The clash was devastating. Igris swung his two-handed sword with unbelievable ease, while I dodged in close proximity to his blade. I used my daggers to parry his smaller thrusts, condensed Ether to absorb the impacts, and released close-range blasts of fire and lightning to break his guard.
However, Igris was a flawless warrior. Whenever I attempted a lethal dagger strike into a gap in his armor, he blocked with his wrist or used his massive shoulder to throw me off balance.
BOOM!
Igris's metal-clad fist struck me squarely in the jaw. I was launched into the air, wiped the blood from my mouth, and cast Ruler's Authority while still airborne. The psychic force slammed Igris to the ground for a fraction of a second.
"Now!" I roared.
I dropped directly onto him, both daggers aimed at his helmet. At the very last millisecond, Igris discarded his sword, caught both of my wrists in his steel palms, and squeezed so hard my bones cracked. The daggers slipped from my hands, shattering on the floor.
I was disarmed, pinned under the hundred-ton pressure of his iron grip.
Igris raised his free hand, drew a dagger from his belt, and aimed it straight at my throat.
"My Lord!" Agron shouted.
Time seemed to slow down. I watched the tip of Igris's dagger creep closer to my neck. In that moment, I unleashed every remaining scrap of magic from my Ether Core. Instead of attempting a complex spell, I directed the sheer, unadulterated pressure straight into the red knight's face.
FSHHHHH!
A shockwave of Ether and shadows slammed into Igris's helmet, blinding him for a second. Taking advantage of his hesitation, I freed one wrist and drove my right fist, infused with pure, concentrated aura, straight into his visor.
KRAAASH!
My fist shattered the metal visor. Igris's body froze. His crimson eyes flickered behind the helm... and then the red aura animating his armor dispersed. The massive knight collapsed limply to the ground.
I lay beside him on my back, gasping for air and staring up at the high cathedral ceiling. My body ached so intensely that I couldn't even move.
At that moment, the entire cathedral illuminated with a bright, blue-purple light. System notifications began popping up before my eyes:
[Instance Quest: Job Change successfully completed!]
[Evaluating your combat performance...]
[Knights defeated: 150 / 150]
[Commander of the Blood Order defeated: Igris the Red]
[Grade achieved: EXCELLENT]
[The System is granting an appropriate job...]
[Your original class has been converted.]
[Congratulations! Your new job is: Shadow Monarch!]
A second later, the light surrounding me turned into dark, bloody lightning. The system panel flashed wildly, and more messages appeared underneath:
[Adapting body to the new job...]
[Unique host energy structure detected: Ether Core.]
[Initiating Core evolution...]
[Ether Core is evolving into: Black Heart Embryo...]
BZZZZZZT!
The panel suddenly turned red, and the screen shattered into system errors:
[ ERROR! ]
[Compatibility failure! Incompatible nature detected between pure Ether and shadow mana structure!]
[Emergency recoding and system data fusion in progress...]
[Correction complete!]
[Ether Core successfully evolving into: Embryo of the Black Heart of Ether!]
KRAAAASH!
An unthinkable force erupted in the center of my chest, causing my back to arch violently. In place of my old Ether Core, a new, deep-purple organ formed, beating at an incredible rhythm. My perception of power multiplied. My energy supply didn't just grow by a percentage—it skyrocketed to an astronomical level.
The pain and exhaustion vanished instantly. I pushed myself to my feet and looked down at Igris's motionless body.
I reached out my hand toward him. A massive, dark-purple aura surged from my newly born Black Heart of Ether.
"Arise..." I spoke in a voice that shook the very foundations of the cathedral.
Black lightning burst from the shadow beneath Igris's body. The darkness began to rise and shape itself into armor. The long plume sprouted from his helmet once again, but this time it was enveloped in the purple-black flames of the Shadow Monarch.
[Shadow Extraction successful!]
[Please name your new Shadow Soldier.]
"Igris," I said softly.
Igris, clad in dark shadow armor, knelt on one knee and lowered his helm.
[Soldier: Igris – Shadow Knight has joined your army!]
[Maximum soldier limit increased!]
[Passive skill unlocked: Dagger Mastery / Lethal Slash]
[Active skill unlocked: Shadow Exchange]