The gate Sung Il-Hwan emerged from. It looked quite different from the gates Suho had seen so far. Typically they were basically round in shape. Of course, their sizes could vary, or their shapes could be distorted, but they all fundamentally took the form of a 'hole' punched in the air. On the other hand, the gate Sung Il-Hwan came out of was a 'rift' itself. It was as if the dimensional wall was haphazardly torn and tattered, fluctuating unstably. That appearance...
'It's exactly like the sky I saw in the Glacier Dungeon.'
The sky of the Glacier Dungeon, where countless rifts were entangled and tore the dimensional wall to shreds. Suho thought it resembled the scenery there, although on a much smaller scale.
"Be aware, what lies beyond this is not an ordinary dungeon." Sung Il-Hwan walked towards the gate side by side with Suho, muttering with a serious expression.
At his words, Greed, the former High Priest of Itarim, and Iron, the ordinary priest, following behind added their own information.
[Little Monarch, several field-type dungeons have been intentionally left unattended in Yangpyeong.]
[Those field-type dungeons gradually expanded their territories and eventually merged into one.]
[As a result, the rifts became more distorted, and the dimensional wall got torn even more severely. Like this.]
This phenomenon was called 'Convergence of Rifts' or 'Acceleration of Rifts.' But there was no need for such difficult terms. Beru, the childhood tutor of Suho, explained it very easily.
[It's a simple principle. If you consider a single gate as a 'dot,' when two gates connect, they become a 'line.' And when three or more gates connect...]
Rumble!
[...They become a 'plane' like this.] Beru muttered, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the gate right in front of him.
[And when Itarim's meddling is added to the mix, it seems that a gate leading to the 'Void' is artificially created.]
"Void?"
[Yes, the gap between dimensions.]
'Dungeon' referred to a world in a different dimension, separate from Earth.
'Gate' meant the passage connecting those two dimensions.
And 'Void' literally meant the gap existing between those dimensions.
[It's a space of nothingness where anything can exist.]
In other words, the world where Sung Jinwoo wandered with the Shadow Army in search of the Monarchs existed beyond this gate.
[That's why even the Outer Gods' Cult called this phenomenon 'Void.']
[The ultimate goal of the Itarim is to spread these 'Void Gates' throughout Earth and ultimately create a supermassive rift directly connected to the outer universe where they are.]
Having turned the former High Priest and priests into soldiers, internal information was pouring out smoothly.
[The reason why the Outer Gods' Cult built their chapel here is also because they need to create the statue near this Void Gate to connect Itarim's consciousness...]
"W-wait a minute." Esil, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly grabbed Sung Il-Hwan's clothes from behind with a serious expression.
"Then you're saying Itarim might be inside this gate? Is it okay to go in like this without any preparation?"
At Esil's concern, Sung Il-Hwan smiled warmly and patted her head.
"That's not the case. I've already been inside once."
[Just three or four dungeons merging won't reach the outer universe.]
[If that were the case, Itarim would have invaded long ago.]
"Cough." Blood spurted from Sung Il-Hwan's mouth again, and Suho, having heard all the explanations, finally realized what was happening to his grandfather.
If one Star Piece was a 'dot,' two were a 'line.' And three or more... No, with dozens of Star Pieces embedded in his body, a 'Void' was occurring within Sung Il-Hwan right now.
"...So a Void Gate is about to appear in Grandpa's body."
"Haha. Yes, you understand quickly. It's like a walking gate. If this continues, my body will eventually be torn apart and create a dimensional rift."
"...Let's go in quickly."
Suho stepped into the gate with a grim expression. It was only a temporary measure, but there was only one thing they could do for now. To prevent a dimensional rift from occurring in his body, they had to enter the dimensional rift itself.
Fwoosh!
They passed through the ominously glowing gate and entered the Void. And soon, a grotesquely distorted world unfolded before them. A wide-open horizon could be seen in the distance, and the ground was filled with a chaotic jumble of flickering images. This was the gap between dimensions, the Void.
"Beru." Suho called out, observing this bizarre world.
[Yes.]
"Is this the place where my father wandered for decades?"
[Indeed. To reach the dimensions of the Monarchs, like the Tomb of Berserk Dragons... we had to wander through this place aimlessly, searching for the way.] Beru nodded heavily, recalling those times at Suho's melancholic words.
[Looking back, that journey was truly long and daunting. The Monarch once described it as wandering through a desert.]
"A desert..." Suho was speechless at the weight of those words.
Sung Il-Hwan also clenched his lips and muttered,
"Yes, this is where our Jinwoo..."
This empty world where Sung Jinwoo, his only son, wandered for decades with the mission to protect the world. The emotions he felt as a father, witnessing this place so late, were indescribable. But regardless of his feelings, thankfully, the ominous cracks that had been flickering on Sung Il-Hwan's body stabilized the moment they entered this place. Greed, who was in the same situation, was greatly relieved and explained,
[This is why it's safer for the High Priests of the Outer Gods' Cult to stay within this place. Short trips outside are fine, but after excessively using the power of the Star Pieces like earlier, they need to return here quickly, or their bodies might shatter.]
At those words, Suho checked Sung Il-Hwan's complexion again.
"Grandpa, are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
Sung Il-Hwan, who had seemed on the verge of collapse, was now in good condition. The effects of diligently making him drink potions were finally showing.
[However, this means he will have to remain trapped inside here from now on.] Beru looked at Sung Il-Hwan with a gloomy expression and teary eyes.
Suho looked at Greed and Iron and asked, "Is there no way to remove the Star Pieces from his body?"
[It would be extremely dangerous. It might be possible with one, but the High Priest level has Star Pieces all over their body...]
"Then... how about having him stay in my shadow?"
[The Shadow World is also a dungeon. For safety, it's best for him to stay within the Void...]
"Hmm..." Suho's expression turned grim as he realized all options led to the same conclusion.
To lighten the mood, Sung Il-Hwan forced a hearty laugh and patted Suho's back.
"Haha. Don't overthink it. Jinwoo wandered here for decades, so it wouldn't be bad to spend some time here, right?"
"Think of it as exploring this place. The problem is that your grandmother will worry too much, but since it's possible to go out for a short time as long as you don't use mana, that's not a problem either. Ah, speaking of which, I need to go out for a bit."
"Ah, Grandma." Suho suddenly remembered his grandmother and aunt, who were still anxiously waiting at the Association.
* * *
"D-dear!"
"Dad-!"
When they returned to the Yangpyeong branch together, many people were waiting for them. First, Suho's grandmother and aunt tearfully embraced Sung Il-Hwan.
Suho turned his gaze to the Association Hunters behind them, who were practically preparing for war.
"Hunter Sung Suho, welcome back."
Team Leader Han Jaehyuk had gathered all the Association forces he could mobilize to attack the black market. He approached with a burning fighting spirit.
"We've already interrogated the Yangpyeong branch manager and grasped the whole situation. Will you join us?"
"You're always a step behind."
"Thank you... What?"
"It's already over."
"What…? What do you mean..."
"I killed those who deserved to die and captured the rest."
"...?"
Suho felt a bit awkward at Team Leader Han Jaehyuk's bewildered expression. On his way back, he had killed all the demons in the black market to gain experience. And the Hunters who were using the black market were arrested by the Association Hunters. Since they were caught for tax evasion rather than being villains, Team Leader Han Jaehyuk said they would only face hefty fines. But the disposal of the most crucial items from this incident remained.
"The Association has decided to confiscate all the Stardust necklaces sold up for sale. The same goes for the Star Pieces found in the black market."
"Then what will happen to them? The Association is also partly responsible for this incident."
"Well, the Chairman is still in North Korea, so the specific plan..."
"The Chairman..."
Shiver - Team Leader Han Jaehyuk suddenly felt a chill.
"How far... can I trust the Association?"
"...!"
He felt as if he was falling into a bottomless darkness as he met Suho's black eyes. But was it just his imagination? The thick and heavy air suddenly lightened, and Suho smiled at Team Leader Han Jaehyuk.
"How about this?"
"...Yes?"
"The Association has lost trust due to this incident, and I've taken care of the black market, so I'll take all the Star Pieces. And the confiscated Stardust necklaces as well."
"Well, that's a bit..."
"For your information, this isn't a suggestion."
"..." Team Leader Han Jaehyuk was speechless at the quiet pressure.
Suho received all the Star Pieces and Stardust necklaces that had been spread across the country from the Association.
[So what are you going to do with them?]
At Beru's question, Suho immediately opened the Shop.
"I'm going to sell them all for gold."
[Kieek! Such a good idea...!] Suho's wisdom greatly impressed him.
But that wasn't the end of the plan. Since the amount of Star Pieces and Stardust necklaces was considerable, the Shop gold, which had been almost depleted, quickly accumulated. And Suho used these funds to purchase a large quantity of potions.
Mana potions, to be exact.
[Kiek? Not healing potions?] Beru looked puzzled. He had expected Suho to find a way to improve Sung Il-Hwan's condition right away, but he was suddenly buying mana potions.
"Potions aren't enough."
He had already experimented with removing the Star Pieces embedded in the foreheads of the demons in the black market to see if they could survive. The results were all failures. They all died with their heads cracked open. In other words, potions couldn't save Sung Il-Hwan.
"I need to create the Holy Water of Life."
[...] Beru's eyes widened at those words.
Suho recalled the ingredients for the Holy Water of Life.
[Spring Water from the Echo Forest.]
[Fragment of the World Tree.]
[Purified Blood of the Demon King.]
He had asked the deceased Monarchs about the Fragment of the World Tree before, and their answers were all the same.
[The King of Beasts, the Monarch of Fangs, shrugs.]
[The Queen of Insects, the Monarch of Pestilence, tilts her head with a thoughtful expression.]
[The King of the Snow Folk and the Monarch of Frost, says that if there's anyone who knows the location of the World Tree, it would be...]
That one person was...
The King of Demonic Specters, the Monarch of Transfiguration.
Only Yogumunt, the Monarch of Transfiguration, who could freely open gates and travel between dimensions, would know its location. But he couldn't think of a way to ask that deceased Monarch either.
Just as he was feeling lost. A thought crossed Suho's mind. The final battle. The strongest Monarch who Sung Jinwoo, fought against until the very end, the Dragon Emperor.
What was the reason why Antares could fight Sung Jinwoo until the very last moment? Wasn't it because the Monarch of Transfiguration cooperated with him and opened countless gates for the Dragon Emperor's army?
Therefore,
"The Dragon Emperor might know something."
Fwoosh!
[Entering the Shadow Dungeon.]
Thump.
Suho picked up 'Kamish's Egg,' which was stored in a corner of the pyramid. He placed a massive amount of mana potions beside it, put one in his mouth, and muttered with a meaningful expression.
"I'll hatch this thing today, no matter what."
Fwoosh!
And so, a tremendous amount of mana began to be poured into Kamish's Egg. Endlessly.