Shadow Monarch in DC-Chapter 36: The Joker’s Game.

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The Moment Arthur stepped in level 41 the air around him was hot, and suffocating. The ground beneath him was an endless sea of shifting sand dunes, stretching far beyond what his eyes could see. The sky above had an eerie, dark orange hue, as if it were perpetually on the cusp of a storm, but the winds barely stirred the desert. It was a vast, desolate wasteland, the kind that could drive anyone insane with its emptiness, but Arthur remained grounded.

He squinted into the distance, noticing faint ancient runes carved into the sand, barely visible unless you knew where to look. They seemed to pulse with a magical energy, faint yet undeniably present. The heat from the sand underfoot didn't faze him; The Mana kept him shielded from the oppressive temperature. It didn't take long for him to realize the place felt familiar he had seen this before, or at least something similar that he read about.

As he walked deeper into the desert, the realization hit him. The runes weren't just scattered; they were forming a pattern, a series of sigils that reminded him of an ancient ritual, something tied to magic itself. The air seemed to shimmer, as if the fabric of reality was barely holding itself together in this place.

"A trial of magic..." Arthur muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he took in his surroundings. "Looks like I'm in for something bigger than just brute force here."

The system notification came soon after, flashing with its usual prompt:

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION

Collect 6 permits with the symbol of the lightning bolt to unlock the gate to the boss room in Level 50.]

Arthur let out a soft chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "Right. A puzzle. Just what I needed..." He looked around, then raised an eyebrow. "Permits... with lightning bolts? Sounds like someone... so the theme this time is all about magic, I wonder..." His thoughts trailed off, the weight of the mysterious trials ahead settling over him.

He took a seat on the warm sand, the ever-present heat still doing little to deter him. "Let's see..." Arthur muttered, summoning his soldiers from the shadows. His demon soldiers formed a circle around him, standing in eerie silence as he began to focus.

He reached into his interface, the familiar status bar flashing before him. The numbers, the powers, the skills he had amassed... everything had brought him this far, but according to his speculation the fight at Level 50 it about to be a whole new level, he needed to be prepared.

[Name: Arthur Blackwynd]

[Job: Necromancer]

[Title: Bane of the Unworthy (+20% attack against those who harbor evil intent)]

[Level: 60 → 80]

[Fatigue: 30]

[HP: 6600]

[MP: 8150]

[Strength: 134 → 164]

[Health: 111 → 141]

[Agility: 85 → 135]

[Intelligence: 143 → 169]

[Sense: 76 → 100]

[Available Ability Points: 60 → 0]

Passive Skill:

Tenacity (Level 1)

Job-Specific Skills:

Shadow Extraction

Shadow Exchange

Monarch's Domain ('new'): In battle, increases the strength of all active shadows by 50%.

Skills:

Bloodlust (Level 2)

Ruler's Authority

Mutilation ('new'): Targets vital points and inflicts critical damage by slashing with weapons

Sword Rush ('new'): Launches a barrage of sword strikes from all directions at the target.

Equipment:

Omega-Hardened Hide

Abyssforged Necklace

[Inventory:]

Doomsday's Bone Gauntlets

Azarath Knight Armor Set

Greatsword of the Lowborn

Promethium Sword

Anti-Kryptonian Blood Vial (Epic)

Tower of Fate Key

??? Key

Arthur's eyes lingered on his stats, his gaze sharpening as he noted the increase in his agility and sense. With the upcoming battle and what was clearly an increase in magical prowess, his speed would be more crucial than ever. "If it's that person I'm going up against in Level 50... I'm going to need to be extremely quick." He let out a slight grin.

With a determined nod, he allocated his ability points into agility and sense, pushing his physical prowess and reflexes to the limit. He needed to be faster, smarter, and deadlier.

"These abilities should give me the edge. I can't afford to waste time on this level. No distractions." He pulled his sword out of its sheath, testing its weight, the Promethium Sword singing in the air. He felt the familiar surge of power from his equipment, his Shadows around him ready and waiting.

"The system's been testing me... I can feel it. Magic, strength, strategy, everything's been building to something... I wonder what the hell it's preparing me for, but it doesn't matter. I'll deal with it."

****

The world outside the Tower had been... normal. At least, relatively normal.

It had been four days since Arthur entered the Tower of Fate, and while he was facing trials in an alternate dimension, chaos was slowly unfolding across the Earth. In Gotham, Metropolis, and various other major cities, strange reports began flooding the airwaves. Jump City included.

Gotham City-late afternoon.

In the Batcave, the dimly lit room hummed with the low whirring of computer monitors. Batman stood rigid in front of his terminal, his eyes locked onto the live feed of Jump City. The reports were troubling, but not yet catastrophic. People were acting... weird.

"It's happening," Batman muttered, his voice grim.

Alfred, ever composed, glanced up from his position, watching Batman scan the footage. "Not like your usual chaos, Master Wayne. This is... peculiar." Alfred's eyebrow arched as he observed the people on the screens, with one man...perhaps in his thirties...dancing down the street, his arms flailing like a ragdoll, singing the theme song of an old children's show. It was... bizarre. Then, on another screen, a group of people were suddenly fixated on a street lamp. Not in a serious way, no. They were obsessed...touching it, hugging it, admiring it as if it were some kind of precious relic.

"..." Batman was analyzing the situation. "I know who's behind this." He clenched his fists, a grimace creeping across his usually stoic face. The Joker had struck again.

****

At the Hall of Justice, the Justice League was already scrambling.

Superman paced in front of the main console, rubbing his temples as he tried to process the reports coming in. "We've got pockets of anarchy spreading like wildfire. The Joker's involved, I'm sure of it. But how... how could he do this?"

Wonder Woman, standing with her arms crossed, eyed the footage with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. "What is this? People... acting like they've lost their minds."

Green Lantern was already on edge. "So you're telling me that some guy is out there, playing a game where people start randomly singing songs or obsessing over streetlights? And we can't even find him?" He threw up his hands in exasperation.

Batman's voice cut through the chatter, his tone grave but calculated. He stepped into the room, his cape billowing slightly behind him. "You are correct Clark It's the Joker. He's releasing some kind of virus. It doesn't kill people, but it messes with their behavior causes chaos, confusion. The people are acting erratic, irrational, almost like puppets in this game of his."

He paused, looking out at the footage of Jump City. "He's been targeting large cities, but im afraid this is only the beginning."

Wonder Woman clenched her fist. "We need to stop this, Bruce, People are going to get hurt, and Joker's nowhere to be found. We're dealing with one of his stupid games, but how long until it becomes more than just... this?"

Batman stood at the center of the Hall of Justice, his arms crossed, his eyes locked onto the chaotic footage of Jump City. The Joker's virus had turned the city into a madhouse of unpredictable insanity...people breaking into spontaneous dance battles, others treating street signs like holy relics, and entire neighborhoods spiraling into bizarre, nonsensical conflicts.

"I think i know where Joker is."

That got their attention. Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and the others turned toward him, waiting.

Batman's gaze was cold, calculating. "Robin intercepted some data. The virus has been spreading chaotically, except in one location in Jump City." He brought up a map on the holographic display, highlighting a section where the virus should have spread but hadn't. "There is one spot in jump city that is weirdly untouched it's controlled there. Contained."

Green Lantern frowned. "You're saying he's setting up camp there?"

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"Not unlikely" Batman corrected. "This isn't just random chaos, there's a pattern. And we need to stop him before it evolves into something worse."

Flash leaned back in his chair. "Alright, then we go in, take him down before this gets any crazier."

"No." Batman's voice was firm. "I'll investigate alone."

Superman stepped forward. "Bruce..."

"I'll work with Robin," Batman cut in. "Maybe the Titans. But we can't send the full force of the League into Jump City without tipping Joker off. He thrives on escalation. If he knows we're onto him, he'll trigger something worse before we even get close."

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