– Kiran Faces His First Shadow Hunter
The night wind in the Shadow Domain was bone-chilling, stabbing through skin like icy needles, as if trying to gnaw its way into the bones of any intruder. Kiran stood beneath the towering ancient bamboo tree at the center of the misty field. The fog began to creep in again, thick and suffocating, hiding even the twin moons above.
The sound of rustling branches scraped through the silence… but it wasn't the wind.
Kiran held his breath, unmoving.
He knew he was no longer alone.
At the edge of his vision, something in the shadows shifted—quiet, drifting—not walking.
> "Low-Level Shadow Hunter detected – Close Range"
A translucent screen flickered to life before his eyes. The system's whisper echoed in his head, lines of unreadable stats flashing across it like a foreign language.
Then, the shape in the fog began to form.
Humanoid… but wrong.
It had no eyes. No nose. Just a wide, grotesque grin splitting its pale face—its skin as white and bloated as a corpse drowned in water.
It floated closer, stopping no more than ten steps away.
Kiran backed away instinctively—but with each step, a soft giggle followed.
> "Warning: Activating Shadow Reflect will alert higher-level Shadows to your presence."
"Then let them come…" Kiran growled under his breath. His body was still shaking, but his right hand rose, steady with purpose.
The black mist began to swirl around his fingers. Magic stirred—responding like a beast awakening from slumber.
> Spell Activated: Shadow Reflect Lv.0 – Mode: Passive Counter
The moment the shadow lunged—faster than the eye could follow—its claw slashed toward his throat.
Kiran threw up his arm on instinct.
CRACK!
The impact sent him flying backward, crashing against the base of the bamboo trunk. The air was knocked from his lungs. For a heartbeat, he couldn't breathe—
And then the spell retaliated.
The moment the Shadow's claw touched him, a dark mirror of the same force struck back—reversing its own attack.
The creature's own claw stabbed through its chest, impaling itself with horrifying precision.
Its shriek was inhuman—high-pitched and jagged, echoing across the empty plains. It writhed, howling, black tendrils of shadow spilling from the wound like blood.
Kiran groaned and pushed himself upright, blood dripping from his brow, but his eyes never left the enemy.
"I'm not prey anymore…"
Another sound—heavy footsteps behind him.
Another shadow emerged.
Larger.
> "Mid-Level Shadow Hunter detected."
> "Warning: Shadow Reflect insufficient for direct combat – Recommendation: Flee or use Support Ability."
"No support abilities available…" Kiran hissed, his eyes darting.
Then he saw it—a broken shard of bamboo near his foot. He grabbed it, reversed the grip, and slid quietly into a darker patch of shadow, using what little stealth he had.
But the larger Shadow had seen the motion.
It turned, its claw the size of a man's arm raised to strike.
Before it could land the blow—
A deep growl cut through the mist.
A sound Kiran recognized.
The Shadow Moon Cow.
"You will not die before knowing who you are," it said in its gravelly voice, then charged the Shadow Hunter with terrifying force.
BOOM!
The impact burst the creature apart like ink in water, scattering shadow in every direction.
But it began to re-form—slowly—its pieces gathering again.
Kiran collapsed to one knee, breathing hard, hands still trembling. But somewhere deep inside, something shifted. Stabilized.
"This night isn't over yet… is it?"
> Day 1: Survived – Status: Semi-Detected
Secret Mission Unlocked: Soul Reflector of the Shadows
Kiran's eyes sharpened…
From hunted to hunter.