Han Yuseong explained what had happened that night.
That a reward dungeon appeared in Yeoju City, and he went to conquer it.
That the Lord of the Dead mobilized oath-bound followers to steal the reward.
That he dealt with them using the rewards from the dungeon.
The Lord of Shadows listened quietly to the story.
["Is that so."]
That was the only response after hearing the whole explanation.
In her eyes, there was a trace of coldness and annoyance.
Naturally, it wasn't directed at Han Yuseong, but at someone else.
["A foolish one caused chaos, and simply paid the price... You had no intention to frame me, so there's nothing to blame."]
"There's no reason to falsely accuse a Lord with no connection to this," he replied.
All the more so if the opponent is the Lord of Shadows.
She is a detached yet rational being. She only cares about her own oath-bound followers and coins; she is indifferent to everything else—
As long as nothing touches what's hers.
["A player who uses shadows trespassed into her territory, killed over half her oath-bound, and vanished without a trace..."]
Just because someone uses shadow-related skills, does that make them an oath-bound of the Lord of Shadows?
Of course not.
There are a few mages who use shadow magic.
Rogues who employ shadow-based stealth also exist.
The problem is—none of them should be capable of what happened.
["Only an oath-bound of the Shadows could pull that off. Because of her pride, she had no choice but to assume that."]
The Oathbound of Shadow are an elite few.
They are small in number but exceptional in skill.
At first, the Lord of the Dead must have recalled the Oathbound of Shadow while piecing together various clues.
But as time passed, he must have realized something was off.
["The Lord of the Dead—yes, that fool—must have figured it out eventually. He likely grasped, at least vaguely, what had happened in his domain, and also realized that neither I nor my Oathbound had anything to do with it."]
Still, the Lord of the Dead publicly accused the Lord of Shadows.
By the time he realized it was a false accusation, it was already too late to retreat.
Since he had made a public accusation, he had to take responsibility in some form.
He chose to bear that responsibility through war.
"He probably intended to erase his mistake by winning."
Now that he's failed, that thought has become meaningless.
The surroundings quieted.
Eyes, silent, turned to Han Yuseong.
["Do you not realize your life is in danger? I could inform the Lord of the Dead about what happened in Yeoju."]
"Hmph. Then the Lord of the Dead would try to kill me."
["Yes. Does that not frighten you?"]
At that, Han Yuseong chuckled softly.
In his past life, he had encountered many Lords.
Thanks to that, he had a rough idea of what kind of personalities those with names and power typically had—
And what qualities they favored.
"Do you even have a reason to do that?"
["Amusing words... You speak as if you know me well."]
Her eyes, filled with curiosity, studied Han Yuseong.
Then, those eyes gently swayed from side to side.
["My answer is no — I have no reason to do something that would please the Lord of the Dead. More importantly, I gained much from this incident."]
["Also, you came here to take responsibility for something you could have easily ignored, and you resolved a difficult situation in my domain."]
["This situation… is quite to my liking."]
The once-emotionless voice now carried feeling.
Interest.
The Lord of Shadows had taken a strong interest in Han Yuseong.
Though it wasn't intentional, he had come to take responsibility for something caused because of him, and he resolved the crisis with impressive skill.
His actions had captured the Lord's attention.
["Would you consider forming a contract with me?"]
[What?! No! Don't listen! Stop! You little fox!]
She offered a contract out of nowhere.
It wasn't just testing the waters — her tone held sincerity.
["It seems you already have a contracted Lord. Likely one tied to flame… not a very powerful one. Do you truly think that Lord can help you? If you contract with me, much will change."]
[Outrageous! That woman's truly insane!]
["I promise you the best treatment. With your potential, you could one day become the Apostle of Shadows. What do you think of my offer?"]
[To outbid another Lord's oathbound…! How dare—!]
Han Yuseong suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue.
The glowing text appearing before his eyes, the voice of the Lord of Shadows, and…
The screeching voice of Kakasha, throwing a tantrum like a monkey seeing fire for the first time in its life.
"Not bad."
[Wha—!?]
Kakasha was visibly shocked.
But only for a moment.
"But I'll have to decline."
["Oh? You're declining… And why is that?"]
"Because I'm satisfied with the current situation."
Hearing Han Yuseong's answer, Kakasha let out a sigh of relief.
The Lord of Shadows showed a mixed reaction — part amusement, part curiosity.
["I see. But that's not such a bad answer either. My offer remains open, so if you ever change your mind, come find me."]
["And aside from that… since you've brought me considerable benefit, it's only right that I reward you in kind."]
A flash of subtle light shimmered between the shadows.
The light approached Han Yuseong and was absorbed into him.
[The Lord of Shadows rewards you based on your contribution.]
[You have acquired 20,000 Coins.]
[The Teaching of the Transcendent has been etched into
[The Sovereign has bestowed upon you the
[You have obtained
There were four rewards in total.
Among them, one was completely unexpected.
So much so that Kakasha began freaking out.
[What the—! That wicked woman gave you her blessing!?]
Blessing of Shadows.
A Lord grants blessings to their contracted oathbound.
However, it can also be bestowed upon someone without a contract — a lesser, symbolic form of blessing.
While its existence is known, it's extremely rare for a Lord to grant it.
[Uuugh! Refuse it! I'm telling you, such a blessing must be rejected! It's no different from her marking you as hers with a kiss!]
It would make more sense if she had given him a blessing after a contract —
But granting a blessing without a pact had no solid justification.
Therefore, when a Sovereign gives someone a blessing without a contract, there are only two real possibilities:
First, the player made a deep impression on them.
Second, it's a declaration — "I will make you mine someday."
[Ughghghghghghghghgh…!]
At the same time, this was also a clear provocation toward the other Sovereign.
It was a mark that essentially said, "I'll steal your oathbound eventually."
No wonder Kakasha was throwing a fit.
Han Yuseong let out a quiet sigh.
[Blessing of Shadows (Unique)]
* All stats +4
* Shadow-type skill damage +10%, mana cost -10%
* While in shadows: Movement speed +5%
[Eye of the Night (Legendary)]
* Slot: Necklace
* All stats +7
* Vision remains clear even in complete darkness
* During deep night, all effects of this item are doubled. Additionally, shadow-type skill damage is increased by +20%.
As expected for a blessing, the effects were a bit modest for its rank.
Slightly better than the Blessing of War, which was currently Uncommon grade.
Still, getting such symbolic and long-term value wasn't bad at all.
The Eye of the Night was a solid item in its own right.
["Nox Arcana... Not bad for something crafted by a lone human mage. Though it seems incomplete, lacking a final insight."]
["A little help shouldn't hurt."]
What remained was Nox Arcana.
The Teaching of the Transcendent had been imbued into the skill.
And what that meant—what change it brought—was immediately clear.
[Nox Arcana (S-rank, Lv. 5)]
* Type: Active
* A deeply shadow-infused magic spell created by a mad hermit sorcerer. Though unfinished, it now contains the insight of a unique being. When the time is right, the spell will evolve once more.
* Effect: +15 Mana, enemies struck by this spell have their movement speed reduced by 20%.
* Bonus Effect: Skill damage +30%, increased area of effect.
Skills:
* Ombra Weapon: Manipulates surrounding shadows into a variety of weapons, striking selected enemies at will.
* Impale: Shadows rise up from the ground or environment, mercilessly piercing enemies within a certain radius.
The skill had clearly evolved, with enhanced effects and entirely new magical components.
What was once the uncontrollable Nox Frenzy now allowed Han Yuseong to target enemies with precision.
But there was more.
["As you are now, this potential cannot be fully awakened. But when the time comes—when you have grown enough—"]
["The seed of possibility will bloom completely."]
Simply put, the skill now had the potential to advance in rank.
Once Han Yuseong reached a sufficient level, the S-rank skill Nox Arcana would ascend even further—to SS-rank.
["Han Yuseong—that was your name, wasn't it? A name I haven't heard before."]
"Well, of course. I'm still a nobody."
["Are you nameless… or do you wish to be nameless?"]
Han Yuseong remained silent.
That was his answer.
["I will conceal your identity. But not because I wish to honor your desire for anonymity."]
"You want to sow confusion in the Lord of the Dead?"
The Lord of Shadows gave no reply.
And again—her silence was the answer.
"Whatever the reason, it works out. It's not the right time yet, anyway."
["In your world, there's a saying: 'A treasure cannot stay hidden in the bag.'"]
["Whether you wish it or not, someone like you will eventually be known."]
["Until then."]
The shadows surrounding them began to waver.
From within the darkness, a door began to form.
Han Yuseong stepped before it.
["If fate allows, we'll meet again."]
["I look forward to that day."]
He stepped into the darkness.
When he closed his eyes and opened them again,
He was standing before the gates of a building.
Seoul — in front of the headquarters of the Shadow's Mausoleum.
[Waaagh! Meet again? Nonsense! That will never happen! Now, spit on that building! Right now!]
"She's unusually loud today…"
Han Yuseong let out a tired sigh.
At that moment—
From not too far away—
He felt someone's gaze on him.
It was none other than Un Garam, one of the Shadow's Oathbound.
When her eyes met Han Yuseong's, she gave him a light nod before walking away.
"Now then... all that's left is the Trial of the Gods."
For now, most of what needed to be done was taken care of.
From here on out, it would be best to start preparing for the trial to come.
And in that place, he would likely receive the attention—and aid—of multiple Sovereigns.
Whether he wanted it or not.
"It's going to happen sooner than I expected."
Han Yuseong walked down the street, recalling his conversation with the Lord of Shadows.
Kakasha's voice was still throwing a tantrum in the back of his mind, but he ignored her.
And how long had he been ignoring her, exactly?
[D-Don't abandon meee… O my Oathbound…!]
Moisture began to creep into Kakasha's voice.
"What nonsense are you going on about now?"
[Ughhh… A-Another Sovereign? The Lord of Shadows…? Noooo…! Didn't we swear, didn't we risk our lives to vow—! That I'd become the Sovereign who surpasses even Machiros—!]
"Unbelievable…"
Han Yuseong squeezed his eyes shut in frustration.
Had he… perhaps chosen the wrong Sovereign?
It was that kind of night—a night full of regret.