Frenzied Guardian and Ghoul Extermination
In the Abandoned Underground Mall, the heart of the Abyss Castle. Bella walked down the corridor with an expressionless face. Her lord's condition had been off lately. She'd always thought Aria wasn't entirely right in the head, but these days, it felt like the symptoms had gone way overboard. The sight of her muttering to herself in her room at every opportunity, talking as if conversing with someone—it was less like a dungeon guardian and more like a severe mental patient.
If Master saw her like this... Bella shook her head.
She might just cancel the contract and run for the hills.
7:00 AM. The moment Aria opened her eyes, her first task—before even washing her face—was to sense Master's soul fluctuations.
"Bella, Master's fluctuations are about 1.2 times faster than yesterday. Is something exciting going on? Could it be... he's thinking of me?"
10:00 AM. In front of the mirror, thousands of repetitions of training. A bloody battle to maintain the perfect angle and respond within 0.1 seconds whenever Master called.
"Should it be 'Master!'? Or is 'Did you call for me, Master?' more classic and sexy?"
For the record, Aria had agonized over this for three hours yesterday.
2:00 PM. "Bella, Master... hasn't called for me. Does he not need me anymore? Was my intel lacking? Or has he gotten sick of me?!"
"...Haa."
Bella let out such a deep sigh that the tray in her hands trembled. In all her years serving Aria, she'd never felt this level of regret over her role as aide.
5:00 PM. On the bed, Aria mumbled, "I'm just an abandoned guardian now..." Her head suddenly shot up straight as if struck by lightning.
At that moment, deep in her soul, the thin channel connected to Master was vibrating wildly. It was Eugene infusing mana into the ring, signaling his call to Aria.
"Ma, Master!"
Where had the woman rolling on the bed with a dead-eyed expression gone? In 0.1 seconds, Aria sprang up like a coiled spring and stood before the mirror.
"Bella! My hair?! Angle! How's my expression right now?"
Watching Aria frantically adjust her attire at the speed of light, Bella replied with lifeless eyes.
"...Perfect. It's telepathy anyway, so your face won't show. Please just answer him. Master's waiting."
"You wouldn't get it! Even the voice carries angle and visuals!"
Brushing off Bella's fact bomb with masterful ease, Aria whispered into the air with the expression of someone who'd conquered the world.
"Yes!! Master!"
Whatever happened to that sexy, classic tone she'd practiced? Her voice dripped with pure joy and ecstasy.
"Ask me anything! I'll tell you whatever Master desires, even if it's... about my body!"
Bella's face paled as she watched from the side.
Please shut your mouth.
But Aria had already sold her soul to the conversation with Master.
A moment later, Master's indifferent voice came through the ring.
"Ahh...!"
A short sigh escaped Aria's lips. Disappointment and hurt flooded her face at the rejection. Bella inwardly smirked—as expected—but Aria's recovery was beyond imagination.
As Eugene showed her the black orb, Aria's eyes turned deadly serious in an instant. Or more precisely, the eyes of a hunting dog that had spotted a chance to show off her knowledge and score points with Master.
"Hear that, Bella? Master sought my advice and acted on it right away! This is beyond mere trust... yes, a bonding of souls!"
"He just chose the most efficient method."
Bella sighed deeply, staring at her now-cold teacup. Aria's delusions had long surpassed her aide's ability to manage.
Eugene lay on his bed and turned on his smartphone. The Awakener-exclusive app filled the screen. Lists that had been grayed out until yesterday now glowed vividly, unlocked.
The higher your rank, the more gates you could enter.
[Incheon Region]
[E-rank Gates]
1. Sticky Swamp — Main monsters: Slimes
2. Abandoned Underground Mall — Main monsters: Ghouls
3. Blade Windmill Mountain Valley — Main monsters: Harpies
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Eugene's finger quickly scrolled the screen. A normal Awakener would form a safe party, but for him now, party members were just baggage. Party hunts were exhausting. From profit splits to formation coordination, there was too much to manage. Above all, hiding his true nature would be tricky.
And there was no guarantee another Park Cheolgi wouldn't show up. No reason to waste energy on guys who'd stab him in the back at the first chance, when he couldn't even trust them with his rear.
If a Summoner starts slinging magic too, everyone's gonna stare.
The shadows rampaging was one thing, but the moment he manipulated gravity, questions would flood in. Rumors would spread fast, drawing unwanted attention.
Eugene shook his head. Attention might lead to fame, but it always came with needless risks.
In the end, his gaze settled back on the Abandoned Underground Mall. A place where he could swing his power freely without prying eyes.
Ghouls.
Undead corpse monsters. Low intelligence, but they hunted in packs. The app helpfully listed their traits and strategies at the bottom.
In the narrow, dark underground mall, ghouls swarming in hordes were a nightmare for average Awakeners.
Perfect for luring them into a bottleneck and blasting them all at once.
Crush with gravity, tear with shadows. A confined space meant no escape routes—a deathtrap. And with walls and ceilings everywhere, that meant plenty of paths for shadows to travel.
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At the subway entrance cordoned off with yellow tape, the Awakeners checking their gear fell silent as Eugene appeared. No armor, not even a decent weapon. He looked like a green newbie marching to his death.
"Hey, buddy. You planning to go in solo like that?"
A burly man called out to stop him.
"Yeah. So?"
"You look like a total newbie. What's your class?"
"Summoner."
Eugene's flat reply drew snickers from the surrounding Awakeners, as if on cue. As the rumors went, Summoners were the butt of jokes among Awakeners. Maintaining even one decent summon drained massive mana and cash, yet their combat efficiency was rock-bottom.
"Summoner? No wonder he's got zero gear. Gonna hide behind his summon and watch, huh?"
"That summon's gonna pop like a balloon from one ghoul claw. Is he brave or just stupid?"
Jeers poured in from all sides, but Eugene's eyes remained calm. Their ignorance was actually comforting. The lower the expectations, the more dramatic the results.
No hurt feelings either. He'd endured far worse scraping by from the bottom. A few years as an unawakened had toughened him to this—mere jeers were lighter than a breeze.
He let the noise flow past without a care.
"That's where ghouls swarm out in droves. You got a death wish or somethin'?"
The burly man grinned sleazily, jerking his chin at his team.
"We've got an open slot. Wanna carry gear and watch from the back? Cough up a fee, and I'll guarantee you walk out alive."
It was mockery, not an offer. The other Awakeners eyed him like entertaining prey.
But Eugene didn't spare them a glance. Empty carts rattle loudest, after all. Without a word, he brushed past the man's shoulder and handed his card to the management staff. Typical third-rate thugs he'd seen in poaching parties.
Beep.
The terminal flashed green approval coldly. The heavy iron gate of the gate groaned open, letting in a gust of wind.
"Solo entry approved. Proceed with caution."
"That bastard...!"
The man's baffled curse echoed behind, but Eugene didn't look back. No point wasting breath on trash. Just do his job.
Without hesitation, he plunged into the gate.
Damp walls, shattered fluorescent lights flickering sporadically—the Abandoned Underground Mall. Cut off from surface noise, silence blanketed the space.
A faint smile tugged at Eugene's lips as he glanced down. In this lightless place, his shadow writhed, stretching out in all directions.
Kr-r-r-r.
A creepy metallic scrape echoed from the darkness. One, two, three... As his eyes adjusted, silhouettes of ghouls crawling over broken tiles came into view. The "horde" rumors were spot on—at least twenty of them.
Monsters with flayed skin exposing vivid red muscle. Detecting human scent, their murky eyes gleamed as they charged at terrifying speed.
"Kieeeek!"
The lead ghoul raised razor claws for Eugene's throat. Just as its nails neared his nose—
Squish.
As if auto-defense magic had triggered, the darkness at his feet erupted upward. Three pitch-black hands of shadow burst from the floor, seizing the ghouls' upper bodies in an instant.
The ghouls shrieked and thrashed, but the shadow hands showed no mercy.
Convenient.
This is why people love games with auto-hunt. No effort needed—the shadows found and crushed enemies on their own. It was less hunting, more spectating.
Crunch!
Like crumpling an empty cardboard box, the shadows clenched. The sound of bones and flesh pulverizing filled the underground mall.