Shadow Sovereigns : A New Beginning

The warehouse was eerily silent after the chaos of the dungeon. The swirling portal behind Jin-Woo fizzled out, leaving only the faint glow of the rune-covered ground where it had been. He let out a breath, both exhausted and exhilarated. The boss fight had been intense, but he had come out on top, and the thrill of victory still coursed through him.

As he straightened, the familiar ding of the System rang out.

System Notification:

Congratulations! Quest Complete.

Objective: Clear the dungeon by defeating the boss.

Rewards:

• +100 XP

• +1 Random Skill.

• Unlock Next Dungeon Tier.

Active Quests:

• No quests available.

Another notification quickly followed.

Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 6.

• XP: 25/600

Level-Up Rewards:

1. +3 Unallocated Stat Points

2. Skill Upgrade: Blink (Enhanced)

3. Potion of Greater Healing (Rare)

Jin-Woo grinned as he pulled up his Status Window to check his updated stats.

Name: Sung Jin-Woo

Level: 6 (XP: 25/600)

Class: None

Title: None

HP: 120/160

MP: 110/160

Fatigue: 35

Stats:

• Strength: 16

• Agility: 20 (+3 from Dual Bleeding Daggers, +2 from Steel-Toed Boots, +1 from Common Goblin Bracelet)

• Stamina: 17 (+1 from Steel-Toed Boots)

• Intelligence: 16

• Sense: 16

Unallocated Points: 15

Skills:

• Dash (Enhanced): Temporarily boosts movement speed by 40% for 10 seconds.

• MP Cost: 4

• Cooldown: 15 seconds

• Blink (Enhanced): Instantly teleport to a location within 15 meters and reset fall momentum.

• MP Cost: 15

• Cooldown: 8 seconds

• Shadow Extraction: Extract shadows from defeated enemies and bind them as minions.

• MP Cost: 20 per shadow (requires upkeep).

• Maximum Shadows: 3

Inventory:

1. Dual Bleeding Daggers (+3 Agility, Bleed Effect: 5% HP over 5 seconds)

2. Steel-Toed Boots (+2 Agility, +1 Stamina)

3. Common Goblin Bracelet (+1 Agility)

4. Potion of Greater Healing (Rare) (Restores 100 HP, x1)

5. F-Rank Monster Core (x5)

6. Uncommon Shadow Beast Pelt (Crafting Material).

"Not bad," he muttered, scrolling through his Inventory. The upgraded Blink caught his attention, its description even more impressive than before.

Skill Upgraded: Blink (Enhanced)

Description: Instantly teleport to a location within 15 meters. Resets fall momentum.

• MP Cost: 15

• Cooldown: 8 seconds

"Fifteen meters and a cooldown reduction?" Jin-Woo smirked. "Now we're talking. I might actually survive a midair drop with this."

Then there was the random skill the System had promised. Another notification popped up.

Skill Acquired: Detect (Common)

Description: Detects hidden enemies or traps within a 10-meter radius.

• MP Cost: 10

• Cooldown: 15 seconds

"Detect, huh?" Jin-Woo rubbed his chin, inspecting the skill. "Not flashy, but useful. Can't complain about knowing when something's about to bite me."

Satisfied with the rewards, Jin-Woo sheathed his daggers and stretched, wincing slightly at the soreness in his muscles. The fight with the Shadow Beast had pushed him to his limit, but the loot and experience had been worth it.

"Alright," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Time to cash in."

Jin-Woo flagged down a taxi outside the warehouse, tossing his gear into the back seat as he climbed in. The driver, a wiry man in his forties, glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

"You're a Hunter?" the driver asked, his tone curious.

"Something like that," Jin-Woo replied, leaning back. "Why?"

The driver chuckled. "You don't look like one. Most Hunters have that… intimidating aura. You look like you just came back from the gym."

Jin-Woo smirked. "Guess I missed the memo. I'll work on my 'intimidating aura.'"

The driver laughed, the sound filling the otherwise quiet ride. They arrived at the Hunter Association building shortly after, its sleek, modern design standing out against the drab cityscape. Jin-Woo handed over the fare and stepped out, his mind already focused on the task ahead.

Inside, the lobby buzzed with activity. Hunters of all ranks mingled, their conversations a mix of banter, mission discussions, and the occasional brag. Jin-Woo ignored the noise, heading straight for the appraisal counter.

The receptionist, a young woman with a professional smile, greeted him. "Welcome. How can I help you today?"

"I've got some Monster Cores and materials to sell," Jin-Woo said, placing the glowing cores and the Shadow Beast Pelt on the counter.

The receptionist's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the Boss Grade Core, its faint luminescence catching her attention. "This is… from a boss?"

"Yeah," Jin-Woo said casually. "F-Rank Dungeon."

The receptionist nodded, quickly typing into her terminal. "One moment while I appraise these."

After a few moments, the appraisal results appeared on the screen.

Appraised Items:

1. F-Rank Monster Core (x4): 10,000 won each.

2. F-Rank Monster Core (Boss Grade): 50,000 won.

3. Uncommon Shadow Beast Pelt: 100,000 won.

Total: 190,000 won.

Jin-Woo glanced at the slip she handed him and let out a low whistle. "Not bad. Guess all that bleeding was worth it."

The receptionist smiled as she handed him the cash. "Thank you for using our services. Let us know if you have more materials to appraise."

Jin-Woo pocketed the cash, nodding. "Will do."

As he turned to leave, a group of Hunters lounging nearby caught sight of him. One of them—a tall, burly man with a massive axe strapped to his back—grinned and called out.

"Hey, kid! You coming back from a dungeon?"

"Something like that," Jin-Woo replied, his tone neutral.

The man laughed, his companions joining in. "You don't look like much. F-Rank?"

"Something like that," Jin-Woo repeated, his voice dry.

"Man, F-Ranks are really scraping the bottom of the barrel these days," the man said, shaking his head. "You sure you didn't get carried by your team?"

"No team," Jin-Woo said simply, his gaze steady. "Just me."

The laughter died down as the group stared at him, their expressions shifting from amusement to curiosity. Jin-Woo shrugged and turned away. "See you around."

By the time Jin-Woo returned home, the day was winding down. He stepped into the small apartment, greeted by the familiar smell of home-cooked food. Jin-Ah was already in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared dinner.

"Oppa!" she called out, poking her head around the corner. "You're home!"

"Yeah," Jin-Woo said, kicking off his boots. "How was school?"

"Boring," she said, rolling her eyes. "How was your day? Did you find work?"

"Something like that," he replied, smirking. "Made some money, at least."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Does that mean we can eat something better tonight?"

"Sure," he said, walking into the kitchen. "You cook, I'll clean."

"Deal," she said, grinning.

That night, the siblings sat across from each other, their small table filled with simple but hearty food. Jin-Woo listened as Jin-Ah talked about her day, her energy lifting the mood.

"And then Mr. Choi gave us this huge project," she said, gesturing dramatically. "Everyone groaned, but I already finished it!"

"Overachiever," Jin-Woo teased, earning a playful glare.

"What about you?" she asked, tilting her head. "Anything interesting happen?"

Jin-Woo hesitated, his mind flashing back to the dungeon, the boss fight, and the Shadow Beast now resting in his shadow. "Nothing much," he said, smiling faintly. "Just… figuring things out."

"Well, whatever it is," she said, grinning. "You're doing great, Oppa."

He chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Thanks, Jin-Ah."

As the night wore on, Jin-Woo felt a rare sense of peace. For the first time in a long while, he wasn't just surviving. He was growing, step by step, into something more.