Read Monarch of the Scythe: The Godslayer’s Rise :: Whispers of the Fallen King

Pain. That was all Lee Siujin knew as the world around him faded. The betrayal, the monster’s roar, the taste of blood in his mouth—all of it blurred into the same crushing, numbing agony. His broken body lay sprawled across the jagged dungeon floor, blood pooling beneath him, staining the ancient stone. The crimson hound loomed over him, jaws dripping with gore, the heat of its breath singeing his skin.

Is this how it ends?

His vision darkened at the edges, the world shrinking down to the rhythmic thudding of his slowing heartbeat.

But then—

---

A voice.

It was no mortal voice. It was as if the very shadows around him had gathered and given sound to the void. Deep, ancient, heavy with grief and rage, it resonated in the marrow of his bones.

> “Child of betrayal… will you claim what was stolen?”

Siujin’s breath hitched. His body was broken, but his mind clung to that voice like a drowning man to driftwood.

“Wh… what…?” His voice was a whisper, barely audible over the snarls of the beast.

> “The gods gaze upon this world, playing their games. I defied them. And for that, they struck me down. My legacy shattered, my power sealed. Until now.”

The world seemed to still—the hound’s growls muffled, the dungeon’s cold fading as an ancient power enveloped Siujin’s soul.

> “I offer you my remnants. My throne. My hatred. My dominion.”

> “Accept, and rise beyond their reach. Accept, and become a Monarch.”

Siujin’s mind reeled. He saw visions—cities burning beneath divine lightning, mortal kings kneeling in chains, and a lone figure wreathed in shadows standing defiantly against the heavens. He saw that figure fall, pierced by a thousand lances of light… but even in death, its eyes burned with defiance.

The same defiance that now stirred in Siujin’s heart.

---

His life had been misery—scraping by in a crumbling apartment in Yeongdeungpo, working as a glorified courier for hunters who saw him as less than dirt. His parents, dead in the crossfire of the gods’ “holy war.” His dreams, buried beneath poverty and despair.

And now, betrayed. Left to die.

But this… this was a chance.

His lips curled into a bloody grin. “I accept.”

---

The dungeon trembled. The hound recoiled, whining in confusion. Darkness poured from Siujin’s body—not emptiness, but a force so potent it seemed to bend the very air.

---

🌌 [Monarch System initializing…]

> User: Lee Siujin — compatible.

Binding authority of the Fallen Death King…

Suppressing god system link… complete.

You are beyond their sight.

> Welcome, Monarch. Your reign begins now.

---

Power surged through him, mending torn flesh, knitting shattered bone. He felt whole—and more than whole. He felt right, as if he’d lived his entire life with a piece missing, and only now found it.

And then—clarity.

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🌌 [Status Window]

> Name: Lee Siujin

Level: 1

HP: 150 / 150

Mana: 120 / 120

Strength: 10

Agility: 9

Endurance: 11

Sense: 8

Willpower: 15

> Skills:

Ruler of Death [F - Growth]: Capture souls of slain foes, forge them into undying servants. Undead can grow, devour souls, and evolve.

Dominion Chains [F]: Bind and restrict enemy movement. Effectiveness scales with Willpower.

Monarch’s Vault [F]: Infinite storage for items, corpses, mana stones, and souls.

Soul Sense [F]: See the status of those weaker than you. Stronger foes will appear veiled.

> Unique Perk: Your actions are hidden from divine sight.

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The hound lunged.

Siujin’s mind snapped back to the present. His hand shot out, shadows swirling as Ruler of Death answered his will. Chains of dark light wrapped around the beast’s soul, dragging it from its dying body into his dominion.

The hound’s corpse fell limp.

In its place rose a spectral form — fur black as night, eyes burning blue, jaws hungering for its master’s command.

---

Siujin wiped the blood from his mouth, standing tall. His body ached, but his spirit soared.

---

The earth trembled beneath heavy hooves. From the tunnel’s depths, the Ironhide Blood Ox emerged. A wall of muscle and steel, eyes red with rage.

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🌌 [Ironhide Blood Ox — B Rank]

> HP: 7,400

Strength: 83

Agility: 32

Endurance: 90

---

Siujin swallowed hard.

“I’m not ready for this.”

But there was no choice.

---

“Fang — distract it!”

The spectral hound leapt at the ox’s flank, biting deep. The ox bellowed, thrashing. Siujin seized the moment, conjuring Dominion Chains, wrapping them around the beast’s forelegs.

It slowed — slightly — but enough.

Siujin snatched a fallen hunter’s spear, dashing in. The ox reared, but Siujin ducked under its goring charge, driving the spear into the joint behind its front leg.

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🌌 [Critical hit! Mobility reduced by 35%]

---

The ox thrashed, but Fang held tight.

Siujin’s mana surged as he forced Ruler of Death upon it. The ox’s soul resisted—furious, defiant. Shadows and spirit clashed, the cavern filled with silent screams.

---

> Soul capture: 65%... 81%... 92%... 100% — Success!

---

The ox collapsed, and from its corpse rose a towering undead beast, its ghostly armor gleaming.

---

🌌 [Ironhide Blood Ox Champion created. Potential evolution detected.]

---

Siujin gasped, strength leaving him as the adrenaline faded.

---

Voices echoed down the tunnel. Hunters appeared — Kang Do-hyun, Cho Mi-ryeong, and others. They froze at the sight: Siujin, bloodied but standing, shadows swirling around him.

Do-hyun’s spear lowered slightly. “What… what the hell are you?”

Siujin’s gaze was cold. “I’m what comes after gods abandon you.”