Solo Leveling : 10 Shadow Technique

Whispering Cat – A shadowy feline with slit green eyes. Enhances stealth and tracking abilities.

---

A month had passed since Finn made his promise to his Shikigami. Now, he sat atop the Great Serpent, but something had changed. The serpent's tail flickered with blue flames—the same ability the two-tailed serpent had possessed before its defeat.

The scenery had also shifted. No longer surrounded by deep ocean ruins, Finn now found himself in a dense jungle zone. Towering trees stretched high into the sky, their thick canopies casting long shadows across the moss-covered ground. The air was thick with humidity, and the distant calls of creatures echoed through the vast wilderness.

As Finn absentmindedly flipped through a newspaper, his eyes skimmed over recent headlines. Reports of dungeon breaks, new rising hunters, and upcoming guild movements filled the pages. However, one article stood out:

"New S-Rank Hunter 'Chimera' Spotted around in the Philippines? in the same time"

The report suggested that this mysterious hunter had been appearing all over the country, seemingly in multiple locations at once, clearing dungeons with overwhelming efficiency. At the end of the article, a bold statement caught Finn's attention:

"If this is true, then the Shadow Garden might be the strongest guild… with every hunter an S-Rank."

Finn scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips. "Huh, suspicions are rising. I wonder what A is planning," he mused, referring to the clone currently managing the guild in his absence. Shrugging off the thought, he returned to his current task.

Just then, he felt something—a faint shift in the trees. Reacting instantly, Finn sliced through a nearly invisible web with ease. His sharp gaze caught movement within the branches.

"Translucent, huh?" he muttered, summoning Kogane—a floating, paper-like origami entity resembling a fox. The creature's body flickered, its shape shifting as it displayed a screen. The display zoomed in, revealing the form of a nearly invisible spider lurking in the foliage.

Without hesitation, Finn activated a Shadow Spot beneath one of the Veil Spiders. The living shadow swallowed the creature whole. More spiders skittered in the treetops, their shifting forms blending into the environment, but before they could react, Totality emerged from the jungle's shadows. With a powerful lunge, the massive wolf crushed the remaining Veil Spiders in an instant.

Satisfied, Finn relaxed, once again resting atop the Great Serpent's back.

A few moments later, a faint hissing reached his ears. Finn sighed. "Again?" he muttered, sensing multiple presences in the underbrush. He let one of the creatures slip into his shadow, and a rush of new sensory information filled his mind.

'Another camouflage ability… Not bad. I just hope the dungeon boss has something even better,' Finn thought.

Suddenly, the jungle fell silent. Then—slash!—a swift and deadly predator struck, eliminating the remaining snakes before they could even react.

Finn's eyes flickered toward the source. A lone figure stood amidst the dense vegetation—Tiger Funeral. With a single turn of its head, the beast vanished once more, its invisibility activating seamlessly.

Finn huffed. "This is only a B-Rank dungeon, huh?" he mused, tapping his foot against the Great Serpent's scales. "What do you think?" he asked.

The serpent let out a low hiss, but this time, there was a distinct intelligence behind it. After consuming so many powerful creatures, it had developed a form of sentience, its mind evolving along with its abilities.

Then—clashing sounds. A battle had begun.

Finn looked down and sensed Tiger Funeral's presence. Near him, Kon was locked in combat with a translucent, wolf-like creature—a Howl Wraith. The massive beast let out a sonic howl, targeting the only visible enemy: Kon.

But from the shadows, unseen by the wraith, Tiger Funeral launched forward. It struck with precision, pinning the wraith beneath its claws. However, instead of finishing it off, the creature's shadow expanded. The Howl Wraith sank into the darkness, vanishing completely.

"Well, looks like the dungeon's clear." Finn stretched. "Man, I'm too good at this. I need stronger dungeons at this rate."

With a tap of his foot, the Great Serpent turned back, slithering toward the Gate. All the loot had already been absorbed into Finn's shadow, neatly stored away. Now, all that was left was to return.

//--\\

As Finn neared the Gate, a strange sensation prickled at the back of his mind. A flicker of movement caught his attention—multiple sets of glowing green eyes peered at him from the jungle's depths. The shadows twisted unnaturally, as if alive, weaving in and out of sight between the trees.

A low, synchronized purring filled the air, growing louder with each step. Then, they emerged—sleek, obsidian-furred cats with shifting patterns on their bodies, like ripples in the dark. Their fur seemed to absorb the light around them, making their movements almost imperceptible. Their tails split at the tips, twitching in eerie unison, and their wide, unsettling grins revealed too many teeth.

Each step they took was completely silent, yet their presence weighed heavily on the air. Finn could feel it—a strange, intrusive whisper brushing against his mind, too soft to understand but impossible to ignore.

"...Alright," Finn muttered, rubbing his temples. "You guys are creepy as hell."

Before he could react further, a deep, resonating pressure filled the air. The jungle itself seemed to shudder as an unnatural mist rolled in, swallowing the trees in an eerie glow.

Then, they appeared.

Towering stag-like creatures with impossibly long, jagged antlers, each crackling with an ominous red glow. Their bodies were covered in sleek, shadowy fur, their legs unnaturally elongated, and their hooves left behind shimmering, star-like prints in the ground. Their eyes were pitch-black voids, swirling with crimson rings.

Finn stiffened slightly. "...Hold up, why do you guys look like something out of a horror game?"

As if answering, the lead stag took a step forward. The moment its hoof touched the ground, the air thickened. Finn's body locked up—completely frozen.

His eyes widened slightly. Paralysis? No, this was worse. His limbs weren't just frozen—they were completely unresponsive, like his brain had disconnected from his body.

The whispering from the cats grew louder. The stags' horns gleamed brighter. The oppressive silence swallowed the jungle.

Then, as quickly as it came, the effect vanished.

Finn exhaled sharply, cracking his neck as he rolled his shoulders. "Alright. You guys? You guys are annoying."

He pointed at the shadowy cats first. "You're the Whispering Cats. Because, you know, the whole freaky telepathic whispering thing."

The cats flicked their tails, their grins widening. The whispering grew amused.

Then, Finn turned to the horde of stags—at least twenty, if not more. He scoffed, rubbing his chin. "And you guys… man, I don't even know what to call you."

He snapped his fingers. "Oh, wait! Horrordeer!"

The stags stomped their hooves. Finn took that as disapproval.

"Okay, okay. Too goofy? Fine, fine. Nightmare Stags. Happy?"

The lead stag stared him down before giving a slow, deep exhale. The air shimmered again—but this time, it wasn't paralysis.

Finn grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, let's see if I can make some new friends."

Shadows surged beneath him. It seemed the real challenge had only just begun