That night, Jin sat awake—thinking, as he always did.
Thinking about his abilities.
About what he could do…
And what he had yet to try.
Hmm… I can use darkness as authority, not merely as magic.
From what I've heard about innate traits—those who possess them can imagine abilities and manifest them directly.
Shadow bearers can merge with shadows and move through them… maybe…
Jin sat there for nearly an hour, his mind replaying the same image again and again.
Then he stood.
At the far end of the room, darkness pooled thickly along the walls.
He narrowed one eye—
And then…
His body dissolved into shadow.
A formless mass of darkness slid into the wall—
and emerged from the opposite side of the room as a featureless black silhouette.
Jin stepped out, feet touching the floor.
He froze.
Then stared in disbelief…
before breaking into an excited grin.
"This… is incredible."
He recalled the academy's layout from memory,
then slipped into the darkness and moved outside.
"This—this is truly incredible.
I'm moving through darkness using mana, yet entering and exiting leaves no trace."
Excitement surged through him, darker thoughts creeping into his mind.
He smiled.
"This is going to be a wonderful night."
He moved through the shadows—
first behind the academy, then into the forest beyond.
He paused.
"It's amazing… truly.
But staying within darkness strains both my body and mind.
I can't use it freely yet."
"And the distance is extremely limited."
"Maybe I'll fully weaponize it in the future…
but for now—this is enough."
And so, the boy went to indulge in his favorite habit in Jianghu.
The Pawnshop
The scene shifted to the front of a pawnshop known as The Silver Nail House.
Jin emerged from the shadow of a nearby building.
He wore black traveler's clothes, a scarf pulled up over his face, a black straw hat shadowing his eyes.
He stood silently for a moment.
Then a man stepped out—his face weighed down by despair.
Jin approached him.
The man panicked.
"Ha—ah—the Black Hat! Please, I didn't do anythi—"
Jin cut him off calmly.
"Relax. I won't hurt you.
Are you an employee here… or a creditor?"
The man swallowed.
"A creditor."
Jin asked evenly,
"Do they exploit people with their loans?
What interest do they charge?
Do they harm—or kill—debtors?"
The man hesitated.
"I don't understand the details… but I pawned my wife's contract for ten silver ounces.
They gave me one ounce, said repayment would be three.
After one year—it becomes twelve."
Jin's gaze sharpened.
"What's your name?"
"Gu Lin."
"Wait here."
Jin pulled the Wyvern Blade from storage…
and entered.
Inside the Pawnshop
Fear spread instantly.
"It's the Black Hat—lower your voices!"
Fighters gathered.
Jin spoke calmly.
"I have a pawn. I want to meet the owner."
He was led into the inner room.
A fat man adorned with jewelry sat within.
"Hahaha—so the rumored hero himself has come."
Jin sat and lowered his scarf.
"Not exactly. I only use this disguise to avoid trouble.
That man certainly built a frightening reputation."
He continued calmly,
"There's a man named Gu Lin who pawned a contract.
I want to redeem it."
The owner retrieved the document, thinking:
A young brat. Easy prey.
Jin examined the contract.
"How much is the debt now?"
"Four silver ounces."
Jin nodded slowly.
"Hmm… then take a look at this blade.
I want to pawn it."
The owner's eyes gleamed.
"Wyvern horn craftsmanship… impressive.
Is it yours? You don't seem from the Eastern Continent."
"Yes. I found it outside. I need money right now."
The owner smiled greedily.
"Very well. Ten gold ounces.
To redeem it—you'll return eight."
Jin paused.
Ten ounces?
That horn alone was worth over twenty-three kilograms of gold.
That contract is worth a full gold ounce.
And you tell me this blade is worth only ten ounces?
Five hundred grams?
And you want to take eighty percent of its value?
Does he think I'm an idiot?
Jin smiled.
"As expected."
He lifted his scarf—and snatched the blade back in a flash.
"Return the rights now.
This blade is worth no less than two hundred and fifty ounces.
And your interest rates are criminal."
The owner sneered.
"You're a child who doesn't know his place."
The fighters entered—nearly twenty men.
Jin tilted his head.
"Are you planning to kill me?"
The owner laughed.
"Why ask questions before your death?"
Jin sighed.
"So this land truly only understands blood."
The Fight
The first fighter charged.
Jin took a single step.
He lowered his body, twisted the blade—
and the man split apart.
He fell before a scream could leave his throat.
Two attacked together.
Jin flicked his wrist.
The blade slid like a shadow—
cutting the first across the neck,
then plunging into the second's chest.
He moved.
He wasn't fighting—
he was flowing.
Every step precise.
Every strike short, fatal, without waste.
They tried to surround him.
Jin leapt onto the table, stepped on a man's shoulder, flipped through the air—
the Wyvern Blade carving a black arc.
Bodies fell.
But the numbers were overwhelming.
A heavy blow struck his abdomen.
Pain flared—then warmth.
He stepped back.
They attacked all at once.
Another hit.
He bent forward.
Defeat crept close.
Jin inhaled deeply.
Then—
His aura exploded.
A black storm erupted from his body, wrapping the blade.
He raised his sword.
One strike.
An aura-forged slash tore through the space itself—
walls, floor, air—
and the fighters.
Everything fell.
Silence.
Before Dawn
The owner trembled.
"It really was you… who are you, in the name of hell?"
Jin smiled darkly.
"Bring out all the records.
It seems we're in for a long night."
Before sunrise, Jin sat atop the owner's desk, his wound treated and wrapped.
The owner stood beside him, hollow-eyed.
The last person in line left.
Jin asked lazily,
"Hm? Was that the final registered debtor?"
"Good. Since all debts are repaid…"
His gaze swept over the building and its assets.
A demonic smile spread across his face.
"It seems you own some… delightful things."
The owner paled.
Moments later, the place was empty.
Jin dragged gold from the final chest.
"Heh… I suppose my work here is done."
And he left.
Return
Behind the academy, Jin slipped into the last shadows not yet consumed by dawn.
He entered the dormitory.
The students were just waking up.
Liu Fan rubbed his eyes.
"Huh? Weren't you not here a moment ago?"
Jin laughed.
"Haha, I was under the bed."
Liu Fan yawned.
"Ah… don't fall off the bed again."
Jin stared at him.
Damn it… he believed me.
End of Chapter