Chapter 13 – When the Shadows Stir
The moment Jae-Hyun stepped onto Floor 21, something felt… off.
The air carried a heavy stillness, different from the lower floors where the system’s familiar notifications greeted him with mechanical indifference. Here, the silence pressed against his ears, almost as if the Tower itself was observing him. The terrain stretched wide—an abandoned ruin swallowed by creeping vines and cracked stonework, remnants of a forgotten civilization lost to time. The faint scent of damp earth and old decay mixed with something sharper—blood, recent and fresh.
System Notification:
You have entered Floor 21. Proceed with caution.
Jae-Hyun rolled his shoulders, his coat shifting with his movement as he scanned the area. No immediate threats in sight, but he wasn’t naïve enough to trust the quiet. His grip tightened on his blade as he took his first step forward.
The attack came swiftly.
A blur of motion erupted from the ruins, a pack of monstrous figures tearing through the shadows with terrifying coordination. Their elongated bodies moved low to the ground, jagged claws scraping against the ancient stone as ten sets of glowing yellow eyes locked onto him.
Howling Stalkers.
They weren’t just attacking—they were flanking him, moving in a half-circle formation to cut off his escape routes.
Jae-Hyun exhaled sharply. Here we go.
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Jae-Hyun wasted no time. He flicked his fingers, and shadows surged forth, forming into his spectral warriors. His summoned shades materialized around him, dark figures with gleaming eyes, ready to engage.
His sword flashed in the dim light, cleaving through the first Howling Stalker as it lunged. The beast let out a sharp yelp before dissolving into dust. The others didn’t hesitate—they rushed him in unison.
His shadows intercepted, clashing with the pack in a storm of violent motion. The smaller stalkers were quick but reckless—easy prey for his well-trained summons. One of his shades lured in a beast before cutting it down, while another held off two attackers, creating an opening for Jae-Hyun to strike.
A deep growl sounded from the side—a larger Howling Stalker with an orange-hued name. The leader.
The pack shifted as the leader let out a chilling howl, their movements growing more aggressive. They were working together under its command, their once scattered attacks now focused and deliberate.
Jae-Hyun smirked. Finally, a little structure. He adjusted his stance and rushed forward.
Rather than getting bogged down, Jae-Hyun went for precision. He took out the smaller stalkers first, thinning their numbers to prevent them from overwhelming him. His shadows mirrored his movements, ensuring that the battlefield remained controlled.
With each swift movement, the yellow-named creatures fell with relative ease, leaving only their leader standing. The orange-named beast circled him cautiously. It lunged, its claws glowing faintly as it aimed for his exposed side. Jae-Hyun barely shifted his weight, deflecting the strike with the edge of his blade.
One of his shadows darted forward, slicing across the beast’s side, staggering it. Taking advantage of the opening, Jae-Hyun surged ahead—his blade finding its mark, piercing through the leader’s throat.
The leader collapsed, fading into particles, but the battle was far from over. More howls echoed through the ruins as another pack of Howling Stalkers emerged from the shadows, their numbers just as strong as the first.
Jae-Hyun sighed, adjusting his grip. So that’s how it’s going to be.
Wave after wave, the monsters attacked. His shadows worked in tandem with him, keeping the pack from overwhelming him completely. But as the minutes stretched on, he began to feel the toll of the continuous battles. His stamina, which usually held up fine, was dipping lower than expected. His mana, while not fully depleted, was draining at a concerning pace.
As the last stalker dissolved into nothingness, fatigue crept into his muscles, the lingering burn of overused mana settling deep. Then, silence finally returned. The eerie stillness of the ruins stretched around him, broken only by his steady breaths. He glanced around, noting how the once-threatening shadows now felt strangely hollow in the aftermath. A few moments passed before a faint shimmer flickered at the center of the battlefield—the passage to the next floor had appeared.
System Notification:
Floor 21 pack cleared. Proceed forward or exit the Tower.
Jae-Hyun took a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. That fight had taken more out of him than expected. His mana reserves weren’t depleted, but they had drained faster than usual. Even his stamina, which usually remained steady through prolonged battles, felt noticeably reduced.
He frowned, glancing at his surroundings. This wasn’t a matter of difficulty—it was a matter of pacing. If every floor past this point followed the same trend, then simply pushing forward wasn’t an option. He needed to manage his resources better.
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It’s late anyway. I’ve seen what I needed to.
With that, he made his way to the floor’s exit, stepping into the glowing portal that would take him back to the Tower’s entrance. There was no point in pushing further today—it wasn’t worth it since it was already so late and he was exhausted.
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Jae-Hyun stepped through the shimmering portal and emerged into the familiar entrance hall of the Tower. The transition from the eerie silence of Floor 21 to the bustling atmosphere of the lobby was jarring—adventurers moving in clusters, discussing their climbs, and murmuring about the ongoing battle for dominance over Floor 50.
Snippets of conversation caught his ear as he strode forward.
"Aegis Legion is pushing to claim first rights over the Floor 50 boss..."
"Shadow Dominion is staying quiet, but you know they’re scheming."
"Crimson Blades’ leader is already here. The real question is—what’s he planning?"
Jae-Hyun ignored the chatter, but one thing was clear—the top guilds were desperate for the prestige that came with conquering Floor 50. And if the Crimson Blades’ leader was here, that meant he was bound to run into him soon.
And then it happened.
A wave of suffocating pressure crashed into him, sudden and overwhelming. Jae-Hyun's breath hitched, his body instinctively tensing, as if his instincts recognized something his mind hadn’t yet processed. The moment he took another step, a deep, booming voice cut through the noise of the hall.
"Oi. You. Come here."
Jae-Hyun barely had time to adjust before he felt it again—this wasn’t just aura suppression, this was dominance.
Towering near the entrance was a colossus of a man—Crimson Blades’ leader. Thick muscle corded his frame, and his sheer presence demanded attention. His sharp, chiseled features were set into an expression of amusement, yet there was something piercing in his gaze, something that made it impossible to ignore him.
The other adventurers in the lobby instinctively stepped aside. No one wanted to stand too close to him.
Jae-Hyun kept his expression neutral, locking eyes with the man who had singled him out. "What’s wrong?" he asked evenly.
The man let out a low chuckle, stepping forward with the confidence of someone who never had to second-guess himself. "People might think you’re going alone to the lower floors because they can’t feel your aura properly. But I can. What floor have you reached?"
Jae-Hyun knew better than to show hesitation. "You’re mistaken," he said, brushing it off.
But the leader’s gaze didn’t waver. Instead, his smirk twisted into something more dangerous. The weight of his aura intensified—suffocating, absolute.
"Do you think you can lie to me just like that?" His voice, though casual, carried an edge sharp enough to cut through steel.
For the first time in a long while, Jae-Hyun felt his instincts screaming at him—not from fear, but from sheer recognition of overwhelming strength.
Jae-Hyun gritted his teeth, feeling the crushing weight of the leader’s aura pressing down on him. His body screamed at him to answer, but his pride resisted for just a moment longer. Then, finally, he exhaled, adjusting his coat slightly before speaking. "I’ve cleared up to Floor 19."
Instantly, the suffocating aura vanished. The oppressive tension that had seized the air dissipated as quickly as it had arrived.
The Crimson Blades’ leader laughed—a deep, genuine sound, as if they had just shared an inside joke. "See? That wasn’t so hard! Seems like you and I are going to be good friends!" He clapped Jae-Hyun on the shoulder with enough force to make others stagger. "Figures you couldn’t get past Floor 20 alone. The boss’s rage phase is brutal. I personally never go in alone—you never know what could happen."
Jae-Hyun held back a reaction, offering a small, unreadable smirk. "Right."
The leader then crossed his arms, nodding approvingly as if he had already made a decision. "You’re sharp, strong, and got guts. I like that. Why don’t you join Crimson Blades? You’d fit right in."
Jae-Hyun didn’t hesitate. "I’m not interested."
Silence followed for a beat, and then another chuckle rumbled from the massive man. "I guess a lone wolf will always be a lone wolf, huh?" He shook his head, grinning. "Well, can’t say I didn’t try."
Jae-Hyun kept his expression unreadable, but deep inside, he knew this wouldn’t be the last time they crossed paths.
As Jae-Hyun turned to leave, the leader stood with his arms crossed, watching him go with an amused smirk. “Don’t wait too long to reconsider, lone wolf.”
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Jae-Hyun stepped out of the Tower, the crisp night air brushing against his skin. The tension from his encounter with the Crimson Blades’ leader still lingered in his mind, but he forced himself to push it aside. What mattered now was recovery.
He pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up with multiple missed messages. Most were from Mi-Rae, the texts sitting unread for hours. With a sigh, he leaned against the railing of a nearby walkway, fingers hovering over the screen before he finally began typing.
Their conversation was brief, but direct. He told her the truth—everything except the system. He explained how Tae-Jun and their father had drugged him and left him to die in the Hollow Dreadlands, how he had survived on his own. In return, Mi-Rae shared her own news.
She had awakened as a Rank A, though she still needed to go through official ranking procedures in the coming months. Though her words were short, he could sense the underlying frustration—her potential was being held back, controlled.
Her last message read simply: "I still can’t believe you’re alive… I want to see you soon. There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t know where to start."
Jae-Hyun locked his phone, inhaling deeply. He had known this day would come, but something about it felt heavier than expected.
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He turned toward the main road, ready to return to his hotel and rest, but before he could take another step, his phone vibrated again.
Ahri: "You done being mysterious? Meet me at the usual spot. You owe me dinner."
Jae-Hyun smirked, shaking his head. He considered declining—he was exhausted, and the night had already been long. But then he thought about Ahri. About how much she had lost. Resetting all her power, rebuilding herself from nothing while watching others climb ahead. If it had been him, would he have been able to endure that?
With a sigh, he typed his response.That couldn’t have been easy.
Jae-Hyun: "Fine. But I’m heading back to my hotel first to change. I’ll meet you there."
Ahri: "Good. Don’t be late."
Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he made his way toward the hotel. The city streets were quieter at this hour, the usual bustle dimmed to soft murmurs of late-night adventurers and traders finishing their rounds.
The lobby of his hotel was almost empty, and he took the elevator to his floor without issue. Once inside his room, he exhaled, rolling his shoulders as he pulled off his coat. The exhaustion was setting in now, but before heading out, there was something he needed to check.