Annihilation?
"Total annihilation?"
"Yes... Party leader Kang Cheolho ignored the Association's orders and entered on his own, resulting in the complete wipeout of Gaon Guild's elite members."
Choi Cheolseung skimmed the report with bloodshot eyes. Gaon Guild's Awakeners, who prided themselves on being top-tier domestically. For them to crumble like this. No, crumble wasn't the right word. The report described something closer to a slaughter.
Just as he'd expected. He'd warned them it was a dangerous entity. Told them to wait for orders. But they couldn't even hold out that short time. And now disaster had struck.
Choi Cheolseung set the documents down and pressed his forehead. A throbbing pain drilled deep into his skull.
"So, what about the irregular? Did our support team handle it?"
"No. By the time the Association support team arrived, the situation was already resolved."
Choi Cheolseung's eyebrow twitched. It didn't make sense. For the monster that butchered Gaon's elites to be dealt with without Association help?
"Who was it? An irregular that wiped out B-rank Awakeners. Did the guild master step in personally?"
Before Choi Cheolseung could finish, his aide jumped in urgently.
"That's... no. We still haven't identified who took down the irregular. Officially, the only survivors on site were there. Five unaffiliated F-rank Awakeners."
"What?! You're saying those five killed the irregular? Is that the report you're giving me?!"
The aide flinched at Choi Cheolseung's bellow.
"The survivors' testimonies are all over the place. A thick fog suddenly rolled in, and when they came to, the monster was gone. It happened so fast no one got a clear look at it..."
"Haa..."
Choi Cheolseung sank deep into his chair. An irregular of unknown identity. And an even stranger unidentified figure. His brow furrowed deeply amid the string of bizarre incidents.
Who the hell is it?
The report stated:
Assessment result. Potential danger rating S+. Equivalent to a magic beast on the level of the Blood Crescent.
Then, a possibility flashed through Choi Cheolseung's mind. The recent Black Abyss incident. And this irregular event. They had one thing in common. Someone of unknown identity had intervened.
Choi Cheolseung's instinct told him. The one who handled this irregular. And the mystery figure who cleared the Black Abyss. They were the same person.
Eugene collapsed onto his bed the moment he got home, his exhausted body hitting the mattress. He stared blankly at the ceiling and let out a sigh of relief.
Luckily, there were other survivors besides him. No grueling interrogation digging into every detail. Just filling out some forms and a quick interview—that was it.
The survivors' accounts were so inconsistent that the Association didn't seem to suspect a mere F-rank like him much.
Lying on the bed, Eugene quietly called up his status window.
A moment later, a translucent panel floated in the air. And the first thing that caught his eye was the level.
"...This is insane."
Eugene let out a hollow chuckle. Just before entering the gate, his level had been 1. Even in an F-rank gate, killing a monster or two wouldn't jump it by 14 levels.
It must've been from taking down Barcas, the one called the Ghost Lord. A whopping 14-level surge.
A power denser and more vivid than before coursed through his body, incomparable to anything prior.
And the skill gained from killing Barcas. A trophy offered to its master by the shadow that devoured him.
An S-rank skill, no less.
Gravity
Grade: S
Manipulates gravity and anti-gravity within a designated range. Strongly pulls targets in or repels them with anti-gravity.
Effect: Range and power scale with caster's mana. Can simultaneously apply attraction, repulsion, and gravitational pressure.
Eugene swallowed dryly. An S-rank skill. Rare even in Dungeon Maker.
To him now, it was a treasure beyond price.
He slowly clenched and unclenched his fist. Invisible to the eye. But he felt it clearly. The heavy pressure weighing on the air. The power swirling vividly at his fingertips.
A force that could pull or push objects at will.
And one more thing. The fact that he could acquire skills through shadows...
Eugene pondered for a moment. No matter how he racked his brain over Dungeon Maker, nothing like this existed. Shadows didn't even appear in the game.
In the original game, boundaries were clear. Entities that could converse and wield great power were guardians. Everything else was just magic beasts.
But now. The shadows rippling quietly at his feet were different. They shattered all boundaries. Too intelligent for beasts, too ambiguous for guardians. Belonging nowhere.
Eugene channeled mana into the black ring on his finger.
"Aria."
Anyone hearing that would think they'd reunited after years. When not even a full day had passed.
The response came instantly. Not even 0.1 seconds.
His mind grew noisy in a flash. Aria's joyful voice poured out endlessly. Like a starved person latching onto his call, chattering nonstop.
At this rate, he'd never get a word in. Dazed by the torrent, Eugene cut in desperately.
"S-stop!"
The moment he spoke, silence fell. The previous clamor vanished like a lie. Like a dog wagging its tail and charging, only to sit obediently at its master's "stay."
Eugene blinked in bewilderment, but it gave him a chance to continue.
"Haa... Aria. These shadows you gave me. What are they, exactly?"
He glanced down. The black shadows rippling silently.
"They're totally different from the ones I make in the dungeon. At first, I thought they were just beasts... but no."
Eugene briefly explained the irregular incident and how he'd taken down Barcas. Gaon Guild's elite wipeout. Even how he'd nearly died himself.
Then. Before he finished.
Aria's killing intent pierced his mind.
Eugene pressed his brow and stopped her urgently. If he didn't, she'd burst out of the ring and turn the world upside down.
"Calm down, Aria! It's already dead. The situation's over."
"How was I supposed to... call you."
Eugene faltered. Her tone was so matter-of-fact. As if her sole reason for being was that.
He rubbed his brow and sighed.
"Tools...? Don't talk like that."
Aria's voice stayed bright. Proud, even.
Eugene shook his head, knowing argument was futile.
"Fine. Later for that. Answer what I asked. What... are these things?"
A brief silence. Then Aria replied calmly.
Her voice grew solemn. Blood?
So not simple critters.
Eugene pressed his throbbing forehead. Who'd call that a low-grade servant? No wonder their vibe at the evaluation center felt off.
"So... like your clones? Separate bodies, but with your soul mixed in?"
Eugene looked down. The black shadows rippling quietly. Powers forged from Aria's blood.
That explained why their gaze felt different from mere beasts.
Her tone held a hint of regret. Yet pride that her shadows had performed.
Eugene sighed shortly. Aria's excessive loyalty was burdensome at times.
But.
"Still, Aria. Thanks to you, I survived. Thank you."
Silence flowed.
Then.
Her voice trailed off softer and softer.
"Master... thanked me..."
Aria buried her face in the bed, breathing raggedly. Her pale cheeks flushed crimson, ready to burst.
She'd barely feigned composure before Eugene. But the connection severed, and her pent-up emotions exploded.
"Ahh... Master..."
She yanked a large pillow mimicking Eugene and hugged it fiercely, rubbing her face against it. A thin moan escaped.
Just a short "thanks for saving me." But to Aria, it was different. A confession beyond all else. Proof her existence was acknowledged. Salvation itself.
"I love you... I love you..."
She buried her face deeper and thrashed on the bed. Unrestrained laughter bubbled from her lips.
One word—"thanks"—from Master, and her heart raced wildly.
"Hehe... Master thanked me..."
Her eyes sparkled.
"See? Master only has eyes for me..."
The witch who'd spewed killing intent moments ago was gone. Here was a girl rolling in bliss from a single compliment, as if she'd gained the world.
Aria tumbled across the bed, clutching the pillow.
"Master... Master..."
Click.
The office door cracked open ever so slightly. Through the gap, aide Bella's eyes peered in.
Bella silently watched her lord writhe on the bed, dignity forgotten.
"......"
A moment of quiet.
Then Bella sighed deeply.
Her usually cool-headed lord, acting like a lovestruck girl. Not a new sight, but it never failed to unsettle her.
As if unwilling to ruin her fun—or witness more embarrassment—Bella quietly closed the door without a word.