My eyes snapped open.
Above me stretched the dark, dense canopy of the Forest of Death, with slivers of moonlight barely piercing through the leaves. I took a deep breath. I felt no pain or exhaustion. I was fully healed, my HP and CP completely replenished.
In the corner of my eye, a prompt glowed.
[QUEST COMPLETED: Survive the Sannin]
[Rewards: +3,000 XP]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[NEW LEVEL: 190]
I survived that explosion, I thought, slowly sitting up. But that was a little too close for comfort.
I got to my feet and brushed the dust off my clothes. It seemed that I still had a long way to go to beat the likes of Orochimaru and members of the Akatsuki. But, I was beating the brakes off of him for a short while—kind of—so I'm gonna tell everyone who asks that I ran him off. And it won't be a complete and total lie, either.
I immediately stretched my senses outward to figure out where the explosion had blasted me to. And I was able to find out that I was completely alone, miles from the original clearing. With the mystery of my position being taken care of, the next order of business was establishing where Sasuke and Sakura were after we got separated.
"Find them," I commanded my Soldiers internally.
Dozens of Soldiers slipped from my shadow, darting into the forest. It took about fifteen minutes of tense waiting before I felt a ping through our mental link. Through my Soldier's eyes, I saw them. Sakura was huddled inside the hollowed-out base of a massive tree, nervously standing guard over an unconscious, violently shivering Sasuke. The Curse Mark pulsed on his neck.
I also noticed that Sakura didn't have her survival pack or any of the scrolls. They must have been destroyed or lost in the blast, I assumed, sighing internally. Well, that sucks. But, there's no point in crying over spilt milk. What's done is done; I'll just have to go recoup our lost assets.
I was about to head over there and go hunting for another team to replace our lost scrolls, but the System pinged me, pulling my attention to my [Inventory].
In it the A-Rank Key I'd acquired from the Tower of Trials was glowing softly.
I raised a brow at the key, until I finally understood why it was glowing. "Oh yea, the Gate for it is located in this area. It completely slipped my mind."
I summoned the key to my hand. The location is very close, but should I even do it? I thought, stopping in my tracks. Doing a high-level dungeon right now seems a bit risky, especially when Sasuke and Sakura are in such a vulnerable spot. It would be really mad selfish of me if I did it.But at the same time, I do need to get much stronger, and as quickly as possible.
I thought about it for another minute before coming to a decision.
"Three of you are going to guard those two," I ordered, projecting my commands to the Soldiers near Sakura. "Guard them from the shadows. And kill anything aggressive that tries to enter that hollow. And while that's being done, three more of you will be gathering scrolls. Get as many as you can from the other teams."
With my team secured by invisible bodyguards and a looting squad deployed, I pulled up my stats page. Before stepping into that A-Rank Gate, I needed to cash in.
I had 329 SP sitting in reserve. Just enough for a big-time upgrade.
"System," I said. "Allocate 324 points evenly across all six stats. Fifty-four points each."
[INITIATING ALLOCATION…]
[INITIALIZATION COMPLETE. STAT POINTS ALLOCATED.]
The surge of energy that flooded my body was intoxicating. It didn't just feel like a physical buff; it felt like a complete paradigm shift. My muscles tightened, my senses sharpened to a razor's edge, and my chakra reserves felt like a roaring ocean.
But the biggest change came to my mind. As my [INT] crossed the 500 threshold mark, my vision glitched.
[INT Threshold Reached.]
[System Modification: 'Shadow Exchange' properties have merged with 'Flying Thunder God'.]
[NEW SUB-SKILL UNLOCKED: Shadow Thunder God]:
Sub-Skill: Shadow Mark: Ability to infuse a tiny fraction of shadow into inanimate objects—like kunai—and instantly teleport to those marked weapons without triggering the massive cooldown of primary [Shadow Exchange].
Sub-Skill: Monarch's Step: Instead of swapping places with a Soldier across vast distances, this allows instantaneous, short-range teleportation (within a 1-mile radius) to any shadow in a direct line of sight or sensory net.
Sub-Skill: Void Transit: Player can pull targets into shadow and teleport them to one of his deployed Soldiers (within a 1-mile radius) instantly, effectively letting the Player teleport others out of danger without having to move himself.
Cost: 100 CP Per Activation.
I read the skill description and a massive grin spread across my face. It was the perfect blend of both the [Flying Thunder God] and [Shadow Exchange] wrapped into one.
Oh, I am going to have way too much fun with this and the Rasengan in tandem, I thought, before activating the Gate Key.
I was transported to a massive, empty clearing. In the center, the ground began to swell upward into a colossal, organic mound like Gate that looked like the entrance to some kind of ant nest.
But before heading inside, I checked the status of the Soldiers I had with me. My Lizardman Commander was just 30 kills away from reaching the Elite Knight rank. My Giant Red Tiger (275/500) and lead Ice Warrior (268/500) were halfway through their respective promotion journeys as well. And although he came in late, my Armored Polar Bear (105/500) was quickly picking up the pace.
"Looks like you're all going to be putting in some overtime today," I told them, as the beastly shadows let out a chorus of low, rumbling growls and weapon clacks, their eagerness bleeding through our mental link.
I stepped through the Gate, and the environment instantly shifted. I found myself standing in an underground labyrinth-like tunnel. The air was thick, humid, and choked with suffocating pheromones.
The tunnel was pitch-black, but my enhanced vision pierced right through it. The walls were slick with an acidic slime, and the air hummed with a low, vibrating frequency.
Then came the clicking.
It sounded like thousands of heavy shears snapping open and shut in the dark. The ground trembled beneath my feet. From the depths of the cavern, a tidal wave of pitch-black, armored bodies surged into the dim light.
[ENEMIES DETECTED: Giant Ant (x3) - Lv. 7]
They were the size of compact cars, their massive mandibles dripping with a corrosive venom. And there were thousands of them blocking the path.
"Clear the path ahead for me," I ordered simply.
My squad of Soldiers surged forward to meet them. The Giant Red Tiger roared, tearing into the front line with massive swipes, while the Ice Warrior and Armored Polar Bear locked down the tunnels with heavy, freezing AoE attacks. My Lizardman Commander was a blur, aggressively farming the kills he needed for his promotion.
It was an absolute slaughter.
An ant rushed me from behind, but I ducked under its snapping mandibles, planted my foot, and drove a fist directly into the center of its thorax.
With my newly enhanced strength, I punched cleanly through the thick exoskeleton like it was made of wet tissue paper, blowing a massive hole out of its back.
After that, we traveled deeper into the nest until the tunnel opened up into a massive, cavernous gorge. As I stepped onto the ledge, a deafening buzz echoed from the ceiling. Hundreds of [Flying Ants - Lv. 8] detached from the stalactites, diving toward us in a coordinated swarm.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Wind Style: Great Breakthrough (Medium Output)]
I unleashed a pressurized gale that blasted upward, shredding their wings and slamming the swarm violently into the cavern walls, dropping them right into the waiting jaws and blades of my Soldiers.
We carved a bloody path straight through the labyrinth, leaving thousands of shattered carapaces in our wake, until we finally breached the central chamber.
It was a cavern so massive it could have comfortably fit the Hokage Monument. In the center, resting on a mound of organic matter, was the [Ant Queen - Lv. 9]. She was a grotesque, bloated monstrosity. She didn't have any weapons or armor, but the moment she saw us, she let out an ear-piercing shriek that reverberated through the entire tunnel system.
The walls of the cavern began to shift as countless more Giant and Flying Ants began pouring out of them to protect her.
Ah hell nah, I thought, immediately equipped the newly sharpened [Knight Killer] and [Kasaka's Venom Fang] to my hands. A prolonged tower defense won't bode well for us. So, let's see what the new merchandise is looking like.
I infused a tiny fraction of my shadow into the blade of Kasaka's Fang and hurled it with all my might over the incoming horde, aiming directly at the wall behind the Queen's throne.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Shadow Thunder God]
I vanished from my spot and instantaneously materialized mid-air in the back of the cavern, catching the dagger before it even hit the wall. The Queen frantically tried to turn her massive, bloated body, but she was too slow.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Critical Strike]
With a single, fluid swipe, I dragged the glowing blade across her neck, severing her head from her body.
Her massive body slumped, but the horde of ants was still rushing toward me, driven into a frenzy by her death.
Before they even reached me, I put up a hand on the Queen's carcass. "ARISE!" I commanded.
A massive, black shadow ripped itself from the Queen's corpse, taking on her grotesque form but radiating my dark energy.
"Stop them," I ordered the new Shadow Queen.
She let out a phantom shriek, a frequency only the ants could hear. The entire cavern instantly froze. The thousands of frenzied ants stopped dead in their tracks, confused by the conflicting pheromones of their dead Queen and her shadowy counterpart.
I let out a breath. That was easier than I thought, I mused, dusting off my hands. But where's the "Dungeon Completion" prompt?
Right on cue, a translucent blue screen flared to life in front of my face.
[DUNGEON OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: The Ant Queen has been defeated.]
[You may now exit the Gate and receive the standard completion rewards.]
I was about to exit, and get back to my team when another prompt suddenly hit the screen.
[HIDDEN OBJECTIVE UNLOCKED: The Apex Predator.]
[Would you like to face the Hidden Boss for Bonus Rewards?]: Y/N
You show me something like that and I'm supposed to say no? I thought, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. I ain't come all the way down here for nothing. Whoever you got prepped, bring that ass here!
I mentally selected [Y].
The moment I confirmed my choice, the entire cavern began to violently tremble. A sickly, purple light started to bleed from the cracks in the stone walls.
Then, the thousands of living ants froze across the cavern and suddenly began to vibrate. Their heavy carapaces cracked open, and their bodies instantaneously dissolved into rivers of glowing, purple energy.
"What the fuck?" I muttered, stepping back.
My [Sense] spiked wildly. I watched in shock as the mental link to my newly raised Shadow Queen was forcibly severed. Her massive shadowy form broke apart into black smoke, violently ripped away from my control before merging with the torrent of purple energy.
The swirling rivers of raw power didn't dissipate. Instead, they converged, flowing rapidly toward the deepest, darkest corner of the cavern, right behind the Queen's ruined throne.
The shadows parted, and a figure stepped forward, absorbing every last drop of the concentrated energy.
It wasn't a bloated monster, and it didn't crawl on four legs like a regular ant. It stood upright, towering well over six feet tall. Its exoskeleton was pitch-black, gleaming like polished obsidian, and its eyes burned with a lethal, intelligent purple light. It had long, clawed hands and jagged, blade-like protrusions. Extending from its back were massive, ethereal membrane wings that resembled a majestic, ghostly moth. With every stream of energy it absorbed, its aura grew exponentially heavier, until the sheer pressure of its presence began cracking the stone beneath its feet.
[HIDDEN BOSS DETECTED: Ant King (A-Rank) - Lv. 10]
Oh, this is supposed to be like "Beru," right? I thought, taking in the humanoid ant's appearance. Makes sense I guess. I must have not been thinking about that aspect of it that much.
Suddenly, the creature opened its mandibles and let out a screech—a sound so violently loud and concentrated that it made my vision literally vibrate.
Before the echo even faded, the stone beneath the King shattered, and it launched itself directly at me.
CLANG!
I got my arms up just in time, locking my daggers in a cross-guard as the Ant King's claws made contact.
The impact was like getting hit by a meteor. The kinetic force cracked the ground beneath my feet. I shifted my weight and batted his claws away to try and swipe at him, but he evaded instantly and countered with a devastating roundhouse kick I barely blocked with my forearm.
[-8% HP]
A jolt of pain shot through the bone. Fast and strong, huh? I noted, signaling my Soldiers to descend upon him. Let's see just how much you can handle.
My Soldiers swarmed him while I created a good amount of distance. The Giant Red Tiger pounced first, aiming to tear out the King's throat, but the ant simply sidestepped and delivered a brutal backhand that sent the massive beast crashing into a stalagmite. My Ice Warrior followed up, swinging a heavy, frozen battleaxe. The King caught the blade bare-handed, shattered the ice with a squeeze, and drove a knee into the Warrior's chest. Even my Lizardman Commander couldn't land a hit; the King blurred past his frantic spear strikes and kicked him entirely across the cavern. Then he began to wipe the floor with my other Soldiers, causing my CP to drop by the second.
Alright, so numbers in close quarters won't work if he's this strong, I concluded internally. Then maybe a change in strategy is in order.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu]
POOF! POOF! POOF!
Fifty clones exploded into the cavern. "Fan out and get in position!" I commanded as they rushed to the surrounding areas of the cavern, while my remaining Soldiers distracted him.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Wind Style: Vacuum Wave]
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bombs]
Half the clones exhaled massive, roaring streams of superheated, dragon-shaped flames, while the other half unleashed concentrated blades of pressurized wind. The wind caught the fire, supercharging it into a swirling, inescapable vortex of white-hot destruction that completely swallowed the Ant King.
The cavern temperature spiked violently, the stone floor turning to slag.
But a second later, a deafening screech pierced the roar of the flames. The Ant King burst through the fire tornado, its obsidian carapace glowing red-hot but entirely intact. It blurred into the crowd of clones, moving with sickening speed, tearing through groups of them devastating strikes.
What a tough bastard, I thought, stepping back and holding my hands out. If heating the area doesn't work, let's see if the opposite will.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Ice Release: Glacial Wave]
I sent a wave of freezing air towards him, slowing down his movements significantly as the sudden temperature drop flash-froze the moisture on his hot exoskeleton.
That won't last too long, I thought, adjusting my grip on my dagger. But, the opportunity is here, so let's see if this'll work.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Bloodlust (Max Output)]
A suffocating aura of pure, paralyzing terror slammed into him. The King actually flinched, his body locking up in sheer primal fear for a fraction of a second.
Then I reverse-gripped my dagger.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Dagger Throw]
I hurled [Knight Killer] with every ounce of my strength, aiming straight for the top of his head. But the moment the dagger left my hand, the King's survival instincts overrode the fear.
He let out a monstrous screech as a wave of pure, hyper-compressed purple energy violently expelled outward from its body. The omnidirectional shockwave acted like a bomb going off. The concussive force effortlessly swatted [Knight Killer] out of the air. The wave then slammed into my surrounding Shadow Soldiers, instantly vaporizing their physical forms and forcing them back into my shadow.
[NOTICE: -4,500 CP]
[Shadow Army Wiped - Forced Regeneration Initiated]
The sheer kinetic force of the blast tore the cavern apart, ripping massive chunks of stone from the ceiling and walls. Before I could even process the massive chunk of chakra missing from my reserves, the shockwave and a volley of heavy debris slammed into my chest, launching me across the cavern with devastating force.
[-25% HP]
I coughed up a splatter of blood, my vision swimming as I crashed hard into the cavern wall, tumbling down into the rubble.
"Ugh… what the hell was that?!" I groaned, forcing myself up to one knee. My ribs were aching, and my health bar had taken quite the hit. I need to wrap this up before he figures out a way to turn into a super saiyan or some shit.
I reached into my pouch and pulled out three standard shuriken. With my other hand, I reequipped my [Knight Killer], infusing the blade with a sliver of my shadow.
I summoned two Shadow Clones and gave them a quick hand signal. They masked their presence and stayed hidden in the rubble while I stepped into the creature's view.
The Ant King landed gracefully in the center of the cavern, its mandibles clicking in anticipation as he locked onto me as I threw the three shuriken.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu]
They instantly multiplied into thousands, creating a massive, unavoidable cloud of lethal steel raining down on him.
He didn't even try to run. Sparks flew off his obsidian exoskeleton as its arms blurred, rapidly swatting and deflecting the incoming rain of blades.
The King was so focused on the storm above him that it didn't notice my two stealthed clones bursting from the shadows on his left and right flanks. They tackled his arms, funneling chakra into their limbs to violently grapple and momentarily lock his arms to his sides.
At that exact moment, I was able to hurl the shadow-infused [Knight Killer] perfectly towards him.
Then, I held my right hand out.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Rasengan]
The King violently shattered my clones into smoke, his purple eyes locking onto the dagger, getting ready to bat it away.
However, that idea went quickly out the window when the dagger suddenly disappeared.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Shadow Thunder God]
I instantaneously materialized in front of him and shot my hand toward his chest. The King realized his mistake quickly and attempted to unleash another one of those energy waves.
But, I would not be deterred.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Critical Strike (Max Output)]
"Eat this!" I roared, driving the grinding, roaring sphere of chakra directly into the center of the King's chest.
The Rasengan flared. The spiraling force bored into the pitch-black exoskeleton, gripping the King and violently grinding its armor to dust.
The impact blew a massive, concussive crater into the floor beneath us. The King let out one final, agonizing screech before the spiraling chakra tore completely through its torso, obliterating its core and sending what was left of its body crashing lifelessly into the stone.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
[BOSS DEFEATED]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[NEW LEVEL: 205]
[FULL RECOVERY ACTIVATED]
[+1,000,000 DUNGEON COMPLETION BONUS]
[(67% HP x 50 RYO) x 5.5 RANK BONUS: +18,425 BONUS RYO]
[TOTAL RYO: (18,425 + 1,000,000) + 31,520,000 = 32,538,425 RYO]
[REWARDS]:
Item: Ant Exoskeleton Armor (Passive: Reduces physical damage taken by 15%)
Item: Monarch's Mandible (S-Rank Crafting Material)
Consumable: Gland of the Ant King (Grants Permanent Minor Poison Resistance)
Stat Bonus: +10 CON
I stood over the shattered remains of the Ant King, letting out a long, heavy exhale as the adrenaline slowly began to fade away. The cavern was dead silent, save for the crackling of the cooling slag and the shifting of rubble.
[SHADOW EXTRACTION AVAILABLE!]
[COST OF EXTRACTION: 3 Deployment Slots]
The System prompt chimed, then I placed a hand over the Ant King's carcass.
"ARISE!" I commanded, my voice echoing through the massive chamber.
Instantly, the shadows beneath the King's corpse began to violently bubble and boil. Thick, pitch-black smoke erupted from the ruined exoskeleton, swirling upward like a dark tornado. The smoke coalesced, condensing into a terrifying, humanoid shadow that radiated an immense, suffocating pressure.
A plume of dark blue energy trailed from its head like a crown, and its ethereal moth-like wings flared out, casting a massive shadow over the cavern.
[SHADOW EXTRACTED: ANT KING]
[GRADE: Elite Knight]
It stepped forward and immediately dropped to one knee, bowing its head in absolute reverence.
[NEW NAME AVAILABLE FOR INPUT]
A name, huh? I thought, looking down at the magnificent, terrifying creature. What should I even name you? Talm? Thrax? Man who am I kidding? I'm a basic bitch. So you're getting the name that's best suited for you. And that's gonna be…
"Your name is Beru," I told him.
Beru let out a high-pitched, phantom screech of absolute loyalty, his ethereal wings trembling with eagerness.
With the boss secured, I took a moment to review the rest of my army before leaving the Gate. I extracted a handful of the Giant and Flying Ants to bolster my swarm numbers, but I explicitly canceled the Shadow Queen's extraction. I didn't need two commanding insectoid presences confusing the hierarchy of my shadows; Beru was more than enough.
Next, I called forward my Lizardman Commander. He had been putting in serious work during the tunnel slaughter, easily clearing the 30 kills he needed for his promotion.
[SHADOW 'LIZARDMAN COMMANDER' HAS REACHED THE REQUIRED LEVEL FOR PROMOTION.]
[PROMOTE NOW?]: Y/N
"Yes," I stated.
The Lizardman's shadow flared, growing taller and broader. His spectral spear and shield thickened, radiating a much darker, heavier aura.
"You've earned a name, too," I said, looking at the towering reptilian warrior. "From now on, you are Rango."
Rango slammed his spear against his shield, letting out a deep, rumbling hiss of gratitude. My Giant Red Tiger (308/500) and lead Ice Warrior (288/500) were steadily climbing toward their own promotions, and even my Armored Polar Bear (135/500) was putting in the work. My army was rapidly becoming an unstoppable force.
[DUNGEON CLEARED. LEAVE NOW?]: Y/N
"Yes," I said. "Get me outta here."
In total unison, my massive army dissolved into wisps of black smoke and sank seamlessly into my shadow.
The transition from the suffocating pheromones of the ant nest and back into the damp, mid-afternoon air of the Forest of Death was instantaneous.
I stretched myself out, feeling the sheer, overwhelming power of my new Level 205 stats thrumming through my veins.
Now that I'm back, I should see how things are holding up with the other two, I thought, tapping into my mental link with the Soldiers I had left behind.
I checked in with my looting squad first. And when I saw how many scrolls they had taken from other teams, I actually had to do a double-take.
Twenty scrolls?! I mentally gasped, almost bursting into laughter. Y'all've been biz-zay! You've practically robbed half the exam participants blind while I was underground. Enough to pass five different teams too.
Shaking my head in amusement, I shifted my focus to the three Soldiers guarding the hollow where I had left Sakura and Sasuke.
To my immense surprise, Team 7 wasn't alone anymore.
Through the eyes of my hidden Soldiers, I could see that Team 10 as well as Team Guy had completely surrounded the massive tree root, effectively forming a defensive perimeter around Sakura and the unconscious Sasuke.
Well, ain't that a very interesting development, I mused, hopping up onto a thick branch. I wonder why they're there though. At least Sakura isn't alone, so that's good I guess.
I was about to use [Shadow Exchange] to teleport directly to one of my guards, but my newly enhanced [Sense] suddenly spiked.
A few miles to the east, I felt a chaotic cluster of chakra signatures violently clashing. The ambient energy of the forest was churning with the distinct sounds of combat. I focused on the signatures, and was able to determine that Team 8 was in the midst of the scuffle.
And from the feel of it, they were getting jumped hard. They were completely surrounded, fighting a desperate, losing battle against a coordinated assault from two teams.
I paused, my hand resting on the hilt of my dagger.
Sasuke and Sakura were being heavily guarded by two reliable Genin teams for some reason, plus my shadow escorts. They were perfectly safe for the time being, I rationalized. If teams from other nations were jumping Konoha ninjas, then what kind of soldier would I be if I didn't go to the aid of my fellow countrymen?
I took to the trees, and funneled chakra into my legs.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: Sprint]
The thick branch beneath me violently splintered as I vanished, rocketing through the dense canopy toward the eastern battlefield like a launched missile.