The Collector’s Shadow
Noah sat motionless in the underground arena, his mind replaying the hooded figure's words like a broken record.
"You've already met him."
The Collector wasn't some distant legend or an untouchable force lurking in the dark. No—he was here. In Noah's world. Someone he had already crossed paths with.
A chill settled in his chest, heavier than any fear he had felt in a fight. His muscles tensed instinctively, his gut twisting with a feeling he couldn't explain.
Something bigger was at play.
And then—
The lights flickered.
For a brief second, the entire arena dimmed, the neon glow stuttering erratically. The usual deafening roars of the crowd died in an instant. Fighters hesitated mid-swing, their aggression frozen in eerie silence.
Noah's breath caught in his throat.
He felt it.
Something was watching.
It wasn't a person. It wasn't even something he could name. But it was there—lurking just beyond sight, ancient and unseen.
The air felt heavier. Static crawled over his skin. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Then—
A voice.
A whisper, just at the edges of his consciousness. Soft, but suffocating.
"You are stepping into a world beyond your understanding."
Noah clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
Then prove it, he thought. Show me what that means.
And the world answered.
A shadow moved.
Not a person. Not something solid.
It flickered in the dim light, shifting unnaturally between existence and something else—something darker. It clung to the edges of reality, twisting, bending in ways that didn't make sense.
Noah's breath turned shallow. His instincts screamed at him to move—to fight, to run, to do something.
But he couldn't.
He was locked in place, staring.
The figure wasn't human. It wasn't even a thing. It was wrong—a distortion, a smear against the world.
And it was looking right at him.
The lights flickered again—brighter this time, stable. The moment passed as quickly as it had come.
The arena snapped back to life.
Fighters resumed their battles. The crowd's roar returned, deafening and chaotic, as if nothing had happened.
But Noah knew.
Something had changed.
This wasn't just an underground fight club anymore.
It was something older.
And now, it knew his name.
The Mark of the Collector
Noah walked out of the arena with his head low, his mind tangled in a whirlwind of thoughts.
The hooded figure. The whispers. The thing in the shadows.
It all pointed to one terrifying truth.
The Collector wasn't just a man running things from the shadows.
He was something else entirely.
A force. A presence. A legend made real.
And if Daniel Ross had been taken by him…
Noah wasn't dealing with some underground crime ring.
He was dealing with something far beyond that.
A force that had already set its sights on him.
He barely registered Evelyn's presence before she grabbed his wrist.
"Noah."
Her voice was urgent, her grip tight.
"Look."
She wasn't looking at him—she was looking at his arm.
Noah followed her gaze—
And his stomach dropped.
A symbol.
Seared into his forearm.
Black as ink. Moving. Twisting, like it was alive.
His chest tightened. A heat surged through his veins, making his head swim. His pulse thundered against his skin.
The second his eyes landed on the mark, something clicked.
A voice.
Not a whisper this time.
Deeper. More real.
"You are now part of the game."
Noah's knees nearly buckled.
No.
Not just part of the game.
A chosen piece.
Evelyn took a step back, her face pale, her voice barely a whisper.
"Noah… what did you do?"
Noah exhaled, forcing himself to stand straight.
This wasn't just a fight anymore.
The Collector had marked him.
And now, the real game had begun.
Noah stared at the dark mark twisting on his forearm, his pulse hammering in his ears. The symbol pulsed, shifting like something inside it was alive.
Then—
A sharp chime echoed in his mind.
A notification.
[System Alert]
⚠ Warning: You have been marked by an unknown entity.
Analyzing foreign energy…
Error. Insufficient system authority to override.
Adjusting parameters…
New Quest Generated: "The Collector's Game."
Noah's breath hitched.
His System had never warned him before. It had always been about stats, skills, and growth. Logical. Predictable. But now—
It was reacting to something it didn't understand.
Evelyn took a wary step back. "Noah, what's happening?"
Before he could answer, another message appeared in his vision.
[New Status Effect: Cursed Mark]
Effect: ???
Additional Effects Locked. Proceed with caution.
Noah clicked his tongue. That wasn't good.
The last time he had unlocked something new, it had nearly pushed him past his limits. But this…?
This was something else entirely.
The mark burned against his skin, black veins spreading outward like cracks in glass.
And deep inside his mind—
A whisper.
"You belong to me now."
Noah's breath turned shallow. His muscles coiled, his instincts screaming at him.
No.
He didn't belong to anyone.
A System That Fights Back
Noah clenched his fists, forcing his breathing to steady. His body still felt the weight of the mark, but something else stirred within him—
If the System was reacting… that meant one thing.
It could fight back.
His eyes narrowed. He pulled up his stats.
[System Interface]
Strength: 42
Speed: 38
Endurance: 35
New Ability Detected: ???
⚠ Warning: External Influence Detected.
Noah's jaw tightened.
An ability… locked?
His mind raced. The System always rewarded growth. If something was locked, that meant it needed to be earned.
He took a slow breath. Then, under his breath, he muttered, "System, analyze the mark."
A pause. Then—
[Analyzing…]
[Entity Recognized: The Collector's Influence]
[Insufficient Data. Searching…]
The screen flickered.
Then—
[New Passive Skill Unlocked: Abyssal Instinct]
Effect: ???
Skill locked until further activation.
Noah exhaled sharply.
The System wasn't just reacting.
It was adapting.
Fighting back.
Which meant—
The Collector wasn't invincible.
The second the thought crossed his mind, the whisper in his head wavered—like something had noticed his resistance.
The mark pulsed again.
Noah smirked.
"Come find me then."