Jinchul emerged from the gate, the swirling vortex of dark energy dissolving behind him. The cool night air of Seoul was a stark contrast to the stifling, earthy atmosphere of the dungeon. His mind, still humming with the aftereffects of his mana-sight, felt both sharper and more burdened than ever before.
He had proven his power, a calculated and terrifying control over mana that went far beyond what he had thought possible. But the real weight was not in the victory; it was in the knowledge he carried.
He gave a curt nod to the two guards at the gate, their curious glances a fleeting reminder of the man he used to be. The D-Rank hunter who had driven him here was waiting by the car, a look of surprise on his face.
Jinchul had been inside for less than an hour, an unprecedented speed for a solo C-Rank dungeon, even for an A-Rank hunter.
The drive back to the headquarters was silent, but Jinchul's mind was a maelstrom of thoughts. The memories of the fused soul, once a chaotic torrent of fragmented images, now coalesced into a chillingly coherent narrative. The world he was living in was a story, a pre-written play with a tragic climax he now knew by heart. And the most terrifying part? The future the fused soul had shown him wasn't the heroic tale of a lone hero saving the world. It was a story of survival, yes, but also of profound loss.
He thought of the final war, a cosmic conflict that would tear the planet apart. He saw the face of President Go Gunhee, a man he respected and looked up to, dying at the hands of a monstrous enemy.
He saw the leaders of the world's most powerful nations and their top hunters, the pillars of humanity, falling one by one. The Rulers and the Monarchs, beings of immense power, fighting a war that used humanity as a battlefield. It was a cold, brutal reality, one where a young man's struggle to level up was a mere prologue to a catastrophe.
The fused soul's memories were clear on this point. Even with Sung Jinwoo's rise to power, even with his eventual victory over the most powerful enemies, the cost to the world was immeasurable. Cities were laid to waste, millions perished, and the very fabric of society was forever scarred.
The story had been one of an individual's triumph, but the Earthling's final memories were not of a happy ending. They were of a broken world, a world that was saved but at a terrible price. A world when even altered by Jin Woo later had even powerful beings attack earth.
The driver, a man who saw his duty in simple terms—to protect and provide for his family—was a symbol of the very people he had to protect. He was just a human, a pawn in a game of Monarchs, unaware of the impending doom. It was this silent ignorance that fueled Jinchul's resolve. He couldn't stop the war, not alone.
He couldn't prevent the Monarchs and Rulers from coming. But he could change the outcome. He could ensure that when the final battle came, humanity was not left in shambles. Jinchul's jaw tightened. He couldn't stop the war, but he could make sure humanity was better prepared.
He thought about the irony. In the story, he was a minor character, a stern and unyielding chief. But now, with this new knowledge and this new power, he was the only one who truly understood the rules of the game. He was the only one who could see the full picture.
The car pulled up to the main entrance of the headquarters. The building, a fortress of steel and glass, felt less like a beacon of hope and more like a fragile shield against the coming storm. He stepped out of the car, the weight of the future on his shoulders. The test was over. The mission had just begun.
He couldn't prevent the Monarchs and Rulers from coming. But he could change the outcome. He could ensure that when the final battle came, humanity was not left in shambles. Jinchul's jaw tightened. He couldn't stop the war, but he could make sure humanity was better prepared.
He thought about the irony. In the story, he was a minor character, a stern and unyielding chief. But now, with this new knowledge and this new power, he was the only one who truly understood the rules of the game. He was the only one who could see the full picture.
The car pulled up to the main entrance of the headquarters. The building, a fortress of steel and glass, felt less like a beacon of hope and more like a fragile shield against the coming storm. He stepped out of the car, the weight of the future on his shoulders. The test was over. The mission had just begun.
Jinchul returned to the Korean Hunter's Association headquarters, the air of quiet purpose he always carried now a little heavier with the weight of his new knowledge. The dungeon had been a test of his new power, and he had passed.
The mana he had once sensed as a mere quantity—as a measure of strength—now held a story, a flavor, and a purpose. It was a language he was just beginning to learn. He walked with a steady, unhurried pace, heading directly for the President's office. He had no time to waste, and the grim reality of the future the fused soul had shown him was a relentless clock in his mind.
He went to the President's office, knocked and with permission went inside. Go Gunhee was waiting, a steaming cup of tea on his desk. He gestured to the same seat Jinchul had occupied just hours before. The office, once a symbol of authority, now felt like the command center of a ship sailing into a storm.
"Chief Woo. I trust your test was... satisfactory?" Go Gunhee's voice was a low rumble, but Jinchul detected the undercurrent of anticipation.
Jinchul sat, his posture straight and his expression unreadable. He had decided on his words carefully. He would reveal enough to gain the President's trust and resources, but not so much as to raise alarm or reveal the full, terrifying scope of his reawakening. "The C-Rank dungeon was cleared efficiently. My new abilities... they are as I described and more, President."
"And your mana capacity? Did it increase?" Go Gunhee pressed, his gaze unwavering.
"Exponentially. I was able to expend a significant amount of mana without feeling drained. I believe my capacity has grown to match that of a S-Rank," Jinchul replied, his voice calm and professional. He had tested this in the dungeon, pushing his newfound abilities to the limit. The mana within him felt boundless, a deep well that would never run dry.
"Unprecedented. We must keep this a secret. It will be Chaos if word got out. We've had a few instances of Reawakened Hunters, but none with the power to become a high S-Rank from A Rank naturally." Go Gunhee leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk.
"There's something else, President," Jinchul said, his voice dropping to a low tone. He met Go Gunhee's gaze, his eyes reflecting the deep sense of urgency he felt. "Post the test, I didn't just sense the mana within the dungeon. I focused my abilities outward. I... saw the world differently."
Go Gunhee's face remained impassive, but Jinchul saw a subtle shift in his aura—a ripple of pure curiosity. "Differently? Explain."
"The gates, the mana, the monsters... we've always seen them as isolated phenomena," Jinchul began, his words deliberate. "We've treated them like tumors, something to be cut out and contained. But that's not what I saw. I saw a network. A global system."
He rose from his chair and walked to the large map of Korea that hung on the wall, a web of red lines marking the locations of active gates. His new mana-sight had given him a new perspective on this map.
"The mana from the gates isn't just spilling out onto Korea," Jinchul continued, his finger tracing a line from a gate in Seoul to another in Suwon-si. "It's building up. I felt a pressure, a discordant hum around the entire Korea. Other Countries should also have the same anomaly I believe"
He turned back to face the President, his expression a mask of professional concern, "I believe the gates are not just a series of random occurrences. They're a symptom of a larger, global mana event. We've been looking at the symptoms, but we haven't been studying the disease."
Go Gunhee's expression hardened. He was a man who understood power, and he understood the immense danger Jinchul was describing. "A global event... What are you proposing, Chief Woo?"
"We need to start looking at this from a bigger perspective, President," Jinchul replied, his voice firm and unwavering. "Our Surveillance Team should be tasked with a new mission. We must begin to research the gates in Korea, and across the globe. We need to analyze data from other countries, track the patterns of monster appearances, and try to find a cause for this buildup of mana."
He took a step closer, his eyes locked with Go Gunhee's. "You too are seeing a higher number of hunters and patients who suffer from mana is rising. Why? We think it's because the patients' families are hunters or have mana. We need to dig into that more. But I can't do it alone. I need your authority, your influence, and your discretion. This cannot be a public project. We cannot be the fuse for panic"
Go Gunhee was silent for a long moment, processing the audacity of Jinchul's proposal. It was a request that would change the entire mission of the Korean Hunter's Association.
It would shift their focus from national defense to a global investigation, a mission that may inevitably lead them into conflict with rival nations and powerful guilds.
He leaned back in his chair, a slow, thoughtful smile spreading across his face. "You want to protect the world, Jinchul?"
"My duty is to protect, President," Jinchul replied, his eyes unwavering.
Go Gunhee let out a low, almost imperceptible laugh. "Very well, Chief Woo. You will have your project. The Surveillance Team will be given a new, classified mandate. I will give you the authority to access any data you need, from any national Hunter's Association. But remember this, Jinchul. We must tread carefully, so start from Korea and slowly move on to other countries."
Jinchul bowed respectfully before turning and walking out of the office. He knew that the President's agreement was not a simple blessing; it was an acknowledgment of the grim reality they were now facing. The test was over, the mission had just begun. The future was not written in stone. With his new knowledge and his new power, Woo Jinchul was ready to rewrite it.