SHADOW BEFORE CREATION

Presence

The name slipped from Sung Jin-Woo's mouth without hesitation, as though the moment could no longer bear to be hidden.

"It's Arthur."

Whispers immediately spread throughout the hall.

"Arthur Narin? Isn't he the Hunter who rose to S-Rank not long ago?"

"Yes… It's definitely him."

Go Gun-Hee stepped forward with steady strides, his tone firm as he looked at everyone present.

"Alright. I ask everyone to evacuate the hall immediately."

The Hunters began withdrawing reluctantly, while the healers rushed in to treat the injured. The air was still saturated with the smell of blood and the lingering energy from the previous clashes.

…

"Alright. It's just the two of us now, Arthur."

Arthur raised his gaze slightly. Despite the evacuation, eyes watched from behind the barriers, anticipating the long-awaited clash.

He sighed calmly, then grabbed his shirt and pulled it off his body, tossing it aside without a care.

His black-and-white hair swayed with the movement of the air, while his crimson eyes settled heavily upon Sung.

"Sung…"

He took a single step forward.

"Let's make this a complete battle. Strength, skill, intelligence… no restrictions and no hesitation. I want to fight you with everything I have."

Sung smiled faintly, excitement flashing in his eyes.

"You got it."

The two stood in the middle of the hall, the distance between them silent yet suffocating. There was no movement, no sound. Arthur closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

His mind became calm.

He was no longer that warrior driven by blind excitement, but something purer… and far more terrifying.

When he opened his eyes, a red and blue light intertwined within them, glowing with a beauty that was both mesmerizing and dangerous.

At that moment, Sung felt as though he were staring down the barrel of a nuclear cannon on the verge of firing.

The distance between them was no more than thirty steps, yet Sung felt as though Arthur were standing directly before him, as if his very soul had fallen into Arthur's hands.

Sung cast those thoughts aside in a fraction of a second and calmed himself as well. A red dagger formed in his hand, emerging from nothingness with a familiar chill.

Arthur stepped forward, placing his right foot ahead and his left foot behind. He raised his left hand in front of his face, while his right hand slowly lowered beneath his stomach.

The fingers of his left hand gradually tightened until they formed a complete fist.

At the exact same moment, Sung launched himself forward without mercy, his dagger cutting through the air toward Arthur's neck.

What happened next was compressed into a single second.

When Sung closed the distance to five steps, Arthur's left fist clenched completely.

Pure force moved from his big toe, pressing against the ground with brutal strength. It traveled up his leg, through his thigh, then his stomach, until it exploded into his right arm.

A small vortex of wind formed behind his hand and erupted like a rocket.

Driven by the incredible force of his body and the explosion of air behind him, Arthur's right fist shot forward at an unbelievable speed.

One solid fist…

Against a fierce, solid dagger.

The sound of the collision thundered like lightning, and a pure magical aura erupted from both sides, sweeping across the hall.

Everyone covered their ears from the sheer force of the sound, while the clash continued in the center.

Fist against dagger.

More than fifty blows were exchanged in moments too fast for the eye to follow.

When the dust finally cleared, everyone stared in shock.

Neither of them could be seen clearly anymore.

'He's… incredibly fast. When did that bastard Arthur become this strong?'

'Strong and fast… and all of that without using the power of shadows. What if…'

At that thought, a calm smile appeared on Arthur's face.

Behind him, eighty enormous spiders surged forward, crawling with tremendous force toward Sung.

"Oh… if you intend to bring out everything, Arthur…"

Sung laughed excitedly as shadows began rising behind his back.

"Then so be it."

The armies of shadows collided with the spiders, and the sounds of killing and tearing filled the air, a chaos that resembled the end of the world.

'I'll finish this now.'

Darkness calmly wrapped itself around Arthur's body, then completely engulfed him, taking the form of a majestic armor imbued with absolute royal dignity, defying logic itself.

Everyone who saw him felt the weight of that majesty, as though a great king had manifested before them.

But before the transformation could be completed…

{O Arthur Narin… we, the Great Ancients, demand a battle against you. Show yourself, or die with this pathetic planet.}

The arrogant voice thundered inside Arthur's mind, causing the transformation to suddenly disappear.

Everyone stared in astonishment, while Sung stopped as well, having been on the verge of unleashing an enormous amount of power.

"Arthur? What's happening? Why did you stop?"

Before he could answer, the roof of the hall exploded with tremendous force, and a body fell to the ground like a bolt of lightning.

The dust dispersed, revealing Kio, his body covered in blood and wounds.

"Kio!"

"Kio, what's happening? Why are you here?"

Arthur rushed toward him and carried him in his arms.

Kio coughed up a large amount of blood, clear signs of torture covering his body.

"M-My lord… I'm sorry…"

"Speak! What happened?"

"They… took… Estaroth… and Yoo Jin-Woo…"

He coughed once more, then lost consciousness.

Arthur raised his head toward the blue sky, and his voice erupted with a demonic brutality that silenced the world.

{{O you Outer Gods!!}}

The earth trembled, and the atmosphere shook.

{{Didn't Cthulhu say that you do not target the weak or those who have nothing to do with this? Or did the High Priest lie?}}

Silence descended, and the Outer Gods felt as though they were trapped within an invisible fist.

{Control your anger, Arthur… It wasn't us, my old friend.}

A calm and composed voice slipped into his mind.

{{Cthulhu…}}

{The ones who abducted your companions… were not us.}

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