However, a notification immediately popped up on the system interface:
[Notice: Target's mana detected as contaminated. Class-exclusive skill, Shadow Extraction, cannot be used.]
[Notice: The mana of demonic creatures is incompatible with the Shadow Extraction skill. Cannot be converted into a Shadow Soldier.]
"Huh? Mana is contaminated... I can't extract shadows from demons?"
Natsuki Subaru sighed with a hint of disappointment as he looked at the system panel's notification.
"What a shame... For such a powerful lord-class monster, if I could have turned Cerberus into a Shadow Soldier, it would have been a massive asset."
"It seems this skill has limitations against demonic enemies. The system's logic is sound, I guess, since a demon's mana attribute conflicts with the nature of shadows... but it still feels like a waste."
However, Natsuki Subaru quickly composed himself, shaking his head and consoling himself.
"But it doesn't matter. The rewards from this battle were already substantial enough."
"Not only did I level up twice, getting a big stat boost, but I also got the precious Holy Water of Life recipe and some pretty good gear. That collar, in particular, has very useful stat bonuses."
Natsuki Subaru thought to himself.
"These are all tangible gains. I can't get too greedy."
"Alright, time to move on. I wonder what kind of challenges are waiting for me in the next area."
Natsuki Subaru rallied his spirits and turned his gaze toward the distant, chain-bound castle gate.
"Demon Castle..." Natsuki Subaru looked up, his eyes sharp as he stared at the imposing gate before him.
"Let's see what other surprises you have for me."
The key in his hand glowed with increasing intensity, resonating with the magical lock on the gate.
A beam of light shot from the tip of the key, connecting to the keyhole in the center of the gate.
"Looks like this is it." Natsuki Subaru aimed the key at the keyhole. "Open, gate of the Demon Castle!"
With a click.
As the key was inserted, the entire gate began to rumble. Ancient magic circles lit up on its surface, emitting a dauntingly powerful fluctuation of mana...
The heavy gate slowly creaked open inward, revealing a deep and wide corridor behind it. The wind blowing from within carried the stench of sulfur and ash, along with the faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood.
Along both sides of the long corridor stood a variety of lifelike demon statues.
They were grotesque and terrifying in form—some baring their fangs and claws, others with wings spread as if about to take flight, all holding various twisted and bizarre weapons. Their cold gazes seemed to silently watch every intruder, issuing a stern warning.
"The message seems clear. There's only one way to go: forward, right?"
Saying this, Natsuki Subaru passed through the short gate corridor and officially set foot in the inner city of the Demon Castle.
At the same time, the system's notification sound arrived as expected, ringing clearly in Natsuki Subaru's mind:
[Notice: You have entered the inner district of the Demon Castle: The Burning Ruined City.]
[Notice: This city is teeming with countless fallen demons. Please collect their souls.]
[Clear Condition: Collect Demon Souls: 100,000.]
[Current Progress: Demon Souls Collected: 0/100,000.]
"What? One hundred thousand Demon Souls?!"
Even though he had been mentally prepared for something, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
"This number is just too absurd... Is the system trying to make me grind here until the end of time?"
"But, since it's the clear condition, there must be a reason for it. It looks like this is going to be a long haul."
With that, Natsuki Subaru entered the interior of the Demon Castle.
"So this is the inside of the Demon Castle."
Spread before Natsuki Subaru's eyes was an immensely vast, seemingly endless burning ruin of a city.
Charred, dilapidated buildings stood askew like the skeletons of giant beasts. Broken magic towers and elevated bridges intersected, creating a scene of desperate, tragic grandeur.
The streets were covered in a thick layer of ash, and the air was filled with the heavy stench of sulfur and the acrid smell of burnt objects. The rumble of collapsing buildings echoed from the distance from time to time.
A dark red sky hung low, with two blood-red suns casting an unsettling light, dyeing everything in an ominous hue.
"Rumble..."
Then, the ground began to tremble slightly.
From the shadows of the ruins, from the broken windows, and from the ends of the fractured streets, came a dense, skin-crawling sound of shrieks and scuttling.
"Looks like the demons are coming..."
Natsuki Subaru stood his ground, watching ahead calmly.
In the blink of an eye.
Thousands of demons poured out from all directions like a tide, instantly filling the street and square before him!
[Lesser Demon]
[Greater Demon]
[Demon Guard]
[Demon Mage]
......
The vast majority of them had white names above their heads.
Their forms varied, but most were twisted amalgamations of humanoid and beastly shapes. They had sharp horns on their heads, their bodies were covered in rough scales or hard carapaces, and they held rusty weapons or relied on sharp claws and fangs.
Scattered within this white tide were a few exceptionally large and more ferocious-looking [Demon Leaders], their names displayed in a conspicuous orange.
"So these are demons. There sure are a lot of them."
Natsuki Subaru quickly scanned the horde of demons, the system panel's color-coded threat levels flashing in his mind.
White meant a low threat that could be handled easily, while orange indicated a foe that required caution.
"As I thought... there aren't any ridiculously powerful red, lord-class monsters like Cerberus."
Looking at the demon horde, Natsuki Subaru felt a little relieved.
"It seems I was right. If every floor was guarded by a lord-class monster like that, it would take forever to clear all 100 floors."
"Most of them should be ordinary mobs like this."
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru felt much more at ease.
Although the number of demons was enormous, their quality, at least, didn't seem terrifying. He could easily handle them by himself; it would just take a bit more time.
To him, these demons were practically walking experience packs.
After all, leveling up in the outside world required searching for scattered Magic Beasts, which was both troublesome and inefficient.
But it was different here in the dungeon.
Dungeons were treasure troves for leveling up. The monsters were numerous and concentrated, and their strength was sufficient to be a good way to hone his combat skills.
......
At that moment.
"ROAR..."
The demons spotted the lone Natsuki Subaru and let out excited roars. Like a school of sharks that had scented blood, they began to close in on him from all sides.
"Is this a numbers game?" Faced with this terrifying formation, Natsuki Subaru merely smiled, the corners of his mouth curling up in a calm yet disdainful smirk.
"It seems these low-level demons only know how to overwhelm with numbers. But that suits me just fine. I'm not alone either. Let me show you what a true numerical advantage looks like!"
With that, Natsuki Subaru slowly raised his right hand and waved, summoning his exclusive Shadow Legion.
"Arise! My Shadow Legion!"
In the next second, the shadow beneath Natsuki Subaru's feet suddenly began to boil.
The once flat shadow twisted and expanded violently like a living thing, forming a massive, near-180-degree arc of darkness that spread outward at an astonishing speed.
Wherever the shadow passed, even light was devoured, and the temperature dropped abruptly.
Countless jet-black figures rose from the surging darkness!
They were Shadow Soldiers, formed from pure shadow energy.
Knights, mages, assassins, and various ferocious-looking shadow magic beasts...
The vast Shadow Legion took shape with incredible speed, its murderous aura instantly diluting the oppressive feeling from the demons.
"Over three thousand Shadow Soldiers. More than enough to deal with you mobs."
Natsuki Subaru surveyed his Shadow Legion with satisfaction.
Standing at the very front of the army was the Shadow Knight Commander, Igris, who was over two and a half meters tall and wore a flowing shadow cape.
His current level was as high as 12, and the massive shadow longsword in his hand radiated a chilling energy fluctuation as he loyally stood guard before his summoner, Natsuki Subaru.
"Annihilate them!"
Without any further preamble, Natsuki Subaru issued a concise command to his Shadow Legion.
The battle erupted instantly!
—SWOOSH!
Igris took the lead, his speed far surpassing that of ordinary Shadow Soldiers as he transformed into a black bolt of lightning and cut into the demon horde.
The great shadow sword carved a perfect arc through the air, accompanied by a shriek that tore through the air.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
As the sword's light flashed, every one of Igris's slashes was precise and efficient.
A horizontal sweep of the greatsword instantly sliced several lesser demons at the waist, and with a backhand cleave, several greater demons attempting a flanking attack were split in two from head to toe.
Igris's figure weaved through the demon horde, leaving only a field of demon corpses in his wake.
An orange-named Demon Leader roared and charged at Igris, its massive claws swiping with a whoosh.
Igris didn't dodge or evade, instead swinging his great shadow sword in an upward arc.
"CLANG!"
The claw and the great shadow sword clashed violently, erupting in a deafening screech of metal on metal. Blinding sparks scattered at the point of impact, illuminating Igris's expressionless faceplate.
However, the stalemate lasted only for a moment.
The shadow energy in Igris's arm suddenly surged. The great shadow sword, with overwhelming force, tore through the Demon Leader's claws and, continuing its momentum, split open its hard chest.
"Ugh..."
The Demon Leader looked down in disbelief at its lifeless body, collapsing to the ground with a final, unwilling roar.
Just then, a system notification sounded at the perfect time:
[Notice: Shadow Knight Igris has met the kill count requirement and has been promoted from Level 12 to Level 13.]
[Notice: Igris has unlocked a new skill, Shadow Storm.]
"Huh? Igris leveled up? That's way too fast!"
Natsuki Subaru was inwardly stunned, but his face quickly broke into a pleased expression.
"As expected of Igris. His killing efficiency is truly astonishing."
Natsuki Subaru watched the invincible Igris on the battlefield and couldn't help but fall into recollection.
Speaking of which, among all the Shadow Soldiers, Igris's strength was the greatest, and his growth potential was also the highest.
He still remembered how he was nearly killed by Igris when he completed the Shadow Monarch's class change quest.
"When Igris reaches level 100, his strength will surely be even greater..."
Watching Igris wreak havoc on the battlefield, Natsuki Subaru's eyes filled with anticipation.
"He might even be able to solo a level 100 lord-class monster. By then, he'll be the strongest warrior under my command."
On the battlefield, after Igris took the lead and tore through the demon's defensive line, the Shadow Knights immediately behind him launched a group charge.
Their longswords and shields worked in perfect coordination, tearing a new gap in the demon horde with every advance.
The various shadow magic beasts, on the other hand, showed their savage side, roaring as they crashed into the densest areas of demons.
A giant shadow wolf shattered three lesser demons with a single swipe of its claw, a shadow mammoth sent a dozen demons flying with a swing of its trunk, and shadow griffins dove from the sky, their talons easily shredding the wings of greater demons.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
In the rear, the shadow mages chanted silent spells, launching orb after orb of concentrated destructive energy into the enemy ranks.
The orbs exploded in the most crowded areas of demons, creating massive black shockwaves.
Demons hit directly were instantly vaporized, while those caught in the shockwave were torn to pieces.
"This covering fire is pretty good." Witnessing this scene, Natsuki Subaru nodded in approval. "It seems raising these mage units wasn't a waste."
Throughout the entire battle, the Shadow Soldiers displayed extremely high intelligence and tacit coordination.
The knights defended, the beasts charged, the mages provided support—the entire battlefield operated like a precision killing machine.
Occasionally, a few stragglers would try to bypass the front line and rush Natsuki Subaru, but they would always be eliminated halfway by a silently appearing shadow assassin.
One second later, the demon would collapse, clutching its throat, without even knowing how it died.
"Although the number of demons is frighteningly high, I have plenty of Shadow Soldiers too."
Natsuki Subaru stood leisurely in place, even taking out a bottle of water from his system space and sipping it slowly, watching the battle unfold with satisfaction.
"I summoned about three thousand this time. And even if the Shadow Soldiers die, they can be re-summoned, as long as I have enough mana."
Thinking of this, Natsuki Subaru glanced at his status bar.
"Even if my mana runs out, I can just buy mana potions from the system store to replenish it."
Just then, Natsuki Subaru's train of thought was interrupted by a continuous stream of system notifications in his mind:
[Notice: +645 EXP]
[Notice: +546 EXP]
[Notice: +721 EXP]
[Notice: +489 EXP]
[Notice: +1 Demon Soul]
[Notice: +1 Demon Soul]
......
"Letting the Shadow Soldiers do the fighting while I sit back and reap the rewards... this feels pretty good. It seems choosing the Shadow Monarch class was the right decision."
Natsuki Subaru's face broke into a delighted expression as he watched the system notifications of his rising experience points.
He didn't plan to engage personally for now, instead letting his Shadow Soldiers take care of these demons.
Firstly, it would allow the Shadow Soldiers to level up through combat, making them stronger and stronger.
_____
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