The ash had not yet settled.
But the world had already begun to whisper his name.
---
Somewhere in the floating fortress of Arkanis, the grandmaster of the Guild of Bounties stood before a war table made of enchanted obsidian. Around him, guild lords murmured in fear.
> "All five Ash Talons… gone?"
"No trace. No signal. Just corpses."
One guild lord slammed his fist.
> "He wasn't even in the rankings yesterday!"
"What kind of freak levels that fast?!"
The Grandmaster turned his gaze to the center — where Hari's image, grainy and flickering, floated like a phantom.
Eyes glowing violet. Body dripping in monster blood.
Silent. Watching.
> "This one," he said, voice cold, "is no longer a threat."
> "He is a message."
---
Back in Neavo's eastern wildlands, Hari knelt beside a blood-soaked blade.
Not his own.
One of the Ash Talons had used a soul curse. Even after death, the relic radiated malice. He touched it.
> [Relic Absorption in Progress...]
→ Assimilation Type: Eclipse Bloodline
→ New Trait Unlocked: Soulbrand Echo
> Soulbrand Echo – Passive
→ Allows user to temporarily copy a skill of the fallen enemy if a blood connection is formed.
Duration: 30 seconds
Cooldown: 8 hours
Hari stood up slowly.
> "I don't need their permission."
> "I'll use their weapons to burn down their world."
---
He took the relic blade.
His system adjusted again — menus shifting, fragments aligning.
> [Bloodline Trait Slot 3 Activated]
→ Customize or Fuse?
Hari blinked.
Then selected Fuse.
The system pulsed.
> [Fusion of Eclipse Predator + Soulbrand Echo: IN PROGRESS]
Estimated Result: Unknown Mutation
Risk: High
Proceed?
He didn't hesitate.
> [Confirmed.]
---
Lightning surged across his veins.
His bones cracked. Muscles twisted. His vision blurred. The world turned violet-black.
> "AAAAAAAAAAGHH!"
But he didn't fall.
He rose.
When it ended, he stood taller, stronger — but something else had changed.
Behind him, his shadow moved.
Not naturally.
Like it was alive.
---
> [Mutation Complete: Eclipse Wraith Form – Phase I]
• Passive: Shadow Doppel – Creates a flickering afterimage during combat that mimics physical movement.
• Passive: Soulburn Touch – Damage over time on enemies struck by shadow-infused attacks.
Title Evolved: Reaper of Rankers → The Shadow That Hunts
---
That night, Hari didn't sleep.
He moved through the woods like a phantom, testing the limits of his new form.
He could vanish between trees.
Strike from his own silhouette.
Hear voices beyond walls.
> He had become something more than a player now.
He was no longer bound by the same rules.
---
Elsewhere, the girl from the sun-temple stood before a hidden council.
> "The prophecy is unfolding."
"The Blood Eclipse lives again."
One elder trembled.
> "He is not ready."
"He will destroy more than just our enemies."
She looked up, voice resolute.
> "Good."
---
Back in the forest, Hari stared into the moonlight.
He whispered to no one.
> "You tried to kill me once."
> "Now it's my turn."
---
To be continued in Chapter 17: Hunt the Hunters
---