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> In a world teetering between light and darkness, two souls are bound by fate.
Arkin, broken by tragedy, walks the road of despair — each step pulling him closer to the abyss.
Erin, blessed by the gods, rises to fight the encroaching shadow threatening all life.
When their paths collide, the truth begins to unravel:
Even the brightest light must cast a shadow.
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Author's Note:
Hey everyone! It's your boy Arkin, a dark-fantasy lover writing from the heart. ❤️
This is my original story — if something feels familiar elsewhere, let me know!
I hope you enjoy this journey through light and despair. 🌙
Chapter 15: Echoes of the Unexplored
A brilliant morning bathed the city in golden light.
The sun blazed high above, its heat spilling into the streets and turning the marketplace lively and loud.
Vendors shouted enthusiastically, stalls overflowed with fresh juice, ice cream, and chilled drinks, and the air buzzed with movement and warmth.
Clatter—clank—SWOOSH!
At the far edge of the market grounds, two figures could be seen drenched in sweat.
It was none other than Zoro and Erin, training together as they always did.
Zoro stood calmly, arms crossed, watching Erin swing his sword again and again—his movements sharp, disciplined, but still lacking weight.
"Oi."
Zoro's voice cut through the air.
"Erin. Catch this."
Before Erin could react—
WHOOSH!
Zoro hurled a massive sword toward him.
THUD—CRACK!
The blade slammed into the ground before Erin, carving a small pit into the stone street.
Erin's eyes widened.
"Whaaaaat?!"
He stared at the sword in disbelief. "How am I supposed to swing this? I can't even pick it up!"
Zoro clicked his tongue.
"Then go home," he said coldly.
"You won't get stronger if you keep whining."
Erin puffed his cheeks in frustration, muttering under his breath, but stepped forward anyway.
Grrrrk…
He wrapped his hands around the hilt and strained, his muscles trembling as he tried to lift it even an inch.
Zoro resumed his own training, his blade slicing the air—
SWISH—SWISH—CLANG!
—but his eyes never fully left Erin.
Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed nearby.
A familiar group approached—the remaining members of Zoro's party, just returned from scouting.
They brought news of the newly appeared dungeon.
A dungeon one hundred floors deep, crawling with countless monsters.
Its lower levels remained unexplored, and no one knew what horrors lurked beneath.
Every fifteen floors, a boss awaited—each one promising a brutal battle.
Zoro straightened.
"I'll report this to the Guild Master."
He turned sharply toward Erin.
"Stop swinging. Come here."
Erin sighed in relief, thinking the training was finally over.
He was wrong.
Zoro dropped several heavy pads into his arms.
"Each one weighs ten kilograms," Zoro said flatly.
"Strap them to your wrists and legs. Starting tomorrow, grab the training bar and run one full round around the city."
"I'll be back after I report."
Erin stared at the weights in horror.
"…You're a monster," he muttered, pulling a face.
But even so, he turned back to training as Zoro walked away toward the guild.
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Elsewhere in the city, hidden among the noise and crowds—
Arkin rested.
For the first time in a while, he allowed himself to breathe.
His strength had grown immensely… too immensely.
Power leaked from him uncontrollably, his body struggling to contain it.
Until he regained full control, Arkin chose to disappear into the city's flow.
Blending in.
Hiding.
He disguised himself as a victim of bandits and approached the guild to obtain a guild card.
Calmly, convincingly, he told them he was the sole survivor of a bandit attack—his village reduced to ashes.
He claimed to be from a small settlement near the city of Elkan.
Arkin knew the region well.
He used that knowledge as his shield.
No suspicion arose.
With his strength carefully suppressed, the guild assessed him as low-rank and registered him accordingly.
Everything went smoothly.
Arkin had secured the perfect cover—time to recover, train, and prepare for what lay ahead.
But fate never stays still.
What path will Arkin cross next?
Will Erin's brutal training forge him into steel… or crush him beneath its weight?
Find out in the next chapter.
Until then… see ya. 👍
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Author: IT'S ME, ARKIN
> "If you made it this far, you're officially part of Arkin's cursed crew 😈 — drop a 🔥 if you survived this chapter!"
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