The twilight over Seoul cast long shadows across Sung Jin-Woo's apartment, where tension hung as thick as the mana in the air. Jin-Woo stood face-to-face with his sister, Jin-Ah, in her dorm room, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and determination. The revelation of Su-Ho's shadow pet—a miniature Igris curled beside his sleeping son—had cracked the facade of normalcy Jin-Woo had fought to maintain. Jin-Ah's demand to help, coupled with the System's latest chime, [SSS-Rank Trial: Enter Agnorath's Core Realm. Warning: X-Rank Avatar Detected.], left him no room to dodge the truth. Agnorath, the X-rank entity orchestrating these fractures, was no longer a distant threat—his influence was creeping into Jin-Woo's family, his city, his life.
"Jin-Ah," Jin-Woo said, voice steady but heavy, "this isn't a game. Agnorath's not like anything we faced before. He's X-rank, maybe beyond. I can't let you get involved."
Jin-Ah crossed her arms, her dark hair falling over her defiant expression. "You don't get to decide that, oppa. I'm not the little girl you left behind. Su-Ho's got powers, and I'm feeling… something too. Like a buzz in my veins. You're not protecting me by lying."
Hae-In, standing by the door, nodded slightly. "She's right, Jin-Woo. She's your sister—she's tough. And we're stretched thin. We need everyone."
Jin-Woo's jaw tightened. His SS-rank senses, newly sharpened, caught a faint mana pulse from Jin-Ah—dormant, but real. Agnorath's influence was awakening something in her, just like Su-Ho. The thought of his sister facing void-spawned beasts twisted his gut, but her resolve mirrored his own. "Fine," he said finally. "You train with Hae-In, learn to control whatever's waking up. But you stay out of the fights until I say so."
Jin-Ah grinned, a spark of her old mischief returning. "Deal. But you owe me details."
Before he could respond, his Shadow Echo skill triggered unbidden—a vision of Agnorath's avatar, a towering figure of void and bone, holding Su-Ho's toy sword in a ruined Seoul. Its voice echoed: "Come, Monarch. My realm awaits." Jin-Woo shook it off, heart racing. The Core Realm trial was no ordinary dungeon. He needed his team—Hae-In, Yoon-Ho, and maybe more.
By morning, Jin-Woo, Hae-In, and Baek Yoon-Ho were at a secluded military outpost near Mount Baekdu, courtesy of Go Gun-Hee's pull. The air was crisp, the volcano's peak looming like a silent judge. Gun-Hee met them there, his silver hair catching the sunlight, his face etched with worry. "Sung, I've got the area locked down," he said, gesturing to soldiers patrolling the perimeter. "But reports are coming in—more fractures worldwide. Tokyo, New York, Seoul again. Whatever this Agnorath is, he's not local."
Jin-Woo nodded, his black coat flapping in the wind. "He's X-rank, operating from a dimension called the Core Realm. The System's pushing me to SSS-rank through this trial, but his avatar's waiting. I need you to coordinate with Jin-Chul, keep Seoul safe. And…" He hesitated. "Watch Jin-Ah and Su-Ho. Something's waking in them."
Gun-Hee's eyes softened. "Your family's my priority. But don't go dying, Sung. We're counting on you."
Yoon-Ho cracked his knuckles, his beast aura flickering. "Enough talk. Let's hunt this avatar. What's the plan?"
Jin-Woo's Shadow Echo showed the portal's coordinates—a shimmering vortex at Baekdu's crater. "We go in, find the avatar, and shut it down. It's X-rank, so expect hell. Hae-In, Yoon-Ho, you focus on any beasts. I'll take the avatar."
Hae-In gripped her sword, light mana flaring. "Don't hog all the fun."
The portal glowed crimson, larger than any before, its energy pulsing with void. Jin-Woo summoned Igris and Beru, their forms solidifying. "Master," Igris rumbled, "this realm is Agnorath's heart. His will is absolute here."
"Then we break it," Jin-Woo said, stepping forward. The System chimed: [SSS-Rank Trial: Defeat Agnorath's X-Rank Avatar. Eliminate 15 SS-Rank Beasts. Warning: Core Realm Hostile to Non-Void Entities.]
The portal swallowed them, reality twisting into Agnorath's Core Realm—a vast, nightmarish expanse of black spires and molten void rivers. The sky churned with red storms, lightning crackling with X-rank energy. The air was thick, each breath burning like inhaling ash. Jin-Woo's SS-rank senses mapped the terrain: fifteen SS-rank beasts scattered across the realm, their auras pulsing like beacons, and the avatar—a towering presence at the realm's center, radiating power that dwarfed the Monarchs of old.
Yoon-Ho's beast form growled, eyes glowing white. "This place makes my skin crawl."
Hae-In's light mana flared, countering the void's oppression. "Stay sharp. Those beasts won't wait."
The first wave hit—a swarm of ten SS-rank scorpions, their tails dripping void venom. Jin-Woo unleashed Shadow Dominion, now expanded to cover miles, blanketing the ground in darkness. His army—two hundred shadows, from knights to giants—erupted, clashing with the scorpions. Hae-In danced through the fray, her sword slicing tails, light burning venom. Yoon-Ho roared, tearing through two beasts with claw swipes. Jin-Woo moved like a phantom, Shadow Step carrying him between targets, Shadow Blades piercing cores. [SS-Rank Beasts Eliminated: 5/15.]
The scorpions were relentless, their venom dissolving shadows. Jin-Woo felt the strain—his army was stronger at SS-rank, but the void eroded their essence. He used Ruler's Authority to crush three scorpions, their bodies crumbling. Hae-In and Yoon-Ho finished the rest, but Yoon-Ho took a venom sting, his arm bleeding black. "I'm fine," he growled, shaking it off. [Beasts Eliminated: 10/15.]
The second wave was worse: five SS-rank harpies, their wings trailing void mist, screeching psychic attacks. Jin-Woo's head throbbed, but his Shadow Echo countered, showing their weak points—glowing hearts in their chests. He summoned Tusk, the orc shaman casting barriers to block the screeches. Hae-In leaped, her blade carving through wings, while Yoon-Ho's beast form tackled a harpy mid-air. Jin-Woo teleported, striking hearts with precision. [Beasts Eliminated: 15/15.]
The realm shook, spires crumbling. The avatar emerged—a humanoid of void and bone, ten feet tall, its face a shifting mask of shadows, eyes burning red. X-rank power rolled off it, warping reality. "Monarch," it boomed, voice like a collapsing star. "You climb Agnorath's ladder, but you'll break."
Jin-Woo gripped his daggers, shadows coiling. "Where's your master? Hiding?"
The avatar laughed, void energy crackling. "He watches. You're his vessel, or his prey."
The battle erupted. The avatar swung a bone scythe, each strike tearing reality. Jin-Woo dodged with Shadow Step, countering with Shadow Blades. Hae-In flanked, her light sword clashing with void, sparks flying. Yoon-Ho roared, clawing the avatar's legs, but its bones regenerated instantly. Jin-Woo's Shadow Echo showed its past: a hunter consumed by Agnorath, remade as his herald. Its weakness—a void core in its chest—pulsed faintly.
"Target the core!" Jin-Woo shouted. He summoned his full army—three hundred shadows—swarming the avatar. It retaliated, void waves dissolving half. Hae-In's light weakened its defenses, but a scythe swing caught her, hurling her into a spire. "Hae-In!" Jin-Woo roared, teleporting to shield her.
"I'm fine," she gasped, blood on her lip. "Finish it."
Yoon-Ho took a hit, his beast form faltering. Jin-Woo's rage surged, his SS-rank power peaking. He used Shadow Dominion to trap the avatar, shadows binding its limbs. With Ruler's Authority, he crushed its core, void energy exploding. [X-Rank Avatar Defeated. SSS-Rank Trial Complete. Reward: SSS Rank Unlocked.]
The realm began collapsing, void rivers surging. Jin-Woo grabbed Hae-In and Yoon-Ho, teleporting through the portal back to Baekdu. They landed hard, snow cushioning their fall. Jin-Woo's body burned with new power—SSS-rank, his army now infinite, their tactics sharper. But the avatar's words echoed: "You're his vessel."
Hae-In coughed, leaning on him. "That… was too close."
Yoon-Ho reverted to human form, wincing. "X-rank's no joke. What's next?"
Jin-Woo's Shadow Echo triggered—a vision of Agnorath's throne, closer, his X-rank form a silhouette of void and hunger. "The Core Realm's just the start," Jin-Woo said. "Agnorath's waiting deeper."
Back in Seoul, Jin-Ah met them at the airport, Su-Ho in her arms. Her eyes widened at their wounds. "Oppa, what happened?"
Jin-Woo knelt, hugging Su-Ho. The shadow pet was gone, but the boy's eyes glowed faintly purple. "I'll explain everything," Jin-Woo said to Jin-Ah. "But you're training now. No arguments."
She nodded, resolute. The System chimed: [X-Rank Trial: Enter Agnorath's Void Nexus. Warning: Agnorath's Presence Strengthens.]
Cliffhanger: As Jin-Woo prepares to train Jin-Ah, his Shadow Echo shows a new vision: Agnorath, X-rank, stepping from his throne, holding a shard of the Cup of Reincarnation. "You reset one world," he sneers. "I'll break them all."