Apocalypse Cheater

Chapter 59 New Shadow Soldiers

'Sigh, finally, it has ended...'

As the echoes of battle faded away, Daniel stood amidst the aftermath of his intense clash with the Chaotic Wyvern.

The ground around him bore the scars of the fierce struggle, a testament to the titanic forces that had clashed in that very spot.

Year after year, the accumulation of blood from slaying all kinds of monsters had taken its toll on Daniel's mind.

The weight of his vengeance, the thirst for retribution, had slowly eroded his thoughts, blurring the line between purpose and obsession.

But now, in the wake of his latest battle, he found himself reflecting on the journey he had undertaken.

His thirst for the monster's blood had been a driving force, fueled by both the burning desire for revenge and a strange, twisted enjoyment in the act of extermination.

He wasn't merely a bloodthirsty maniac with a singular focus on monsters.

No, his motivations were more complex, woven into the tapestry of his past and present.

'To kill a monster, you have to be a monster yourself' It was words that Daniel carried out throughout his time, a reminder that there's no point showing mercy to these monsters when all they cause is destruction.

Hence, Daniel adopted their ways, becoming a maniac machine that eradicates all the paths monsters lay in.

No one knows whether it's the path where he or she could keep their sane intact. And no one knows whether this will have long-term side effects at some point in the future.

However, one thing for sure is that his way has been proven effective since before dying, the Wyvern felt fear from the monstrosity of Daniel's act.

In the midst of the carnage, he discovered moments of respite from the burden of his losses.

The act of obliterating monsters brought a rush of emotions that briefly replaced the emptiness left by the absence of loved ones.

It was as if, in those moments, he could reconnect with his own humanity, even as he spilt the blood of creatures that had once roamed freely.

The wind whispered through the battlefield, carrying the weight of memories and contemplation.

The scene around him, once a chaotic battleground, now held a certain stillness.

The clash with the Chaotic Wyvern had left an indelible mark, not just on the earth, but on Daniel's psyche as well.

With a heavy sigh, he shook his head as if dispelling the remnants of his introspection.

The reality of his situation still remained, and his thoughts shifted back to the tower, to the challenges that awaited him on higher floors.

With a final glance at the aftermath, Daniel turned and began his ascent towards the higher floors of the tower.

And as he moved forward, he carried with him the weight of the past, the thrill of the present, and the uncertain promise of the future.

The echoes of battle still lingered in the air as Daniel surveyed the aftermath of the relentless conflict.

His breath came in measured steadiness, the adrenaline that had fueled his every move now slowly dissipating.

The ground was littered with the remnants of the once formidable Wrath Lizardmen, their silver armours now tarnished and broken, their fierce resolve extinguished.

"Well, it's time to end this battle which has been dragged out for so long," he muttered to himself, his voice a mere whisper amidst the stillness that had settled over the field.

The weight of the battle, the clash of powers, and the intensity of emotions had culminated in this moment, a moment of victory, hard-won and well-deserved.

The leftover lizardmen, those who had managed to survive the onslaught, now lay scattered and defeated.

And in a display of his abilities, he summoned clones to join the battle.

Together, they launched a final assault on the remaining enemies, their coordinated attacks ensuring a complete victory.

The echoes of spells, the clash of weapons, and the roars of defiance filled the air one last time before fading into silence.

The battle had reached its conclusion, and the only sounds that remained were the soft rustling of the wind through the grass and the steady rhythm of Daniel's own heartbeat.

With a final, satisfied nod, he allowed the clones to fade away, their purpose served.

The battlefield was now his alone, a canvas upon which his journey had been painted with sweat, blood, and unyielding determination.

And yet, even as the dust settled and the adrenaline subsided, Daniel's mind was already on the next step.

Now that the battle on the 300th Floor had come to an end, a new idea began to take root in his thoughts, a strategy that had never before crossed his mind.

He turned his gaze towards the defeated enemies, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.

With a focused expression, he extended his hand and summoned his unique power, the ability of extraction.

The very essence of the wyvern, its power and vitality, could potentially become his own through the act of extraction.

A sense of excitement and curiosity welled within him.

The Wyvern, a rare and formidable species, held the potential to bestow upon him attributes that were beyond his current capabilities.

And so, with a newfound determination, he focused his energy on the extraction process.

The air around him shimmered with a faint aura as his power extended towards the fallen wyvern and lizardmen.

Threads of energy intertwined with their essence, a delicate dance of mana and shadow.

With a commanding gesture, Daniel channelled the essence of the fallen wyvern and the defeated lizardmen.

Shadows danced and swirled around him, their forms solidifying into eerie, shadowy duplicates of the creatures they once were.

The majestic silhouette of the wyvern materialized, its wings unfurled in a ghostly display of power.

Beside it, the shadow soldiers of the lizardmen stood united, ready to heed Daniel's every command.

As the last traces of essence were drawn into the shadows, a newfound energy pulsed through these spectral soldiers.

The wyvern's menacing presence was retained, its electric energy crackling within the shadows.

The lizardmen's collective strength added an air of disciplined unity to their forms.

Daniel surveyed his newfound forces with satisfaction, his eyes gleaming with the potential that lay before him.

The wyvern's shadowy counterpart let out an echoing roar, and the lizardmen's shadows shifted in a phantom formation.

Still, a surprise jolted Daniel's focus, triggering a surge of knowledge concerning his extracted shadows.

He recalled vital information regarding their growth and potential.

Shadows, once extracted, retained their levels and abilities, stagnating without room for improvement.

However, similar to players, hunters, and monsters, shadows possessed the capacity for rank advancement.

The path to ranking up wasn't straightforward like simple leveling.

It demanded a specific amount of Experience Points, and the process was more intricate.

Once sufficient Experience Points were amassed, the shadows underwent a ranking process, classified into tiers such as Grey, White, Golden, Diamond, Platinum, and the ultimate rank, Black.

Among Daniel's shadows, only Queen Blitz and the Mutated Caxear had achieved the White rank.

The Mutated Caxear, a three-headed creature with a unique elemental composition of Fire, Wind, and Water, held immense power but lacked the Queen's intellect.

The visual indication of a shadow's readiness for ranking up was highlighted ranks visible to Daniel's eyes, delineated by purplish lines.

Now, every shadow's rank displayed the telltale highlights, signifying they were poised for advancement.

A smile graced his lips as he anticipated the effects of the Shadow Upgrade skill. It explained why his shadows hadn't exhibited signs of advancement past Floor 170.

Observing the shadows' eager restlessness, particularly the Queen's antennae that twitched conspicuously, Daniel summoned them closer.

Intriguingly, he questioned the process, pondering over how to proceed. His unfamiliarity with upgrading didn't deter him, he trusted his instincts and activated the Shadow Upgrade skill.

To his astonishment, the skill unfurled holographic screens, unveiling an array of highlighted shadows eligible for upgrading.

"Is this how it's done?" he wondered aloud.

Taking a leap of faith, he selected all the shadows and clicked the 'upgrade' button in mid-air. In response, a transformative change began to sweep over the shadows.

The former Grey Rank shadows, once bearing a grey haze in their forms, now underwent a deliberate shift to whiteness.

It was as if their very essence was evolving, their rank ascending as their bodies transformed.

In awe, Daniel watched the process unfold, realizing that his first attempt at upgrading had set in motion a remarkable metamorphosis among his shadow companions.