Sunrise broke through the Darkwood Forest.
Golden light pierced through the thick canopy, scattering across wet leaves and broken branches.
For the first time since Kael had arrived in this hell…
The forest felt less like a death trap.
And more like a battlefield he had survived.
Kael stood still, breathing slowly.
His body was covered in mud, blood, and torn cloth.
But he was alive.
That was all that mattered.
He slowly raised his hand.
“…Shadow Step.”
WHOOSH.
His body dissolved into darkness.
In an instant, he reappeared several meters away behind a fallen tree.
Kael blinked.
Then tried again.
WHOOSH.
Another blink of movement.
Each activation drained a small amount of energy, but the sensation was intoxicating.
Speed without physical movement.
Escape without resistance.
Death without warning.
Kael slowly clenched his fist.
“This… changes everything.”
A system screen appeared in front of him.
====================
Skill: Shadow Step (Lv. 1)
Type: Movement Skill
Range: 1–5 meters
Cooldown: 3 seconds
Limitation: Requires shadow source
====================
Kael looked around.
Shadows were everywhere.
Under trees.
Between rocks.
Even under his own feet.
“So as long as there’s darkness…”
He can move.
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
For the first time, the world didn’t feel completely impossible.
But then—
A sharp pain suddenly hit his chest.
“Urgh!”
Kael dropped to one knee.
His body trembled violently.
The Shadow Regeneration that had healed him earlier flickered weakly.
The system screen immediately responded.
====================
Warning:
Host body instability detected.
Shadow Compatibility: 5% → 4.7%
Cause: Overuse of system abilities beyond current capacity
Recommendation: Rest or risk organ collapse
====================
Kael’s breathing slowed.
So there was a limit.
Of course there was.
Nothing in this world gave power for free.
Everything came with a price.
Kael forced himself back to his feet.
“I don’t have time to rest.”
He looked toward the direction the crimson-eyed creature had pointed.
Deeper into the forest.
A relic.
Something that even that monster acknowledged.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
“…What are you planning?”
The system remained silent.
For once.
No quest.
No punishment.
No guidance.
Just silence.
That made Kael more cautious than anything else.
Because silence meant uncertainty.
And uncertainty meant death.
Meanwhile — Draven Estate
Inside a massive hall filled with mana crystals and ancient sigils, the Draven elders stood in shock.
A broken communication crystal flickered on the table.
The assassin’s signal had vanished.
Completely.
One elder spoke slowly.
“…The mission failed?”
Another shook his head.
“That’s impossible. He was sent with a Rank-3 blade user.”
A third elder frowned deeply.
“And the boy?”
Silence.
Then—
A guard rushed in.
“Report!”
“The Darkwood Forest corpse retrieval team… found nothing.”
“Only traces of battle… and beast remains.”
The hall went silent again.
Then Darius Draven spoke from the shadows.
Cold.
Calm.
Dangerous.
“…Explain.”
The guard swallowed hard.
“We… we think the boy survived.”
A loud crack echoed.
The armrest of the throne shattered under Darius’s grip.
“…Impossible.”
Seven years.
Seven years of disappointment.
Seven years of failure.
And now they were telling him…
That trash had survived an assassination?
An elder stepped forward.
“We should send another assassin. This time—”
“No.”
Darius cut him off instantly.
His voice dropped lower.
“I will handle it myself.”
The hall froze.
Even the elders went silent.
Because when Darius Draven personally moved…
Entire cities disappeared.
Back in the Forest
Kael continued moving deeper into the Darkwood Forest.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
Not because of exhaustion alone…
But because the forest itself felt different.
The air was denser.
The shadows deeper.
Even the sound of birds had vanished.
Predator’s Instinct pulsed again.
Danger was nearby.
Kael stopped behind a tree and carefully observed the surroundings.
Then he saw it.
A strange structure hidden beneath overgrown roots.
Ancient stone markings covered its surface.
Faint black energy leaked from cracks in the ground.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
“…The relic.”
The system suddenly activated.
====================
Hidden Quest Updated
Objective: Investigate the Shadow Relic
Warning: Unknown energy signature detected
====================
Kael exhaled slowly.
“Of course.”
Nothing in his life was ever simple.
He stepped forward cautiously.
As his fingers touched the ancient stone—
The world changed.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Kael’s body fell into an endless void.
No sky.
No ground.
Only silence.
Then—
A voice echoed.
Not the system.
Not the creature.
Something older.
“Finally…”
“…a vessel opens its eyes.”
Kael’s pupils tightened.
“Who’s there?!”
A slow, chilling laugh echoed through the void.
“You are the one who will carry the Shadow of Ascension.”
“But first…”
“You must survive what broke the last one.”
The darkness cracked.
And something began to awaken within it.
Kael’s system screen flashed violently.
====================
WARNING!!!
Administrator Authority Conflict Detected
Reality Instability Rising
====================
Kael’s body trembled.
Whatever this relic was…
It was not just a reward.
It was a test.
And he had just stepped into something far older than the empire itself.
The void split open.
And a pair of massive glowing eyes opened inside it.
Staring directly at him.