CHAPTER-27, When the Past Begins to Return
The night after the battle felt unnaturally quiet.
No monsters appeared.
No enemies followed them.
Even the wind had grown still, as if the world itself were watching from a distance… waiting to see what Jay would become after absorbing the fragment.
The ruins behind them slowly disappeared beneath the darkness as the three continued moving north.
Jay walked ahead in silence.
His cloak moved gently with the cold wind, and his expression remained calm—but inside him, something had changed.
He could feel it.
The fragment's energy had not disappeared.
It lingered deep within him.
Watching.
Sleeping.
Growing.
---
Elara kept glancing at him while they walked.
At first, she said nothing.
But after hours of silence, she finally spoke.
"You shouldn't have absorbed it."
Jay didn't slow his pace.
"Probably."
"That wasn't normal dark energy," she continued. "Fragments from the Core corrupt people. Even touching them can destroy the mind."
Jay's voice remained steady.
"But I'm still standing."
Elara frowned.
"That's exactly what worries me."
---
Lira walked quietly between them, holding her arms tightly.
Ever since Jay absorbed the fragment, she had felt something strange around him.
Not evil.
Not dangerous.
But… heavy.
Like standing near the edge of an endless abyss.
And yet—
for some reason—
she didn't feel afraid.
---
The moon hung high in the sky by the time they finally stopped near an abandoned watchtower.
The structure was ancient and broken, half-covered in vines and moss. Most of the upper walls had collapsed long ago, leaving only shattered stone and darkness inside.
Jay examined the area briefly.
"We rest here."
Elara immediately began preparing a small barrier around the tower.
Lira gathered dry wood for a fire.
And Jay—
stood near the edge of the ruins, staring into the distance.
---
The moment he closed his eyes—
he saw it again.
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
And inside it—
red eyes opening one after another.
Watching him.
Waiting.
---
Then—
a voice.
Cold.
Ancient.
Familiar.
---
"You accepted the fragment…"
---
Jay's eyes opened instantly.
His hand moved toward his blade.
But there was no one there.
Only silence.
---
Elara noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
Jay stayed quiet for a moment.
Then—
"…Nothing."
But he knew that was a lie.
---
Later that night, while Elara and Lira rested near the fire, Jay remained awake.
The fragment's energy pulsed faintly inside him, almost like a second heartbeat.
And slowly—
memories began surfacing.
Not his current memories.
Older ones.
From before reincarnation.
---
Blood-covered streets.
Burning cities.
Bodies falling one after another.
And at the center of it all—
himself.
---
Not as Jay.
But as the man he used to be.
The King of Killers.
---
His expression back then held no mercy.
No hesitation.
Only cold perfection.
---
A blade moved.
Another life ended.
Another target eliminated.
---
Jay suddenly opened his eyes.
His breathing remained calm—
but his gaze had changed.
---
"…So those memories are returning now…"
---
The fragment had awakened something buried deep inside him.
Not just instincts.
Experience.
---
That realization alone made him dangerous.
---
Morning came slowly.
Sunlight filtered through the broken tower walls, pushing away the darkness of night.
Lira woke first.
She quietly looked toward Jay—
and froze slightly.
---
He was already awake.
Sitting silently near the ruins.
But around him—
small pieces of stone were floating.
---
Lira's eyes widened.
"…What…"
---
The moment Jay noticed her, the stones dropped instantly.
Silence returned.
---
Elara walked over soon after.
"You're practicing already?"
Jay stood up slowly.
"…Testing."
"Testing what?"
Jay looked at his hand.
"The fragment changed my energy flow."
---
Elara's expression became serious.
"That's not good."
---
Jay ignored the comment.
Instead, he focused quietly.
And then—
his body vanished.
---
Not teleportation.
Not Hiddenness.
---
Complete disappearance.
---
Even Elara lost sight of him for a moment.
Then—
he reappeared behind them.
---
Lira jumped slightly.
"How did you do that?!"
Jay frowned faintly.
"…I don't know."
---
And that was the truth.
The ability had activated instinctively.
---
📜 SYSTEM NOTICE
New Trait Detected:
➡ Shadow Shift (Incomplete)
Effect: ➡ Temporary movement through blind perception zones ➡ Difficult to track through normal senses
Warning: ➡ Trait influenced by absorbed fragment
---
Jay stared at the screen quietly.
So the fragment wasn't just corrupting him.
It was evolving him.
---
Elara read the notification over his shoulder.
"…This is dangerous."
Jay closed the screen.
"Power usually is."
---
Before Elara could argue further—
Lira suddenly froze.
Her expression turned pale.
---
"…Someone's coming."
---
Jay's eyes sharpened instantly.
"How many?"
Lira closed her eyes briefly.
"…Three…"
Then her face grew even more tense.
"…No… four."
---
The atmosphere changed immediately.
The peaceful morning vanished.
---
Jay stepped outside the broken tower.
Far in the distance—
figures were approaching through the rocky plains.
Slow.
Calm.
Confident.
---
One of them carried a massive spear across his shoulder.
Another wore black robes that completely hid their face.
And the one walking at the center—
radiated pressure strong enough to distort the air around him.
---
Elara whispered,
"…These people are dangerous…"
---
Jay remained calm.
But internally—
his instincts were already warning him.
---
Not enemies like before.
Something worse.
---
The figures finally stopped several meters away.
Silence filled the air between them.
---
Then—
the man in the center spoke.
---
"So…"
His eyes locked onto Jay.
"…you're the one who absorbed the fragment."
---
Jay's hand slowly moved toward his blade.
"…Who are you?"
---
The man smiled faintly.
---
"We are the people who clean up mistakes."
---
The pressure in the air intensified instantly.
---
And for the first time since entering the mountains—
Jay realized something important.
---
The enemies he had fought until now…
were only servants.
---
The real players—
had finally arrived.
---
— To Be Continued 🔥⚔️👑