Chapter 23: Source of Distortion
The rooftop had gone silent. Not the ordinary kind of silence—no wind, no distant traffic, no faint hum of life below. This was absence, a vacancy carved into reality itself. Where the entity had stood, the world felt… misaligned. As though something fundamental had been torn out—and whatever governed existence had failed to stitch the wound shut. Aken crouched, he didn't hurry and wasn't careless either. Every movement made was deliberate—his body operating under instinct sharpened by survival.
His fingers hovered just above the fractured concrete.
"…Appraisal."
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⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
Cursed Energy: 55
State: Stable
External Influence: Detected
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The world switched perception. But this time, it didn't merely sharpen, it deepened. Like peeling back a layer of sight—
—revealing what had always been there. Threads, they were faint but fractured. Nearly invisible lines stretched across the rooftop, thin as spider silk yet heavy with presence. They twisted through space like scars etched into reality itself.
Aken's gaze narrowed, locking onto them.
"…There you are."
They weren't chaotic, neither random. They flowed like river currents. A small directional path, like something had passed through this point—not once, but repeatedly. Miokuo's voice resonated within his mind, low and analytical. "These are residual cursed signatures."
"…Your right, we should follow it."
Aken followed the threads with his eyes. They didn't end here, they extended—beyond the rooftop, across adjacent buildings. Further, deeper into the city's skeleton.
"…From my guess. you didn't just appear." His voice dropped, quieter now. Certain. "You came from somewhere."
He rose without hesitation. There was no doubt in his mind, not anymore.
"…Sprint."
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⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
Skill Activated:Sprint (Lv.1)
Cursed Energy Cost: -10
Remaining Energy: 45
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The world folded, space compressed— and snapped. Aken vanished, then reappeared mid-motion atop the next rooftop. Momentum intact, no pause, no wasted movement. His eyes reacquired the trail instantly, still present, still clear.
"…Again."
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Skill Activated:Sprint (Lv.1)
Cursed Energy Cost: -10
Remaining Energy: 35
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Another displacement, another collapse of distance. The city blurred beneath him as he moved—not like a human navigating space, but someone overriding it. The air began to change, subtly but unmistakable. It thickened, not physically—
—but energetically. Cursed energy saturated the atmosphere like unseen pressure, pressing faintly against his skin.
"…Were close."
One more.
"…Sprint."
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Skill Activated:Sprint (Lv.1)
Cursed Energy Cost: -10
Remaining Energy: 25
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The transition ended, and Aken stopped completely. Before him stood a building, abandoned and decayed. The concrete walls weathered by time, windows shattered into hollow sockets. It stood like a corpse—forgotten, yet refusing to collapse. But that wasn't what mattered. Aken lifted his gaze to upper floors. The air there… twisted, distortion had taken form on the place. It was visibly undeniable. A slow breath escaped him. "…Found you."
Miokuo's tone sharpened slightly. "Master… the density here exceeds prior encounters."
"I can feel it too."
Aken stepped forward. The entrance resisted him with a long, creaking groan as he pushed it open.
Inside— dust hung motionless in the air, silence swallowing sound. Each footstep echoed too loudly, reverberating through the hollow structure as if the building itself were amplifying his presence. Empty, dead, but not abandoned. Above—
Something stirred in the absence. He ascended slowly, each step placed with intent. The higher he climbed, the heavier the atmosphere became. Cursed energy gathered, layered and condensed. By the time he reached the upper floor—
It hit fully. Aken stopped, his eyes fixed forward.
"…So this is it."
At the center of the floor— space itself had broken. A vortex of dark, rotating energy hovered in midair, unstable yet contained. Its form pulsed irregularly, like a living organism struggling to maintain shape. A dungeon, but it had seemed that the laws of physics had taken a day off. Though at this point in time, that was natural. Because this was fundamentally wrong. This one was not contained, it was leaking. Cursed energy spilled from it in slow, suffocating waves—like smoke from a wound in reality.
It breathed. Aken stepped closer carefully. Then—
The moment he crossed an invisible threshold—
The dungeon reacted. A violent pulse, not physical—but conceptual. This was inevitably rejection. Aken's body tensed as the force pushed against him—not with strength, but with denial.
"…Tch."
He steadied himself. Then stepped forward again.
"…Let's go again."
The response was the same, stronger and sharper. This time, the rejection pressed deeper, forcing his body to halt. Miokuo spoke, calm and precise.
"You are being denied entry."
"…Think I didn't notice that."
Aken's eyes narrowed slightly. "…So I'm not allowed in."
"Interesting."
Then—
The dungeon shifted, the swirling mass began trembling. Something moved within it. Aken's grip tightened on Mio.
"…Now what."
The surface parted, not violently, not abruptly, but smoothly. Like a veil being drawn aside. Two figures emerged, they didn't fall, they stepped out. As if transitioning between spaces they already owned. Aken's gaze sharpened.
"…Its sending bodyguards huh."
They landed lightly, humanoid, structured. More stable than the previous entity but still—
Inaccurate.
Their movements lagged by fractions of a second, like a poorly synchronized imitation. Their faces lacked completion—features present, yet devoid of coherence. And the energy they manifested was — dense, oppressive and rotting in a whole.
Aken smiled.
"…Finally."
Miokuo hummed at his side.
"You appear pleased master."
"…Of course I am. I was getting bored."
The entities tilted their heads in perfect unison. Their voices overlapped, distorted yet intellectual.
"…Intruder detected."
"…Eliminate."
Aken rolled his shoulders once, loosening tension, he relaxed and controlled his energy.
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⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
Cursed Energy:25
Combat Efficiency: Optimal Threshold
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"…Let's see what you've got."
They moved in an Instant, no telegraphing. The first entity lunged at him—
Aken sidestepped, minimal movement, perfect margin. The strike passed within centimeters. The second came from his blind spot—
Aken dropped below, pivoted— Miokuo arced upward.
Contact was real, resistance not.
"…Incredible."
But not intangible, not entirely. The blade carved through its upper limb, black energy spilled out of it—
—but the entity didn't falter. No pain, no reaction. It continued like nothing had happend.
Aken stepped back, recalibrating.
"…You guys are better than the last."
The first entity closed distance again—
Much faster than before. This time, Aken didn't evade, he met it head-on. Steel against fiber—
The impact was heavy. His footing shifted half a step.
"…Alright."
Now he understood, enhanced speed, increased strength and unnatural structural stability. But— still flawed. Miokuo's voice cut in.
"Their cores are shielded."
"…That figures. Why will they die so easily, it just make it even more fun."
The second entity reappeared behind him—
Wat too fast— Aken reacted instantly.
"…Sprint."
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Skill Activated:Sprint (Lv.1)
Cursed Energy Cost: -10
Remaining Energy: 15
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Space snapped aside. He vanished— and reappeared behind them. The distance was created, while his breathing was steady.
"…Let's end this."
Prolonged combat was psychopathic, especially with his cursed energy running low. So he chose the optimal route, termination. The first entity turned— it was too late for it. Aken was already there. A single, direct strike. Miokuo pierced through its core— clean and precise. The entity was frozen in place, then burst. Black energy mixed with blood spirraled out of it, disintegrated into nothing. One down. The second lunged— Aken advanced, not retreating, not dodging. Instead he closed the distance. Its attack passed over his shoulder—
Aken drove the blade forward, straight through its chest. A pause in its movement. Then— collapsed. Silence returned gradually. Aken stood still, breathing controlled.
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⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
Cursed Energy: 15
Status: Combat Complete
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His gaze lifted. The dungeon remained, watching him with unkindly waves.
"…So that's your defense, pretty weak."
Miokuo responded quietly.
"This is not a standard dungeon."
"…Yeah I know."
Aken stepped closer again, slower this time, more deliberate.
"…You're not rejecting me without reason."
He raised his hand slightly. The air pulsed. The dungeon reacted— but didn't attack. Didn't produce more entities. It simply—observed him. Aken's lips curved faintly.
"…You're waiting waiting for something. Aren't you?."
A pause. No, a realization. His eyes sharpened.
"…For someone."
The memory surfaced, the Hunter's voice. A title carved into his thought.
"…The Chosen One."
Understanding settled in.
"…So that's it."
Aken stepped back, he made his decision.
"…Not today."
Not out of fear, not hesitation. But calculation. He wasn't ready, not yet that is. He turned, walking toward the exit. Unhurried and controlled. Behind him— the dungeon pulsed, watching him leave. And in that moment— the truth became clear.
He hadn't discovered it, it had allowed itself to be found. Aken paused briefly at the doorway. A quiet exhale.
"…Yeah."
A faint smile.
"…This is going to get interesting."
⟦ END OF CHAPTER 23 ⟧