Chapter 25 — Ice, Coffee, and Chaos
The blade went in deep. Not a graze, not some shallow hit. Deep enough that Aken felt his resistance give way under the grip of the hilt, like something finally admitting defeat. For a split second, everything stopped. The two-headed creature froze mid-motion. Both voices cut off at the same time, like someone had ripped the sound out of its throat.
Aken didn't move, he didn't rush it, he just tightened his grip… and twisted. A crack split through its core. Not loud, not explosive—just off. Like something breaking where it wasn't supposed to exist in reality. Black light burst out of the wound. The creature convulsed violently, its massive frame shaking as cursed energy leaked out in thick, unstable waves. The air around them warped under its pressure.
Aken took a step forward.
"…Yeah. That's it."
Miokuo pulsed in his hand, like it agreed. Without hesitation, Aken swung again. One clean diagonal strike—sharp and controlled. This time, the blade went all the way through. For nothing less than a second, the creature didn't react. It just stood there, split clean down the middle, like reality hadn't caught up yet. Then it collapsed. The impact shook the entire floor, cracks spreading across the concrete as dust rose into the air. And just like that—
It was over.
Aken stood still for a second, breathing slowly. In and out. The remains of the creature began to break apart, dissolving into strands of black energy. And just like before—the dungeon reacted. A low pulse echoed through the space, heavier than before, hungrier to be correct. The energy didn't fade, didn't scatter. It got pulled back. Aken glanced over his shoulder as the fragments lifted and streamed toward the vortex behind him.
"…You really hate leftovers, huh."
The dungeon pulsed again, stronger this time. Its surface started to crack, thin lines spreading across it like glass under pressure. The pull intensified, dragging in every last trace of cursed energy in the room. Then— It collapsed. No warning, no buildup. One second it was there, the next—nothing. Gone like it had never existed.
Aken exhaled. "…Alright. That's new."
The system flickered into view.
⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
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Rewards Granted:— x2 Cursed Potion (C-Rank)— 1 Cursed Core (+20 Cursed Energy)— +5 Stat Points— +50 Possibility Points
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Aken glanced over it once and shrugged lightly. "…Not bad."
Miokuo spoke, calm as ever. "You handled that efficiently master."
Aken crouched, picking up the drop. A dark crystal sat in his palm, heavier than it looked.
"…Let's see."
He crushed it without hesitation. The moment it broke, energy surged into him—hot, sharp and immediate. It spread through his body like carbon dioxide finding oxygen.
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⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
Cursed Energy: 0 → 20
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Aken let out a breath, shoulders loosening slightly. "…Yeah, I needed that."
He reached into his inventory and pulled out one of the potions. The liquid inside was thick and black, not exactly something you'd want to drink twice.
He stared at it for a second. "…This still looks like a bad idea."
Miokuo replied, "It is still effective."
"…Good enough."
He drank it. The effect kicked in instantly. Not explosive, not wild—just steady and clean. Energy flowed back into him, filling the gaps, smoothing everything out.
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⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
Cursed Energy:77 → 100HP: 320 / 320Status: Fully Restored
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Aken rolled his shoulders, testing the feeling. "…Yeah. That' way better."
For a moment, he just stood there. The building around him was cracked and damaged, but yet still standing. Quiet, normal, almost if it made it sound better.
"…Alright. were done here."
Miokuo hummed softly. "Returning already?"
"…Yeah there's nothing else to do here."
He stepped outside. And just like that, the world went back to normal. Cars passed by the road, people talking in their usual conversations. Someone laughed too loudly down the street. Life moved on like nothing had happened. Aken shoved his hands into his pockets, walking at an easy pace. "…Feels kind of fake."
"It is structured master," Miokuo replied.
"…Same thing."
He crossed the street and stepped into a small café without thinking much about it. The place was warm, quiet, normal in a way that almost felt suspicious.
"Iced coffee," he said.
The barista nodded like it was just another order. Aken took a seat by the window, watching people move outside. No panic, no awareness. Just normal lives going on like nothing had almost gone very wrong a few blocks away. His drink arrived, cold, bitter but real. He took a sip. "…I really needed this."
For a moment, everything slowed down. No fights, no system notifications, no distortions appearing out of nowhere. Just him and a cup of coffee. It felt… strange. Until—
BUZZ
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
[Jae-Min]
Aken picked up. "…Yeah."
"Where the hell have you been?!" Jae-Min snapped immediately. "I've been calling you for like an hour!"
Aken glanced at the condensation sliding down his cup. "…Was I?"
"YES, you were!"
"…Sorry, my bad."
"My bad?" Jae-Min sounded offended. "That's it?!"
Aken took another sip. "…I was busy."
"Doing what?"
"…Stuff."
"What stuff?"
Aken paused. "…Work stuff."
"You don't have a job."
"…Freelance."
"Freela—" Jae-Min stopped. "…You're lying aren't you."
"…I didn't say I wasn't."
There was a long dramatic pause.
"…You're really impossible for a guy."
"I get that a lot. Hold up, what's that supposed to mean."
"Just get over here will you."
"…Where?"
"The Union."
Aken leaned back slightly. "…Why?"
"It's very important."
"…Define the word important."
"You're trending."
Aken blinked once. "…That sounds annoying."
"It is!"
"…Then why do you sound excited?"
"Because I know you," Jae-Min said, like that explained everything.
"…That's quite unfortunate."
"Just come already."
Aken looked at his drink, then finished it in one go. Cold bitterness settled cleanly.
"…Fine I'll be there."
"Don't take forever."
"No promises."
"AKEN—"
The call ended. Aken stood up, dropped some cash on the table, and walked out of the café.
"…He's fine," he said.
"Confirmed master," Miokuo replied.
Aken looked ahead. Then—
"…Sprint."
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⟦ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟧
Cursed Energy:100 → 90
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The world snapped. Space folded, then reformed instantly. The Union stood right in front of him, untouched as always. Aken stared at it for a second. "…This still feels weird."
He walked inside, noise hitting him immediately. Players talking, staff moving around, everything loud and busy in that organized kind of chaos. Normal, too normal.
"Aken!"
He turned. Jae-Min was already walking toward him, looking relieved and annoyed at the same time.
"…You're alive."
"…That seems to be the trend today."
Jae-Min stopped in front of him, hands on his hips. "Where the hell were you?"
"…I went out."
"Out where?"
"…Outside."
Jae-Min stared at him. "…I'm going to hit you."
"…You won't."
"…I might."
"…You can't afford the hospital bills."
A quite pause in his tone.
"…Fair point."
Aken smirked slightly. "…So what's the problem?"
Jae-Min leaned in a bit, lowering his voice. "…You're trending. And not in a small way."
"…I heard."
"No, I mean big. High-rank players are asking about you."
Aken's expression barely changed. "…That sounds worse."
"It is, badly so."
"…Then why are you smiling?"
"Because this is exactly what you do," Jae-Min said.
"…Cause problems?"
"…Cause chaos."
Aken tilted his head slightly. "…Already did."
Jae-Min paused. "…You're serious."
Aken didn't answer. He didn't need to. Jae-Min slowly exhaled. "…Yeah… I'm not even asking anymore."
Jae-Min straightened. "…Anyways come on."
"…Where?"
"…The meeting room."
Aken sighed. "…That never ends well."
"…Nope. You asked for it."
Aken followed anyway. Because at this point, things didn't really slow down anymore. They just kept stacking up. And somewhere between a collapsing dungeon, a cold cup of coffee, and a phone call he almost ignored—
Something had started moving, not loudly, not obviously, but partially. And Aken could already tell—whatever came next…
Wasn't going to stay small for ever.
END OF CHAPTER 25