She moved like lightning.
One moment, Baek Sera was standing five meters away. The next, her fist was inches from my face, wreathed in crimson mana.
My body moved on instinct—the result of my increased Agility stat. I twisted sideways, feeling the air pressure from her punch ruffle my hair.
Her knee came up. I blocked with my forearm. The impact sent shockwaves through my bones and launched me backward. I rolled with the momentum, coming up in a crouch.
[HP: 170/170 → 152/170]
One hit. She'd barely grazed me and I'd lost 18 HP.
"Not bad," Sera said, lowering her stance. "Most D-ranks wouldn't have dodged that. Let's see what else you can do."
She vanished.
[Warning: Enemy using advanced movement technique][Tracking... Target behind you!]
I spun, bringing my dagger up just in time to catch her knife-hand strike. Metal screeched against metal as her mana-coated fingers scraped along my blade.
"You have good instincts," she observed, her face centimeters from mine. "But instinct without power is meaningless."
She kicked me in the chest.
I flew backward, crashing through one of the decorative water features. Glass shattered. Water exploded everywhere. My armor absorbed some of the impact, but my ribs felt like they'd been hit with a sledgehammer.
[HP: 152/170 → 127/170]
I staggered to my feet, coughing. A quarter of my HP gone in two exchanges.
This was insane. I couldn't win. Couldn't even hurt her.
But I could learn.
[Emergency Quest Activated: "Survive the Storm"][Objective: Survive for 5 minutes against Baek Sera][Time Remaining: 4:47][Reward: Skill "Emergency Evolution" unlocked][Failure: Death]
Five minutes. I just had to last five minutes.
Sera walked toward me slowly, confidently. Why wouldn't she? This wasn't a fight. This was a test.
Fine. Let's make it interesting.
I activated my only advantage—the Shadow Steel Dagger's special effect worked better in darkness. The sun had just set, and the rooftop was lit only by ambient city lights.
I channeled mana into the blade. It responded eagerly, drinking in the shadows around me. The dagger seemed to grow darker, more solid.
"Oh?" Sera raised an eyebrow. "You can use mana infusion already? Impressive for someone who just ranked up."
She didn't know I'd been studying Hunter techniques for three years, reading every manual I could get my hands on during those long hours as a porter. I might have been E-rank, but I'd been preparing.
I lunged.
My blade struck out in a simple thrust—aiming for her shoulder, a non-lethal target. She deflected it with one finger, redirecting my momentum. Her other hand shot toward my throat.
I ducked and rolled, slashing at her legs. She jumped over my blade effortlessly, landing on a marble pillar.
"Adequate technique," she commented, "but you're thinking too much. Fighting isn't about perfect form—it's about reading your opponent."
She kicked off the pillar.
I raised my dagger to block. Her foot hit my guard and the force drove me to one knee.
[HP: 127/170 → 108/170]
[Time Remaining: 3:54]
My breathing was ragged. She wasn't even winded.
"You're fast," Sera said, "but speed without purpose is just flailing. Watch."
She moved again—a straight punch, telegraphed and obvious. I dodged left.
Her real attack came from the right. A spinning back-fist that I saw too late.
The world exploded into stars.
[HP: 108/170 → 79/170]
I hit the ground hard, rolling until I slammed into the glass barrier at the rooftop's edge. Blood dripped from my nose.
"You see?" Sera approached. "I showed you the fake attack. You knew it was fake. But you still fell for the real one because you reacted instead of predicted."
[Time Remaining: 2:41]
I was going to die. Not because she wanted to kill me—but because the gap between us was too vast. I was a mouse fighting a lion.
Unless...
[New Quest Alert: "Awaken the Shadow"][The Shadow Monarch's power responds to desperation][Objective: Touch Baek Sera with your shadow][Reward: Temporary skill unlock]
Touch her with my shadow?
I looked down. My shadow stretched across the rooftop floor, cast by the city lights behind me. And Sera's shadow...
They weren't touching. She was too far away.
I needed to close the distance. But every time I got close, she demolished me.
Wait.
Shadows grew longer in low light. And the rooftop had magical lights that could be controlled.
I reached into my pocket and threw one of my health potions—not at Sera, but at the nearest light fixture.
The potion exploded in a spray of red liquid and glass. The light flickered and died.
"Clever," Sera said, amused.
I threw another. And another. Darkness spread across the rooftop as lights shattered.
My shadow grew longer. Darker. More defined.
[Shadow Steel Dagger bonus activated: +10% damage in darkness]
But more importantly—my shadow was now stretching toward hers.
"Hiding in darkness won't save you," Sera said. But there was approval in her voice. "Though I admit, it's a sound strategy for a shadow-type user."
She attacked again, her movements now highlighted by the crimson glow of her mana.
This time, I didn't try to fight back. I just dodged. Rolled. Evaded.
Leading her across the rooftop.
Closer to where our shadows would meet.
[HP: 79/170 → 63/170]
[Time Remaining: 1:23]
I was bleeding from a dozen cuts. My armor was shredded. My lungs burned.
But our shadows were almost touching.
"Time's almost up," Sera said. "I'm impressed you've lasted this long, but—"
I dropped to one knee, pressing my palm against my own shadow.
And willed it to move.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then my shadow rippled.
It stretched across the rooftop like living ink, racing toward Sera's shadow with impossible speed.
"What—" Sera's eyes widened.
The shadows connected.
[Skill Temporarily Unlocked: Shadow Manipulation (Beginner)]
[MP: 100/100 → 20/100]
The drain was immediate and brutal. But it worked.
Sera's shadow wrapped around her ankles like chains. She stumbled—just for a second, but it was enough.
I lunged forward with everything I had left, my dagger aimed at her throat.
She caught the blade between two fingers.
"Better," she said softly.
Then she released her full power.
Crimson mana exploded outward in a wave. My shadow chains shattered like glass. The pressure alone drove me to my knees.
[HP: 63/170 → 38/170]
[Time Remaining: 0:03]
[0:02]
[0:01]
[Quest Complete: "Survive the Storm"]
The pressure vanished. Sera's mana receded like a tide.
I collapsed onto my back, gasping for air. Every part of my body hurt.
"Congratulations," Sera said, standing over me. "You survived."
"Great," I wheezed. "Can I die now?"
She laughed—actually laughed. "No. Because you've just proven something important."
She offered me her hand. After a moment's hesitation, I took it. She pulled me to my feet with ease.
"You're weak," she said bluntly. "Compared to real Hunters, you're barely a threat. But you have something rare: adaptability. You learned during the fight. Adjusted your strategy. Used your environment and your unique abilities."
She released my hand and stepped back.
"I'm withdrawing my demand that you join my guild."
I blinked. "What?"
"Forcing you would be counterproductive. The Shadow Monarch chose someone with a stubborn streak—that much is obvious." She pulled out another card—different from the first one, this one red with gold lettering. "Instead, I'm offering an alliance. You remain independent. I provide resources, information, and protection when needed. In exchange, when I need your help, you answer."
[Quest Update: "Path of the Sovereign"][New Option Available: Alliance with Baek Sera][Reward: Resource access, information network, emergency support][Consequence: Future obligations, limited independence]
"What kind of help?" I asked carefully.
"Gate clears. Investigations. Occasionally dealing with problems that require... discretion." She smiled. "Nothing that would compromise your morals. I'm not asking you to be an assassin, Hajun. I'm asking for a partnership."
"Why the change of heart?"
"Because I just spent five minutes fighting you, and I learned something interesting." She gestured at the rooftop. "Look at your shadow."
I looked down.
My shadow was still moving. Rippling. Like it was alive.
"The Shadow Monarch's power is awakening in you faster than I expected," Sera said. "In a month, maybe two, you'll be C-rank. In six months? B-rank. Maybe higher." She met my eyes. "I'd rather have you as an ally than an enemy."
[Quest Complete: "Awaken the Shadow"] **[Rewards:
Skill "Shadow Manipulation (Beginner)" permanently unlocked Level Up! 3 → 4 Title: "One Who Touched Shadows" 5 Stat Points]**
The level-up energy washed through me, healing some of my wounds.
[HP: 38/190 → 95/190]
My max HP had increased too. I was getting stronger.
"I need to think about it," I said finally.
"Fair enough." Sera turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing. The gate where you encountered the Shadow Knight? The Association sealed it, but they're planning to send an investigation team in three days. If you want answers about what happened to you, I suggest you find a way onto that team."
"How do I—"
"Check your phone tomorrow morning. You'll have an invitation." She waved without looking back. "Oh, and Hajun? Next time we fight, I won't hold back quite so much. Get stronger."
She walked to the rooftop edge and simply stepped off, her body wreathed in crimson mana as she descended to the street below.
I was alone.
I collapsed back onto the rooftop, staring up at Seoul's light-polluted sky.
[Level 4 Status:][HP: 95/190][MP: 20/110][Strength: 19][Agility: 19][Vitality: 19][Intelligence: 16][Sense: 14]
I'd survived a fight with an A-rank Hunter. Learned to manipulate shadows. Leveled up twice in one day.
And I still had five unallocated stat points.
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number:
"Impressive display. We should talk. —H.Y."
Han Yuri. Of course she'd been watching somehow.
Another text, this one from Sera:
"The password for the investigation team access is 'Shadow King.' Don't waste this opportunity."
And finally, one more notification—this one from the System:
[New Quest Chain Available: "Return to the Beginning"][Part 1: Join the investigation team][Part 2: Discover the truth behind the Shadow Knight][Part 3: Unlock "Shadow Extraction"][Reward: Class advancement available]
Class advancement. That meant I could evolve my Shadow Sovereign class into something stronger.
But first, I needed to heal. Rest. Prepare.
Three days until the investigation team entered the gate.
Three days to get ready for round two.
I pulled up my skill list:
[Skills:]- Shadow Manipulation (Beginner): Control shadows within a 5-meter radius. Cost: 20 MP per minute
It was basic, but it was a start.
The Shadow Sovereign was beginning to awaken.
And Seoul was about to learn that the weakest Hunter was gone.
In his place stood something new.
Something hungry.
Something that grew stronger with every challenge.
I smiled despite the pain.
"Three days," I muttered, dragging myself toward the rooftop exit. "Better make them count."