The sky began to glow with streaks of orange light, piercing through gaps in the dark clouds. The clock read 17:29.
Al stood at the edge of the sidewalk, feeling slightly drained.
"Goodness… being a good kid is surprisingly troublesome."
As he stared up at the sky, he realized the time.
In Indorosia—a country located along the equator—the duration of day and night was almost equal, roughly twelve hours each. Dusk fell at six in the evening, and dawn came at six in the morning.
Which meant it was now the peak of the transition between day and night. A time rumored to be when dark creatures awakened and their energy surged.
A rumor that was, in fact, true—and just as true for cursed humans who carried dark energy within them.
Making this the most annoying time for cursed humans like him.
The time when the dark energy inside their bodies would surge uncontrollably. The time when cursed humans would usually remain still, silently enduring it until the turbulence subsided.
"Damn... it's already this late. I need to get home fast," he muttered.
He glanced toward the main road in the distance.
Unfortunately, the road near the Marin family's neighborhood was practically part of an industrial route. Workers were heading home, cargo trucks kept rolling by, and traffic jams were all but guaranteed.
And sure enough, rush hour had already begun.
Taking a bus or taxi would take forever.
"Should I just teleport?" he wondered.
However, as he felt the surge of energy within his body, using high-level magic right now felt far too risky.
"Definitely not," he murmured under his breath.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Al headed toward the main road. The fastest option wasn't a bus or a taxi anyway.
It was an online motorcycle taxi. Small, agile, and capable of weaving through traffic far more efficiently than most vehicles.
Of course, that came with its own drawbacks. Dust, exhaust fumes, and the wind would be unavoidable.
After booking a ride, he still had some time before the driver arrived.
Naturally, Al decided not to waste it.
He casually wandered around the area while keeping within walking distance of the pickup point marked on the app.
At the same time, he spread out his senses, quietly observing and scanning the spiritual energy surrounding the neighborhood where the Marin family lived.
"Maybe there's a restless spirit around here that I can bully," he muttered.
And so, his leisurely patrol continued—so long as he didn't stray too far from the meeting point.
The area looked a bit quiet, leaning toward a more traditional vibe. Unlike the city center or elite districts, the outskirts were still mostly inhabited by middle-and lower-income residents.
Or, you could say, those who weren't quite able to keep up with the rapid pace of the times.
What made areas like this truly unique, though, was the number of spiritual beings wandering around. And most of them were strong.
These outskirts were a favorite spot for such creatures—not as crowded as the city center, but spiritual and mystical activity among the locals was surprisingly high.
This was the kind of place Al and his team patrolled—aside from the mountains, forests, and rivers. Areas he kept an eye on to prevent human sacrifices and spiritual threats.
Al observed the spiritual creatures lurking around the area—many of them clearly dangerous. Yet he didn't make a move.
"My team rarely checks this area… or maybe never? Hmph… I come here fairly often, but this is the first time I've seen a crowd of spiritual beings this big," Al muttered.
"Spiritual activity in this city has definitely increased lately. We'll need to investigate further."
He let out a long sigh.
"Anyway… next patrol is probably going to be even more exhausting."
Before long, he had entered the busier part of that area, where shady trees gradually gave way to medium and large buildings.
As he passed through a narrow alley between two old buildings, Al felt something—a pulse of magical aura, like a whisper only those with spiritual eyes could hear.
This one was different from anything he'd felt before—an aura that carried a real sense of threat, as if it had locked onto him.
"Hm?" His gaze sharpened as it snapped toward the alley.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the darkness and gave chase, completely forgetting the motorcycle taxi he had booked.
He moved as fast as his current condition allowed, but the target seemed just as quick, always just out of reach.
Before he even realized it, he had covered dozens of kilometers, eventually arriving at a narrow passage that smelled of dust, rats, and forgotten history.
But… there was nothing.
No one.
The aura had vanished.
Al frowned, then closed his eyes briefly. His right hand lifted and formed a subtle mudra. A wave of invisible energy rippled outward like a magical sonar.
No result. The aura was too subtle—or too skilled at hiding.
"Damn it… if this energy disturbance wasn't messing with me, I would've caught it," he muttered in frustration.
Not long after, he let out a quiet sigh and gave up, deciding to leave the place—wherever it even was.
Just as he turned to leave…
At the far end of the alley, familiar silhouettes appeared—the thugs from earlier that morning, now accompanied by four hulking henchmen.
"Well, well, look who's strolling through our turf."
Al turned and looked at them.
"Wow. Wow. Wow. We didn't mean to bother you again today—yet here you came to us," one of the thug added.
Al felt a bit confused—why were those thugs even there? He scanned the surroundings, and only then did he realize… it was an alley not far from his school.
He took a slight step back, caught off guard. He hadn't expected to end up here just from chasing that unknown presence.
It almost felt like… that thing had been leading him here all along.
"You little brat! You were saved this morning because of Miss Rina. This time your story ends." one of the underlings said.
"Haha. True," the leader added.
He stepped closer to Al.
"But since we can already be considered subordinates of an elite family, we should do this in a more… noble way."
He raised a finger toward Al.
"I'll give you a chance to voice your last wish… hehe."
Al didn't pay them much attention. Right now, the turmoil within his body needed to be calmed—he really didn't want to deal with people like this.
So he tried to leave without taking things any further.
"Last wish?" he asked, putting on a deliberately innocent face.
"Exactly. Your last… wish. Haha." the leader replied.
"Hm… does that mean we won't meet again after this?" Al asked.
The five of them exchanged looks and laughed loudly.
"Hahaha. Of course this will be the last. Good that you understand." the thug leader said, as if this really would be Al's end — or at least the end of his normal life.
Al stood calmly and nodded a little. His eyes were lazy. He muttered under his breath:
"Well, at least you're not making it troublesome. Then my last wish for this final meeting…" he said nonchalantly. "…is to be let go. Thank you."
He then stepped forward after speaking.
The four thugs froze at the unexpected, off-script request.
"Hey. That's not the right wish?" the leader snapped.
"Huh? The 'right' wish? Did we ever discuss the rules for wishes?" Al retorted.
The thugs looked foolish; irritated that their own words had been used against them. Feeling mocked, they grew restless and angrier.
"Kid. Stop joking!" one of them barked.
"Hmm… you were the one who asked me to say my last wish. Now you call it a joke. Weird people." Al turned back to the street and started to walk away, too lazy to be bothered.
But the thugs wouldn't let him.
"Haha, kid. I think you're the weird one. Just because we ask for a wish doesn't mean we'll grant it." the leader shot back.
Al stopped and slapped his forehead.
"Haah… then what's the point of asking?" he said, shaking his head. "You love wasting people's time with your stupidity."
"You!" they screamed.
Feeling increasingly toyed with, the thugs could no longer contain themselves.
"Enough. Teach him a lesson!" the leader ordered.
His men lunged forward.
All four moved at once — two from the front and two from behind — surrounding Al. Two wielded wooden planks, two attacked empty-handed.
Al shook his head as he watched.
In the end, the conflict couldn't be avoided. And now, he needed to finish this—quickly and as efficiently as possible.
He looked front and back. Their movements seemed painfully slow to him.
"I think you all need to lose some weight. Bodies too big. But you're too slow."
Then he smiled and moved. Fast. The four struggled to read his motion.
With surgical precision he unleashed strikes even before their attacks landed.
Punches, kicks, throws, and brutal hits targeted each weak point of the thugs — at a speed that wasn't human.
By the sixth second, the four henchmen stood rigid around Al, as if their consciousness had left before their bodies did.
No magic. Just fists, feet, knees, and inhuman speed and precision. As expected of the successor to the Yellow Flash.
As a finishing touch, Al executed a spinning 360-degree kick that slammed into all four, sending them flying in different directions into the walls.
Al stood casually again after the attack and nodded.
"Four average-built guys in seven seconds… I'm a bit slow today. Guess this surge is messing with me."
He let out a quiet breath.
"Two seconds would've been enough for them," he assessed.
The thug leader was slightly shocked — he hadn't expected the kid he'd come after to be this skilled.
"Damn... this brat might actually be stronger than Miss Rina," he muttered.
"But no matter how good you fight, you'll still die against a weapon. haha" he said, still pumped up.
He drew a knife, stepped forward, and let out a growl. The intent to kill was clear.
"Don't act tough, stinky kid!" he shouted.
"Die!"
Al stopped. He rubbed his neck and stared straight into the thug's eyes, reading the murderous intent.
And this time, without even realizing it, that killing intent stirred the darkness within him—pushing him slightly out of control.
"I thought your kind of thug only specialized in extortion and bullying. So you also want to kill? Haha… interesting," Al said, his expression turning a little strange—like a hint of madness had surfaced.
At that moment, his eyes flared.
A faint red-black energy began to cloak his body, spreading like a mist that nearly filled the alley.
His voice grew more excited, cutting sharply through the air.
"But you should learn something," he said, almost maniacally. "If you're ready to hurt others… you must be ready to be hurt. And if you're ready to kill…"
His gaze sharpened further, his voice rising as the energy around him surged.
"…you must also be ready to die. Haha."
And then—
WOSHHH!!!
In an instant, the air turned heavy.
Al's eyes burned with a killing intent unlike anything ordinary—feral, ancient, and soaked in the weight of thousands of years of battle.
The stone walls around them began to crack.
Animals nearby scattered in panic, fleeing the area.
The gang leader who had been moving suddenly froze, halted mid-step under the pressure of that energy.
His body couldn't move at all. Cold sweat poured down his face, a surge of intense fear overtook him, and he just stood there, paralyzed. The pressure was strong—too strong.
"What… is this?" he muttered, bewildered, unable to comprehend what was happening. Only a massive, pitch-black figure seemed to appear in his vision, staring at Al.
His body wavered and…
BRUK.
He collapsed, unconscious, without anyone touching him.
---
Elsewhere
In a modern-traditional dojo not far away, the Leader of the Palaka Dojo—Makazhar Traditional Arts—and his charismatic vice-leader, Rina, were in the middle of a relaxed discussion with several members.
"You look joyful. What's going on?" the leader asked Rina.
"Ahaha… just like you said, Master. Doing good always brings joy," Rina replied cheerfully.
"Oh? Really? And what exactly did you do?" he asked again.
"Nothing big… just helped a school friend get out of trouble with some thugs," Rina answered.
"Hehe, you don't need to downplay yourself like that. Even small acts of kindness hold great value. And as martial artists, we really should…" the man began, but then paused.
Suddenly, a surge of powerful energy swept through the area.
He and Rina instantly tensed. They could feel the presence clearly, while the other members only sensed it faintly due to their lower sensitivity.
The two exchanged looks, both unsure what kind of terrifying force they had just felt.
"Rina... did you feel that?"
"Yes, Master. That energy… it's incredibly strong. My whole body is getting goosebumps." Rina replied, eyes tracing the hairs standing on her arms.
The two of them nodded at each other, and then they shot off, followed closely by several other members.
---
In a matter of seconds, five major martial arts groups across Makazhar city reacted. Moving fast across rooftops and shadows, they converged on the scene.
At the site, all five groups met. They stared at each other, recognizing one another. Each group brought several members, making the alley feel slightly crowded.
Two groups wore casual clothes, one had a traditional style, and the other two clearly marked themselves as martial artists with fighting attire and belts fastened.
"You again?" said someone who looked old but had a fit body, from the black-uniformed dojo team.
"Still alive, huh, old dojo master," came the reply.
"Huh, still arrogant, aren't you, Black Cat," said the leader of another dojo wearing casual clothes.
They exchanged jabs for a while, more focused on competitive spirits than their actual objectives.
Until the Palaka Dojo leader spoke up,
"I want to take you all on, but unfortunately, this isn't the place for verbal sparring," he spoke with authority.
"There's a deadly energy here that we need to investigate. We can continue our conflict elsewhere and later, if you really want to fight."
Although uncomfortable, they all agreed and began scanning the surrounding area.
They discovered five thugs lying battered on the ground. One of them—the skinny guy with dyed blond hair—didn't seem to have many visible injuries, but... somehow, he looked far worse than the others.
After waking them, they began questioning—but the thugs just looked dazed and confused.
"Uh… who am I?"
"Why am I here?"
"I like the color purple…"
Some people were trying to analyze the lingering energy residue.
Unfortunately, as internal energy users, sensing energy in the air wasn't their specialty.
They were far more attuned to the energy flowing within a person's body—so analyzing something like this left them overwhelmed.
Still, a few traces of it could be felt. Yet the energy was strange—unlike anything they had ever sensed before.
Some believed it came from a mage, while others suspected a spiritual being.
But in the end… no one really knew what it was.
Meanwhile, Rina recognized those thugs,
If I'm not mistaken, they're the ones from before… Rudi's subordinates. Why are they so battered? she wondered.
She looked closer.
Don't tell me this is the doing of that boy named Al? Rina thought again.
Then shook her head.
Impossible. He doesn't seem to have any magical energy. If it really is connected to him, then most likely… he has powerful subordinates.
But now that I think about it… I've never seen him in any elite circles.
If he can hire someone capable of making my Master shiver from that kind of terrifying energy, then he must be incredibly wealthy. Even a Virellano young master wouldn't be able to pull that off so easily.
Which means… he should be well-known in elite circles. And yet, I have no idea who he is. Strange.
She analyzed the situation in silence, unable to reach a clear conclusion.
After all, it could be related to someone else. Thugs like these were bound to have plenty of enemies.
Everything was still vague, but the information was important enough to report.
She then coded a signal to her master and whispered the information.
The man nodded, keeping the information exclusive to them. There was no need to tell the other groups—whatever had happened, it remained a big question mark.
After observing for a while, they realized there wasn't much more to find.
Yet with the presence of that overwhelming energy, a real threat weighed heavily on their chests.
They grew more alert, reinforcing themselves and heightening their city-wide vigilance.
---
From a distant rooftop, Al let out a long sigh.
He had just managed to calm himself down from something that had almost turned into something truly dangerous.
"Whoa... I got carried away. Darkness really does attract more darkness. Good thing I snapped out of it in time."
"Huff... Even at my level, acting recklessly at a critical moment like that is always a disaster for a cursed human."
"I really need to reach Saint Rank soon and stabilize this dark energy."
He looked down, watching as five martial arts organizations argued among themselves, throwing blame at one another.
Most of them were at the Novice level, with a few Adept level like Rina—and two Expert level, one of whom stood right beside her.
"Oh, that's Rina from earlier. So she's part of some martial arts community, huh. Not bad… And I guess the guy next to her is her teacher or master. Pretty solid," Al said casually.
He wasn't particularly surprised by their presence, nor did he care much about what was happening below.
He almost laughed at their bickering, but then he noticed the time—it was nearly six.
"Huff… better head home."
And just like that, he vanished from the rooftop.
---
Across the building where Al had been standing earlier…
Three figures in black hooded robes were also watching.
The massive surge of energy Al had released didn't just attract the attention of martial artists—it also drew those who lurked in the shadows.
"Ugh… if we're just here to check out some energy, why do we even have to come all the way here? We've seen terrifying energy plenty of times already. What's so special about this one?"
The one standing in the middle complained as she pulled back her hood.
"I'm seriously not in the mood. I'm still pissed—I can't believe I got tricked by some kid in broad daylight. Ughhh…"
A familiar face was revealed.
Lutinta.
"You don't have the right to complain," the figure on her right replied coldly, not even bothering to remove his hood. "I've told you before—stop fooling around and take things seriously."
"The leader ordered you to secure that necklace, yet you lost it. And now we've completely lost track of it," the figure added sharply.
"You even used the organization's funds to entertain some so-called 'cute boy.' Honestly… your mistake is serious enough. Prepare yourself for punishment."
Lutinta could only grit her teeth in frustration—but in the end, she knew it was her own fault.
She had targeted that necklace filled with magical energy—a crucial item for their secret mission.
She hadn't expected Al to show up first and buy it.
But seeing his cute face had stirred something inside her. She planned to let him take the necklace, lure him to a hotel, play with him… and then kill him while taking the necklace back.
Two birds with one stone.
Unfortunately, the "bird" pecked her first—and disappeared without a trace.
"Huff… he was really cute though," she muttered under her breath.
"Enough! I'm sick of your whining," the figure on her right snapped again.
Then he shifted his gaze toward the group of martial artists still gathered in the alley.
"Checking this energy isn't our main mission," he said, "but ensuring this city stays stable before our operation begins is what truly matters."
"Yeah," the figure on Lutinta's left added. "And it seems you don't realize… this isn't just any ordinary energy."
Lutinta and the other figure turned toward them.
"Not ordinary?" Lutinta frowned.
"You've analyzed it?" the other one asked.
The figure nodded.
He slowly extended a hand—revealing dry, wrinkled skin, with long, claw-like fingers. He tried to manipulate the residual energy lingering in the air—
But the moment it touched—
BRAKSS!!
A small explosion burst across his skin. Blisters and blood instantly surfaced.
"…Terrifying energy," he muttered. "I can't comprehend it at all. I can only feel how horrifying it is."
He looked at the other two.
"A being who possesses this kind of energy… would see us as nothing more than insects."
His eyes reflected a rare sense of humility.
"We… are only fit to kneel… or die before it."
Those words sent a chill down the others' spines.
"W-What are you saying? Someone at our Master's level?" Lutinta asked.
The figure shook his head.
"If we're comparing him to our Master... no."
His eyes gleamed.
"The quality of this energy is terrifying and beyond my understanding... but our Master's power..."
"...is far more profound... and far more terrifying than this
That realization brought a sense of relief to the other two.
"Of course," Lutinta said with a grin. "Master is the strongest entity in this universe, after all. Haha."
The other figure nodded.
"Exactly. Which is why you should take this mission more seriously, Lutinta."
This time, she only nodded—clearly annoyed, but unable to argue back.
Meanwhile, the figure turned his gaze toward the sky.
"This mission… is crucial for Master's awakening. Soon, that woman will arrive in this city. We must do everything we can to draw her into the cult."
"She is one of the key pieces for Master's revival. Along with…"
His gaze shifted into the distance—toward the Virellano residence.
"…those young masters over there."
And with that, the darkness swallowed the conversation of the secret cult.
As if carried by the night itself, the scene shifted to another part of Makazhar City—now fully cloaked in darkness, with streetlights flickering to life one by one.
Riding on the back of a motorcycle taxi, Al sat quietly.
"…Why do I have this bad feeling? Is someone targeting me…?"
He let out a slow breath, choosing to ignore it.
Instead, he used the quiet ride to stabilize the turbulent energy within his body.
---