The office felt even more boring than usual that day. My fingers drummed rhythmically on the desk, while the system window floated right in front of my face. "Seriously, author? I just finished one quest, and now you're throwing another at me?!" I complained, glaring at the screen displaying my latest quest.
Side Quest: Investigate Dungeon Break in District 21.
Reward: [Undisclosed]
I walked leisurely towards the location of the Dungeon Break, hands in my pockets. "Ugh, another problem. Author, do you really expect me to work nonstop? I need time to watch anime and eat dango, you know!" I grumbled.
With a lazy expression, I glanced at the system window hovering in front of me. This quest seemed easier than the others. Dungeon Break? Meh, I'd done too many of those. I let out a long sigh. "Why don't I ever get a quest to take a nap?"
As I made my way to the location where chaos was reportedly unfolding due to the Dungeon Break, a bad feeling crept over me. Something very powerful was waiting there, and for some reason, my body itched for a fight. It felt like those MMORPG games I used to play, where you'd need dozens of people to clear a high-level dungeon.
"Calm down, Taemin… Don't get too excited. You're not a game character anymore. Though, I guess this world is kinda like a game," I muttered to myself. Unfortunately, it didn't help settle the anticipation bouncing inside me.
By the time I arrived, the sun was beginning to set. The sky was painted with hues of orange and pink, giving a false sense of peace. The atmosphere was already tense, with several awakeners from the Crimson Lotus guild positioned around the portal where the dungeon had recently opened. They looked serious… too serious.
"Ahh… A battle is about to start. Where's my popcorn when I need it?" I thought, grinning widely. But my smile vanished as something massive, pale blue in color, emerged from the portal.
"Oh, come on… Are you serious? This monster looks exactly like that Blue-Eyes White Dragon from… uh, what was it again? Ah, never mind, close enough!" I muttered under my breath. The creature was a giant, its scales shimmering with a pale bluish hue and three terrifying heads. I dubbed it the "Blue Dragon of No Mercy," a little joke to avoid any copyright issues.
The dragon let out a roar that echoed across the entire area, shaking the ground and causing a few awakeners to tremble. I slipped between them, not wanting to draw attention just yet. "Alright, time to test the 'Ring of Cosplay,'" I murmured, touching the ring on my finger. Instantly, my appearance shifted, transforming me into a black-robed figure with messy white hair.
"Hah… Who do I look like now? Oh, is it Sakaki… Sakato? Gintoki? Whatever." I chuckled as I leaped forward, feeling oddly excited about the disguise.
"Hey, you guys fall back! I got this!" I shouted, striking a cool pose. The awakeners stared at me, confused. I didn't care. With this parody mode activated, I was confident I'd stay anonymous. The dragon launched a massive energy ball from one of its mouths, aimed directly at me.
"Oh, this isn't going to be fun." I jumped into the air, spinning around, and unleashed a move I'd learned back when I was still playing games.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" A black wave of energy shot out from the sword that had suddenly appeared in my hand, slicing the dragon's attack in half. The energy collision caused a massive explosion, shaking the area around us. The dragon staggered back a few steps.
"Impressive, right?" I admired my hand with pride, while the awakeners behind me were still in shock.
"Who are you?!" one of them finally shouted.
I slowly turned with a deadpan expression, shrugged, and shifted my tone to sound more serious. "Just a passerby… who happens to be a little stronger than you," I said, mimicking the mysterious hero trope.
"And I have no intention of becoming famous. I'd rather take a nap," I whispered, laughing to myself inside.
The fight wasn't over yet. The blue dragon roared in pain but hadn't fallen. I twirled my sword, ready to attack again. This time, the dragon swung a massive claw in my direction.
"So, who said I'm a hero? I just want to live peacefully," I muttered, dodging easily and firing another Getsuga Tenshou at its leg. This time, the black energy severed its limb, making the dragon cry out in pain before crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.
"All right, one down," I said, feeling satisfied.
The awakeners watching were still stunned. They didn't know how to react after seeing someone defeat such a giant creature in such a ridiculous way. But me? I just felt… hungry.
The blue dragon lay sprawled on the ground, its body chopped up in several places from my energy attacks. It felt like it was over, but, unfortunately, I was very wrong. Within seconds, the severed body parts began to stitch themselves back together. Muscles and skin reknitted rapidly as if nothing had happened.
"Oh, come on… Seriously? Healing?!" I rolled my eyes, mildly annoyed at the dragon's rapid regeneration. "Isn't this kind of regeneration supposed to be locked behind some overpowered boss level?"
The awakeners who had been watching started to panic. The rumbling sound of the dragon's body regenerating felt like something straight out of a nightmare. I could feel the pressure increasing from this monster, and instead of making me anxious, it only excited me more.
"All right, you wanna play hard? Let's try something more… colorful," I muttered, cracking my knuckles as I watched the beast rise again, its three heads glowing with a bright blue light.
I swapped my sword for a technique that was a little more… creative. With a mischievous grin, I raised my hand to the sky.
"Kamemeha!" I shouted dramatically, gathering energy in my hand, mimicking a legendary move from one of my favorite anime. A large pale blue energy ball formed in my hand close enough, but definitely not the real deal.
The awakeners behind me were dumbfounded. I didn't wait long, immediately launching the fake energy blast toward the dragon. The ball of energy shot forward at incredible speed, slamming into the giant beast and causing a massive explosion that rocked the ground.
BOOM!!
Thick smoke enveloped the area, obscuring the view. I lowered my hand, feeling a bit smug about my little performance. But I knew this wasn't over.
Sure enough, as the smoke began to clear, the dragon was still standing. Its body was scorched, but, once again, it began healing itself. Hah… the regeneration was insane.
"Of course, regeneration. Why not?" I grumbled in frustration. "This dragon is seriously like a game boss with a thousand health bars!"
I jumped back to create some distance while thinking. "Okay, if it's regenerating this fast, I need something stronger…"
Then a crazy idea hit me. I remembered a certain move from another anime that was pretty cool and dramatic.
"Rasengan... Uh... Rasanball!" I started gathering energy in my hand, forming a spinning ball of wind. The ball grew larger, glowing brightly, with wind spiraling around it. "Wind ball! Perfect!"
With incredible speed, I leaped towards the dragon and plunged the Rasanbola into its body. The impact was immense, causing an explosion of energy that hit the dragon and pushed it back.
However, once again, the dragon refused to give up. Even though its body had a massive hole, its regeneration kicked in, healing the damage at an unbelievable speed.
"Ugh! This is really frustrating. How many times do I have to defeat this monster?" I muttered, taking a deep breath. Behind me, the other awakeners were still watching, seemingly unable to help.
"Alright... let's end this drama," I said, deciding it was time to deliver the final blow. I looked at the dragon, still trying to get back up.
This time, I summoned an even darker, stronger energy. I raised my sword, which gleamed with a black aura.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" I shouted. A massive wave of dark energy shot out from my sword, hitting the dragon with full force. The attack was so powerful that the monster's body couldn't withstand the pressure any longer.
The blue dragon was sliced into several pieces and hurled backward, with no regeneration able to save it this time. Its body started to fade, leaving behind trails of black smoke in the air.
I landed on the ground in a cool style, my sword still glowing with residual dark energy. Satisfied, I rested the sword on my shoulder and looked at the awakeners, who were still staring in shock.
"And that, folks, is how you deal with an over-regenerating monster. Lesson of the day!" I gave them a small nod while smiling mischievously.
I let out a long sigh after the exhausting battle. The giant dragon was now powerless, and its corpse was slowly disappearing as the quest was completed. Everything seemed to be over, but my steps halted when someone appeared in front of me.
Lee Hye-Rin, the vice-captain of the Crimson Lotus guild, stood before me with a sharp gaze. Her battle attire was covered in dust and a bit of blood, indicating she had also just finished another fight. Her long black hair fluttered in the wind, but her eyes remained focused on me.
"Who are you, really?" Hye-Rin asked in a flat but curious tone. "I've been watching you... You're not an ordinary awakener. There's no way someone like you could be unknown in this world."
I smirked slightly behind the mask covering part of my face. This was the perfect moment the moment I could show off a little while still maintaining my mystery.
With a calm yet authoritative manner, I turned halfway, positioning myself so part of my face was cast in shadow.
"Who am I?" I repeated her question in a low tone, as if reflecting on it. "Heh... I am but a shadow. Someone who moves in the darkness, someone you won't understand... at least, not yet."
I stared at her briefly, then continued more dramatically, "A name... is something unimportant. You can call me whatever you want, but in the end, I am merely a spectator in a much larger game. When the time is right, the world will know who I truly am. But for now..."
I fully turned away from Hye-Rin, walking away as I waved my hand slowly.
"I am... just a shadow."
I heard Hye-Rin frown behind me, but I didn't wait for a response from her. With deliberate dramatic flair, I walked away, leaving her in confusion.
"Weirdo," Hye-Rin muttered, but her tone clearly showed that her curiosity about me had only grown. She knew there was something unusual about me, but she didn't know just how deep my secrets ran.
As I walked farther away, I grinned broadly behind my mask.
"Well, at least I managed to confuse her," I thought, pleased with how the interaction had turned out.
I kept walking without looking back. Perhaps there was a bit of truth hidden in my dramatic words. I did move in the shadows, concealing my identity from this world, ensuring no one knew how powerful I truly was.
But, as always, that satisfaction was soon replaced by my habit of complaining like Deadpool. "Ugh, seriously. Talking all mysterious like that is exhausting. Who even came up with the idea of being so dramatic? Oh, right, me. Why did I start copying Cid Kagenoh's style?"
I chuckled to myself. "But the whole Shadow thing is kinda cool, isn't it? Gotta admit, I enjoy seeing people confused like that."
I disappeared into the bustling city, leaving Hye-Rin still standing there, her face full of questions. This was just the beginning. There would be more encounters like this, but I had to make sure my secret didn't come out too soon.
At least, not yet.