Leo kept his expression calm as he stepped down from the stage. Jealous eyes followed him, whispering from every direction.
"Why him?"
"Trash like that shouldn't awaken before us."
"It's wasted on a slum rat."
He didn't bother to look back. Their voices didn't matter anymore.
'So what if I'm called a villain?' he thought, his lips twitching. 'It's not much different from being slum trash anyway.'
He left the stage quietly and joined the crowd heading into the waiting hall.
Inside the guild's contract room, suited agents hovered around the new awakeners, their smiles wide and polished.
"Congratulations, young master!"
"Sign here, and our guild will fully sponsor your growth!"
"I can guarantee you elite hunting grounds and premium resources!"
Leo sat in a corner, ignored by everyone until a tired man with eyebags and a wrinkled coat approached him.
'Guess I get the short straw,' Leo thought, meeting the man's dull eyes.
Without a word, the man slid a document across the table.
Leo scanned it.
Binding duration: 20 years.
Failure to fulfill quota: triple repayment.
Mandatory summons at any time.
All profits shared 70-30 in favor of the guild.
Leo's brows knit tighter with every line.
"This isn't a contract," he muttered, "it's a leash."
The man shrugged. "Take it or leave it, kid. E- or F-ranks don't get better offers."
Leo forced a polite smile. "Thanks. I'll think about it."
"Suit yourself," the man said, leaving without another glance.
Two more agents came later, their offers different in words but the same in chains. The shortest contract still demanded fifteen years of servitude.
In the end, he revealed nothing. Every person he'd spoken to felt untrustworthy.
'If I ever reveal myself, then it'll be to someone worth betting my life on.' He thought.
With nothing else keeping him in the association, Leo stepped out and began the long walk home.
"It's really hard to survive without a backer," he muttered, hands stuffed in his pockets. The thought weighed on him. He had awakened something special … but for now, it was useless.
His stomach growled loud. The only thing he'd had was that bitter cup of coffee in the morning.
"Should I just have signed one of those contracts?" He kicked a small rock on the road. The instant money had tempted him, just a little more and he might have caved.
But he shook his head hard. "No regrets now, Leo. I already rejected them." He forced a nod, as if trying to convince himself.
"Right… let's see my status again."
Skill: SSS Rank Shadow Awaken
His lips curled into a smile. "That's what I'm saying… this, this is what I'll rely on. My ticket out." Just like that, the regret from earlier faded. That skill was hope itself.
But his smile faded almost as quick. "Shadow Awaken, huh? Why the hell doesn't it have any description?" He tapped the glowing screen, swiped, even tried commanding it in his head.
Still, nothing.
"Whatever, let's just try it out."
He raised his hand, and begun to focus.
"Activate."
Nothing.
"Shadow Awaken!"
Still, nothing.
"Open! Start! Rise!" He jabbed a finger at the ground like scolding a dog
"Seriously?!" Leo dragged his hands down his face. "You're SSS rank, right? At least sparkle or something…"
Leo let out a harsh breath and scratched his head. "What the hell? Why won't you work?!"
He grimaced. "This is the problem without a guild. No manuals, no mentors… I gotta figure everything out myself."
Right then, his stomach growled again.
"Urghh…" He clutched his stomach, wincing. His body reminded him of something more urgent than testing skills, he hadn't eaten all day.
"Forget it. The skill can wait, food can't." He stood up, brushing off his pants. No money in his pocket, not even a single coin. That left only one option.
Leo turned toward the mountains in the distance. "Guess I'll have to hunt fruit… or anything edible. Damn, what a life."
...
By the time he reached the cracked city walls, the streets were empty. The guards didn't care enough to patrol this side. Perfect for slipping out.
Beyond the wall stretched a wild mountain range, a patch of forest that locals called "The Back Veil." Supposedly safe from high-rank monsters.
Supposedly.
An hour later, he reached the forest foot and began his search. Bushes rustled beneath his boots as he scouted for berries or mushrooms. His ribs still ached from the gang beating, but hunger hurt worse.
"Alright, gods," he muttered, half-joking, "just give me a handful of berries, yeah? Not asking for much."
After a few minutes, his eyes lit up. "Blueberries! Jackpot."
He dropped to his knees and started plucking them by the handful, chewing like a man starved. Sweet juice coated his tongue, his stomach finally easing a little.
While chewing, Leo's ears caught something, a faint rustle behind him.
Instinct or pure dumb luck, he twisted his body aside just in time.
Thud!
A spear slammed into the dirt where he had been crouching.
"Holy crap…?!" Leo blurted, his heart jumping into his throat. He spun around, and his whole body froze.
It wasn't a man.
It was a monster.
An ugly, dog-faced humanoid stood there, drool dripping from its fangs. Its beady eyes locked on him, and with light armor strapped to its chest, it looked far too prepared.
"Crap… I'm dead." Leo's voice cracked. His gut twisted. "Why the hell is there a monster here? This place is supposed to be safe!"
His first thought was to run. But his eyes darted to the spear buried in the ground.
'Think, Leo, think!' His brain screamed at him, panic mixing with a raw survival instinct. Running wasn't an option. That thing would catch him in minutes.
"Damn it!" He spat, lunging for the weapon. His hands wrapped around the shaft and he yanked hard.
Nothing. It was stuck deep.
The monster let out a guttural roar, "KUAHHHH!" and charged, dirt flying under its feet.
Leo's pulse pounded in his ears. He gritted his teeth, pulled again with every ounce of strength he had.
"Sht, sht, sh*t, come on!" His arms shook, muscles screaming as he threw his whole weight into it.
The spear groaned, the ground resisting.
Grrrrrt!
With a sharp rip of grass and roots, it finally tore free.
Leo stumbled back, weapon in hand, his chest heaving.
"Gruahhh!" The monster was already less than three meters away, its heavy steps pounding the ground like drums.
Leo's arms shook, but he swung the spear wildly, like a man holding a stick for the first time.
"Freaking hell! Get away!" he shouted, his voice cracking with panic.
The spear tip barely grazed the monster's side, leaving shallow cuts. Not enough to kill, but sharp enough to keep it from rushing straight in. The beast snarled, pacing left and right, waiting for an opening.
Leo's throat went dry. His hands were sweaty, but he tried to roar back. "Gruahh! Get away! GRAHHH!" He bared his teeth, waving the spear like he'd once read you should do to scare off wild bears.
But this wasn't a bear. And it wasn't scared.
Instead, the monster's eyes glowed red as it lunged forward with rage.
" Gah!" Leo tripped back, his feet sliding in the dirt. He crashed onto the ground, the air leaving his lungs in a painful gasp. Before he could recover, the beast's weight fell on him, hot breath blasting his face. Its fangs came straight for his throat.
"AUHHHHHHH! HELLPPPP!" Leo screamed, shoving the spear's shaft between its jaws. The wood groaned as the monster's teeth snapped down, trying to break through. Its drool splattered across his face, warm and disgusting.
"Get off me, damn it!" His arms trembled, the weight pressing harder, his body screaming to give in.
Desperation made him grab at anything. His left hand felt around the dirt, until his fingers brushed a rock. Without thinking, he snatched it up and smashed it against the monster's head.
"Die, die, die!" he shouted, slamming again.
The monster let out a sharp whimper, its skull splitting, blood trickling down its fur. Dazed, it stumbled to the side, giving Leo a chance to scramble back to his feet.
He didn't think. He didn't breathe. He just ran, clutching the spear like it was glued to his hands.
Behind him, the monster shook its head and roared again before immediately giving chase.
The ground shook under its steps as Leo's legs pumped with all the fear in his body.
Inside the forest, his eyes darted everywhere, desperate for something, anything that could save him.
'Climb a tree? No, no, if it could throw a spear, maybe it could climb too.'
'What about my ability? Right…' he clenched his teeth. He didn't even know how to use it. 'Am I going to die here?'
A guttural roar tore through the trees. The monster was catching up fast.
"Dam it, damn it!" Leo swerved sharply to the right. His legs screamed in pain, but he kept running, forcing his body to move. The sudden turn gave him a small gap as the monster crashed forward, missing him for a moment.
Leo spotted a fist-sized rock, snatched it up with one hand, and hurled it behind him. The rock smacked the monster's head with a dull thud.
For one second, hope sparked in his chest. Then the beast snarled louder, its eyes burning hotter, and it sprinted faster.
"Of course it only made you mad…" Leo cursed under his breath.
Then he saw it, a massive tree with a thick trunk. His only chance. Just as the monster lunged, Leo grabbed the trunk and swung himself around. The beast slammed after him, missing by an inch.
Now both of them circled the tree, predator and prey, the trunk their only wall. Leo's breaths came ragged, but his eyes locked on the monster's every twitch. Left? Right? He moved opposite each time, keeping the thick wood between them.
'Just give up… just leave already,' Leo begged in his head. But the monster didn't stop. Its claws scraped bark, its rage growing hotter with every pass.
"Screw this! I'll kill you before I die!" Leo finally snapped, his fear boiling over into anger. He gripped the spear with both hands so tight his knuckles turned white.
Pressing his back against the trunk, he waited. The moment the monster charged around, he thrust forward with everything he had.
"Ughhh!" The spearhead pierced deep into its shoulder.
"Dieeee!!!" Leo roared, throwing his whole weight forward. The monster howled, thrashing, but he didn't let go. He pushed harder, step by step, until its body slammed against another tree. The spear sank deeper, wood and flesh locking together.
Now the beast was pinned, writhing, blood dripping down its fur.
Both of them roared in each other's faces, two desperate animals fighting to live.
"I won't die here!" Leo screamed, pressing the spear harder, refusing to back down.
The monster was stuck against the tree now, its body thrashing but trapped by the spear. Leo stumbled back, chest heaving, his hands shaking so much he could barely hold steady.
The beast stretched its long arms toward him, claws swiping inches from his face, but the wood pinned it tight.
"Hah… ha… HAHAHA!" Leo burst into shaky laughter, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Stay there, you ugly bastard!" He raised his hand and flipped it the middle finger.
But his triumph didn't last long.
The monster snarled, its eyes rolling with rage. Then, to Leo's horror, its hand wrapped around the shaft of the spear.
"No, no, no…" His grin vanished. The beast started pulling the weapon free, inch by inch.
"Son of a..!" Leo cursed, panic kicking back in. His eyes darted to the ground, searching for anything.
Rocks. That's all he had.
He grabbed one as big as his fist and hurled it with all his strength. Crack! It smashed into the monster's skull, jerking its head sideways. Blood sprayed, but the damn thing kept moving, pulling harder on the spear.
"Why won't you die?!" Leo screamed, scrambling for another rock. He threw again, thud! Another one, crack!
Each throw made the monster weaker, its arms slowing, its grip loosening. But it was still breathing, still glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
Leo's chest burned, his breath ragged. He picked up the last rock he could find, a heavy, jagged one, and stomped closer.
"Break, damn you!" He roared, smashing it down on the monster's skull.
CRUNCH! The sound was sickening. The monster twitched once, then went completely still. Blood ran down its head, dripping onto the roots below.
Leo staggered back, the rock slipping from his bloody fingers. His chest rose and fell like a drum. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the corpse.
Then his stomach lurched.
"Urghhh!" He doubled over, vomiting onto the ground. Bitter acid burned his throat as his whole body convulsed. He wiped his mouth with a shaking hand, tears stinging his eyes.
His breathing slowed, but his body felt heavier. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, staring at the mess he'd made, both the corpse and his own.
"Why… why is there a monster in this area?" Leo muttered, his voice hoarse. "Did a dungeon break out nearby?"
His chest still heaved as he tried to steady himself, but his legs were weak, the adrenaline leaving his body like air from a balloon. He let himself fall back onto the dirt, spread out under the trees.
"Ughhh… my body hurts like hell," he groaned, every muscle screaming at him.
The quiet pressed down around him, but he couldn't shake the fear. His eyes darted around the forest, still expecting something else to come out.
"There might be more monsters here," he whispered, forcing himself upright despite the pain. "I… I need to leave this place."
Step by step, he dragged his tired body out of the forest.
By the time he reached home, his vision was blurry, his body running on nothing but scraps of will. The moment he stepped inside, he collapsed on the floor.
And without even realizing it, he passed out cold.
…..
Leo was awoken by the sound of something moving. A faint scrape against the floor.
Cold crept over his body. He realized he had passed out on the hard floor, still in his torn clothes from yesterday. His cheek stuck to the cold cement.
He groaned and reached into his pocket for his cracked phone. The screen flickered weakly.
4:12 AM.
The room was dark, only touched by the pale orange glow of a streetlight leaking through the small window. His head pounded as flashes of yesterday hit him, the monster, the blood, the running.
Another sound. A soft shift of weight in the dark.
Leo froze. He lifted his phone, turning on its dim flashlight. The beam swept across the room.
There.
A dark shape. Standing still. Not moving like a person would.
"You've got to be kidding me…" His voice cracked. "Why is there a monster here?"
He jolted up, but his body betrayed him. Pain shot through his ribs, his bruises from the gang beating throbbed, his muscles stiff from exhaustion. He stumbled, collapsed to one knee, the phone slipping from his grip and clattering to the floor.