Zero

by Basic Instinct

A weak Hunter awakens a forbidden power after a deadly dungeon raid. Now he must rise, command the dead, and challenge the seven thrones.

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THE LAST ZEROBook One: The God Beneath the Ruins Genre: Dark Fantasy • Action • Dungeon Raids • Power Progression • Mystery PROLOGUE — THE DAY THE SKY BROKE The sky shattered on a Tuesday. At 3:17 p.m., every clock in Seoul stopped. Birds froze in midair. Cars skidded across highways as gravity seemed to forget which direction was down. Above the city, a black ring opened in the clouds, revealing a second sky filled with unfamiliar stars. Then came the monsters. They poured from the opening like a flood of nightmares. Creatures with bone-white armor, elongated limbs, and faces that resembled cracked porcelain descended upon the city. Buildings collapsed. Streets burned. Millions died before the military understood what they were fighting. The world called it the First Breach. Seven years later, humanity had learned to survive. Gates appeared across the globe, connecting Earth to hostile dimensions filled with monsters, ancient ruins, and impossible treasures. Some humans awakened extraordinary abilities after exposure to the energy leaking from these Gates. They became known as Hunters. Hunters were ranked from F to S according to their measured power. Governments regulated them. Corporations hired them. Wealthy families bought their loyalty. And everyone understood one simple truth. If you were weak, the world would use you until you broke. Kang Jihan understood that truth better than anyone. At twenty-one, he was the lowest-ranked Hunter in South Korea. Rank F. And tonight, he was going to die. Or so the world believed. CHAPTER ONE — THE WEAKEST HUNTER Rain hammered the abandoned subway station as Jihan tightened the straps on his cracked leather armor. "You're late again, Zero." The voice belonged to Park Doyun, the raid leader. A broad-shouldered man with a B-rank fire ability, Doyun wore expensive armor and carried a sword that glowed faintly orange. Jihan glanced at the clock on his phone. "I'm three minutes early." "Three minutes late for someone who matters." The other Hunters laughed. Jihan ignored them and checked his equipment. A chipped dagger. Two healing potions. One emergency flare. A secondhand helmet with a cracked visor. His entire inventory was worth less than Doyun's sword. "Listen up," Doyun announced. "This is supposed to be a low-level dungeon. We go in, clear the monsters, collect the cores, and get paid. Nobody plays hero." A woman standing near the entrance raised her hand. "Why is the energy reading fluctuating?" Seo Yuna was the team's healer. Her white coat bore the emblem of the Silver Dawn Guild, one of the most powerful organizations in the country. Doyun barely looked at her. "Faulty equipment." "The reading is above the estimated dungeon class." "Then we'll finish quickly." Jihan stared at the entrance. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his teeth. The Gate pulsed like a living heart. Its black surface rippled, revealing brief flashes of a stone corridor on the other side. Cold air rolled from the opening, carrying the smell of wet earth and something metallic. Blood. "Maybe we should wait for another team," Jihan said. Silence fell. Doyun slowly turned toward him. "Did the weakest Hunter in the country just give me advice?" "I'm saying the Gate feels different." "Then stay outside." Jihan looked at the others. Nobody defended him. He needed the money. His younger sister, Sora, had been waiting three months for a procedure that could stop the deterioration of her awakened nervous system. The hospital wanted an advance payment by Friday. Without this raid, he would lose the appointment. Without that appointment, he might lose her. Jihan stepped through the Gate. "Let's get paid." The dungeon swallowed them. CHAPTER TWO — THE FALSE DUNGEON The corridor stretched into darkness, its walls carved with symbols none of them recognized. Their lights flickered against statues of armored warriors kneeling before a faceless king. "Ancient architecture," Yuna murmured. "I've never seen anything like it." Doyun motioned forward. "Keep moving." The first monsters appeared ten minutes later. Six creatures crawled from holes in the walls, their bodies resembling oversized insects covered in black glass. Their jaws split vertically, revealing rows of needlelike teeth. "Tunnel crawlers!" shouted one of the Hunters. Doyun's sword ignited. "Burn them!" Flames swept through the corridor. The creatures screamed as their shells cracked. The other Hunters rushed forward, cutting down the survivors. Jihan stayed behind the front line, stabbing at anything that escaped the stronger Hunters. One crawler leaped toward Yuna. Jihan moved before he could think. He shoved her aside and caught the creature's claws against his forearm. Pain flashed through him. He drove his dagger into its eye, twisting until it stopped moving. "Are you insane?" Yuna shouted. "Probably." She stared at the blood running beneath his sleeve. "That thing nearly tore your arm off." "Nearly isn't the same as did." For the first time that night, she almost smiled. Then the corridor shook. A deep metallic bell rang somewhere beneath their feet. Once. Twice. Three times. Every monster in the tunnel abruptly stopped moving. The surviving crawlers flattened themselves against the floor. Their bodies trembled. Doyun's smile disappeared. "What the hell is that?" A massive stone door opened at the end of the corridor. Beyond it lay a chamber filled with kneeling statues. At its center stood a black throne. Something sat upon it. The figure was enormous, dressed in ancient armor that seemed to absorb the light around it. A crown of broken metal rested upon its head. Its face was hidden behind a smooth, featureless mask. Above the throne, words appeared in the air. WELCOME, SUCCESSORS. THE TRIAL OF THE EMPTY KING BEGINS. Jihan felt the blood drain from his face. The message changed. ELEVEN HAVE ENTERED. ONLY ONE MAY LEAVE WITH THE CROWN. Behind them, the entrance slammed shut. CHAPTER THREE — THE FIRST SACRIFICE Doyun immediately drew his sword. "Everyone, formation!" The chamber responded. The kneeling statues rose. Stone cracked. Dust exploded into the air. Dozens of armored warriors lifted ancient weapons, their empty eye sockets glowing with blue fire. A Hunter near the rear screamed as one of the statues drove a spear through his chest. The formation collapsed. "Fall back!" Yuna shouted. "There is no way back!" someone answered. Doyun unleashed a wall of flame. The nearest statues staggered, but their armor remained intact. Jihan watched the battlefield. The statues weren't attacking randomly. They moved in coordinated groups, forcing the Hunters toward the center of the chamber. Every time someone tried to reach the door, three warriors intercepted them. They were being herded. Toward the throne. "Doyun!" Jihan yelled. "We need to split them up!" "Shut up and fight!" A statue struck Jihan across the chest. He flew into a pillar and landed hard enough to knock the air from his lungs. His armor shattered. Something warm ran down his face. He tried to stand. His legs refused. A shadow fell over him. The statue raised its sword. Jihan closed his eyes. Then he heard a voice. Not from the chamber. From inside his own skull. CONDITION MET. CANDIDATE DETECTED. WOULD YOU ACCEPT THE BURDEN? Jihan opened his eyes. The sword hung inches above his face. "What?" The statue began to move again. Jihan thought of Sora. Of the hospital room. Of the bills stacked on his kitchen table. Of all the times he had smiled and told her everything would be fine when he had no idea how he would make it true. He had spent his entire life surviving. He was tired of being powerless. "Yes." The world turned black. A sound like a thousand chains breaking shook the chamber. The statue froze. Blue fire vanished from its eyes. Every Hunter stopped fighting. Above Jihan, a single line of pale silver text appeared. CONTRACT ACCEPTED. Then the throne began to scream. CHAPTER FOUR — THE EMPTY KING Jihan stood in a place without stars. A vast ocean of darkness stretched beneath his feet. Black pillars rose into an endless sky, each wrapped in chains that disappeared into the void. At the far end stood a man wearing a crown of shattered silver. Unlike the armored figure on the throne, this man looked almost human. His hair was white, his skin pale, and his eyes were the color of a dying sun. "You took your time," the stranger said. Jihan stared at him. "Who are you?" "The question is irrelevant." "Then answer a relevant one. Am I dead?" The stranger considered him. "Not yet." "That's reassuring." A faint smile crossed the man's face. "You possess a remarkable talent for surviving situations you should never have entered." "I've heard that before." "Of course you have. It is the only thing you are good at." Jihan clenched his fists. "Who are you?" The stranger extended one hand. "I am Azael, the last sovereign of the Hollow Court. Once, my armies commanded the dead stars. Once, even the gods feared to speak my name." He glanced at the chains surrounding the pillars. "Now I am a prisoner." Jihan looked around. "And you need me to let you out?" "No." Azael's golden eyes sharpened. "I need you to become strong enough to kill the thing that put me here." The darkness trembled. Far above them, something enormous moved beyond the horizon. Jihan felt it watching him. "What happens if I refuse?" "You die in that chamber. Your sister dies in a hospital bed. The world continues as it always has." Jihan's hands shook. "Can you save her?" "I can give you the power to save anyone you are strong enough to protect." It was not a promise. It was a challenge. Jihan stepped forward. "What is the price?" Azael's smile vanished. "Every power has a hunger. Mine hungers for the truth. You will see things no human was meant to see. You will hear the voices of the dead. You will carry memories that do not belong to you." "And if I lose control?" "The thing you become will be worse than the monsters you fight." Jihan looked at his hands. For the first time in his life, he felt something other than fear. He felt a door opening. "Give me the power." Azael raised his hand. Silver chains erupted from the darkness and wrapped around Jihan's arms, chest, and throat. Pain tore through him. His bones seemed to melt. His heart stopped, restarted, and stopped again. Images flooded his mind: ruined cities beneath red moons, armies of faceless soldiers, a throne burning in a sea of stars. Then everything vanished. AWAKENING COMPLETE. CLASS: UNREGISTERED. TITLE: THE LAST ZERO. PRIMARY ABILITY: ECHO FORGE. Jihan fell to his knees. Azael stood over him. "Rise, little king." CHAPTER FIVE — THE FIRST COMMAND Jihan awoke on the stone floor. The chamber was silent. The surviving Hunters stood frozen, staring at him as if he had crawled out of a grave. Perhaps he had. The armored statues lay scattered across the chamber. Their blue flames had vanished. The black throne was cracked down the middle. Yuna rushed toward him. "Jihan! Can you hear me?" He tried to answer, but his throat burned. She pressed a healing charm against his chest. Warm light spread through his broken armor. "You're alive," she whispered. "How?" Jihan looked at the empty throne. "I don't know." It was the truth. Mostly. Doyun approached, his sword still glowing. "What happened?" Jihan shook his head. "I don't know." "Don't lie to me." Doyun grabbed his collar. "You were dying. Then the entire chamber went dark. Every monster dropped dead, and now you're standing here without a scratch." "I'm not standing very well." Doyun struck him across the face. Yuna stepped between them. "Stop it!" Doyun shoved her aside. "That power belongs to the guild. Whatever you received in here, we are taking it." Jihan slowly lifted his head. For seven years, he had accepted humiliation because fighting back was pointless. He had swallowed insults, endured dangerous assignments, and watched stronger Hunters take the rewards for his work. But something inside him had changed. A pale silver window appeared in his vision. HOSTILE INTENT DETECTED. ECHO FORGE AVAILABLE. Jihan stared at Doyun. "What is Echo Forge?" The answer arrived without sound. THE DEAD REMEMBER. Jihan looked at the shattered statue lying beside his foot. He reached toward it. The remains trembled. Black smoke rose from the broken armor, gathering into a human shape. Blue fire appeared inside an empty helmet. The spirit knelt. FIRST ECHO RESTORED. Doyun stepped backward. "What did you do?" Jihan looked at the kneeling warrior. He could feel its memories. Its ancient loyalty. The countless battles it had fought before dying in this chamber. He could also feel its obedience. Jihan swallowed. "Stand." The warrior rose. "Protect them," Jihan commanded. The spirit turned toward Doyun. For the first time, the raid leader looked afraid. Jihan raised his hand. "Not him. Protect everyone." The spirit lowered its weapon. Yuna stared at Jihan as though she no longer recognized him. Neither did he. CHAPTER SIX — A NEW RANK The raid ended with four survivors. The official report classified the event as an unstable dungeon collapse. The deaths were attributed to an unexpected increase in monster density. Nobody mentioned the throne. Nobody mentioned the silver chains. And nobody mentioned the boy who had commanded a dead warrior to kneel. Jihan left the hospital the next morning with a fractured rib, several stitches, and a secret powerful enough to get him killed. His first stop was the Hunter Association. A registration clerk barely looked up when he approached. "Name?" "Kang Jihan." "Rank?" "F." The clerk sighed and entered the information. "Ability?" Jihan hesitated. "Unregistered." That earned him a glance. "Unregistered abilities require a formal evaluation." "Then schedule one." The clerk handed him a number. "Three weeks." "I need it today." "Then you should have awakened something useful." Jihan stared at the man. He had heard that sentence in a hundred different forms. He turned away. A silver window appeared. NEW OBJECTIVE AVAILABLE. DEFEAT A MONSTER ABOVE YOUR CURRENT THREAT LEVEL. REWARD: ATTRIBUTE POINTS. Jihan stopped walking. "Attribute points?" STRENGTH: 5 AGILITY: 6 ENDURANCE: 4 SENSE: 8 The numbers glowed faintly. He concentrated on the word strength. A small symbol appeared beside it. AVAILABLE POINTS: 3. Jihan assigned all three points to strength. Heat rushed through his arms. His muscles tightened. His breathing deepened. The pain in his ribs dulled. He grabbed the edge of the counter. The metal bent beneath his fingers. The clerk stared at the warped surface. Jihan released it. "Sorry." He walked out before anyone could ask questions. Outside, the city moved beneath a gray sky. Hunters hurried between buildings. Giant screens displayed advertisements for weapons, armor, and expensive dungeon insurance. A news report played above a crowded intersection. "Authorities have confirmed the discovery of a new Gate beneath the abandoned Seongbuk industrial district. The Gate has been provisionally classified as F-rank, and a clearance team is expected to enter tomorrow morning." Jihan watched the screen. The image showed a familiar black opening. Something inside it was calling to him. His silver interface flickered. HIDDEN OBJECTIVE DETECTED. RETURN TO THE PLACE WHERE THE FIRST CROWN FELL. TIME LIMIT: 24 HOURS. He stared at the countdown. Twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes. For the first time in his life, he had somewhere to go. CHAPTER SEVEN — THE HUNGER OF POWER That night, Jihan entered an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Seoul. He needed to understand his new ability before anyone discovered what he had become. He summoned the spirit of the ancient warrior. Silver mist gathered in the air, forming armor, a sword, and a hollow helmet. The spirit knelt before him. "Can you speak?" Silence. "Can you understand me?" The warrior raised its head. Jihan felt a flicker of recognition, like a memory shared between strangers. "Fine. One question at a time." He ordered the spirit to attack. The warrior moved with terrifying speed. Its sword sliced through the air, forcing Jihan to dodge. He stumbled, barely avoiding the next strike. "Stop!" The sword halted a finger's width from his neck. Jihan exhaled. The spirit was powerful, but it was not alive. It followed commands literally. It did not protect him from his own mistakes. He dismissed it and opened his interface. ECHO FORGE CURRENT ECHOES: 1 ECHO QUALITY: DAMAGED COMMAND LIMIT: 1 STABILITY: 12% He touched the final line. A warning appeared. ECHOES REQUIRE ENERGY. EXCESSIVE SUMMONING MAY DAMAGE THE HOST. "Of course it does." Azael's voice drifted through his thoughts. "You expected power without consequence?" Jihan stiffened. "Get out of my head." "I am not inside your head. Your mind is merely the only place where I can speak." "That doesn't make it better." Azael laughed softly. "You have inherited a fragment of my authority. Every enemy you defeat may leave behind an echo. Every echo strengthens your command over the dead. But understand this: a soul is not a tool." Jihan looked at the warrior's empty helmet. "Then what is it?" "A debt." The word lingered. "What happens when I collect too many?" "That depends on whether you remain their master or become their prison." The warehouse fell silent. Jihan dismissed the echo. He did not want an army of slaves. He wanted enough strength to ensure nobody else could decide whether his sister lived or died. That was all. For now. CHAPTER EIGHT — THE GATE THAT BREATHED The Seongbuk Gate stood beneath a ruined factory. Its surface pulsed like dark water. Yellow caution tape fluttered in the wind, and several government vehicles blocked the surrounding street. Jihan arrived before sunrise. A group of Hunters had already assembled. At their center stood a woman wearing a black combat coat. Her long hair was tied behind her head, and a silver emblem marked her shoulder. Han Mira. An S-rank Hunter. The strongest person Jihan had ever seen in person. She could split a building with a gesture and had survived three catastrophic Gate breaches. She noticed him immediately. "You're not on the roster." "I'm here to investigate the Gate." "Are you an Association officer?" "No." "Then leave." Jihan looked past her. The Gate's surface rippled. He could see faint silver threads moving beneath it, like veins beneath skin. "It's not F-rank," he said. Mira's expression changed. "What did you say?" "The classification is wrong." She stepped closer. "Explain." Jihan searched for words that would not make him sound insane. "I can feel something inside it." Mira studied him for several seconds. "Name?" "Kang Jihan." Recognition flickered across her face. ." He sighed. "I was hoping that nickname would die." "People who survive the impossible tend to attract attention." She turned toward the Gate. "Tell me what you sense." Beneath the hum of the city, he heard a heartbeat. Then another. Then hundreds. Something was sleeping beyond the Gate, and its dreams were bleeding into the world. He opened his eyes. "It's not a dungeon." Mira reached for her weapon. "What is it?" Jihan watched the black surface bulge outward. "A mouth." The Gate split open. A massive claw emerged, followed by a head crowned with jagged horns. The creature dragged itself into the morning light, its body covered in overlapping plates of dark red armor. Hunters screamed as the creature released a shock wave that shattered nearby windows. Mira raised one hand. "Everyone, fall back!" Jihan could barely breathe. The monster's eyes were golden. The same color as Azael's. A silver message appeared in front of him. HIDDEN OBJECTIVE UPDATED. TARGET: THE GATEKEEPER. THREAT LEVEL: UNMEASURABLE. WARNING: DEATH IS PERMANENT. The monster lowered its head. Its gaze settled on Jihan. Then it spoke in a language he had never learned. Yet somehow, he understood every word. THE KING HAS SENT HIS CHILD. Jihan's blood turned cold. The creature smiled. LET US SEE IF YOU BLEED LIKE YOUR FATHER. CHAPTER NINE — THE FIRST HUNT Mira attacked first. A blade of compressed energy tore across the street, striking the Gatekeeper directly in the chest. The explosion threw dust and broken concrete into the air. For one glorious second, Jihan believed they had won. Then the dust cleared. The creature had not moved. Mira's eyes widened. The Gatekeeper swung one claw. She barely raised a barrier before the impact launched her through the factory wall. The Hunters scattered. "Retreat!" someone shouted. The Gatekeeper stepped forward. Every footfall cracked the ground. Jihan stood frozen. He could run. He should run. There was no shame in surviving a monster that an S-rank Hunter could barely hurt. Then he heard Sora's voice in his memory. When you're strong enough, promise you'll come home. "I promised." The silver interface opened. SUMMON CURRENT ECHO? He reached toward the ground. "Rise." Silver mist exploded from the broken pavement. The ancient warrior emerged, sword raised. Its armor gleamed beneath the sunrise. The Gatekeeper tilted its head. A REMNANT. HOW DISAPPOINTING. It struck. The warrior shattered in a single blow. Jihan staggered as pain ripped through his chest. The interface flashed red. ECHO DESTROYED. HOST STABILITY: 4%. He dropped to one knee. Mira crawled from the wreckage, blood running down her forehead. "Run!" she shouted. Jihan looked at the shattered remains of his echo. Then he saw something. The Gatekeeper's shadow did not match its body. It stretched in the wrong direction, reaching toward the Gate as though something on the other side were pulling it backward. A chain. A silver chain. Jihan could see it now, wrapped around the creature's shadow. The same chains that had bound Azael. The monster was not free. It was being controlled. Jihan forced himself upright. He did not attack the armor. He attacked the chain. "Break!" He thrust his hand forward. Silver light erupted from his palm. The chain snapped. The Gatekeeper screamed. For the first time, the monster staggered. Mira stared at him. Jihan's vision blurred. His entire body felt as though it were burning from the inside. The Gatekeeper turned its golden eyes toward him. YOU SHOULD NOT POSSESS THAT AUTHORITY. Jihan wiped blood from his mouth. "Then come take it." The monster lunged. Jihan raised both hands. The shadows beneath the ruined factory began to move. One by one, fallen creatures emerged from the darkness. Broken crawlers. Shattered guardians. The remnants of things that had died beneath the earth. They gathered around him. Not as slaves. As witnesses. Jihan felt their memories, their rage, and their ancient fear. He gave them a single command. "Hold it." The dead charged. The Gatekeeper roared as dozens of spectral hands seized its limbs. Its claws tore through the spirits, but every destroyed echo bought Jihan another second. He ran forward. His body screamed. His dagger felt impossibly small. He aimed for the crack in the creature's chest where Mira's attack had struck. The Gatekeeper swung. Jihan ducked beneath the claw, slid across the broken pavement, and drove the dagger into the exposed fissure. The blade shattered. But his hand touched the monster's core. Silver chains erupted from his fingers. They wrapped around the creature's heart. Jihan screamed and pulled. The core cracked. The Gatekeeper collapsed. Its body disintegrated into black ash, swept away by a wind that smelled of rain and ancient stone. Silence descended over Seongbuk. The interface appeared one final time. GATEKEEPER DEFEATED. HIDDEN OBJECTIVE COMPLETE. NEW TITLE ACQUIRED: HE WHO BROKE THE CHAIN. ECHO FORGE EVOLUTION AVAILABLE. WOULD YOU ACCEPT THE NEXT CROWN? Jihan stared at the words. Behind them, a final message appeared. NOTICE: YOUR EXISTENCE HAS BEEN DETECTED BY THE SEVEN THRONES. Far beyond the clouds, seven stars went dark. And somewhere in the depths of the universe, an ancient king opened his eyes. EPILOGUE — THE SEVEN THRONES In a realm beyond time, seven figures sat around a table carved from the bones of dead worlds. One wore a crown of fire. Another possessed a face hidden behind a veil of stars. A third had no body at all, only a voice echoing through an empty suit of armor. At the head of the table sat a figure whose face resembled Jihan's. Almost. The figure smiled. "The chain has broken." The others stirred. "Impossible," said the one crowned in fire. "The Hollow Sovereign was sealed before your world had a name." "And yet his authority has returned." "Then kill the vessel." The figure at the head of the table lifted one hand. Seven black crowns appeared above the table. "No." The room fell silent. "The vessel must grow. He must gather the echoes, restore the lost authority, and believe himself strong enough to challenge us." "And when he does?" The figure leaned back. "Then we will discover whether the Hollow Sovereign has finally found a worthy successor." A pause. "Or whether he has merely created the weapon that will destroy us all." Far below, on a rain-soaked street in Seoul, Kang Jihan opened his eyes. His phone vibrated. A message from the hospital. Sora's condition has deteriorated. Please contact us immediately. Jihan stared at the screen. He had defeated a monster that could crush an S-rank Hunter. He had broken a chain forged by ancient gods. He had received the attention of powers that had existed before humanity. And he still could not guarantee his sister another day. He slowly closed his hand around the broken dagger. "Then I'll get stronger." The shadows beneath his feet stirred. One voice became two. Two became ten. And in the darkness behind him, an army that had been dead for a thousand years began to awaken. END OF BOOK ONE: THE LAST ZERO The story continues in Book Two: The Army Beneath the World.THE LAST ZERO Rank F. "Faulty equipment." Something was wrong. Blood. Silence fell. "Then stay outside." "Let's get paid." "Keep moving." "Burn them!" "Probably." Once. Twice. Three times. WELCOME, SUCCESSORS. The message changed. ELEVEN HAVE ENTERED. Toward the throne. "Shut up and fight!" His armor shattered. He tried to stand. His legs refused. CONDITION MET. CANDIDATE DETECTED. "What?" "Yes." The statue froze. CONTRACT ACCEPTED. Jihan stared at him. "Who are you?" "Not yet." "That's reassuring." "Who are you?" Jihan looked around. "No." Jihan's hands shook. "Can you save her?" It was a challenge. "What is the price?" "Give me the power." AWAKENING COMPLETE. CLASS: UNREGISTERED. "Rise, little king." Perhaps he had. "I don't know." It was the truth. Mostly. "What happened?" "I don't know." "Don't lie to me." "Stop it!" THE DEAD REMEMBER. The spirit knelt. FIRST ECHO RESTORED. "What did you do?" Jihan swallowed. "Stand." The warrior rose. Neither did he. "Name?" "Kang Jihan." "Rank?" "F." "Ability?" Jihan hesitated. "Unregistered." "Then schedule one." "Three weeks." "I need it today." He turned away. "Attribute points?" STRENGTH: 5 AGILITY: 6 ENDURANCE: 4 SENSE: 8 AVAILABLE POINTS: 3. Jihan released it. "Sorry." "Can you speak?" Silence. "Stop!" Jihan exhaled. ECHO FORGE CURRENT ECHOES: 1 COMMAND LIMIT: 1 STABILITY: 12% A warning appeared. "Of course it does." Jihan stiffened. "Then what is it?" "A debt." The word lingered. That was all. For now. Han Mira. An S-rank Hunter. "No." "Then leave." "What did you say?" She stepped closer. "Explain." "Name?" "Kang Jihan." ." He sighed. Then another. Then hundreds. He opened his eyes. "What is it?" "A mouth." The Gate split open. The creature smiled. Mira attacked first. Mira's eyes widened. Jihan stood frozen. "I promised." SUMMON CURRENT ECHO? "Rise." It struck. ECHO DESTROYED. HOST STABILITY: 4%. "Run!" she shouted. A chain. A silver chain. "Break!" The chain snapped. Mira stared at him. "Then come take it." The monster lunged. Not as slaves. As witnesses. "Hold it." The dead charged. He ran forward. His body screamed. The blade shattered. The core cracked. GATEKEEPER DEFEATED. Almost. The figure smiled. The others stirred. "No." "And when he does?" A pause. His phone vibrated. Two became ten. The story continues in Book Two: The Army Beneath the World.

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