Recap: The system has officially recognized Ren as the Sovereign of the Void. In response, the Monarchs, led by Antares, have declared war on the human world to eliminate Ren before he masters his power. As massive rifts open across the globe, Ren and Jin-Woo stand in the Hunter Association headquarters, watching the sky turn into a battlefield.
The atmosphere of Seoul had curdled into something metallic and foul. High above the skyline, the red rifts didn't just vomit monsters; they dripped a primal, ancient fear that paralyzed the S-Rank hunters standing on the ground. For the first time since the Jeju Island raid, the world felt like it was staring into the mouth of a god.
Ren gripped the edge of the shattered window, his Sovereign mark burning like a brand. "They aren't just invading, Jin-Woo. They're searching. They're using the mana of the world to triangulate my core."
Jin-Woo adjusted his stance, his twin daggers—Kamish's Wrath—emitting a dark, pulsating hum. "Then we don't give them time to look. Beru! Igris! Lead the vanguard. No monster steps foot on the pavement."
With a roar that shook the foundations of the building, the Shadow Army exploded outward. Thousands of soldiers flew into the sky, clashing with the Frost Giants and the sky-borne High Orcs emerging from the rifts. The sky became a chaotic canvas of black shadows and red monster blood.
But Ren wasn't watching the shadows. He was looking at a specific point in the sky where the light was strangely distorted—a "Blind Spot" in the battle.
"They're here," Ren whispered.
From that silent patch of sky, a figure descended. He wasn't a giant or a beast. He was a man with long, white hair and armor that seemed to be made of frozen starlight. Baran, the Monarch of White Flames, had arrived in the physical realm.
"So, this is the error that calls itself a King," Baran said, his voice turning the air into ice. He landed on the roof of the Association building, each step cracking the reinforced concrete.
Jin-Woo stepped in front of Ren, his eyes glowing with a lethal blue light. "You're a long way from home, Baran. I killed you once in the tower. I have no problem doing it again."
Baran laughed, a sound like grinding glaciers. "The tower was a memory, Shadow Monarch. A ghost of my power. This is the truth." He raised his hand, and a pillar of white fire erupted from the roof, separating Jin-Woo and Ren.
"I am not here for you, traitor," Baran hissed, turning his gaze to Ren. "I am here to snuff out the spark that the Architect forgot to extinguish."
Ren felt a surge of cold fury. He didn't wait for Jin-Woo's protection. He stepped into the white flames, his Void aura acting as a natural shield. The fire didn't burn him; it turned to grey ash as it touched his skin.
"The Architect didn't forget," Ren said, his voice echoing with the power of the Void Sovereign. "He tried. He failed. And now, you're going to see why."
[Skill: Void Boundary - Domain Expansion]
The roof of the building vanished. In its place was an endless, starless expanse of purple mist. Ren had dragged a Monarch into his own territory.