I emerged from the grove of trees like a fugitive, casting paranoid glances over my shoulder. Fortunately, the university courtyard was still bustling with the usual flow of students heading to or from their classes, none paying attention to the dishevelled and slightly bloodstained guy trying to blend in. My torn hoodie and the few spatters of greenish blood on my jeans did attract a few curious glances, but no one stopped to question me. They probably took me for an overzealous art student or a guy coming out of a particularly pathetic brawl.
My first goal: my room. I needed a shower, clean clothes, and most importantly, a moment to process what had just happened. Professor Kim's accounting class was well underway, and frankly, the thought of having to explain my lateness and appearance in my current state gave me cold sweats. Balance sheet equations and cash flow suddenly seemed of abysmal futility compared to the prospect of fighting mutant rats from other dimensions.
I reached my dorm building, climbed the stairs four at a time, my still-sensitive arm sending painful reminders of my recent confrontation. It felt like hours had passed since I woke up, but the clock on my phone – which was still working, strangely – indicated that barely an hour had passed.
Once the door to my room was closed and locked behind me, I leaned against it, letting out a long, trembling sigh. I looked at my hands. The one that had held the dagger was still stained with the monster's blackish blood. The other bore the bite marks, already healing thanks to the potion, but still visible. It was real. Everything was real.
I dragged myself to the small bathroom, shed my soiled clothes, and slipped under the shower. The hot water on my skin was a soothing balm, washing away the grime, the blood, and some of the tension that had accumulated in my muscles. As the water ran, I played the combat images on repeat. The rat's leap, the searing pain, the sickening sound of the dagger sinking into its flesh... I had killed. Even if it was "just a monster," I had taken a life. A strange feeling, a mix of revulsion and a grim satisfaction at having survived, knotted in my stomach.
After drying off and putting on clean clothes, I felt a little more human. A little less "beginner monster hunter." I glanced at my interface. Level 2 shone proudly. My HP was full. My new stat points were allocated. The "Shadow Strike" skill was waiting to be used.
I sat on my bed, staring blankly. This "Gaming Nexus"... why me? How? Was there a purpose to all this? The notifications spoke of a "new opportunity." Opportunity for what? To get stronger? To survive in a world that, I had a feeling, was going to become increasingly dangerous?
And Seo-jin... He had seen my interface. What should I tell him? The truth? Or a watered-down version? The System had warned me against premature revelation. But Seo-jin was my friend, or at least a good buddy. Leaving him in the dark felt dishonest, and potentially dangerous for him if he got caught up in this without understanding.
My phone vibrated on the nightstand. A message from Seo-jin: "Dude, where are you? Kim is furious. He said if you don't show up with an ironclad excuse, you're dead for the semester. And you missed the pop quiz. Again."
I winced. The pop quiz. Great. My academic life was already going down the drain. But compared to a mutant rat trying to devour me, an accounting quiz seemed almost... cute.
I quickly replied: "Sorry, major unforeseen event. I'll explain later. Really sorry."
I needed to focus. Understand what was happening to me. The Shadow Shard. The dagger was the key, I was convinced of it. It had absorbed the monster's essence, gained "affinity," unlocked a skill. It was more than a simple weapon. It was an extension of myself, a catalyst for this new power.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
I thought: "Shadow Shard Status."
The interface changed, displaying the details of the dagger.
NAME: Shadow Shard
TYPE: Dagger (Unknown Artefact)
ATTACK: 10-15 (+ Soul Resonance Modifier)
AFFINITY: 0.51%
DURABILITY: ∞ (Soul-Bound)
ACTIVE ABILITIES:
Shadow Strike (Lv. 1): Cost 10 MP. Adds +5 Shadow damage and 10% chance of Minor Blindness (3s).
PASSIVE ABILITIES:
Essence Absorption (Partially Unlocked): Absorbs the life essence of defeated enemies to strengthen the Shadow Shard and its wielder. Effectiveness depends on enemy type and power.
Soul Link: The dagger is linked to the wielder's soul. Cannot be lost or stolen. Adapts and evolves with the wielder.
LOCKED ABILITIES:
??? (Conditions: Affinity 5% OR ???)
??? (Conditions: Defeat a Pure Shadow Entity OR ???)
Minor Shadow Invocation (Conditions: Affinity 10% AND Player Level 5)
Minor Shadow Invocation! My eyes lit up. This was one of the skills I had always dreamed of having in games! But the conditions were still far from being met. Affinity 10%... I was barely at 0.5%. And Player Level 5. There was a long way to go.
"Essence Absorption... strengthen the Shadow Shard and its wielder." This meant that the more monsters I killed, the stronger the dagger and I would become. It was a classic Solo Leveling type progression mechanism, and I admit the idea greatly appealed to me, despite the inherent danger.
But there was also this "Soul Resonance" in my personal stats, still with question marks. And the dagger had a "Soul Resonance Modifier" for its attack. These two elements were linked, that was certain. How to increase this mysterious stat? Maybe by increasing affinity with the dagger? Or by better understanding its nature?
A dull thud outside my room made me jump. My heart pounded. Another monster? I leapt up, already thinking of equipping my dagger. I glanced through the peephole. It was just the cleaning lady with her cart. False alarm. I needed to calm down. I couldn't live in a constant state of paranoia.
But how could I not be? The world as I knew it had been subverted. Rifts could open anywhere, monsters could come out of them. I had a game interface visible only to me (and Seo-jin, apparently), a magic dagger, and an implicit survival quest.
Hunger began to gnaw at me. Breakfast felt distant, and the fight had drained me. I checked the time. Almost noon. The campus cafeteria must be open. The idea of going there, sitting among carefree students, seemed surreal to me. But I had to eat. And maybe... maybe I might run into other "Players." If I had been "Awakened," there must be others. How to recognize them? Did they all have blue interfaces floating in front of them?
I took a deep breath. One thing at a time. Eat. Think. Make a plan.
First, I needed to understand the extent of this phenomenon. Was I an exception, or the beginning of something bigger? Next, I needed to train. Master the dagger, my new skills. Explore my stats. If I had to fight, might as well do it properly.
And then, there were the Rifts. The icon above the grove's was still there on my mental mini-map, though less intense. Should I go back? Were there other monsters? Other rewards? The idea was both terrifying and... exciting. XP, items, increased dagger affinity... It was a dangerous temptation.
I decided to go out. Staying locked in here would only fuel my anxiety. I took my wallet, keys, phone. Before stepping out the door, I cast one last look at my room. It already seemed to belong to another life. A simple, ordinary life, now over.
The hallway was empty. I went down the stairs, my mind buzzing. Every shadow seemed suspicious, every slightly loud noise made me flinch. But I forced myself to move forward. The fear was there, very present, but a new sensation was starting to emerge: a cautious curiosity, a nascent determination.
I was Kang Min-joon, Level 2. Wielder of the Shadow Shard. And my adventure was just beginning.
