Jinho's POV
The spoon in my hand trembled slightly as I stirred my coffee, the dark liquid swirling around like the storm of thoughts in my head. The café was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos we had barely escaped just a day ago. The warm scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, but it did little to settle the knot in my stomach.
I had invited Jinwoo and Rensei here, hoping that sitting in a familiar, normal place would help me process everything. But now, as I glanced at the two sitting across from me, I realized that what we had gone through was anything but normal.
Jinwoo sat with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable as always. His black eyes were sharp, focused—not with the uncertainty of a weak hunter, but with the quiet confidence of someone who had survived something impossible.
Rensei, on the other hand, leaned back in his seat, absently spinning a spoon between his fingers. He didn't look as tense as I felt, but there was something in the way his gaze lingered on his drink, as if his mind was elsewhere. Maybe he was thinking about the same thing I was—the brutal, merciless way we had fought back against those hunters.
I swallowed hard. We killed them.
I knew they had tried to kill us first. Hwang Dongsuk had locked us in the dungeon, fully expecting us to be eaten alive by that monstrous spider. And yet, I couldn't shake the image of those hunters' faces twisted in shock and terror as Jinwoo and Rensei struck them down one by one.
It wasn't just survival. It was a massacre.
I set my coffee down with a soft clink and took a shaky breath. "I… I still can't believe it," I muttered. "Those guys, they were actual hunters. And yet…"
"They were just a bunch of cowards," Jinwoo said simply, his voice even. "They threw us to the wolves and thought they could walk away clean. I wasn't about to let that happen."
I forced a weak chuckle. "I guess that makes sense. But still… it was so fast. The way you and Rensei handled them, it was like…"
"Like what?" Rensei finally spoke, his purple eyes lifting to meet mine.
I hesitated. "Like it wasn't your first time."
Neither of them spoke right away. Jinwoo just exhaled through his nose, while Rensei let out a short, almost amused breath.
"I can't afford to hesitate anymore," Jinwoo finally said. "If I did, we'd be dead right now. That's all there is to it."
His words settled over us like a heavy blanket. It wasn't bravado, wasn't arrogance—it was the simple truth. And that truth scared me.
Because if Jinwoo was changing… what did that mean for me?
Rensei smirked, shaking his head. "Welcome to the real world, Jinho. You think all hunters are heroes? A lot of them are just like Hwang Dongsuk. They'll do anything to get ahead. If you want to survive, you have to be strong enough to push back."
I swallowed again, gripping my cup tighter. "But does it always have to be like that?"
Jinwoo looked at me for a long moment before finally giving a small, reassuring smile. "Not necessarily. But if people like that keep coming after us, I won't hesitate to stop them. You don't have to fight, Jinho. No one's forcing you."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Jinwoo was right—I wasn't like them. I wasn't strong. But I could still be here, still support them. Even if I couldn't fight, I could at least have their backs in other ways.
I nodded, trying to shake off the lingering unease. "Yeah… Okay."
We sat in silence for a while, just sipping our drinks. For the first time in days, I let myself breathe.
Maybe everything wasn't normal. Maybe nothing would ever be the same again.
But at least, for now, we were still here.
Rensei's POV
The moment I landed the last strike of my training drill, a familiar chime echoed in my head.
Ding!
[New Gear Shift Available!]
My breath came in slow, controlled exhales as I straightened, rolling my shoulders. My body was still sore from the fight in the dungeon, but after resting for a day, I had thrown myself straight back into training. I needed to refine my techniques, sharpen my instincts.
And now, it seemed like my effort was paying off.
A holographic screen appeared before me, glowing faintly in the dim light of my apartment.
[Gear Shift: Scorn of Venus is ready to be unlocked.]
A smirk tugged at my lips. Finally.
Ever since I had started using Mercury's Requiem, I had felt that it wasn't the end of my potential. The system had been pushing me forward, urging me to reach the next level.
And now, here it was. My next step.
A sudden weight materialized in my palm. I glanced down to see a small, black key resting in my hand. Unlike the usual dungeon keys, this one had a strange, almost organic texture to it, as if it was pulsing with its own heartbeat.
[Dungeon Key Acquired: Demon's Castle]
The name sent a thrill down my spine. Demon's Castle? That didn't sound like any normal dungeon.
I quickly scanned the details.
[Dungeon Classification: Special Instance]
[Recommended Level: ???]
I raised an eyebrow. No level requirement? That was unusual. Even high-ranking dungeons had some kind of suggested difficulty. But this… this was something else.
So, the system thinks I'm ready for this, huh?
I rolled the key between my fingers, contemplating my next move. There was no telling what kind of monsters or challenges awaited inside, but one thing was certain—this wasn't just another ordinary test.
This was something designed specifically for me.
A slow grin spread across my face.
The dungeon key pulsed in my hand, its eerie energy coursing up my arm like a living thing. The Demon's Castle… The name alone sent a thrill through me. The System had been pushing me forward, forcing me to evolve. Now, it was testing me again.
I stood in my apartment, flexing my fingers around the key. The last time the System had given me something this significant, I had unlocked Mercury's Requiem. Now, with Scorn of Venus on the line, I had no intention of backing down.
Taking a deep breath, I activated the key.
[Would you like to enter the Demon's Castle?]
Damn right, I would.
The world around me warped. Space twisted, the familiar surroundings of my apartment stretching into a swirl of deep crimson. The moment I stepped forward, my vision blurred, and the next thing I knew—
I was somewhere else.
When my vision cleared, I found myself standing amidst the ruins of what once resembled Seoul. Skyscrapers lay in shattered heaps, streets were cracked and ablaze, and the sky burned a perpetual crimson.
This was the Demon Castle.
The air was thick with the scent of ash and sulfur. The oppressive heat pressed down on me, but I welcomed it—it meant I was alive, ready to face whatever awaited.
The System hadn't given me a recommended level for this place, which meant it was likely a test of my raw capability. No restrictions, no safety nets.
I exhaled and took a step forward—
A presence.
I wasn't alone.
My instincts screamed at me as I whipped around, Vega's Brand already in my grip. A familiar silhouette stood a few meters away, his form rigid, poised for battle.
Jinwoo.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
The silence was deafening.
The only sounds were the distant crackling of torches and the barely perceptible breaths we took. The tension between us coiled like a spring, both of us on high alert.
What the hell is he doing here?
My mind raced. I knew Jinwoo had changed. The way he moved, the way he fought—he was leagues beyond what a normal Hunter should be capable of. But this… This was impossible.
Dungeons weren't things you just walked into without reason. And yet, here we were.
Jinwoo's fingers twitched toward his dagger, his black eyes locked onto me with the same wariness I was feeling.
"…Rensei?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Jinwoo."
A slow exhale escaped him, and his stance eased just a fraction. But his expression was still calculating, guarded.
"You shouldn't be here," he said.
"Funny," I replied, flipping Vega's Brand once in my grip. "I was about to say the same to you."
Another long pause. Neither of us lowered our weapons completely.
Two Hunters. Two unknown variables.
Two Systems.
I wasn't stupid. I had suspected for a while now that Jinwoo wasn't just getting stronger in a 'normal' way. He was like me—no, possibly even more. And now? Now, there was no doubt in my mind.
This was the kind of coincidence that didn't happen naturally.
Jinwoo seemed to realize the same thing. His eyes darted to my hand, to the key that had vanished upon my arrival. His brows furrowed.
"…Did you use a key to get in here?" he asked.
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I gave him a look that told him everything.
His lips pressed into a thin line. "So did I."
That confirmed it. We were both summoned here.
The implications sent a thrill through me. If both of our Systems had led us to the same dungeon, that meant something big was waiting for us ahead.
But before I could dwell on it further—
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the streets .
Then, the ground trembled.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air, vibrating through my bones. The temperature spiked even further as heavy footsteps echoed from the massive, charred gates ahead. The entrance to the tower was a massive obsidian structure, its surface lined with intricate carvings of writhing figures being consumed by fire. The towering doors, sealed shut, radiated an ominous energy.
And then
I took a sharp breath as I took in the creature before us.
A monstrous, three-headed hound.
Cerberus.
The legendary gatekeeper of the Demon Castle.
The beast's black fur was like scorched steel, rippling with every breath. The middle and left heads had fiery orange manes and jagged brown horns curling back from their skulls, their red eyes glowing with primal fury. The right head was different—a gray mask covered its face, with a mane of coarse brown fur running down its thick neck.
Its massive claws dug into the cracked pavement, steam hissing from where its paws touched the ground. The sheer pressure radiating from the monster made my instincts scream at me to move.
Jinwoo took a slow step forward, his expression unreadable. "Looks like this is the real welcome party."
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. "About time something interesting showed up."
The battle began instantly.
With a thunderous snarl, Cerberus lunged. Its middle head snapped toward me, fangs bared, while the left head spewed out a torrent of flames, forcing Jinwoo to leap back. I twisted my body, barely avoiding the razor-sharp teeth, and countered with a powerful burst of Cosmic Drive, my foot slamming into its thick hide.
The impact barely made it budge.
Instead, the beast retaliated with terrifying speed, its right head whipping around, claws slashing toward me. I barely managed to weave away, but the heat radiating from its body burned my skin even from a distance.
Jinwoo reappeared behind it in an instant, Kasaka's Venom Fang gleaming in his grip. He slashed at its hind legs, the blade digging deep—only for the wound to immediately cauterize from the sheer heat of its body.
"Damn thing's too tough," Jinwoo muttered, dodging another swipe from its massive claws.
I clicked my tongue. "Then we just hit harder."
We moved in sync, dodging and countering, striking from different angles. But Cerberus was relentless. Its strength was beyond anything we had faced before—it was faster than it had any right to be for its size, and its attacks carried enough force to shatter buildings.
Even together, we were barely keeping up.
Then, its middle head let out a furious roar, and a notification flashed in my vision.
[Warning! Cerberus has activated 'Rage'!]
Its muscles bulged, and the fire in its eyes blazed even hotter. The sheer weight of its presence seemed to triple in an instant.
And then it came at us with everything it had.
Jinwoo barely had time to block before the beast's claws sent him flying, crashing through a ruined building. I went in for a counter, but the right head swung at me faster than I could react, its masked face ramming into my chest like a battering ram.
I was airborne for half a second before slamming into the pavement hard enough to crack it. My ribs screamed in protest, and I barely rolled out of the way before a massive paw came down where I had been lying.
We were getting overwhelmed.
I gritted my teeth as I forced myself up, my body screaming at me to stay down. Jinwoo was already back on his feet, wiping blood from his lips, his eyes burning with a cold, calculating fire.
He met my gaze.
We were both thinking the same thing.
If we didn't find a way to turn this fight around, we were dead.