<Chapter 41. The Second Advent of the Sun God - 6>

[Absorbing the Lv8 Fiery Sand's Dark Flame Ghost's rib bone. Strength has increased by 40, Agility by 5, Health by 50, and Magic by 80. You have acquired the fusion element, Intermediate Dark Flame Lv1 and Magic has increased by 50. The High Rank Regeneration skill has become Lv5, and Health and Magic have increased by 20. The Absorption skill has become Lv12 and Magic has increased by 40.]

[As the Dark Flame is an innate skill that belongs to a different karma, you cannot advance the skill any higher than the intermediate level.]

Once he absorbed the bone, Lee Shin Woo thought, 'as expected'. Giving him a ton of stats was great, but it was nothing to write home about.

He was more concerned about the fusion element he'd obtained. Lee Shin Woo understood the basis behind it, as well as its structure; even though he should've had everything he needed, he wasn't able to learn the fusion element with his own efforts. Yet, by absorbing the Dark Flame Ghost's bone, he was able to gain the element without a hitch!

'I should've taken a hint. Since the Joker's karma allows me to imitate any and all karma. Although it's an innate element that I can't learn myself, I can still acquire it through Bone Reinforcement. It's disappointing that I can't get it past the intermediate level, but... this is good enough.'

It had been such a long time since he'd seen the message (informing him of his own limitations) that he actually felt happy.

Lee Shin Woo had rebuilt all his skills, allowing him to break their limits and develop them further, but the Dark Flame was heterogeneous and was already a completed element. Therefore, he couldn't break through the intermediate limitation imposed on the skill. Even so, Lee Shin Woo wasn't going to give up here. He already had a way of using the Dark Flame at a level higher than intermediate.

"But right now, this takes priority."

Once he'd absorbed the Dark Flame Ghost's bone, he felt his body teeming with mana. He wasn't stupid enough to not know what this meant. He was leveling up.

"Huh? Do you want me to just keep all this other stuff?"

"In your inventory. Thanks."

He gave Jin the Titan Bone Core and the two other Bone Cores just in case; he didn't want them to be absorbed while he was leveling up. Absorbing the Heaven Door's Key would only benefit him, so he kept it on his person. However, it probably wouldn't go his way. Since he didn't even know how it worked yet.

After that, he distanced himself from Jin. And how did he distance himself from Jin? Using wind mana to propel himself into the air and float. He could float with ease by slightly changing the appearance of his level 7 cape, the Prayer of the Dead.

"Hey, you can fly yourself, so why did you make me do it!?"

"You're way faster and you look way cooler. And it makes it easier for me to concentrate on the battle."

"Youuuuuuu!"

It was obvious when you think about it. Lee Shin Woo had already given him all the gear he needed to fly, and so long as he properly controlled it, he could fly as much as he wanted. Then, why wouldn't Lee Shin Woo be able to fly, when he could use the Disguise skill that allowed him to imitate anything and everything? Whoever doubted his ability to fly was the strange one, not the other way around!

But Lee Shin Woo calmly asked Jin to do something for him, even though Jin was so pissed.

"Cover me while I'm leveling up."

"Wait, right now? What about them?"

"They won't be able to move for the time being. Watch for any other monsters that may come."

There existed other monsters within the level 8 dungeon aside from the Dark Flame Ghosts and their host. All sorts of monsters gathered, due to the immense energy the dungeon was emitting; of these remaining monsters, most of them were monsters like the Solar Scarabs.

But the level 8 Dark Flame Ghosts' rampage had prevented them from coming out; even if they did, they would be immediately vaporized, so Lee Shin Woo hadn't had to fight against such weak mobs.

However, Lee Shin Woo was preventing the two Dark Flame Ghosts from moving, so it wouldn't be strange for the monsters laying in wait to come for them now.

"While you're at it, pick up the level 8 bones on the floor too. I'll let you absorb all of them. You need to get to level 8 too."

"Yay, I'm so happy..."

With a teary face, Jin nodded his head and accepted the request. Then, Lee Shin Woo let go of the rampaging mana within him so he could proceed with the level up.

Even though the wind mana disappeared, his body naturally remained afloat. His body was covered in a deep darkness and soon, the surrounding environment was stained in darkness.

He never needed Jin's protection. At this very moment, no one would be able to find Lee Shin Woo, nor would they be able to attack him. It was similar to Metafel Rerdan's invincibility state when he was leveling up.

[You were able to comprehend your karma with no one to teach you, and have repeatedly grown to suit this achievement. Ultimately, you have managed to create a low level innate element, which cannot be classified as mere karma; instead, it can be considered a revolution that came about from who you are.]

[Your worth cannot be measured by what your body is made of nor what you create. Since you can fabricate it all and forge reality.]

[You have finally reached the essence of the Joker karma. For now, you must borrow the power of darkness and shadow that obscures the line among all creation to do this. But if you manage to overcome this obstacle, then you will become a true Joker.]

[You have evolved into a Level 8 Shadow Joker.]

Lee Shin Woo had somewhat expected this to happen, as he had gained a deeper understanding of his Disguise skill. He would eventually overcome the limitations of life and death, and even overcome the limits of all creation. He knew he would be reborn and that the only term that could describe him would be a 'concept'.

As evidence, he had overcome the livings' limitation of 'breathing'; moreover, he'd overcome the limitation of the undead: 'bones'. He hadn't lost them. He had transcended them. Lee Shin Woo could do so at any time, and there was no need for him to obsess over them anymore.

Now he didn't need to breathe to dominate his surroundings. From now on, he just needed to color the world with his shadow. That was the authority of a level 8... No, it was a high rank authority that only Lee Shin Woo had reached.

'There's only one step left.'

He was lucky. If he hadn't acquired the innate element before he'd leveled up, then he would've had a long road ahead of him. But he was able to learn of the fusion element within the dungeon, and was able to study an element that harmonized with one's unique characteristics.

Dark Shadow, which reversed cause and effect, was capable of switching one between life and death; human or the undead. He couldn't right this instant, but if he trained, he was sure that he would be able to one day. His class as Shadow Joker had made this clear.

[You now have a deeper understanding of the Darkness element. High Rank Darkness has become Lv7 and Magic has increased by 40. You have gained a fundamental understanding of darkness and absorb the level 7 artifact, 'Everlasting Night'.]

"Oh."

He thought he'd finally finished his level up, but he heard a message in his ear. Lee Shin Woo was extremely flustered, as he hadn't expected this to happen.

It was the bracelet he'd gotten off of Ethan Cruz, the level 7 bracelet, Everlasting Night. It sharply increased the potency of one's darkness magic, but he hadn't been able to change it into bone thus far, so he'd equipped it and forgotten all about it. However, he hadn't thought he'd be able to absorb it through his understanding of the Darkness element, rather than through Bone Reinforcement!

'Is this what it means when they say that every stream and wave goes to the sea and becomes one?'

To be honest, he didn't really know. However, he did know it wouldn't result in anything bad, so he let it be.

This level up felt truly bizarre. First off, he didn't feel any pain whatsoever. It felt as though his entire being was melting into the darkness. Yeah, as if this is what was supposed to happen from the very beginning.

The Everlasting Night did the same; it melted into him and they became one.

[Absorbing the Lv7 Everlasting Night. Magic has increased by 150. The Mana Acceleration skill has become Lv7 and Magic has increased by 10. The High Rank Mana Bone skill has become Lv7 and Magic has increased by 30. High Rank Darkness has become Lv10 and has reached the MAX level. Magic has increased by 260. You have gained the title, 'He Who Has Reached the Peak'. All stats have increased by 50.]

In the process of absorbing the Everlasting Night, Lee Shin Woo had finally reached the summit of his darkness element. It was only natural when he thought about it. Lee Shin Woo was born as a skeleton, so he had a high affinity with darkness at birth. Thus, it made sense that the first element that he mastered was the Darkness element.

Since he had reached its peak, he no longer needed the Everlasting Night's amplification ability. He definitely came out ahead if he were to weigh the pros and cons. Because he'd absorbed the artifact's abilities completely, his Mana Acceleration and Mana Bone skills had leveled up, despite them just recently doing so. He was happy about that. Of course, his evolution hadn't stopped there.

[The High Rank Assimilation skill has become Lv5. Agility and Magic have increased by 30.]

It made sense that Assimilation leveled up too. Since the Assimilation skill didn't just refer to his assimilation with Jin, but his assimilation of the world as a whole.

He understood the darkness and himself better, so he could now melt into the world; therefore, his Assimilation had leveled up. Perhaps Assimilation was far greater than Lee Shin Woo had imagined. He was really happy when he thought it might be connected to his Joker karma.

[The High Rank Combat Sense skill has become Lv6. Agility has increased by 40.]

Conversely, his Combat Sense skill had leveled up for a more simple reason. His senses had improved dramatically compared to before, so his skill had followed suit and leveled up. Stats were one of the best indicators of one's combat ability, so with this, he could tell just how much he'd grown.

But then, a wave came crashing down that would prove incomparable to his Combat Sense's growth. He had understood the Joker's essence, reached the peak of the Darkness element, had awakened the Dark Shadow element, and had become a level 8... Because he had become so much more, he was able to attain this new skill!

[The High Rank Bursting Thunder, Thorn Shadow, Emergency Evasion, High Rank Lightning Sprint, and Lightning Shadow skills are fusing together and evolving.]

All of the combat skills he'd acquired thus far had fused together and filled his body. It was no mere combat skill; it felt as though a new weapon and armor was made for him that suited his existence.

It had overcome the limitation of passive and active skills, and had become a skill that would create a new stage where he could contain and reveal all.

Could he even call that a skill? He only called it a skill because he didn't know anything that would be appropriate. In fact, he could call it his alter ego.

[You have learned the innate skill, Wild Card Lv1. All stats have increased by 200.]

Once he'd gained the skill of skills, Lee Shin Woo smiled within the darkness.

Wild Card? That was the very essence of a Joker.