Solo Leveling x Tbate

The battlefield was silent. A cold, oppressive aura lingered in the air, thick with the remnants of destruction. The Chaos World, once the domain of the Monarchs, now lay in ruin beneath the feet of the Shadow Monarch-Sung Jin-Woo.

In front of him, Antares, the Monarch of Destruction, lay broken. Cracks spread across his massive, dragon-like form as the power sustaining his existence collapsed. Yet, even in death, he laughed-a deep, hollow sound that sent a chill down the spines of even the strongest warriors.

Jin-Woo, his long black hair flowing in the air, stood unmoving. His violet eyes, devoid of emotion, observed the fallen Monarch without a hint of satisfaction. Around him, his army of thirty million shadow soldiers stood in silence, their cold purple aura making the battlefield feel even more lifeless.

Antares coughed, dark ichor dripping from his fanged mouth. His once-imposing golden eyes burned with amusement.

"I can't believe it... You've defeated me... not once, but twice." His voice was weak, yet laced with a strange satisfaction.

Jin-Woo's gaze remained impassive. "Are those your last words?"

Antares chuckled weakly, his cracked body glowing faintly. "Ha... ha... (Heavy breath) ...Shadow Monarch... I hope you love my last gift." His grin widened, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. "Go check on your precious little planet. I KNOW YOUR WEAKNESS."

And with that, his body shattered into countless fragments, consumed by the void.

A foreboding chill crawled up Jin-Woo's spine.

"Master?" Bellion, his first knight, stepped forward, sensing the unease.

Beru and Igris also exchanged glances, confusion clear in their expressions. What did Antares mean?

Jin-Woo wasted no time. He summoned every single one of his shadows into his body and willed himself back to Earth.

The moment he reappeared in his world-he felt it.

A massive surge of mana.

And then, a blinding explosion.

The sky was burning.

Jin-Woo's breath hitched as he took in the horrifying sight before him. His world-his home-was gone.

A cataclysmic wave of destruction had torn through everything. Cities were reduced to rubble. The streets he once walked on were nothing but scorched wastelands. And the people... the millions of lives he had sworn to protect... they were gone.

All because of him.

"No..."

His voice was barely above a whisper, his throat tightening as raw emotion threatened to consume him.

He had fought to protect this world. He had risked everything-defied fate itself-to ensure that the people he loved would be safe. And now, they were all...

Gone.

Beru, Igris, and Bellion materialized beside him, their eyes widening in shock as they took in the destruction.

"This... cannot be reality," Igris murmured, disbelief heavy in his voice.

"My king..." Beru's voice was uncharacteristically soft, hesitant.

Jin-Woo clenched his fists, his entire body trembling. His mind refused to accept this as truth.

"I promised Cha... I would see her again." His voice cracked. "Now... I have nothing left."

Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. His mother. His sister. His friends. Every single one of them was gone.

The weight of his failure pressed down on him like an unmovable mountain.

The Cup of Reincarnation-his one chance to reset everything-had already been used. And now, the nightmare he feared the most had come to pass.

A deep, consuming rage began to bubble within him.

A flurry of golden light suddenly erupted in the sky.

Seven figures, clad in brilliant radiance, descended before him.

The Rulers.

Jin-Woo barely spared them a glance. "Why did this happen?" His voice was void of warmth, his tone sharp enough to cut through steel.

The Brightest Fragment of Brilliant Light, the leader of the Rulers, stepped forward. "We are... truly sorry for your loss, Shadow Monarch."

Jin-Woo's fists tightened. He had no patience for their condolences.

"Antares knew why you turned back time," the Ruler continued. "He realized that your reason for choosing to fight alone... was to protect this world. So, while we waged war against him in the Chaos World-he set his final plan into motion."

A cruel irony. Antares had lost the war, yet he had won where it truly mattered.

"He succeeded," Jin-Woo whispered, his voice hollow. "He destroyed my world."

Silence.

The air grew heavy.

Jin-Woo's entire body trembled as dark energy leaked from him, distorting space itself.

For the first time... he understood Antares.

That insatiable thirst for destruction. That hunger to burn everything down.

And now, he wanted it.

The Rulers felt it instantly-his overwhelming killing intent.

The temperature dropped. A suffocating aura of death washed over them, making even the mighty celestial beings tense.

"Shadow Monarch, please," The Brightest Fragment of Brilliant Light said cautiously.

"Calm down?" Jin-Woo's voice was low, deadly.

A pulse of power erupted from him, sending the Rulers skidding backward.

"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN?!" His voice roared through the wasteland. "MY WORLD IS GONE! MY FAMILY IS DEAD!"

Dark energy swirled violently around him, the ground beneath his feet cracking under the sheer force of his mana. His vision blurred, colors twisting into shades of violet and black.

If the world had taken everything from him...

Then he would take everything from the world.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder.

Jin-Woo froze.

"Ashborn," he whispered.

The former Shadow Monarch stood before him, his glowing purple eyes filled with understanding.

"You've done all you could, child," Ashborn said softly. "None of this was your fault. None of this was their fault. It was simply... rotten fate."

Jin-Woo's rage wavered.

The Rulers, sensing the shift, finally spoke. "We have an offer for you, Shadow Monarch."

Jin-Woo exhaled, his emotions barely under control. "What is it?"

"You have proven yourself equal to the Rulers. You will take Ashborn's place among us, but you will not be bound by duty."

A path of freedom.

Jin-Woo remained silent for a long moment. Then, he spoke.

"I'll keep searching."

The Rulers blinked. "Searching?"

"I will explore reality itself... to find a new purpose."

A long pause. Then, Jin-Woo continued. "But I have one request."

"What is it?"

"I want the broken Cup."

The Rulers stiffened, glancing at each other before finally nodding. "As you wish, Shadow Monarch."

The fractured remains of the Cup of Reincarnation were placed in his hands.

Jin-Woo looked down at the remnants of what once held the power to change fate.

Behind him, Igris, Beru, and Bellion kneeled, their loyalty unwavering.

"Whatever path you choose, my liege... we will follow."

Jin-Woo closed his eyes for a moment.

Then, he turned his back on Earth.

"This world doesn't need us anymore."

Ashborn nodded approvingly.

And with that, Jin-Woo and his army vanished-leaving behind the ashes of a broken world.

His journey was not over.

It had only just begun.

He looked one last time his destroyed planet. Ashborn tapped his shoulders. Then they left.

The void of space stretched endlessly before us, a silent abyss that bore witness to our journey. My last glance at Earth-my home, my family, my purpose-was now nothing but dust and memory. Beru, Igris, Bellion, and the countless shadows I had commanded were now sealed in the Shadow World, awaiting my call.

Beside me, Ashborn stood, his ancient gaze fixed forward. His purple eyes, once filled with the weight of eternity, now burned with something else-a longing. For what? Even I did not know.

We wandered through the Universes, drifting like phantoms across galaxies, touching upon worlds both barren and teeming with life. Some we left undisturbed, others we watched from the distance, never interfering.

Yet, amidst this endless journey, something-something-called to us.

It was faint at first. A whisper, an echo carried through the very fabric of existence. Then, as we drew closer, it became undeniable.

Ashborn and I locked eyes.

"You feel it?" I asked, my voice steady.

Ashborn's gaze deepened, his expression unreadable. "Yes. And it is something I have not felt in eons."

"It's Aether."

I know it from Ashborn memories I received.

This universe itself carried weight, an energy unlike anything I had ever encountered. It pulsed in the distance, a beacon woven into the cosmos itself.

Without hesitation, we moved.

We arrived in the orbit of an unfamiliar planet. Its beauty was undeniable-vast landscapes covered in greenery, crystalline rivers winding through mountains, and a sky painted in colors I had never seen before.

But beneath that beauty, something was off.

Ashborn narrowed his eyes. "This is Aether."

I turned to him.

His gaze remained fixed on the planet below. "Aether is everything after life and before death. It is space and emptiness. It is the foundation of magic itself, the lingering essence of the departed." He exhaled slowly. "Yet, it was removed from our world. The Creator deemed it too volatile, too powerful for mortals to wield. And yet..."

"It exists here."

"Yes."

I frowned. "Then why does it feel... unnatural?"

Ashborn was silent for a moment before answering. "Because it is trapped."

That single word sent a shiver down my spine.

Something-or someone-had bound Aether in this world.

"Let's go," I said.

With a nod, Ashborn and I descended onto the surface.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I felt it.

Aether was everywhere. It flowed like air, invisible yet present, seeping into the very fabric of reality. It was unlike mana-it was alive.

"This world is teeming with it," I muttered.

Ashborn nodded. "But look closer."

I did. And that's when I saw it.

The flow of Aether-it was unnatural. Where man moved like a water in cup but Aether is cup itself.

I can feel it was forced into an artificial path, controlled, restricted. Someone had bound it. Someone had claimed it.

And then, I felt it.

A presence.

A surge of Aether erupted from deep within the forest.

Someone was using Aether.

Ashborn stiffened. "This is troubling."

I clenched my fists. "Then let's go find out who's responsible."

Without another word, we vanished into the shadows, heading straight toward the source.

Time itself was frozen.

I felt it the moment we arrived-a stillness unlike anything I had encountered before. No sound, no movement, just silence. And in the middle of this frozen moment, a scene unfolded before us.

Someone used Aether to frozen the time itself.

A silver dragon, wounded and weak, lay on the cave floor, her brilliant scales dulled by exhaustion. Her once-majestic body had partially shifted into a humanoid form, but even in this state, she radiated power.

A young boy, barely past childhood, cradled a rainbow-colored egg in his arms, his golden eyes wide with fear. Tears streaked his face, and I could see the raw pain in them-the same pain I once carried.

Above them, a dark figure in heavy armor was suspended midair, frozen in time. The power holding him in place wavered, like a candle flickering in the wind.

Then, the dragon spoke.

"You finally came here, Shadow Monarch."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried the weight of time itself. Her silver eyes met Ashborn's before she collapsed, her strength finally failing her.

"She knows"

Both Ashborn and jinwoo are shocked.

And in that instant, the time freeze shattered.

The armored figure snapped back into motion, his dark aura surging forward like a tidal wave.

"Lady Sylvia!" the entity growled, his voice carrying an impatient edge. "I advise you to stop this stubbornness and hand it over. You've already caused us enough trouble by hiding! If you surrender now, the Lord may even grant you mercy and heal your wounds."

But the moment he finished speaking, he froze again-not by magic, but by fear.

The cave trembled. Shadows thickened.

Ashborn's dark mana seeped into the very air, turning it into a suffocating abyss. His power pressed down on everything, crushing the enemy under its sheer presence.

The figure dropped from midair, slamming onto his knees.

His armored hands trembled as he looked up at the being before him. A god among monarchs. A true king of death.

"W-What are you?" The entity's voice, once filled with arrogance, now shook with terror.

Ashborn's piercing purple gaze locked onto him, cold and absolute.

"Death. I am Death."

Ashborn stepped forward, his pure black broadsword materializing in his grasp. The mere presence of the blade caused the mana in the cave to distort, as if the world itself rejected its existence.

Meanwhile, I turned my attention to the dragon.

"You're Sylvia?" I asked, my voice calm but firm.

She looked at me with weary eyes, tears gathering at the corners. "Yes," she whispered, barely holding on to consciousness.

"Don't worry. We're not your enemies," I reassured the crying boy beside her.

But the wound on her body told a different story. It was deep, dripping with a tainted magic.

Without hesitation, I called upon my most trusted shadow.

"Beru."

From my shadow, a massive black and purple ant emerged, his chitinous body radiating an eerie presence. He approached Sylvia, his insectoid head tilting as he assessed her condition.

Raising one clawed hand, green healing particles formed in his palm, flowing over Sylvia's wound.

Slowly, the gash sealed itself, the pain on her face fading into relief.

The young boy, Arthur, stared in shock. "What... was that?"

"My servant," I said simply.

As I turned back, I saw Ashborn still standing over the kneeling enemy, the enemy? He was powerless before Ashborn.

"Can I kill him?" Ashborn asked, his voice as calm as ever.

Sylvia, now able to sit up, turned her gaze toward the enemy, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"Yes... you can."

The enemy-Cadell, as she called him-stiffened in disbelief.

"Goodbye, Cadell," she said softly.

Ashborn wasted no time.

His sword plunged through the entity's chest.

A soundless scream filled the air as dark energy surged through Cadell's body, consuming him completely.

"Arise"

Turning him into another shadow soldier.

Sylvia let out a shaky breath. "Thank you... Shadow Monarch."

Ashborn merely nodded.

I stepped forward, my gaze steady. "Now, tell us-how do you know about us?"

She looked at me with tired, knowing eyes.

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To Be Continued...

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Note: this is adopted from the author DudesInTheShadow.

I May not be as good as that bro. But I will try my best to make good story.

I want to make romance more development between Jinwoo x Seris and Ashborn x Sylvia. I want to give more Development to Sylvia character who can stand independently on her own.

Also this story contains few *SPOILERS* of Tbate story but it will be revealed later in future. So don't Worry about it. I will inform about Spoilers to everyone before.

I try my best and updates maybe sometimes slow because I had other solo Leveling fic and extra stories to work. so please understand it. I hope everyone like this story.