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Chapter Text

Jinwoo Sung had walked into hundreds of dungeons, but this one felt wrong from the moment he stepped through the gate. The air was too still. His shadows, usually restless beneath the surface, flickered with faint unease.

He barely had time to react before the ambush hit.

A crushing wave of mana burst from the darkness, ancient and oppressive, unlike anything he had sensed in years. The force hit him like a hammer, and before his shadows could manifest, the world lurched sideways.

When Jinwoo came to, his vision was hazy. A cold stone floor pressed against his cheek.

He tried to move.

Nothing…

Thick bands of enchanted restraints coiled around his arms and legs, glowing with runes designed specifically to suppress mana. Even worse, a sealing talisman had been placed across his mouth, muting any command he might give to his shadows.

A gag, but not a simple one. This one cut him off from the world that answered only to him.

He breathed slowly through his nose, forcing calm into his body. Panic was pointless, observation came first.

And that was when he noticed he wasn’t alone.

Across the chamber some slumped unconscious, some stirring, were at least half a dozen hunters he recognised.

The A and B-rank hunters that he had started the raid with. They were restrained by the same enchanted bindings, though without talismans across their mouths. Their captors apparently didn’t consider them dangerous enough to silence.

A bitter, irritated exhale escaped Jinwoo’s nose.
They had been dragged into this mess simply for being nearby.

Recognition flared in their eyes when they saw him.

“Jinwoo! Are you awake?!” a B-rank hunter shouted.

“Hunter Sung! Can you hear us? Please, do something!” cried the A-rank healer.

“Don’t just lie there! Fight back!” yelled another hunter.

Jinwoo’s eyes darted to them. He wanted to answer. To reassure them. To move toward them. But his body was bound tight. The gag sealed his mouth. Only a strangled cough escaped.

“Come on… come on…” he muttered silently to himself. He kicked against the stone floor, wrenched his arms, flexed his fingers. Each attempt left him exhausted, bruised, and the more he moved the tighter the seals became keeping him trapped.

One hunter, an impatient A-rank swordsman glared at him through bloodshot eyes.
“Hey! Are you just lying there?!” he snapped. “We can’t do anything if you sit like a statue! Move your ass already!”

He struggled, twisting against the runes. Every attempt to summon his shadows triggered the seals, which tightened around him like living chains.

“Hang on! I—I’ll get us out!” he wanted to shout. Instead, all he could do was breathe through his nose, feeling the weight of their panic pressing on him almost as strongly as the magical bindings.

The other hunters called out again, their voices rising with urgency:

“Jinwoo! Please!”
“Move! Get free!”
“We’re counting on you!”

Jinwoo’s eyes flicked to the other hunters, their fear mirrored in his own chest. That fueled him more than frustration ever could. He pushed, using his weight strategically instead of brute force. The restraints tightened, but he started to feel them creaking under the strain.

The frustrated swordsman groaned.
“Damn it, Jinwoo! We’re not going to last long if you don’t do something!”

Jinwoo’s jaw tightened. If he could, he would respond. But all he could do was glare back silently and twist again, testing the bindings for more weak points.

Another hunter, a B-rank archer, scowled at the swordsman.
“Are you kidding me? Jinwoo’s trying!” she snapped. “Do you see how tight those bindings are? And they’re enchanted too, can’t you feel it? He’s working on getting free!”

The swordsman’s jaw tightened, but before he could respond, the healer chimed in sharply. 
“Seriously, shut up for a second and watch!”

The swordsman’s eyes flicked toward Jinwoo, who was straining against the runes. The gag muffled a soft grunt of effort as he twisted again.

“Fine,” the swordsman muttered begrudgingly, though his annoyance lingered. “But hurry up, Jinwoo. I don’t like just sitting here!”

Jinwoo and the other hunters rolled their eyes but he went back to focusing on breaking free.

Jinwoo’s fingers flexed against the restraints. The runes flared in response, punishing him, but he refused to give up. Pain flared in his arms, ribs, and shoulders, but he adjusted his weight, testing the limits of the bindings.

A tiny crack appeared along one of the magical seals. A whisper of shadows stirred beneath the stone.

The hunters called out again, this time in encouragement, their voices trembling with both fear and hope.

“Hang in there! Don’t give up!”
“We’re counting on you, Jinwoo!”
“You can do it!”

And then, a chilling calm fell over the chamber. Jinwoo clenched his teeth. His eyes hardened as he looked around.

The chamber itself was a cavernous hall, torches hanging along the walls. The presence he’d sensed earlier pulsed from the far side of the room a shadow within the shadows, watching him.

A voice finally emerged, smooth and ancient.

“Even the Shadow Monarch can fall, given the right preparations. You awoke sooner than anticipated.”

Jinwoo lifted his head, glaring. He stopped struggling for just a moment, instincts sharpening.

The B-rank hunter closest to Jinwoo whispered, “W-what is that thing…?”

Jinwoo tugged again deliberately testing the crack he made before the mage reveal themselves. He felt it give half a millimeter. Not enough.

Another rune seal flickered on his wrist, reacting to his struggle and his attempt to summon a shadow.

“Don’t struggle,” the figure said. “We only need you for the ritual. The others are… collateral. So behave.”

Jinwoo’s gaze sharpened. Collateral.
The hunters tied around him tensed, fear flickering across their faces as they realised their role or lack of one.

The swordsman spat, “collateral!? You don’t know who you’re dealing with! I…”

The figure sent a blast of force which hit him mid-sentence, slamming him into the wall. He gasped as the impact knocked the air from his lungs. 

The figure stepped closer to Jinwoo ignoring the protests from the other hunters. He walked over confidently, perhaps too confident.

Mistake.

Jinwoo glared up, fierce and silent behind the gag.

The figure chuckled softly.

“Still defiant. Still dangerous.”

Jinwoo twisted his wrists again, muscles trembling from the effort. The cracks in the rune expanded, jagged lines spreading. He could feel his shadow stirring beneath the stone floor, trying to answer him, but smothered by the sealing magic.

The kidnapper didn’t notice.
They were too focused on the ritual.
The mage raised both hands and the floor underneath Jinwoo ignited with crimson light.

A massive ritual circle, previously dormant, flared to life with geometric lines, ancient runes, and whirling sigils swirling with demonic energy.

The B-rank hunter cried out, “Jinwoo! Please! You have to do something!”

The A-rank swordsman still gasping on the floor from the earlier blow he received snarled between breaths,
“Y-you heard them… move… come on…”

the mage summoned a dagger and move toward Jinwoo with a wicked smile.

The healer sagged, “W-we’re all going to die…”

“No,” Jinwoo thought as he watched their captor approach and he focused on the cracks he had made in the bindings.

”A little bit of blood, if you’d be so kind? The moment they reached for him, Jinwoo snapped his body sideways, driving his shoulder into them and the stone pillar beside him. Pain flared, but so did something else, another crack, a much larger crack in one of the rune seals.

His captor froze. The bloody dagger fell and forgotten about on the ritual circle.

The shadows beneath the torches trembled.

And through the fracture, one whisper of darkness slipped free.

Arise…

A single shadow soldier emerged weak, flickering, barely formed but enough.

Enough to tear the gagging talisman.

Enough to disrupt the entire ritual.

Enough for Jinwoo to smile.

The restraints didn’t matter anymore.

The kidnapped hunters stared in shock as the chamber darkened.

Their captor stepped back in sudden fear as Jinwoo rose, the broken seals falling from his wrists like shards of ice.

“You really thought I’d stay tied down?” he said.

The shadows surged, roaring to life.

“Let’s finish this.”

Every captured hunter stared at him, eyes wide with hope.

The torches fluttered as Jinwoo’s shadows expanded, stretching across the stone floor like a living tide. The kidnapped hunters stared wide-eyed, their earlier fear replaced by stunned hope.

The captor stepped back, cloak rippling with their own rising mana.
“Impossible… the seals were crafted by…”

They never finished the sentence.

A shadow blade snapped into existence in Jinwoo’s hand, and the figure leaped back just in time to avoid losing his head. The resulting shockwave rattled the bindings on the other hunters, drawing gasps as dust rained from the ceiling.

Jinwoo’s eyes flicked toward them.
They needed to be freed. But first, he had to ensure the threat was neutralized.

The captor raised a hand, and dozens of spectral chains erupted from the walls, aimed straight at Jinwoo. Jinwoo vanished in a blur.

The chains hit nothing.

A second later, he appeared above the enemy, bringing his blade down.

The mage conjured a shield but Jinwoo’s blade cracked it like thin glass. The impact hurled the figure across the chamber, slamming them into a pillar.

The hunters flinched at the thunderous collision.

Jinwoo didn’t chase. Not yet. He strode to the nearest prisoner, the healer trembling against her restraints.

“Hold still,” he said.

A shadow rose behind him, massive and imposing. Iron-clawed fingers sliced cleanly through the enchanted bindings. The huntress slumped forward, catching herself with a shaking breath.

“Th-thank you, Hunter Sung…”

The swordsman scoffed weakly “Took him long enough…”
The archer immediately glared at him.
“Shut up before he decides you’re not worth untying.”

“It’s not over yet,” he said. “Stay behind me.”

“Uh… hey,” he muttered. “About earlier… I was just…panicking. Didn’t mean to bark at you like that.”
Jinwoo cut the ropes with a shadow blade.
“You were scared. So was everyone.”

His shadows then moved from captive to captive, tearing through suppressing runes like paper. As each hunter was freed, they scrambled to the far wall, helping those who were barely conscious.

One of the A-rankers; a burly tank rubbed circulation back into his arms.
“The mage that grabbed us… they aren’t normal,” he muttered. “They took out our whole team in seconds.”

“I know,” Jinwoo replied.

A ripple of mana surged behind him. The mage stood again.

This time, their cloak burned away, revealing a gaunt humanoid form with eyes like shattered amethyst nonhuman, ancient, radiating power that did not belong to this dungeon.

“You should not resist, Monarch,” it hissed. “The ritual will sever your throne and return what you stole.”

Jinwoo tilted his head.
“Stole?”

The creature once again raised their arms and the ground trembled as dormant mana structures came alive.

The hunters shouted in alarm.

Jinwoo lowered his stance.

His shadows reacted instantly, black spears materializing at the array’s edges, stabbing down to interrupt the flow of power. But the runes resisted they were ancient, resilient and older than human magic.

The creature laughed.

“You cannot break this, Monarch. These sigils were carved with your own blood and by the Sovereigns themselves.”

The chamber felt suddenly colder.

Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed and look down at the forgotten dagger that lay on the ritual circle that was indeed smeared with his blood from earlier, his expression sharpening to a lethal calm.

“Sovereigns, huh?” he said softly. “Then you should already know…”

A dark force flickered behind him.

“…I don’t lose to them.”

He summoned Iron who with his large shadow weapon swung it hard hitting it across the ground and sending a shock of mana into the ground. Cracks across the ritual array, breaking the flow for a crucial second.

His shadows surged at the opening.

The creature screamed as the ritual destabilized, recoiling under the attack of a dozen shadow soldiers.

But the ritual circle although cracked still pulsed dangerously.

And deep beneath the floor, something enormous began to stir.

A second presence.
A far stronger one.

One that hadn’t entered the fight yet.

Jinwoo glared down at the fractured sigils forming new lines, adjusting and repairing themselves.

“Everyone,” he said, voice low but commanding, “get back. Now.”

The hunters obeyed instantly.

The creature, writhing under shadow restraints, laughed through the pain.

“Too late. He is waking.”

Beneath the stone, a monstrous heartbeat echoed once.

Jinwoo tightened his grip on his blade.

This kidnapping…
this dungeon…
this ritual…

It was about summoning something worse.

And it was waking up.

The heartbeat rose from the depths slow, and heavy. It felt incredible large and intense.
Dust sifted from the ceiling. Cracks crawled across the ritual circle like veins filled with light.

The hunters backed toward the far wall, some supporting the wounded, others raising trembling weapons despite knowing they wouldn’t matter.

the A-rank tank from earlier swallowed hard “…Hunter Sung… whatever that is… we can’t fight it.”

“I know,” Jinwoo said but he stepped forward anyway.

The swordsman whispered, horrified, “We’re dead.”

“No,” he said softly. “You’re leaving.” Jinwoo turned to the terrified hunters “Get to the exit, Now!” 

“Come on!” the tank yelled.
“You heard him, he’s buying us time!”

The creature bound by shadow restraints writhed, its amethyst eyes widening with manic triumph.

“You cannot escape. You should have remained bound. Once the Devourer wakes, even your throne will crumble!…”

Jinwoo flicked two fingers, and a shadow spike burst from the floor, silencing the creature with brutal finality. Its broken form collapsed, but the ritual circle continued to pulse.

Because it didn’t need the caster anymore.

The awakening had already begun.
The floor split down the centre as something pushed upward from far below. Suddenly the path to freedom for the hunters was blocked by falling stone and rumble as mana surged like a tidal wave.

The hunters stumbled, shielding their faces from the rush of energy.

Jinwoo didn’t move.

Shadows coiled beneath his feet, ready, tense, waiting for his command.

A deep, rumbling growl echoed from the chasm as a colossal shape began to rise scaled armour, and radiating mana thick enough to distort the air. A monstrous head emerged first, horned and crowned with jagged bone, followed by a torso plated like a fortress wall.

Its eyes opened two suns of molten gold.

The Devourer.

An S-rank beast.

Even Jinwoo felt the weight of its presence press on him like gravity turned hostile.

The creature scanned the chamber, its gaze sliding over the trembling hunters then settling on Jinwoo.

Recognition sparked.

And hatred.

“Shadow Monarch…” its voice boomed, like boulders grinding together. “I return for what was taken.”

Jinwoo lifted his chin slightly.
“I don’t remember borrowing anything of yours.”

The Devourer snarled, a ripple of killing intent flooding the room. Two of the A-rank hunters and the B-Ranks collapsed to their knees under the pressure, barely conscious.

That was enough to make Jinwoo move.

His aura unfurled, dark and sharp, crashing outward to shield them. The hunters gasped as the suffocating weight vanished, replaced with a cold, steady presence behind them.

“Stay down,” he said. “And stay alive.”

From his shadow, several soldiers emerged Beru, Igris, Iron, and Tank formed a protective cordon around the captives.

Beru clicked his claws eagerly.
“My king… shall I tear this creature apart?”

“Not yet,” Jinwoo said. “You’re guarding them.”

Beru sputtered indignantly but obeyed.

The Devourer hauled its colossal bulk fully from the chasm, stone shattering beneath its weight. Its body stretched almost the length of the chamber, claws the size of siege weapons.

It lowered its head.

“Your throne belongs to me.”

Jinwoo inhaled once, slow and steady.

Then the shadows behind him rose like a tidal wall.

“Come take it.”

The Devourer lunged.

Jinwoo met it head-on.

Their clash detonated through the dungeon, a shockwave ripping torches from walls, sending cracks racing up to the ceiling. Hunters shielded their faces as wind and dust roared around them.

Jinwoo slid back a step under the monster’s raw force.
The Devourer reared back a claw and Jinwoo ducked under it, shadow-stepping upward to slash across its jaw.

Black blood spattered the floor, sizzling like acid.

The Devourer roared in fury and swung its tail.
Jinwoo braced his blade just in time the impact hurled him across the chamber, smashing him through a stone pillar.

The hunters cried out,

But Jinwoo walked out of the debris unharmed, brushing dust off his shoulder.

“You hit harder than your messenger,” he said. His eyes narrowed. “But you’re slower.”

The Devourer’s massive chest heaved as molten cracks pulsed under its scales.

“I will swallow your throne… and your shadows… and your world.”

Jinwoo raised his weapon.

“Try.”

The chamber shuddered.
the ceiling beginning to buckle from the strain of their power and the real fight finally began.

The dungeon was breaking.

Every clash between Jinwoo and the Devourer sent another shockwave tearing through the stone, widening the chasm beneath them. Pillars cracked. Walls buckled. Dust rained in a constant storm.

Jinwoo sprinted along the beast’s flank, blade flashing as he carved deep, burning wounds across its armored hide. Shadow spears rained from above, slamming into exposed joints.
The Devourer howled, reeling, Jinwoo threw his blade past the beasts head and using rules hand he brought it back down slicing along the beasts face as it dove down and then vanished.

Jinwoo’s eyes widened half a second too late.

It burrowed.

The ground split open, stone liquefying under the creature’s heat as it tunneled beneath the chamber. Hunters cried out as the earth trembled violently.

“Stay back!” Jinwoo shouted, sprinting toward them.

But the Devourer erupted from the floor behind him.
a mountain of scales and molten fury exploding upward.

It slammed into Jinwoo like a collapsing fortress.

He barely managed to cross his blades before the impact hurled him across the chamber, smashing him into the ruined ritual circle. The sigils flared at the contact, sending a burst of hostile mana up his spine.

Jinwoo gritted his teeth, pushing himself up.

A massive shadow fell over him.

The Devourer lunged.

Jinwoo swung, but the beast was faster this time. It twisted its bulk, and its colossal forelimb crashed down onto him. The impact drove him to the ground so violently the stone cratered beneath him.

A cough tore from his throat, dust mixing with the copper taste of blood.

The Devourer’s weight crushed into him, a monstrous pressure pinning him by sheer mass.
He tried to shift, to slip away but the Devourer slammed its other forelimb down, locking him in place.

He could hear distant shouts, the hunters calling his name…
as the Devourer leaned in.

The creature’s golden eyes burned inches from his face.

“You cannot protect them.”

Behind Jinwoo, the hunters scrambled, trying to shield the wounded as debris fell from the ceiling. Beru and Igris roared in frustration, clawing at the Devourer’s scales, but their attacks barely left scratches.

The monster pressed harder and the heat from its body was so intense that it burned Jinwoo.

Stone splintered.
Jinwoo’s ribs creaked.
His shadows flickered under the crushing force.

He strained, muscles trembling, mana surging…

Nothing.

He couldn’t move.

For the first time since becoming Shadow Monarch, Jinwoo felt his body locked in place not by magic, but by the overwhelming weight of a creature built to crush worlds.

The Devourer leaned closer, breath burning the air.

“You will watch them die.”

Jinwoo’s eyes snapped to the hunters.

A chunk of ceiling tore loose.
An A-rank hunter screamed as it plummeted toward them.

“NO-!”

Jinwoo forced power into his limbs, shadows ripping across the floor in violent spasms. The Devourer growled as the energy flared but its weight didn’t budge.

Another chunk of debris dropped.
A wounded hunter curled over another to shield them.

And Jinwoo was stuck beneath an ancient monster, unable to reach them.

His fingertips scraped the stone.
Shadows strained, clawing at the Devourer’s bulk, screaming for release.

Not enough.

Not fast enough.

Not—

Not acceptable.

A cold fury ignited behind Jinwoo’s eyes.

His aura shattered like a black sun going nova.

The entire chamber froze as the pressure reversed.

Shadows swirled around Jinwoo’s frame and detonated outward, tearing cracks through the floor.

The Devourer jerked in surprise.

Jinwoo’s head rose slowly, eyes burning blue like twin voids.

“Get. Off.”

The ground buckled as shadow tendrils erupted, coiling around the Devourer’s limbs in a tidal surge of darkness.

With a roar, Jinwoo tore himself free, launching upward in a burst of black lightning. The Devourer reeled back, its massive frame shuddering from the sudden reversal.

Jinwoo didn’t stop.

He shot across the chamber, transforming into a streak of shadow and intercepted the falling ceiling, slashing it into harmless dust before it could crush the hunters.

They stared up at him in stunned silence.

The hunters swallowed hard.
“…How are you even standing…?”

Jinwoo didn’t answer.

He turned back toward the Devourer.

The beast snarled, molten cracks glowing hotter.

The dungeon shook again deeper and more violently.

The Devourer wasn’t done.
It hadn’t even shown its true form.

Jinwoo lifted his blade.

“You’re not touching them,” he said, voice low and lethal. “Not while I’m still breathing.”

The Devourer roared and what felt like the final, catastrophic stage of the battle began.

The Devourer’s roar tore through the collapsing dungeon, shaking the very air. Cracks raced across the remaining pillars. Entire slabs of stone buckled and fell as the chamber destabilized under the weight of the awakened beast.

The monster’s molten eyes narrowed at Jinwoo.

“Then breathe your last, Shadow Monarch.”

Its body convulsed plates of obsidian armour shifting, spreading, fracturing. Molten veins burst through its skin as it rose onto its hind limbs, towering twice as tall as before. It’s true form.

Jinwoo felt the pressure spike like a physical blow. Even the air trembled.

Behind him, the hunters staggered, barely able to keep their footing. Beru and Igris shielded them, wings flaring to brace against the hurricane of mana.

“King…!” Beru rasped. “This creature… its mana is—”

“I can handle it!” Jinwoo said.

He gripped his blade tighter.

The Devourer descended with a seismic step, molten claws digging trenches in the ruined floor.

“Your throne was never yours to claim.”

“And yet,” Jinwoo said calmly, “here I am.”

The Devourer lunged again. Its colossal arm swept forward, a blur of burning stone and muscle. Jinwoo sidestepped, but the shockwave alone shredded stone and hurled dust across the chamber.

He slashed upward, the blade connected, carving a jagged line across the monster’s arm.

But the wound healed immediately, molten light sealing the cut in seconds.

Regeneration.

Of course.

The Devourer’s tail whipped around, catching Jinwoo mid-dash and flinging him into a collapsing wall. He twisted at the last moment, absorbing the impact before landing in a crouch.

The beast didn’t give him a second.

It stomped, splitting the chamber floor. Lava surged from the openings it created, flooding the center of the room. The hunters scrambled back, pressed against the farthest wall they could find.

“Hunter Sung!” The healer screamed. “We can’t move any farther!”

He heard them.

He didn’t look back.

The Devourer inhaled.

The temperature spiked.

Not breath. A beam.

“DOWN!” Jinwoo roared.

The monster unleashed a column of molten energy, incinerating half the chamber. Jinwoo hurled himself in its path, shadows exploding outward like a black shield. The blast struck him full force.

His knees buckled.
His arms trembled.
The floor beneath him cratered and glowed red-hot.

But the hunters behind him were unharmed.

When the beam finally stopped, Jinwoo exhaled, steam rising from his shoulders. His armor that he wore invisibly over his clothes was scorched and damaged; shadows flickered around him, struggling to stabilize.

Beru screamed in fury, claws sparking with mana.

“LET ME SERVE, MY KING!”

“You are serving,” Jinwoo said. “Keep them safe.” He straightened.

The Devourer watched him, molten drool hissing as it hit the broken stone.

“Impressive. But pointless.”

It raised one colossal foot. Jinwoo’s eyes widened. It was aiming for the hunters.

The monster pivoted lifting its enormous weight and slammed downward.

The entire floor dropped several meters as the earth buckled under the impact.

A shockwave tore toward the cluster of hunters deadly and unavoidable.

Jinwoo kicked off the ground, ripping through the air as the world blurred around him. He reached them in a heartbeat.

His shadows burst outward to form a wall.

Too slow.

The shockwave struck.

Jinwoo threw himself in front of them, forcing a barrier of shadows into existence with raw willpower. The impact hit him like a mountain falling from the sky.

The hunters screamed as debris and fire washed over the shield.

Jinwoo felt his legs give out.

His vision dimmed for a moment

but he didn’t fall.

He refused to fall.

Slowly, shaking, he rose again, placing himself between the Devourer and the hunters, even as dust clung to his burned clothes and blood slid from the corner of his mouth.

The Devourer tilted its head.

“Why protect them?”

Jinwoo spat blood, wiped his mouth, and raised his blade.

“Because I can.”

The Devourer spread its massive arms.

“Then die for them.”

The beast gathered its full power the chamber glowing like a volcanic heart preparing to burst.

Jinwoo exhaled once, steady and calm. “You won’t touch them!”

And behind him.

the shadows deepened.

Something vast stirred in the darkness beyond the dungeon walls.

Something answering its Monarch’s call.

The Devourer’s body glowed hotter,
runic lines across its scales igniting like volcanic rivers.
The entire dungeon pulsed with its rising power, the molten cracks in the floor widening into rivers of liquid stone.

The hunters shielded their eyes from the blinding glare.

Beru, crouched protectively over them, hissed in panic.

“My king… that attack… it will erase this entire chamber!”

Jinwoo didn’t answer.

He stepped forward.

The Devourer drew in breath, its chest expanding like a furnace preparing to unleash a blast strong enough to vaporize everything in front of it.

Jinwoo planted his blade into the ground.

His shadow burst outward and kept going past the walls, past the collapsing ceiling.
Far beyond the dungeon’s boundaries.

The darkness unfurled like a galaxy of black stars.

The Devourer hesitated. “…What are you summoning?”

Jinwoo didn’t look away from the beast.

“Everyone.” He replied.

The temperature dropped so suddenly the hunters’ breath fogged in the air.

From the shadow beneath Jinwoo, an ocean of darkness rose. unending, forming shapes that towered higher than the Devourer.

One by one, figures emerged to join the shadows protecting the hunters.
Beru, left the hunters only long enough to kneel.
Igris, was dragging his greatsword as he stepped forward with burning red eyes.
Tusk, his tusks glowing with mana.
Dozens, then hundreds his entire legion of shadow soldiers filling every inch of the collapsing chamber.

The Devourer’s molten pupils narrowed.

“…Impossible. You were weakened. You should not wield this many…”

“Your mage tried and you may have landed a few hits but that isn’t enough to weaken my power” Jinwoo said quietly.. 

He lifted his hand.

The Devourer released its attack and a beam of burning annihilation screaming toward Jinwoo with world-ending force.

Jinwoo dropped his hand.

“Protect them.”

The Shadow Legion moved as one.
Igris drove his sword into the ground, red mana locking the front line.
Tusk roared, raising a multi-layered shield of raw magic.
Hundreds of shadow knights overlapped their shields in a wall that spanned the chamber.

The beam struck. The impact was blinding and the shockwave obliterated what remained of the dungeon floor.
Stone began to liquefy and the walls turned to dust. A hurricane of molten light filled their world.

But the wall of shadows held. It cracked and shattered in places.
Many shadows vanished, burned away temporarily by the overwhelming force but it still held.

When the light dimmed, the Shadow Legion reformed ranks, glaring murder at the beast in front of them.

The Devourer staggered back a step, molten blood dripping from its jaw.

“…You shielded them? You used your army… for mortals?”

Jinwoo stepped through the steam.

His clothes were still scorched and bloody in places.  His shadows flickered like dying flames. But determination hardened his expression into something colder than steel.

“They’re mine to protect,” he said. “And you’re in my way.”

The Devourer roared in fury, striking the ground again. Four molten pillars erupted around Jinwoo, closing like jaws.

He dashed quickly, reappearing above the Devourer’s head. His blade plunged downward but the beast twisted, slamming its horn into him.

Jinwoo felt the impact deep in his spine as he crashed through the floor into a lower catacomb of the dungeon. The Devourer wasted no time and dove after him.

The hunters screamed as the ground gave out beneath their own feet but Beru and Iron caught them, hauling them to safety with desperate speed and pulling them safely onto a nearby ledge that still remained after the last attack.

Below, Jinwoo rose to his feet in the darkness of the new chamber.

The Devourer landed like a falling star, the shockwave flattening ancient stone carvings and shaking dust from the ceiling.

It glared down at Jinwoo.

“Your army cannot protect you now.”

Jinwoo rolled his shoulders, ignoring the ache.

“They don’t have to.” He lifted his blade again.

His aura surged and his eyes glowed, shadow energy spiralling upward like a rising tornado.

“This time…” his voice deepened, echoing with power, “…I’m ending you.”

The Devourer roared and charged.

Jinwoo sprinted forward to meet it.

“Keep moving!” the tank shouted, dragging a dazed hunter away from the ledge “We have to get out and bring him help from the other S-Ranks!”

The healer gasped, “The entire dungeon is collapsing! The way out is blocked how can we get help?”

The swordsman cursed as he shoved debris aside.
“If that thing kills Jinwoo, we’re next!”

The archer spun back toward the edge of the ledge and looked down, heart pounding.
“I don’t see him anymore…what if…”

Another hunter peered over the edge.
“look!”

Below them, far below the battlefield raged on in the deeper chamber.

Their final clash sent a blast of darkness and light erupting through the entire dungeon. From above the hunters couldn’t see much of the battle taking place below them but they could feel the shockwaves through the cave and when blows struck, for a few seconds they could make out the silhouettes of the figures below them.

Another strike and the ancient structure finally began to collapse for real, the dungeon couldn’t take it anymore.

The moment Jinwoo and the Devourer clashed in the depth of the catacombs, the explosion tore upward through the entire structure like a spear of destruction.

Cracks spiderwebbed through the ceiling snapping the remaining pillars. The floor of the ledge dropped out from under the hunters as the whole dungeon began to fall.

“GET DOWN!” The tank shouted, grabbing the nearest wounded hunter.

Beru and Iron desperately hauled the hunters toward the only stable ledge left. Igris leapt upward, carving falling debris apart before it could crush anyone.

And below…

Jinwoo and the Devourer plummeted through layers of ancient stone as the world disintegrated around them and they fell even further into an abyss.

They were locked together, Jinwoo’s blade pushing into the Devourer’s shoulder,
the Devourer’s claws raking across Jinwoo’s body. both refusing to yield. The air whipped around them like a hurricane.

The Devourer twisted its massive body midair, slamming Jinwoo into a jagged spire of stone. The impact sent a crack through Jinwoo’s ribs; he tasted blood.

Before he could recover, the monster pinned him again, its colossal weight landing atop him as they continued to fall.

“You cannot win!” the Devourer roared over the rushing air.
“Your shadows weaken… your body breaks… your throne is fading!”

“I don’t need a throne!” Jinwoo pushed against the monster’s chest, straining to free his arms but the monster’s mass crushed him harder, pinning him against its own steeled chest. “Just the will to keep them alive!”

He could barely breathe.

He could barely move.

And the Devourer knew it.

It leaned closer, molten breath searing Jinwoo’s face.

“You cannot protect your army. You cannot protect those mortals. You cannot even stand.”

Jinwoo glared back, teeth gritted.

“Maybe,” he rasped, “but you’re forgetting something.”

A shadow flickered beneath him almost invisible under the Devourer’s weight.

He wasn’t falling alone.

At the top of the collapsing chamber, hundreds of his shadows surged downward like spears, answering their Monarch’s desperate will.

The Devourer felt the shift a moment too late.

Jinwoo’s eyes glowed with blue light.

“I am never alone.”

The shadows erupted.

Dozens of tendrils shot upward and wrapped around the Devourer’s limbs, yanking it off Jinwoo with force powerful enough to flip the colossal beast midair.

Jinwoo inhaled sharply as the crushing weight lifted and he immediately kicked off the falling debris, launching himself upward.

The Devourer roared as the shadows dragged on its limbs.
It tore free of the first wave, ripping ten shadows apart in a single surge of power.

But Jinwoo was already above it.

He raised his blade with shadows spiraling around it like a black comet.

“I told you.”

He swung downward as they fell.

“You’re not harming them.”

The blade struck the Devourer’s back, carving from shoulder to hip in a devastating blow. Black blood sprayed, sizzling as it hit the air.

The beast screeched a sound that shook the collapsing dungeon.

But it wasn’t done.

With a desperate snarl, it hurled its body sideways, slamming Jinwoo into a column as they continued to fall toward the lowest cavern.

The impact cracked the stone pillar and Jinwoo felt something crack in his shoulder.

His grip faltered.

The Devourer lunged again, claws outstretched, trying to seize him before he could recover.

Jinwoo tried to dodge but for a heartbeat, his body refused to respond.

Too much strain and too many hits, too much weight earlier and his fatigue was too high.

The Devourer’s claws closed around him.

“You fall first!” it roared.

They plummeted toward the final cavern floor thousands of meters below.

The hunters tried watching from above, screaming his name.

“JINWOO!”

But as they neared the bottom Jinwoo’s fingers twitched, his shadows rippled.

And a faint, dangerous smile crossed his face.

“Wrong,” he whispered.

The Devourer’s eyes widened.

“I take you down with me!” The monster screamed.

Jinwoo smiled in its tight grasp and calmly whispered “Exchange.”

Slowly his body turned to smoke and replaced in his claws was one on Jinwoo’s shadow soldiers that remained higher above in the dungeon.

The Devourer’s eyes widened as Jinwoo stood calmly on falling debris above him.  He hit the ground with such force it caused an explosion of shadows and bone, it rocked the cavern like a small sun going supernova.

Stone, dust, and molten lava erupted into the air, carving new chasms across the dungeon floor. The molten floor clashed directly with the Devourer’s body, sending move shockwaves that rattled every remaining pillars and walls.

The hunters above screamed as chunks of rock rained around them. Beru, and the others rushed to their side, shielding the humans with every ounce of strength they had.

Below, the Devourer shrieked in fury. Its molten armor cracked under the force of the fall.

The falling debris that Jinwoo was riding on also clashed to the ground with Jinwoo jumped and rolled off before the collision to the ground. He moved quickly to avoid the remaining debris that fell from above and landed on top of the down beast in front of him. He stood gritting his teeth, every muscle burning, every bone aching. The weight of the earlier pinning, the fall, the Devourer’s blows all threatened to crush him. But he refused to be beaten and the monster was still alive after its tremendous fall.

He willed all his remaining power enveloped him entirely, forming a storm of darkness so dense it seemed to erase any light that managed to find its way so deep with the darkness around them. In the center of the darkness Jinwoo’s eyes blazed like twin voids.

He moved, through the Devourer. Shadows tore into the its molten flesh, sinking into its body, disrupting its movements. The creature roared, swinging wildly, trying to break free but every motion only drew more of Jinwoo’s shadows inside.

The dungeon shook again more violently than ever. Columns collapsed. Lava surged. The ceiling began to cave in.

But Jinwoo kept going.

With a roar that matched the Devourer’s, he slammed the magic beast into the jagged stone floor below. The impact cracked the dungeon floor for dozens of meters, molten veins splintering in every direction. The Devourer writhed, clawing the air, dark blood dripping from the wounds that refused to heal fast enough.

Jinwoo’s black blade struck again and again, each hit powered not just by strength, but by sheer will, the will to protect. Every strike carried the lives of the hunters above, every strike carried his oath as the Shadow Monarch.

Finally, the Devourer staggered. Its body glowed hotter, but the cracks across its armor widened.

It tried to roar but the sound faltered. Its massive limbs flailed.

Jinwoo’s call his shadow soldiers with the remaining mana he had and they surged upward through the remaining fissures in the dungeon, striking with precision, cutting off any escape. Igris and Beru jumped down from the ledge where they were guarding the humans and circled the battlefield, locking the Devourer in place.

Tank and Iron remained by the humans sides,

Jinwoo planted his blade in the center of the monster’s chest. Shadows spiraled violently, wrapping around the entire creature.

He raised both hands, releasing everything his shadow army, his mana, the full weight of his Monarch power.

The darkness collapsed inward like a black star imploding. The Devourer roared one final time, light tearing through the shadows but then the explosion swallowed it entirely.

Stone, lava, and darkness collided, obliterating the entire lower chamber.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

Then, silence.

When the dust cleared, the hunters were shaken but alive, standing on the upper ledge where the dungeon had partially survived. Iron hovered protectively over them.

And from the ruined depths, a single figure emerged.

Jinwoo Sung, battered, bloodied, clothes in disarray but standing tall. His shadows still swirled faintly around him, alive and ready.

He looked up at the surviving hunters.

“Everyone…” he call out above him, voice calm but a little strained from battle. “Move. We leave. Now.”

The hunters hurried, awe and relief written across their faces.

The swordsman glanced back at the shattered chamber below.

“…He did it. He actually did it.”

The chamber rumbled ominously.

Cracks raced up the walls.

The swordsman panicked, gripping the ledge.
“Uh…guys?! HEY…THE CEILING…!”

The tank’s face drained of color.
“The whole dungeon’s collapsing!”

Rubble began falling around them.

The archer gasped, shielding the healer.
“We’re stuck! there’s nowhere to go!”

The healer cried out, “Jinwoo! JINWOO!”

Jinwoo, still in the chamber below, slowly lifted his head.

He heard her.

He raised a hand and shadows surged up the walls.

A tide of black mist reached the ledge, coiling around the hunters.

The swordsman screamed,
“WAIT, WAIT, DON’T LET IT TOUCH ME…”

The archer slapped him.
“Their on our side you buffoon!”

Igris materialized in front of them, kneeling.

The healer gasped in shock.
“He’s…he’s come to carry us?”

The knight lifted the healer effortlessly, bowing his head as he did.

Beru, mandibles clicking impatiently as he grabbed the swordsman by the collar.

“NO…NO NO PUT ME DOWN…”
“Stop your screaming,” Beru snapped.

Iron pick up the tank like he weighed nothing.

And more shadows gathered, creating a protective cocoon around the group.

The archer held onto Tank’s the Ice Bears back, still staring down at Jinwoo.

“He’s… unbelievable,” she whispered.

Jinwoo didn’t answer. His eyes scanned the collapsing dungeon. He already knew this wasn’t over. But for now, the hunters were safe. The surviving hunters were carried to the cavern’s entrance that had been previously blocked, the shadows chipped away at the debris until the opening was visible again.

The hunters were lowered gently to the chamber floor now that they were safely moved off of the ledge.

Jinwoo made his way from the chamber floor to the other hunters and finally met their eyes.

For the first time since they were captured, they saw him without the weight of battle on his shoulders.

Just Jinwoo…breathing hard, but alive.

Dust and debris was falling around them like a slow rain. The roar of lava rivers and collapsing stone echoed far below, but for now, the immediate danger had passed.

Jinwoo sheathed his blade, eyes flicking to cavern’s unblock entrance, “We need to move. Now.”

The tank steadied himself.
“We follow you. Just tell us where.”

Jinwoo led the way sensing every tremor in the crumbling dungeon. Every step was careful; every loose stone a potential death trap.

The swordsman, still panting, glanced around nervously.
“Hunter Sung… how are we even walking out of this? Half the dungeon is gone!”

Jinwoo turned back to look at him “I could have Beru carry you again?” He said with a small smirk.

“what!?…er, no no…I’ll just follow your lead!” He answered as the other hunters giggled.

Jinwoo simply turned back, his focus unshakable. Every hunter behind him followed, instinctively trusting his presence. A- and B-rank hunters, wounded and weary, leaned on each other, Igris flanked the group, cutting debris that threatened to hit them whilst they made they’re escape and as the dungeon destabilized further.

A low rumble shook the walls.

One of the A-rank hunters muttered shakily,
“Do you… think there’s more down there? Something else?”

Jinwoo glanced back toward the shattered depths, shadows flickering across the walls. His voice was calm but carried weight.
“just aftershocks but If there is…we’ll deal with it.”

They reached the top of a ruined staircase. Beyond it lay a partially collapsed tunnel leading toward the dungeon’s exit. The sunlight barely broke through, but it was enough to draw the hunters forward, now moving with renewed confidence. Their faith in the Hunter Sung was unspoken but absolute.

A faint breeze hit their faces.

The swordsman’s eyes widened.
“Fresh air?”

The archer smiled, relief flooding her.
“It’s the surface!”

As they reached the end of the tunnel, Jinwoo paused for a moment. He surveyed the destroyed dungeon.

It had been a trap but it had also been a test. A warning. Whoever orchestrated the kidnapping had wanted to lure him here not just to kill him, but to summon something even more dangerous.

Jinwoo’s eyes darkened.
The Devourer had been a powerful magic beast, but it wasn’t the mastermind. Whoever had captured him had bigger plans.

He turned to the hunters.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.

The group nodded, their exhaustion tempered by the knowledge that Jinwoo had saved them.

As they finally emerged from the dungeon into the sunlight, Jinwoo allowed himself another glance back. The echoes of the Devourer’s roar still lingered, distant but unmistakable.

He tightened his grip on his blade. Shadows whispered around him, ready for the next battle.

The hunters now in front of him began moving toward the gate’s exit, still trembling but alive. Jinwoo remained a step behind, already calculating his next move.

Somewhere, far beyond the dungeon, the mastermind who had orchestrated this attack waited and now, they had just made the Shadow Monarch aware of them.

And Jinwoo Sung never forgot.

One by one the hunters exited the dungeon. The healer sank to the ground, crying softly.
“We… we made it…”

The tank gave a shaky laugh.
“Jinwoo… I owe you a drink. Ten drinks.”

The swordsman swallowed hard.
“Sorry… for yelling earlier. I was scared. But you… you saved us. All of us.”

Jinwoo looked at them, all tired, bruised, but alive.

He exhaled softly “You’re safe now.”

air was cool in the forests where they began the raid 12 hours ago. 
a stark contrast to the molten heat of the Devourer’s chamber.

the clearing they were in provided much needed light after the darkeness of the the cave.

The hunters sat scattered breathing hard, shaking out limbs that had been bound far too long, staring up at the sky as if it might vanish.

For a long time, no one spoke.

Finally, the tank broke the silence.
“…I never thought I’d see the outside again.”

The archer let out a shaky laugh.
“Me neither.”

The swordsman flopped onto his back, covering his eyes.
“I’m retiring. That’s it. I’m done.”

But the healer wasn’t listening to any of them.

She was staring at Jinwoo.

Not at his shadows , they were gone.
Not at his aura,he’d suppressed it.

She was staring at him.

His torn shirt, the burns scorched into his side. The blood drying down his arm.
The cut across his cheek that hadn’t stopped bleeding. The places where the Devourer’s claws had nearly crushed him.

He hadn’t made a sound about any of it and in the darkness of the cave no of them had noticed, what kind of healer was she? 

He just stood there, arms crossed, quiet.
Watching the treeline for signs of danger while they took a moment to rest. He stood there as if he wasn’t hurt at all.

The healer stood, legs trembling, and walked toward him.

“Jinwoo,” she said softly.

He turned his head. “Yeah?”

She frowned at the understatement in his voice “…Sit down.”

He blinked “Why?”

She raised her voice slightly “Because you’re hurt.”

Behind her, the other hunters slowly turned, noticing the blood for the first time.

The tank’s eyes widened.
“Holy- Jinwoo, how are you still standing?!”

The swordsman sat up.
“The way you moved, I thought the Devourer didn’t land a solid hit!”

The archer groaned.
“He was literally pinned by a molten monster. Of course he’s hurt!”

Jinwoo looked down at the burns and cuts as if seeing them for the first time.

“…It’s nothing.”

The healer’s expression hardened.
“Sit. Down.”

Jinwoo sighed, but finally lowered himself onto a fallen log.

The healer knelt beside him, her hands glowing with soft emerald light.

“No shadows,” she said.
“I need to work without interference.”

Jinwoo nodded.
“They won’t come.”

The healer placed her hand gently against the worst burn on his side.

Jinwoo tensed, just slightly.
She caught it.

“This will sting,” she warned.

He nodded once.

Light seeped into the wound, burning away dead skin, knitting muscle, flushing out the dark residue of the Devourer’s energy.

Jinwoo inhaled sharply through his nose.

“You don’t have to hold it in,” she murmured.

“I’m fine,” he said automatically.

“That’s not what your body says.”

Her tone wasn’t teasing. It was gentle and understanding.

She moved to the cut on his arm next, letting the healing light soak into the deep gouge.

Jinwoo watched her silently.

After a moment, she spoke again, softer.

“You fought that thing on your own alone… for us.” 
Jinwoo stayed silent watching her, she continued “You saved us,” she insisted. “At every step. Even when you were bleeding. Even when you were pinned. Even when the dungeon was falling apart.”

Her voice trembled.

“…If you hadn’t broken free, we would’ve died in that ritual.”

Jinwoo looked away.

“I couldn’t let that happen.”

The healer took a slow breath, moving to the crushed-looking area along his ribs.

“This one… must have been when it pinned you.”

Jinwoo’s jaw tightened.
“Probably.”

The healer’s hand hovered.
“Tell me if this hurts too much.”

“It won’t.”

She gave him a knowing look.

Then her healing magic flared brighter and Jinwoo flinched before he could stop himself.

“Ah-”

Her eyes snapped to him.
“Jinwoo. Don’t pretend.”

He exhaled slowly, shoulders slumping a fraction.

“…Okay. That one hurts.”

She nodded and steadied her touch, the glow softening.

“Good. Then we take it slow.”

The hunters watched from a distance silent, and respectful, stunned at seeing Jinwoo Sung vulnerable even for a second.

The healer continued working, light sweeping over wound after wound.

When she finished, Jinwoo flexed his hand experimentally.
Most of the pain was gone.

“…Thank you,” he said quietly.

She smiled.

“You’re welcome.”

The archer approached, hands on her hips.

“You done patching up Mr Invincible?”

The healer rolled her eyes.
“Yes. He’ll live.”

The swordsman snorted.
“Live? He could probably fight another dungeon right now.”

Jinwoo shook his head.
“No. I’m going home, all of us are going home.”

The tank clapped Jinwoo’s shoulder gently.
“Yeah! That’s thanks to you.”

The healer laughed softly.

Jinwoo stood, stretching.

“We’ll rest here a few minutes. Then head back.”

The hunters nodded.

For the first time since the kidnapping
they felt safe.

By the time the sun began to set, the forest around the collapsed dungeon swarmed with life.

Rescue teams, guild personnel, camera crews and reporters shouting questions. Even drones and helicopters buzzing overhead. They had all found them.

The moment Jinwoo and the rescued hunters came into view at the tree line, the noise doubled, shouting, flashing lights, frantic movement.

“Over here!”
“We found survivors!”
“Get medics ready!”
“Hurry!”

Guild response teams rushed through to them. Hunters Association jackets, medical staff, emergency mages, and…the reporters.

Lots of them.

Cameras flashed instantly.

The exhausted hunters froze, blinking under the sudden lights.

“Oh GREAT,” the swordsman muttered.
“We almost died and now we’re gonna get blinded.”

The healer ducked her head.
“W-Why are there so many reporters…?”

The archer hissed,
“Because we were missing for 12 hours in an unknown dungeon. Of course they’d swarm.”

A reporter rushed forward.

“Hunter Sung! Jinwoo Sung-over here!”
“Did you defeat the dungeon boss alone?!”
“Were these hunters part of a failed raid?”
“How badly were you injured?”
“Jinwoo! Jinwoo! Just one statement-!”

Jinwoo stopped dead in his tracks.

His jaw tightened. He hated this part.

The healer, archer, swordsman, and tank stepped over behind him, blinking against the sudden onslaught of attention.

Jinwoo inhaled slowly and stepped forward, preparing to endure whatever questions came first…

But then…

A hand grabbed his wrist.

He turned. It was the healer. Her expression was calm but firm.“Jinwoo,” she said quietly, “stop.”

He blinked.“I have to talk to them-”

“No,” she interrupted. “You don’t.”

The archer stepped up beside her.
“You saved our lives.”

The tank crossed his arms.
“Now it’s our turn.”

The swordsman nodded looking determined for once.“We’re not letting them swarm you after everything you just did.”

Before Jinwoo could protest, they moved.

The group of hunters stepped in front of him shoulder to shoulder forming a wall

Protecting him.

The reporters faltered as the four stepped forward.

The tank spoke first, voice like thunder.
“Back up. Now. He just saved our lives and fought through hell. He’s not your headline.” The tank squinted into the camera lens.
“Put that thing away or I’m breaking it.”

The swordsman lifted his hand sharply.
“No cameras in his face. Not today.”

The archer pointed to the nearest crew.
“You want interviews? You talk to us. Leave Jinwoo alone.”

The healer stepped closer to Jinwoo, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
“He’s exhausted. Just give him space.

The crowd hesitated, taken aback by the fierce unity of the rescued hunters.

For once, Jinwoo didn’t have to push people away. They protected him before he even asked.

Rescue staff finally stepped in and helped create distance.

A soft quiet fell around Jinwoo, like someone had thrown a blanket over the noise.

For the first time, he exhaled.

“…Thank you,” he murmured.

The healer smiled softly.
“It’s what teammates do.”

“We’re not a team,” the swordsman said confused.

The tank elbowed him.
“Shut up. It’s the sentiment that counts.”

Jinwoo let out a small laugh despite himself.

The hunters guided him away from the chaos behind the medical tents tending to the other hunters pulled from the dungeon, through the trees, where the noise faded into a distant hum.

They found a quiet hill overlooking the sunset.

The healer sank down onto the grass, patting the ground beside her.
“Sit. You need it.” So Jinwoo sat.

The archer sat on his other side.The swordsman plopped down in front of him.

“Okay, so ground rules. If anyone asks, you are not allowed to say you’re fine. You’re clearly not fine.”

The tank sat behind them all, arms crossed.
“We’ll tell them you’re resting. They’ll listen.”

Jinwoo looked at the four of them, all tired and bruised but alive.

Because he hadn’t left anyone behind.

And now they refused to leave him behind.

He looked down at his hands.

“…People don’t usually do this for me.”

The healer tilted her head gently.
“You rarely let them.” He froze. She smiled warmly. “You don’t always have to carry everything alone, Jinwoo.”

The sun was setting over the horizon, golden light spilling across the forest as it retreated.The hunters sat together in silence, listening to the wind through the trees.

No monsters or reporters.

Just the quiet after surviving the impossible.

The healer leaned her head lightly against Jinwoo’s shoulder.

The others didn’t tease. They simply stayed close.

Jinwoo looked out at the sunset, finally letting the weight of everything fade if only for a moment.

“…I’m glad you are all safe,” he murmured.

The healer’s voice was soft.
“We’re glad you are too.”

And for the first time that night, all of them felt at peace.

Chapter Text

The news broke within hours.

Every station.
Every channel.
Every social feed.

“S-RANK HUNTER JINWOO SUNG SAVES CAPTURED RAID PARTY!”
“UNKNOWN MONSTER IDENTIFIED AS DEVOURER: AN S-CLASS ENTITY?!”
“KIDNAPPING ATTEMPT FOILED: ALL HUNTERS RESCUED.”
“EYEWITNESSES SAY JINWOO FOUGHT ALONE IN A COLLAPSING DUNGEON.”

Clips of the battered, exhausted hunters being escorted out played on repeat.

The public reaction was immediate, loud, and somewhat divided.

People on subways were glued to screens they whispered in worry. Fans of each hunter involved burst out cheering.

Office workers leaned over cubicle walls watching the news from their colleague’s screens.

“Did you see the footage? Jinwoo looks… tired. Like really tired.”
“Of course he is, he fought some scary strong S tier thing alone!”
“No, I mean…human tired.”
“…That’s even scarier.”

Students gathered around phone screens.

“He saved all the hunters!”
“And he didn’t even take credit in the interviews.”
“He never does.”

At a café, two baristas argued.

“Why does he keep getting mixed up in near death stuff?”
“Because he’s Jinwoo Sung.”
“He’s an S-rank of course trouble is gonna find him.”
“Yeah and monsters are too stupid to know picking fights with that dude is not a good idea!”

Online, hashtags exploded:

#JinwooSung 1.3M Tweets

#ThankYouJinwoo 820K Tweets
#HunterSungToTheRescue 180K Tweets
#DungeonRescue 820K Tweets
#HunterOfTheYear — 400K Tweets
#LetHimRest 540K Tweets
#IsJinwooOkay 3.4M Tweets

For once, the world wasn’t just celebrating him. They were worried for him.

Some reactions online were mixed.

@HunterFan1996

I’m sorry??? He fought that THING ALONE???

Someone put this man in a blanket and give him some soup.

I’m shaking.

@HunterHotTakes

Unpopular opinion but…

If Sung Jinwoo was as injured as they say he was, maybe he shouldn’t be in this career?

Looks like he caused more chaos than necessary.

Replies:

@ShadowDefender

He saved SIX people.

Sit down.

@HunterMom

“Caused chaos”???

THE MONSTER caused chaos. Jinwoo cleaned it up.

@AreYouBlindBro

Bro u say this like you wouldn’t die tripping on a curb 💀

Let the man BREATHE.

@DungeonResearchNerd

I am crying, WHY IS HE SO BRAVE? :”)

@AntiHeroDebates

Not trying to be rude but Sung Jinwoo looks weak lately.

Maybe he’s losing his touch.

Replies:

@Yup_Just_Brian

He fought a monster 10x the size of him. Alone! While injured!!!!

Please log off.

@RespectTheKing

He looked tired because he DOES EVERYTHING.

Let him rest for once instead of criticizing.

@BeanieAuntie

If I ever catch you talking like this in person I will drag you by the ear like my nephew.

Don’t test me.

@IWillThrowHands

If Jinwoo was losing his touch, we’d be watching SIX FUNERALS!!!!!

Delete your account.

@HunterFictionWriter

I’m writing a fanfic about the hunters trying to make him rest.

Yes this is a cry for help.

@HotTakeFactory

If he didn’t want attention he shouldn’t have become a hunter.

You can’t have it both ways.

Replies:

@OneAwkwardMom

He didn’t choose a deadly dungeon to collapse on him???

@Sure_Jan

This ain’t a K-pop group bro he’s not doing a fanservice

He’s literally fighting for his life every week

@ShadowBaby

He didn’t want attention.

He wanted everyone else to survive.

There’s a difference.

@TiredOfHype

Why is everyone babying him? He’s an S-rank hunter?.

Replies:

@EveryoneWithEyes

Because even S-ranks can get hurt??

What is your IQ???

Hunter Association post:

“We are grateful for Hunter Sung’s actions.”

Comments disabled.

Fans repost with:

@SelfCareSam

KNOW HE NEEDS A BREAK 😭

@ConspiracyHunter

What if the whole kidnapping thing was staged?

Replies:

@HippieDippie

Yeah bro six hunters totally volunteered to be tied up over a death pit.

Sounds legit.

@HunterAssociationRep (verified)

This was not staged.

Please stop spreading misinformation.

FANFORUMS: HunterTalk.Net

Thread Title: “Jinwoo Sung: Post-Battle Analysis + Concern Thread (No Hate Allowed)”

User: ShadowCub

He literally couldn’t stand straight at the end. I think he was acting strong for the sake of the rescued hunters.

User: SwordDaddy

The way those hunters surrounded him afterward?

That was PROTECTIVE energy.

User: GateGeek

Listen.

I don’t care how strong he is.

He needs friends. And a nap.

User: LOLhunter69

bro fought like he got nothing left but taxes and trauma

i respect it

Jinwoo was lightly jogging in the park to complete his daily quests. It had been two days since the incident and people were still talking about it. He was sure it would all blow over soon, it always did. It was early in the morning, he enjoyed completing his daily strength training at this time because the park usually wasn’t as busy, aside from a few avid joggers, some dog walkers and office workers on their commute to work, it was a peaceful part of his morning routine.

As he reached his target he slowed his pace and sat down on a bench near a water fountain. Two joggers ran by and stopped at the fountains, taking a break in their own workouts.

“Did you hear the latest update? Those hunters are gave a statement yesterday.” One jogger said as they filled up their water canteen.
“About the kidnapping?”
“Yeah. Apparently they said Jinwoo looked worse than them walking out.”
“No way.”
“They said he saved them even while injured. They didn’t give too much information to protect his privacy.”

Jinwoo paused drinking from his own water bottle as he sat on the bench unnoticed.
“That boy needs someone to look out for him.”
“Seriously. The world’s strongest hunter, but he doesn’t take care of himself at all.”
“Well that healer is definitely looking out for him…she looked like she wanted to drag him to bed.”

Jinwoo accidentally choked on his own drink.

They looked over as he quickly lifted his bottle to cover his face and turned away.

He lifted a hand.
“Dust. Sorry.” He coughed.

They shrugged and kept going with their jog.

Jinwoo walked away very, very fast. Might as well get on with his other errands whilst it was still early.

The automatic doors slid open with a soft chime as Jinwoo stepped inside, hood up and basket in hand, pretending he was totally invisible.

He wasn’t, but maybe doing shopping in stealth wouldn’t be that bad of an idea.

Two college students near the instant ramen aisle were watching a video on one of their phones, the footage of him in front of the collapsed dungeon gate as it began to close.

“He looks exhausted…” one whispered.
“Yeah. I thought S-ranks were invincible.”
“Did you hear? People said he was injured before the rescue teams or medics even arrived.”
“Poor guy. Luckily there was a strong healer there. Someone needs to force-feed him a week’s worth of meals.”

Jinwoo froze mid-reach for a pack of ramen.

…Force-feed?

He slowly stepped to the side, hoping the conversation would fade.

Nope.

The second girl leaned closer to the screen.
“He still bowed to the reporters. Even though he looked like he could barely breathe.”
“Right? He’s too polite. I’d have told them to go away.”
“I hope he’s resting.”

Jinwoo’s ears warmed.

He grabbed the ramen and walked away before he accidentally made eye contact.

At the counter, the cashier blinked, recognizing him.

“…H-Hunter Sung?”

Jinwoo winced inside.
“Yes.”

The cashier hesitated, then whispered:
“Um… thank you. For saving those hunters.”

Jinwoo nodded quietly and left without another word.

He didn’t know what to do with the warmth spreading across his face.

Next he stopped by to pick up some bandage wrap and basic medicine from a nearby pharmacy. Even though the systems’ shop with all its various potions was all he needed, Jinah always insisted they keep the first aid kit fully stocked.
The pharmacist didn’t look up at first.

But two people in line behind him were talking.

“Did you see that interview? The rescued hunters looked like they adored him.”
“Of course they do, he carried the entire strike team and got them out!”
“No, I mean, they looked so protective of him, it was beyond adorable.”
“Good. Someone should be.”

Jinwoo tensed.

The pharmacist finally looked up and went still.

“Oh. It’s you.”

Jinwoo awkwardly placed the items on the counter.
“…Just these.”

The pharmacist scanned them slowly.
“You know… most hunters recover quickly but they should still take longer than a two days to recover from something like that.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re buying medical supplies in bulk.”

Jinwoo looked at the floor. “…I like being prepared.”

She bagged the items and lowered her voice.

“Please rest. You scared a lot of people.”

He didn’t know how to answer that.

So he just nodded and left.

Whilst Jinwoo was at the larger grocery store he reached for a bunch of green onions and nearly collided with an elderly woman shopping in the same aisle.

“Oh! Sorry,” Jinwoo said, stepping back.

But the old woman squinted at him.

“…You look familiar.”

Jinwoo stiffened. “Ah, I get that a lot. I just have one of those faces…”

“You’re that Sung boy, aren’t you?”

Jinwoo blinked. “…Yes, ma’am.” He said sounding defeated.

She clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

“You look too thin.”

“…Pardon?”

“You fought that big monster all on your own I heard all about it on my TV! You should be getting some meat on your bones, eating more protein not vegetables!”

She tossed a pack of beef into his basket before he could stop her.

Jinwoo stared at the meat.

“I—uh—thank you?”

“Come back next week. I’ll give you a good recipe for some hearty soup.” Then she walked away.

Jinwoo stood there perplexed holding beef he hadn’t chosen, questioning the direction of his life.

After those few errands all Jinwoo wanted was a simple iced coffee.

Inside, two baristas whispered behind the counter as he waited in line, holding onto his bags of groceries from earlier in the day.

“Should we comp his drink?”
“He saved a ton of people! We can’t charge him!”
“What if he hates free stuff?”

“Why would anyone hate free stuff!?!”

What if he thinks we’re pitying him?”
“Oh god, that would be even worse…”

Jinwoo stepped up to the counter and both baristas stared.

The first blurted,
“Sir! thank you for everything you do…your drink is on the house…please don’t be mad-“

Jinwoo blinked. “I… I’m not mad.”

They sagged with relief.

He walked out with a free iced coffee and absolutely no idea how to handle the kindness from two terrified twenty year olds.

By the time Jinwoo reached his apartment, his hood felt pointless.
Everyone had already seen him and everyone was talking about him.

He unlocked the door, stepped inside, and leaned against the wall for a moment.

People were worried about him.
Hoping he was okay. He smiled to himself, put the groceries and medical supplies away and made his way to the bathroom to take a shower.

Jinwoo sat on the edge of his bed, freshly showered, hair still damp, wearing a simple black T-shirt and loose fitting trousers.
His phone buzzed again and again, notifications piling up like an avalanche.

He normally ignored this stuff.
He always ignored this stuff.

But after overhearing so many conversations today…
curiosity cracked through the armor.

Just a little.

He opened Twitter.

Bad idea.

Immediately, the top trending topics were:

#JinwooSung
#ThankYouJinwoo
#SRankRescue
#IsJinwooOkay

He blinked.

“…What.”

He tapped #IsJinwooOkay first.

The feed exploded.

@DungeonMum93:

Can someone PLEASE bring Jinwoo Sung a full meal and a blanket?? He looked like death in that clip. I am WORRIED.

Jinwoo frowned.

Blanket?

@HunterNewsHub:

Experts claim Hunter Sung may have sustained serious injuries before rescuing the kidnapped hunters. If so… he still fought a S-class monster.

He made a small, irritated sound.

“It wasn’t that bad.”

@FangirlArcher:

Someone take this man to a hospital.

No, seriously.

I will kidnap him to a hospital.

Jinwoo froze.

Hospital kidnapping…?
People actually want to do that?

@AnonymousTalker:

The way the rescued hunters formed a wall around him???

That’s friendship. That’s loyalty. That’s PEAK ‘protect the hero who protects everyone’ energy.

Jinwoo’s ears warmed.

He hadn’t… thought it looked like that.

@CoffeeShopAddict:

He tried to hide behind the ramen aisle in a convenience store today.

It did NOT work.

He’s too recognizable, someone please tell him.

Jinwoo stared at the screen.

“…They saw that?”

He buried his face in his hands.

He flicked his thumb and instantly regretted it.

@HunterInsider:

Rumor: He was also one of the kidnapped hunters.

And he STILL managed to break free.

Sung Jinwoo is built DIFFERENT.

His jaw tightened.

He really wished he could forget about that part. It was the first time in a long time that he had felt completely helpless again.

@Healer4Life:

Let the man REST.

He’s saved Korea like 14 times.

Put him in a spa. Make him tea. Tuck him in.

Tuck…?

He blinked twice.

Nope.
Moving on.

@ShadowKnightFan:

The hunters he saved literally looked like they wanted to adopt him afterward.

Honestly? Same.

Adopt…?

His left eyebrow twitched.

@HunterGames:

If he doesn’t have a support team, I volunteer as tribute.

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Then He Found the Fanart

He didn’t mean to. He REALLY didn’t mean to.

But the next tweet in the tag was a piece of fanart.

Jinwoo, looking beat up, sitting under a tree while four chibi hunters fussed over him.
one handing him water, one covering him with a blanket, one yelling at him to stop saying “I’m fine,” one offering snacks.

Jinwoo stared at the screen.

“…Oh no.”

His ears went fully red.

He scrolled. More fanart, more memes, more heartfelt thank you posts, more people worried for him. It was overwhelming and a little embarrassing.

He finally shut his phone off and dropped it onto the bed beside him.

He sat quietly for a long moment, staring at the ceiling

“…People are… strange.” He smiled and lightly laughed to himself.

He leaned back, lying down, arms behind his head.

“But… it’s not bad.”

A few minutes a silence passed Jinwoo sat back thinking about everything he’d seen and heard that day and smiled.

His phone buzzed a few moments later. He picked it up expecting more twitter notifications but it was a text, from an unknown number. He thought about ignoring it but ultimately decided to read it. 

“Hey I got your number from the association, hope you don’t mind. Can we talk? Coffee at Seoul Steamed Coffee Shop?”
Jinwoo stared at the text for a moment before typing out his reply.

The healer, archer, swordsman, and tank stood awkwardly in the lobby of the quiet Seoul café.

It was the healer’s idea.

“We said we’d check up on him,” she reminded, smoothing her hair.
“I know,” the archer said. “But what if he’s busy?”
“He’s always busy,” the swordsman grumbled.
“That’s why we check on him,” the tank finished.

They’d already ordered drinks and waited, unsure if Jinwoo would actually come.

He’d said he’d think about it in the text.
Which, for Jinwoo Sung, could mean anything from “I’ll be there” to “forget about it”

The healer fidgeted nervously as they decided to take a seat to wait for him to arrive.

“Maybe he’s still recovering. We shouldn’t have bothered…”

A soft chime rang as the door opened.

The archer turned first.
Her face lit up.

“There he is.”

Jinwoo walked in hood up, simple clothes, quiet presence.
No shadows, no aura, no overwhelming pressure. Just Jinwoo.

He looked around the café until he spotted them.

Relief flickered across his expression quick, subtle, but real.

“…Sorry I’m late,” he said as he approached.

“We weren’t waiting long,” the healer said quickly.

The swordsman snorted.
“We were waiting for almost an hour-”

The healer kicked his shin under the table.
“-Not long at all.”

Jinwoo actually smiled a little. They gathered around the small table in a quiet corner of the shop.

Jinwoo ordered and then set down his cup, a mocha.

The hunters smiled they had a bet going that he drank coffee as black as his shadows but were surprised to see he ordered the chocolate coffee blend.

“How are you all doing?” he asked as he took another sip of his drink.

The Tank grinned.
“Alive. Thanks to you.”

“Back to training,” the archer said.
“Also thanks to you.”

“Therapy,” the swordsman added bluntly.
“Definitely because of you.”

“Hey!” the archer flicked his arm.

“It is because of him” the he insisted “But in a good way.” He laughed.

The healer leaned forward.
“And you? How are you feeling?”

Jinwoo hesitated. “…Better.” The way he said it made all four exchange a look of relief.

“We saw the public reaction,” the archer said.
“You’re basically trending forever now.”

Jinwoo sighed. “I know.”

“Some people are actually concerned for once,” the healer added gently.

Jinwoo blinked.

“After fighting a monster,” the swordsman said, “and nearly getting-”

The healer cut him off quickly.
“Anyway! The public cares.”

Jinwoo stared into his coffee, expression unreadable.

After a long moment

“…That’s new.”

The healer’s eyes softened.

“You deserve it.”

They spent the next hour talking. Not about monsters or about battles. They spoke about their hobbies and favourite foods.

Jinwoo didn’t say much, he never did but he listened and he stayed. Which is more than they could’ve asked for.

When they finally stepped outside together, the sky was turning gold with sunset.

The archer stretched.
“Same time next week?”

The swordsman nudged Jinwoo.
“You’re coming. No escaping with shadows.”

The tank grinned.
“We’ll hunt you down.”

Jinwoo shook his head, but there was warmth in his smile.

“…Yeah. I’ll be here.”

The healer lingered a moment longer.

“I’m glad you’re doing better,” she said softly.

Jinwoo met her eyes.

“So am I.”

She gave a small, genuine smile.

“See you next week, Jinwoo.”

He nodded.

They walked away together, the hunters he saved, who had stepped up and protected him.

The city buzzed with rumors and stories. Everywhere he turned today people were talking about him. 

He adjusted his hood and continued down the street  

Maybe… maybe he could get used to it.

Not all at once. He still preferred having his information being kept confidential  

But step by step, the kindness was slowly becoming something he didn’t have to run from.