The night air clung to Seoul like a damp shroud, heavy with the scent of rain and something else—mana, sharp and electric, like a storm about to break. Sung Jin-Woo moved through the city's underbelly, his black coat blending with the shadows. His senses, honed from years of hunting, buzzed with the faint pulse of a rift nearby. The System's message from earlier burned in his mind: Eliminate Fracture Beasts (0/5). Reward: Path to ES Rank. Five S-rank beasts, spawned from a fracture tied to the name Agnorath. He didn't know what this X-rank entity was, but its influence was already tearing at the seams of his reset world.
Hae-In had wanted to come, her eyes flashing with the fire of her old S-rank days, but Jin-Woo insisted she stay with Su-Ho. "If this goes south, he needs you," he'd said, kissing her forehead. She'd relented, but her grip on his hand lingered, a silent promise: Don't do this alone for long. Now, alone in the alleys near Seoul's industrial district, Jin-Woo felt the weight of that promise. He wasn't just fighting for himself anymore.
The rift pulsed ahead, a jagged tear in reality glowing crimson against a warehouse's rusted wall. It was larger than the morning's gate, crackling with unstable energy. Jin-Woo extended his senses—three beasts inside, their auras S-rank, feral, and wrong. Not like the monsters of old dungeons; these carried a void-like hunger, as if drawn from a place beyond death.
He summoned Igris, his shadow knight materializing in a swirl of darkness, red eyes gleaming. "Master, the fracture is unstable," Igris rumbled. "These beasts are but fragments of a greater will."
"Agnorath," Jin-Woo muttered, testing the name. It felt heavy, like speaking it summoned a gaze from across dimensions. "Stay sharp. We're cleaning this up fast."
The System chimed: [Fracture Beasts Detected: 3/5. Eliminate to stabilize rift.]
Jin-Woo stepped through the gate, reality warping around him. Inside was no warehouse but a cavernous void—black stone walls etched with glowing runes, air thick with ash. The ground trembled as three beasts emerged: hulking wolf-like creatures, their fur black as oil, eyes burning red. S-rank, but their movements were erratic, almost glitchy, as if stitched together from broken timelines.
"Alright," Jin-Woo said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's dance."
The first beast lunged, claws raking the air. Jin-Woo sidestepped, shadow tendrils erupting from his palm. They coiled around the creature's neck, snapping it with a sickening crunch. [Fracture Beast Eliminated: 1/5.] The second charged, jaws wide. Jin-Woo activated Ruler's Authority, telekinetically slamming it into the wall. The third was smarter, circling, but Jin-Woo was faster. He vanished in a blur—Shadow Step—reappearing behind it, driving a dagger of condensed shadow through its skull. [Fracture Beast Eliminated: 2/5. 3/5.]
The rift pulsed, spitting sparks. Jin-Woo's eyes narrowed. "Two more. Where are you hiding?"
A low growl answered. From the cavern's depths, two larger beasts stalked forward—bigger, their auras spiking close to SS-rank, with tendrils of void energy trailing like smoke. These weren't just monsters; they were extensions of something sentient, watching him. Jin-Woo felt it—Agnorath's gaze, distant but piercing.
He didn't wait. Summoning his shadow army, he called forth ten soldiers—former dungeon foes, now loyal shades. "Surround them," he commanded. The shadows obeyed, spears and claws flashing. The beasts roared, void tendrils lashing out, dissolving two shadows instantly. Jin-Woo gritted his teeth. These weren't pushovers.
He dove into the fray, weaving through tendrils. One beast swiped, grazing his arm; the wound stung with unnatural cold, like frostbite from another reality. Jin-Woo retaliated, channeling mana into a Shadow Blade, a longsword of pure darkness. He cleaved through the first beast's chest, its body collapsing into ash. [Fracture Beast Eliminated: 4/5.]
The final beast was cunning, retreating into the cavern's shadows. Jin-Woo pursued, senses sharp. He felt a flicker of something new—a skill awakening. His vision shifted, and for a moment, he saw beyond: a glimpse of another Seoul, burning, with a figure like himself standing amidst ruins, eyes hollow. A System notification flashed: [Skill Unlocked: Shadow Echo. View fragments of alternate timelines.]
The vision faded. The beast lunged from above, but Jin-Woo was ready. He activated Shadow Echo, instinctively slowing time around him, the beast's movements sluggish. He drove his blade upward, splitting it from jaw to tail. [Fracture Beast Eliminated: 5/5. Rift Stabilized. Reward: ES Rank Path Unlocked.]
The cavern dissolved, spitting Jin-Woo back into the warehouse. The gate was gone, leaving only scorch marks. He panted, arm still stinging. The System chimed again: [ES Rank Trial Initiated: Seek the First Echo in the Shadow Realm. Portal Coordinates Provided.] A map flickered in his vision, pointing to a location outside Seoul.
"Great," he muttered. "More field trips."
Morning found Jin-Woo at a coffee shop, meeting Woo Jin-Chul. The former guild leader, now a detective, looked older but sharp, his suit crisp despite the early hour. Hae-In sat beside Jin-Woo, her presence grounding him. Su-Ho was with Jin-Ah, who'd insisted on babysitting to "bond with her nephew." Jin-Woo hadn't told his sister about the gates yet—she deserved her normal college life a bit longer.
Jin-Chul sipped his coffee, eyes narrowing as Jin-Woo recounted the night's events. "Gates again? Thought you fixed that, Sung."
"So did I," Jin-Woo said. "These aren't normal. They're tied to something called Agnorath. X-rank, maybe higher. Ever heard it?"
Jin-Chul frowned, rubbing his chin. "No, but I've been tracking weird cases—disappearances near old dungeon sites, mana spikes. Thought it was just residual energy, but…" He pulled out a tablet, showing grainy footage of a red crack in an alley, gone in seconds. "This your fracture?"
Jin-Woo nodded. "They're spawning beasts. S-rank so far, but they feel… wrong. Like they're watching me."
Hae-In leaned forward. "The System's back too, isn't it? What's it want this time?"
Jin-Woo hesitated. "Evolution. It's pushing me to rank up again. ES-rank next, through some portal to a shadow realm."
Jin-Chul set his cup down hard. "You're not going alone. I'm no hunter anymore, but I've got contacts. Thomas is in, right?"
"Already roped him," Jin-Woo said. "But this feels bigger than before. I need you to keep an eye on Seoul while I'm gone. If more gates open—"
"I've got it," Jin-Chul said. "But you tell Jin-Ah soon. She's not a kid anymore."
Hae-In squeezed Jin-Woo's hand. "I'm coming with you. No arguments."
He met her gaze, seeing the fire of the old Sword Dancer. "Alright. But we prep first. This shadow realm… it's not like any dungeon I've seen."
That afternoon, Jin-Woo visited his mother's apartment, where Jin-Ah was playing with Su-Ho. His sister, now a university sophomore, tackled him with a hug. "Big bro! You look like you didn't sleep. Teaching too hard?"
He forced a smile. "Something like that. How's my favorite sister?"
"Only sister," she teased, then frowned. "You're doing that serious face again. What's up?"
He dodged the question, ruffling Su-Ho's hair. "Just checking in. Keep this guy out of trouble, yeah?"
Su-Ho grinned, holding up a toy sword. "I'm gonna be a hero like Dad!"
Jin-Woo's heart twisted. Not if I can help it, kid. He left with a promise to call soon, the weight of secrets growing heavier.
Back home, he and Hae-In prepared. She donned light armor from their old guild days, her sword gleaming. Jin-Woo equipped his black cloak, infused with shadow essence for protection. The System's coordinates led to a forest outside Seoul, where a hidden portal shimmered—a swirling vortex of black and purple, unlike any gate before.
"Ready?" Jin-Woo asked, taking Hae-In's hand.
She nodded, grip firm. "Always."
They stepped through, reality bending. The shadow realm was a desolate expanse—gray skies, jagged spires, rivers of liquid shadow. The air hummed with mana, oppressive and alive. Jin-Woo's shadows stirred, restless. Igris appeared, kneeling. "Master, this realm is Agnorath's threshold. His will permeates it."
"Any sign of this First Echo?" Jin-Woo asked.
Before Igris could answer, the ground shook. A figure emerged from the mist—a mirror of Jin-Woo, but older, scarred, with red eyes and a twisted smirk. "Welcome, original," it said, voice dripping with malice. "Agnorath sends his regards."
The System flashed: [Trial of ES Rank: Defeat the First Echo. Warning: X-Rank Influence Detected.]
Jin-Woo drew his daggers, shadows coiling. Hae-In raised her sword, stance ready. The Echo laughed, summoning a blade of void energy. "Let's see if you're still the Shadow Monarch."
The battle erupted, shadows clashing with voids. Jin-Woo's Shadow Echo flickered, showing glimpses of this Echo's past—a world where he fell to despair, consumed by Agnorath's whispers. Each strike was personal, a mirror of his own fears. Hae-In's blade danced, parrying void tendrils, her synergy with Jin-Woo flawless.
As the Echo staggered, Jin-Woo landed a final blow, absorbing its essence. [First Echo Defeated. ES Rank Unlocked: Skill Enhanced – Shadow Echo Evolved.] His vision sharpened, now able to glimpse multiple timelines at will. The realm trembled, a deeper voice echoing: "You're merely delaying me, Jin-Woo."
"Agnorath," Jin-Woo spat, recognizing the presence.
The portal flickered, pulling them back to Earth. They emerged in the forest, panting, but alive. Seoul's skyline loomed in the distance, but Jin-Woo's senses caught another rift forming—bigger, pulsing with SS-rank energy.
Hae-In gripped his arm. "This isn't over, is it?"
"Not by a long shot," he said, eyes blazing purple.
Cliffhanger: As they head toward the new rift, Jin-Woo's Shadow Echo triggers unbidden. He sees a vision: Seoul in flames, Su-Ho crying, and a towering figure—Agnorath, X-rank, laughing amidst the chaos. The System chimes: [Next Trial: Stabilize SS-Rank Fracture. Warning: Agnorath's Gaze Intensifies.]