The Shadow Mark

Yuseorin halted her steps and slowly scanned her surroundings. It was utter devastation. She'd followed the address given by the Association President, but nothing remained intact. Buildings collapsed as if bombed. The ground clawed apart like a beast's talons had ripped through it. Bloodstains scattered everywhere. A war had clearly raged here just moments ago.

"What... is this...?"

Someone had gotten here first. And they'd left the infamous Baeksa Guild's hideout in literal ruins before vanishing without a trace. Red emergency lights flashed eerily from all directions.

The police and Awakener Association personnel were already swarming the scene. Control lines encircled the building in multiple layers, with police in bulletproof vests frantically directing people. Association investigators moved in and out of the rubble with mana-measuring devices, combing the area.

"Civilians, step back!"

"No photos! Everyone back!"

Sharp commands rang out everywhere. Yuseorin walked calmly toward the control line without a word. A police officer blocking her frowned.

"Halt right there. This is a restricted area... Gasp! Lady Yuseorin?!"

The officer's restraint crumbled instantly. The moment he recognized her face, his expression shifted dramatically.

"P-please, wait a moment."

Pushing past him, an Association staffer hurried up to her.

"Are you Yuseorin? The President contacted us in advance."

At those words, every gaze locked onto her. Even the bustling police held their breath.

"What happened here?"

"The site's completely razed. We haven't pieced together the full details yet. By the time we arrived, the fight was over, and most Baeksa Guild members were already dead."

The staffer swallowed dryly before continuing.

"Inside the building, it was pure hell. There were signs of gunfire and combat mixed in, but... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far more traces that don't add up."

Yuseorin's gaze hardened coldly.

"Traces that don't add up...?"

"Yes... Most of the bodies were... bitten by something. Like they'd been attacked by a mana beast."

Yuseorin turned her eyes toward the collapsed building interior. Long gouges clawed into the floor, walls torn as if ripped out by force, fresh blood still wet. This was no ordinary battle scene.

The staffer added cautiously.

"And according to survivor statements... a massive wolf-like mana beast was spotted."

Yuseorin's eyes flickered faintly.

"A wolf...?"

"Yes. It targeted only the Baeksa Guild members precisely. It ignored the kidnapped victims."

Yuseorin fell silent for a moment. This wasn't mere rampage. Selective killing meant deliberate massacre with clear intent—not a mana beast's frenzy.

"Confirmed dead: twenty-three. Excluding the prisoners, no survivors. Eyewitness accounts conflict wildly. Some say it was a person, others a monster."

Yuseorin eyed the rubble. Walls caved inward from immense force, floors etched with chaotic gouges. Those leading to the central hall were especially deep, like a massive predator had charged through repeatedly.

She crouched slowly, trailing her fingertips over the floor. Amid the concrete cracks, faint but unmistakable mana residue lingered.

This is...

An unfamiliar aura. Yet oddly, not entirely new. It differed fundamentally from normal mana—far denser, far darker. Like an endless abyss forcibly compressed and dragged here: eerie, repulsive.

Yuseorin had sensed something similar once before. At the Black Abyss Gate, when she'd inspected it personally.

Who the hell...

Mana beasts didn't discriminate. If they did, gates wouldn't be deemed disasters. Yet this one spared the prisoners and slaughtered the rest. Only one conclusion: someone controlled that wolf. Someone wielding Black Abyss energy.

A chill raced up her spine.

In that instant, one figure flashed in her mind. The mysterious powerhouse who'd cleared the Black Abyss Gate—and crushed its Irregular too.

"Haa... haa..."

Eugene panted raggedly, staring into the bathroom mirror. His reflection looked shockingly haggard. He'd been out of his mind. Only now was reason creeping back.

Like a wild colt finally exhausted after rampaging. Something surged inside him, but he clenched his teeth and forced it down. His grip tightened on the sink edge.

"...Damn it."

The curse slipped out low—aimed at himself. The recent scenes burned vivid in his mind. The blood-red wolf tearing into them. Shadows pinning limbs amid screams and crunching bones. And him watching it all without stopping.

Of course, no regrets. They'd paid for their crimes. Justice served.

He twisted the faucet, splashing cold water over his face repeatedly. The chill streamed down his heated cheeks and eyes. Only then did his breathing ease slightly.

But the rage hadn't faded. Just suppressed forcibly.

The moment they'd mentioned Sua, his mind had gone white. Reason, judgment—all severed. Only the urge to rip them apart remained.

He wiped his wet face and met the mirror again.

"...That was a bit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠much."

The Eugene staring back felt alien. His face, but those eyes—cold as a stranger's. Like a different soul inhabited it.

Then—

"Ma-Master!!"

The ring vibrated faintly, Aria's urgent voice ringing out. First time she'd initiated contact. She usually waited silently until called.

"A-Are you alright, Master? Your soul waves have been shaking violently since earlier...! They weakened like they might cut off, then warped strangely..."

Eugene glanced at his reflection, then exhaled like a sigh.

"...Ah."

"Master?"

He wiped his face with a wet hand.

"I'm fine. No big deal."

"No big deal?! I've never felt your waves this disrupted. I thought something happened!"

No playfulness in Aria's tone—just raw shock and worry, her usual composure gone.

Eugene pressed his lips thin, gaze dropping sideways. What if he spilled everything? Aria might shatter her restraints, burst out, and burn every last one involved.

No. He wouldn't sacrifice her for this. She wasn't just a game NPC anymore—she was real.

So he couldn't say more.

"Just... got a little heated."

"Heated?"

"Guess I got excited."

He shrugged casually, playing it down.

"I'm good now. No need to worry."

Silence, then Aria spoke.

"Master... Please call on me anytime you need help. I told you—everything in our dungeon is yours. Mana beasts, guardians—all mere tools for you."

Her voice sank lower, more cautious than usual.

"Use them freely if needed. Discard if not. So... please don't shoulder it alone..."

Eugene went quiet. Words he'd usually brush ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠off stuck this time. Don't shoulder it alone. They lodged deep in his chest.

After a long pause, he swept back his wet hair.

"...Aria."

"Yes, Master."

"..."

He hesitated, eyes fixed on the mirror.

"Is there a way to protect someone unconscious?"

He'd sought healing first. Now, protection came priority.

"A... person?"

"I need a way to protect Sua."

This couldn't happen again. Baeksa had drilled that in—no defenses meant repeats anytime.

And if it did...

"Th-that... May I ask what Sua is to you, Master...?"

"Sua's family."

Silence from the ring.

"I... I see...!"

Aria's voice wavered subtly—relieved, yet oddly complex. He noted it but let it slide. Not the point now.

"So. Any methods?"

A short cough echoed.

"Y-Yes, of course. Especially for Master's family."

Her prior tremor shoved aside, her tone sharpened.

"Two options now. First: imprint a Shadow Mark."

Eugene's eyes narrowed.

"Mark?"

"Embed a thin layer of your mana in Sua's shadow. Invisible normally, but it reacts instantly to hostility or forced contact."

"Reacts how?"

"Signals me and you simultaneously. Rough location too. You'll never miss if something happens."

Eugene nodded curtly. Like an alarm. Solid.

"Second?"

"Station a Shadow Servant."

"...In her room?"

"Yes, but hidden fully in shadows. Emerges only at threats."

He leaned on the sink.

"How strong?"

"Blood-red wolf level. Weaker foes: full suppression. Stronger..."

"Just buys time..."

"Yes."

Flat answer. Eugene closed his eyes briefly. Better than nothing. Issue: if opponents were Baeksa-tier or higher-ups.

"Anything more reliable?"

Silence, then Aria low.

"Yes. But you might dislike it."

"What?"

"Latent mana beast in her shadow."

Eugene's brow twitched.

"...Unleash a mana beast?"

"Not unleash—latent. Hidden completely until direct threat."

He rubbed his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chin, eyeing his reflection. Haggard face, chilled eyes. Choices behind it.

Relief mixed with bitterness. In a normal world, no such dilemmas.

Suddenly, fragments from implanting the Blood Brain Parasite in Choi Siljang surfaced.

'Him...'

Eugene's gaze darkened. Choi Siljang never knew the entity's identity. No face, no name—just "Him." Yet that alone made him quake.

Enough to reveal: Baeksa wasn't mere crime syndicate. Kidnapping people, capturing Awakeners as "sacrifices"—they were a lower rung, supplying humans upward.

Choi Siljang: mere executor. Real bosses elsewhere.

The true problem loomed above.

In the memory... under flickering candlelight, a black-robed figure spoke faintly.

Brief words. No face visible. Yet vividly clear. Recalling that voice sent chills snaking down his spine.

Human timbre, inhuman ring. Like whispers from deep water—dank, repulsive.

Eugene rubbed his hand unconsciously. The goosebumps lingered.

Choi Siljang had rarely even seen "Him." Just relayed orders. Yet true terror gripped him at the thought.

"...Fucking scum."

Eugene muttered low. Treating lives as sacrifices, Awakeners as goods, even gate anomalies—all connected.

Till the end, gutted by the parasite, Choi Siljang whispered the same.

"He... comes soon. When the door opens... it's over..."

Dead after that. Eugene stroked his chin, sneering.

Answer always simple: Crush every obstacle in your path.