The Shadow Monarch, the very foundation of the IP and Sung Jinwoo's most iconic form, has been added to Solo Leveling: Arise. Classified as a Inheritor like Miro, the Shadow Monarch allows for combat via Transformation while in Sung Jinwoo mode. It possesses the Dark attribute and primarily utilizes daggers for its attacks.

As a cornerstone of Solo Leveling, the Shadow Monarch is available through permanent recruitment rather than a limited-time banner. Additionally, through the Shadow Monarch Crafting Event, anyone can obtain the character card by completing simple missions, making the Shadow Monarch Transformation accessible to all. You can further develop the character by equipping Skills and exclusive Weapons through additional recruitment.

■ Shadow Monarch: Step-by-Step from Event Crafting to Recruitment

Because the Shadow Monarch is classified as a Inheritor like Miro, you must use a special recruitment currency called 'Seal of Inheritance.' These Seals can be obtained through events and shops; since Miro's release, approximately 200 free Seals have been available. Fully developing the Inheritor requires between 180 and 300 recruitment attempts, so depending on your luck, you may need to purchase some recruitment packages to max out the character.

Before diving into the details, note that because there is an event to craft the Shadow Monarch for free, anyone can obtain the base character card. You can find the 'Shadow Monarch Crafting Event' in the event tab after logging into the game.

To participate, you must complete missions, but the difficulty is low: Level up Sung Jinwoo once / Clear Normal Main Chapter 11, Episode 4 'Overwhelming Power' / Use 500 Dungeon entry keys / Attempt Artifact enhancement 200 times. Once you collect the four types of event items from these missions, you can craft the Shadow Monarch and immediately obtain the Inheritor card. This event is permanent, so anyone can participate easily whenever they join the game.

While the crafting event makes it simple to obtain the base card, you must recruit separately to develop the Shadow Monarch further. Tap the 'Shadow Monarch' icon on the left side of the main lobby to enter the exclusive recruitment screen, where you can use Seals of Inheritance collected from various content and packages.

There are many ways to obtain Seals of Inheritance, so be sure to check them carefully to avoid missing out. We have prepared a list for easy reference; reading this along with the detailed explanations will be helpful.

First, in the paid shop, there are 'Shadow Monarch Power Packs I-III' available for purchase. These provide a large amount of Seals at once, which is useful if you want to max out the Shadow Monarch quickly.

There are also items available in the shop using in-game resources (Diamonds, Mana Crystals). The most common method is using the Guild Token Exchange. You can purchase 5 Seals per week using Guild Tokens, which are obtained by clearing 'Trial of the Strong' content.

Trial of the Strong includes content such as Battlefield of Time, Trial of the Architect, Dreamy Boundary, and Library of the Observer. The refresh cycles vary by content; rewards for the Library or Trial of the Architect reset monthly, while Battlefield of Time and Dreamy Boundary refresh weekly (e.g., boss changes or ticket additions). Keep this in mind and prioritize using your seasonal Guild Tokens to purchase Seals of Inheritance to avoid extra spending.

A route has been added to the Update Shop—the same location as the packages—to purchase Seals using in-game resources. You can purchase 5 Seals per week for 300 Mana Crystals each (1500 total). Additionally, you can purchase the Shadow Monarch Power Diamond Pack twice for 1k Diamonds each, and the Mana Crystal Pack twice for 1k Mana Crystals each, granting 10 Seals each for a total of 40 additional Seals.

Mana Crystals can be obtained through in-game content like the story, but Diamonds require spending. However, the total amount needed is not high (2000), and much of it can be covered by high-efficiency monthly subscriptions like the Daily Mana Crystal & Key Boost. If you are short on Diamonds, a small purchase will suffice to secure the Seals.

In summary, excluding paid packages, you can immediately obtain 40 Seals via Diamond/Mana Crystal packs and 10 via the weekly shop, with 10 more available every week thereafter. Note that the 5 Seals previously available weekly in the Subscription Shop have disappeared; it appears the item has moved to the Update Shop so that everyone can access it regardless of subscription status.

Once you have collected the Seals, it is time to recruit. The recruitment method differs from standard pick-up banners and uses the same Inheritor-exclusive bingo board format as Miro. The rules may seem complex, but simply think of it as needing to complete up to 3 rounds of 10 pulls each to obtain all rewards.

The main reward, the Shadow Monarch, located at the top of each round, requires at least 6 pulls to obtain. However, if you obtain the main reward between pulls 6 and 9, you receive all remaining sub-rewards without needing to pull to 10, which saves Seals. In the best-case scenario, you can obtain all rewards in just 18 pulls (6 per round).

One recruitment attempt requires 10 Seals of Inheritance. If you have any Seals left over from Miro's banner, you can use them for Shadow Monarch recruitment. While you can exchange tickets in the Update Shop, there is no need to do so, as they will automatically convert when you attempt to recruit on the Shadow Monarch page.

For reference, you can obtain 10 Seals per week from fixed weekly items, which is enough for 1 pull per week. While this might suggest it takes 30 weeks to reach 30 pulls, considering that nearly 200 Seals have been obtainable through in-game content in the less than three months since Miro's release, the actual time required is likely about half that.

The method for developing the Inheritor after recruitment is the same as Miro's. Select 'Inheritance' - 'Inheritor' from the menu, and tap the Shadow Monarch icon to the left of the Combat Power on the Shadow Monarch screen to enter the Inheritor level growth screen, where you can equip the Monarch's gear and grow Skills.

Growth elements are divided into five categories: exclusive Weapon, Artifacts, Upgrades, and Skill Growth I and II. Unlocking each category requires Shadow Monarch Inheritance Data, and increasing levels requires the Vessel of Inheritance. Again, don't overthink it; you need to complete all recruitment to fully max out the character.

If you cannot unlock all categories at once, the official broadcast recommended prioritizing Skill growth, so keep that in mind.

While it was expected that the Shadow Monarch might require fewer pulls to max out than Miro since the base card is provided via event, it has been confirmed that it still requires a maximum of 30 pulls (300 Seals). However, the Shadow Monarch differs in that the maximum growth level for each category is 7 instead of 5, resulting in a Inheritor level cap of 35. That said, the Combat Power at max growth is the same for both Inheritors, so the difference is negligible.

■ QTE followed by Common Skills is key; Core Attacks for Cooldown reduction

Using the Shadow Monarch is deeply tied to the use of 'Shards.' Shards are a dedicated stack used by the Shadow Monarch as a means to perform Core Attacks. Instead of recovering the Core Attack gauge through Common Attacks, the Shadow Monarch uses these Shards to perform Core Attacks, which is crucial as it reduces the Cooldown of Common Skills.

First, using a QTE Skill after transforming into the Shadow Monarch generates 4 Shards and activates Core Attacks. At the same time, Common Skills change into Enhanced Skills, significantly increasing damage, and you gain additional Shards when using Enhanced Skills.

Afterward, simply spend the accumulated Shards on Core Attacks. Using 8 Core Attacks reactivates the QTE Skill. Since each Core Attack reduces the Cooldown of Common Skills by 0.1 seconds, the cycle of QTE -> Common Skill 1, 2 -> 8 Core Attacks -> back to QTE is completed.

Otherwise, the operation is similar to Miro. Stack various buffs and debuffs like Defense reduction and increased damage taken, then transform as soon as Overload occurs to extend the duration and deal maximum damage. Additionally, the Shadow Monarch has an effect that increases Shadow Attack by 3k% upon entry, so summoning shadows at the timing of the Monarch Transformation will yield higher efficiency.