A
"Dragon Cavalry! Mong Cavalry is closing in from the right! Fall back!""No! Damn it, there are Guardians behind us...!""M-Monsters are also coming in from the south!"
Guardians, Destroyers, monsters, Dragon Cavalry,and the various factions among the players — with everyone mixed together, the inside of Bear turned into pure chaos.Even rankers were trapped and unable to move properly.
"Lemo! We can't go that way! Let's circle around here!""I'll clear the path! Everyone, follow me!""We lost track of Wei Hao 20 minutes ago? At this rate...""He must've fallen pretty far behind. Move faster! Let's go!"
Still, a ranker is a ranker.They used their individual powers to carve a way forward.Among them, the ones advancing especially fast were the Destroyer rankers, particularly Wei Hao Jinming.There was only one reason that was possible.
"Mr. Wei Hao, here's a marker left by the Japanese.""Good. Keep following them."
"Yes, sir."
It was because there were Destroyers who had gone ahead of them.Ranked second and third respectively, Suzuki Haruto and Minoue Semigo had known each other since before the trial began and often acted together in a party.
Wei Hao and the two of them had something of an alliance.They had left markings behind for Wei Hao to follow.
"Those Japanese guys are fast. Weren't they also the first to find the path? How are they so good at finding the way...?""They apparently obtained a special compass with a unique function.""I see..."
Wei Hao recalled a conversation he had with the Japanese duo.They had mentioned acquiring a special item called a compass here. They hadn't shared the full details of its capabilities, so even Wei Hao didn't know exactly how it worked.But it was clearly something that helped with navigation.
"Well, I can't fully trust what those Japanese bastards say..."
Wei Hao muttered this as he passed one of the marked signs.They might eventually become enemies, but for now, things would be fine. That was because they all had a powerful common enemy — Han Yoosung.No one knew exactly how strong he was, but at least in this raid, cooperation seemed possible.
"Let's move quickly. If we're late, we'll be in trouble.""Yes, Wei Hao-nim, don't fall behind!""Move out!"
And so, as countless players pursued Han Yoosung...
"Man, that Korean guy — I don't know who he is, but he's no joke."
Said the Japanese duo.
Haruto and Seigo stood at a fork in the path, scanning their surroundings.What they saw were the remnants of numerous monsters and Dragon Cavalry soldiers.
"He did all this alone? It's hard to believe.""Exactly. Even if his Dragon Soul growth rate is 40,000 — which is impressive — it still shouldn't make him this strong.""Yeah…"
Haruto rubbed his lips, deep in thought.They couldn't be certain who exactly had opened this Bear (dungeon/instance), but judging by the circumstances, the most likely candidate was Han Yoosung, the top-ranked Guardian.Han Yoosung — a name they had never seen or heard before.
"Maybe the player himself is just that strong, independent of the Dragon Soul?""Could be. Either way, we need to be careful. I guess it's lucky Wei Hao dumped his subordinates on us.""Right?"
Several Destroyers were following behind the two Japanese players.They were Wei Hao's subordinates, whom he had offloaded under the excuse of "needing to maintain communication."Haruto and Seigo had thought they would be a hindrance, but unexpectedly, they had proven useful.Thanks to them, the group heading south numbered in the hundreds.If the opponent was alone—
'We can handle it.''Even with a growth rate of 40,000, our combined strength should match it.'
Besides, Wei Hao's group was likely closing in from behind as well.Even if something unexpected happened, they should be able to deal with it.
With that confidence, Haruto and Seigo pulled out their compass.
"What's the direction?""This way. It's not as far as I thought."
"Alright, let's go."
The compass was an item obtained from the Dragon's Grave.Its core function was to point in the direction of the "most valuable treasure."If used wisely, it could even reveal the path to the end of the dungeon.Using the marks left in all directions and the compass, they navigated forward.
No conversation was exchanged.As they descended, the frequency of lava eruptions increased, and the heat grew more intense.It wasn't just that their clothes were soaked with sweat and steam — the air was so hot it became hard to breathe.Even so, Haruto and Seigo didn't let their guard down, steadily making their way deeper.
Then, it happened.
"…Huh?""What is it?"
Something came into Haruto's view.Beyond the corridor — warped by heat haze from the intense temperature —he barely caught a glimpse of a human-like silhouette, blurred like a shadow by the heat.
The moment Haruto tried to shout—
"Enemy…!"
RUMBLEEEEE!
The shadow instantly engulfed the corridor.And before they had time to process what was happening, a roar of destruction erupted from all directions.
Fwoooosh!CRACKLE-CRASH!
Haruto, being a mage, hastily cast a defensive spell and managed to block the attack —but the Destroyers guarding his side weren't able to react in time.
"What the hell…?!""Enemy! It's the enemy! Who is it?! Show yourself!""Uwaaahhh!"
Darkness.
Just moments ago, the path had been brightly lit — now not a single beam of light remained.It was as if the brightness from earlier had been a complete illusion.Even Seigo, who had been standing nearby, was no longer visible.
Clang! Clang!
"Guh—Aaargh!""No—don't! Stay awa—ghrk!"
The clash of weapons. Screams of pain.And the final gasps of those standing on the brink of death.
Haruto, breathing heavily, began to channel his magic.Who could have done this?
Only one possibility — that Korean, Han Yoosung.But what was this shadow? Magic? Could someone maintain this kind of large-scale spell for so long?
"Impossible. That shouldn't be possible!"
From a mage's perspective, it was a spell that should be unsustainable.It would have to dissipate soon. He just needed to hold out until then.
Block the incoming attacks from within the shadow —then, once the shadow clears, join forces with Seigo.And then...
Thud.
Just as Haruto was trying to organize his chaotic thoughts, something was thrown in front of him.By that point, his eyes had adjusted somewhat to the darkness.Squinting, Haruto glanced down at what lay at his feet.
0002008760
"Huh?"
His mind froze.It had to.
What had been thrown in front of him like discarded trash was—
"S-Seigo...?"
It was Inoue Seigo — pierced through the heart, already dead.Killed by none other than his own favorite spear.
Unable to believe what he was seeing, Haruto's eyes widened in shock.
"He… died that easily?"
It hadn't even been a few minutes since the shadows engulfed the area.Two, maybe three minutes? No — considering how disoriented he felt in the dark, it might've been even shorter.And yet, not just anyone — but Inoue Seigo.Ranked 3rd among all Destroyers.Gone, just like that?
"You're next."
"U-UWAHHHH!!"
A voice came from right beside him.Haruto, nearly convulsing in panic, instantly cast a spell.Magic circles spread out around him as countless sharp rocks burst from the ground.As they exploded, the stone shards scattered like blades in every direction.
BOOOOOM!
Haruto didn't stop. He continued casting spells without pause.Among the many elements available, he chose earth magic — because it synergized well with his innate ability, Earth Affinity.
"Keep going… again and again… without stopping…!"
If he didn't keep attacking, he'd be the one to die.Half-consumed by panic, Haruto kept firing off spell after spell.
—AAAAAGH!!
A scream rang out.Ally? Enemy? He couldn't tell.Beyond his blurred vision, the image of Seigo with a spear through his heart flashed again in his mind.
"H-hahhh!"
Haruto gasped for breath, still firing off magic relentlessly.Silence. The screams from moments ago had vanished.
"Did… did I get it?"
Just then — the shadows that had filled the corridor disappeared.
What was revealed next was—
"Your skill at killing allies is… shockingly impressive."
The corridor was filled with the corpses of the Destroyers.And standing behind the now-faded shadow and the wall of dust… was Han Yoosung.
There was no need to say who had killed all those Destroyers.Haruto, of all people, knew what would happen if you recklessly unleashed area-of-effect magic in a narrow passage like this.The problem was… in his extreme panic, he had momentarily forgotten.
"Shaken by your comrade's death, were you? Well, it doesn't matter…""U-Uwaaaaah!"
Han Yoosung's eyes stared directly at Haruto — calm, yet somehow laced with boredom.Under that gaze, Haruto began convulsing with panic, gathering magic as if instinctively lashing out.A magic circle began forming behind him.
But faster than that—much faster—
"You'll be joining him soon, so it hardly matters."
In an instant, Judgment of the Gods was cast.
There was no buildup, no chant, no drawn-out process of spellcasting.It was as if all of that had been skipped.The spell was simply unleashed — immediately.
Haruto's delayed magic did manage to form several jagged stone projectiles,but it was pointless.
BOOOOOM!
A torrent of divine lightning rained down and shattered every last piece of stone.
Shattered debris scattered through the air,and through that storm of fragments, a gust of wind surged —the wind that carried the name Han Yoosung.
"Footwork? From a mage? No way… unless…"
He was fast. Incomprehensibly fast.Not just in physical movement, but in the speed at which he cast magic.Could someone really cast spells of that scale instantly?And to think that the one capable of such magic—
CRACKK-KK!
—also possessed that level of physical strength.
Han Yoosung's sword cut through the wall of stone Haruto had summoned —and in the same motion,
"Kuh—ghrk…"
—it cleaved through Haruto himself.
Haruto's body, now lifeless, crumpled to the ground, drained of all strength.Han Yoosung didn't even glance back at the fallen corpse.He simply turned away.
"For a mage, he broke surprisingly easily. Made things convenient, though."[Creating an environment just to exploit that weakness… how cruel of you.]
Kakasha muttered to himself in a tone laced with disgust.Han Yoosung flicked the blood from his blade and looted a uniquely shaped compass from the dead mage.
"The Tomb Robber's Compass, huh."
A special item usable only within the Dragon's Grave.
It was a special item that pointed toward the direction of the most valuable treasure —and also, roughly indicated the distance to it.
"It's not far now."
The direction the compass pointed was the same as the one the Void Hatchling was heading toward.In most dungeons, the most valuable treasure was located at the deepest point.Which meant that wherever the Void Hatchling arrived — the treasure would be there.
Judging by the distance shown on the compass, it wasn't far at all.
"Well, I'll know once I get there."
If possible, Han Yoosung wanted to finish things before the pursuers caught up.He moved forward, following the Void Hatchling.
The heat grew more intense.To the point that it felt like his body might start melting — an illusion, maybe, but a powerful one.And the deeper he went, the more complex the paths became,while the number of enemies blocking his way increased exponentially.
—Clatter… clack…
BOOOOOM!
After taking down a massive Dragon Soldier, Han Yoosung wiped the sweat from his brow.Its size, its strength — everything about it was different from the ones he had fought before.Maybe it had been a kind of mid-boss.
If that was the case—
"Seems the finale isn't far off."
The massive Dragon Soldier Han Yoosung had just defeated had been guarding a door.It was a door with no apparent mechanism — he couldn't tell how to open it.But the moment the Void Hatchling approached it, the door rumbled with a tremendous roar and opened on its own.
What lay beyond was a vast cavern.
—Gyururuk…—
In its center stood a colossal statue of an ancient dragon.It was half-ruined, broken in places — and yet, its presence was overwhelming.A heavy aura radiated from it, almost like oppression, something far beyond ordinary intimidation.The Void Hatchling, as if drawn by something, began to approach the statue.And the moment it touched it—
[Kuuu… Uuuuuhhhh…]
A deep rumble echoed as the statue began to glow red.The aura within it surged, growing even more immense.What Han Yoosung felt was not just power — but a soul, or rather, multiple souls of terrifying strength.So powerful that an ordinary human would be unable to even stand before them.
[What a pitiful… and sorrowful fate…]
From the statue came a voice — filled with regret and despair.
[In the end… this world has perished, hasn't it…?][Was escaping fate truly impossible…?]
Click.One of the statue's still-intact eyes began to move.Its gaze shifted — upward, toward the ceiling.
Though the eye was made of stone and should not have conveyed any emotion,somehow — a complex, layered feeling could be sensed from it.
For a long moment, the stone eye gazed silently up at the ceiling.Then, slowly, it moved again.
[Yet… hope has not been entirely extinguished…]
The Void Hatchling met the gaze of the eye.From that eye flowed a deep, crimson aura — vivid and intense.
[Void Hatchling — a being that was never meant to be born.][Are you prepared… to become the final king of a ruined world?]
Destiny had begun to stir.A fate long frozen, long believed impossible to awaken —had begun to move once more.