Joseph sat on his bed in his dark room, the only sound audible was his steady breathing echoing against the silent walls. He seemed calm, still—like a lost shadow drifting in the void. But inside… inside, a storm of restless questions raged.
Months had passed.
And he had become stronger, without a doubt. But…
"How is the 'Eve' distributed in my body?"
That question kept haunting him.
"Yes, I'm an Eve user, but I don't understand it at all. I don't even know how it works, or what exactly makes me stronger."
He slowly lifted his head, as if the darkness around him was pressing on his thoughts. He got up from the bed, but didn't take a single step. Instead, he sat on its edge and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
He began typing into the search engine: "What is Eve energy?"
A snippet from one of the old articles popped up. He opened it and began reading carefully:
"Eve: an energy of unknown origin. It is absorbed automatically by the bodies of living beings. After entering the body, it begins to concentrate in specific areas."
He narrowed his eyes and kept reading:
"The areas where Eve concentrates determine the type of abilities the user develops. The strength of the energy is based on the initial absorption, which in turn defines the user's classification."
Joseph muttered under his breath:
"So that's how it is…"
He continued reading, and on the same page, a few examples appeared that clarified the idea further:
"An Eve user with magical abilities usually has energy concentrated in the frontal lobe of the brain, where regions of imagination and mental communication are activated—along with the arms for performing symbols or incantations."
"As for an Eve user under the classification of (Assassin), the energy is concentrated in the leg and arm muscles, enhancing speed, agility, and precision in killing."
Silence fell.
Joseph kept staring at the screen, but it no longer just lit up his face—it had opened a gateway to a new understanding.
"If that's true… then I still know so little about myself. About my power…"
He slowly closed the phone and looked at his hands.
He wondered to himself:
"Where is the Eve concentrated in me?"
Joseph began analyzing his power calmly, still sitting on the edge of his bed in the dark room.
"I can summon two daggers… and chains, like the ones I used to fight that octopus…"
He paused for a moment, then continued internally:
"That means the Eve is concentrated in my frontal lobe and arms."
But the thoughts didn't stop there.
"And also… my speed has increased more than before. That means the Eve is concentrated in my legs too."
Another memory flashed before him, pushing him to expand his analysis:
"And I have resistance to poison… That means the Eve is also concentrated in my immune system."
He went silent for a moment, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"But… isn't that strange?"
"It's as if I'm a multi-type Eve user."
He looked straight ahead and said to himself:
"I've never heard of someone who can use Eve in multiple ways before…"
Joseph placed his hand on his head and whispered:
"I wonder… is Hana okay?"
Then he muttered:
"Looks like I'm going now."
He stood up from the bed, walked slowly out of his room, and headed toward his sister's room. She was asleep. He glanced at her briefly, then quietly closed the door. After that, he began preparing himself and pulled out his phone to call Hana's friend.
He left the house and headed toward the designated location. The place wasn't too far from the city, and Hana's friend was beside him, the worry clear on his face.
He said nervously,
"I hope Hana is okay…"
Joseph reassured him with a confident tone,
"Don't worry… she'll be fine."
They arrived at the location. A secluded building stood before them, with four men stationed at the entrance—guards, watching closely.
Joseph approached them silently, Hana's friend right beside him.
One of the men stepped forward and asked,
"Are you Joseph?"
Joseph answered directly,
"Where is the girl?"
The man replied with a cold tone,
"To enter, we need to bind your hands. Give me your hands so I can tie them."
Joseph responded coolly,
"And if I don't?"
At that moment, the four exchanged glances and prepared for violence.
But they had no idea they were facing someone completely different from what they expected.
The first man lunged at Joseph, trying to land a punch. But Joseph moved with lightning speed, dodged the blow, grabbed his arm, broke it, then struck him precisely on the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Joseph looked at the others and said,
"One down… three to go."
Two of the men attacked at the same time, but Joseph was faster than both. He dodged their strikes with agility, then delivered two swift kicks—one to the chest of the first, sending him crashing to the ground, and the other to the neck of the second, knocking him unconscious.
The fourth man grabbed Hana's friend and held a knife to his throat, threatening,
"One move and I'll kill him!"
At that moment, the man Joseph had knocked down earlier began to stir. He pulled a knife from his pocket, attempting to ambush Joseph from behind.
But Joseph turned around quickly and landed a powerful punch to the man's face, knocking him out cold again.
He then spun toward the fourth man with lightning speed. With pinpoint accuracy, he threw a dagger that struck the man's hand holding the knife, forcing him to drop it in pain.
Joseph rushed at him, grabbed him forcefully by the shirt, and delivered a solid punch to his head, making him collapse unconscious like the rest.
Calmly pulling out his dagger, Joseph checked on Hana's friend and said,
"It's over."
Joseph and Hana's friend entered the building. Their steps were cautious, their breathing steady despite the tension. In the front hall, two men stood before them, their eyes sharp and watchful.
Joseph stepped forward confidently, stood in front of them, and said in a low but firm voice,
"Where is the girl you kidnapped?"
One of the men scoffed and replied mockingly,
"And why would I tell you?"
But before he could finish the sentence, Joseph had already moved.
One strike—swift and precise—knocked the man out cold before he even realized what had happened.
The second man, enraged, attempted to attack Joseph. But Joseph easily evaded his move, threw him to the ground with precision, pulled out his dagger, and held it to the man's neck. His voice turned cold and unwavering:
"Tell me where she is… or I'll kill you."
The man froze, feeling death graze his throat. Nervously, he replied,
"She… she's on the second floor… end of the hallway… the large room."
As soon as he finished speaking, Joseph delivered a swift blow to his head, knocking him unconscious beside his fallen companion.
Joseph cast a quick glance around the room, then signaled to Hana's friend to follow him. Together, they climbed the stairs to the second floor.
They reached the door of a large room. Joseph opened it cautiously and stepped inside.
The room was quiet, bathed in a soft glow from a side lamp. At the far end, a window allowed moonlight to pour in, spilling across the silent floor like a stream of silver.
At the very back of the room, a girl was tied to a metal chair with thick ropes. Her head hung forward, her body motionless.
Hana's friend rushed toward her, calling out with panic in his voice,
"Hana! Are you okay?!"
But suddenly… something moved at lightning speed.
A gleaming knife shot from the corner of the room at a terrifying speed, heading straight toward him.
Its edge reflected in his eyes—death coming at him in a single breath.
But at the last moment…
Joseph shot forward like an arrow, extended his arm, and blocked the knife with the edge of his own dagger.
The clash of metal rang out sharply, breaking the silence of the room.
A man stepped out from the side of the room. His body was tall, his eyes sharp, and in his hand was a dagger glinting in the moonlight.
He spoke in a cold voice laced with mockery:
"Well, well… I didn't expect this. Now, tell me— which one of you is Joseph?"
Joseph said to Hannah's friend,
"Free her, take her, and run immediately. Call the police and say you escaped from a kidnapping."
Hannah's friend replied, his eyes still fixed on the mysterious man,
"Okay…"
He grabbed the knife that had been thrown at him earlier and began moving toward Hannah, his hands trembling slightly with nervousness.
But the man who had been advancing slowly suddenly stopped, then said in a deep voice,
"No one leaves this room alive."
He lunged quickly at Hannah's friend, but Joseph was faster and intervened at the critical moment, blocking the attack with his dagger in a sharp clash that echoed through the place.
The man smiled lightly and said,
"Looks like you're Joseph… but how can a pawn like you get past six guards? And even block my attack?"
Joseph pointed his dagger at him and said confidently,
"How about you find out the answer yourself?"
He charged at his opponent, and a fierce battle began between them.
Each skillfully blocked the other's attacks. The sound of clashing daggers filled the room, and every move carried deadly intent.
During the intense clash, Hannah's friend finally freed her from her restraints and helped her stand.
But the opponent noticed them from the corner of his eye. After blocking one of Joseph's attacks, he sped toward them like a human lightning bolt.
Joseph tried to catch up, then surprised him from behind with a quick strike… but the man suddenly stopped and turned to block Joseph's strike at the last moment, with a force that made the ground tremble beneath their feet.
Joseph said, his eyes never leaving his opponent's,
"Get out now… quickly!"
Hannah's friend glanced quickly at Joseph, then pulled Hannah toward the door, and they ran toward the exit while Joseph stayed facing the man… ready to fight until the very end.
The man violently blocked Joseph's attack, then kicked him hard, forcing him to stagger two steps back and crash into the wall. Anger marked his features, and his voice was filled with hatred as he shouted,
"They got away… I swear I'll tear your guts out with my own hands!"
Suddenly… the atmosphere changed.
His aura began to thicken in the room, and the air around him grew heavier, as if the room was filled with unseen pressure. Black and white spectral lines formed around him until they materialized into four dark ghosts that looked exactly like him.
Joseph was astonished, whispering to himself cautiously,
"What kind of power is this…?!"
The man, with a wider, confident grin, said,
"Get ready."
The four copies started moving in perfect synchronization, like part of a deadly dance. Each one attacked from a different side, cutting through the air swiftly and smoothly. Joseph blocked them carefully, moving lightly, watching, jumping back, striking right, but…
He noticed something strange.
His strikes passed through those bodies without any resistance. No wounds, no reaction.
"These copies… they don't cause real damage… like phantoms?" Joseph wondered within himself.
But the answer came painfully.
At the moment he was busy blocking one of the copies, the real copy silently moved behind him and plunged a dagger into his left shoulder.
Joseph gasped in pain, stepping back quickly, clutching his shoulder as blood flowed, his mind screaming,
"I couldn't tell him apart from the rest…!"
He stood there, sweat pouring down his forehead, the pain intensifying. He looked at the four copies around him, each staring at him with lifeless eyes… but now he knew there was a real demon among them.
The copies moved with precise synchronization, each strike coming with another, like a perfectly engineered killing machine. Joseph didn't know where the original was, and he couldn't afford to hesitate or ponder, so he blocked every strike—whether illusion or reality. But this tactic wasn't effective forever.
Each strike left a new wound on his body… a scratch, a stab, a bruise… and with every passing second, his body became a map of pain.
But he resisted. He resisted despite everything.
Suddenly, the man launched a swift attack toward Joseph, different from the others… filled with deadly intent. Finality.
Joseph noticed.
This attack was unlike the others. It carried pressure, weight, and willpower. He raised his dagger and met it with strength.
The man's dagger shattered.
Joseph raised his eyebrows in surprise, then the man said in a deep voice:
"Looks like I'll use my fists this time…"
In the next moment, the copies' speed doubled. They were no longer mere phantoms, but deceptive mirror reflections, moving at lightning speed, chasing Joseph from every angle.
He could no longer block.
The blows rained down.
The original copy moved skillfully between the strikes, hitting critical spots—his chest, ribs, leg.
Joseph tried to stand his ground, but he was hit more than he could defend, blood flowing from every wound.
Then… came the decisive kick.
The original man jumped up, spun in the air, and with all his might delivered a kick to Joseph's chest.
Joseph's body rocketed forward like a missile.
He crashed against the wall behind him, the impact shattering the wall. He fell silently to the ground… motionless.
Blood flowed from his mouth, nose, and shoulder… his eyes half-open, staring at nothing.
Silence took over.
The copies vanished, and the mysterious man stood still, watching, slowly approaching.
As for Joseph… everything around him turned into a dark, misty void.
No ground, no sky, no sense of time.
His body did not move, he felt nothing, as if trapped between life and death.
Suddenly… a sound began to approach.
A heavy whisper… strangely familiar…
The voice of that entity…
The entity stood before Joseph, whose battered body lay on the ground, motionless like an empty shell, no breath, no sign of life.
Silence filled the space, broken only by the entity's footsteps cutting through the gray mist that enveloped the void.
The entity looked at him with contempt, its voice deep and heavy, as if crushed between the teeth of time:
"You are weak… you are nothing ."
It paused, then stepped forward, lowering its voice, sinking deeper into Joseph's chest:
"Do you know why you are weak, Joseph?"
"The reason… is that you see others as humans."
"But do they see you the same way?"
It smiled with dark sarcasm, then continued as if pouring cold poison into Joseph's ear:
"They are like beasts… they see you only as prey, a tool to be discarded after use… then you wonder, with pathetic innocence, why you are insignificant."
It came closer, its voice growing near, whispering deep into Joseph's soul:
"What saddens me… is that you will die."
"And force your sister to live in the very hell you could not survive."
"You will scream, cry, and wait for a savior… but you will not be there."
The entity slowly extended its hand, as if offering an irresistible deal:
"What do you say?"
"Leave behind this foolish role… the role of the hero."
"And become the disaster… the world knows nothing about."
The silence that followed those words was stronger than any scream.
Then Joseph's hand rose slowly… exhausted, pierced by betrayal…
But it rose.
And it touched the entity's hand.