The universe trembled.
Not metaphorically.
Not emotionally.
Reality itself physically shook as the eye of the Eldritch God opened within deep space.
It was larger than galaxies.
Larger than solar systems.
An existence so massive that mortal perception rejected it automatically. Even looking toward it through mana-based observation caused hunters on Earth to bleed from their eyes.
The Seraphim understood immediately.
A true Eldritch God had focused its attention on their universe.
And that alone was enough to destabilize existence.
The War Beyond Reality
Golden authority exploded across the stars.
The Seraphim attacked simultaneously.
Their wings unfolded completely, divine mana flooding entire regions of space as they attempted to suppress the Eldritch presence before it fully descended.
One Seraphim raised both hands.
A massive construct of compressed celestial law appeared behind him—a rotating ring larger than planets themselves.
Then he spoke:
"Authority of Divine Restriction."
The ring fired.
Chains of golden law shot across space, wrapping around the gigantic eye.
Reality stabilized temporarily.
Stars stopped collapsing.
The dimensional distortions slowed.
But then—
The eye blinked.
The chains shattered instantly.
The backlash alone destroyed nearby moons.
Even the Seraphim were forced backward.
One of them growled:
"Impossible…"
Another responded immediately:
"No. We are simply facing something beyond the structure of this universe."
The Eldritch God did not attack directly.
It merely observed.
And that observation alone was overpowering them.
Earth Feels the Fear
On Earth, every hunter froze simultaneously.
The pressure descending from space reached the planet like an invisible ocean.
S-rank hunters collapsed to one knee.
Several weaker hunters lost consciousness instantly.
Even National Rank hunters struggled to breathe.
One SS-rank looked toward the sky in horror.
"…What is that thing?"
No one answered.
Because instinctively—
Humanity understood.
This was something beyond Monarchs.
Beyond rulers.
A being that should never have looked toward their world.
The Frozen Universe
Far away from Earth—
In one of Yogaroth's countless universes—
Jinyoung stood atop a frozen ocean beneath a shattered white sky.
Before him stood the Lord of Beastly Instinct.
Unlike Antares, whose pressure carried overwhelming annihilation…
The Lord of Instinct radiated primal terror.
Pure hunting instinct elevated to the highest possible level.
His aura alone caused the frozen universe to crack endlessly beneath his feet.
Gigantic beast-like shadows moved behind him—manifestations of instinct itself.
Predators.
Ancient.
Monstrous.
Alive.
The Lord of Frost remained in the distance silently watching.
Even he seemed cautious around the beast monarch.
The Lord of Instinct stared directly at Jinyoung.
Then smiled.
A savage smile.
"Interesting."
His voice shook the landscape.
"You smell stronger than before."
Jinyoung's Abyss aura spread quietly around him.
Darkness consumed the snow beneath his feet.
The universe itself bent unnaturally around his existence.
But unlike before—
The Lord of Instinct did not feel threatened.
He looked excited.
The Battle Begins
Then the beast monarch disappeared.
The frozen world exploded.
Jinyoung barely raised his arm before the attack landed.
BOOM.
The impact shattered an entire continent-sized glacier instantly.
Shockwaves spread across the universe.
Jinyoung slid backward across the frozen sea, space fracturing beneath his feet.
The Lord of Instinct laughed wildly.
"YES!"
He attacked again.
Faster.
More savage.
Unlike Antares, who fought with overwhelming destruction and precision—
The Lord of Instinct fought like nature itself had gone mad.
Every movement carried impossible killing intent.
Every strike adapted instantly.
Every second he became more dangerous.
Jinyoung countered with Abyss.
Dark pressure erupted outward, consuming the surrounding mana and collapsing space around the beast monarch.
For a moment—
The Lord of Instinct slowed.
Then he grinned even wider.
"Good…"
His aura exploded violently.
The beast shadows behind him roared.
And suddenly—
The monarch adapted.
He tore through the Abyss pressure using instinct alone.
Jinyoung's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He adapted to the Abyss…"
The Lord of Frost spoke quietly from the distance:
"That is why he survived."
The Nature of Instinct
The Lord of Instinct wasn't simply powerful.
His authority evolved during battle.
The longer the fight continued—
The more dangerous he became.
A perfect predator.
A transcended monarch who had survived countless universes through adaptation alone.
He attacked again.
This time Jinyoung countered directly.
Abyss collided against primal instinct.
The universe split open.
Massive fractures spread through the frozen sky as both authorities clashed repeatedly.
For the first time since Antares—
Jinyoung was being pushed physically.
And mentally.
The Lord of Instinct's attacks carried overwhelming pressure that bypassed thought entirely.
Pure killing instinct.
Pure combat evolution.
The beast monarch smiled again.
"Now THIS feels alive."
Back Among the Stars
The Seraphim battle worsened.
More Eldritch eyes began opening throughout deep space.
Each one distorted reality differently.
One erased light.
One corrupted gravity.
One twisted causality itself.
The rulers fought desperately to prevent full manifestation.
Golden authority lit up the cosmos endlessly.
Entire dimensions collapsed during the war.
One Seraphim unleashed a spear capable of piercing universes.
It struck directly through one of the Eldritch manifestations—
Only for the creature to regenerate instantly.
Then the void itself moved.
A colossal hand began emerging from outside reality.
Not fully.
Only partially.
Yet even that partial descent caused stars to implode.
One Seraphim immediately shouted:
"STOP IT BEFORE IT ENTERS COMPLETELY!"
The rulers attacked together.
Their combined authority shook the universe violently.
But slowly—
The hand kept descending.
The Eldritch Truth
Then one of the Eldritch Gods finally spoke.
Its voice did not use language.
It was understood instinctively by every higher being present.
"This universe resists beyond prediction."
Another presence answered from the void beyond reality.
"Then escalation is authorized."
The Seraphim froze.
Because they realized something horrifying.
The Eldritch Gods had not truly started the invasion yet.
Everything until now—
The Apostles.
The servants.
The fragments.
All of it had merely been observation.
Testing.
Experimentation.
And humanity had already forced them to escalate.
Abyss Versus Instinct
Back in the frozen universe—
Jinyoung and the Lord of Instinct collided again.
The impact split the frozen sea beneath them endlessly.
Both stopped simultaneously.
The beast monarch stared at Jinyoung carefully now.
No longer playful.
No longer casual.
Then he spoke quietly:
"You're changing."
Jinyoung remained silent.
Because he knew it too.
The Abyss was evolving during battle.
Responding.
Learning.
The Lord of Instinct suddenly laughed.
A deep, ancient laugh.
"Good."
His aura expanded infinitely outward.
The beast shadows behind him multiplied.
The frozen universe shook violently.
Then the transcended monarch pointed directly at Jinyoung.
"Show me whether you deserve to stand above Antares."
And the hunt resumed.