The Shadow Duke of Falcon (1)
“We call this the ‘Five Trials of the Shadow.’”
Ilia’s voice was smooth, measured, and lingering.
“To become the Secret Line Master, you must overcome all five.”
Sanghyuk listened in silence, giving her his full attention.
“The order does not matter, but you must complete them within ten days. Keep in mind, you will only ever receive one chance. Should you fail the challenge, you will pay a commensurate price.”
It was an unmistakable warning, making it abundantly clear that this opportunity did not come free.
“Understood.”
Since he had already known about this condition, Sanghyuk simply nodded.
“Ah, and one more thing: you must shoulder these trials entirely on your own. If you receive even the slightest help from another soul… the trial will be deemed an immediate failure.”
“Yes, I understand that as well.”
Any other player might have groaned in dismay, but not Sanghyuk. He walked a solitary path anyway. If anything, he was grateful she insisted on solo play.
“Then may the shadow’s blessing accompany you, Immortal. Ah, but since you’re already here, why not stay and enjoy yourself? Shall I call in our venue’s ace? Or perhaps…”
Ilia rose languidly from her seat, flashing a smile so intoxicating it redefined the word seductive. She gave the hem of her already dangerously short skirt a subtle tug upward. A flash of dizzying, porcelain thigh peeked out, and an overwhelming surge of raw male instinct reared its head within Sanghyuk’s chest.
Had he not heard the cautionary tale from his junior in his previous life, he likely would have thrown caution to the wind and pounced on her right then and there.
Yet he knew better. Until the moment he stepped foot out of this establishment, he could not afford to drop his guard even for a fraction of a second. Calling upon superhuman discipline, he shoved his rising desires down with unyielding force.
“I’ll take you up on that next time.”
You have cleared the hidden requirement for the hidden quest ‘Proof of Qualification: Becoming the Secret Line Master.’
The quest has been updated to ‘Five Trials of the Shadow.’
Her sudden, heart-stopping ambush had been the final test. Had he succumbed to temptation, he never would have unlocked the quest. Instead, he would have drowned in decadence, suffered the penalty for failing the trial, and been tossed unceremoniously out the front door.
“Hehehe. You either possess terrifying composure, or you’re a eunuch. Well, whichever it is, you certainly satisfy the baseline qualifications to become the Secret Line Master.”
Ilia chuckled lightly. Sanghyuk failed to see why being a eunuch counted as a qualification, but he offered a faint smirk and stepped out of Rainbow.
“Whew… that was agonizingly close…”
The moment he exited the building, Sanghyuk exhaled a long breath and shook his head.
I’d rather solo a named monster ten times over… That place is a den of demons. A literal nest of succubi…
Sanghyuk was a red-blooded man, and he had plenty of worldly desires lurking within him. Forcibly suppressing those clamoring impulses had felt like twisting his own bones.
Once this whole ordeal is wrapped up, I’m coming straight back here to shatter that restraint!
After taking a few steadying breaths to regain his composure, Sanghyuk promptly opened his quest log to inspect the trials before him.
Five Trials of the Shadow<Chain Stage 4>
The five trials presented by Ilia, Master of Horseless Words. These are the absolute prerequisites for claiming the title of Secret Line Master. You have a time limit of ten days. Overcome all five trials within the allotted time to prove your worth!
[Progress]
◈ (1) Shadow’s Might: Slay at least one named-tier monster and earn an achievement. [Completed]
◈ (2) Shadow’s Affinity: Forge a Bond of Fate with at least one Legend-grade NPC. [Completed]
◈ (3) Shadow’s Talent: Inscribe two or more Ancient Knowledges into your Soul Holes. [Completed]
◈ (4) Shadow’s Wealth: Possess at least one item of Unique grade or higher. [Completed]
◈ (5) Shadow’s Tenacity: Slay 3,000 rats across Falcon City. [0/3,000]
🏷 Difficulty Rating: Hidden (S)
“Well, look at that…”
Sanghyuk stared at the log in genuine astonishment. Out of the five grueling conditions, four were already completed.
Was this quest literally made for me?
It was a stroke of fortunate coincidence, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.
All I need to do is exterminate rats? Talk about a walk in the park.
Hunting rats was by no means difficult. It was simply an excruciatingly tedious, time-consuming chore. Yet having bypassed the other four requirements, even the tedium failed to dampen his spirits. Had he been forced to tackle the other four trials while juggling the ten-day limit, the pressure would have been immense. Now, he didn't have to worry about that at all.
“Feels like the heavens themselves are pulling strings for me.”
In high spirits, Sanghyuk glanced up at the sky. A massive cloud billboard—an advertising feature recently pushed heavily in EL—floated overhead, displaying the fluffy, mist-formed likeness of a newly debuted idol group. Though Sanghyuk had zero interest in the entertainment industry and didn't even recognize their faces, he gave the floating figures a breezy thumbs-up.
Scouring the entirety of Falcon City to hunt rats turned out to be every bit as mind-numbing as anticipated.
Falcon City was an exceptionally clean, well-maintained metropolis, meaning vermin didn't simply scurry about out in the open. He had to delve into every damp gutter, forgotten cellar, and cramped alleyway just to ferret them out. It was a miserable endeavor.
After sprinting until the soles of his boots practically caught fire for ten straight hours, his tally stood at exactly 279 rats. At this pace, it would take nearly six days of relentless, nonstop extermination just to hit the three-thousand mark.
If I had to juggle the other four trials while doing this… ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to heave.
Only after getting his hands dirty did Sanghyuk truly understand why butchering three thousand sewer rats was grandly dubbed the ‘Shadow’s Tenacity.’ Fortunately, he was an expert when it came to mindless, grueling grinds. Even so, if he had been forced to fulfill every trial concurrently under that ticking clock, even his iron will would have bent under the despair.
As the days blurred together, he gradually honed his hunting rhythm, streamlining his routes and clearing vermin far faster. Ultimately, Sanghyuk met his quota of 3,000 kills in just under five days rather than six.
You have completed all five trials.
Seek out Ilia to definitively prove your qualification as the Secret Line Master.
“Phew… I swear, I don’t want to see another rat for the rest of my life.”
Sanghyuk let out a weary sigh as he coiled the Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Bone Whip back around his forearm.
Now for the final threshold.
To be honest, even Sanghyuk had no way of predicting what awaited him past this point.
“Incredible. To be frank, I never imagined you were capable of this. Five days… To conquer the Five Trials of the Shadow in a mere five days when ten is barely enough… I never thought such an individual could exist.”
Ilia gazed at Sanghyuk with eyes shining in genuine awe—or rather, sheer infatuation.
Ilia, Master of Horseless Words, has fallen for you at first sight.
Affinity with Ilia drastically increases!
Affinity with Ilia drastically increases!
Affinity with Ilia drastically increases!
Affinity with Ilia drastically increases!
For a split second, Sanghyuk wondered if the game was bugging out. But it was no glitch. This was the explosive spike in affinity that occurred whenever an NPC fell head-over-heels in love with a player.
Though exceedingly rare, Sanghyuk had heard tales of such phenomena in his past life. Experiencing it firsthand, however, was a whole different matter.
Affinity with Ilia has increased dramatically and reached its maximum threshold!
A ‘Bond of Fate’ has been established between Ilia, Master of Horseless Words, and the Dimensional Traveler Immortal.
Wait… Ilia is a Legend-grade NPC?
Sanghyuk was caught off guard by her rank. Truly, Legend-grade NPCs were not figures one ran into on any street corner.
By establishing a Bond of Fate with Ilia, you have fulfilled the final hidden condition of the hidden quest ‘Five Trials of the Shadow.’
Congratulations! All qualifications have been verified, and you have become the Secret Line Master.
Finally!
As the final alert chimed, Sanghyuk couldn't help but pump his fist. The thrill of conquering a task deemed utterly impossible was beyond words.
“Ilia, overseer of Falcon City’s Secret Line, greets the Secret Line Master.”
She bowed low before him in deep reverence.
Watching her, Sanghyuk tasted a peculiar brand of satisfaction—almost like winning over an aloof, prideful woman who had finally yielded her heart to him. It was a damn good feeling.
As the Secret Line Master, your affinity with all NPCs belonging to the organization has risen to ‘Comrade.’
You have taken control of the S-rank NPC organization [Falcon City Secret Line]. An Organization Management window has been created, allowing you to govern the syndicate efficiently.
Players seizing control of NPC organizations and managing them had become fairly common in his previous life—though only about five years after the game’s official launch. In the early days, users hadn't even known it was mechanically possible. More importantly, Sanghyuk had never once heard of an S-rank NPC syndicate falling into player hands. Among the countless users who had commanded factions in the past, A-rank was the absolute ceiling.
An S-rank organization… I anticipated a high tier, but never an S-rank.
He had assumed it would be an A-rank syndicate at best, so the revelation left him genuinely stunned. Naturally, a higher grade was purely to his benefit.
First things first, micro-managing an organization is a massive pain in the neck…
Sanghyuk’s gaze drifted toward Ilia. Running an NPC faction involved keeping track of countless variables and treading carefully around intricate politics. It was an enormous hassle. Luckily, he knew an infallible shortcut to bypass that headache entirely.
All you need is an exceptionally competent NPC you can absolute trust… and everything takes care of itself!
The Agent System existed precisely for busy players like him. And Ilia was practically tailor-made for the role. In all likelihood, she would manage the day-to-day operations far better than he ever could.
“Ilia, I hereby appoint you as my Agent. Given how brilliantly you have directed the Secret Line thus far, you are more than qualified to act in my stead.”
“It is my greatest honor.”
With her affinity maxed out, there wasn't a trace of hesitation or refusal. She accepted the decree with absolute devotion, as though it were the most natural progression in the world.
You have appointed Ilia, Master of Horseless Words, as the Secret Line Master’s Agent.
From there, everything progressed smoothly. Ilia began briefing Sanghyuk on the hierarchical structure of the Secret Line. While he could have browsed all of that information at his leisure through the management interface, he happily lingered to hear it from her lips.
After all… the inner devil that had been howling within him over the past week had finally slipped its chains.
Sanghyuk was no eunuch. He was a vigorous young man boiling with hot blood and primal drive.
The moment the seal broke, he became an untamed, raging bull.