-Rank, every E-Rank! Someone must know who this monster is!"
A young assistant, her face pale as a ghost, typed frantically into a tablet. "Sir... his name is Arthur. He was an F-Rank porter for the Blue Sky Guild. He was reported missing—presumed dead—in a D-Rank dungeon three weeks ago."
"Missing?" The President slammed his fist on the table. "An F-Rank porter became a God-tier threat in three weeks? That's impossible! Where are the S-Rank hunters we sent to suppress the dungeon?"
"They... they returned, sir," the assistant said, her voice shaking. "Marcus, Ling, and Kael. They are in the medical bay. They said... they said the Shadow Monarch spared them to deliver a message."
Back in Times Square, Arthur felt the arrival of more hunters. Local New York squads were surrounding the area, their weapons drawn, though their hands were shaking so much they could barely hold them.
"Drop your weapons," Arthur said softly. He didn't raise his voice, but the 'Omni-Monarch's Authority' was so absolute that every hunter in a ten-block radius felt their arms go limp. Their swords and guns hit the pavement with a loud clang.
"I didn't come here to kill you," Arthur continued, walking toward a news helicopter that was hovering dangerously low. "The dungeons you've been 'clearing' for years were never meant for your survival. They were a harvesting ground. The gods you pray to were just fattening you up for the slaughter."
He raised his hand, and the 'Key to the Surface' appeared in his palm, glowing with a black light.
"I have killed the Architect. I have taken control of the system. From this day forward, there are no more Ranks. There is no more Association. There is only one rule: survive."
Suddenly, the sky above New York began to crack. A massive golden rift, much larger than any dungeon gate, appeared in the atmosphere. The True Gods—the beings the Architect had warned him about—were finally reacting to the death of their servant.
[Ding!]
[Warning! The first 'Celestial Executioner' has been deployed by the Higher Heavens.]
[Danger Level: World-Ending.]
A figure clad in armor made of pure white suns descended from the rift. The heat was so intense that the asphalt of the streets began to melt. This was not an S-Rank or even an EX-Rank. This was a being of pure divinity.
"You have committed a grave sin, Arthur," the Celestial Executioner spoke, its voice sounding like the roar of a star. "You have stolen the property of the Heavens. Return the Multiplier and the Source Code, and your death will be painless."
Arthur looked at the golden god, his violet eyes reflecting the fire of the sun. He felt the millions of shadows behind him growling in anticipation.
"Return it?" Arthur laughed. He reached into his inventory and pulled out one of the 100 'Ancient Skill Tomes' he had multiplied earlier. He crushed it in his hand, and a new skill was instantly integrated into his soul.
"100x Multiplier... Divine Suppression!"
Arthur's aura turned from black to a deep, dark gold. He didn't wait for the god to strike. He leaped into the air, his speed shattering every window in Times Square.
The battle between the Shadow Monarch and the Sun God was about to begin. And the humans watching from below realized that their world had just become the ultimate battlefield.