The city never truly slept. Beneath the endless neon glow and ceaseless rain, unseen battles simmered. Gabriel moved like a shadow within the city's underbelly, his presence cloaked by the weight of his False Monarch Trait—an invisible command forcing distance between him and the world.
But beneath the surface, something far greater stirred.
His Domain—sealed and dormant—beat like a distant drum in his chest, promising power waiting to be claimed.
The secret dungeon had yielded its prize: the God-ranked katana Eclipse. Soulbound. Evolutionary. A weapon alive with a hunger that matched Gabriel's own.
But a weapon alone would not be enough.
Power required cultivation.
The line between hunter and prey was razor-thin. Every moment was a fight to survive and ascend.
Gabriel's training began in the abandoned outskirts—forgotten warehouses, crumbling streets where no one dared to tread. There, he carved his path forward.
He moved with ruthless efficiency.
Every strike from Eclipse was precise—no wasted energy, no needless flash. His style was pure calculation, honed from years of hardship and battles past.
The rhythm of the blade was cold, unforgiving.
He recalled the System's data overlay in his mind's eye:
[Skill Progress: Sword Art – Domain Edge]Level: 2/10Effect:
Increases Domain radius by 0.5 meters per level.
Adds cutting power scaled to Domain strength.
Skill unlocks faster Domain expansion and damage amplification.
[Shadow Capacity]Maximum: 10Current: 0
The concept of shadows was a dark secret. Unlike others who displayed flashy, obvious abilities, Gabriel's power was subtle and terrifying.
To kill was not enough. To dominate was necessary.
Every monster, every foe defeated, could become his shadow—a loyal subordinate trapped within the boundaries of his Domain.
But only ten.
Each humanoid, male, loyal only to Gabriel.
Each capable of merging with others, becoming a single, monstrous force.
They would be his army hidden in plain sight.
His thoughts cut through the rain and cold.
The city thinks this is a game for heroes and chosen ones.
But I'm no hero.
I'm the storm lurking beneath their feet.
Tonight, the rain hammered harder. Gabriel stood on the edge of a low-tier dungeon—an old subway station long abandoned, its entrance choked by rust and neglect.
No one knew it existed except him.
The perfect hunting ground.
The air inside was stale, thick with the scent of rot and despair. A faint glow flickered from the dungeon rift—pulsing with dark energy.
As Gabriel stepped inside, the Domain within him flared faintly, sensing the ambient power.
Ahead, in the shadows, something moved.
A creature.
Unlike the twisted amalgams he'd faced in the secret dungeon, this one was more primal—swift, intelligent, and dangerous.
Its skin shimmered with an unnatural darkness. Eyes glowed red as it hissed, baring sharp teeth.
A rogue demon.
Gabriel's mind analyzed instantly: speed, range, weaknesses.
No hesitation.
He drew Eclipse and stepped into battle.
The demon lunged.
Claws sliced through the air inches from Gabriel's face.
He dodged with grace, parrying with the katana's edge. The clash of steel and claw sent sparks flying.
The fight was brutal.
The demon was relentless, attacking from multiple angles. Its speed was unlike anything Gabriel had faced before.
But Gabriel's mind was sharper.
He waited for the moment—a slight twitch in its movement, a breath before its strike.
Then—
He struck.
A clean cut through the demon's side.
It staggered.
Blood dark as oil seeped from the wound.
Gabriel pressed the advantage.
Strike after strike, precise, calculated, unrelenting.
With the final blow, the demon collapsed, writhing in its death throes.
Gabriel stood over it, breathing evenly.
The Domain within him flared violently.
From the corpse, a shadow rose.
Humanoid in shape, tall, eyes glowing faintly red.
[Shadow Acquired: Name Unknown][Shadow Count: 1/10][Loyalty: Absolute]
The shadow knelt.
Gabriel's eyes gleamed with cold satisfaction.
Power was not given.
It was taken.
Over the next few days, Gabriel pushed himself harder.
He trained until his muscles screamed, until the rain soaked him to the bone and the city's cold nights bit at his skin.
Each swing of Eclipse honed the skill further.
Each kill fed the Domain, slowly expanding the invisible radius around him.
Each shadow gathered was a step closer to godhood.
The city remained unaware of the storm beneath its feet.
But Gabriel knew.
He wasn't the hero the book spoke of.
He was the error.
The shadow.
The true monarch waiting in the dark.
[System Update]
[Skill Progress: Sword Art – Domain Edge]Level: 3/10
[Domain Radius: 5.5 meters]
His Domain was growing.
And with it, his power.
Gabriel's thoughts churned with dark ambition.
Two shadows down. Eight to go.
Each kill, each shadow, brings me closer.
When I reach ten—
When I merge them—
I will become a god within my Domain.
The city was a battlefield.
The dungeons were his proving grounds.
And Gabriel?
He was the storm they never saw coming.