26: Chapter 26 Upgrade: Becoming the True King of the Shadow Legion

The evening breeze on the terrace suddenly came to a halt, as if frozen by an invisible force.

Lin Long had not yet recovered from the epiphany of "becoming a rule-maker" when a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind, carrying an unprecedented fluctuation:

[Ding! Host's state of mind breakthrough detected, cognitive dimension elevated, system upgrade conditions met, system upgrade commencing...]

"System upgrade?"

Lin Long was stunned; he had never imagined that the system he had been bound to for half a year had an upgrade function.

He could clearly feel a certain latent energy within his body being activated, like a dormant volcano about to erupt, flowing through his blood vessels to every part of his body, bringing waves of tingling itchiness.

[Upgrade progress 10%... 30%... 70%...]

The energy flow became faster and faster, Lin Long's heartbeat accelerated accordingly, and his blood felt as if it were burning.

Every cell in his body was cheering and leaping with joy, as if welcoming the arrival of some fated destiny.

The shadows around the terrace began to thicken, like living ink, slowly wriggling on the ground and converging toward his feet.

[Ding! System upgrade complete! Congratulations to the host for achieving the hidden achievement — 'King of the Dark Corps'!]

[Achievement rewards being distributed...]

[Reward 1: Shadow Trooper Corps Strength Synchronization. From now on, for every Shadow Trooper the host summons, its strength, speed, perception, and other attributes will be proportionally synchronized to the host. The stronger the soldier, the higher the bonus the host receives.]

[Reward 2: Physical Structure Transformation. The host has transformed from a carbon-based organism into a 'Shadow Creature', becoming the King of the Dark World, immune to physical attacks and energy impacts, with natural resistance to light and mental skills.]

[Reward 3: Dark Sovereignty. Acquired 'Shadow Travel' and 'Undying' abilities. The host can freely travel through any shadow gap; as long as a trace of darkness exists, the host can regenerate infinitely.]

[Reward 4: Absolute Domination. Possess absolute control over all Shadow Trooper Corps members, able to share their vision and perception. Soldiers will unconditionally execute any command, with zero possibility of betrayal.]

[Reward 5: Ability Fusion. Automatically master all Shadow Trooper Corps skills (including but not limited to Shadow Stealth, Blade Mastery, Energy Blast, etc.), which can be freely combined and used according to needs.]

[Reward 6: Shadow Conversion. Can expend dark energy to convert ordinary people into Shadow Creatures, becoming soldiers within the Shadow Trooper Corps. (One hundred percent loyal to the King)]

A series of notification sounds exploded in Lin Long's mind like thunder; he didn't even have time to digest this information before his body underwent a drastic change!

"Whoosh!"

Black flames erupted from Lin Long's body without warning. They were not scorching flames, but deep black flames carrying a bone-chilling cold, instantly enveloping his entire being.

The flames had no temperature, yet they exuded a suffocating pressure, as if they could devour all light, even forcing the moon in the sky to dim slightly under this power.

The rose vines around the terrace withered and blackened at a speed visible to the naked eye, the marble floor cracked with fine lines, and the air was filled with a scent from the abyss.

"Urgh—!"

Lin Long could not help but let out a low moan, not from pain, but from the extreme pleasure brought by the surging power.

He could feel his bones reshaping, his muscles fiberizing, and his blood turning into flowing shadow energy.

The black flames flowed and solidified on his skin, like the most meticulous craftsman forging a divine artifact.

In just a few seconds, the flames suddenly retracted!

A set of dark red armor covering his entire body appeared on Lin Long—

The shoulder armor was shaped like sharp claws, a beating black crystal was embedded in the chest, resembling a dark heart. The armor on his arms and legs was covered in spikes, with dark golden patterns flowing at the joints, exuding a cold metallic luster and the eeriness of shadows.

Lin Long's eyes had completely changed—

The original black and white irises were gone, replaced by pure blood-red. It was as if flames were burning within his pupils; wherever he looked, it was as if that place were shrouded in invisible fear.

Even more astonishing was his hair—

His original short black hair grew wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye, its color turning from black to red, finally becoming long, blood-red hair like congealed blood. In the blink of an eye, it reached his waist, and as it fluttered in the wind, it carried a bewitching and domineering beauty.

Lin Long looked down at his hands covered in dark red armor, feeling the surging, seemingly endless power within him, and finally realized:

"So that's how it is... I was only at the first stage of the Shadow Trooper Corps before, not even touching the true threshold."

Lin Long remembered when he first obtained the system, he could only summon the most basic Shadow Guards, and other than a slight improvement in his physical fitness, he had no special abilities.

At the time, he had wondered why, as the commander, he was not as strong as his subordinates, but now he finally understood—

At that time, he had not yet completed the transformation into a "Shadow Creature" and could not be considered a true "King" at all.

"This time, it is the true awakening."

Lin Long clenched his fists, the finger joints of his armor making a "crackling" sound, and it felt as if electric currents were snapping in the air.

With a thought, he attempted to use the "Shadow Travel" ability.

The next second, his body dissolved like melting ink, turning into a shadow that merged into the shadow beneath his feet and disappeared.

Only an empty chair remained on the terrace, but in the next second, at the shadow of the railing ten meters away.

Shadows surged, and Lin Long's figure re-condensed, the armor still covering his entire body, as if he had never moved.

"This feeling... is indescribably wonderful."

A smile curled at the corners of Lin Long's mouth, and a gleam of excitement flashed in his red eyes.

While traveling through shadows, he felt as if he were one with the darkness of the entire world, able to clearly perceive all shadow nodes around him. As long as he wanted to, he could even instantly appear in the shadows of Tokyo Tower.

Lin Long then tried to invoke "Ability Fusion," flicking his right hand backward, and shadow energy gathered and condensed in his palm, causing a long sword with an ancient design to appear in his hand.

The sword blade was about 1.2 meters long, pitch black, yet the edge exuded a deep blue cold light, as if it could sever light. It was the Shadow Longsword commonly used by Shadow Guards, but in his hands, dark red patterns flowed across the blade, obviously making it much more powerful.

"Let's try this again."

Lin Long snapped his fingers and simultaneously issued a command in his heart:

"Summon Imperial Guard."

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The shadows around the terrace surged violently, the commotion more than ten times greater than when he had summoned the Shadow Guards before!

Twelve figures, nearly twice as tall as ordinary Shadow Guards, condensed from the shadows—

They wore heavy black plate armor, with curved horns on their helmets, and held two-meter-long great axes or heavy swords in their hands. Their entire bodies exuded an oppressive feeling comparable to a tank; they were the "Imperial Guard" mentioned in the system notification!

The Imperial Guard's armor was even deeper than Lin Long's dark red armor, covered in twisted runes that flickered with dark purple light, clearly imbued with some special magic or energy.

Their eyes were not the red of ordinary Shadow Guards, but a richer purple-black, like two miniature black holes.

When the twelve Imperial Guards landed, the entire terrace shook.

They turned in unison and knelt on one knee before Lin Long. As their massive bodies bent, the friction of their armor made a dull sound, yet no one made a sound, their silence revealing absolute loyalty.

Lin Long could clearly feel that there was a deeper connection between him and these Imperial Guards, a hundred times closer than the connection with ordinary Shadow Guards.

He could directly share their vision and perceive the terrifying power contained within them—

The strength of each Imperial Guard was equivalent to the sum of ten ordinary Shadow Guards, and they possessed stronger defense and special abilities (such as Rune Shields and Energy Blasts).

"Rise."

Lin Long spoke, his voice amplified by the armor, carrying a majestic echo as if from a dark throne.

The Imperial Guards rose simultaneously and stood on both sides, like two rows of silent iron towers, guarding their King.

Lin Long walked up to an Imperial Guard and reached out, stroking the other's heavy armor.

The armor was cold and hard, yet he could feel the surging shadow energy beneath it, of the same source as the energy within his own body.

"So this is the true power of the Shadow Trooper Corps."

Lin Long sighed with emotion.

Previously, he had thought the Shadow Guards were strong enough, but now he knew that ordinary Shadow Guards were merely the vanguard of the dark army, while the Imperial Guard was the true core combat force.

He tried to synchronize the Imperial Guard's strength to himself—

A massive force instantly surged into his limbs and bones, more than a hundred times stronger than the bonus from summoning ten Shadow Guards earlier! He could feel that he could now punch through reinforced concrete with one blow, his speed could catch up with a speeding car, and he could even catch ordinary bullets with his bare hands.

"Undying..."

Lin Long looked at his arm, and with a thought, the armored arm suddenly turned into a shadow, then re-condensed, unscathed.

He could even feel that even if his body were completely shattered, as long as there was a trace of shadow nearby, he could reorganize in an instant.

This near-invincible ability allowed him to completely let go of his last shred of concern.

The Black Organization? Gin? Those Zaibatsu bigwigs?

In front of him, with his "Shadow Travel," "Undying" abilities, and the Imperial Guard, they were nothing but clowns.

Lin Long raised his head, his red eyes gazing toward Tokyo, where the lights seemed to turn into targets waiting to be harvested in his eyes.

"The game, it's time to change how it's played."

Lin Long's previous plan was "passive defense, gradual encroachment," but now, he had the capital to choose a more direct and domineering method—

To directly flip the chessboard and rewrite the rules.

"If I want it, I'll take it; if it gets in the way, I'll clear it."

Lin Long's voice echoed on the terrace, carrying an unprecedented air of dominance.

He waved his hand, and the twelve Imperial Guards turned into shadows once more, merging into the surrounding shadows and disappearing.

The dark red armor on Lin Long also receded like a tide, returning to his ordinary black suit; only that long, blood-red hair and red eyes still bore witness to the drastic change that had just occurred.

Lin Long walked to the mirror, looking at the self in the mirror that was both familiar and strange—

Long blood-red hair, red eyes, his temperament now possessed a bit more evil charm and dominance, yet without losing his original composure.

"This is who I am."

Lin Long said to himself in the mirror, a gleam of confidence flashing in his red eyes.

He was no longer that hesitant, ordinary person, but the King of the Dark World, the maker of rules.

From now on, his will would be the only rule.

Lin Long picked up the red wine bottle on the table and took a large gulp directly from the bottle. The scarlet wine slid down the corner of his mouth, dripping onto his white shirt like blooming blood flowers.

"Gin, Black Organization..."

Lin Long wiped the corner of his mouth, a trace of cold murderous intent flashing in his red eyes,

"Are you ready to welcome your King?"

The night wind blew, carrying the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, as well as the dark fire ignited in Lin Long's heart.

The era that belonged to him had only just begun.

And this world, because of his awakening, would welcome an unprecedented storm.