The Author of the Apocalypse

Seoul, March 2nd, 2025, 02:45

Yun Ha-jin stood at the entrance to Sinsa Station, staring down at his vibrating phone. The screen lit up, displaying the following:

✦ Total Coins: 920 ✦

✦ Level: 2 ✦

✦ Fear Energy: 80 units ✦

✦ New Item: "Shadow Key" - Activates hidden properties of controlled objects. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame craves more. ✦

✦ Dancing in the Shadows watches with interest. ✦

He rolled the Shadow Key between his fingers, examining the crimson veins within. There was something strange about it—not just an item, but something alive, pulsing in time with the nest beneath his feet. Ha-jin slipped it into his pocket as a scream echoed from the distance—sharp, filled with pain.

Kim Min-su was still there, near the shattered subway entrance. His group had dwindled to two: himself and a short-haired woman clutching a bloodstained metal rod. Hounds circled them, but didn't attack—the Guardian held them back with its mere presence.

—"You won't get away with this!" Min-su yelled, his voice trembling with rage. He limped, the wound on his leg bleeding freely, but his sword was still gripped tight in his hand.

Ha-jin turned to him, eyes narrowing lazily. —"I will. You'll stay here and die."

But before Min-su could retort, a new sound sliced through the air—high-pitched, whistling, like wind through wires. A shadow descended upon the subway, too fast for a Hound, too organic for a machine. It plummeted downwards, landing between Ha-jin and Min-su with enough force to crack the asphalt.

03:00

Before them stood a figure—tall, slender, cloaked in a long coat woven from black feathers. A hood obscured their face, but two bright yellow eyes, like those of a predatory bird, gleamed from beneath. In their hand, they held a slender staff topped with a crystal similar to the Shadow Key, but radiating gold.

—"Well, boys, having fun?" The voice was feminine, melodic, laced with amusement. She stepped forward, the feathers of her cloak rustling like living things. —"I thought I was the only one who knew how to throw a party like this."

Ha-jin tensed. The System reacted instantly:

✦ Participant has appeared: Choi Yeon-a. ✦

✦ Class: "Wind Whisperer." ✦

✦ Level: 4. ✦

✦ Whisper of Storms greets its chosen one. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame is displeased by your hesitation. ✦

—"Choi Yeon-a," Ha-jin repeated, testing the name on his tongue. —"And what do you want?"

She tilted her head, eyes glinting. —"Oh, nothing much. Just heard a commotion and decided to investigate. And look what I found! A nest, a Guardian, a pile of corpses… And you," she pointed her staff at him, —"some psycho with a knife who thinks he's in charge."

—"I am in charge," Ha-jin stepped closer, gripping his knife tighter. —"Leave while you can."

—"Ooh, scary," Yeon-a laughed, and her staff flared with golden light. A blast of wind slammed into Ha-jin, sending him sprawling several feet back. He crashed into the cafe wall, cursing under his breath.

✦ Damage received: -10% HP. ✦

✦ Current HP: 90%. ✦

The Guardian lunged at her, but Yeon-a flicked her staff, and a whirlwind enveloped the creature, lifting it into the air. She snapped her fingers, and the Guardian plummeted back to earth, crashing into the asphalt with a sickening thud.

—"A bit weak for a boss, don't you think?" she smirked, looking at Ha-jin. —"Is that all you've got?"

03:15

Ha-jin pushed himself up, brushing dust from his trench coat. This woman was infuriating—her voice, her laughter, her arrogance. He focused, feeling the heat building in his chest. Reality twisted, and a shadow spike erupted before Yeon-a, hurtling towards her.

✦ "Reality Rewrite": Shadow Spike created. ✦

✦ Fear Energy: -20 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 60 units. ✦

But she merely waved her staff, and the spike shattered, dispersed by the wind.

—"Cute, but predictable," Yeon-a said, winking. —"Let me show you how it's done."

She raised her staff, and the sky above the subway darkened. The wind swirled into a vortex, pulling in smoke, debris, even the Hounds. The whirlwind slammed into the nest, tearing at its shadows. The crystal at the center pulsed, radiating waves of darkness, but Yeon-a just laughed.

—"Oops, looks like I made it angry!" she shouted as the nest began to crack.

Ha-jin gritted his teeth. This woman was ruining everything. He reached into his pocket, activating the Shadow Key. The crystal in his palm flared, and the Guardian rose, lunging at Yeon-a with renewed ferocity. Simultaneously, he rewrote reality, creating a wall of shadows behind her, cutting off her escape route.

✦ "Reality Rewrite": Shadow Wall created. ✦

✦ Fear Energy: -30 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 30 units. ✦

✦ "Shadow Key" activated: Shadow Guardian empowered. ✦

The Guardian swiped, but Yeon-a dodged, leaping upwards with inhuman agility. She landed on the shadow wall, balancing precariously on the edge, and jabbed her staff at the air. A blast of wind slammed into the Guardian, sending it reeling back towards the subway entrance.

—"Not bad!" she shouted. —"But I'm still better!"

03:30

Kim Min-su seized the opportunity. While Ha-jin and Yeon-a were occupied, he and the woman retreated towards a nearby building, taking cover behind a pile of rubble. Ha-jin noticed their movement peripherally, but he had other concerns—Yeon-a was pressing her attack.

She leaped from the wall, her cloak flaring open, releasing dozens of black feathers. Each feather transformed into a razor-sharp blade, hurtling towards Ha-jin. He dodged the first three, but the fourth grazed his shoulder.

✦ Damage received: -15% HP. ✦

✦ Current HP: 75%. ✦

—"Damn it!" he growled, pulling the feather free. Blood trickled down his arm, but he didn't flinch.

—"Did you think this was hide-and-seek?" Yeon-a giggled, twirling her staff. —"Come on, psycho, surprise me again!"

Ha-jin gripped the Shadow Key, feeling the nest respond to his anger. He rewrote reality once more—the ground beneath Yeon-a cracked, erupting in a field of shadow spikes aimed directly at her.

✦ "Reality Rewrite": Spike Field created. ✦

✦ Fear Energy: -30 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 0 units. ✦

Yeon-a leaped back, but one spike grazed her cloak, tearing a jagged rip in the fabric. She landed, looking at him with mock outrage. —"That was my favorite cloak, you idiot!"

The nest suddenly pulsed violently, and a new roar erupted from its depths—louder than before. The shadows coalesced, and something massive began to rise from the subway entrance.

✦ Elite Monster has appeared: "Shadow Sovereign." ✦

✦ Objective: Destroy or subdue. ✦

Yeon-a whistled. —"Whoa, you really know how to party."

03:45

The Shadow Sovereign was a behemoth—twice the size of the Guardian, with a body of swirling black smoke and spines protruding from its back like a forest of spears. Its eyes burned brighter than the Hounds', and each of its massive paws left cracks in the ground.

Ha-jin stepped back, feeling his fear energy depleted. Yeon-a, on the other hand, stepped forward, raising her staff. The whirlwind around her intensified, gathering strength.

—"Hey, psycho, don't just stand there!" she shouted. —"Are you afraid of getting your little knife dirty?"

—"Shut up," Ha-jin snarled, but his insides churned. This woman was a thorn in his side—loud, fast, and insufferable.

The Sovereign slammed a paw down, and the ground shuddered. Yeon-a dodged, unleashing a flurry of feather-blades. They struck the creature, but it only roared louder. Ha-jin gripped the Shadow Key, trying to subdue the monster like he had the Guardian, but nothing happened—he didn't have enough energy.

—"Weakling!" Yeon-a laughed, darting around the Sovereign like a bird. Her whirlwind struck again, tearing a chunk of shadow from the monster's form.

Ha-jin gritted his teeth. He hated her. Hated her laughter, her confidence, her power. But right now, he needed to survive. He retreated towards the nest, drawing on the residual fear from the distant screams.

✦ Fear Energy: +20 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 20 units. ✦

He rewrote reality one last time, creating a wall of shadows between himself and the Sovereign.

✦ "Reality Rewrite": Shadow Wall created. ✦

✦ Fear Energy: -20 units. ✦

✦ Remaining: 0 units. ✦

The wall held against the Sovereign's attack, but it cracked. Yeon-a continued her assault, her whirlwind spinning faster and faster.

04:00

The fight had raged for half an hour. The Shadow Sovereign was weakening, but it wasn't giving up. Yeon-a looked tired—her movements had slowed, her cloak was tattered. Ha-jin stood apart, waiting. The Guardian lay nearby, crushed beneath the Sovereign's massive paw.

Kim Min-su and the woman were still hiding, but their presence could be felt—fear trickled from them like a thin stream.

Yeon-a turned to Ha-jin, breathing heavily. —"Well, psycho, are you going to help or just keep hiding?"

—"I'm not hiding," he replied coldly. —"I'm thinking."

—"Thinking, he says!" she rolled her eyes. —"Fine, then watch and learn."

She raised her staff, and the whirlwind exploded, engulfing the Sovereign. The creature roared, its form beginning to disintegrate. Ha-jin slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping the Shadow Key. He wasn't about to let her have the victory.

The shadows around them trembled, and a new sound emerged from the depths of the subway—low, rhythmic, like footsteps.

✦ Objective failed: Shadow Sovereign destroyed by participant Choi Yeon-a. ✦

✦ Reward split: 250 coins to participant Yun Ha-jin. ✦

✦ Total coins: 1170. ✦

✦ Whisper of Storms rejoices. ✦

✦ Midnight Flame is disappointed by your inaction. ✦

Yeon-a lowered her staff, smirking. —"See? I'm better."

Ha-jin remained silent, staring at the nest. The footsteps grew louder, and something dark stirred in the depths of the subway.