In the deepest and darkest corner of the universe, where even light dares not cross, an anomaly was unfolding.
The absolute void slowly distorted not from a physical explosion, but due to an incredibly dense pull of energy.
All forms of hatred, unbearable murderous intent, the longing for shackled freedom, tears of deep emotion, and all the pain of billions of beings across the world... everything was sucked into a single central point. These negative energies collided, merged, and solidified.
Their color was far darker than the Unknown's Pure Darkness. This was a primal darkness that consumed existence itself.
Slowly, that mass of universal suffering formed a humanoid silhouette. The mysterious figure slowly opened its eyes.
There were no pupils only a hollow void emitting an aura of absolute hatred. A new entity had been born. And its first target was already locked.
A Shattered Peace
The following day, the sun shone brilliantly over the skies of Nusantara. After winning lifetime VVIP tickets from the Hunter Festival, Steve truly took advantage of his downtime for maximum relaxation.
In the recreation room of The Great Hunter headquarters, Steve sat on a plush sofa, playing a console game on a giant television screen. His face looked completely relaxed; occasionally, he laughed as he defeated monsters in the game.
The door opened slowly. Pulchra stepped in gracefully, carrying a tray of warm tea and cookies. The white-haired girl had returned to her natural, gentle, and slightly shy self.
"S-Steve... here are some snacks. I heard you haven't left your room since morning," Pulchra said as she placed the tray on the table.
Steve paused his game and immediately grinned. "Wow, thanks a lot, Senior! You knew exactly when I needed a sugar hit. Sit here, keep me company!"
Pulchra smiled sweetly and sat on the edge of the sofa, faithfully accompanying her junior. Inside Steve's head, an annoyed snort echoed.
(Hah... Such boring peace. You possess power that could destroy worlds, yet you're content pressing plastic buttons all day!) grumbled the Unknown, feeling his pride sink at the sight of his vessel lounging about.
(Shut it! Taking a break from slaughtering monsters once in a while isn't a sin. Just enjoy the peace,) Steve replied casually in his heart while munching on Pulchra's cookies.
(Tch. My intuition has been off since this morning,) the Unknown muttered softly, his voice sounding less arrogant than usual.
Just as Steve was about to reach for his second cookie...
KRAAAAK!
A deafening crack echoed not from inside the room, but from the sky outside the base.
The TGH building, coated in high-level anti-magic shielding, suddenly shook violently as if struck by a maximum-magnitude earthquake.
"E-eh?! What is this?!" Pulchra stood up reflexively, her face turning pale as the base's emergency alarm blared.
Steve immediately dropped his controller. The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a sudden drench of cold sweat. His chest felt incredibly tight, as if all the oxygen in the room was being forcibly sucked out.
(S-Steve...!!) The Unknown's voice in his head suddenly screamed in panic something that had never happened before.
(This aura... It can't be! Impossible!)
The space in front of Steve suddenly distorted severely, warping like a corrupted tape.
A pitch-black dot appeared in the air, tearing reality apart and creating a hole of nothingness right in the middle of the recreation room.
From within that hole, a cold draft carrying absolute despair blew out, freezing even the floor beneath their feet.
A humanoid figure stepped out of the distortion.
Its form almost resembled the Unknown when taking over Steve's body, but... it was much denser, more terrifying, and utterly merciless. With every step, the gravity in the room shattered.
The window glass crumbled into dust.
Pulchra immediately summoned her threads of light, preparing to protect Steve.
However, with just a single glance from the entity, Pulchra's light magic was instantly extinguished, and her body froze, unable to move.
The mysterious entity stopped exactly three steps in front of Steve. It stared deep into the young man's eyes or more accurately... it stared directly at the soul of the Unknown residing within him.
Its voice was not heard by the ears, but rather echoed through his mind, shattering his thoughts.
"Finally, I have found you... a fragment of a pathetic past... No Name!!"