Time passed swiftly, and soon the sun had scaled past the horizon, hanging desolately in the sky. It radiated a soft warmth that seemed to soothe the soul.
Inside the quiet room, a lone figure stood solemnly beside the bed, his eyes fixed on the person lying peacefully beneath the sheets.
After what felt like an eternity, the figure on the bed slowly opened his eyes in a daze. For a brief moment, he remained in a semi-conscious state.
"The afterlife?" he muttered aloud, blinking as the fog in his mind began to clear on its own.
'I remember… dying!' Modret's eyes flew wide open as his hands instinctively searched across his body.
The faint sound of ruffling startled Axel, who had been dozing lightly beside the bed.
He shot awake, staring at Modret in disbelief. Joy quickly replaced his dazed look.
"Young master!" he whispered, bowing silently, tears welling in his eyes. "For a moment, we all thought you were gone!"
Modret blinked at Axel, then pinched his own arm gently. Feeling the sting of pain, he confirmed that this was not a dream.
His expression shifted into one of curiosity as he turned toward Axel and asked with a frown, "Axel, tell me… what exactly is going on?"
Axel hesitated, brows furrowing slightly. "Young master, are you certain you want to hear it now?"
Modret rolled his eyes, already exasperated. "Just tell me. This concerns my life and death, doesn't it?"
Axel let out a small cough, then nodded. "After more than thirty minutes of running, I returned with your uncles and aunts after alerting them about the danger you were in.
"We rushed to your location, but when we arrived, the forest was empty. You were the only one there… with a sword embedded in your chest. We all thought you were dead. But your body was still warm, so we brought you back quickly.
"The healer examined you and claimed there were no internal injuries. Miraculously, you were simply unconscious due to extreme fatigue. Since then, we've been waiting for you to wake up."
Modret's eyes widened in disbelief, struggling to process Axel's words. He hadn't died? How could that be?
'I clearly felt my soul slip away from my body—the same sensation I had when I died in my previous life. Could it be… the assassin had a change of heart? Did he spare me at the last moment?' Modret frowned, unable to accept that conclusion.
He shook his head. 'That's not possible. A man who tried so desperately to kill me wouldn't suddenly grow a conscience. Then who saved me? Was it another awakened individual?'
The possibility lingered for a moment before he brushed it aside. Maybe he was just overthinking.
'Perhaps I didn't really die. After all, there's no such thing as returning from death. Right?'
He chuckled to himself, but the sound quickly faded. His smile froze in place, as though a dreadful thought had just occurred to him.
'Surely… it can't be… right?'
With shaking fingers, Modret pulled open the system panel. The second his eyes fell on the glowing notifications, his smile collapsed, and even his pupils seemed to dilate.
What he saw stunned him:
[Congratulations, you have activated your one-time-use SSS-ranked ability—Death Puppet.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained a Shadow Servant!]
[Congratulations, you have gained the A-grade Shadow Strings ability.]
[Congratulations, you have gained 3500 Shadow Fragments.]
[Shadow Fragments: 300/1000]
[Shadow Roulette: 4]
Modret's mouth fell open. His breathing hitched. A look of disbelief spread across his face. Axel watched him carefully, confused by his master's sudden change in demeanor.
But Modret paid him no mind. His thoughts spiraled like a storm.
'My SSS-grade ability…' He wanted to scream. His back hunched slightly as he collapsed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
His most precious ability, the one-time SSS-ranked Death Puppet, was now gone. And all of it was because of that damned organization.
Modret clenched his fists. His rage was like a storm building deep inside him. But his voice remained eerily calm. "Axel… please step out for a moment. I'll call you back in when I'm done."
Axel hesitated. "Young master, are you sure you're alright?" He trailed off mid-sentence as he met Modret's cold, piercing gaze.
'I've never seen him look like this… Could it be because of what happened last night? But what exactly did happen out there?'
Without another word, Axel stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
As soon as the door shut, Modret summoned the newly acquired Shadow Servant.
True to the SSS-ranked ability's description, it had exchanged his death with that of his killer, granting him a second chance at life.
Because he had successfully slain the blue-masked man in the process, the system had rewarded him by binding that very assassin to him as a servant.
The masked man materialized in the room, his gaze clouded with confusion.
'The last thing I remember… I pierced his heart… then I felt a sting in my own chest. And now… where am I? Who am I even serving?'
Modret didn't give him a chance to recover. His eyes flashed as he issued a cold command.
"Kneel."
The assassin wanted to resist, but his body acted on its own, compelled by the shadow binding his soul. He dropped to one knee in a daze, unable to resist.
Outside, Axel heard a sudden burst of scorching heat. Then came a loud, piercing scream of pain which sounded agonizing and raw.
A chill ran down Axel's spine.
'What's the young master doing?' The question burned in his mind, but he dared not open the door.
He could only stand guard quietly, understanding that Modret was clearly hiding something.
For him to survive an encounter with such a terrifying figure from last night… it was no ordinary feat.
The screams dragged on for hours before they finally ceased. Then, Modret's calm voice echoed from inside the room.
"Come in."
Axel's heart jumped.
'He's not going to hurt me… right?' He tried to reassure himself, then opened the door slowly and stepped inside.
A warm, smoky scent wafted into his nose.
'Roasted meat?' Axel blinked. 'Did the young master… grill meat in here?'
But he quickly shook the thought away and forced a smile.
"You're free to inform my uncles that I'm perfectly fine," Modret said, glancing toward him. He knew the news would spread soon anyway. There was no point in keeping secrets now.
Axel nodded quickly and departed, leaving Modret alone once more.
A faint smirk tugged at Modret's lips.
"I didn't overdo it… right?" he muttered under his breath.
Nothing in the world was more satisfying than punishing someone who had once tried to kill you.