Divinity
699 Words
The reinforced hallway was no longer a corridor of a luxury hotel; it was a pressurized tomb. Ji-Hoon, the S-Rank Vice President, roared as his plasma blades carved arcs of searing white light through the darkness.
"You think a few summons make you my equal?" Ji-Hoon screamed, his speed crossing the sound barrier. A sonic boom shattered the remaining light fixtures.
Jin-Woo’s Sense stat was red-lining. He could see the trajectory of the plasma blades, but his Level 18 body was physically struggling to keep up. One blade grazed his shoulder, cauterizing the wound instantly.
> [HP: 110/350]
> [Warning: S-Rank combatant detected. Lethal force advised.]
>
The Frost Knight was being pushed back, its icy armor cracking under the relentless heat of Ji-Hoon’s assault. Jin-Woo lunged forward, not to attack Ji-Hoon, but to grab the Heart of the Void Drake that had fallen from the collector's case during the struggle.
His fingers brushed the pulsing violet crystal.
> [RANK-A CORE DETECTED]
> [Consume for 5,000 EXP? Y/N]
>
"Yes!" Jin-Woo yelled.
The crystal shattered in his hand, turning into a liquid stream of pure, raw mana that flowed directly into his chest. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.
> [Level Up!]
> [Level Up!]
> [CONGRATULATIONS: YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 20.]
> [True Class Trial: 'The King’s Coronation' is now beginning.]
>
The world stopped. Literally.
Ji-Hoon was frozen mid-swing, his plasma blade inches from Jin-Woo’s neck. The dust in the air suspended like glitter. A massive, towering gate of obsidian appeared in the center of the hallway, and a voice—not digital, but ancient and echoing—filled the space.
"To lead the dead, one must first conquer the fear of being one of them. Step into the abyss, or die a scavenger."
Jin-Woo stepped through the gate.
He found himself in a desolate, infinite throne room. Standing in his way were hundreds of copies of himself—but they were the old Jin-Woo. The weak, sickly, Rank-E scavenger with trembling hands and a broken spirit.
"Is this the trial?" Jin-Woo asked, his voice steady. "To kill my past?"
The army of E-Ranks charged. They didn't have magic or shadows; they had the sheer weight of mediocrity. They clung to his legs, weeping, begging him to stay weak so they wouldn't have to be alone.
Jin-Woo closed his eyes. He didn't use the Frost Knight. He didn't use his dagger. He simply stood tall and let his mana flare.
"I am not the boy who was left behind," he said. "I am the one who returned."
A wave of obsidian energy erupted from his core, disintegrating the illusions of his past selves into ash. The throne room crumbled, and the ancient voice returned, booming with approval.
"The Monarch has chosen. The shadow is no longer your tool. It is your throne."
> [CLASS PROMOTION COMPLETE: SHADOW MONARCH]
> [New Skill: 'Monarch’s Domain' - All shadows within 50 meters receive a 50% stat boost.]
> [New Skill: 'Shadow Exchange' - Swap places with any active shadow.]
>
Jin-Woo snapped back into reality.
Ji-Hoon’s blade completed its arc—but it struck nothing but air. Jin-Woo had used Shadow Exchange, swapping places with a small shadow he’d cast behind Ji-Hoon.
"What—?" Ji-Hoon gasped, spinning around.
Jin-Woo was different. His hair had darkened to a deep, midnight blue, and the air around him hummed with a gravity that made the titanium floor groan. He didn't look like a scavenger anymore. He looked like the end of the world.
"My turn to bid," Jin-Woo said.
He slammed his hand onto the ground.
[Monarch’s Domain]
The shadows of the fallen assassins, the shadow of the broken furniture, even the shadow of Ji-Hoon himself began to boil. From the darkness, dozens of shadowy hands reached up, grabbing Ji-Hoon’s ankles.
The Frost Knight, now glowing with a violent purple aura, rose from the floor, its strength doubled. It swung its claymore, and this time, it was Ji-Hoon who was sent flying through three reinforced walls.
Jin-Woo stood in the center of the wreckage, his coat fluttering in a wind that didn't exist.
"I'm done hiding," he whispered.
- Writer
