Dawn broke over the Academy, casting long shadows across the courtyard as Jin Woo adjusted the straps of his gear. His heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and dread. The team assigned to the mission was small but formidable:
- Hana, his steadfast ally, whose golden energy blasts had saved him more than once.
- Kim Dojin, the B-class tank who had reluctantly joined the mission, his gruff demeanor masking a grudging respect for Jin Woo after the recent sparring match.
- Min Soo, the wiry support specialist, who seemed more interested in observing Jin Woo than the mission itself.
"Ready?" Hana asked, her voice steady.
Jin Woo nodded, though he wasn't sure if it was true.
"Stay close," Dojin grunted. "I'm not babysitting you if you wander off."
The gate loomed before them, an ancient construct of twisting stone and glowing runes. It pulsed with a sickly green light, the air around it crackling with energy.
"Gate stability is at 40%," Min Soo reported, his device beeping in his hand. "Whatever's on the other side, it's not going to wait for us to make the first move."
"Let's move," Hana said, stepping forward.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the world shifted.
---
The landscape beyond the gate was desolate and alien. The ground was cracked and dry, the air thick with an acrid smell. Jagged rocks jutted from the earth like the bones of some long-dead beast, and the sky was an eerie shade of crimson, streaked with black clouds.
"Stay alert," Hana warned, her aura glowing faintly.
They moved cautiously, the oppressive silence broken only by the crunch of their boots on the brittle ground. Jin Woo felt a strange sensation, like the air itself was pressing against his skin.
"Something's wrong," he muttered.
"No kidding," Dojin said, hefting his massive shield. "This place reeks of death."
As they pressed on, the ground began to tremble. A low, guttural growl echoed through the air, sending a shiver down Jin Woo's spine.
"Contact!" Min Soo shouted, pointing ahead.
From the shadows emerged a group of twisted, monstrous creatures. Their forms were grotesque, their bodies covered in jagged scales and glowing with an unnatural light.
"Formation!" Hana commanded, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Dojin moved to the front, his shield raised. Hana and Min Soo flanked him, their abilities ready. Jin Woo hesitated for a moment before falling into position.
The monsters charged, their roars deafening.
---
Dojin held the line, his shield absorbing the brunt of the attacks. Hana unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, each one striking with pinpoint accuracy. Min Soo provided support, creating barriers and healing wounds as they fought.
Jin Woo focused on dodging and countering, his movements still sharper than they had any right to be. He struck with precision, his blade cutting through the monsters' tough hides.
But for every creature they felled, more seemed to take its place.
"There's too many!" Min Soo yelled, his voice tinged with panic.
Hana gritted her teeth. "We need to find the source. These things aren't coming from nowhere."
Jin Woo scanned the battlefield, his eyes drawn to a distant glow. Amidst the chaos, a towering figure stood, its form wreathed in dark energy. It didn't move, but its presence was suffocating.
"There!" Jin Woo shouted, pointing toward it.
Hana followed his gaze. "That must be it. We need to—"
Before she could finish, the ground beneath them erupted. A massive clawed hand burst through the earth, sending them sprawling.
From the crater rose a creature unlike the others—a hulking beast with four glowing eyes and a crown of jagged horns. It let out a deafening roar, its sheer size dwarfing everything around it.
---
The team scrambled to regroup, but the creature was relentless. It swiped at them with massive claws, forcing Dojin to his knees despite his shield.
"Fall back!" Hana shouted, but there was nowhere to go.
Jin Woo froze, his mind racing. The creature's presence was overwhelming, but it wasn't just fear he felt—it was familiarity.
"The throne calls for you."
The words echoed in his mind, and something within him stirred. His vision blurred, the world around him fading as a deep, resonant voice filled his thoughts.
"Arkanis… rise."
The pull was irresistible. Jin Woo's body moved on its own, stepping forward as dark energy began to swirl around him.
"Jin Woo!" Hana yelled, but her voice seemed distant.
The creature turned its glowing eyes toward him, hesitating for the first time.
Jin Woo raised his hand, and the energy coalesced into a swirling orb of darkness. His voice was calm, but it carried an authority he didn't recognize as his own.
"Monsters don't kneel to heroes. They kneel to kings."
The orb erupted, the shockwave blasting the creature back. The other monsters recoiled, their forms flickering as if uncertain.
For a moment, the battlefield was silent.
---
**End of Chapter 11**