After that day, a week had passed. During that time, Ji-kai returned to the guild, where he was questioned by several members and colleagues.
Naturally, he explained everything clearly — though without going into other details.
Upon his return, he received a mission for a raid in Gangbuk — a solo assignment.
Ji-kai accepted it and set off immediately. To everyone else, it seemed like he was heading out alone… and indeed, he was.
Inside the taxi, Ji-kai sat silently, not uttering a word, simply waiting to arrive at the designated site. There, he would begin his first solo raid.
A few minutes later, he finally arrived.
«Well then, here we are — a D-rank gate, ready to be cleared,» Ji-kai said as he observed the portal intently, guarded by a single person.
Was this even a monster gate? Why was only one guard stationed here? Even E-rank or already-cleared gates were usually under strict surveillance.
As far as he remembered, the guild couldn't allocate many resources for supplies, so they would often scavenge what could still be useful from already cleared dungeons.
I remember supervising one of those retrieval missions before… alongside that bastard, Jaeon Jo.
Ji-kai approached with audible steps — yet the guard didn't wake up. Ji-kai muttered under his breath, looking down at the sleeping man, then stepped into the gate. The guard collapsed to the ground right after, unconscious.
As Ji-kai entered, he found himself standing in what looked like a city — completely deserted.
The buildings were pitch-black and unnerving, and the atmosphere itself was drenched in red. But when Ji-kai looked up at the sky, he immediately understood where he was.
«So it's confirmed… I really have one of the worst kinds of luck in history,» he said, staring at the blood-red moon above.
This dungeon was actually the lair of a high-ranking vampire. Who could've guessed a D-rank gate would hide something like this?
Things had taken an unexpected turn. The plan was simple — enter a D-rank gate, defeat the monsters alone, and collect the bonus reward for completing a team mission solo. Yes, it had been intended as a group mission, but Ji-kai opted to do it alone… and somehow ended up here.
«Still, even if I'd brought a team, our chances wouldn't have improved much. Vampires grow stronger the more blood they drink…» Ji-kai muttered quietly before recalling something important.
And about that…
The day Camestra lost control, I felt something strange — as if I… acted differently?
Even after I finished interrogating that stranger — the one who said nothing useful — and took Camestra home, when she finally woke up…
« Stay away from me, got it? Only summon me when it's absolutely necessary — or better yet, don't summon me at all. That would be best. »
Her tone was sharp and violent, yet it felt as though she were holding something back. Seeing her like that was… unsettling, though I can't quite say why.
Now that I think about it, she said something about… "returning to that hell," maybe?
And since vampires don't live in hell, that must mean she came from a place filled with misery.
Ji-kai glanced around for a moment before drawing the Anubis Dagger from his small sheath, advancing carefully and quietly.
«A whole week like this — she snaps if I enter her room, ignores me at home, and when our eyes meet, I can see it… that seething anger,» Ji-kai whispered as he moved cautiously.
«I just don't get it. I really don't. Why is Camestra acting like this? Based on her personality and appearance, she should be strong, fierce, unyielding — yet what did I see? In barely four days, she showed weakness.» His tone rose, irritation audible in his voice.
He stopped for a moment, staring at a building whose upper floor had collapsed.
«Insults, huh? Maybe I really was too harsh with her. Is this what they call judging others too quickly? They used to do that to me — when I was Park Jae-ron, and even a little after I became Kim Ji-kai.»
«But… I don't recall ever insulting her.»
Ji-kai fell silent. Only the heavy gusts of wind and the rustling of dry leaves filled the void.
Why do I feel like… I've changed?
Something's wrong with me. But what is it?
He kept walking until he reached the castle at the heart of the empty city. Its design was old — Victorian, perhaps. Dreary and suffocatingly dark.
The only light came from the crimson moon, which, over time, made Ji-kai increasingly uneasy.
He sat down beside one of the closed doors in the corridor, where the moonlight reflected faintly off the worn stone floor.
«When I turned back time after Jaeon Jo's betrayal, I decided to become stronger — to take revenge. I made a plan, but it failed when variables appeared… »
« when Kim Nina showed up and dragged me into the guild until I became part of it, and then… then…» Ji-kai's words caught in his throat.
He wasn't actually choking, but his breathing grew heavy.
«The system… it's different from the one I knew. It's… not the same system I had at the start,» he murmured, recalling the times it had acted strangely.
Since when could my system cancel missions on its own? That never happened… or did it?
And the "variables" — it was just a term I used to describe events changing because I knew the future. But now… it's something that affects me in ways I can't understand.
[ Notice ]
[ Side Mission: Earn the trust of the wounded Vampire Queen – Failed ]
[ You have lost one A-rank Luck Element ]
[ This mission will trigger again if a future variable occurs ]
«Look at this — failed the mission even though it didn't have a time limit, and I didn't even try anything! Ridiculous,» Ji-kai muttered, smiling in a way that could only be called unnerving.
Something was moving in the shadows. An intangible shape slithered toward Ji-kai like a silent serpent. Just as it got close enough to strike, Ji-kai slammed his Anubis Dagger into the ground.
«Good illusion — good enough to make me react like that,» he said as he rose to his feet. The red hue around him began to fade, giving way to gray tones.
The creature — or rather, the dungeon's boss — was a shadow-like being with round, wide eyes and a foolish-looking form. Yet it didn't seem as harmless as it appeared.
«Who would've thought I'd encounter a creature from the Realm of Illusion here? And of all things… an Illusion of Shadows,» Ji-kai sneered as he moved toward it.
«As for what you made me say earlier, I'll keep that in mind. I wasn't paying enough attention to my actions before. As for the system, I'll deal with that later.»
With that, Ji-kai dashed forward, and the shadow fled.
From one corner to another, the shadow darted rapidly through the darkness — Ji-kai chasing close behind.
How could he track it in such a dark place? Simple — the Anubis Dagger emitted faint mana light and resonated with its wielder's energy, glowing brighter the closer Ji-kai got to his target.
«What a remarkable dagger — even though it's not at full strength, its capabilities are still astonishing,» Ji-kai said, striking whenever he saw its light flare.
Sometimes he hit, sometimes he missed — yet he kept going. Then, something shifted. He felt a sudden threat approaching.
Dropping low on his knees, he leaned back, narrowly dodging a spear-like tendril that tore through the wall behind him.
«So that's how you want to play, huh? Fine by me.» Ji-kai readied his stance as a flurry of shadow attacks came from every direction.
Left, right — all around. He dodged some, parried others, moving from place to place amid the chaos.
«You're fun to play with, shadow — but there's a small problem,» Ji-kai said. The creature stopped upon hearing that, curiosity flickering in its hollow gaze.
Ji-kai pulled something small from his ever-present pouch — a tiny sphere. He tossed it to the ground and simultaneously slipped on a pair of sunglasses.
«I hate this part to hell and back!» he shouted just as the sphere exploded, unleashing a blinding flash of light.
The shadow shrieked madly when the light hit it, making bizarre, distorted noises. Ji-kai seized the moment, driving his dagger through the creature's reflected form on the wall — ending the raid instantly.
«I used to wonder how brilliant Park Yun-seok really was… but now, I'm wondering even more,» he said, removing his glasses and slipping them back into his waist pouch.
Meanwhile, the Anubis Dagger absorbed the slain shadow — devouring it until it became part of the blade itself.
[ Notification ]
[ Anubis Dagger has grown stronger by 1% ]
«Damn it… you're lucky you gave me at least one good outcome. But ... »
« Y'know what, screw you. Thanks to that shadow, I realized my system's changed — it's harder, more complex, and a lot more… deceitful,» Ji-kai grumbled — only to be interrupted by a strange new message from the system.
[ Remember who you truly are ]
«Huh? What's that supposed to mean?» Ji-kai said, shocked.
[ You must know who you are. Are you the criminal or the victim? Once you find the answer, you'll understand the value of what you possess. ]
What the hell…
Is the system… talking to me right now!?