Clack, clack, clack, clack!
Go Yeon-ju stormed down the stairs with fierce determination.
Her shadowed face was so expressionless it sent a chill down anyone’s spine.
Hidden in the darkness, her deadly aura seemed to say one thing loud and clear:
“Let just one of you cross my path.”
Whoever dared block her way wouldn’t live to see a good outcome.
At the bottom of the stairs, Go Yeon-ju fixed her gaze on a massive cavern ahead.
In the cold, underground air, her sharp eyes flashed like blades.
Two men standing at the entrance immediately turned around, reacting to her lethal presence.
“Wh-who…!”
Both drew their weapons simultaneously and took defensive stances in an instant—credit where it’s due.
Then, the man on the left, having confirmed the intruder, suddenly groaned.
Being part of the Salmun, he couldn’t be unaware of who she was.
“Th-the Queen of Shadows…?”
“How did you get here…?”
His eyes, glowing a wolfish blue, narrowed sharply.
Both men gritted their teeth.
It was painfully obvious why Go Yeon-ju had come.
“Step aside.”
“That’s impossible…”
The man on the right answered this time, his voice strained but resolute, as if he had to say it.
“You used to be like a god to us… but now, you’re…”
“Oh?”
Before he could finish, Go Yeon-ju’s shadow flickered wildly, splitting into two.
Seeing this, the man reflexively shoved his comrade against the wall.
The pushed man glanced around nervously but didn’t resist further, pressing himself against the stone.
Go Yeon-ju scoffed and strode through the gap, entering the cavern with a cold sneer.
“You still catch on fast, Sun-woo.”
As the dimly lit space revealed itself under the flickering torches mounted on the walls, the rough path she walked twisted and branched like tangled tree roots—an intricate ant’s nest of tunnels.
And it was utterly silent.
Only the occasional drip of water falling from the ceiling broke the stillness.
Go Yeon-ju didn’t turn back once.
She pressed forward until another large cavern appeared.
The only difference from the entrance was a massive door blocking the way.
It looked incredibly thick, but Go Yeon-ju didn’t hesitate—she slammed it open roughly.
The heavy iron door screeched and sparked as it swung wide.
Amid the grating noise, Go Yeon-ju’s sharp gaze swept the chamber.
Inside, a cross-shaped fire blazed fiercely.
In front of the hearth stood a cluttered table with a few chairs.
Two users sat at the rough stone table.
A silver-haired man sat calmly, while behind him, Neul Seol-yeong stood politely.
Both turned their eyes toward the door as Go Yeon-ju stepped inside.
Salmun Lord spoke quietly.
“You’ve weakened.”
The shadow that had paused now stirred again.
As the distance closed, Neul Seol-yeong spread all ten fingers, a hint of tension on his face.
But Go Yeon-ju paid no mind and stood before the table.
“If you were the old you, you wouldn’t care about hostages. But you didn’t. That’s your weakness.”
Salmun Lord smiled faintly at Go Yeon-ju’s half-lidded eyes.
His once softly glowing pupils dimmed back to their usual dull shade.
“Still the same. That unpleasant look in your eyes.”
Go Yeon-ju spoke as if ready to devour him, then plopped down opposite him.
Neul Seol-yeong’s fingers remained pointed at her.
No matter what anyone said, this was the Queen of Shadows.
Anything could change in the blink of an eye.
“So, how did you find this place? Or rather, you expected I’d come?”
“Shut up. I didn’t come here to chat with you.”
“Oh? Did you bring a shadow with you? That’s unexpected. I thought you’d gotten rid of all your shadows…”
“I said shut up. Answer my questions.”
Clink.
A chilling metallic sound echoed.
Go Yeon-ju plunged a silver-white dagger deep into the table.
A silent warning.
“I have two questions. Answer honestly, and I might go easy on you.”
Her voice was flat, devoid of any inflection.
The eerie tone was more of a command than a request.
Still, Salmun Lord smirked as if daring her to try.
“Who are you?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Why?”
“I don’t understand.”
Salmun Lord joked.
“You forgot the when, where, what, and how, sister.”
Neul Seol-yeong slipped in with a sly smile, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“…Hoo.”
Go Yeon-ju sighed deeply and lowered her head slightly.
Her pale ash-colored hair spilled down like a curtain, hiding her face.
“…Even if I ask again, the answer won’t change, right?”
“You know that better than anyone.”
Still bowed, Go Yeon-ju clenched the dagger in the table until it crumbled.
Neul Seol-yeong watched her every move intently.
Salmun Lord, who had let out a low whistle, now looked intrigued.
Without a twitch, he stared silently at her.
For a brief moment, a tense, explosive energy passed between the three.
Just as it was about to erupt—
Tap, tap, tap.
Clear footsteps echoed.
The standoff froze.
Salmun Lord and Neul Seol-yeong instinctively turned toward the door.
As if on cue, their faces showed surprise.
Even Go Yeon-ju’s eyes widened.
The man walking across the room was none other than Kim Soo-hyun.
“You…?”
Neul Seol-yeong’s mouth dropped open.
No one expected him to come here, let alone enter so boldly.
Salmun Lord quickly glanced at Go Yeon-ju.
She, too, couldn’t hide her shock.
She didn’t look like she was putting on a show, which only confused Salmun Lord more.
If she found this place on her own, that made even less sense.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun sat down beside Go Yeon-ju without a word, leaning back slowly and crossing his legs.
“Go Yeon-ju.”
“…Yes?”
“I’m telling you now: don’t move until I say so.”
“What…?”
Cutting off any protest, Kim Soo-hyun lit a cigarette and rummaged through his coat.
After a sharp tsk, he tapped the table and leaned in, smoke curling from his lips.
“Light that fire over there.”
Without touching it, the table twitched slightly.
Click, sizzle.
A flint was flicked from the right, igniting the cigarette.
Neul Seol-yeong, feigning calm, grinned broadly.
Kim Soo-hyun glanced sideways, exhaling a long plume of smoke as he surveyed the room.
“Feels like the first time I’m seeing you in person, Salmun Lord.”
“Hmm.”
Salmun Lord shook his head slightly.
He was already caught off guard by Kim Soo-hyun’s pace.
Moments later, Kim Soo-hyun placed a bag on the table and slid it forward.
Salmun Lord glanced at it.
A baby Chaos Mimic.
“What’s this?”
“A gift.”
Kim Soo-hyun answered plainly.
“A gift?”
“Well, it’s a start. After all, he’s my father-in-law.”
The two women exchanged incredulous looks, while Salmun Lord chuckled softly.
“Mercenary Lord… ha ha. Quite an interesting fellow.”
He laughed low and nodded, opening the box eagerly.
Then, his movements froze.
A familiar, pungent stench wafted out.
A fishy, foul smell.
He shook the box upside down gently, and severed body parts tumbled out.
Still dripping fresh blood.
The bodies of the two men who had stood at the entrance.
“Did you like the gift?”
A voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Quite low quality.”
Surprisingly, Salmun Lord calmly closed the box.
He pushed the baby Chaos Mimic back inside and clasped his fingers tightly.
“More than that, I’m curious why you’ve come all this way.”
Kim Soo-hyun smiled faintly.
“It stings a bit hearing that from the perpetrator.”
“Oh? Wasn’t that matter already settled?”
Neul Seol-yeong chimed in, singing his words.
“I gave you plenty of evidence, too. You can’t be doing this here. What about my report that the job was done well?”
He shrugged without changing expression.
But Kim Soo-hyun just shook his head.
He hadn’t come here to expose the real culprit.
More importantly, he had nothing to hide now.
“Anyway… thanks to you, things got pretty complicated.”
“So?”
Kim Soo-hyun crossed his arms, as if daring them to say what they wanted.
“I thought it over. We were attacked, the kids got hurt. I couldn’t just let it slide. But…”
He paused, glancing once at Salmun Lord and once at Neul Seol-yeong.
“First, I want an apology.”
“…What?”
A sigh of disbelief escaped.
“An apology?”
“All right, an apology.”
With a strange expression, Neul Seol-yeong suddenly covered her mouth with one hand and let out a soft chuckle.
“W-what? You want us to beg for forgiveness? Seriously? Have you lost your mind?”
“Not at all. Lord Salmun officially apologizes…”
“Kik!”
“…Well, you can take it as a personal apology from me. If you do that, I might cut you some slack. Because you guys seem somewhat useful, and there’s also Go Yeon-ju’s face to consider.”
Neul Seol-yeong’s shoulders trembled as she tried to hold back laughter, but then she burst into loud, uncontrollable guffaws.
Her laughter abruptly stopped, and she suddenly opened her eyes wide and moved her hand.
But she had to freeze immediately—Kim Soo-hyun and Lord Salmun simultaneously gestured in opposite directions.
When she glanced down subtly, she saw shadows swaying gently.
“Step back, Neul Seol-yeong.”
“I told you not to move, Go Yeon-ju.”
The two women obediently retreated, and silence fell.
Lord Salmun was the first to break it.
He stared at Kim Soo-hyun for a moment, then spoke leisurely.
“Mercenary Lord. If you don’t mind, may I offer some advice?”
“…?”
“I know. You’re quite skilled—maybe even more so than Go Yeon-ju. But you see…”
“…”
“This is the shadows.”
“…”
For the first time, a smile appeared on Lord Salmun’s lips.
“And it’s our home ground. You might have built a reputation outside, but this place is fundamentally different.”
Suddenly, Kim Soo-hyun bowed his head slightly and pressed his lips tightly together, as if desperately holding back a smile.
Lord Salmun’s eyebrows twitched.
“If that’s not the case, are you really putting your faith in the shadow queen beside you?”
“…”
“Whatever it is, if you keep up that attitude, you’ll be dead soon. I guarantee it.”
“Lord Salmun.”
Kim Soo-hyun cut him off, clearly unwilling to listen any longer.
He uncrossed his arms and legs, rested his elbows on the table, then leaned forward slightly.
“There’s one under the table, four behind you, two on the ceiling, two more under the door… Honestly, you’re hiding everywhere.”
His gaze darkened instantly.
His pitch-black eyes began to glow faintly red.
“Are you seriously trusting these incompetent fools and the 217 security devices installed in this hideout?”
At that moment, Lord Salmun visibly faltered.
His eyes betrayed disbelief.
A user skilled in magic detection could easily find hidden people.
With sharp eyes, one could spot the traps.
But—
“…”
It was nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact number of hidden enemies and traps in such a short time.
Kim Soo-hyun returned the words with the same indifferent expression.
“Whatever it is, if you keep up that attitude, you’ll be dead soon. I guarantee it.”
The two men locked eyes.
For a brief moment, Lord Salmun’s pupils flickered with light, just like when Go Yeon-ju first entered.
Then, one second later—
“!”
Lord Salmun flinched and stepped back, while a faint smile tugged at the corner of Kim Soo-hyun’s mouth.
“…Lord?”
Sensing something strange, Neul Seol-yeong took a couple of cautious steps back.
Precognition.
Lord Salmun’s special ability—basically, the power to see through a person’s true nature.
It’s not as information-rich as Han So-young’s extrasensory perception, but at least it reveals their form.
For example, Go Yeon-ju appeared as a shadow radiating ominous energy, and Neul Seol-yeong as a flame burning with hatred.
But this man…
“W-what…?”
Lord Salmun groaned involuntarily.
A terrifying malice.
If all the evil in the world gathered into one, would it feel like this?
An ocean of wickedness so blinding it could blind you just by looking.
This was pure evil incarnate—no, worse.
Demons wouldn’t even compare.
If there were a supreme being beyond demons—
“User Go Yeon-ju.”
At that moment, Kim Soo-hyun turned his body slightly.
“For the third time, do not move. Under any circumstances.”
“W-why, why…?”
A perfect vulnerability suddenly revealed.
Perhaps—
“Because I don’t want to mistake you for an enemy. This time, I won’t go easy.”
If he missed this last chance—
“…What?”
He would die without question.
Thinking this, Lord Salmun sprang from his chair the moment Go Yeon-ju questioned him.
Drawing the weapon at his waist, he lunged forward in an instant.
The dagger pierced toward Kim Soo-hyun’s heart like a streak of light.
But it wasn’t just Lord Salmun.
From under the table, from all the spots Kim Soo-hyun had named, various attacks rained down.
There was nowhere to run.
A siege attack far superior to the vagrant’s concentrated fire.
Yet, in the next moment, Lord Salmun passed right through the space where Kim Soo-hyun had been sitting.
“Gah!?”
Kim Soo-hyun remained seated.
Only, there was no sensation in his grip.
Moments later, Kim Soo-hyun’s form seemed to melt away into thin air.
Staggered by this impossible phenomenon, Lord Salmun shouted desperately.
“Spread the net around Neul Seol-yeong!”
At that instant—
The man who had been about to leap out from under the table lost his balance and crashed onto the cold floor.
He tried to push himself up, but his body tipped again.
Finally, he realized.
His right hand—the one that had attacked Kim Soo-hyun—was missing from the wrist joint.
No, “torn off” was a more accurate description.
“Ah…”
He hadn’t seen it coming.
Hadn’t felt it.
He stared blankly at the thin stream of blood dripping from his wrist, then screamed in pain.
Lord Salmun and Neul Seol-yeong looked on in stunned silence as the man writhed on the floor clutching his severed wrist.
“Ugh, ughhh! Aaaahhh!”
Suddenly, the signal for the hunt was fired.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Phew, after posting one chapter every three or four days, trying to do daily updates again is really tough.
I guess that’s why habits matter.
When I first started, I even posted during exam periods.
Haha.
Fishman / The weapon introduced early on. It’s the dagger Kim Soo-hyun gave to Lee Yoo-jung. But it couldn’t withstand the corruption of the magic sword, so it was taken and broken during the expedition.
Fantasy Collection / H-here you go!
Ikkoe / Sorry for making you wait until dawn. I’ll try to get used to this and post by midnight soon. (__)
No2OnionChip / By the way, what does “작밀레” mean?
Shatien / Uh, I’m not sure how to write Nimyue properly… ㅜ.ㅠ Timing’s tricky. (Did you like Nimyue’s image?) I’ll definitely mention the Obello Knights in the middle. ㅜ.ㅠ
Nocturne’s Melody / I always organize and reorganize, but it feels like the same thing over and over…
Altenia / I’ll bring them back after this side story!
Best Unrequited Love / I post as soon as it’s finished. :)
Radiant Novel / Season 2 is probably confirmed. What happens after depends on sales, I guess? ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
kurosx13 / It’s going to be worse than you think… Honestly, I’m still a bit worried. ( __)