Blue torches flared to life with an eerie whoosh, casting the ancient temple in ghostly light. The oppressive silence of the double dungeon was broken only by the crackle of flames and the heavy steps of Sung Jinwoo and Po as they stood at the threshold of destiny.
Po cracked his knuckles, eyes scanning past the familiar King Statue. He ignored its regal frame and turned his eyes instead to the statue gripping the Laws of God. There was no reverence in his gaze—only defiance.
"Let's scrap, ya piece of rock," he muttered, his grin sharp, almost manic.
Without hesitation, he launched forward like a missile, Mana and chi surging around him in crimson streaks as he slammed into the ground before the statue with enough force to shake the chamber.
Behind him, Jinwoo remained silent.
This is where it all began..."I'm finally... back. Back to settle the score."
That memory—of fear, of helplessness—clawed at the edges of his mind. But it had no power here. Now, there was only vengeance, and a need to conquer.
From above, the Architect watched with glowing, angular eyes, his body flowing with golden mana lines that surged toward the statues scattered across the grand hall. In an instant, the temple came alive with movement—Stone Soldiers awakening, weapons drawn, magic surging.
The test had begun.
Jinwoo's body moved before his mind caught up, blades of shadow conjured and dismissed in rapid sequence, his control masterful even without System access. The weight of each blow was titanic, but his rage sharpened every dodge, every slash.
Po, meanwhile, danced in a storm of raw power, system untouched by design. Fists wrapped in chi-enhanced mana, smashed stone into dust, and bursts of explosive force rippled with every kick. He fought for real—not as a god, but as a warrior. Proving he could still dominate without his cheats.
From atop the balcony, the Architect laughed.
"Let us see if your arrogance survives this," it hissed, fingers snapping.
The King Statue stirred. Its massive eyes glowed to life as it moved, slow but terrifying, like a god waking from a long slumber.
"Now," the Architect's voice echoed, booming, divine, "It's time to worship God."
Jinwoo barely had time to register it before Po was suddenly beside him. They nodded once, an unspoken trust shared between predators.
In unison, they vanished.
Two blurs shot up the sides of the King Statue, boots cracking stone as they scaled its limbs and shoulders. Jinwoo drove a Shadow Dagger into its eye socket while Po lashed out with a devastating kick to the jaw, fracturing the statue's neck.
The King staggered, flailing its arms in blind fury. Below, the Stone Soldiers converged—but it was too late.
The two tore through them with monstrous precision. Limbs shattered. Torsos crumbled. Screams of rock filled the chamber as the statues collapsed like dominoes under an unforgiving tide.
The Architect, floating above the carnage, clapped slowly.
"Impressive...!"
Cracks spread along its face, and with a sound like stone screaming, its visage split.
One half glowed a brilliant blue, sleek and cold like ice.The other ignited in seething red, twisted, its teeth jagged like a demon's.
"Now..." it growled, voice layered with madness and echoing power,"Your final opponent... is... ME!"
The dungeon trembled with power.
Po grinned, his eyes flashing gold.
Jinwoo's shadow writhed behind him, a silent storm coiling in anticipation.
Together, they faced the Architect.
And the true battle began.
Outside the Dungeon:
In the heart of Tokyo, crowds gathered beneath towering LED billboards as helicopters thundered overhead. At the center of the chaos stood a massive obsidian Gate, its swirling core casting eerie pulses of power into the sky like black lightning.
And before it, Yuri Orlov descended.
Clad in a sleek white coat and adorned with glowing charms and amulets, he moved with the air of a man who knew his value—and charged accordingly. Stretching his arms, he yawned as if bored.
"Tsk. You people call this a threat?"
He pressed his fingers together and released a pulse of magic so dense the air hummed. A colossal barrier shimmered into existence, doming over the gate in translucent gold. It was strong. Reinforced. Imperial. His signature.
With a smug smirk, Yuri turned to the stunned Japanese Hunters and said, "Now remember, I don't work overtime."
Meanwhile, in Seoul, tension brewed in the conference room of the Hunter's Association.
Chairman Go Gunhee sat across from Mr. Matsumoto, the Japanese Association's representative, his arms folded and aura tightly coiled.
"We need Hunter Sung Jinwoo," Matsumoto said firmly, folding his hands. "The Gate in Japan is unlike anything we've encountered. If he doesn't help—"
Gunhee cut him off with a cold stare.
"You think money buys everything, Mr. Matsumoto?"
The room chilled. Gunhee stood slowly, and with a flick of his wrist, his Golden Aura exploded outward. The walls vibrated. The floor cracked beneath his feet.
"We've done our research on you. The backdoor deals. The corruption. Don't mistake desperation for weakness."
Matsumoto flinched, sweat breaking down his temple as Gunhee leaned forward, his voice like a growl.
"We'll consider your request. But not because you asked."
Elsewhere in the city, Woo Jinchul answered a call that made his blood run cold.
"A... Double Dungeon?!" he repeated, eyes wide. "Where?"
"Seoul. Near the high school that was attacked last week."
He snapped into action.
"Gear up! Get me the surveillance team NOW!"
In minutes, armored vans roared through the streets, and black-clad agents swarmed the area, sealing it off with layered barriers. But no one could go in.
The Aura emanating from the Gate was monstrous. It wasn't like a normal dungeon—this felt like standing before a god's judgment.
Jinchul grimaced. "We can't break through it. It's... dangerous as hell."
He turned to one of his agents. "Call Choi Jong-In and Cha Hae-In. Tell them to get here ASAP."
He stared at the rippling Gate, heart pounding.
"Jinwoo, Po... hang on."