The blue system screen flickered before my eyes, displaying my updated stats in perfect clarity. My body still ached from the battle, but the rush of leveling up dulled the pain.
I exhaled, letting the tension leave my body.
DING!
A sudden notification popped up.
***
[Special Achievement Unlocked!]
Title Earned: "One Who Defies Death"
Effect: Upon surviving a battle where death was certain, gain a temporary boost of +5% to all stats for ten minutes. Additionally, the system acknowledges your will to fight beyond your limits.
I frowned. "That's… interesting."
Before I could even process the new title, another notification appeared.
***
[System Reward: Unique Weapon Acquired]
"Umbral Fang" (Unique) – A dagger forged from condensed shadow essence. Bound to the wielder's soul, it grows stronger alongside its master.
Attack Power: +30
Special Effect 1: Shadow Infusion – Can absorb ambient darkness to enhance cutting power.
Special Effect 2: Phantom Rend – Attacks ignore 10% of the enemy's defense.
Special Effect 3: Evolvable – This weapon has potential beyond its current form.
***
My eyes widened. "A Unique-grade weapon?!"
A dark mist swirled in front of me, gathering into a single point. It twisted and coiled, taking shape in my open palm.
SHINK!
The dagger appeared.
Its blade was sleek and obsidian-black, pulsing faintly with shadow energy. The hilt fit my grip perfectly, as if it had been made for me.
DING!
***
[Weapon Synchronization Initiated]
"Umbral Fang" has recognized its wielder. Soul-binding complete.
Weapon growth is now linked to the user's strength and experience.
***
My grip tightened. "A weapon that evolves with me…"
It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Most weapons, no matter how sharp or strong, remained static—a tool that would eventually dull, break, or be replaced.
A grin tugged at my lips. "Good. Then let's grow stronger together."
I twirled the dagger between my fingers, watching as wisps of shadow trailed behind its movement like fading smoke.
But then a thought crossed my mind. "Where the hell am I supposed to keep this?"
I glanced down at my side. I didn't exactly have a proper sheath for it. Carrying it out in the open would raise too many questions.
"Store," I muttered on instinct.
Nothing happened.
"Disappear?"
Still nothing.
I frowned. "Inventory?"
DING!
A faint shimmer enveloped the dagger, and before my eyes, it vanished, dissolving into the shadows like it had never existed.
My eyes widened. "Did… did I just put it into some kind of storage?"
A new notification flashed.
***
[Inventory Unlocked]
The System grants its Avatar a personal storage space. Non-living objects can be stored and retrieved at will.
***
My pulse quickened. "So I have a damn inventory now?"
This wasn't just convenient, it was a game changer. I could store weapons, potions, supplies—hell, even loot from dungeons if it worked the way I thought it did.
Curious, I focused on retrieving the dagger. "Withdraw."
A swirl of darkness formed in my hand—SHINK!—and just like that, Umbral Fang reappeared, as sharp and deadly as before.
A slow grin crept onto my lips. "Yeah. This is going to be useful."
With a thought, I stored the dagger away once more, watching it dissolve into the void of my newly discovered inventory.
I leaned back against the hospital bed, exhaling.
I clenched my fists, staring up at the plain white ceiling.
If I had this power back then… things would be different.
I wouldn't be lying in this stiff hospital bed, barely scraping by. I wouldn't have had to struggle for every damn thing in my life. Instead of fighting tooth and nail just to survive, I could have been living in luxury, untouched by the suffering that had shaped me.
My mind drifted back to the past—the endless nights of hardship, the countless sacrifices. The people I lost.
I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair.
Power changes everything—but only if I use it right.
The system, the stats, the skills… they had already turned my life upside down. And yet, deep inside, that hunger remained. The need for more. Because no matter how much strength I gained, it still wasn't enough.
Not for the life I should have had.
Not for the life I deserved.
I glanced at my hand, flexing my fingers. The sensation of my newly acquired strength was still settling in, my body adjusting to the changes. Adaptive Growth ensured that I'd never stop evolving, and Eclipse Sovereign had already proven its worth in battle.
And now, I had this dagger. A weapon shrouded in darkness, one that pulsed with an unspoken promise of power.
I sighed. "Tch… No point thinking about the past. What matters is now."
But even as I said that, I couldn't shake the weight in my chest.
I had power now. But the real question was—what was I going to do with it?
Knock. Knock.
The sudden sound snapped me out of my thoughts. My fingers twitched, my body instinctively tensing.
I turned my head toward the door, expecting a nurse or maybe Agent Hale returning with more questions.
But the moment the door opened, my breath caught in my throat.
Not because I saw a monster. But because I saw him.
A figure stepped inside, moving with the effortless confidence of someone who had long stood at the peak of strength. His presence alone carried weight, an unshakable aura that made the air feel heavier.
His sharp, piercing gaze locked onto mine, unreadable yet filled with something dangerously close to familiarity.
He hadn't changed much.
Slightly taller than me. Built like a warrior. The same cold, calculating expression that had made him a legend.
The world knew him as Leon Vael.
The #7 Hunter in the world.
But to me, He was once my closest friend. A ghost from a past I had buried long ago.
A decade had passed since we last stood face to face. And now, here he was, standing in my hospital room.
Leon's cold gaze lingered on me for a moment before he finally spoke.
"…You're alive."
His voice was deeper than I remembered. Steady. Controlled. But there was something beneath it—something I couldn't quite place.
I swallowed, forcing myself to speak. "Yeah. Seems like it."
Silence stretched between us.
I should've said more. Should've asked him why he was here. Should've demanded to know why, after all these years, he was suddenly standing in front of me.
But all I could do was stare.
Because no matter how much time had passed, Leon Vael was still the last person I expected to see.