Chapter 20: Midnight Disturbance
The warm glow of golden lamps filled the lavish hotel room, reflecting off the polished marble floors. Expensive paintings lined the walls, and the scent of freshly made gourmet food still lingered in the air. The bed? Pure luxury—so soft Quinn nearly sank into it when he sat down.
He let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. "This place is too damn expensive," he muttered, rubbing his temples as he glanced at the absurd bill in his system's notification.
Emily, sprawled comfortably on the massive bed, hummed in agreement—but not without adding her own thoughts. "Yeah, Tobias's hotels are ridiculously pricey, but look at this place." She gestured around the room, grinning. "It's worth it. Just look at how well-furnished it is! The food? Top-tier. And the bed?" She flopped onto it dramatically. "It's like lying on a cloud."
Quinn just grumbled, rolling his shoulders. "Whatever." He wasn't about to admit that the food had been damn good.
After finishing their meal, both of them turned in for the night. The exhaustion of the day weighed on them, and soon, silence filled the room.
And after a while a low, muffled scream tore through the quiet.
Quinn's eyes snapped open.
At first, he thought he imagined it, but then—
Sccchhhrrkkk…
A sickening, wet sound echoed from the floor below. A presence. Faint, but unmistakable.
Quinn exhaled through his nose, his irritation rising. Another one?
He climbed out of bed, careful not to wake Emily, and quietly stepped out of the room. The hall was empty, but the feeling of something wrong was unmistakable. His senses led him downward.
Descending a flight of stairs, he reached the lower hallway—where the scent of blood thickened.
And there it was.
A D-Ranked Hallow, its black, elongated fingers curled around the throat of a struggling woman. Its grotesque mouth stretched into a jagged grin, its pale eyes glowing hungrily.
"Th-There… there," it cooed, voice distorted, filled with sickening glee. "Just stay still, let me feast on you…"
DING!
[Quest Alert!]
[D-Ranked Hallow Detected.]
[Defeat the Hallow in one move.]
[Reward: Intelligence increases by 20%.]
The woman let out a choked sob, clawing weakly at its grip.
Quinn sighed, rolling his shoulders. "A weak one at that," he muttered.
Quinn's eyes flicked over the notification. One move, huh?
No flashy moves. He didn't want to wreck the hotel. Something clean, instant, and silent.
He considered using Black Singularity Attraction, but instantly dismissed it. Too loud. Could cause an explosion.
Then an idea struck.
A cruel smirk tugged at his lips as he slowly raised his right hand, fingers slightly spread apart.
The Hallow, sensing a shift, dropped the woman and turned toward him. Its hollow, soulless eyes locked onto Quinn.
"You…" The creature licked its lips, stepping forward eagerly. "I hope you taste even bet—"
Then Quinn closed his fist.
And the world around the Hallow collapsed.
Graviton Grip
An invisible force wrapped around the Hallow's body—then crushed.
The monster gasped, its limbs jerking violently.
A horrifying pressure weighed down on it from all directions, an unseen force squeezing its flesh, compacting its very existence. Its bones groaned, cracking under the strain.
"N-No…" the Hallow wheezed, its body convulsing.
It tried to move, to fight back—but it couldn't. It couldn't even breathe.
The air around it distorted, warping from the sheer force.
"Urghhh—!!"
Its voice cut off abruptly.
CRACK.
Its ribcage snapped inward. Its arms twisted, pulverized. Its skull caved like brittle glass. The creature's entire body shrunk into itself—crushed down into a tiny, dense mass no bigger than a marble.
Then—
POOF.
The remains vanished into dust.
A moment of eerie silence followed.
Then—
DING!
[Quest Complete!]
[Intelligence has increased by 20%.]
Quinn lowered his hand, his expression blank. Too easy.
He stepped forward, crouching near the spot where the Hallow had been. Among the faint traces of dust, something glowed faintly.
A core.
He plucked the small, pulsating orb from the ground, examining it under the dim hallway lights.
"A D-ranked Hallow core, huh?" He turned it between his fingers, smirking slightly.
"I wonder how much this will sell for."
Quinn twirled the D-Rank Hallow core between his fingers, still smirking slightly. Easy money.
He finally turned his gaze to the woman who had nearly been strangled to death just moments ago. She was still standing there, wide-eyed, her breath shaky.
"You can go to your room now and get some rest," Quinn said flatly, already turning away. "You're safe now."
Without waiting for a response, he started heading toward the stairs, ready to return to his room and get some sleep.
But just as he placed his foot on the first step—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted behind him.
His instincts screamed.
Quinn barely managed to twist his body in time to see something—a fist—coming straight at him.
Shit—!
BAM!
A devastating blow struck his stomach. White-hot pain exploded in his gut, spreading through his ribs like wildfire. His breath hitched—air forcibly ripped from his lungs—before his body was launched through the air like a bullet.
His mind raced. How? He hadn't sensed her—
CRASH!
His body smashed through the window, shattering the glass as he was sent flying out of the hotel.
The cold night air rushed past his face.
Quinn's body twisted midair, and at the last second—
THUD!
He landed on his feet, sliding several meters backward before coming to a stop. The impact left cracks in the ground beneath him.
Quinn's blue eyes flickered with irritation. "The hell was that…?"
He lifted his head—
And there she was.
The woman he had just saved stood opposite him, a smug smile curving her lips.
"You managed to block on time? How nice."
Her voice was no longer soft and scared—it was mocking.
Her body trembled violently, and then—
Her transformation began.
Dark energy surged around her like a black flame, and her skin seemed to peel away, revealing pulsating, raw muscle. Her once delicate hands morphed into clawed fingers, and dark veins bulged across her body.
Then—SHNK!
A long chain materialized in her hands, coiling like a serpent. At the end of the chain, a wicked blade gleamed under the moonlight.
Quinn exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. "What a pain…" he muttered, his blue eyes narrowing.
This wasn't just a normal Hallow.
His senses hadn't picked up on her at all.
Is my senses that dull, How the hell did she conceal her presence like that?
His brows furrowed. Was this a setup from the start?
Then, just as he was putting the pieces together—
DING!
[Quest Alert!]
[A-Ranked Hallow Detected.]
[Defeat the Hallow.]
[Rewards: Mana Increase, Agility Increases by 30%.]
Quinn's gaze flicked over the quest screen before sweeping across his surroundings.
"Only a few buildings in the distance. No bystanders."
She punched me so hard I landed far away from the hotel.
He let out a breath, cracking his neck. "Another A-Rank, huh?"
Then a slow grin spread across his face.
"This should be fun."
The female Hallow watched him closely, her eyes glinting with dark amusement.
"You're smiling?" she mused, tilting her head.
Then she grinned.
"If you must know, Quinn, I'm stronger than Veyron."
His expression instantly hardened.
"She knows Veyron…?"
And—she knows my name?
Quinn's mind sharpened, his body already preparing for the worst. "How do you know my name?" he asked coldly. "And what makes you think you won't meet the same fate as Veyron?"
The female Hallow chuckled, her voice filled with amusement.
"Me? Suffer the same fate as Veyron?" She threw her head back and laughed.
Then—SHINK!
Her chain lashed forward, fast as lightning, the deadly blade at its tip aiming straight for Quinn's head.
Quinn's body reacted instantly.
WHOOSH!
He tilted his head just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack. The blade sliced a few strands of his hair, embedding itself into the ground with a deep THUNK!
But Quinn wasn't done.
His hand shot forward, grabbing the chain.
"Got you."
Before the Hallow could react, Quinn yanked the chain toward him—pulling her with it.
The moment she was close—
BOOM!
He swung his fist straight at her face.
But—
WHOOSH!
She dodged at the last second, tilting her head to the side.
And then—
BAM!
Her knee slammed toward his ribs in retaliation.
Quinn's eyes flashed.
He dashed backward in an instant, narrowly avoiding her counterattack.
And then—
Both of them smirked.
At the same time, they spoke.
"You're fast."