The night after Sung Jinwoo's awakening trial, the world did not sleep. The storm that had thundered over Seoul left behind more than lightning scars in the sky—it left tension. Every hunter, every guild, every government in the world felt the tremor in mana. Something vast had shifted, and they all knew it was centered around him.
Jinwoo stood on the balcony of his headquarters, overlooking the city. The glow of the moon reflected in his eyes, half shadow, half light. The world beneath him moved as if nothing had changed—cars still rushed through streets, people still hurried home—but in the air, mana currents swirled unnaturally, bending around him as though he were the very axis of reality.
Cha Hae-In walked up beside him, her aura steady, golden, and warm. "It's quieter now," she said softly, watching the city lights. "But it doesn't feel peaceful."
"It isn't," Jinwoo replied. "The trial was only the beginning. The Nexus… it's watching."
She turned to face him. "The Nexus Realm? You think it's reacting to your awakening?"
He nodded. "It's more than that. When I broke through the Rift Guardian, I felt a pull. It wasn't from this world—it was from beyond. The Nexus wants balance restored, but something—or someone—is forcing it open."
Cha Hae-In frowned slightly. "Agnorath."
Jinwoo's gaze hardened. "Yes. He's using the cracks in the dimensions to link his energy to the mortal plane. The five SS Rank beasts and the S Rank commanders are only his instruments. He's feeding his power through them to test the barrier."
Behind them, Beru materialized, kneeling with one claw pressed to his chest. "My king," he hissed, his wings twitching restlessly. "The shadows whisper. The rifts in the northern hemisphere are widening again. The air there… it hums with the same energy that touched you during your trial."
Baek Yoonho entered the room, his usually confident posture tense. "Hunter Association reports are saying the same thing. Mana readings are unstable in Russia and parts of Canada. It's as if something massive is trying to push through the dimensional fabric."
Jinwoo exhaled, his breath fogging in the cold air. "That's the Nexus stirring. The barrier between realms is weakening faster than expected."
Cha Hae-In tilted her head slightly. "You're planning to cross it, aren't you?"
He gave a faint smile. "Eventually. But not yet. We're not ready."
---
In the depths of the shadow domain, Igris stood guard over the Shadow Legion, which had grown restless since Jinwoo's evolution. The new power flowing through their king resonated through the ranks like an ancient drumbeat. The shadows whispered to one another—about the Nexus, about Agnorath, about war.
Igris turned his crimson gaze upward. "My king's aura touches both ends of existence now. If the Nexus opens, even the strongest of us will tremble."
From behind him, Tank rumbled a low growl, the sound echoing through the black expanse. Beru descended from above, his voice clicking softly. "The king will not fall. He stands between realms, as balance incarnate."
"Even balance can break," Igris replied quietly.
---
Three days later, Jinwoo stood at the center of the Hunter Association's command room. Holographic maps filled the walls, each marked with glowing red points that flickered like embers. The energy readings were unmistakable—gates forming again, but not like before. These were larger, deeper, and far more ancient.
Director Nam stood beside him. "These aren't normal breaches. They don't connect to any known coordinates. Our best researchers say they may be… vertical gates."
"Vertical?" Jinwoo asked.
Nam nodded nervously. "Instead of opening across space, they stretch across dimensions. They go upward—toward the Nexus Realm."
Jinwoo's hand tightened around the edge of the table. "So the Nexus is reaching down while Agnorath reaches up."
The lights flickered, and the temperature dropped sharply. The air filled with static mana. Then, without warning, one of the monitors flashed black.
System Alert: Dimensional Overlap Detected
Origin: Eastern Pacific Zone – Energy Source Identified: Nexus Resonance.
Cha Hae-In's voice cut through the room. "It's happening now."
"Deploy Shadow Scouts," Jinwoo commanded. "Beru, take command of aerial units. Igris, lead the ground squads. I want full observation only—no contact. We need to know what's coming through."
Beru vanished instantly, wings slicing through the air. Igris bowed deeply and stepped into a swirling shadow gate.
As the room emptied, Jinwoo turned to Cha Hae-In and Jinah. "I want evacuation protocols ready for coastal cities. If the Nexus gates fully breach, the energy surge alone could level regions."
Jinah nodded, already reaching for her communicator. "On it. I'll coordinate with the Guild Alliance."
Cha Hae-In's eyes never left Jinwoo's face. "You're worried."
"I'm cautious," he said quietly. "Something's calling me. I can hear it even now."
---
That night, Jinwoo couldn't sleep. He sat in his study, eyes fixed on the faint shimmer of energy in the air. The hum was constant now—soft, rhythmic, like the heartbeat of another world.
He closed his eyes, letting his consciousness drift into the shadow realm. There, surrounded by his army, he looked upward. In the endless sky of blackness, a thin line of golden light stretched from horizon to horizon.
The Nexus was waking.
He reached toward it, his hand trembling slightly as the light pulsed. For an instant, he saw visions—floating cities made of crystal, rivers of light, beasts made of both fire and void. Then, Agnorath's voice cut through the silence, low and cold.
"You feel it too, don't you, shadow monarch? The call of balance… the call of origin. You and I are bound to it. But only one of us will ascend through it."
Jinwoo's jaw clenched. "You've taken enough from this world. You won't take the Nexus."
Agnorath's laughter echoed like thunder. "Then reach me. Cross the veil, if you dare. But remember this—the Nexus doesn't obey kings or gods. It consumes them."
The vision shattered. Jinwoo's eyes snapped open, sweat dripping down his forehead. His breathing was shallow, but his mind was clear.
He looked out the window at the city lights below. "The time is close," he murmured. "Soon, I'll have to enter the Nexus myself."
Behind him, the shadows stirred as if responding to their king's resolve.
Far beyond the stars, the Nexus pulsed once more—its gates trembling, waiting.
The world's balance was no longer stable. The Nexus was calling, and both Sung Jinwoo and Agnorath were listening.