Ethan stood in the Guild Hall, the weight of their next mission settling on his shoulders. An ancient library hidden in the ruins beyond the northern fields— A place where forgotten knowledge might hold the key to understanding the Shadow-Touched and the Master who had marked him. The System wouldn’t recognize these creatures. The Guild had no answers. If there was any hope of figuring out what was happening to him, it would be there. And this time? They weren’t heading into another dungeon. They were heading into history itself. Preparations Begin Ethan pulled up his status screen one last time before leaving the Guild.

  [STATUS SCREEN]

  Name: Ethan Voss

  Class: Shadowcaster (Hybrid Assassin-Mage)

  Level: 12 Health: 360/360

  Mana: 105/105

  Strength: 27

  Agility: 36

  Endurance: 26

  Perception: 28

  Mana Control: 14

  Available Stat Points: 5 Skills:

  Shadow Step (Short-range teleport with momentary invisibility.)

  Silent Blade (Enhances melee weapons with shadow energy for extra damage.)

  Dark Grasp (Summons shadow tendrils to restrain enemies.)

  Void Lance (Launches a piercing bolt of dark energy at enemies.)

  Shadow Cloak (Passive – Rare) (Enhances stealth and reduces enemy perception range.)

  NEW: Umbral Echo (Rare – Shadowcaster Exclusive) (Creates a temporary shadow clone that mimics Ethan’s last attack for three seconds.)

  Ethan exhaled. His abilities were growing, but so were his enemies. He allocated his five free stat points, boosting Perception (+2), Endurance (+2), and Mana Control (+1). He needed to survive longer. He needed to sense danger before it struck. And most importantly— He needed control. Because whatever was happening to him wasn’t normal. And the mark on his chest? It was a constant reminder that something inside him was changing. Meeting at Hollow Fang Forge They agreed to meet at Hollow Fang Forge before setting out. The blacksmith, Boros, stood behind the counter, hammering out the finishing touches on Gareth’s newly reforged obsidian-tipped spear. Kara inspected her newly enhanced sword—a longer, slightly curved blade, enchanted with wind-affinity runes for faster strikes. Leah had stocked up on extra mana potions and defensive scrolls. Ethan adjusted the Twin Shadow fangs at his belt, their black steel reflecting the low forge light. Boros grunted, setting down his tools. “You lot are gearing up like you’re heading into a war.” Gareth glanced at Ethan. “We might be.” Boros wiped his hands, studying them carefully. “If this has anything to do with those things from the sewers… then be careful.” Ethan nodded. They didn’t know exactly what they were walking into. But they knew what they were looking for.

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  The journey north was different from their past excursions. No dungeons. No System-marked beasts lurking in caves or abandoned ruins. Just open plains, scattered ruins, and a path that had long been forgotten by adventurers. For a while, it was quiet. No signs of monsters. No signs of Shadow-Touched. Just the wind whispering through the abandoned landscape. Then— Ethan felt it. A shift in the air. A faint, crawling wrongness prickling at the edges of his perception. “Stop.” Gareth halted instantly. Kara tensed, her fingers tightening around her sword. Leah glanced at him. “What is it?” Ethan focused, stretching his Perception as far as it would go— Then— A whisper. Faint. Distant. Not words. Just… presence. “We’re not alone,” he murmured.

  As they crested the next ridge, the ruins finally came into view. Once, it had been a great structure. Now, it was nothing but stone and collapsed archways, overtaken by twisted, blackened vines. A broken, forgotten place—lost to time. And yet— Ethan could feel it. A deep, pulsing wrongness radiating from within. Like the watchtower. Like the sewers. Like the Master. Gareth adjusted his grip on his spear. “Library’s inside that?” Leah nodded, scanning the ruins. “If it still exists, it’ll be underground. We should look for an entrance.” Kara sighed, shaking her head. “Because that’s not ominous at all.” Ethan exhaled. He took one step forward— And the moment his foot touched the ruins— The mark on his chest flared. Pain shot through him, sudden and sharp. His vision tilted. And for a brief second— He wasn’t standing in the ruins anymore.

  The world around him shifted. He was somewhere else. The ruins were whole again. Towering black spires stretched toward a blood-red sky. Figures in robes of shifting darkness stood in a circle, whispering in a language Ethan couldn’t understand. A door stood before them— A massive, imposing gate of obsidian. Chains wrapped around it, pulsing with sickly green runes. And behind that door— A presence. A force so vast, so consuming, that Ethan felt his mind teeter on the edge of breaking. “You are close now, little predator.” The voice echoed in his skull. The whisper of the Master. “Go deeper. See what they tried to hide.” A sharp, cracking sound. The door began to move. Something on the other side stirred. And then— A hand shot through. Dark. Unnatural. Reaching for him. Ethan gasped— And the vision snapped.

  He stumbled back, gasping. The ruins were ruined again. The sky was blue, not red. His heart hammered against his ribs. Leah grabbed his arm. “Ethan! Are you—” Ethan inhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I saw something.” Gareth frowned. “What?” Ethan looked back at the ruins. And he knew— Whatever was buried here… It had been sealed away for a reason. And now? They were about to break that seal.