**Chapter 17**
Beneath a sky choked with clouds and the faint glow of the moon, a convoy of horses cut swiftly through the expanse of blackened meadows.
The Shadow Knights advanced in silence behind King Edmund, their solemn presence thickening the air. The heavy tread of their boots on damp earth echoed like a funeral drum. Directly behind the king walked their commander.
All knights wore dark armor and face-concealing masks—except her.
Slowly, she raised a hand and removed her helmet.
Her silken black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her golden eyes gleamed under the pallid moonlight.
**Rebecca**, commander of the Shadow Knights, was human—yet her aura, authority, and glacial beauty made her seem something **more**.
Her face was carved with stark elegance, her form hidden behind masterfully crafted obsidian armor. Gripping her horse's reins, she approached the king:
**Rebecca**:
*"Your Majesty... That castle was merely a decoy."*
**Edmund** (gazing ahead, voice quiet but firm):
*"Yes. But we've sent our message—we can strike their strongholds too. We won't let their arrogance go unanswered."*
Rebecca bowed her head in respect... then leaned slightly to retrieve a peculiar timepiece from her pocket.
The oval device was crystalline, its core a perpetual dance of sun and moon—the only way to track time in this distorted world.
**Rebecca** (grim):
*"We must hurry. The timepiece marks the onset of Night. The beasts will emerge soon."*
Edmund turned to her and uttered a single word:
*"Go."*
The horses surged forward like arrows, their neighs tearing through the darkness as they vanished into the gloom.
---
**[Scene shifts]**
A heavy silence clung to a dim chamber in the capital's spires. Candlelight flickered against stone walls as a man in dark robes studied a parchment—**Julius**, the political shadow-weaver, reading Raven's missive.
His fingers tapped the wooden table twice.
Suddenly—
From the room's darkest corner, a figure materialized—soundless, as if birthed from the void itself. An *Elf*, slender and sharp-eyed.
**Julius**:
*"Go to Raven. Extract everything about this man—his residence, his habits. And be ready. Do not let him twist the deal."*
The agent bowed and dissolved back into the shadows.
---
**[Capital streets – Night]**
A thin mist coiled through the royal capital, muffling the sounds of life.
In a modest inn room, **Jin** sat amid scattered notes, a lone candle casting jagged shadows. Before him lay a hand-drawn map—every street, guard post, and market meticulously marked from Neomi's intel.
**Jin** (muttering):
*"Good... Now I know this city."*
He folded the map into his coat and left without hesitation.
---
**[Mercenary Guild]**
The guild hall buzzed under sickly yellow light. Jin scanned the mission board:
*Slay a Level II beast...
Deliver a letter to Hill City...*
Then his eyes locked onto one:
**"Kill the Level V Beast: White Tiger
Objective: Its Core
Reward: 11 Gold Coins"**
Without pause, he tore the notice from the board.
---
**[Lower Plaza]**
As Jin descended the vibrating platform to the barracks, trumpets blared. The royal gates groaned open.
**King Edmund** entered, flanked by the Shadow Knights—their black armor gleaming, their presence suffocating. Jin stood among the crowd, his pulse quickening.
**Jin** (thoughts):
*"Fighting them means instant death."*
But then—
The knightly ranks parted. One figure halted before him.
**Rebecca**.
Her golden eyes pinned him. A weighted silence fell.
She felt it—a strange pulse from the swords on his back. A rhythm **only she** perceived.
**Rebecca** (sharp):
*"Mercenary... Hm?"*
**Jin** (flat):
*"Yes."*
**Rebecca** (louder, for all to hear):
*"Your name."*
Every eye turned to him.
**Jin** (calculating):
*"Lying now would rouse suspicion. Be direct."*
**Jin**:
*"Jin... my lady."*
She studied him for three heartbeats—then turned away without another word.
---
**[Royal Staircase]**
Edmund awaited Rebecca atop gilded marble steps.
**Edmund** (low):
*"That boy. Why the interest?"*
**Rebecca**:
*"There's something... off. He didn't fear us—he was ready to fight. And his swords... I can't explain it.
Also... his eyes. You know what mine perceive."*
Her golden irises gleamed in the dark.
**Edmund** (smirking):
*"Your eyes are a blessing—they spot talent.
So... handle him as you wish."*
A faint smile touched Rebecca's lips as she glanced back at Jin. The royal gates creaked shut behind her.
**Rebecca** (a whisper only Jin heard):
*"I'll uncover all your secrets..."*
---
**[Guild Exit]**
The weight of stares followed Jin—guards, merchants, mercenaries—all now aware of him.
He strode to the exit, flashed his hunter's badge, and burst into the alley—
—only to collapse, coughing **blood**.
**Jin** (gritting):
*"That damned knight... She attacked me with her aura!
My body... feels crushed..."*
---
**[Flashback – The Critical Moment]**
> **Rebecca**: *"Your name."*
> **Jin**: *"Jin."*
In that **exact** instant—
An invisible mountain slammed onto Jin's shoulders. His breath choked; bones groaned.
Yet—
He **held**.
For three seconds, he endured—**unbowed**.
---
**[Present]**
**Jin** (panting):
*"I must be wary... Especially of her.
She's... lethally dangerous."*
---