Solo Leveling : 10 Shadow Technique

Murky Hand – A floating, disembodied black hand that latches onto enemies, slightly restricting movement. Its grip strength increases in darkness.

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Finn stood at the heart of the Rift, shadows swirling beneath his feet like an ocean of black ink. Before him, the towering figure of the Leviathan Behemoth loomed, its massive body wreathed in mist.

Countless tentacles writhed along its form, each one glistening with an eerie, otherworldly substance that clung to anything it touched. The air itself was heavy with a toxic presence, though it barely fazed Finn.

Before he could approach the monstrosity, a legion of Hollow Reapers emerged, their skeletal forms wrapped in dark smoke. Their scythes gleamed with unnatural energy, weapons designed to sever more than just flesh.

Finn smirked, flexing his fingers. "Memory-wiping blades, huh? Not exactly my type of barber, but let's see who forgets what first."

He clapped his hands together, and his shadow expanded outward in an instant, stretching across the battlefield like an abyss. From the inky depths, his Shikigami surged forth, each one a harbinger of destruction.

Kon, Agito, and the newly-formed Tenebris Maul—a colossal black-furred beast with molten eyes and claws that radiated entropy—led the charge. Alongside them, two more Shikigami emerged:

Plague Fang, a serpentine monstrosity dripping with acidic venom, its fangs able to inject toxins that corroded both flesh and magic.

Nyx Widow, a shadowy arachnid entity, its webbing infused with adaptive poisons that mutated upon contact.

The Hollow Reapers wasted no time, descending upon Finn with deadly swings of their scythes. The first slash grazed his shoulder, and for a moment, confusion clouded his mind.

He had been fighting—against what? No—he gritted his teeth, forcing his willpower to push back against the Reapers' effect. "Not today."

He activated Chimera Shadow Garden, causing multiple copies of himself to emerge from the abyss, each one controlling a different Shikigami. The battlefield became a chaotic swirl of shadows, venom, and steel as Finn's creations clashed with the spectral reapers.

Kon lunged at a Reaper, fangs tearing through its smoky form, forcing it to shriek and dissipate into Finn's waiting shadow. Tenebris Maul swiped a massive claw, its touch disintegrating the Reapers as their existence unraveled. Nyx Widow's webs ensnared the remaining enemies, injecting mutagenic venom that caused their spectral bodies to wither before collapsing entirely.

Yet, more continued to pour forth, their numbers seemingly endless.

"Alright, time for a little crowd control." Finn formed a single hand sign, and the shadows beneath him surged upward, consuming more Reapers. He manipulated his domain like a living thing, guiding tendrils of darkness to ensnare, devour, and overwhelm his enemies. But rather than simply being destroyed, the Reapers that fell into his shadow underwent a terrifying metamorphosis.

A piercing shriek echoed through the air as a new entity rose from Finn's abyssal grasp—a towering Void Reaper. Unlike its lesser counterparts, this one radiated an aura of absolute nullification. Its scythe crackled with a terrible power, capable of erasing anything it touched from existence. Finn grinned, feeling the weight of his new acquisition.

"Oh-ho... Now this is an upgrade. Alright, big guy, let's see what you can do."

The Void Reaper turned toward its former kin, its blade flashing through the air. Where it struck, nothing remained—not even the smoke that once shrouded the Hollow Reapers. With ruthless efficiency, it began erasing them one by one, carving a path toward the Leviathan Behemoth.

Finn adjusted his gloves and cracked his neck. "Now, it's time for the main event."

The battlefield was a swirling storm of shadows and death. Towering over the chaos was Merged Beast: Agito, a monstrous fusion of Great Serpent, Nue, Round Deer, and Tiger Funeral. Agito's muscular frame was covered in black fur, its head adorned with menacing antlers. Its feathered mane crackled with electricity as it growled, the serpent tail behind it snapping at the Hollow Reapers. Plague Fang coiled around Finn protectively, its venom dripping onto the ground, sizzling as it melted through the stone floor.

Finn smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, boys and girls, let's make this quick. I got a date with a cup of coffee and a nap after this."

As dozens of Reapers fell into his shadow, a dark transformation began. A colossal figure rose from the abyss—a Void Reaper fully evolved, standing even taller than Agito. Its glowing eyes burned with void energy, its scythe now an instrument of total erasure.

Finn whistled. "Well, aren't you a beauty? Hope you like team meetings because you're officially one of mine now."

Yet, before Finn could fully enjoy his new acquisition, the earth beneath him quaked.

The Leviathan Behemoth stirred.

A shadow loomed over everything, swallowing the battlefield in an unnatural eclipse. The Behemoth's form was so vast Finn had to crane his neck to see its full height. It was bigger than a mountain, a gargantuan entity of writhing tentacles and thick, mist-covered flesh. Its body pulsed with an ancient energy, an oppressive force that made even Finn's strongest summons hesitate.

Tendrils lashed out, ensnaring anything within reach. Even Agito, with its overwhelming power, struggled against its sheer mass. Plague Fang sank its fangs into one of the tentacles, injecting venom that caused the flesh to bubble and corrode at an accelerated rate. Nyx Widow's webbing thickened into a barrier, slowing the beast's movements.

Finn clenched his fists, still grinning. "Plague Sovereign."

Toxic miasma erupted from his body, saturating the air with living venom. The battlefield warped under its influence, the very ground turning into a pool of corrosive sludge. The Behemoth's tentacles, once immune to ordinary attacks, began to wither as Finn's sentient poisons burrowed into its flesh.

The Void Reaper swung its scythe, severing multiple tentacles at once, erasing them from existence. Agito surged forward, its antlers glowing with energy as it released a devastating blast of electricity, paralyzing the Behemoth just long enough for Finn's plan to take hold.

"Hey, big guy!" Finn called out. "I know you're trying to kill me and all, but have you considered... not? Like, just an idea!" He snapped his fingers, and his clones swarmed in, each pulling on different tentacles to keep the Behemoth from escaping the shadow's pull.

As the titan fell deeper into the abyss, Finn reached out, grasping at the air as if pulling the very concept of the monster into his grasp.

The Leviathan Behemoth was being absorbed into his shadow.

Finn chuckled, dusting his hands off. "Alright, now who's got dibs on naming this one? Because I'm thinking 'Tentacle Titan' sounds hilarious."

A new Shikigami was just Tamed