The next morning, Jinwoo woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing incessantly on the nightstand. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the screen. It was a message from Hyeri.
Hyeri:
Meet us at the usual place in an hour. I've arranged a meeting with the info broker.
Jinwoo sat up in bed, his mind still buzzing from the encounter with the Watcher. The dark figure's chilling words played on repeat in his head—"There are forces in this world far beyond your control." He knew they had to uncover the truth, but something told him this wasn't going to be a simple meeting.
After getting dressed and grabbing his gear, Jinwoo headed out, making his way through the busy streets of Seoul. The city's usual hustle and bustle was oddly calming, a stark contrast to the dangers lurking beneath the surface.
At a secluded café tucked away in a quiet alley, Jinwoo found Hyeri and Donghyuk sitting at a corner table. Hyeri had her arms crossed, her expression tense, while Donghyuk was already halfway through a stack of pancakes.
"There you are, Jinwoo!" Donghyuk greeted him with a mouth full of food. "Man, you gotta try these pancakes! Best I've ever had!"
Hyeri shot him an annoyed look. "Can you be serious for five minutes, Donghyuk?"
"Hey, we need our strength, right?" Donghyuk grinned, not the least bit fazed.
Jinwoo chuckled as he sat down, but his tone quickly turned serious. "So, who's this info broker?"
Hyeri leaned in, lowering her voice. "Her name's Jihoon—she's known as the 'Shadow Witch.' If there's something strange happening in the Ascendant world, she knows about it. But she doesn't give information for free."
"What's her price?" Jinwoo asked, already preparing for some kind of dangerous deal.
Hyeri shrugged. "Depends. Sometimes it's money, sometimes it's favors. We'll have to see."
"Great," Jinwoo sighed. "Let's just hope it doesn't involve anything too crazy."
Donghyuk wiped his mouth and leaned in, suddenly looking serious. "So, where's this 'Shadow Witch' hanging out?"
"She'll meet us in the basement," Hyeri said, nodding toward a staircase in the back of the café. "We go down there, she'll find us."
Jinwoo felt a cold chill run down his spine. He'd heard rumors about people like Jihoon—Ascendants who operated in the shadows, living on the fringes of society. They were often more dangerous than the dungeons themselves. But he knew they had no choice. The Watcher wasn't just going to disappear.
"Alright," Jinwoo said, standing up. "Let's go."
The basement of the café was dimly lit, with a single flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling. Dust hung in the air, and the scent of old books and damp wood filled the room. Jinwoo, Hyeri, and Donghyuk made their way down the creaky stairs, their footsteps echoing in the silence.
At the far end of the room, a figure sat in the shadows, her face hidden by the hood of a tattered black cloak. A faint, eerie light glowed from the rings on her fingers, casting strange patterns on the floor.
"Welcome," a smooth, sultry voice said. "I've been expecting you."
Jinwoo narrowed his eyes. "Jihoon, right?"
The figure in the cloak chuckled softly. "Indeed. And you must be Jinwoo Han—the Limitbreaker. Word travels fast in my circles."
Jinwoo exchanged a glance with Hyeri, unsure how much he could trust this woman. "We need information. About someone called the Watcher."
Jihoon's glowing eyes shifted toward him, and she seemed to study him for a moment. "The Watcher... Now that's a name I haven't heard in a while."
"You know him?" Donghyuk asked, stepping forward.
Jihoon's eyes flicked toward Donghyuk, her lips curling into a half-smile. "Not personally. But I know of him. The Watcher is a servant—an enforcer of higher beings. He's part of an ancient order, one that oversees the balance of power in this world."
"What do you mean by 'higher beings'?" Hyeri asked, frowning.
Jihoon waved her hand, and a projection of arcane symbols appeared in the air. "You Ascendants think the system is simple—dungeons appear, you get stronger, you clear them, and the world is saved. But that's only the surface."
Her voice dropped lower, more ominous. "There are beings far more powerful than Ascendants—entities from another realm. They control the dungeons. They control the system. The Watcher is their eyes and ears."
Jinwoo's heart sank as he tried to process what she was saying. "So... he's working for them? The ones controlling the dungeons?"
"Yes," Jihoon said. "But that's not all. The Watcher's role is to maintain the balance. You, Jinwoo, are an anomaly. A Limitbreaker—someone who can defy the natural order of the system. To them, you're a threat. And the Watcher's job is to neutralize threats."
Jinwoo clenched his fists. "So that's why he confronted me. He wants to stop me from growing stronger."
"Exactly," Jihoon replied. "You've crossed a line, Jinwoo. The Watcher won't stop until you're either eliminated or controlled."
A heavy silence filled the room as Jinwoo processed the gravity of her words. Donghyuk frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. "But why? Why is Jinwoo such a big deal to them?"
Hyeri shook her head. "Because the Limitbreaker can grow infinitely stronger. That kind of power... It threatens the balance. If Jinwoo keeps leveling up, he could surpass even the strongest Ascendants."
Jinwoo's thoughts raced. The system, the dungeons, the Watcher—everything was connected to these higher beings. His power wasn't just a gift; it was a target on his back.
"Is there any way to stop him?" Jinwoo asked, his voice steady.
Jihoon smiled darkly. "The Watcher is powerful, but not invincible. If you want to defeat him, you'll need more strength—and more allies. And that... is where I come in."
She stood up, her cloak flowing around her like a shadow. "I can give you the information and resources you need to fight him. But in return, I'll need something from you."
Jinwoo narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"
Jihoon's smile widened. "A favor. There's a certain dungeon I've been keeping my eye on. A special one—E-rank on the surface, but it holds secrets even the higher beings want to keep hidden. Clear that dungeon for me, and I'll give you what you need."
Donghyuk groaned. "I knew there was going to be a catch."
Jinwoo exchanged a glance with Hyeri. They didn't have many options. The Watcher was coming for him, and they needed every advantage they could get.
"Deal," Jinwoo said, his voice firm. "We'll clear the dungeon."
Jihoon's eyes gleamed as she held out her hand. "Then it's a pact."
Jinwoo shook her hand, sealing the deal. The shadows around them seemed to grow darker, as if the room itself was reacting to their agreement.
"The dungeon is located outside the city," Jihoon said. "I'll send you the coordinates. Be careful. It's not like the others."
With that, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Jinwoo, Hyeri, and Donghyuk standing in the dimly lit basement.
"Well," Donghyuk said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Looks like we're in deep now."
Hyeri sighed. "We'll need to prepare. This isn't going to be an ordinary dungeon."
Jinwoo nodded, his resolve hardening. "Whatever it takes. We're going to stop the Watcher. No matter what."
As they left the café, Jinwoo couldn't help but feel the weight of the coming battle. The Watcher was watching, and the forces behind him were far beyond anything he had faced before.
But Jinwoo wasn't afraid. He had faced death before, and he had been given a second chance.
This time, he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way.
End of Chapter 4