shadow Ascendants

Ren's footsteps echoed through the ancient ruin. The air was thick with dust, and the walls were lined with faded runes, whispering of a forgotten age. His breath was ragged, his body weak from hunger and exhaustion, but something called him forward.

The deeper he went, the more unnatural the atmosphere became. Shadows flickered despite the absence of light. A chilling presence loomed over him, pressing down like an unseen force.

Then, he saw it.

At the heart of the ruin lay a massive black stone throne, cracked and ancient. Skeletal remains surrounded it, their bones twisted in agony. Above the throne, floating in the darkness, was a pitch-black grimoire, pulsating with eerie energy.

[You have entered the Domain of the Shadow Monarch.]

A deep, ancient voice echoed in his mind. Ren's heart pounded.

"Shadow Monarch? What is this place?"

His legs trembled as he approached the floating grimoire. The moment his fingers brushed against it, a surge of power exploded into his body.

Pain.

Unimaginable, searing pain.

It was as if his very soul was being ripped apart and rebuilt. Shadows swirled around him, sinking into his skin, rewriting his broken mana core into something… forbidden.

The voice returned.

[You have been chosen as the Inheritor of the Shadow Monarch.]

[Your cultivation system is now: Shadow Devourer.]

Ren collapsed to the ground, gasping. He felt… different. Power coursed through his veins, his body no longer fragile.

A black screen flashed before his eyes.

[Shadow Devourer System Activated]

Level: 1

Cultivation Path: Forbidden

Abilities Unlocked:

Shadow Absorption – Consume the essence of slain enemies to grow stronger.

Summon Shadow Beast (Locked) – Revive defeated creatures as loyal servants.

His breath hitched.

"A system? Like those legends of ancient cultivators who broke the rules of the world?"

Excitement and fear warred within him. Before he could fully process it, the skeletons littering the ground began to rise. Their hollow eyes glowed with dark fire as they turned toward him.

Undead Guardians.

Ren's instincts screamed at him to run, but something inside whispered a different command.

"Fight."

A hunger ignited in his veins. As the first undead lunged at him, Ren dodged faster than ever before, his movements sharper, his senses clearer. He clenched his fist and threw a punch—shadows coiled around his hand, enhancing the blow.

CRACK!

The skeleton shattered, and immediately—

[Shadow Absorption Activated.]

A rush of energy flooded into him. His body strengthened, his fatigue vanished, and his senses sharpened further.

Ren's lips curled into a smirk.

For the first time in his life, he wasn't powerless.

He could grow stronger.

And this was just the beginning.