Chapter 197 Summary
The night sky over Seoul was a bruised violet, the kind of twilight that seemed to swallow the city’s neon pulse and replace it with a low, humming anticipation. From the rooftop of the Hunters’ Association building, Sung Jin‑Woo stood alone, his silhouette a dark cut against the fading light. The wind tugged at his coat, stirring the black hair that fell over his eyes, but his gaze was fixed on the horizon where the last remnants of the Red Gate’s afterglow still smoldered. He could still feel the echo of the battle, the lingering tremor of the earth as the portal collapsed, and the faint, lingering scent of ash that clung to his nostrils.
He had just returned from the most harrowing dungeon in his career—a labyrinthine realm that seemed to have been forged from the nightmares of a thousand lost souls. The walls were lined with ancient runes that pulsed with a sickly green light, and the air was thick with the metallic tang of blood. Yet, even after the dust settled, Jin‑Woo sensed that the true threat was still out there, waiting in the shadows of the world’s unseen cracks.
“Jin‑Woo, you’re back early,” a voice called from behind. Cha Hae‑In stepped forward, her silver hair catching the last glimmers of daylight. She wore the sleek black uniform of the Hunters’ Association, the emblem of the S‑Class badge glinting on her chest. Her eyes, usually calm and composed, now flickered with a mixture of relief and concern.
“Did you see it?” Jin‑Woo asked, his voice low, almost a whisper against the wind. “The core of the dungeon… it felt… different.”
Hae‑In nodded, her expression tightening. “The energy signature was unlike anything we’ve catalogued. It resonated at a frequency that matches the Antares anomaly. I’ve been tracking the fluctuations for weeks. It’s as if the universe itself is trying to warn us.”
Jin‑Woo’s eyes narrowed. Antares— the name alone sent a shiver down his spine. The colossal, star‑like entity that had been whispered about in the darkest corners of the hunter community, a being of unimaginable power that seemed to exist beyond the conventional hierarchy of monsters. The rumors called it the “Black Star,” a celestial predator that devoured entire dimensions, leaving nothing but void in its wake.
“Antares,” he repeated, the word tasting like iron. “If it’s truly awakening, we’re looking at a threat that could eclipse every hunter’s strength.”
Hae‑In placed a steady hand on his shoulder, the contact grounding him. “We’ve faced impossible odds before. Remember the battle with the Monarch? We survived because we trusted each other. This time, we’ll need more than trust—we’ll need every fragment of power you’ve ever unlocked.”
Jin‑Woo’s mind drifted back to the moment he had first felt the surge of his Shadow Monarch abilities. The first time his eyes turned black, the first time the army of shadows obeyed his silent command. He remembered the taste of blood on his tongue as he ripped through the ranks of the Rulers, the way his heart hammered in his chest when he first summoned the mighty skeletal dragon, the way the world seemed to bend around his will.
He inhaled deeply, feeling the familiar rush of power settle in his veins. “Then let’s make sure we’re ready,” he said, his voice steadier now. “We’ll need to gather the rest of the S‑Class hunters. If Antares is coming, we can’t afford to fight alone.”
The two hunters descended the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. The Association’s war room was already buzzing with activity. Screens flickered with maps of the city, overlayed with red zones where the recent dungeons had erupted. A holographic projection of the latest dungeon’s interior hovered above the central table, its walls shimmering with the same green runes Jin‑Woo had seen.
“Everyone, listen up,” the commander’s voice boomed. “We’ve confirmed a new high‑rank portal opening in the outskirts of Gyeonggi‑do. Preliminary scans indicate a massive energy surge, consistent with the Antares signature. This is not a standard dungeon. It’s a gateway to something far larger, and it’s moving fast.”
A murmur rippled through the room. Hunters shifted in their seats, eyes darting to the projection. Among them, a few familiar faces—Go Gun‑Hee, the iron‑willed S‑Class hunter with a scar that ran down his cheek; Thomas Andre, the charismatic French hunter whose smile never seemed to falter; and a new recruit, a young woman named Yoon Ji‑Ah, whose aura crackled with raw, untapped potential.
Jin‑Woo stepped forward, his presence commanding immediate attention. “I’ve just returned from the dungeon that opened near the Red Gate. The core was… different. The resonance matched Antares. If we don’t act now, we’ll be facing a force that can erase entire dimensions.”
The commander’s eyes narrowed. “Jin‑Woo, you’ve always been our strongest asset. What do you propose?”
Jin‑Woo glanced at Hae‑In, who gave a subtle nod. “We need to infiltrate the portal, locate the source, and neutralize it before Antares fully awakens. I’ll lead a strike team—Hae‑In, Gun‑Hee, and two others. We’ll need to synchronize our abilities, combine our strengths, and—”
A sudden, high‑pitched alarm cut through the room. Red lights flashed, and the holographic map flickered, showing a new, expanding red circle in the city’s industrial district. The ground trembled faintly, as if the city itself were shuddering.
“Another portal!” the commander shouted. “All units, mobilize! This is an emergency!”
Chaos erupted. Hunters scrambled to their gear, weapons clanking, armor plates sliding into place. Jin‑Woo’s mind raced, calculating the odds, the distances, the time constraints. He could feel the familiar surge of his Shadow Monarch abilities, the dormant power that lay just beneath the surface, waiting for a catalyst.
“Cha Hae‑In,” he said, his voice cutting through the din, “we have to move fast. The Antares energy is spreading. If we don’t seal it, the entire city could be consumed.”
Hae‑In’s eyes flashed with determination. “I’ll cover you. Let’s go.”
The strike team burst out of the war room, their footsteps echoing down the steel corridors. Outside, the night air was thick with the smell of ozone and distant sirens. The city’s skyline was a jagged silhouette against the bruised sky, the towers of Seoul standing like silent sentinels. In the distance, the industrial district glowed with an eerie, pulsating light—an unnatural beacon that seemed to draw the very stars toward it.
Jin‑Woo led the way, his senses attuned to the subtle shifts in the ambient magic. The portal’s edge was a swirling vortex of black and violet, the air rippling like a heat haze. Shadows coalesced around its perimeter, forming a thin veil that seemed to whisper in a language older than humanity.
“Stay close,” Jin‑Woo warned, his voice low. “The energy here is volatile. One misstep and we could be torn apart.”
Gun‑Hee, his massive frame dwarfing the others, stepped forward, his fists clenched. “Let them try,” he muttered, a grin spreading across his scarred face. “I’ve broken more doors than you can count.”
The team entered the portal, the world around them dissolving into a cascade of colors. For a heartbeat, Jin‑Woo felt weightless, as if he were falling through an endless void. Then, with a jarring impact, they emerged into a cavernous space that defied logic—a vast, cathedral‑like arena where the walls were composed of obsidian stone, etched with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Above them, a massive, star‑shaped entity hovered, its surface a swirling mass of darkness and light. Antares. Its presence was a gravitational pull, a force that seemed to compress time itself. The air vibrated with a low hum, a resonance that struck at the core of Jin‑Woo’s being.
“Antares,” Hae‑In whispered, her voice trembling with awe and fear. “It’s… it’s here.”
The entity’s eyes—if they could be called that—opened, twin voids that seemed to swallow the light. A voice, ancient and resonant, echoed through the cavern, reverberating in their bones. “You dare enter my domain, mortal?”
Jin‑Woo stepped forward, his shadow army materializing behind him, a legion of dark silhouettes that obeyed his silent command. “We’re not here to bow,” he replied, his tone steady. “We’re here to stop you.”
Antares let out a sound that was both a laugh and a scream, a cosmic chorus that threatened to shatter the minds of those who heard it. “You are but a speck in the endless night. Your power is insignificant.”
The battle erupted in an instant. Jin‑Woo’s shadows surged forward, black tendrils lashing out like serpents, seeking to bind the celestial beast. Hae‑In’s sword, a blade forged from the essence of the Moon’s light, flashed in a radiant arc, cutting through the darkness. Gun‑Hee’s fists slammed the ground, sending shockwaves that rippled across the obsidian floor.
Antares responded with a wave of energy that rippled outward, a tidal force that threatened to crush them all. The very air seemed to thicken, the pressure building as if the universe itself were pressing down. Jin‑Woo felt the pull of his own power, the familiar surge of his Shadow Monarch abilities, but this time something new stirred within him—a resonance that matched the Antares frequency, a harmonic that seemed to amplify his own strength.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the rhythm of his heart, the pulse of his blood, the echo of the shadows that answered his call. In that moment, a new ability blossomed, a power that had lain dormant, waiting for the right catalyst. A luminous aura enveloped his form, a dark, star‑like halo that pulsed with a violet light. The shadows around him grew denser, more defined, their edges shimmering with a faint, celestial glow.
“Jin‑Woo!” Hae‑In shouted, her voice cutting through the roar. “Your new power—what is it?”
He opened his eyes, now glowing with an otherworldly sheen. “It’s… a convergence. My Shadow Monarch abilities have synchronized with the Antares frequency. I can now manipulate the void itself, bend the darkness to my will in ways I never imagined.”
The revelation sent a surge of hope through the team. With his newfound power, Jin‑Woo extended his hand, and the shadows coalesced into a massive, winged construct—a colossal, black dragon made of pure void, its eyes burning with violet fire. The dragon roared, a sound that resonated with the very fabric of the dungeon, and surged forward, its massive wings beating against the oppressive gravity.
Antares, taken aback by the sudden emergence of such a formidable opponent, unleashed a torrent of celestial fire. The dragon’s scales, forged from the void, absorbed the energy, converting it into a dark, pulsating wave that rippled outward. The clash created a shockwave that reverberated through the cavern, shaking the very foundations of the realm.
Gun‑Hee seized the moment, charging forward with a roar, his fists glowing with a golden aura. He struck the dragon’s flank, his blows resonating with Jin‑Woo’s void energy, amplifying the impact. The combined force sent a fissure through Antares’s core, a crack that glowed with a blinding white light.
Hae‑In, seizing the opening, leapt onto the dragon’s back, her sword blazing with moonlight. She slashed at the crack, each strike releasing a burst of pure, radiant energy that further destabilized the celestial entity. “We have to keep the pressure on!” she shouted, her voice echoing across the cavern.
The battle raged on, each side unleashing their full might. Antares, though massive and ancient, seemed to falter under the coordinated assault. Its attacks grew more frantic, its attempts to swallow the void dragon in a vortex of darkness failing as the dragon’s own darkness repelled it. Jin‑Woo’s new ability allowed him to weave the shadows into barriers, shielding his teammates from the worst of Antares’s onslaught.
In the midst of the chaos, Jin‑Woo felt a strange sensation—a whisper, like a distant echo from a forgotten memory. It was the voice of the Ruler, the ancient being that had once guided him, now a faint resonance within his mind. “You have become more than a hunter, Jin‑Woo. You are a bridge between worlds. Use that bridge to seal the rift.”
The words ignited a spark of clarity. He realized that the only way to truly stop Antares was not just to defeat it in combat, but to seal the portal that fed its power. The rift, a swirling vortex at the heart of the arena, pulsed with raw, unfiltered energy. If he could channel his void manipulation into sealing it, Antares would be cut off from the source that sustained it.
“Everyone, focus on the rift!” Jin‑Woo commanded, his voice resonating with authority. “We need to seal it before Antares can regenerate.”
Hae‑In and Gun‑Hee nodded, their attacks becoming more precise, targeting the edges of the rift. The void dragon, guided by Jin‑Woo’s will, surged forward, its massive form aligning with the vortex. With a deafening roar, the dragon exhaled a torrent of void energy, a black, star‑filled stream that wrapped around the rift like a coil.
The void energy began to contract, pulling the chaotic currents inward. Antares howled, its celestial fire flaring in a desperate attempt to break free. The cavern trembled, stones cracking, the very air crackling with the clash of opposing forces. Jin‑Woo felt the strain on his body, the pull of the void threatening to consume him, but he held firm, his resolve unshakable.
The rift shrank, the swirling vortex narrowing to a pinpoint of blinding light. With a final, resonant pulse, the void dragon’s energy sealed the rift, the light extinguishing in an instant. The cavern fell silent, the only sound the ragged breathing of the hunters.
Antares, now cut off from its source, began to crumble. Its massive form flickered, the darkness within it unraveling like a tapestry being pulled apart. The entity let out a final, mournful wail, a sound that seemed to echo across the cosmos. Then, with a burst of starlight, it disintegrated, scattering into a thousand shards that drifted away like fallen meteors.
Jin‑Woo collapsed to his knees, the weight of the battle pressing down on him. Hae‑In rushed to his side, her