# Chapter Thirteen:
The "Pulsating Shadow Heart" became Kang Jin-woo's silent companion in his shabby apartment. It was no longer just a powerful artifact; it had become a source of faint, unsettling whispers, a small window into the dark void from whence it came. The "Whispers of the Dark Heart" skill was a double-edged sword: it offered him cryptic insights but also threatened to erode his already fragile sanity.
Jin-woo spent the first few hours after his dangerous ritual listening to these whispers. Initially, they were just distorted white noise, the sounds of cosmic winds blowing across unimaginable distances. But gradually, he began to discern patterns, broken words, and raw emotions seeping from the heart. Most of them were dark and desperate: an eternal hunger, a fear of extinguishment, a hatred for all that was warm and bright. These were not unfamiliar feelings to Jin-woo; he felt a kind of sick kinship with them.
[Whispers of the Dark Heart resonate in your consciousness...]
[Fragmented Vision: An ocean of liquid darkness, in which countless eyes glitter, watching silently and hungrily...]
[Warning: Prolonged exposure to these whispers may lead to a decline in mental stability. (Willpower resistance mitigates this effect).]
"Watching eyes..." Jin-woo smiled. "Are you my new friends? Or just another meal waiting to be devoured?"
He didn't expect an answer, and he didn't get one. But he felt the whispers intensify for a moment, as if something in the void had noticed his attention.
Jin-woo decided to use this new skill cautiously. He didn't want to become just another conduit for cosmic madness. He had his own goals, and these whispers had to serve those goals, not the other way around.
His first goal was to open the "Tomes of Eternal Night." The book was still sealed, waiting for his Intelligence, Perception, and Shadow Affinity to rise. His "Shadow Affinity" had increased slightly after the heart ritual, but it wasn't enough yet. He wondered if the heart's whispers could help him with this.
"Tell me, heart," Jin-woo whispered to the jar, "how can I become more... attuned to your nature? How can I embrace the darkness more deeply?"
The whispers came more clearly this time, though still cryptic and fragmented.
[Whisper: ...Hunger... The shadow must feed... Light is the enemy... Absorb... Extinguish...]
[Whisper: ...Lost souls... carry fragments of the night... Gather them... Consume them...]
"Feed on light? Consume lost souls?" Jin-woo mused. That sounded sadistically promising. He wasn't entirely sure what it meant in practical terms, but it gave him a direction for research.
He remembered the "Small Shadow Essence" he had previously obtained from the Shadow Ghost. He had used it in an earlier ritual, but he wondered if there were other similar creatures he could hunt. Creatures made of shadow energy, which he could "absorb" to enhance his affinity.
Jin-woo decided it was time to emerge from his temporary seclusion. He needed information, and targets. He summoned his terrified followers, Park Ji-hoon and Kim Yoo-ri, to his apartment. They still looked petrified in his presence, which pleased his sick ego.
"I have a new task for you both," Jin-woo said, his cold voice cutting through the silence of the room. "I want information on any supernatural activities in the city. Any rumors of ghosts, shadow beasts, or other strange cults like the one you belonged to. The darker and more dangerous the information, the better."
Park Ji-hoon swallowed hard. "Sir Kang, that kind of information... it might be difficult to obtain. And dangerous."
Jin-woo looked at him coldly, a faint smile on his face. "Danger is part of the fun, isn't it, Ji-hoon? And if you can't handle a little danger, what use are you to me?"
Ji-hoon trembled, but Kim Yoo-ri interjected quietly. "We will do our best, Sir Kang. Is there any specific type of entity or location you are particularly interested in?"
Jin-woo thought for a moment, listening to the faint whispers of the heart at the back of his mind.
[Whisper: ...Forgotten places... where shadows gather... Old cemeteries... Abandoned factories... Dark tunnels...]
"Look for places people avoid," Jin-woo said. "Places rumored to be haunted or cursed. Places where people feel an unexplainable fear. There, I might find what I'm looking for."
He gave them some money (which he had stolen previously) and ordered them to return in a few days with the information. After they left, Jin-woo returned to his dark musings.
He didn't want to rely solely on his followers. He needed a more effective way to gather information, and perhaps to hunt the "lost souls" the heart had spoken of.
He remembered the "Knowledge of Deep Shadows" quest the System had suggested earlier, which had led him to the Librarian. Were there more "collectors of old books" or "secret libraries" in the city? Perhaps the Librarian could guide him again, for a price, of course.
He decided he would visit the Librarian soon. But first, he wanted to test the heart's whispers further, to see if he could use them to find something on his own.
That night, Jin-woo went out into the dark city streets. He had no specific destination; he was letting the heart's whispers guide him. The whispers were stronger in some areas, weaker in others. They drew him towards dark back alleys, abandoned buildings, and places that reeked of despair and oblivion.
[Whisper: ...Close... A hungry shadow... feeding on fear...]
The whispers led him to an old, dilapidated apartment building that looked like it was about to collapse. Most of its windows were broken, and the front door was partially open, revealing pitch darkness within. Jin-woo felt a tingle of shadow energy emanating from the building, and he also felt the cold fear seeping from the walls like a poisonous fog.
"Perfect," Jin-woo whispered to himself, a sadistic smile on his face. He took out his shadow dagger and entered the building.
The interior was even darker and colder than he expected. The air was heavy with the smell of mold and dust, and the silence was absolute, broken only by the sound of his cautious footsteps on the decaying floor. The heart's whispers grew louder and more insistent, leading him towards the upper floors.
[Whisper: ...Above... It waits... So hungry...]
Jin-woo climbed the rickety stairs, feeling the shadows around him thicken, as if they were living things watching him. He didn't feel fear, but excitement. This was the kind of hunt he was looking for.
On the third floor, he found an apartment with its door slightly ajar. The whispers were coming from inside this apartment. Jin-woo pushed the door cautiously and entered.
The apartment was empty and ruined, the furniture broken and covered in dust. In the center of the room, a dark shape was coalescing, somewhat resembling the Shadow Ghost he had faced before, but larger and more menacing. It had two glowing red eyes and was making a sound like a hissing snake.
[Fear Phantom – Shadow Entity (Level 6)]
[Description: A shadow entity that feeds on emotions of fear and despair. Haunts abandoned places where tragedies or violent events have occurred. Can take on terrifying forms to increase its victims' fear.]
[Skills: Fear Manifestation, Cold Touch, Shadow Meld.]
[Note: Weak against strong willpower and holy light (which you do not possess).]
"Hello, friend," Jin-woo said, his smile widening. "I hear you're hungry. I'm a little hungry myself. Maybe we can help each other out."
The Fear Phantom hissed, and its shape began to change, morphing into a distorted image of one of Jin-woo's worst nightmares from his orphanage days: the sadistic director who enjoyed torturing children. It was an old tactic, and a bit boring in Jin-woo's opinion.
"Oh, is that the best you've got?" Jin-woo said sarcastically. "I've seen worse things in my daydreams."
The Fear Phantom lunged at Jin-woo, its shadowy claws extended. Jin-woo moved quickly, easily dodging the attack. He had become faster and more agile since his first encounter with a Shadow Ghost. The shadow dagger in his hand was glowing coldly, as if enjoying the presence of another shadow entity to feed on.
A strange battle began in the ruined apartment. The Fear Phantom tried to scare Jin-woo by changing its shape and using its cold touch, but Jin-woo was unfazed. He fought with cold efficiency, using his shadow dagger to parry the phantom's attacks and inflict small wounds. With each successful strike from the dagger, he felt a small part of the phantom's energy being absorbed, and he also felt the heart's whispers in his head grow more satisfied.
[Whisper: ...Yes... Like that... Consume... Grow stronger...]
It wasn't an easy fight. The Fear Phantom was strong and elusive, using the shadows to disappear and reappear suddenly. But Jin-woo was patient and determined. He was enjoying the challenge, and the slight pain he felt when one of the phantom's attacks managed to scratch him.
Finally, after what felt like a long time, the Fear Phantom began to weaken. Its attacks were slower, its form less stable. Jin-woo saw his chance.
He lunged forward, ignoring the phantom's last attempt to scare him with the image of his dead mother's face (which Jin-woo found particularly cliché). He plunged the shadow dagger deep into the phantom's dark core.
The Fear Phantom let out a high, painful shriek, a shriek that seemed to tear the fabric of reality for a moment. Then, it began to dissipate, turning into black smoke that was completely absorbed by the shadow dagger.
[Eliminated "Fear Phantom" (Level 6).]
[Obtained 90 System Experience Points.]
[Absorbed Medium Shadow Essence. Your "Shadow Affinity" has slightly increased.]
[Your Shadow Dagger feels satisfied. Its sharpness has temporarily increased.]
Jin-woo stood in the center of the empty apartment, panting slightly, a triumphant smile on his face. He had succeeded. He had hunted another shadow entity and increased his power. More importantly, he had proven that the heart's whispers could be useful, if channeled correctly.
He looked at his shadow dagger. It was glowing more intensely than before, and he felt more connected to it. This dagger wasn't just a weapon; it was an extension of his own inner darkness.
"Looks like this city is full of tasty snacks," Jin-woo thought. "And now that I have a guide, it's time for some real hunting."
He left the abandoned building and returned to the shadows of the night. He felt powerful, and hungry. And he knew this was just the beginning. The void was whispering to him, and he was ready to listen.