Early Morning – Seoul
The sky was unnaturally quiet.
No birds. No wind. No traffic.
Even the mana in the air was still.
Yeong-su stood alone at the edge of a rooftop, watching the glowing city wake. His system had been silent all night, like it was waiting.
Then—
It spoke.
---
[System Notice – GLOBAL SYSTEM SHIFT INITIATED]
WARNING: Hidden Hosts will be publicly indexed for the first time.
Your presence has been recorded. New Ranking Tier assigned.
> Codename: Ghostwalker
Threat Level: ★★★☆☆ (3 Stars)
Status: Unclaimed / Unaffiliated / Alive
Visibility: Now detectable by all Awakened System Users
---
Yeong-su's fists clenched.
> 'They just put a bounty on my head.'
---
Elsewhere – Across the World
News broadcasts, dungeon guild channels, and even private systems everywhere erupted with the same message.
> "Global system shift?! What the hell is this?"
"Who's 'Ghostwalker'? Why is he ranked in the same tier as the Tower Climber?"
"Someone just got marked as a threat… and the hunt begins."
And in one shadowed training hall, a man opened his eyes.
They glowed silver.
> "Finally… a worthy one."
---
Baekho Guild – Surveillance Division
Jin Ah-reum stared at her wrist interface.
> "They ranked him. Publicly."
Vice Captain Seo Rina's lips thinned.
> "It means someone is accelerating the game. That wasn't supposed to happen."
> "Do we detain him?"
> "No. We protect him."
She tapped the desk.
> "Because someone is going to try to kill him very soon."
---
Sector 9 – Training Grounds
Yeong-su moved through his combat drills in silence. Shadowstep. Pulse prediction. Perfect dodges. His rhythm was mechanical—until the system flared.
---
[Hostile Intent Detected – Nearby System User: Armed / Unknown]
Class: Blade Revenant
Intent: Assassination]
---
Yeong-su's eyes narrowed.
> 'Already?'
The attack came not seconds later.
WHSSHH—!
A throwing knife made of soulsteel zipped toward his head—deadly silent, almost invisible.
He tilted his head 1.4 seconds before impact.
CLANG!
The blade embedded into the pillar behind him.
From the tree line, a dark figure sprinted forward, wearing black battle robes and a mask etched with ancient glyphs.
> "Ghostwalker. You're in the way."
> "The future belongs to the Devourer."
---
[Assassin Engaged – Level 19, Rank C+]
Estimated Win Rate: 38%
Yeong-su grinned slightly.
> "Good. Let's even the odds."
---
Battle Activated
The masked assassin moved like a whisper, his dual blades leaving afterimages. Yeong-su responded instantly, system blazing.
[Foresight: Activated – 92% Sync]
[Tempo Disruption: Activated]
[Pulse Step – DASH]
Yeong-su blinked forward—dodging two consecutive slashes—and landed a spinning backfist into the assassin's ribs.
CRACK.
> "Not fast enough," the assassin muttered—and vanished.
Yeong-su's body screamed.
Blood sprayed from his side.
> 'What was—?!'
A curse strike had passed through his shadow.
> "This is your warning," the assassin whispered behind him.
Then disappeared.
---
[Combat Log: HP Reduced – 28%]
System Integration Interference Detected]
> 'So it begins…'
---
Later – Safehouse Rooftop
Nari sat across from him, her golden eyes glowing dimly. Her hand glowed softly as she healed his wounds.
> "They found you already," she whispered.
"Others will come. System Hosts. Assassins. Wanderers. Maybe even guilds."
Yeong-su asked, "What happens if I ignore it?"
She looked at him, serious now.
> "Then the Devourer wins."
> "And he doesn't kill you first. He replaces you."
Yeong-su frowned. "What is the Devourer?"
She shook her head.
> "Not what. Who."
> "He was the first system host… and he's coming back."
---
System Notification – New Special Quest
[PRELUDE: Herald of Hunger]
Time Limit: 30 Days
Survive Assassination Attempts (0/3)
Uncover the Location of the Devourer's Herald
Prepare for System War
Reward: Ghostwalker Phase II Access / System Merge Potential
---
Yeong-su stared at the notification, jaw clenched.
> "So now I'm being hunted by people like me."
> "Good."
He stood.
> "Let them come."