The Shadow King

[Notification]

[Job Change Quest Complete]

Looking at the Information Box that popped up from the system, Cheng Xiaoyu froze in place for a moment, not even knowing what to do with the Short Blade in his hand.

What was going on? He had done absolutely nothing, yet the [Job Change Quest] had ended just like that?!

Before coming in, he had been wondering how difficult the monsters inside would be to deal with. In the end, the knights he encountered after entering had all knelt before they even fought him, one after another. Even the final boss was the same. It truly left him feeling extremely out of place!

He glanced at the Dark Red Knight, who could not possibly look any more respectful, then looked at the Information Box, and could only accept reality helplessly.

To be honest, this had been a rare and excellent opportunity to raise his level, yet it had ended without him doing a thing. It seemed he could only wait for next time.

[The system will analyze the player's past actions and assign the player a corresponding class.]

What? So I don't get to choose it myself?

[Analysis complete.]

[Every place the player has stopped has always been filled with the aura of Death God. Along the path the player has taken, corpses lie everywhere, and the stench of blood fills the air.]

Hey, what is that supposed to mean?

[In addition, the player yearns to obtain powerful strength, opening a path through his own power alone without relying on companions.]

[Your thirst for powerful strength will allow you to summon the undead wandering in the Valley of Death. The Undead Legion that obeys your commands will require no one's help and will carve out a path for you alone.]

Undead Legion... Huh? Wait a second, what is this?!

This... is my class?

[Your class—"Necromancer"]

Looking at the class the system had assigned him, Cheng Xiaoyu felt completely awful. How could he, a Shadow Element Mage, obtain the [class] of an Undead Element mage?

He had thought he would receive some kind of class like [Assassin], but it turned out to be [Necromancer]. It truly was unexpected.

Speaking of which, if it really is this [Necromancer], will I become an Undead Element mage?

[Do you accept this class?]

Accept or reject... So I can reject it too?

Suddenly, a different thought rose in Cheng Xiaoyu's mind, and he could not help but tap the [NO] option.

[Necromancer is a "hidden class." Do you still wish to reject it?]

[Do you accept this class?]

Tch, so after all that, I have to accept it, huh... Hidden class. That means this class should have some special abilities, right?

Cheng Xiaoyu rubbed his chin, his fingers lightly tapping against his arm, and finally chose the [Accept] option.

[Class selected.]

The next second, a black aura surged up from beneath his feet and swiftly coiled around his body. At once, a powerful wind gathered in the air.

In an instant, the black aura drilled into Cheng Xiaoyu's body. He seemed to sense a strange feeling, as if a powerful force had welled up within him.

In the end, the gathered black energy suddenly scattered in all directions, stirring up the entire audience chamber and blowing at the torches on the pillars, dimming the light by several shades.

Cheng Xiaoyu felt the surging power inside him, and a trace of confusion flashed through his eyes. It was as if a layer of shadow wrapped around his entire body, and with the slightest movement, he had inexhaustible strength.

[You have changed class from "Necromancer" to "Shadow King."]

So... I've already completed the job change?

Cheng Xiaoyu looked toward a group of figures who had entered at some point. They were the knights or mages he had met along the way, but now, in his eyes, there was actually a layer of black smoke rising from their bodies, and a wave of deathly aura rushed toward him.

I can actually hear them making sounds like mournful cries, as if they're telling of their pain... So they had no life in them long ago?

Suddenly, an Information Box popped up above the heads of those knights—[Shadow Extraction can be used on the target object].

Shadow Extraction...

[Please set a command for the Shadow Extraction skill.]

Set a command. It should be something like a chant or catchphrase...

Cheng Xiaoyu pinched his chin and lowered his head in thought for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Arise."

As soon as his voice fell, the Black Mist on those knights immediately floated up. Their original bodies collapsed to the ground, and those masses of Black Mist condensed into brand-new bodies.

They were knights whose entire bodies were black, adorned with blue-white light, with that layer of Black Mist radiating from them, as if they had just returned from hell!

Looking at the black knights standing around him... no, they should be called Shadow Soldiers, a look of shock appeared on his face.

"This is... way too fierce!"

The next second, the system's Information Box appeared in front of him, and he quickly scanned through it.

[Skill: Shadow Extraction]

[Class-exclusive skill. It can extract shadows from the bodies of creatures whose lifespans have ended and create Shadow Soldiers. The higher the target's Attribute Value or the longer the time since death, the higher the chance of extraction failure.]

[Skill: Shadow Storage]

[Job-specific skill. The user can store Shadow Soldiers within his own shadow and summon them at any time.]

So they were what were called [Shadow Soldiers]. The longer the target had been dead, or the higher its Attribute Value, the higher the chance of failure. He felt he had to pay extra attention to that...

Wait. If he could extract even stronger shadows, didn't that mean...

At that thought, Cheng Xiaoyu withdrew all the Shadow Soldiers around him, then looked at the only Dark Red Knight kneeling below the throne—the one who had been the Knight Commander, Yegelite.

If I can bring this guy under my command... But its strength should be extremely high. I wonder if I can extract it successfully.

"Stand up."

The moment the words left his mouth, black mist spread over Yegelite's dark red body. Then a vast wave of black and blue-white air burst out in all directions, and an aura so powerful it made people tremble rushed toward him, stirring fear in his heart!

Seeing this, Cheng Xiaoyu's face showed astonishment, but the corners of his mouth had already curved into a smile. He had not expected it to be this easy.

A brand-new body rose from the Dark Red Knight. Its entire body was the same color as the Shadow Soldiers from before, except it retained its original features. A pure black cloak billowed behind it, and the red ornament behind its head was especially striking!

[Shadow Extraction Success]

The Knight Commander slowly walked behind Cheng Xiaoyu, then turned and dropped to one knee before him. Its long black cloak stretched across the ground, and several Shadow Soldiers knelt on one knee behind it as well, like knights sworn to defend their king to the death!

"Good. Yegelite, I'll be counting on you from now on."

Looking at the Shadow Soldiers before him, Cheng Xiaoyu felt that this time was almost dreamlike. Without any danger or obstruction, he had obtained powerful Combat Strength. Everything seemed as if it had been planned.

In any case, no matter what, he had grown stronger, hadn't he?