MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 10: Emerge

[Congratulations to the host for winning the abilities of the shadow monarch]

[??? Interfers, recalibrating, wait a moment host]

The system went silent for two minutes before returning with an update.

[ By the authority of ??? The host will be allowed to select 6 members from the shadow monarch army]

Anthony stood there, stunned. That mysterious being had intervened once more. Despite claiming they would never meet again, the entity kept meddling. He couldn't help but wonder... was it just bored?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, the system notification flickered and changed.

[ By the authority of ??? The host will be allowed to select 3 members from the shadow monarch army]

His heart sank as he saw the number drop from six to three all because of his stray thoughts. He wailed in regret and pleaded for mercy, but the system remained indifferent. To make matters worse, a one-minute timer appeared and began ticking down immediately.

Driven by panic, he scrambled to make his selections before time ran out.

[Host has picked Bellion the fallen Angel]

[Host has picked Beru the Ant king ]

[Host has picked Igris the Swordmaster]

[All shadows have been summoned, they are all at Paragon level 9]

Anthony was breathless. Not only had he secured the three most powerful subordinates at the Peak Paragon rank, but he had also acquired the core shadow monarch ability itself.

If he combined this power with his blood servant skill, the results would be...

His mind raced with the possibilities. He began to speculate if he was actually the son of this "???", considering the incredible gifts he kept receiving. The being clearly knew the shadow monarch was his favorite fictional character and had provided these rewards accordingly. He felt the urge to bow in gratitude toward a random direction, but before he could, three dark figures materialized out of thin air. Their sudden appearance startled him.

Bellion, Igris, and Beru immediately dropped to one knee, uttering a synchronized, "Master." Anthony was so overwhelmed with joy that he struggled to find his voice.

Finally, he managed to address the trio.

"We have a long road ahead, train your skills in the shadow world and always be ready to fight"

With a nod of understanding, the three vanished from sight, retreating into the shadow world. Though hidden, they remained vigilant, able to see and hear everything. Should their master face any threat, they would emerge instantly to slaughter anyone who dared to trespass.

He headed downstairs to find the butler. "Uncle good morning how are you doing," he said. He had a habit of calling the butler "uncle," as he couldn't bring himself to address such an overpowered powerhouse as a mere servant.

"Good morning young master, I'm good how are you, do you need anything" the butler replied.

Anthony inquired, "uncle do you know any cemetery or where big shot are buried at least the Grandmaster Rank?" He knew he was being greedy, but after obtaining his three legendary shadows, he couldn't settle for mediocre additions to his army.

The butler paused to think before answering, "Yes young master, I know where some are buried from Master to the Paragon rank are there, but for the rank above that, I'm sorry young master but they are not buried."

Anthony nodded quickly, dismissing the higher-ranked cultivators who weren't buried; they weren't his priority at the moment.

"Let's go there immediately," he told the butler as he began walking toward the garage.

Following behind him, the butler asked, "do you need anything there young master?"

With a perfectly stoic expression, Anthony replied, "I am going to the academy soon, I have to pay my respects to those who protected us from the demons."

The butler took the wheel of the Ferrari, and they soon arrived at the cemetery. Anthony was unsure if he was looking at a graveyard or a palace. Given the high ranks and heroic contributions of those resting there, the lavishness was justified. The land had even been sanctified by a priest above the Paragon rank. From the blooming flowers to the very air, nothing about the place felt like a typical cemetery.

He stepped inside, instructing the butler to wait. While the butler stayed in the car, he extended his senses to keep a watchful eye on the young master in case of trouble.

Anthony immediately cast a void barrier, telling the butler he required privacy. The butler didn't object since his senses were still able to penetrate the barrier. He had no idea that Anthony was intentionally allowing his perception to pass through; otherwise, crossing the void would have been impossible. Using the authority skill: Perfect One, Anthony projected a false image of himself paying respects to the deceased experts to deceive the butler's senses.

Despite only recently gaining a void affinity, his extensive study of all elements and mana made this level of deception feel like child's play.

In reality, he was preparing to resurrect the dead. Standing in the middle of the cemetery, he realized he hadn't set any specific command words. Right on cue, the system chimed in.

[Host should choose a command word]

Anthony hesitated. He considered using the famous phrase of the original shadow monarch but worried about the consequences. He had already taken the soldiers and the abilities; stealing the catchphrase might truly be courting death. If the shadow monarch had become a god in another world, there was no telling how powerful he was now.

Settling on a different choice, he decided: "Emerge."

[Command word "Emerge" has been saved]

With excitement surging through his veins, Anthony looked out over the graves and commanded:

"EMERGE"

A dark purple aura erupted across the grounds. Beings ranging from Master rank to Paragon began to rise from their eternal rest.

Though the butler had mentioned three thousand burials, Anthony successfully raised 120 shadows. It was a massive haul. These shadows retained memories of their past lives but were now bound by absolute loyalty to him. They all knelt, greeting him with a heavy, "Master."

Among them, he noticed two individuals at the Peak Paragon rank. One was a legendary assassin whose identity remained a mystery even in death, having passed away from old age. The other was a pure martial artist named George. Anthony, who held great respect for martial artists, asked only for their names; he didn't have the mental energy to memorize the rest. He ordered them all into the shadow world to focus on training and cultivation breakthroughs.

The entire process took only five minutes. He then collapsed the barrier and returned to the butler.

Upon returning to the estate, he asked, "where did Mother and father go?"

"They had businesses to handle for sometime they would be back soon," the butler explained.

Anthony nodded and went to his room after eating breakfast. Since his parents weren't around, he spent time cataloging his new forces. He now possessed 20 Paragons—a fantastic result—along with 40 Grandmasters and 60 Masters. All of them were currently in the shadow world, pushing toward the next rank.

As shadows, they required no food or water, only mana. They could train indefinitely so long as the mana supply held out. Fortunately, Anthony possessed a passive skill for infinite mana—a power he fully intended to exploit.

He spent the rest of the day scrolling through his phone and checking the Mana-net for news. Before he knew it, the clock struck 1 AM. He sighed, disappointed that he hadn't seen his parents all day.

With that final thought, he drifted off to sleep.