Solo Leveling : 10 Shadow Technique

Finn stood amidst the battlefield, the sky as dark as his own shadow, and the land a chaotic wasteland of poison. He and the newly evolved Mahoraga—the Divine General now reborn as the Abyssal Devourer—watched the carnage left behind by the Nine Plague Kings.

"Ohhh, wait a minute, hold up—something ain't right. Why is that bird back?" Finn muttered, narrowing his eyes as he spotted Zephyros—the skeletal roc he distinctly remembered Mahoraga killing.

Then, the Ten Plague Kings turned to face him.

"Hello, I am Chimera, and I am not a bad Chimera, you know?" Finn mocked, tapping his head with his finger and sticking out his tongue playfully.

Lord Malrith—the Abyss Serpent—blinked its twelve glowing eyes and hissed, "You... you're not one of us."

Finn smirked before bursting into laughter.

"Kihihihihi!"

Oltrex—the Chimera of Pestilence—snarled, "That's the one with the Shadow Monarch abilities. Kill him!"

Finn feigned a blush. "Ohh, you don't have to say that—I'm just a fan!"

Before he could say more, Oltrex lunged at him, swiping with razor-sharp claws. But Mahoraga intercepted, wielding the Void Chain—a segmented weapon that, when one end was hidden, stretched infinitely. With two of its eight arms occupied, Mahoraga roared and leaped toward Thanex—the Venom Colossus, a titanic, armor-plated humanoid.

Mahoraga crashed into Thanex, forcing it to the ground, then wielded the Thunder Pike—a spear crackling with infinite lightning. The spear struck, but Thanex remained unfazed, throwing Mahoraga back.

"What is that demon?" Thanex rumbled, watching Mahoraga rise.

Meanwhile, Finn dodged as Oltrex dissolved into a swarm of insects to escape the Void Chain. He chuckled. "Oh, you don't get it yet—Mahoraga is only using his weapons."

A sense of danger struck Finn, and he jumped just in time. Below him, a massive head materialized from thin air—one of the nine belonging to Krylith, the Eclipse Wraith. Another head lunged at him from the side. He blocked, but he forgot one thing.

Krylith had a head below him, and it struck, sinking its fangs into Finn's leg and slamming him into the ground. Finn's vision blurred as his consciousness faded.

///---\

"Where am I—?"

Finn blinked, now finding himself in his old bedroom. His hands were bare. His body felt... normal. He rushed to the bathroom, staring at the reflection of his past self—black hair, brown eyes, nothing extraordinary.

Tears welled up in his eyes. He clenched his fists, looking down.

"So I'm still not special, huh? Just a dream… Back to being ordinary Eito," he muttered bitterly.

He lived an ordinary life, excelling in various fields but remaining unfulfilled. Then, he died.

And woke up on the same day.

This cycle repeated endlessly. Seeking answers, Eito turned to science, attempting to make himself stronger. He experimented, died, and revived—over and over.

One day, he injected venom directly into his bloodstream, seeking transformation. His body couldn't handle it, and he died. But again, he awoke.

Life after life, his knowledge grew. He mastered every aspect of poison—its nature, its composition, its application. He became numb to death, experimenting on himself and even on others. Each time he was caught, he simply ended his life and restarted.

Over thousands of lifetimes, Eito became the undisputed master of toxins.

One day, he rested in his sanctuary, when a serpent bit his leg. He sighed, waiting for the inevitable—then something clicked. A memory resurfaced: the nine-headed hydra from his very first life in a fantasy world.

And the venom coursing through him awakened something primal.

///---\

Finn's vision cleared as he snapped back to reality. His personality—once carefree—was now tempered by infinite knowledge and rebirth. A smirk crossed his lips as he felt his abilities returning.

He dodged an attack from Oltrex, slipping past Mahoraga. His mind, now stronger than ever, had reached enlightenment. Tapping his foot to the ground, he unleashed a tidal wave of acid. Oltrex dissolved into insects to escape, reforming a distance away.

From behind, Finn's laughter echoed.

"Kihihihihi! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Oltrex turned just in time to see Finn grinning.

"I'm no human now..."

Dark energy oozed from Finn, twisting the air around him.

"I'm no monster either..."

The battlefield dimmed until only his glowing, rainbow-colored eyes remained. His hair turned white as his body exuded a living venom, forming an organic suit of armor.

"I'm just the perfect lethal dose."

The armor, an extension of his being, pulsed with corrosive acid and toxins that disintegrated anything they touched. Raising his hand, Finn conjured a Miasmic musket—an archaic yet deadly weapon.

"Maximum Technique... Venomous Zenith."

He pulled the trigger. A shot rang out, faster than sound itself, tearing through the air. Zephyros, the Plague Harbinger, fell from the sky as Finn's bullet struck.

Behind Finn, Mahoraga roared, cleaving through Oltrex with its blade, then turning its attention to Krylith. The phantom dragon collapsed, slain.

Finn watched as his musket barrel cracked from the immense force. He smirked, his body regenerating it effortlessly.

The battle was far from over.

As Finn looked over the remaining Kings as they surrounded the two,