Chapter 168

And at that moment:

Ku Gugu Gugu Gugu!

[Don't make me laugh! You dare to disobey me!? You who are a mere puppet born from my illusions!]

Javier shouted in a fit as he created a sandstorm to attack Sung Jin-Woo's vision.

[I'll get you!]

Kwuaaaaang!

The sandstorm turned into a giant hand, attacking him like a clutch. From that single Jin-Woo could feel the persistence of the demon they had taken as if his favorite doll right in front of his eyes.

[Become my puppet!]

To the demon's dismay, Sung Jin-Woo's illusion simply floated into mid air to avoid Javier's touch. With a relaxed look, he said to Javier.

—Are you going to be okay? I don't think you can afford to focus on me from now on. —

[What?!]

—My son just started his quest.—

His gaze turned to Suho, whose eyes were reading the contents of the quest.

[Emergency Quest! Prove yourself! The Shadow Monarch Sung Jin-Woo welcomes his son to prove his qualifications! Defeat Javier: The Demonic Illusionist and awaken a new skill from the Shadow Power!]

At that moment Suho shouted, his eyes flashing intensely. "I accept!" And without hesitation, he jumped towards the sandstorm that attacked from all sides, to free his father.

[Use Skill: Storm Slash!]

Kwah kwah kwah kwah kwah!

His twin swords swung in a daze and ripping through Javier's grasp.

Quarreung!

In that moment, an amazing sight unfolded. The sand that scattered and explored soon began to take the shape of numerous skeletons. "Wait, then all those skeletons from before…"

As if responding to Suho's realization, Sung Jin-Woo nodded.

—Yes, that's right. All of them are an illusion created by his magic.—

All those skeletons that appeared in Haeundae were nothing more than illusions created by Javier.

Kiekekeke!

The skeletons suddenly felt an instinct of protection and rushed to Suho all at once.

[No matter how strong you are, you can never win against my infinite number of illusions!]

Those illusions were also equipped with real physical power. An amazing ability, as expected of the illusionist from the demonic tribe. However, Suho didn't have a single change in his expression as he watched the skeletons rushing towards him ferociously.

"Gray." [1]

[The spiritual body of the Pet: Gray is being merged with the body of the priest.]

Wah!

Suho's hair began to flutter silver with the divine wind. Seeing this, Sung Jin-Woo's eyes widened as the memories came to mind.

— Hmm? That can't be…—

He found quite a strange sight. It was the protection of the Beast Monarch that he killed himself, embedded in his son's body. At the same time, Suho's movement rapidly accelerated.

[Use Skill: Grassland Wind.]

[Your speed has temporarily increased by 30%.]

[Your attack speed has temporarily increased by 30%.]

Ruler 's Authority!

Suho threw the swords he was holding in both hands as they surged towards the skeletons like beams of light, hacking them into pieces. At the same time, Suho also began to fiercely pour a series of punches with both fists.

Chump chump chump chump chump!

Doo doo doo doo doo!

The skeletons were mercilessly destroyed as they shattered by the fierce attacks. Dozens or hundreds or skeletons disappeared without a trace in an instant.

There are far too many of these guys.

Even as they constantly rushed into groups, the skeletons couldn't buy time against Suho.

Sung Jin-Woo, who was watching the scene unfold, slightly frowned back at Suho.

—Hmm.—

Upon inspecting, he could not only feel the aura of the Beast Monarch in Suho's body, but there was also the Plague Monarch's aura as well.

—Just when did my son become the priest for dead Monarchs?—

It made him feel a little curious about what happened when he had gone missing. Suddenly, Sung Jin-Woo's gaze turned to Beru. Naturally, Beru had also been standing beside him with the very loyal appearance from earlier. A bloody gaze emanated from his narrowed eyes. If Beru had been his original size, such a stare would have looked threatening, but now Beru was so small that every expression he made was cute. Sung Jin-Woo smiled and placed his hand over Beru's head.

—Beru, I need to look into your memories for a moment.—

[As you command, my liege.]

Beru willingly closed his eyes and felt Sung Jin-Woo's hand on top of his head.

—Is that how it is?—

Sung Jin-Woo, who peeked into Beru's memories, tilted his head with a disapproving expression. Suddenly, he spread his hand in the air and began manipulating Javier's magic to his will.

Pah! Papapa!

Following his orders, complex magic circles appeared, an ominous light emerged and spun around the place. Alongside him, the sandstorm that swept the area began to change gradually, showing strange movements in its surroundings.

[What's happening!?]

Javier was greatly taken aback by the sudden situation. His magic that had once been perfectly spread was now changing without his orders.

[How can this be possible!]

No matter how hard he tried, once the magic left his hands, it began to disintegrate all that he made. Sung Jin-Woo gave some words of comfort to him.

—There's nothing to worry about. I don't mean to damage your spell. If you think about it, i'm just a simple illusion, so I have almost no magic power over you.—

[Oh no…]

—Instead, I'm only trying to improve your magic a bit more.—

That doesn't make any sense!

Javier was astonished. How could that man, who was only an illusion, do these kinds of things?

Just what kind of monster did I summon!

Javier felt the fear of the unknown grasp him to an unimaginable degree. And, just as Jin-Woo had said, Javier's magic began to increase into a more perfect figure.

Whaaa!

[Huh uh huh!?]

Javier was deeply perplexed by the sudden feeling of his powers increasing. Despite the obscure process, looking at the results, this was definitely a good thing for Javier.

[I don't know what the hell is going on…]

Javier grabbed the powers gifted by 'him'. Then, looking down towards Suho, no, all the other hunters including him, he mercilessly revealed his malevolence.

[Thank you for this! I'll use this power wisely!]

Flash!

[The level of the Skill: Mirage has increased.]

Kwooooo Gogogo!

The sandstorm intensified, and the power of the skeletons born of illusion became stronger.

—Come on, son.—

The illusion of Sung Jin-Woo that was looking at him from above, secretly raised the corner of his lips and crossed his arms.

—Since dad has laid the plate like this, why don't you use all of your strength now? Don't worry, dad will take of them.—

!

Suho's eyes widened at that moment. Despite the battle, his fierce gaze instinctively moved towards his father. 'them'. He realized what that word meant.

The Itarim.

The apostles of the Itarim!

All this time Suho had suppressed his power without realizing it. He didn't want to be a burden to his father. He didn't want his father's enemies to discover that he was a descendant of the Shadow Monarch. So he had used the powers of the Shadows to a minimum.

And the reason was crystal clear.

I had to do it.

For my father.

'Because I am my father's only weakness.'

However, his father right now…

—Tsk. Just because I'm getting old doesn't mean I've grown gray hair.—

He was clicking the tongue at himself.

—No, just how old even are you that you are already worried about your parents?—

He reproached Suho in a tone that seemed to see through all the worries that he had been piling up until now.

—Suho, my son.—

He wasn't able to hide the cute and admirable smile from his mouth.

—Worries tend to happen, it's what parents do to their children.—

He laughed.

—Although it should be the other way around, the person above has to worry about the person below.—

His smile became darker.

Gooooooohh!

Before he knew it, Sung Jin-Woo's momentum was taking over the entire area as if it was going to devour it.

—Listen closely.—

He began to scold his son for worrying about him.

—This is your dad whom you've never lived a single moment without until now. I'm not weak enough that I need a little kid like you to be worried about me.—

"..."

—That 's why…—

His father's voice resounded in a low tone.

—Stop worrying about this useless dad of yours.—

The moment he heard it, like a hook, something heavy inside of Suho had disappeared. At that time he realized why his father had appeared in Javier's illusion.

Mirage: A skill that revealed one's terrible memories strongly engraved inside the target's soul. The most terrifying thing about this skill was that it brought to life the darkest part of a person, a subject's most anxious and vulnerable memories, just as the current results prove.

The emotions he felt closest to his trauma that had been suppressing Suho's heart were those about his father.

Because of me, my father will…

If my father gets caught because of me…

If I become a hostage, it will be a huge problem for him…

I am my father's only weakness…

It was from those countless thoughts that the illusion had created his 'father'.

But now, his father had given him the permission to go all out.

Suho's eyes changed at that moment.

The corners of his smile rose.

A smile that resembled his father's.

A more innocent expression appeared on his face.

He stopped walking and looked ahead.

With a look that resembled his father's.

Suho opened his mouth.

"Arise."

Shuwaaaa!

At Suho's feet, his shadow soldiers all rose in unison. The shadow soldiers were covered with black mist all over their bodies.

Aaaaahh!!

They all stood up with Suho at the center and spewed vicious blood in all directions. Among them were Quay, Harmakan and Kira who had been traveling across the country to hunt down villains.

"Harmakan, create an instant dungeon."

[As you wish, master.]

Flash!!

When the order was given, Harmakan opened his arms and cast a spell.

[An open dungeon has been created.]

Flash!

At that moment, a transparent force field spread in all directions around Harmakan. The gigantic sphere dragged the entire sandstorm created by Javier into the Underworld. The same happened with all the hunters that were gathered, and so was Javier trapped.

—What a novelty. Using the instant dungeons for the purpose of trapping enemies.—

Sung Jin-Woo nodded as he saw the battle become a little bit more interesting. Javier on the other hand couldn't help but panic.

[This- this can't be?! Kandiaru's…]

Javier was horrified to realize that they had imprisoned him at a higher dungeon level than he himself could create. But that wasn't the only problem. Suho all a sudden had the same energy as the Shadow Monarch flowing through him.

[What, how could you!? No. Wait- you can't be!]

"I am."

Suho gladly answered the question as he let out an air he had been holding back.

"I am Sung Suho, son of the Shadow Monarch."

A message appeared.

[You have learned 'Skill: Monarch's Domain' Lv.1]

Hwaaaaa.

Suho's shadow dyed the whole land in darkness.

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1: The actual translation is [강신] Gangsin which is one of the processes in a ceremony to invite and receive a spirit in one's body that being with a spell or prayer, basically Suho merging with Gray to receive spiritual power.