Morning light spilled gently across Seoul, washing the city in gold and white. The scars of battle were beginning to fade, yet the memory of destruction was written in the hearts of those who had witnessed the horror. The streets had been repaired, the Hunters had returned to their guilds, and citizens were trying to live normal lives again. But the world itself was not still. The air trembled faintly with mana, a pulse that no ordinary person could feel — but Sung Jinwoo felt it clearly, beating in rhythm with his own heart.
He stood by the edge of the river, the early wind brushing against his hair, and watched as his shadow stretched long across the surface of the water. Beneath that shadow, faint blue ripples of energy glimmered like veins of light. He had been meditating since dawn, quietly listening to the pulse of the world. It was the same steady rhythm that Hyunwoo's readings had detected. Only now, it was growing stronger.
From behind, a familiar presence approached. Cha Hae-In walked quietly, her steps soft but deliberate. "You've been here since before sunrise again," she said gently.
"I needed to listen," Jinwoo replied. His voice was calm but distant. "The Nexus pulse is changing. It's not a random fluctuation anymore. It's gathering."
Cha Hae-In frowned slightly. "Gathering what?"
"Mana," Jinwoo said, his eyes narrowing. "Or maybe… life itself."
He turned toward her, and in his gaze was the quiet certainty of someone who had faced the impossible before. "Something is preparing to awaken. The pattern is repeating every six hours now. And the frequency matches the recorded cycles of dimensional awakening during the Monarch era."
Her expression tightened. "You mean—"
"Yes," Jinwoo said. "The next wave is coming."
---
By noon, Jinwoo had gathered the elite members of the Alliance's reconnaissance team inside the Seoul Command Center. On the wide holo-map before them, the entire world glowed with streams of faint red dots — energy signatures that had begun appearing in scattered locations.
Hyunwoo tapped on one of the marks near Japan. "This one is new. It wasn't here yesterday. The energy density is rising fast, close to an SS threshold."
Another Hunter, Liu Zhigang, folded his arms. "That's not just near Japan. Look at the Pacific. There are dozens forming. These aren't normal gates."
Jinwoo leaned forward, eyes fixed on the largest energy reading — a single spot pulsing like a living heart at the center of the ocean. "No, they're not gates," he said quietly. "They're manifestations. Agnorath's influence is creating physical entry points — distortions that breathe."
The others looked uneasy. Thomas Andre slammed his fist against the table lightly. "So he's preparing another army?"
"Not an army," Jinwoo replied. "A test. He's gathering his new beasts — the SS entities."
A murmur spread through the room. Everyone knew what that meant. The E to S beasts had already nearly destroyed multiple nations. ES-ranked ones had been rare but deadly. If SS-ranked creatures were truly forming, it meant Agnorath was advancing faster than anyone expected.
"Hyunwoo," Jinwoo ordered, "dispatch satellite sensors across all oceanic distortions. If any of them begin to solidify, I want confirmation immediately. And send scouts to monitor the Nexus pulse intervals."
"Yes, sir," Hyunwoo replied.
When the meeting ended, Jinwoo stood silently at the map table, staring at the pulsing points across the globe. The shadows beneath him stirred restlessly. Beru materialized from them, bowing slightly.
"My liege," Beru said, "the shadows whisper. They sense approaching power. The beasts that gather beyond the veil are no longer bound by the lower mana tiers. Their energy burns like the old Monarchs'."
Jinwoo nodded slightly. "Then the SS entities are almost ready."
---
That evening, the world darkened unusually fast. Clouds formed in strange spirals, and faint lights flickered above the ocean horizon. Jinwoo watched the sky from the balcony of his residence, his mind calm despite the storm brewing beyond.
Jinah entered quietly, carrying a tray with tea. "Oppa," she said softly, "you've been working all day. You need to rest."
He smiled faintly, the kind of smile that never quite reached his eyes. "I'll rest when the world does."
She set the tray down beside him and looked up at the strange red flickers dancing across the clouds. "Those lights… they look alive."
"They are," Jinwoo said quietly. "It's energy from the Nexus trying to stabilize in this dimension."
She turned to him, her voice trembling slightly. "Is this going to be like last time?"
He shook his head. "No. This time, it's different. The enemy is learning from me. Adapting. Every time we survive, Agnorath studies our method. The beasts are becoming more organized. The ES beasts were coordinated — but the SS beasts will think."
Jinah's hands clenched at her sides. "Then what are you going to do?"
He looked at her with calm determination. "Prepare for them."
---
Midnight arrived. The city was asleep, but the world beneath it was not. From the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the first true SS-ranked entity began to emerge.
The ocean roared violently, waves crashing into the sky as lightning forked through the darkness. From the depths rose a colossal figure, its body covered in translucent armor that shimmered with spectral light. Its eyes were vast pools of molten silver, and every movement it made caused the sea itself to tremble.
System Message: Detected Entity – Abyss Leviathan, SS Rank Beast (Type: Dimensional Guardian)
Nearby, five smaller but equally menacing forms emerged from the sea — ES-ranked creatures shaped like twisted serpents, their scales glowing faintly blue. Together, they circled the Leviathan like loyal soldiers guarding their commander.
In Seoul, alarms blared through the command center.
Hyunwoo shouted over the communication line, "We have a confirmed SS manifestation! Coordinates locked in the Pacific trench! The creature's mana output is massive!"
Jinwoo stood in silence, his shadow spreading across the room like a living mist. "Prepare all long-range sensors. Do not engage. We're not ready for a confrontation yet."
"But sir," Hyunwoo protested, "if that thing moves toward land—"
"It won't," Jinwoo said. "Not yet. It's waiting for orders. Just like the others."
He closed his eyes briefly. Through the connection of mana, he felt the distant pulse of Agnorath — faint but steady, like a drumbeat resonating through every living shadow.
Agnorath was watching. He had just unleashed his next creation.
---
Far beyond mortal sight, in a realm between realms, Agnorath stood in the heart of his growing dominion. The void around him shimmered with crimson light, countless shadows forming into swirling patterns.
System Message: Agnorath – Current Rank: XX Rank → Progressing toward XXX Rank
He lifted his hand, and the energy of the SS beasts pulsed in response, feeding his evolution. His power expanded, pushing against the boundaries of his domain.
"Soon," he said softly, his voice echoing across the void. "Soon, you will rise again, Sung Jinwoo. And when you do, the real hunt will begin."
---
Back in the mortal world, Jinwoo stood beneath the stars, his expression calm but resolute. He could feel the approach of something ancient and intelligent. The SS beasts were not moving yet, but their presence alone distorted the world's mana balance.
Cha Hae-In appeared beside him, her aura glowing faintly golden. "They've started, haven't they?"
"Yes," Jinwoo said quietly. "The SS wave has begun."
She looked up at him with quiet determination. "Then it's time for us to rise as well."
He nodded. "Not yet. First, we learn. Then, we strike."
The night stretched endlessly before them, filled with stars and unseen threats. And somewhere beyond the veil, Agnorath smiled — for both hunter and hunted were finally beginning to move according to his design.
The balance of power was shifting once again. The world was bracing for the second storm.