The night air was cold. Kael sat alone on the cathedral rooftop where he had just fought the shadow. His hands were still shaking, but not from fear—something had changed.
He had faced a creature made of pure darkness and landed a blow. He hadn't frozen. He hadn't run. He had fought.
And now, the system confirmed it.
[Quest Complete: Hunt the Shade]
[You have marked the Hollow Moon's servant]
[Reward: +1 Level, +2 Stat Points, New Skill – Shadow Mark]
[Level Up – Kael is now Level 10]
Kael took a deep breath.
Level 10. That felt big.
He opened his system to check the rewards.
New Skill: Shadow Mark (Active)
Mark a target. The mark reveals the target's location within 30 meters, even through walls. Duration: 15 seconds. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
That would have helped earlier. He smiled, then added one stat point to Agility and one to Willpower.
He climbed down the cathedral slowly and headed back to the guild.
When Kael returned, it was just past dawn. Ren and Elira were already in the war room. Lysa stood at a large map with several red pins marked across the city.
Kael walked in. "We need to talk."
He told them everything—the rooftop, the strange voice, the Hollow Moon name, and the shadow servant that vanished in smoke.
When he was done, the room was quiet.
Then Ren muttered, "The Hollow Moon... I hoped it was just a rumor."
Elira crossed her arms. "It's real now."
Kael frowned. "What is it? A group?"
Ren nodded. "A cult. Or maybe something worse. Nobody's sure. But the stories say they worship beings from the Void. They don't just kill. They corrupt."
Lysa added, "They use marks to weaken places. Once a city has enough marks, their masters can slip through."
Kael's eyes widened. "You mean… they're trying to open a portal here?"
"That's what it looks like," Elira said. "And if they succeed, this city could fall."
Later that day, the full guild was gathered. Ren stood at the front of the hall.
"The Hollow Moon has come to our city," he began. "They are marking locations across Dawnside. These symbols aren't just warnings. They're part of a ritual. If completed, they will open a gate."
The guild members murmured in shock.
"We don't know how many marks there are," Ren continued. "But Kael found five. That means we're ahead—for now."
He turned to Kael.
"You're with me. We're going hunting tonight."
As night fell, Kael prepared for battle. He wore light armor for speed, a new short blade at his side, and his trusty iron pipe still strapped to his back.
His system had updated.
Kael – Level 10
Strength: 13
Agility: 14
Vitality: 12
Intelligence: 6
Willpower: 9
Soul: ?
Skills:
Shadow Step (Active)
Endure Pain (Passive)
Focused Strike (Active)
Quick Reflex (Passive)
Shadow Mark (Active)
Reputation: Rising Rookie – Ember Guild
He liked the sound of that.
Kael joined Ren, Elira, and Mira at the north gate. Their goal: find and erase any new Hollow Moon symbols before sunrise.
They started in the old storage district—a quiet area filled with locked warehouses and dark alleys.
Kael kept his eyes sharp.
Then he spotted something.
"There," he whispered, pointing at a warehouse wall. A fresh spiral mark glowed faintly.
Ren nodded. "Let's go."
Inside, it was dark and silent. The air smelled like old wood and dust.
Suddenly, Kael's system pinged.
[Danger Detected – Hollow Servant Nearby]
Kael used Shadow Mark, casting it on the far corner of the room. A red outline appeared, showing a hidden figure crouched near a stack of crates.
He pointed. "There! Behind the boxes!"
Elira didn't hesitate. She threw a dagger glowing with lightning. It struck the figure, who screamed and rolled out—its cloak burning.
It was another shadow servant, but this one was faster. It drew twin blades and rushed at them.
Kael stepped forward. He waited one second—then used Focused Strike.
His blade hit the servant in the leg, making it stumble. Ren tackled it and slammed it into the floor. Mira used a sealing charm to lock it down.
[Hollow Servant Defeated – XP +80]
Kael felt a new notification.
[Skill Fragment Earned – Rare]
"Stronger than the last one," Mira said.
"They're getting bolder," Ren added.
Kael looked around. "We need to destroy this mark."
Lysa arrived a few minutes later with a holy spell. She cast a light rune over the mark, burning it away.
"One less mark," she said. "But how many more?"
By midnight, the group had destroyed four more marks. Each time, they had to fight a servant or face a trap.
One warehouse had a mist that made Kael hallucinate. Another had cursed chains that tried to drag Elira into the floor.
It was dangerous work.
At 2 a.m., Kael and Mira were sent alone to check the old bell tower. It hadn't been used in years and stood on the edge of the noble district.
As they entered, Kael's system lit up.
[Warning: Hollow Presence – Strong Signal Detected]
Mira saw it too. "Something's here."
They climbed the stairs carefully. Each step creaked. At the top, they found it—a large symbol carved into the bell itself.
It pulsed with black and red light.
And beside it stood a tall man with gray skin, red eyes, and long black robes. His hands glowed with shadow magic.
"You're too late," he said in a deep voice. "The Hollow Moon rises."
Kael didn't wait. He used Shadow Step to move behind him and attacked with Focused Strike.
But the man blocked it with a wave of energy, sending Kael flying into the wall.
Mira fired a light bolt, but he deflected it with ease.
[Elite Enemy: Hollow Priest – Level 18]
Kael groaned. "He's strong…"
The priest raised his hand to finish Kael off—
Then a throwing blade slammed into his arm.
Ren arrived, followed by Elira and Lysa. Reinforcements.
Now it was a real fight.
The battle was fierce.
The Hollow Priest summoned dark chains and ghostly figures. Elira and Mira took them on. Ren fought the priest directly, matching blade with dark magic.
Kael stayed back, using Shadow Mark to track the priest and call out his moves.
At just the right moment, Ren shouted, "NOW!"
Kael activated Focused Strike, leapt forward, and hit the priest in the chest.
The mark glowed. Elira threw her dagger.
The Hollow Priest screamed as light magic and steel struck together. He burst into smoke, vanishing into the air.
[Hollow Priest Defeated – XP +300]
[Rare Drop: Hollow Ring – Grants Resistance to Shadow Magic]
Kael fell to his knees, exhausted.
Lysa sealed the last symbol with a holy rune. The glow faded.
They had won.
Later, back at the guild, Ren spoke to the group.
"We've delayed them. Maybe even stopped their first ritual. But this is just the beginning."
Kael sat with the ring in his hand. His mind was full of questions.
Why him?
Why could he see the marks?
And what was this strange Soul stat still locked in his system?
He didn't know yet.
But he would find out.
End of Chapter 9