Chapter 9: A Hunter Who Moves Like a Ghost
"Are you sure about this?"
Yura's voice was tight with concern as she checked the straps on Jin's light armor. They stood just outside a D-Rank gate in the outskirts of Busan—barely monitored, almost forgotten.
Jin adjusted his gloves. "I need to see how far I can push the new skill."
Kai leaned against a tree nearby, flipping a throwing knife between his fingers. "This ain't some sparring match. If things go wrong, we're not exactly swimming in backup."
Jin gave him a small smile. "I'll be fine. Just cover me if anything weird happens."
Kai arched a brow. "We're walking into a dungeon. Weird is guaranteed."
Yura stepped back. "You're the leader now. We follow your call."
He looked at them—his makeshift team. They weren't strong. Not yet. But they were real. Loyal.
That mattered more than ranks.
---
The inside of the gate felt… compressed.
The moment they stepped through, time felt slower, thicker—like air had turned to syrup.
Kai whistled. "Anyone else feel that?"
Jin nodded. "Another unstable gate. Time's warped."
Yura placed her hand on the ground, eyes glowing faintly. "This place has… echoes. Residual energy from fights that haven't happened yet."
Jin narrowed his eyes. "Future echoes?"
She nodded.
"Perfect," he muttered.
The path split ahead. One led down a narrow stone corridor. The other curved into a jagged ravine filled with broken statues.
"We go left," Jin said.
Kai frowned. "Any reason?"
"I heard something down the right."
That was a lie. He didn't hear anything. He felt it—like time around the right path was being drained.
---
They moved quietly. The corridor opened into a wide chamber, lit by glowing orbs embedded in the walls. In the center stood a beast twice the size of a man—fur like ash, eyes burning silver.
> [Dungeon Boss Identified: Rift Warden – Rank C+]
[Ability: Time Nullification]
Jin's eyes widened. "Time nullification?"
Before he could think, the beast moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Kai dove aside as a claw tore through the air. "No warning?!"
Jin activated Time Domain.
And nothing happened.
No slowdown. No shift.
Just cold clarity.
> [Warning: This zone is under a Nullification Field.]
Jin gritted his teeth. "It cancels time-based skills."
Yura raised her staff. "Then we do this the old way!"
---
The fight was brutal.
Kai darted behind the beast, cutting tendons. Yura kept them standing, healing gashes as fast as she could manage. Jin stayed mobile—dodging, striking where he could, watching for patterns.
But the beast was smart. It adapted.
After five minutes, they were panting, bleeding, worn thin.
Jin glanced at his system.
> [Cooldown Complete: Time Domain – Ready]
[Nullification Weak Point Detected – 2 seconds available]
His eyes narrowed.
Only two seconds.
He waited. Watched.
The beast reared back for a ground slam—its core exposed for the briefest moment.
Now.
He activated Time Domain.
Two seconds stretched into a moment of eternity.
He moved.
One slash—right across the creature's chest.
Another—into the glowing core beneath its fur.
The Domain ended.
Reality snapped back.
The beast screamed, its body crumbling into dust.
Yura dropped to her knees. "It's over?"
Kai let out a long breath. "Remind me to never doubt your instincts again."
Jin didn't answer.
He stared at his hands.
> [Skill Rank-Up: Time Domain – Level 2]
Time Ratio increased. Now 5:1.
Duration: 12 seconds. Cooldown: 90 seconds.
[New Passive Unlocked: Chrono Sense – You can detect time-based anomalies within 30 meters.]
---
Back outside the gate, they sat by the roadside, eating convenience store sandwiches in silence.
Kai broke it first. "That thing… it knew how to counter your power."
Jin nodded. "It wasn't natural. I think it was sent."
Yura blinked. "By who?"
He hesitated.
Then showed them the system message he received just before the beast died.
> [A fragment of the Void Monarch recognizes your presence.]
Kai's smile dropped. "Monarch? You serious?"
Jin looked at them both. "I don't think we're just dealing with gates anymore. There's something older. Something behind the system itself."
Yura looked pale. "And they know you're awake now."
Jin nodded. "I need to get stronger. Fast."
Kai stood. "Then what's the plan?"
Jin finished his sandwich, stood, and looked up at the sky.
"We hunt time itself."
---
In another corner of the world, within a marble chamber wrapped in golden chains…
A tall figure cloaked in shadow watched a floating screen of Jin's fight.
Another voice whispered behind it.
"So the Heir has chosen the blade."
The figure turned slightly. "He is raw. But dangerous."
"He will be hunted."
The shadow figure smiled beneath its hood.
"Let them come. The Monarch of Time has begun to awaken."
---
End of Chapter 9