Absorbing Fiora's memories and experiences gave Seong a deeper understanding of the profound sense of loss she felt after losing Helena.
While Seong couldn't fully empathize with the feeling of having one's soul ripped apart, he accepted it calmly. After all, Fiora would now be with him, and Helena was also present.
"Th-Thank you, Master," Fiora stammered, her timid nature evident.
Despite her reserved demeanor, Seong was well aware of the formidable power hidden beneath her meekness.
‘Hmm, I don’t really have a suitable place for Fiora right now...’
The immediate options were limited. Even if there were currently unused Death Soldiers, none of them were at a level befitting Fiora, who had once been the queen of all doppelgangers. However, leaving her as she was would make it impossible for her to accompany him.
There was no other choice.
As Seong opened the Netherworld, a deep growl echoed.
"-Grrrrrrr."
A Death Soldier resembling a mole emerged—a spirit of the beast Barfur. Though more a spectral form than a physical body, it still qualified as a vessel for souls within the system.
This particular spirit, born as an additional creation of the beast Barfur, had been incomplete and devoid of intelligence, having spent a long time in the Netherworld.
"Would you like to reside here? I’ll find you a better body later."
"H-Huh?! T-This one is perfectly fine!"
"Even if it’s just a spirit?"
"T-Thank you! I’m just grateful to pledge my loyalty to you once more!" Fiora exclaimed, stammering yet again.
With enthusiasm, Fiora's soul fused into the spirit of the beast Barfur. The once savage creature, which had been emitting low growls, now seemed calmer, its gaze softening. It twisted and turned its body as if testing its fit, then nodded in satisfaction.
"I-I think I can adapt well enough!"
"Oh, that’s good to hear."
As the highest-ranking species of doppelganger, an Elder Shapeshifter, Fiora seemed capable of adapting to various forms with ease.
"Then I’ll summon you later."
"T-Thank you!"
Despite her timid manner, Fiora expressed her gratitude repeatedly before disappearing into the Netherworld opened by Seong.
‘What an unexpected gain.’
Fiora’s soul was far more valuable than Seong had anticipated. It was rare to encounter a soul with such exceptional experience and skill. Her presence also provided a staggering 20-point boost in stats, a testament to her strength.
‘So, is the second advancement complete now?’
With that thought, the event scene—commonly referred to as a cutscene—came to an end. However, even after the cutscene concluded, the ashes left behind from Fiora’s death remained.
It was strange. Usually, remnants like that should disappear. Yet, there they were, untouched.
“What’s going on?”
As Seong observed the phenomenon, he noticed something stirring within the ashes. What could possibly remain in a pile that had been completely burned?
Looking closely, Seong’s curiosity was piqued.
"Huh?"
From the ashes emerged a tiny shadow, resembling a small droplet. Its form was slime-like, but its nature suggested something more. Was it perhaps the same species as Fiora?
Recalling Fiora's memories, Seong quickly realized what it was.
‘A baby shapeshifter.’
As the realization struck him, countless system messages appeared before him.
[You have completed the second advancement.]
[You have become the master of 『Helena's Garden』.]
[You can now access 『Helena's Garden』 at will.]
[Helena's remaining power in 『Helena's Garden』 is fully transferred to you.]
[The power of the former Overlord has been inherited.]
[You have inherited the power of the past.]
[Rewards have been granted.]
[As a second advancement reward, you have acquired the Almighty-tier skill 『Commander of the Legion of Death』.]
[As a second advancement reward, you have acquired the unique-tier item 『Shadow Mirror』.]
[As a second advancement reward, you have become the master of the highest-tier creature 『Shapeshifter』.]
[You have tamed a monster.]
[You have acquired the title 『Monster Tamer』.]
[You have tamed the highest-tier monster.]
[You have acquired the title 『Ruler of Monsters』.]
[Caution]
[The highest-ranking 『Shapeshifter』 is a being with innate qualities of a king.]
[The 『Shapeshifter』 possesses a self-awareness far stronger than typical pets.]
[It may disobey commands. Continuous effort is required to handle the 『Shapeshifter』 effectively.]
The sheer number of messages caused Seong to feel dizzy.
‘Why are there so many?’
Sorting through the lengthy notifications, he reviewed his rewards. Among them was the ability to access Helena’s Garden freely, the acquisition of an Almighty-tier skill, a unique-tier item, and the highest-tier monster as a pet. Additionally, he gained two new titles, bringing the total to three, including the earlier “Monster Rookie.”
"Wow."
Seong couldn't help but marvel at the rewards as he examined his titles, starting with "Monster Rookie" and moving on to "Monster Tamer" and "Ruler of Monsters."
『Monster Rookie』
→《Unique》
→A title awarded to a user who cleared the second advancement trial without taking a single hit.
→Evasion rate increases by 20%.
→Movement speed increases by 30%.
『Monster Tamer』
→《Unique》
→A title awarded to a user who has tamed a monster.
→+5% to the attack power of monster-type summons.
→+10% to the attack speed of monster-type summons.
『Ruler of Monsters』
→《Legendary》
→A title awarded to a user who has tamed a highest-tier monster.
→-20% cooldown reduction for all skills of affiliated monsters.
→+20% attack speed for all affiliated monsters.
→+10% attack power for all affiliated monsters.
"Wow! These are all great!"
The Monster Rookie title was clearly focused on evasion and mobility. Its effects were outstanding, with a whopping 20% increase in evasion rate and a 30% boost in movement speed.
Looking at the effects of the other two titles, Ruler of Monsters and Monster Tamer, Seong noticed they were similar to those of the title he had obtained when summoning the Demon Knight.
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However, there was one disappointing aspect.
‘It doesn’t say I’m the first ever to achieve this.’
Unlike with the Demon Knight title, the "first-ever" designation was absent. This implied that there were other users who had tamed a highest-tier monster before him. The options also slightly differed compared to the Demon Knight title, leaving Seong a bit regretful.
Still, there was no doubt about their exceptional value.
‘It’ll be interesting to meet another player who handles monsters someday.’
With that thought, Seong turned his attention to the other rewards. The next thing that caught his eye was a skill. He was about to check it when a system notification appeared.
[The Epic+ grade item, 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』, reacts to the Unique-grade item, 『Shadow Mirror』.]
‘Huh?’
The Apprentice Lord’s Staff was reacting.
Come to think of it, wasn’t the Apprentice Lord’s Staff a growth-type item?
Recalling this, Seong immediately checked the Shadow Mirror.
『Shadow Mirror』
→《Unique》
→Though its mechanism remains unclear, this mirror can mimic items reflected within it.
→It is said that somewhere, relics of doppelgangers exhibit similar effects.
→An item for dark mage-related professions.
→Transforms one item in your possession into a replica.
→Items of equal or lower grade will operate at their maximum performance.
→For items above this grade, only partial effects can be replicated.
→Special interactions may occur if certain items are present.
*『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』 is reacting.
‘What?!’
Even on its own, the Shadow Mirror possessed incredible effects. And now, it could enhance the Apprentice Lord’s Staff?
Seong blinked in disbelief. What would happen if he used the Shadow Mirror to enhance the staff?
‘Could it get worse somehow?’
A sense of unease crept over him, but it quickly faded. The system guaranteed that enhancements wouldn’t worsen an item’s performance.
Still, could it really become that much better?
After a moment of hesitation, Seong made up his mind.
‘Let’s do it.’
There was no reason to hesitate if failure wasn’t an option.
As soon as he resolved himself, the system prompt appeared.
[Would you like to enhance 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』 using 『Shadow Mirror』?]
Caution!
[Proceed with enhancement?]
[Yes / No]Having already decided, Seong selected "Yes" without hesitation.
The Shadow Mirror, held tightly in his hand, began to dissolve into an inky darkness. The liquid-like shadow crept toward the Apprentice Lord’s Staff in his other hand, clinging to it like magnetic fluid.
The dark substance wrapped around the staff as though it were alive, spreading over its surface. Once fully absorbed, the staff transformed.
What had once been an oak staff now took on a luxurious, jet-black hue, its surface absorbing all light and reflecting none. In dim lighting, it would be nearly impossible to discern the staff from the surrounding shadows.
Seong swallowed hard, awestruck by the staff’s new appearance.
A system message followed.
[Congratulations! The Epic+ grade item, 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』, has awakened its latent energy thanks to 『Shadow Mirror』!]
[Through successive evolutions, it has surpassed its original effects.]
[The Epic+ grade item, 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』, has completed its evolution into the Unique+ grade item, 『Helena’s Maiden Staff』.]
‘Helena?!’
As soon as Seong saw the name, he instinctively opened the item description. What appeared before him was an item with utterly unbelievable stats.
『Helena’s Maiden Staff』
→《Unique+》(Growth-Type)
→Though countless years have passed, the energy within remains vibrant, marking it as the staff of a great ruler.
→Used by Helena, the Overlord, during her youth.
→Exclusive to the Overlord class.
→Mana recovery increased by 15%.
→Dark magic skill potency increased by 10%.
→Transforms one item in your possession into a replica while retaining its original effects.
→Items of equal or lower grade can perform at their maximum efficiency.
→For items above this grade, only partial effects can be replicated.
→Original options remain intact even when transformed into another item.
→The item grows upon fulfilling specific conditions.
*If transformed into non-weapon equipment, it does not conflict with the main weapon.
‘...Isn’t this broken?’
The stats were worthy of a Legendary-grade item rather than Unique+. Not only did it inherit the effects of the Shadow Mirror, but its original effects had also been significantly enhanced.
This meant...
‘I can use a sword while also benefiting from the staff’s effects?’
Typically, a player could only equip one main weapon. While Seong had kept his staff tucked at his side, he rarely used it in combat due to this limitation. Unless it was a paired weapon like dual blades, only one weapon's effects would apply at a time.
But now, by transforming the staff into an item like a belt, Seong could enjoy the benefits of both his sword and the staff simultaneously.
Even if this had been the only reward for the second advancement, it would have been more than enough.
Yet two of the biggest rewards still remained.
Seong glanced at the still-dormant baby Shapeshifter in his hand. It was so small it fit entirely in his palm. Its squishy, jelly-like texture resembled a slime, but its softness was unparalleled.
Was this truly a highest-tier monster?
‘It’s... too cute for that.’
He considered placing the still-sleeping Shapeshifter into the Netherworld but decided against it. Tossing it into such a place before it even awakened seemed unnecessarily harsh. Instead, he held it carefully in his hand.
Since he couldn’t access its pet information yet, there was only one thing left to check: the Almighty-grade skill he had obtained by inheriting the Overlord’s power during the second advancement.
Opening his skill menu, Seong found it.
『Commander of the Legion of Death』
→《Almighty》
→[Lv Max][Complete]
[Passive Active Effect]
The Legion of Death, embodying demise, immortality, and eternity, follows the commands of its ruler.
All shall kneel before the ruler.
→Exclusive to the Overlord class.
→Consumes mana to raise special Death Soldiers or appoint existing ones as Legion Commanders.
→Legion Commanders possess power far beyond that of regular Death Soldiers.
→The number of Legion Commanders that can be created increases with level.
→Leads and commands the Legion of Death.
*At Level 100, a new Legion Commander can be appointed or summoned.
‘This... is?’
The description suggested the creation of an army that could function as a military force under his command.
While it might seem abstract at first glance, a clear comparison came to mind: the Demon Knight summoning skill.
The concept was simple—elevating a Death Soldier to the level of a Demon Knight.
The Demon Knight Baltar, with his crimson aura, had already served as an example of such command.
Of course, Seong’s Death Soldiers already operated under an effective hierarchy, but this added layer of organization was welcome.
‘This way, I can have the less intelligent Death Soldiers, created through Add More, follow Baltar and the Legion Commander.’
The only question now was whom to appoint as the first Legion Commander.
While he briefly considered Fiora, she was quickly ruled out. Without a suitable physical body for her yet, appointing her would only limit her potential by tying her to the spirit vessel of the beast Barfur.
The better choice was the spirit of the actual beast Barfur, the strongest Death Soldier in Seong’s current roster. Given that he could appoint one commander per 100 levels, he could always appoint more later if needed.
With that decision made, Seong summoned Barfur’s spirit.
“Ehehehe, Commander Barfur reports to Master’s command!”
As loyal as ever, Barfur’s spirit exuded unwavering devotion. Without hesitation, Seong appointed him as the Legion Commander.
A radiant turquoise light descended upon Barfur’s spirit, who knelt naturally as though compelled by the weight of the appointment. Accompanied by a noble, otherworldly song, the light enveloped him, transforming his aura.
Where darkness had once dominated with hints of turquoise light, the balance shifted. Turquoise brilliance now enveloped Barfur, with dark energy swirling around like an aura.
[You have appointed 『Barfur’s Spirit』 as the Commander of the Legion of Death.]
[He has grown stronger and now leads the Legion of Death.]
“Loyalty! Commander Barfur vows to serve Master with even greater devotion!”
Barfur’s voice and energy were more powerful than ever, leaving Seong visibly pleased.
“Shall we test it out?”
With the baby Shapeshifter still nestled in his palm, Seong hoped it would awaken soon.