Chapter 10: Chapter 10 — The Rise of the Shadow Legion
Gravemarch's shadow banners floated in the cold morning wind.
Kaelen stood atop the blackened castle tower, gaze locked on the road leading to Eldrin's heartland.
He'd claimed the outpost. He had repulsed Ardyn.
But a king was nothing without his army.
[System Notification].
New Goal: Create Your Shadow Legion.
Requirements: 1,000 Elite Units under your command.
Reward: Shadow King's Authority +5%.
Kaelen's gaze narrowed. "A legion… my legion."
The First Recruits — The Broken Blades
In the centre of Gravemarch's barracks, scores of men knelt, their eyes empty, shadows coiling softly around their shapes.
They had formerly been devoted to the Kingdom of Eldrin, but now they knelt before Kaelen, their will subdued to his shadow.
However, something moved in them — not ordinary puppets, but echoes of their old selves sharpened by evil determination.
Kaelen went among them, keeping his voice low.
"You have been betrayed by kings who use you, and lords who abandon you..." The light that blinds you. I'd like to offer you something else.
He raised his hand, and the shadows ignited.
"Allegiance leads to freedom." Shadows hold power. Serve me, and I will make you conquerors.
The soldiers raised their fists, and shadows swirled around them.
[Shadow Conversion is Successful]
Unit Type: Shadow Knight, Rank D Recruited Number: 230
The Forging of the Shadow Legion
Kaelen quickly established the Shadow Legion.
For days, he trained his increasing army within Gravemarch's walls—but not just with swords.
He taught them the technique of shadow warfare:
Moving through the darkness, undetected.
Manipulating shadows to conceal and strike.
They merge with their own darkness to form living weapons.
Those who demonstrated potential became commanders.
[Shadow Commander Selected]
Valen, also known as the Shadowfang, is a former captain. Master of Silent Blades.
Valen knelt before Kaelen, dark tattoos crawling up his arms, a sign of shadowbinding.
"My life is yours, my King," he declared.
Kaelen gripped his shoulder. "No. Your life is your own. "But your loyalty is mine."
Valen smiled—a shadowy, vicious grin.
The Whisper Recruits—Spies in the Dark.
Kaelen understood that fights were won on more than one field.
He called those who flourished in the underbelly: thieves, assassins, and informants. Men and women who were in the shadows long before Kaelen governed them.
Kaelen faced a crowd of rogues and cutthroats in the city's dark market.
"You work for silver." "I offer dominion."
The shadows behind him moved, forming a terrible figure—a silent warning.
Half of the room fled. The rest knelt.
[120 Shadow Whisperers Recruited].
Role: Espionage, Infiltration, and Sabotage.
The Shadow Legion — Formation Complete
By the end of the week, Kaelen had stood in front of nearly 1,000 elite troops, each bound by choice or shadow, and their commitment was unwavering.
Their armour reflected no light.
Their blades swallowed sunlight.
Their oaths were taken in silence.
Gravemarch resounded with the stomp of feet and the whisper of unseen troops.
[System Notification].
Shadow Legion Formed — Rank C Army
Unique trait: Shadowmeld (allows battlefield stealth for limited times)
Kaelen's Shadow Authority: +5%
The Shadow Marches
Kaelen rode at the front of his army, riding a warhorse covered in shadow-plate.
As Gravemarch's gates opened, a silence descended over the area.
No drums.
No banners.
Only the solemn march of a legion the world had never seen... but would quickly become fearful.
Meanwhile—The Capital Stirs
The top lords of Eldrin's royal capital assembled in the gilded war room.
"The Shadow King marches," a scout exclaimed, dropping to his knees before the royal council.
Panic spread—but one man remained motionless.
King Alvaris of Eldrin sat on a silver throne, his gold crown sparkling in the firelight.
"A rebellion of shadows… let them come," the king whispered softly, his eyes steely. "I have called upon the Lightbringer himself."
Ardyn stood by his side, silently watching.
[System Notification].
Warning: Kingdom Eldrin has formed an alliance with Ardyn — The Lightbringer.
Elite Forces and Light-Purged Knights are mobilising.
The path is Set
Kaelen stood at the brink of the king's path, with the dark banners of his Shadow Legion rising behind him.
His heart beat steadily, and his shadow pulsed with dark yearning.
He mumbled beneath his breath.
"Eldrin will fall. The entire globe will kneel. "And the Shadow King will arise."