The portal site was heavily fortified, surrounded by military installations that made Blackwater Ridge's security look amateurish by comparison. As the three approached, they were stopped at multiple checkpoints, their IDs verified, their mission acceptance confirmed.
At the portal site, a military officer provided additional briefing to the gathered adventurers.
"Mission briefing," he announced. "You're entering a parallel dimension that mirrors Earth's Joseon Dynasty period, approximately 16th century Korea. The objective is an enchanted sword currently held in a forbidden forest. Intel suggests the sword possesses properties that could be weaponized. Retrieve it by any means necessary."
The officer paused. "Be advised: this dimension has been partially compromised. The locals are aware of outsiders and have taken measures to protect the sword. More importantly, some inhabitants of this dimension have developed the ability to manipulate vital energy—what we call Vitra. Do not assume technological superiority will protect you. You have seven days to complete the mission. Good luck."
One by one, the adventurers stepped through the portal.
When Laurel, Nelson, and Lily emerged on the other side, they found themselves on the outskirts of what appeared to be an ancient Korean city. Traditional architecture stretched before them—tiled roofs, wooden buildings, stone walls. The air smelled different, cleaner somehow, without modern pollution.
"It's beautiful," Lily whispered, staring at the cityscape.
"It's also dangerous," Laurel reminded her. "Stay close to us."
They made their way into the city, blending in with their period clothing. The streets were busy with locals going about their daily business, merchants hawking wares, children playing. But Laurel noticed the occasional person who moved differently—other adventurers, trying to blend in as they searched for information.
The trio found an inn near the market district and secured a room. It was modest but clean, with sleeping mats on the floor and a small table.
"I'm going to gather information," Laurel said. "You two stay here. Nelson, keep an eye on Lily. Don't open the door for anyone."
"Be careful," Nelson replied.
Laurel changed into slightly more worn clothing to blend in better and headed out into the evening streets. He'd learned during his training that the best information usually came from places where people felt comfortable talking—taverns, inns, gambling houses.
He found a drinking establishment near the palace district and settled into a corner table, ordering local rice wine and watching the crowd. After an hour of careful observation, he identified his target—a middle-aged man who seemed to know everyone, who people approached for quiet conversations.
Laurel approached with his wine cup. "Mind if I sit?"
The man looked him up and down. "You're not local."
"Sharp eye. I'm looking for information. Willing to pay." Laurel placed a small pouch of Yang on the table.
The man's eyes flickered to the pouch, then back to Laurel's face. "What kind of information?"
"There's a sword. Enchanted, supposedly in a forbidden forest. I want to know about it."
The man was quiet for a long moment, then took the pouch and counted the coins. Satisfied, he leaned forward.
"The Forest of Ten Thousand Shadows," he said quietly. "Forbidden by royal decree twenty years ago. The last king, a wise man that he was, discovered that people from outside our world were coming to steal the sword. So he hid it deep in that forest and declared the entire area off-limits. Anyone who enters is executed."
"But?" Laurel prompted, sensing there was more.
"But the current king has decided to use the sword as a test. He's sending four princes—those deemed worthy to inherit the throne—into the forest with seven warriors each. Whoever retrieves the sword becomes the Crown Prince."
Laurel's mind raced. This changed everything. They weren't just competing against other adventurers; they were walking into a royal succession crisis.
"Tell me about these princes," he said.
The informant took a long drink before continuing.
"First is Yi Hyeon-seong. Twenty-one years old, the king's younger stepbrother. He uses his mother's influence—she's the Queen Dowager—to get whatever he wants. Spoiled, entitled, but cunning. Don't underestimate him just because he's had an easy life."
"Second is Yi Kang-mu. Also twenty-one, the king's nephew. He's the strongest warrior among the princes, noble, mature, and disciplined. The court supports him heavily. If this was based purely on merit, he'd already be the Crown Prince."
"Third is Yi Seong-ryu, just fourteen years old. The king's son by the current queen. Kind-hearted, gentle, genuinely cares about people. More compassionate than even Kang-mu. But he's too young, too inexperienced. The court sees him as a future possibility, not a current option."
The man's voice dropped even lower for the last one.
"Finally, there's Yi Ji-won. Seventeen years old. The current designated Crown Prince."
"If he's already the Crown Prince, why is he competing?" Laurel asked.
"Because the king doesn't trust his own decision anymore. Ji-won is... complicated. After his mother—the late queen—died three years ago, something broke in him. He became cold, calculating, and brutal. He wears only plain black clothing, refuses any decoration or luxury. And he kills anyone he perceives as a future threat. His mother told him once that a king must be strong, and must eliminate weakness. He took that lesson to heart."
The informant shuddered slightly. "The court fears him. The people fear him. Even the king fears him, I think. He's not the strongest warrior, but he's the most dangerous because he has no hesitation, no mercy. If you encounter him in that forest, pray you're not in his way."
Laurel absorbed this information carefully. Four princes, twenty-eight warriors total, plus hundreds of adventurers all competing for the same sword. The forest would be a bloodbath.
"How would someone join one of these prince's retinues?" he asked.
"They're recruiting warriors from the city. Most princes have filled their seven spots already, but..." The informant paused. "Yi Ji-won is still looking for one more. No one wants to join him. They're afraid that even if they survive the forest, he'll kill them afterward to eliminate witnesses."
Perfect.
Laurel thanked the informant and left the tavern. His plan was forming. If he joined Ji-won's group, he'd be on the inside, with direct access to wherever the sword was located. Nelson could stay behind with Lily, keeping her safe and hidden.
He made his way to the palace district and inquired about joining the Crown Prince's retinue. The guards looked at him like he was insane but directed him to a training ground where candidates were being evaluated.
Yi Ji-won stood in the center of the training ground, watching a candidate spar with one of his chosen warriors. The prince was exactly as described—wearing simple black clothing with no ornamentation, his expression completely neutral as he observed the match.
The candidate lost badly.
"Next," Ji-won said, his voice flat and emotionless.
Laurel stepped forward. "I'd like to try."
Ji-won's eyes fixed on him, and Laurel felt like he was being dissected by that gaze. After a long moment, the prince nodded.
"Fight him," he said, gesturing to the warrior who had just won.
The match lasted three minutes. Laurel didn't use any Vitra. But his training, his combat experience, his tactical thinking were enough. He defeated the warrior through superior technique and speed.
When it was over, Ji-won approached him.
"What's your name?"
"Laurel."
"You fight like you've killed before. Have you?"
Laurel met his eyes. "Yes."
Something that might have been approval flickered in Ji-won's expression. "You're the seventh. We leave tomorrow at dawn."
Laurel returned to the inn and explained the situation to Nelson and Lily. Nelson wasn't happy about being left behind, but he understood the tactical sense—someone needed to protect Lily, and a group of seven was easier to infiltrate than trying to sneak both brothers in.
The next morning, Laurel joined Yi Ji-won and his six other warriors at the palace gates. The other princes were there as well with their retinues.
Yi Hyeon-seong looked exactly like what he was—a spoiled noble pretending to be a warrior, surrounded by men chosen more for loyalty than skill.
Yi Kang-mu was impressive, standing tall and confident, his seven warriors clearly experienced fighters who moved with discipline and precision.
Yi Seong-ryu looked terrified but was trying to hide it, his seven warriors all older men who seemed more like bodyguards than competitors.
And Yi Ji-won stood apart from them all, his black clothing making him look like a shadow among the colors worn by the other princes.
A royal official read out the rules.
"You will enter the Forest of Ten Thousand Shadows and retrieve the enchanted sword. There are no restrictions on methods. The death of any participant, including the princes themselves, is permitted and will not be punished. The competition ends when only one prince remains alive. At that point, the surviving prince—or if that prince has also fallen, whichever group still has living members—will fire these signal fireworks into the sky to declare victory."
He distributed the fireworks to each group.
"May the worthy prevail."
The massive gates to the forest creaked open, revealing darkness beneath ancient trees.
All thirty-two participants stepped forward into the shadows.
Meanwhile, across the UXA, in the capital city as night fell, a figure moved across the rooftops with practice ease. Dressed in simple dark tactical clothing with a plain mask covering his face, the vigilante known only as "X" was unremarkable in appearance—and that was exactly the point. No flashy costume, no dramatic symbolism, just efficient anonymity.
Below him, another protest had turned violent. E's AI security drones had been deployed to disperse the crowd, but their cold efficiency only made things worse. People were being injured, arrested, and dragged away.
X dropped into the street.
What happened next lasted less than three minutes. The vigilante moved through the drones like a force of nature, disabling each one with precise strikes that suggested intimate knowledge of their construction. When the security forces tried to intervene, they found themselves facing someone who fought with a combination of advanced technology and something else—something that made his movements blur, made his strikes hit harder than they should.
Vitra.
By the time backup arrived, X was gone, and the protesters were safe.
News footage of the incident spread across social media within minutes. It wasn't the first time the mysterious vigilante had appeared, and it wouldn't be the last. In a nation torn apart by unemployment, corruption, and the upcoming presidential election, X had become something the people desperately needed: a symbol.
Not of law and order—the government already claimed that.
Not of revolution—that would only lead to more chaos.
But of hope. Of someone who would stand between the powerful and the powerless. Someone who couldn't be bought, couldn't be controlled, couldn't be stopped.
A presidential candidate giving a speech that evening was asked about the vigilante.
"X is a criminal," the candidate declared. "When I'm elected, bringing him to justice will be a top priority."
But the polls told a different story. In the court of public opinion, the mysterious vigilante known as X had more support than any politician. Some analysts were already saying that the election wouldn't be decided by campaign promises or political platforms.
It would be decided by how the candidates positioned themselves in relation to X.
And somewhere in that capital city, the vigilante removed his plain mask in a darkened safehouse, knowing that his actions tonight had just made the upcoming election even more complicated—and even more dangerous.