The Forsaken Awakening

Inside the Tower of the Forgotten – Floor 4

Jinhyuk stepped through the portal, his body still adjusting to the recent level-up. His mana reserves had expanded, his reflexes felt sharper, and his shadows pulsed with newfound strength.

But something felt… off.

The moment he entered Floor 4, an overwhelming sense of dread settled over him.

The air was heavy, thick with an eerie, deathly stillness. The sky, if it could even be called that, was a swirling void of gray and red.

And ahead—

A graveyard stretched endlessly.

Hundreds of rusted swords and broken shields were buried in the earth, marking the remains of long-forgotten warriors. The ground was cracked, blood-red mist seeping from the soil.

Jinhyuk's grip on his daggers tightened.

"A battlefield of the dead?"

Then, a system message appeared.

---

[ Trial of the Fourth Floor: The Cursed Knight ]

Objective: Defeat the Guardian of this floor.

Failure Condition: Death or retreat.

Bonus Condition: Subjugate the Guardian instead of killing it.

---

Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.

"Subjugate instead of kill?"

That was new.

Before he could think further—

The ground trembled.

A deep, guttural howl echoed across the graveyard, filled with rage and suffering.

And from the mist, it appeared.

---

The Undead Knight – A Warrior of the Past

A towering figure in full plate armor stepped forward.

Its once-glorious armor was battered and rusted, its tattered crimson cape flowing despite the lack of wind.

But the most horrifying part—

Was the sword impaled through its own chest.

Despite the blade sticking out from its body, the knight moved with unnatural strength, gripping an enormous greatsword in one hand.

A system notification flashed.

---

[ Boss Identified: The Cursed Knight (B-Rank) ]

A warrior bound by regret, forced to battle for eternity.

Highly resistant to physical damage.

Can only be freed by death or submission.

---

Jinhyuk's instincts screamed danger.

"A B-Rank boss on the fourth floor?"

The Cursed Knight raised its greatsword.

Then—it attacked.

---

The Battle – A Test of Shadows

Jinhyuk barely had time to react.

BOOM!

The ground shattered as the knight's greatsword slammed down, missing Jinhyuk by inches.

Dust and debris filled the air, forcing him to teleport backward with Shadow Blink.

"Shit—he's fast!"

The knight charged again, swinging its sword with unnatural speed for its size.

Jinhyuk twisted, dodging the blade by a hair.

But even dodging was exhausting.

"I can't keep this up."

If regular attacks wouldn't work—

Then it was time to change tactics.

---

Shadow Summoning – A New Evolution

Jinhyuk focused his mana, activating Shadow Summoning.

[ Skill Upgraded: Shadow Summoning (B-Rank)! ]

[ New Effect: Allows permanent subjugation of select summons. ]

Jinhyuk's breath caught.

"Permanent summons?!"

He didn't have time to process it.

The Cursed Knight lunged again.

But this time—Jinhyuk countered.

His shadows erupted, and from the ground, two Mist Stalkers from the previous floor emerged as shadow constructs.

The beasts pounced on the knight, tearing at its armor.

It stumbled, swiping wildly to shake them off.

Jinhyuk didn't waste the opportunity.

He slid underneath, his daggers flashing.

SHUNK!

His blades dug into the knight's exposed joints, sending cracks through its undead body.

The knight roared, staggering back.

But instead of falling—

It paused.

For the first time, its helmeted head turned toward Jinhyuk… and its red eyes softened.

"Release… me…"

Jinhyuk froze.

It was speaking?

Before he could respond, a system message appeared.

---

[ Subjugation Possible! ]

Would you like to save the Cursed Knight as a permanent summon?

Yes / No

---

Jinhyuk's breath hitched.

A permanent summon?

He had never been able to keep any shadow construct indefinitely before.

But this was an actual boss-level entity.

A B-Rank undead knight under his command.

His fingers hovered over the system prompt.

Then—he chose.

[ Yes. ]

The moment he confirmed, the knight's entire body shifted.

The red glow in its eyes faded, replaced by a darker, shadowy hue.

Its rusted armor repaired itself, its greatsword transforming into a sleek obsidian blade.

The Cursed Knight knelt before Jinhyuk.

"I am yours to command, my lord."

---

[ The Cursed Knight Has Been Subjugated! ]

[ New Permanent Summon Acquired: Cursed Knight (B-Rank) ]

[ Shadow Summoning Skill Upgraded! Can now store and recall permanent summons. ]

[ You Have Leveled Up! ]

[ Level 24 → Level 25 ]

---

Jinhyuk exhaled, feeling the rush of new power.

His shadow magic had evolved.

And now—he had a knight.

A smirk formed on his lips.

"This Tower just keeps getting more interesting."

With his new summon standing beside him, he stepped toward the next floor.

No hesitation.

No turning back.

Only forward.