The kingdom celebration had ended.
The music faded. The nobles returned to their homes. And the palace became quiet once again.
But while the kingdom celebrated peace…
Alaric Kurohart had already begun investigating the missing children case that had haunted the Kingdom of Virelith for the past nine years.
For all those years, the Obsidian Veil Guild had been responsible for gathering information regarding the disappearances.
Yet they found nothing.
No traces. No kidnappers. No witnesses.
Only missing children.
Since Alaric had been away from the kingdom, Darius Kurohart and the Obsidian Veil Guild had handled the investigation alone.
But now that Alaric had returned…
He decided to investigate the matter personally.
Unknown to him, King Alarion Kurohart had already assigned one of the guild's greatest assassins to assist him.
Before Alaric returned to the kingdom, she had been investigating the disappearances alone.
Now, the King ordered her to work directly under Alaric and provide him with every report she had gathered.
---
Late that night…
Alaric sat inside his chamber, reading through stacks of investigation reports his father had given him.
The room was silent.
Then—
He felt it.
A hidden presence.
Someone was inside the room.
Alaric closed the report calmly.
"Show yourself," he said coldly. "And tell me your purpose."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then a woman slowly emerged from the shadows.
Tall. Elegant. Dressed entirely in black.
Her face remained partially hidden beneath a dark hood.
"The King was right," she said calmly. "You really can sense hidden presences."
Alaric looked at her quietly.
"Even most 8-Star knights cannot detect me."
Alaric's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're from the Obsidian Veil Guild."
"Yes."
"Then you're the one who has been investigating the missing children case."
She nodded.
"I brought the reports."
She placed several documents on the table.
Alaric continued staring at her.
"The Silent Widow…"
The assassin remained silent.
Then she spoke.
"Every time the children disappear… witnesses say they begin acting strangely. Almost like they're being controlled by something."
Alaric listened carefully.
"This year, the same thing happened again," she continued. "So I followed them."
Her expression became serious.
"They walked through an underground passage beneath the city. It felt like something was calling them."
"The mana there…" she paused, "…felt dark."
Alaric's expression darkened slightly.
"When they passed through the tunnel, they suddenly vanished."
"Vanished?"
She nodded.
"It was like a gate opened to another place."
Alaric leaned back slightly.
"I've never heard of anything like this before…"
Then his eyes sharpened.
"But one thing is certain."
"The children are not being kidnapped."
He stood up slowly.
"They're being controlled against their will."
The Silent Widow nodded.
"I came to the same conclusion."
"I managed to stop eight children from entering the gate," she continued. "But even after saving them, they kept insisting on returning there."
Alaric immediately looked at her.
"Where are the children now?"
"I hid them in a secure location."
"When did you last visit them?"
"This morning."
Alaric's expression instantly changed.
"Then they've already begun moving."
The Silent Widow frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"If dark magic was placed on those children," Alaric said calmly, "then their location can be tracked no matter where they are in the world."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…I didn't think that far ahead."
Alaric stood up immediately.
"We leave now."
---
It was already late into the night.
Alaric was still wearing the formal suit from the celebration.
But dark shadows suddenly flowed around his body.
The color of his clothes changed completely—
Black.
The Silent Widow looked at him silently.
"You're not carrying a weapon?"
Alaric smirked faintly.
"My weapon is always with me."
"And I'm not an easy target."
---
The two moved across the rooftops silently while hiding their presence.
Soon, they reached the center of the city.
The Silent Widow stopped and opened a hidden underground railway beneath the streets.
Alaric looked surprised.
"I didn't know this existed."
The Silent Widow replied calmly,
"Assassins are always aware of their surroundings."
---
Deep underground…
They arrived at a hidden house.
Alaric looked around.
"So this is where you live?"
"That information is private."
Alaric chuckled slightly.
"You trust me enough to bring me here."
"You're the King's son," she replied. "That's enough."
---
The moment they entered—
Alaric felt it.
Dark mana.
Leaking from the room where the children were locked away.
He walked toward the door slowly.
"The reports were correct…"
Then his expression changed.
"…Too correct."
The Silent Widow looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"If these children have been here for days," Alaric said quietly, "why hasn't anyone come to erase the evidence?"
She crossed her arms.
"There's a magical device hidden at the entrance. It blocks mana detection."
Alaric remained silent for a moment.
Then she added,
"You'll notice something else if you read Report Five."
"After I brought the children here… strange individuals began appearing around the kingdom."
"They were hiding their presence."
Alaric looked at the children carefully.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I'll remove the mark from their bodies."
The Silent Widow frowned slightly.
"You can do that?"
"Yes."
Alaric walked toward the children.
"If you use dark magic," he said, "you'll be able to see the mark on their arms."
Black energy slowly flowed through Alaric's fingers.
As he removed the marks one by one—
His eyes narrowed.
He had seen this spell before.
Inside an ancient forbidden text.
---
When he finished—
Alaric looked at his own arm.
Then he placed the same mark onto himself.
The Silent Widow's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?"
"They'll come for the marked target eventually."
He turned toward her.
"Stay here with the children."
His eyes became cold.
"I'm going hunting."
---
The moment Alaric stepped outside—
SHHHK!
An arrow shot toward him at terrifying speed.
BOOM!
The ground exploded instantly.
A voice echoed through the darkness.
"That was faster than expected."
Alaric activated Abyss Sense.
Four powerful presences surrounded him.
He smiled slightly.
"All four of you are strong…"
"But not strong enough to kill me."
The assassins slowly emerged from the shadows.
---
⚔️ THE FOUR SHADOWS
1. Kael Draven — "The Crimson Fang" Weapon: Demonic Greatsword Monster Form: Bloodfang Ogre
2. Seraph Vayne — "The Hollow Eye" Weapon: Dark Mana Sorcery Monster Form: Abyss Caster
3. Vaelor Skorn — "The Thousand Arrow" Weapon: AURU Longbow Monster Form: Four-Eyed Ravager
4. Lyra Noctis — "The Veiled Whisper" Weapon: Twin Daggers (Monster transformation prevented)
---
Alaric looked at them calmly.
"It would be better if we fought outside the city."
"If this battle begins here, the knights will interfere."
He glanced around.
"And the city will be destroyed."
But the assassins ignored him.
Vaelor immediately released another arrow.
BOOM!
The streets shattered apart.
Alaric's eyes darkened.
"This is bad…"
The other three emerged completely.
"You think we can't kill you before the knights arrive?"
Suddenly—
Alaric vanished.
⚔️ Abyss Step.
He began running through the air itself.
The assassins immediately chased after him.
Vaelor continuously fired AURU arrows toward Alaric.
Each arrow carried enough force to destroy buildings.
Alaric's expression remained calm.
"If I dodge carelessly… civilians may die."
So instead—
He blocked them.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Shockwaves exploded through the night sky.
Then—
Ki flowed into Alaric's legs.
His speed increased instantly.
The assassins' eyes widened.
"He got faster!"
Vaelor's arrows could no longer track him properly.
---
Soon—
Alaric successfully lured them outside the kingdom.
The forest became silent.
Alaric calmly removed the mark from his arm.
The four assassins froze.
"We can't sense him anymore…"
Then—
Alaric stepped out from the darkness.
"Looks like I was right."
"You were tracking the marks."
His eyes became cold.
"So tell me…"
"Are you trying to erase the evidence?"
---
"KILL HIM!"
The four assassins rushed forward simultaneously.
Then—
Alaric spoke a single word.
"Kneel."
BOOM!
An overwhelming pressure exploded outward.
The four assassins instantly crashed onto their knees.
The ground beneath them shattered.
Fear filled their eyes.
Looking at Alaric felt like staring at a demon king.
Alaric walked toward them slowly.
"I may spare your lives…"
"If you cooperate."
But instead of surrendering—
The assassins remembered their master's final order.
If death becomes certain…
Take the medicine.
One by one—
They swallowed the forbidden drug.
🔥 Demonblood Elixir.
---
The transformation began instantly.
Dark demonic AURU exploded from their bodies.
Bones cracked.
Skin turned crimson.
Their humanity began disappearing.
---
Vaelor Skorn transformed first.
His body enlarged violently.
Four glowing eyes opened across his face.
Dark AURU formed massive demonic arrows around him automatically.
Monster Form: ☠️ Four-Eyed Ravager.
---
Kael Draven transformed next.
His muscles expanded monstrously.
Crimson AURU exploded around his body like flames.
Monster Form: ☠️ Bloodfang Ogre.
---
Seraph Vayne changed differently.
Her skin turned dark red.
Countless streams of dark mana surrounded her body endlessly.
Monster Form: ☠️ Abyss Caster.
---
But Lyra Noctis…
Stopped.
Her hands trembled.
She looked at the others in horror.
"I… don't want to become a monster…"
Tears formed in her eyes.
"So this is what our master meant by strength…?"
Quietly—
She spat the pill out.
---
Alaric noticed instantly.
Good. I need one alive.
In a flash—
⚔️ Abyss Step.
Alaric appeared beside her instantly.
Before she could react—
THUD.
He struck her neck gently.
Lyra collapsed unconscious.
Alaric carried her deep into the forest and tied her securely to a tree.
"I'll return for you later."
Then—
He walked back toward the monsters.
---
The demonic AURU covering the battlefield had already become overwhelming.
Alaric sighed.
"You abandoned your humanity… because you couldn't handle gravity pressure?"
Kael roared and attacked first.
BOOM!
His punch shattered the ground itself.
But—
Alaric blocked it calmly using Ki.
Shockwaves exploded outward.
Kael attacked continuously with monstrous force.
Alaric calmly defended each strike.
"Your strength is impressive…"
"But your fighting style has no technique."
"You'll never defeat me like this."
Suddenly—
Alaric punched forward.
BOOOOM!
Kael was blasted backward violently.
---
At the same time—
Vaelor fired dozens of demonic arrows through the sky.
Each arrow split into four more midair.
Meanwhile—
Seraph filled the battlefield with dark explosive magic.
The attacks moved like bullets.
Fast. Deadly. Unpredictable.
Even Alaric's expression changed slightly.
"If I take those attacks directly…"
"…this won't end well."
He activated Abyss Step repeatedly while dodging through the air.
The battlefield exploded endlessly behind him.
---
Then—
Kael suddenly appeared behind him.
BOOM!
The punch landed directly.
Alaric crashed through multiple trees violently.
The forest shook.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
Alaric slowly stood up.
He wiped blood from his mouth.
"…Interesting."
Darkness slowly spread across his body.
Ki flowed violently through him.
Then—
A sword appeared in his hand through shadow magic.
His aura changed completely.
The monsters froze instinctively.
---
Alaric raised his sword.
⚔️ Silent Abyss Blade.
Ki flowed through the blade silently.
Then—
Abyss Step.
He disappeared.
SHHHK!
Kael's head flew off instantly.
Alaric stood behind him calmly.
"This is your end."
But then—
Kael's body regenerated.
Alaric narrowed his eyes.
"I see…"
"A core."
---
Using Abyss Sense—
He immediately located the cores hidden inside each monster.
The battle intensified instantly.
Vaelor's arrows rained endlessly.
Seraph's dark explosions covered the battlefield.
Kael attacked wildly like a beast.
Alaric moved through everything flawlessly.
Cutting arrows. Dodging explosions. Countering attacks.
---
Then—
Seraph smiled.
"You lose."
Suddenly—
All the arrows and dark magic surrounding the battlefield detonated at once.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The explosion swallowed everything.
---
The monsters smiled.
"He's dead."
But then—
Footsteps echoed through the smoke.
Alaric walked out completely unharmed.
The monsters froze.
"I covered my body with Ki…"
"Otherwise that attack might've killed me."
Fear entered their eyes for the first time.
---
Before Vaelor could react—
SHHHK!
Alaric instantly destroyed his core.
The Four-Eyed Ravager collapsed.
---
Seraph panicked and unleashed countless explosive spells desperately.
But Alaric dodged every single one effortlessly.
Then—
SHHHK!
Her core shattered too.
---
Only Kael remained.
But suddenly—
Kael devoured the corpses of the other monsters.
CRUNCH.
Dark demonic AURU exploded violently.
His body evolved again.
Four massive arms emerged from his body.
His size doubled.
The forest shook from his roar.
Alaric's eyes narrowed.
"…This isn't dark magic anymore."
"This is demonic energy."
---
Kael charged forward mindlessly.
The pressure became monstrous.
Alaric sighed.
"I didn't want to use this here…"
"…but I have no choice anymore."
Darkness exploded from his body.
His hair turned black.
Shadow covered his entire form.
The atmosphere itself trembled.
Then—
Alaric spoke.
"Kneel."
BOOOOOOM!
The evolved monster instantly crashed into the ground helplessly.
Completely powerless.
Alaric raised his hand.
A massive black hole formed behind Kael.
☠️ Abyss Devour.
The monster tried resisting desperately.
Trees. Rocks. Everything nearby—
Began getting pulled inside.
But eventually—
Kael lost his grip.
The black hole devoured him completely.
---
Alaric lowered his hand slowly.
"…Now I can gain your nullification ability."
Then he turned and walked back toward Lyra.
---
On the way—
He found The Silent Widow fighting two remaining assassins.
Both corpses already lay on the ground.
Alaric looked impressed.
"You handled them quickly."
The Silent Widow replied calmly,
"They tried taking the same drug."
"So I killed them before they could transform."
Alaric looked at her.
"Do you still have the medicine?"
She nodded and handed him two black bottles.
Alaric stared at them silently.
"…I'll investigate this personally."
Then his eyes became cold.
"Do not report tonight's events to the King."
"Or anyone else."
---
🔥 END OF CHAPTER 22 — SHADOWS BENEATH THE KINGDOM