NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Echoes of the Nexus
Kang Jiho spent the next few hours weaving through the darkened city, using shadows as his unseen highway. The encounter with Lee Areum and the Silver Fang Guild had complicated matters, though not unexpectedly. Jiho knew that someone of her caliber wouldn't just let things slide.
"They're going to hound me now," Jiho muttered, his voice carrying faint amusement. He paused on the rooftop of a run-down building, gazing at the sprawling skyline. The city lights flickered like stars, but beneath the surface, he could feel the faint pull of the Nexus. It was subtle—almost like a whisper in his bones—but it was there, leading him onward.
The Nexus was waking up. And Jiho knew he had little time to rest.
Jiho's system chimed softly:
Nexus Coordinates Updated.
Nearest Fragment Location Detected: Undergrowth Mall, Level B3.
His eyebrows lifted slightly. The Undergrowth Mall? That place has been abandoned for years.
Every local knew the story: a once-bustling underground shopping center that abruptly closed down after several structural collapses and "unexplained incidents." People whispered that something unnatural lingered there, though no one dared investigate.
"Typical dungeon nonsense," Jiho said, stretching his limbs as he prepared to move. "Always in the creepy places."
With a fluid step, Jiho melted into the nearest shadow, his body vanishing entirely as he traveled through the labyrinth of darkness.
The Undergrowth Mall
By the time Jiho arrived, the eerie quiet of the mall pressed against him like a physical weight. He stood at the entrance, peering into the cavernous darkness stretching below. The escalators leading to the basement levels were long broken, their metal skeletons rusted and warped.
Jiho adjusted his coat, muttering, "The things I do for secrets."
The air grew colder as he descended the cracked stairs into Level B1. The place reeked of mildew and decay, the once-vibrant storefronts now hollowed out like empty shells. Jiho's boots echoed softly on the tiled floor as he moved cautiously, the glow of his violet-tinted eyes sharpening against the dark.
Something's here.
The faint tug of the Nexus energy was stronger now, like a heartbeat in the distance. Jiho followed it, descending deeper and deeper into the ruined mall. Level B2 was worse—chunks of concrete littered the ground, and flickering lightbulbs cast warped shadows across the walls.
But as Jiho stepped onto Level B3, the air shifted.
It was heavier. Thicker. Like the space itself was holding its breath.
The system chimed abruptly:
Nexus Fragment Detected.
Threat Level: A-Rank.
"A-Rank?" Jiho's lips curled into a faint grin. "At least it's not S this time."
But the moment he moved forward, the floor rumbled. Jiho's eyes narrowed as faint cracks spiderwebbed across the tiles, and from the fissures, black mist began to seep out—slowly, deliberately.
That's not good.
The mist coalesced in front of Jiho, swirling until it formed the shape of a massive, hulking creature. It had no distinct features—just an enormous body made entirely of shadows, its glowing red eyes fixed firmly on Jiho.
"Intruder…"
Its voice echoed like a deep vibration through the air. Jiho stood his ground, his hand resting casually on his dagger as he tilted his head. "You guardians need better vocabulary."
The creature's eyes flared. Tendrils of darkness erupted from its back, lashing toward Jiho at terrifying speed. Jiho vanished, slipping into the shadows beneath him just before impact.
Reappearing behind the creature, Jiho lunged forward, his spectral dagger glowing faintly with violet light. "Rule Bender: Pierce Nexus Core."
He struck, the dagger sinking deep into the creature's form. But instead of dissipating, the monster absorbed the blow, the shadows rippling like liquid around the blade.
"Figures," Jiho muttered, leaping back as the creature swung an enormous fist at him, smashing the ground where he had stood moments before.
The system chimed:
Weakness Identified: Central Shadow Core.
Jiho's gaze sharpened. Hidden deep in the creature's chest, a faint glow pulsed—its core. There.
The battle turned relentless. The creature attacked with a primal fury, its tendrils lashing and fists pounding, each strike strong enough to shatter stone. Jiho dodged and weaved through the onslaught, relying on Shadow Veil to avoid fatal blows.
He reappeared, skidding across the ground as dust and debris rose into the air. "If I can't cut you directly…" Jiho exhaled, his voice steady. "I'll just control the battlefield."
He activated Rule Bender again. "Solidify Shadows."
The black mist surrounding them froze in place like hardened glass. The creature snarled as its movements slowed, the hardened shadows binding its limbs. Jiho didn't waste the opportunity.
He charged forward, his dagger crackling with Nexus energy.
"Rule Bender: Break Nexus Core!"
With a final, precise strike, Jiho drove the blade into the creature's chest, piercing its glowing core. The beast let out a deafening roar as its form unraveled, the shadows dispersing into nothingness.
The room fell silent. Jiho straightened, brushing dust off his coat as the system chimed:
Nexus Fragment Secured.
New Skill Acquired: Shadow Convergence.
Jiho smirked faintly, feeling the new power hum faintly within him. "Another step forward."
As the last remnants of the guardian faded, a staircase appeared at the back of the chamber, descending even deeper. Jiho frowned, his instincts prickling.
The Nexus doesn't let go this easily.
Meanwhile…
In a darkened room far above the Undergrowth Mall, Lee Areum stood with a tablet in her hands, her expression grave. On the screen was a live energy map of the abandoned mall.
"Captain," one of her subordinates said hesitantly, "the readings are off the charts. An A-Rank Gate is stabilizing—and something's moving deeper."
Areum's grip on the tablet tightened. "It's him again."
She turned to her team, her voice sharp. "Get everyone ready. We're going in."