Part 2: Return of Darkness
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Chapter 1: The Man in the Mask
…
Cold mountain winds struck the wooden walls of the cabin violently.
Yet the small house standing deep within the forest did not move an inch.
The roof was reinforced with thick black wood.
Animal skins hung near the entrance.
Several weapons rested against the wall.
Books, monster bones, strange herbs, and sharpened tools filled the shelves.
This was no longer the shelter of a weak abandoned child.
This place… was built by someone who had survived.
Kentro stood quietly near the window.
His long black hair swayed slightly with the wind entering from the cracks in the wood.
His crimson eyes stared silently toward the distant mountains hidden behind the fog.
Years had passed since that day.
Since the day they abandoned him.
Since the day the world decided he was worthless.
He slowly tightened his hand.
“…I became stronger.”
His voice was calm.
Not proud.
Not emotional.
Simply… factual.
The old Kentro had disappeared long ago.
The weak child who cried in the darkness no longer existed.
Now there was only someone trying to survive.
Someone trying to understand.
His eyes slowly moved toward the black book resting on the table.
The ancient book remained motionless.
Silent.
Mysterious.
Sometimes it appeared beside him without warning.
Sometimes it vanished for weeks.
No matter how many times he opened it, the pages remained impossible to understand.
Unknown symbols.
Ancient markings.
And occasionally…
Voices.
Kentro narrowed his eyes slightly.
“…What are you?”
Silence.
The book did not react.
A small vein appeared on his forehead.
“For years you followed me around like a curse.”
Still nothing.
Then suddenly—
The candles inside the cabin flickered.
The air grew colder.
And for a brief moment…
The black book disappeared.
Kentro’s expression darkened.
“…Again.”
He was already used to this.
The book appeared and vanished on its own, as if it possessed a will beyond his understanding.
And lately…
It had begun reacting whenever dragons were mentioned.
Kentro slowly wore his dark cloak.
“Then I’ll force the world to answer me.”
He grabbed his bag and left the cabin.
Outside, the forest was quieter than usual.
The villagers from nearby settlements had grown familiar with the appearance of a silent black-haired traveler who occasionally asked strange questions.
Questions about dragons.
Ancient ruins.
Forgotten books.
Or mysterious organizations.
But nobody ever had answers.
And whenever they asked for his name—
He simply walked away.
Hours later, Kentro entered a small mountain village hidden beneath massive cliffs.
The people there looked nervous.
Fear lingered in their eyes.
Inside a small inn, Kentro sat silently while listening to conversations nearby.
“…Three hunters disappeared.”
“I heard the monster tore them apart.”
“They say its scream alone shatters bones…”
“The Cloud Mountains are cursed.”
Kentro slowly raised his head.
Cloud Mountains.
A faint smile appeared on his face. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Finally…
Something interesting.
An old man noticed him listening and immediately spoke nervously:
“Don’t even think about going there, kid.”
Kentro calmly drank water.
“What kind of monster?”
The old man swallowed.
“…Catastrophe Bat.”
The entire inn fell silent after hearing the name.
One of the men whispered:
“That thing isn’t normal…”
Another added:
“It hunts at night.”
“And nobody who enters that cave returns alive.”
Kentro stood up quietly.
Then left the inn without another word.
The old man shouted behind him:
“You’ll die!”
But Kentro simply continued walking.
And strangely enough…
The smile on his face grew wider.
The Cloud Mountains.
Massive stone peaks pierced through endless white fog.
The sound of distant wind echoed between the cliffs like ghosts whispering through the sky.
Bones covered the ground near the mountain paths.
Monster bones.
Human bones.
Some looked ancient.
Kentro walked calmly through the mist.
His senses sharpened immediately.
Something was watching him.
Then—
A horrifying scream exploded across the mountains.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The ground trembled violently.
Several nearby rocks shattered instantly.
Kentro’s eyes widened slightly.
“…Interesting.”
A giant shadow descended from above at terrifying speed.
Two massive wings cut through the fog.
Red eyes glowed within the darkness.
The Catastrophe Bat.
Its body alone was larger than a house.
Its claws scraped against the mountain walls like blades.
And its mouth…
Was filled with countless sharp teeth.
The creature released another scream.
BOOOOOOM!!
Kentro instantly crossed his arms in defense—
CRASH!!
His body was thrown through several rocks violently.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Blood dripped slowly from his mouth.
But instead of fear…
Kentro laughed softly.
“…Finally.”
The monster charged again.
This time Kentro moved first.
BOOM!!
The ground beneath him exploded as he dashed forward at monstrous speed.
He avoided one claw by inches—
Then slammed his fist directly into the creature’s jaw.
CRACK!!
The mountain shook.
The beast screamed furiously.
Its massive tail smashed toward him—
Kentro blocked it with both arms.
The impact shattered the ground beneath his feet instantly.
Blood ran down his hands.
But his grin only widened further.
The battle became savage.
Pure violence.
No elegance.
No mercy.
The monster’s screams destroyed nearby cliffs.
Kentro’s punches shattered stone.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The creature suddenly opened its mouth wide—
A compressed wave of sound erupted forward.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Kentro’s body was launched directly into the cave wall.
Cracks spread across the stone instantly.
His vision blurred.
His breathing became unstable.
For a brief moment…
Silence.
Then slowly—
Kentro stood up again.
Blood covered half his face.
One arm trembled violently.
Yet his crimson eyes burned brighter than ever.
“…That all?”
The monster hesitated.
For the first time—
It stepped back.
Something inside Kentro had changed.
Dark energy slowly leaked from his body.
Black cracks spread across his arm like living shadows.
And behind him…
For a single second…
A gigantic dragon eye opened within the darkness.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
Watching.
The Catastrophe Bat screamed in fear.
Kentro disappeared.
BOOOOOOM!!
His fist pierced directly through the monster’s skull.
Silence fell across the cave.
The giant body collapsed slowly.
Kentro stood motionless beside it.
Breathing heavily.
Blood dripped from his fingers onto the stone floor.
Then finally…
He turned and walked outside the cave.
Step.
Step.
Step.
But after only a few meters—
His vision darkened.
His exhausted body collapsed onto the cold ground.
“…Tch…”
Footsteps echoed nearby.
Slow.
Calm.
Not afraid.
Kentro’s eyes moved slightly upward.
A man wearing a strange white mask stood before him silently.
Long black clothes.
No visible weapon.
No visible aura.
Yet the air around him felt unnatural.
The masked man looked toward the corpse inside the cave.
Then toward Kentro.
Silence.
A long silence.
Then finally—
“…Strange.”
His voice was quiet.
Cold.
Ancient somehow.
He stared directly into Kentro’s crimson eyes.
“…Since when did dragons begin resembling humans?”
Kentro’s pupils shrank instantly.
But before he could speak—
The masked man threw a sealed black envelope beside him.
Then turned away.
And vanished into the fog.
As if he had never existed.
Kentro stared silently at the letter beside him.
And for the first time in years…
He felt something unfamiliar.
Not fear.
Not anger.
But the feeling that—
Someone finally knew what he truly was.
END OF CHAPTER