Marvel: Shadow Monarch

I stared at the blue screen floating in front of me, my heart hammering against my ribs.

SHADOW MONARCH SYSTEM ONLINE

What the hell was this? Some kind of hallucination brought on by seven months of imprisonment? But it looked so real, so solid against the sterile white of my cell.

More text began appearing, and I found myself leaning forward despite the absurdity of it all.

The system showed my status—five basic stats that ranged between 5 to 8. Probably nothing impressive by any standard, but what caught my attention was the notation that a few extra stat points were being suppressed by the mutant suppression collar.

Then I saw it. A blessing that immediately negated those debuffs.

The Blessing of Ashborn - negates all negative stat debuffs.

My breath caught. Ashborn. I knew that name.

The original Shadow Monarch from Solo Leveling. The one who'd passed his power to Sung Jin-Woo before everything started.

I'd watched enough anime explanation videos during late-night study sessions to recognize that reference.

And suddenly, I felt it.

A warmth was spreading through my chest, like blood flowing back into a limb that had been asleep for months.

The constant weight of the collar was still there, but underneath it, I could feel something else.

Strength returning to muscles that had been artificially weakened. Reflexes sharpening. The enhanced physique that the original Lucien had possessed, now working even under the suppression.

This is it. The thought hit me like lightning. This is my cheat.

Every transmigration story had one—the golden finger that gave the protagonist an edge in their new world.

Mine just happened to come with the ability to bypass government-issued power suppression technology.

I flexed my fingers experimentally, feeling the difference.

It wasn't dramatic—I wasn't suddenly superhuman—but I was definitely stronger than I'd been moments ago. The collar was still doing its job on the surface, but underneath, my actual abilities were functioning.

My eyes swept over the cell that had been my prison for seven months, seeing it with new perspective.

The walls were thick, sure, but they were just concrete and steel.

Nothing particularly special about the construction. Made sense, really—why over-engineer a prison when your inmates were supposed to be powerless?

The transparent barrier between Anna and me was sturdy polymer, but not the kind of reinforced material they'd use for actual superhuman containment.

For the first time, I could actually see a path out of here.

But even as the thought crossed my mind, reality crashed back down. Getting out of the cell was one thing.

Getting out of the facility was another matter entirely.

I'd seen the Sentinel robots during my capture—towering metal giants designed specifically to hunt and contain mutants.

My enhanced physique might be working again, but I was still just faster, stronger, and tougher than a normal human.

Against Sentinels? I'd be scrap metal in seconds.

One step at a time, I told myself. First I need to actually understand what this system can do.

With this... I can get out of here. Eventually. I can save Anna too.

I forced myself to think strategically.

This wasn't some anime where I could punch my way through an entire military facility.

Even if my enhanced physique was back online, I was still just one guy with slightly above-average human capabilities.

The facility probably had dozens of guards, security systems I couldn't even imagine, and who knew how many Sentinels on standby.

But it was a start. A real, tangible start.

The important thing was that I finally had hope again. Real hope, not the fragile kind that Anna and I had been clinging to for months. This system, whatever it was, represented a genuine chance to change our situation.

I just had to be smart about it.

But I couldn't tell anyone. Not even Anna.

The cells were monitored constantly—cameras, audio pickups, probably sensors I didn't even know about.

Even now, I had to assume someone was watching, analyzing every movement and expression for signs of anything unusual. The last thing I needed was to tip them off that something had changed.

And beyond that, there was an unspoken rule about systems that every transmigrator knew instinctively: you didn't tell anyone. Ever.

It was the kind of secret that got you dissected in a lab if the wrong people found out. Especially in a world where the government was already experimenting on mutants.

Keep it simple. Act normal. Don't give them any reason to suspect.

"Lucien? Lucien! Are you even listening to me?"

Anna's voice cut through my thoughts like a knife, and I realized she'd been calling my name multiple times.

I blinked, refocusing on her face through the transparent barrier. She was leaning forward, eyebrows drawn together in concern, and there was definitely irritation mixed in with the worry.

"What's with the ignoring all of a sudden?" she asked, crossing her arms and giving me a look that could have melted steel. "We were in the middle of talking about dreams and futures, and you just... disappeared on me. Completely zoned out like I wasn't even here."

Shit. I'd been so focused on the system and the implications of what was happening that I'd completely tuned her out.

That was probably suspicious as hell, especially for someone who'd spent seven months hanging on every word she said just to have something to focus on besides these white walls.

"Sorry, Anna. Really." I gave her what I hoped was an apologetic smile, one that conveyed genuine regret without hinting at the massive secret I was now carrying.

"I just... my mind wandered for a minute there. You know how it is—sometimes this place gets to you, and you start thinking about impossible things."

That last part wasn't even a lie. I was definitely thinking about impossible things.

Anna studied my face for a long moment, and I could see her trying to read my expression. After seven months of being each other's only real human contact, she'd gotten scary good at picking up on my moods and tells. I made sure to keep my expression neutral, maybe a little embarrassed about spacing out, but nothing that would suggest the earth-shattering revelation I'd just experienced.

"You sure you're okay? You looked... I don't know, different for a second there. More focused than usual, but also kind of... intense?"

"I'm fine," I assured her, and it wasn't entirely a lie. For the first time in months, I actually felt like I might be better than fine. "Just tired, I guess. Been thinking too much about everything we talked about. Dreams and all that."

She didn't look entirely convinced, but after a moment she nodded and settled back against her wall. "Alright, but don't go disappearing on me again. You're the only decent conversation I've got in this place, and if you start going crazy, I'm not far behind."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I said, and meant it. Anna was still my priority—getting both of us out of here safely.

The system just meant I might actually be able to make that happen now.

I was about to say something else, when I noticed something else.

Looking at Anna, I could see... information. Not a full status screen like I'd had, but basic details floating just above her head. Her name, her level, some of her stats.

I can see her status too.

But before I could process what I was seeing, another notification popped up in my peripheral vision. This one was different—smaller, less intrusive, but definitely there.

DAILY QUEST AVAILABLE

A daily quest!? Like in Solo leveling?

Isn't it what started Jin Woo's transformation to Rizz Woo, as people called him?

I glanced at Anna, who was still watching me with that concerned expression, then back at the notification.

If this was what I thought it was...

I mentally clicked on it, not really sure how I was supposed to interact with this thing, but hoping intention would be enough.

And then I saw the contents.

A wide smile spread across my face before I could stop it. This was exactly what I'd hoped for, exactly what I needed.

The kind of quest that would let me start building power without raising suspicions, without revealing what was happening to me.

This is perfect.

"Now you're smiling like a crazy person," Anna observed, but she was smiling too. "Seriously, what's gotten into you?"

I just grinned more at this....Things are gonna be spicy real soon.

.....

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