Episode : 2

The First Command

Kael’s breath came ragged, echoing in the vast chamber. His rusted sword lay forgotten at his side, its dull blade useless against the storm raging inside him.

The air still stank of ash. The other Wardens—their laughter, their arrogance—were gone, erased in a heartbeat. Nothing remained but black dust, scattered like broken promises.

And him.

Only him.

The glowing words before his eyes pulsed like a heartbeat:

[System Initiated]

User: Kael Ardyn

Class: Shadowbound (Unique)

Level: 1

Kael reached out instinctively. His hand passed through the letters as though they were smoke, yet the information burned into his mind.

“…What… is this?” His voice cracked.

No answer. Only more text flared into existence:

[Quests Available]

Survive the Awakening (Mandatory)

Reward: Skill – Shadow Summon

His chest tightened. A sound—low, guttural—echoed in the darkness. Kael turned.

From the far side of the throne, something stirred.

It was a goblin… or what had once been one. Its body was half-rotted, its eyes empty sockets, yet it moved with jerking hunger. A dungeon’s remnant, left to wander in eternal hunger.

Kael scrambled for his sword. His fingers closed around the worn hilt just as the creature lunged.

Steel clashed with claw. Sparks flew. Kael staggered, the goblin pressing its weight against him. His arms shook, his scarred muscles screaming. For a moment, he thought nothing had changed. He was still weak. Still helpless.

But then—something surged.

A shadow at his feet moved. Stretched. Rose like smoke.

Instinct screamed inside him. Command it.

Kael gritted his teeth and shouted, “Obey me!”

The shadow lashed forward, snaring the goblin’s legs. The creature shrieked, clawing at the floor, but the darkness pulled it down. With a cry, Kael drove his sword into its throat.

The goblin collapsed, twitching once before going still.

Silence. His chest heaved. The runes along his arm pulsed faintly, warm against his skin. Then more words appeared:

[Quest Completed]

Reward Granted: Skill – Shadow Summon

Kael’s eyes widened as the goblin’s body dissolved into black mist. That mist flowed into his shadow, pooling, shaping.

When the darkness cleared, the goblin stood again. But its skin was smoke, its eyes blank voids. It waited silently, hunched at Kael’s side.

“…You’re mine?” Kael whispered.

The shadow-goblin bowed its head, awaiting command.

Kael staggered back, fear and awe twisting inside him. He had no mana, no strength… yet he had done this. He had created something.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. “The weakest Warden in the world… with a monster for a shadow.”

The words on the screen flickered once more:

[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Summon (Lv.1)]

You may bind shadows of the slain to your service. Limit: 1.

Kael clenched his trembling hands. For years he had fought, bled, been mocked, barely surviving. But now—he had power. Real power.

Still… he knew better than to celebrate. Power never came without cost.

A distant rumble shook the chamber. Dust rained down from the ceiling, cracks forming along the stone walls. The Gate was collapsing.

Kael forced himself to stand. He had to move. If he stayed, he’d be buried alive.

“Follow,” he commanded, and the shadow-goblin moved silently behind him.

He staggered back the way they had come, through the broken halls and empty corridors. The dungeon seemed different now—quieter, watching him with unseen eyes. The runes on the walls glowed faintly as though recognizing him.

Finally, he saw it—the violet shimmer of the Gate’s exit. Relief surged through him.

But as he stepped closer, more words seared into the air:

[Warning: You are now bound to the Shadow Monarch’s Legacy.]

Enemies will sense your presence. You are marked.]

Kael froze. His shadow stretched unnaturally long, curling like a beast waking from slumber.

The message burned brighter:

[Survive. Or be devoured.]

Kael stared into the light of the Gate, his reflection warped, his eyes glowing faintly gray. His fate had been sealed in this cursed chamber.

He was no longer just an F-rank Warden.

He was Shadowbound.

And the world would never forgive him for it.

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