"Mom! Jinah! I'm heading to Shishō's for a bit… don't save me lunch."
The door was halfway open. Sung Jinwoo turned his head, calling into the room toward his mother and sister, Sung Jinah.
Several days had already passed since his mother woke up. At first, Jinwoo had spent time properly reuniting with his mother and sister, talking until they grew hoarse. After that, he took care of the discharge paperwork.
The Holy Water of Life had far exceeded his expectations. It not only completely cured the Eternal Slumber that had plagued his mother for years—once awake, she was immediately able to get out of bed and walk around normally. One would never have guessed she'd spent four full years asleep in a hospital bed.
As the first-ever documented case of recovery from Eternal Slumber, Jinwoo still remembered the stunned, ecstatic expressions of the hospital staff. If he hadn't presented proof of his S-Rank Hunter status, they likely would have clung to him for ages.
That same day, Jinwoo introduced Scáthach—his Shishō—to his mother and Sung Jinah.
Before then, Jinwoo had spent over a week grinding levels in the Demon Castle. When he finally returned home, he'd stared speechlessly at a house his sister had "improved" into an utter doghouse.
So, for the first time in ages, the three of them had rolled up their sleeves and cleaned thoroughly, filling their home with laughter again.
Over the past several days, Jinwoo hadn't raided any Dungeons, done any Hunter work, or even gone to the Land of Shadows to train.
He'd simply stayed home—fully and wholeheartedly—making up for all the time he'd lost.
Only today did he step out again, heading to the Land of Shadows to find Scáthach.
"Be careful on the way," his mother said, warmth and contentment glowing in her eyes as she gave the simplest, most comforting reminder.
"You're really good at hiding things, you know that?" Sung Jinah draped herself over the back of the couch, pouting—half curious, half complaining. "Fine, you suddenly becoming an S-Rank Hunter is one thing, but when did you meet such a gorgeous master? And you kept it completely secret. You never told me anything…"
"Jinwoo," his mother gently interjected, suggesting softly, "Next time you have the chance, invite your Shishō home properly. She's taken such good care of you, but we haven't even had a chance to speak with her. At the very least, we should share a meal and thank her."
If being repeatedly beaten to a pulp and hovering at death's door counted as "taking care," then yes—
Sung Jinwoo had indeed received plenty of his Shishō's "care."
"Alright…" Jinwoo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'll mention it to Shishō later and see if she's willing."
Scáthach seemed to hail from a Celtic background… He wasn't sure whether she'd appreciate Korean food.
He stepped through the Gate, rimmed with mysterious violet light, and entered the Land of Shadows once again.
"This place still feels awful." He took a breath, immediately feeling the pervasive chill in the air—an atmosphere that seemed to drain life itself. "A sky no light can pierce… a vast land that feels already dead, with nothing left but despair…"
"If I stayed somewhere like this for too long, I might really go insane…"
"After all, this is the land of the dead," Scáthach's voice came from nearby, calm and even. "Since ancient times, humanity has held primal fear and awe toward 'death' itself. And when people imagine the realm of death, how many picture bright sunlight, fragrant grass, flowers, or flowing rivers—scenes that represent vitality?"
"That's true." Jinwoo nodded in agreement. "When I learned this place houses the souls of the dead—like an underworld—I wasn't even surprised."
"If an underworld truly exists, it should probably look something like this… honestly, I've always imagined it that way myself."
At a glance, Jinwoo spotted Scáthach—and Cha Hae-In, who was training under her. He was slightly surprised Cha Hae-In had arrived so early.
"I thought you'd come later," Scáthach remarked, observing him with mild curiosity. "Why not spend more time with your family? Compared to this Land of Shadows overflowing with death, surely your home is far more comfortable? That would be natural. I'd understand."
Jinwoo shook his head, gaze steady. "It's precisely because I want to protect my family that I need to seize every moment and grow stronger."
"I see. Rather than drowning in the comfort you've earned, you've made it fuel to drive yourself forward." Approval glimmered in Scáthach's eyes. Smiling, she patted Jinwoo on the shoulder.
"Even I'm moved by your resolve. Good. It seems gentle training no longer suits you. It's time to discard weakness and let you experience true Celtic asceticism!"
"…That won't be necessary," Jinwoo answered at once, expression deadpan. "I think the current setup is perfect. No changes needed."
Was she serious?
He'd barely survived the existing hellish training and had only recently begun adapting. If the intensity increased another level…
That wasn't training anymore—it was death.
To divert Scáthach's frightening enthusiasm for "Celtic asceticism," Jinwoo hurriedly asked a question—one of the reasons he'd sought her out today.
"Shishō… have you heard of the Cartenon Temple?"
Cartenon Temple was a place Jinwoo could never forget.
"Back when I was still an E-Rank Hunter, I encountered the legendary Double Dungeon while exploring a Dungeon. That's where I obtained this [System], which allows me to keep leveling up and grow stronger."
He'd once received a black key as a [System] reward. Every detail about it had been unknown, so he'd stored it safely in his [Inventory]. Recently, after defeating the Final Boss in the Demon Castle and reaching LV 100, the [System] had revealed some of the key's information—
It was the key that opened the Cartenon Temple.
A powerful premonition stirred inside him: if he returned there, he could unravel every mystery and uncover the true purpose behind the [System].
Before doing that, he needed thorough preparation.
Among everyone he knew, Scáthach was both the most mysterious and the most knowledgeable. Thus, he wanted to see if she could offer any useful insight first.
"The [System]… ah. You mean that cowardly [System] that won't dare show itself whenever I'm around—the one I still haven't seen directly?" Scáthach asked. It took her a few seconds to dredge up the faint memory; the presence of that thing was truly negligible.
Others couldn't even sense it because they couldn't see it at all.
Scáthach hadn't seen it for a simpler reason—around her, the [System] was too terrified to manifest.
More than that: while Jinwoo was grinding levels in the Demon Castle, Scáthach had observed him from afar multiple times using [Clairvoyance]. Each time her "gaze" settled upon him, Jinwoo found he couldn't summon the [System] interface at all—
Clearly, the [System] was frightened even by indirect "contact."
"Cartenon Temple… Hmm. A pity. That name doesn't ring a bell."
"Even you don't know it…" Jinwoo let out a deep sigh, disappointment clear in his eyes.
If even Scáthach didn't recognize it, asking anyone else probably wouldn't yield any valuable clues.
"Don't despair just yet. Let me finish." Noticing his expression, Scáthach's lips curved into an amused smile. "If your [System] truly connects you to the Shadow Monarch, the god worshipped at the Cartenon Temple probably isn't some deity imagined by humans."
"It's likely something real."
"And in this world, there's only one being who can truly be called a god."
In an origin so ancient it could no longer be traced, the primordial god who created the world—revered as the Absolute Being.
To alleviate his innate, near-eternal loneliness and boredom, the Absolute Being took fragments of light and created the "messengers of God," entrusting them with protecting the world.
Similarly, using fragments of darkness as material, he forged the "eight Monarchs," tasking them with its destruction.
From then on, across a suffocatingly long expanse of time, the Absolute Being sat upon the one and only throne, silently watching—like an audience savoring a staged drama—as the messengers of God and the Monarchs instinctively slaughtered each other endlessly, providing him with supreme amusement.
"Are you saying… the one who created the [System] is the Absolute Being?" Jinwoo guessed, expression darkening. Just considering the possibility made his heart clench.
An enemy who was a creator god… he couldn't even imagine how he might win.
"That's impossible." Scáthach shook her head decisively and revealed an earth-shattering secret. "Because the Absolute Being… has been dead for a long time."
"Killed by the very messengers of God he created—those who were meant to protect him."
Her words peeled open a long-sealed chapter of history. After a war so prolonged it ground minds to dust, the messengers of God finally grew utterly weary. They once begged the Absolute Being to grant them power strong enough to decisively end the Monarchs—
And the Absolute Being coldly refused them.
Only then did the messengers awaken to the truth: their brutal war against the Monarchs was nothing but a cruel farce staged by the Absolute Being to alleviate his boredom.
As long as the Absolute Being existed, the war would never end.
So, to protect the world they cherished, shield innocent life, and finally end the meaningless conflict—
The messengers rebelled and killed the Absolute Being. From that point onward, they called themselves the Rulers.
Wielding artifacts imbued with the Absolute Being's power, the Rulers gradually gained the upper hand in their war against the Monarchs.
"What a pity," Scáthach sighed softly, open regret in her tone. "That Absolute Being was killed. Had he still lived, I might've sought him out and fought him to my heart's content."
"It would've been very, very interesting."
Upon hearing that the Absolute Being had fallen, Jinwoo only felt it was deserved. He even quietly applauded the outcome. His thoughts aligned perfectly with the Rulers of that era—even if the world was created by the Absolute Being, it was far better for peace that such a being—who saw all life as mere pawns—vanished completely.
Yet Scáthach's mindset ran completely opposite.
She felt no relief. Instead, she mourned missing an opportunity to clash fists with such a supreme powerhouse.
That difference stunned Jinwoo.
"But… Shishō." Jinwoo opened his mouth helplessly. "If you did that… wouldn't you die?"
"Wouldn't that be better?"
Scáthach's answer was instant—clean and decisive—as though she'd stated the most natural truth in the world.
Jinwoo choked on his words.
He truly couldn't grasp how Shishō's mind worked.
Even after learning enormous secrets about the world's origins and the Absolute Being's demise, Jinwoo's central question remained unanswered—
What was the true purpose of the [System] bound to him?
"So it really comes down to this…" he murmured, determination firming in his eyes. "If I want the truth, I'll have to go to the Cartenon Temple myself."
When Jinwoo helped Scáthach accept Cha Hae-In as a disciple, he'd harbored a small scheme in the back of his mind.
He'd thought: if Shishō suddenly had another disciple, wouldn't her attention and time be split?
If that happened, maybe the brutal "combat instruction"—better described as one-sided beatdowns—would decrease, and he could suffer a little less.
Reality struck him like a sledgehammer.
From morning until noon, Scáthach beat him relentlessly without giving him a moment's rest. If he sustained serious injuries, she healed him instantly. If he fainted, she threw him into an icy lake so cold it seemed capable of freezing his soul, forcing him awake again.
"This isn't fair! Why am I the only one getting beaten up? Shishō, aren't you going to train your other disciple too?!"
Unable to endure it anymore, Jinwoo finally exploded, protesting loudly.
"Cha Hae-In's primary goal here is refining her fine control over mana. Combat helps, but it isn't central," Scáthach replied, flicking the demonic spear in her hand as if it were perfectly reasonable. "I tailor my instruction to each disciple's needs. Do you think I'm some mediocre master who ignores her students' actual requirements just to indulge her own urge to fight?"
The crimson cursed spear in her hand seemed steeped in blood, its ill omen growing thicker by the second. Its tip leveled straight at Jinwoo.
"Alright. Q&A time is over." A dangerous curve rose at Scáthach's lips, her eyes blazing with battle intent. "Let's continue killing each other—right now."
"Pick up your weapon. Don't blink. Brace yourself."
"If you don't want this vermilion spear piercing your heart, run with everything you've got!"
"Don't stop until your meridians snap, your heart and lungs shatter, and your mind breaks. Burn your soul, grit your teeth, and fight desperately to stay alive!"
"As long as you survive, you'll grow stronger!"