At that moment, the system sent him notifications that made the entire battle worthwhile.
[Knight Grade Shadow Extracted] X1
[You Have Leveled Up] X15
Lucien stared at the notifications for a moment. Today, he and his shadow army had killed hundreds of High Orc warriors. Elite enemies with stats in the high hundreds, all of them genuine threats that would have posed serious problems for most heroes he'd encountered.
Even with Gluttony active, tripling his experience gain from every kill, he had only managed to level up fifteen times.
The realization hit him hard. He needed more dungeons. The current rate of progression wasn't going to be enough, not when the threats he was facing kept escalating.
Thanos had been just the beginning. There were entities out there, beings whose power dwarfed the Mad Titan.
He turned his attention to Tusk, who now stood before him in shadow form. The massive orc mage's presence was different now - more refined, more controlled, but still radiating the same magical potency that had made him such a formidable opponent.
Though Lucien had countered all of Tusk's spells one way or another during their fight, he knew the shadow had immense potential. The way the mage had seamlessly combined offensive and defensive magic, switched between area attacks and precision strikes, utilized buffs and debuffs with tactical awareness - it all spoke of magical knowledge and combat experience.
He was far more skilled than the other shadow mages Lucien currently commanded. The Elite-grade casters he had were competent, but Tusk was on an entirely different level.
"You are now in charge of all the mages that come here," Lucien said simply.
Tusk bowed his massive head in acknowledgment, accepting the position without hesitation. The knight-grade shadow understood the hierarchy immediately - he would command the magical division of the army, turning them from a collection of individual casters into a coordinated force.
Lucien wondered briefly how Tusk would fare against someone like Doctor Strange. The thought was intriguing - ancient orcish magic versus the mystic arts of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. But he shrugged it off almost immediately. Maybe in the future, after Tusk has had time to grow and adapt, but for now? Probably not. After all, Strange was the Sorcerer Supreme for a reason, wasn't he?
His shadow knights had been efficient during the battle's aftermath. They had collected the corpses of the strongest orcs and brought them before their master. Around forty bodies lay arranged in front of him, including the four elite guards who had served as Tusk's personal protectors.
These hadn't been weak enemies. Each one had possessed stats that would have made them dangerous opponents individually.
Lucien raised his hand and spoke the word that had become so familiar to him.
"Arise."
Shadow energy erupted from his palm, flowing over the corpses like black lightning. One by one, the dead orcs began to stir. Dark mist rose from their bodies as flesh and bone were transformed into shadow-stuff, their forms becoming more ethereal while retaining the physical power they had possessed in life.
[Elite Grade Shadows Extracted] X40
Forty new shadows joined his army. The four former guards of Tusk rose as particularly powerful specimens, their knight-potential evident even in their shadow forms.
With a thought, Lucien sent them all back into his shadow. The mass of dark energy that served as his dimensional storage space welcomed them, adding their power to the collective force he could call upon at any moment.
Then he looked around the now-empty hall. The battle was over, the dungeon conquered, the rewards claimed. But there was still one thing left to do.
He needed to bring something out for Stark.
The billionaire was waiting outside, probably growing impatient by now. Lucien had promised to bring back samples from the dungeon, and he always kept his word.
The question was what to bring that would be both interesting enough to satisfy Tony's curiosity and safe enough to avoid problems for himself.
His eyes scanned the hall, taking in the various objects and materials that made up this dungeon. Stone that wasn't quite stone, metal that held traces of mana.
Then his gaze settled on Tusk's throne.
The massive seat of power was a work of art in its own right. Carved from a single piece of what appeared to be obsidian, it was covered in intricate runes that still glowed faintly with residual mana.
More importantly, it was large, impressive, and would definitely give Tony something substantial to study in materials.
Lucien smiled slightly and walked over to the throne. With ease, he lifted the massive structure - which had to weigh several tons - and stored it in his inventory. The dimensional storage accepted it without issue, adding one more item to the collection of things he'd accumulated.
....
Outside the Dungeon
Tony Stark was not a patient man by nature. He was standing on the seventh floor of an abandoned building in the middle of the night, waiting for a teenager to emerge from what appeared to be a solid concrete pillar. The whole situation was absurd, which was probably why he found it so fascinating.
"Jarvis," he said, activating his suit's communication systems. "Give me something to pass the time. What's the status on that report I asked for?"
The AI's voice came through crystal clear, despite the lack of any visible speakers. "The report on Norman Osborn is ready, sir. Would you like me to present the findings?"
"Go ahead," Tony said, settling into a more comfortable stance. If he was going to wait, he might as well be productive about it.
"Norman Osborn appears to be assembling a team of individuals with enhanced capabilities," Jarvis began. "The purpose of this team is currently unclear, but based on the recruitment pattern, it appears to be designed as a response to the increasing superhuman activity in recent months."
Tony frowned. "His own superhero team? That's ambitious even for Norman. What do we know about the members?"
"I was able to identify two individuals with certainty," Jarvis continued. "The first is Lester, better known by his alias 'Bullseye.' A mercenary and assassin."
"Bullseye," Tony muttered. "That's a problem. The guy's a psychopath with impeccable aim. Who's the second?"
"The other confirmed member is Akihiro, also known as Daken. He is a mutant with abilities similar to Wolverine, including enhanced healing, animal-like senses, and retractable claws. Notably, he is Logan's son."
Tony raised an eyebrow inside his helmet. "Is that so? Logan has a kid, and he turned out to be the type to work with Norman Osborn? That's got to sting."
"Indeed, sir. The relationship between Logan and his son appears to be complicated at best."
"Keep a close eye on Oscorp and Norman himself," Tony ordered. "If he's building a team, I want to know about every member, every movement, and every plan they have. Norman Osborn with his own private superhuman strike force is a recipe for disaster."
"Understood, sir. I will maintain surveillance and report any significant developments."
At that moment, Lucien emerged from the pillar, stepping out of thin air as if passing through a door that only he could see.
Tony turned toward him and let out a low whistle. "Look who's back. You sure you weren't partying inside with some chicks?"
Lucien didn't respond, simply walking past Tony without acknowledging the comment.
"Ouch," Tony said with exaggerated pain. "The silent treatment. So what did you bring for me? Please tell me you got something good."
Lucien stopped and turned, a small smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. He reached into what appeared to be empty air and pulled out something that should have been impossible.
A throne materialized in his hands.
Not just any throne - a massive obsidian seat covered in glowing runes, standing nearly fifteen feet tall and carved with such intricate detail that even from a distance, Tony could tell it was extraordinary. Lucien slammed it onto the floor with a heavy thud that sent vibrations through the entire building.
Tony's jaw dropped inside his helmet. "How am I supposed to carry this?"
Lucien's smirk widened. "Your problem. Just call me when you find out anything."
Before Tony could protest further, Lucien walked to the edge of the floor. He looked back over his shoulder, gave a casual wave, and said one word.
"Ciao."
Then he jumped off the building.
Tony rushed to the edge, but of course, there was no body splattered on the ground below.
"Jarvis," Tony said, staring at the massive throne sitting in the middle of an abandoned floor. "Is this his way of pulling my leg?"
"Are you still doubting it, Mr. Stark?" the AI replied with what might have been amusement in his synthetic voice.
Tony sighed and started to pick the throne up.
Lucien landed on the street below with barely a sound. He made his way back toward his apartment, taking the familiar route through streets that were finally starting to quiet down as the night wore on.
When he entered the apartment, he immediately found Illyana, Daniel, Anna, and Laura sitting in the living room. They were gathered around something that was making soft beeping sounds and waving its inflatable arms in what appeared to be a greeting gesture.
Baymax.
Illyana was sitting slightly apart from the others, her expression more subdued. When she noticed Lucien looking at her, she gave a small shrug. "It's cute. Useless for my situation, but cute."
That was his opening.
Lucien walked over to where Illyana was sitting and looked down at her with an expression that was both serious and reassuring.
"Get ready," he said simply. "We're going to solve your problem tonight."
.....
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