The Rift continued tearing reality apart above southern Seoul.
Black lightning spread across the sky while dimensional pressure crushed the surrounding district beneath waves of unstable mana. Buildings flickered uncontrollably between Earth and fragments of foreign landscapes, entire sections of the city phasing in and out of existence every few seconds.
And at the center of it all—
the second entity continued descending.
Only its arm had emerged so far, yet the pressure alone already surpassed ordinary A-Rank monsters completely.
Hunters throughout the district struggled to remain standing.
Some systems had stopped functioning entirely.
Others glitched continuously.
The Void-Touched Knight stood motionless beneath the expanding Rift, its four glowing eyes fixed directly on Suho while distorted black energy spread across the street around it.
Then—
the atmosphere changed.
A massive surge of mana erupted from the northern skyline.
Cold air swept violently across the city as dozens of hunter signatures approached simultaneously at overwhelming speed.
Sera looked upward immediately.
"…They're here."
The next second—
ice exploded across the battlefield.
CRAAAAACK—
Gigantic frozen spears erupted from the streets around the Void-Touched Knight, sealing off the area instantly as blizzards spread through the district.
Director Han Minji descended from above, blue-white mana swirling around her body like a storm.
[Hunter: Han Minji]
[Rank: S]
[Title: Frost Authority]
[Status: Full Combat Release]
The pressure surrounding her alone caused nearby hunters to straighten instinctively.
And she wasn't alone.
One after another—
high-ranking hunters landed throughout the battlefield.
A giant man carrying a metallic gauntlet large enough to crush vehicles.
A woman surrounded by floating crimson blades.
A masked hunter radiating golden lightning.
Every single one—
S-Rank.
The surrounding hunters stared in disbelief.
Because this was the first time multiple Korean S-Ranks had mobilized simultaneously since the early Dungeon Break catastrophes.
Han Minji's cold eyes locked instantly onto the Rift.
Then toward Eryndor.
"…Can it be sealed?"
The High Elf remained calm despite the unstable pressure shaking the district.
"…Temporarily."
Not reassuring.
At all.
The giant armored arm pushed farther through the Rift.
The dimensional tear expanded violently.
And suddenly—
a deep roar echoed from inside the fracture itself.
The sound alone shattered nearby windows across several blocks.
Some hunters collapsed from the pressure instantly.
Han Minji's expression hardened.
"All combat units prepare for engagement."
The S-Ranks immediately moved.
The crimson blade user stepped forward first.
[Hunter: Yoo Serin]
[Rank: S]
[Title: Scarlet Blade]
Dozens of floating swords erupted behind her simultaneously before launching toward the Void-Touched Knight at blinding speed.
This time—
the attacks connected.
The creature screeched violently as dimensional blood exploded from its body, several silver cracks across its armor shattering under the impact.
But instead of weakening—
the monster became unstable.
Black energy erupted outward from its wounds while reality around it distorted further.
Eryndor's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…Move."
Too late.
The Void-Touched Knight vanished instantly.
BOOOOM—
One of the S-Rank hunters crashed through three buildings before anyone fully reacted.
The giant gauntlet user roared while swinging his fist directly into empty air—
only for the creature to phase behind him.
Blood sprayed across the street.
The S-Rank staggered violently.
Panic spread among the surrounding hunters.
Because this thing—
was overwhelming even top-tier awakeners.
Suho watched everything carefully from behind the combat lines while the system continued analyzing the dimensional distortions.
[Combat Pattern Analysis Active]
[Foreign Existence Utilizing Phase Shift]
[Weakness Incomplete]
Sera maintained Resonance Field around nearby hunters, stabilizing collapsing systems while evacuation teams moved civilians farther from the battlefield.
But even she looked tense now.
"…They can barely touch it."
She was right.
Even the S-Ranks struggled to land effective hits consistently.
Not because they lacked strength—
because the creature existed partially outside reality itself.
Then Han Minji moved.
The temperature across the battlefield plummeted instantly.
Frost spread through the streets while giant ice formations erupted around the Void-Touched Knight from every direction simultaneously.
Unlike the previous attacks—
this one worked.
The monster froze mid-motion.
Completely.
The surrounding hunters stared in shock.
Han's blue eyes glowed intensely beneath the freezing storm surrounding her.
"…Now."
The lightning user moved immediately.
[Hunter: Baek Taehyun]
[Rank: S]
[Title: Thunder Tyrant]
Golden lightning exploded downward from the sky itself.
The strike hit the frozen monster directly.
And for the first time—
the Void-Touched Knight screamed in pain.
The frozen streets shattered violently beneath the impact while dimensional energy exploded outward in unstable waves.
The creature staggered backward.
Damaged.
Actually damaged.
Cheers erupted from nearby hunters instantly.
But Suho's expression darkened instead.
Because the Rift reacted.
The moment the Void-Touched Knight weakened—
the second entity began descending faster.
The giant armored hand forced itself farther through reality while black cracks spread across the sky.
Then—
an eye opened inside the Rift.
Massive.
Ancient.
Watching.
The entire battlefield froze.
Even the S-Ranks instinctively stopped moving after feeling its gaze fall upon the city.
The system exploded with warnings.
[WARNING]
[HIGHER ENTITY VISUAL CONFIRMATION]
[OUTER SERVANT CLASSIFICATION POSSIBLE]
[THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN]
Then the eye moved.
Slowly.
Until it locked directly onto Suho.
The pressure intensified instantly.
Hunters across the district collapsed.
Sera dropped to one knee.
Even Han Minji's expression changed sharply.
"…What is it looking at?"
Eryndor already knew.
His silver eyes narrowed dangerously.
"…No…"
The eye inside the Rift widened slightly.
And then—
it smiled.
The giant armored hand immediately surged forward, shattering sections of the dimensional barrier entirely as the Rift expanded beyond control.
Eryndor's calm demeanor finally disappeared.
"…Everyone retreat!"
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Because humanity had just realized something terrifying.
The true enemy hadn't even fully entered Earth yet.
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