The night sky above Seoul glimmered faintly with mana trails that streaked like quiet comets across the stars. The air had changed again, subtle but heavy, like the city itself was waiting for something immense to arrive. Sung Jinwoo stood on the balcony of the Hunter Association's central tower, feeling the pulse of the world beneath his fingertips. The hum of the city felt strange to him now. The faint flickers of energy that drifted through the skyline no longer felt random. They were alive. They were responding to something deeper.
Inside the tower, his closest companions had gathered. His sister Jinah sat beside their mother, who had only recently recovered after years of silence. She smiled at her brother's calm expression, though she could see the shadows of exhaustion behind his eyes. Cha Hae In, standing near the window, was watching him quietly, her aura still sharp and controlled. Yoo Jinho, dressed as always in his combat jacket and glasses, paced nervously by the door.
"The beasts are appearing again," Jinho said, his voice trembling slightly. "South Japan, Russia, even in parts of America. The same type as the ES Rank ones we saw before. But reports now say that the mana density around them is far beyond ES levels."
Jinwoo did not turn from the view. "So the next wave begins."
Beru appeared behind him, bowing slightly. "Master, the mana we sense is evolving. It is changing form as if the world itself is adapting to our growth. The System is preparing another level."
Igris, always composed, stepped forward. "Master, if this continues, we will face entities that no hunter has ever witnessed before. Their ranks will exceed ES. The threshold of SS Rank approaches."
Jinwoo closed his eyes, listening to the faint hum of his shadow soldiers scattered across the city. Every one of them was reporting disturbances, strange distortions that twisted the air in patterns similar to portals. They were not fully formed gates, yet the energy was identical to what preceded major dungeon outbreaks.
He finally turned toward his companions. "Then it begins sooner than expected."
Cha Hae In met his eyes. "Are you ready for another war?"
Jinwoo smiled faintly. "I never stopped being ready."
---
At dawn, the first of the new beasts appeared.
A thunderous roar tore through the sky over the Han River. The surface of the water rippled and glowed with blue fire as a massive creature emerged from a rift that had opened without warning. Its scales were black and silver, its eyes burning with deep crimson light. With every step it took, the ground trembled, and the energy in the air thickened until even the strongest hunters nearby fell to their knees.
System Message: Detected Entity – Abyssal Serpent, Type SS Rank Beast
The name burned itself into Jinwoo's vision the moment the rift stabilized. Around the creature, lesser ES Rank beasts gathered, moving as though bound to its will. It was unlike anything Jinwoo had seen since the Monarch Wars. This was not random evolution. It was coordination. It was deliberate control.
Jinwoo stepped forward from the bridge as his shadow soldiers gathered silently behind him. Beru hovered above, his wings folding tight as he prepared to strike. Igris drew his blade, the faint red light of battle burning in his eyes.
"Master," Igris said quietly, "this creature carries the scent of Agnorath's mana."
Jinwoo's expression hardened. "Then Agnorath is watching us."
Without hesitation, he raised his hand, and the shadows surged from the ground like a wave. The air crackled as black tendrils spread across the bridge, surrounding the SS Rank beast. It hissed and coiled, its mouth opening to reveal streams of blue fire that melted the steel beams around it. The shadows struck first, spears of dark energy piercing its scales, but the creature retaliated with a violent surge of flame. The river boiled instantly. The scent of burning mana filled the air.
Jinwoo moved faster than sight. One instant he stood at the bridge's edge, the next he was above the beast, descending in a blur of power. His blade met the creature's hide with a sound like breaking glass, the impact sending waves of energy across the water. The serpent screamed, thrashing wildly, sending towers of fire into the sky.
"Beru, restrain its wings," Jinwoo ordered. "Igris, focus on its core."
The shadows responded instantly. Beru dived from the sky, his claws glowing as he clamped onto the beast's back, forcing it down. Igris swung his greatsword with precision, carving through scales to reveal the glowing core beneath. Jinwoo followed through with a final strike, piercing the heart of the creature in one motion. For a brief moment, everything went silent.
Then the sky erupted in light.
The serpent's body dissolved into energy, spreading across the horizon in a spiral of blue. The System responded immediately.
System Message: Congratulations. You have defeated the SS Rank Beast. New Rank Threshold Achieved – SS Rank.
The air pulsed once, twice, then settled. Jinwoo stood amid the fading glow, breathing quietly as the System's words echoed through his mind. He had done it again. Another step forward. The SS Rank had been unlocked.
---
Far beyond the world, in the endless dark of another realm, Agnorath opened his eyes.
He sat upon a throne of black crystal, the void swirling endlessly around him. In his hand, energy gathered, solidifying into a small orb that shimmered with deep red light. His aura was denser now, his presence greater. He could feel the faint connection between his power and the beasts below. The Abyssal Serpent's death had sent a pulse through his realm, and that pulse had fed him.
System Message: Agnorath – Rank Increase Detected: XX Rank → XXX Rank
He closed his hand around the orb and smiled faintly. "Good. The game begins to take shape."
His servants knelt before him, silent and obedient. In the distance, shapes moved in the mist — beasts and demons of immense power, waiting for his command. He raised his hand and the realm itself shook.
"Prepare the next wave," he said. "Let the world feel the weight of evolution."
---
Back in Seoul, Jinwoo returned to the Hunter Association with his team. The city was quiet again, but the hunters could feel the lingering energy of the battle. Even those who had not witnessed it could sense that something had changed. A new level of strength had emerged into the world, and it carried both hope and fear.
Jinwoo stood on the rooftop again that night, the cool air brushing against his skin. Cha Hae In joined him, standing silently by his side.
"Another rank," she said softly.
He nodded. "Yes. But this is only the beginning."
She looked up at him. "Do you ever wonder when it will end?"
Jinwoo smiled faintly, watching the lights of the city below. "It will end when peace becomes stronger than chaos. Until then, I will keep fighting."
Below them, the city shimmered under the stars. The world was changing again, and somewhere beyond the horizon, Agnorath was preparing his next move. The balance of power was shifting, and the storm had only begun.