Evening park seen
The park was quiet.
Three old streetlights flickered weakly, their pale glow barely cutting through the darkness. Between them ran a narrow walking path, and beside it—half hidden in shadow—stood a worn wooden bench.
On that bench lounged a cat.
Calm. Relaxed. Almost lazy.
In front of it stood Jeong.
The same Jeong who had almost died days ago.
The same Jeong who now carried something inside him he didn't understand.
He exhaled slowly, clenching his fists.
"Why isn't it happening again?" Jeong muttered. "Back then… I didn't even think. It just came out."
The cat stretched, completely uninterested.
"Man," the cat yawned, staring up at the sky, "Earth really is peaceful. No screaming souls. No collapsing realms. Just grass, bugs, and idiots."
Jeong glanced at her and chuckled.
"Peaceful, huh? Says the freeloading cat who sleeps all day and eats my food."
The cat's ears twitched.
"Oh?" she turned her head slowly, eyes narrowing. "Careful, human. I tolerate stupidity, not disrespect."
Jeong laughed louder. "What? You gonna scratch me with those tiny legs?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he froze.
The cat stood up.
Slowly.
Her posture changed—low, sharp, balanced.
A perfect fighting stance.
"I'll show you tiny," she said coldly.
Before Jeong could react—
SMACK.
Claws hit his face.
"Ow—! You idiot cat, stop!" Jeong staggered back, holding his cheek. "That actually hurts!"
He rushed forward, trying to grab her, but she danced away effortlessly, tail flicking arrogantly.
They were still arguing—
When a voice cut through the darkness.
"Are you two done?"
Jeong and the cat turned at the exact same time.
Their expressions matched.
"…Who the hell are you?" Jeong said.
A man stepped out from the shadows.
Tall. Lean.
His clothes were messy, his posture unstable—but his eyes were sharp. Too sharp.
"You'll find out soon enough," the stranger said, smiling.
The cat tilted her head, unimpressed.
"Judging by your face, you either got beaten up somewhere… or drank yourself stupid."
Jeong snorted.
Then both of them laughed.
Not nervous laughter.
Mocking laughter.
The man's smile twitched.
"Enjoy it," he said, voice dropping. "Laugh while you can. I'm about to make sure neither of you walk straight ever again."
His expression twisted—something ugly surfaced beneath his skin.
The cat sighed, bored.
"Honestly? I've dealt with pests worse than you."
She leapt.
Fast.
But the man moved faster.
His fist flashed.
A punch wrapped in light—bright, sharp, violent.
BOOM.
The cat was sent flying.
She crashed into the grass far away, rolling hard before going still.
The air turned heavy.
Dangerous.
The man cracked his neck.
"You insects can't even scratch me. Now…"
He stepped forward.
"…your turn."
Jeong stared at the fallen cat.
What just happened?
"That punch…" Jeong thought wildly. "It was like lightning. I didn't even see it move."
His breath grew uneven.
"Why is he attacking me?"
"I didn't sense him."
"I didn't hear him."
A whisper brushed his ear.
Soft.
Cold.
"Jeong… I finally found you."
Jeong spun around.
The man was already behind him.
So close their shadows overlapped.
His veins bulged unnaturally, muscles drawn tight as if his body was about to tear itself apart. His eyes glowed with something feral—unhinged.
Before Jeong could move—
The attack came.
And that was when it hit him.
He didn't just move behind me.
I never sensed him at all.
Fear crawled up Jeong's spine.
What is this guy…?
Jeong stumbled back against the tree, blood spilling from his mouth, knees scraping the ground. Pain flared, every breath burning, but his focus sharpened. How can a human move like this? This is god-tier… Ryn's world-level strength.
The stranger stepped closer, eyes cold but glistening with something Jeong couldn't place. "Seeing you like this… my master will be pleased. Shall I finish you?"
Jeong's gaze met his, and something inside him shifted. The stranger's fists began to spark, thunder energy crackling along his arms. Lightning arcs danced around them, illuminating the empty street.
Memories hit Jeong in a wave: past hardships, endless work, hunger, pain. Anger surged. The stranger grinned. "Silent, are you? Afraid? My thunder fist will end you in a heartbeat."
The man lunged, fists blurring like streaks of lightning, aimed directly at Jeong. But suddenly he froze. An unseen force held him back. Jeong's eyes widened. So this is it… I'm controlling the field itself.
Calmly, he spoke: "Who are you? Where did you get this power? How did you know it was me?" The stranger's smirk faltered for a brief moment. Recognition flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by tension.
The fight erupted. The stranger moved like a storm, each strike faster than Jeong could track. Energy bursts flared, debris flew, sparks sizzling in the dark. Jeong dodged and countered, blood dripping, muscles screaming, yet he refused to fall.
Suddenly, Jeong struck. A precise, concentrated burst of black aura shot from his body. Limbs of the stranger were severed, yet he barely staggered. Stronger than I imagined…
Thunder crackled across the street. Shadows twisted, moving unnaturally. Jeong's aura flared, a flicker of Void Shade dancing across his skin. He sensed the stranger's power, a fraction of primordial darkness, almost infinite.
The stranger regained his stance, eyes narrowing. "You've surprised me. But this isn't over. My master will notice, and then…" His words hung like a threat in the cold night air.
Jeong's cat observed silently from a nearby bench, tail flicking. Even it hadn't predicted the depth of his power. Sparks of Void Shade raced along Jeong's body, energy pulsating with instinctive rhythm.
The stranger advanced again, blindingly fast. But the invisible force held him. Jeong's grin widened. This is more than instinct now.
"You've grown… but you don't know the half of it," Jeong muttered. Energy coiled, ready to strike.
The next wave hit. Black aura shot forward, sharp as blades. The stranger tried to dodge but was restrained mid-step, struggling. Jeong's power flowed with precision, each pulse controlled, deadly, unyielding.
Lightning exploded from the stranger's fists. Jeong countered, aura meeting thunder, black energy slicing through light. The street trembled. Windows rattled, debris scattered. Sparks illuminated Jeong's intense eyes, now glowing with primal determination.
The stranger lunged again. Jeong sidestepped and lashed out, energy surging. Limbs were severed, bodies of debris scattered, yet the man barely flinched. Jeong's heart pounded; the intensity of the battle pushed him to limits he didn't know he had.
Suddenly, a voice pierced the chaos: "Ryn… I found you." A figure appeared, calm, observing from the shadows. Jeong's body tensed. The stranger hesitated, confusion flickering.
Jeong seized the moment. Black aura surged, tendrils coiling around the stranger, restraining, crushing, yet controlled. Sparks of Void Shade danced across his hands. The stranger's expression shifted from confidence to shock.
"You… you're controlling me," he said, voice shaky.
"Yes," Jeong replied, steady. "Now tell me—who gave you this power? How did you know it was me? And why… do you feel so familiar?"
The stranger's eyes flickered with memories and fear, his body straining against the invisible binds. Jeong's power surged again, aura expanding, a living, breathing entity of darkness. Sparks, black as night, illuminated the empty street like streaks of obsidian lightning.
The fight escalated, each attack more violent, more precise. Jeong dodged, countered, struck, forcing the stranger into a corner of his own defeat. Limbs severed, energy flowing wildly, yet he resisted, teeth gritting, sweat mixing with blood.
Finally, Jeong struck—a sudden, unpredictable move. Black aura surged, cutting through defenses, slashing with surgical precision. The stranger's limbs were disabled, yet he remained conscious, his breathing ragged, energy flickering but unbroken.
Jeong's inner voice whispered, I've only just begun… this is only the start. Void Shade pulsed, responding to his will, alive with instinctive precision. The cat, eyes glowing faintly, observed from the bench, understanding the shift but not the full scale.
Silence fell. Sparks drifted in the wind like black fireflies. The stranger's chest heaved, eyes wide with shock. Jeong's aura settled around him, controlled, deliberate, terrifying. A promise lingered in the air: he had awakened, and nothing would ever be the same.
The stranger's voice cracked, a mixture of awe and fear. "You… you're… unlike anything I've ever faced…"
Jeong's eyes narrowed. "And you… are nothing but the beginning."
Seeing him, Jeong also got startled for a moment. The stranger turned around and looked at Jeong, a creepy smile spreading across his face.