Jae-min — the Phantom — landed silently on the rooftop of the abandoned corporate plaza after completing another night mission from Park Ji-hoon.
His breathing was steady, not a trace of fatigue… just irritation.
Because he already knew who leaked his location to the press the other day.
Shin Soo-jin.
A member of the Han Ye-rin Group.
An A-Rank hunter.
And apparently, a very persistent one.
He had spent the last few days retracing the flow of mana signatures left in the chamber incident. Mixed inside Beak Eun-ji's traces… was something else.
Voltage residue.
The kind that only came from someone who could turn themselves into electricity.
And tonight, she stepped out of the shadows as if answering his thoughts.
Her voice crackled like static.
"Phantom."
A spark shot across her eyes.
"You're a sneaky one… I didn't think you'd trace me."
Jae-min didn't even flinch.
"You talk too much."
Soo-jin clicked her tongue.
Lightning surged around her as she floated an inch above the ground, her body gradually dissolving into pure energy.
"You embarrassed the Han Ye-rin Group. I can't let that slide."
The air exploded.
—
THE BATTLE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW
Soo-jin blitzed forward as a streak of lightning, appearing behind Jae-min instantly.
Crackle—!!
Her electric kick struck his jaw — except it didn't.
Jae-min phased.
Her foot passed through him, crashing into the ground and splitting the tiles.
Before she could react—
Clank—!!
Chains burst up from the floor, wrapping toward her.
She dispersed into light, her form scattering into a thousand sparks.
"You think chains can catch electricity?" she smirked.
Jae-min lifted his palm.
Dark fire spiraled into existence, roaring violently.
"These can."
He fired.
A swirling lance of black-violet flames launched forward, bending the space it passed through. Soo-jin barely evaded, but a tendril of it brushed her shoulder — and she screamed as her energy form destabilized.
"D-Dark fire?!"
Jae-min appeared behind her using his teleport rift, twin blades drawn.
"Stop underestimating me."
He slashed — a clean arc infused with E.P.S.T amplification.
Soo-jin reformed in front of him, grabbing his wrist.
A massive electrical discharge detonated between them.
The shockwave shredded the nearby billboard.
Dust filled the air.
Their faces ended up inches apart — too close.
Soo-jin's eyes widened, her cheeks heating despite the sparks dancing around her.
"Y-You—!"
But Jae-min didn't care.
His expression stayed cold.
"Get out of my way."
One knee to her stomach — infused with Spirit Enhancement — and she went flying across three rooftops before crashing into a ventilation unit.
He didn't stay to see if she recovered.
He shadow-stepped away, completely unbothered.
---
CHAPTER C — THE SILVER CROSS UNION'S MONSTERS
The Silver Cross Union training arena was buzzing with activity.
Kang Dae-hyun — the Guild Captain — stood alone at the center, his arms crossed, eyes calm yet terrifying.
His ability: Matter Manipulation.
He didn't just bend metal or stone.
He bent anything that existed.
Go Ji-min and Yun Lee stepped forward — both S-rankers, confident yet clearly nervous.
Go Ji-min cracked her knuckles.
"Captain, I won't hold back."
Yun Lee nodded.
"Nor will I."
Dae-hyun smiled.
"Good. I'd be disappointed if you did."
He raised one hand.
"Begin."
—
THE DOMINATION OF KANG DAE-HYUN
Go Ji-min activated Death Stare, her killing aura forming a vortex behind her.
Yun Lee summoned his martial aura along with his golden blazing sword, coating his arms in hardened spirit plates.
They charged simultaneously.
Dae-hyun didn't move.
The ground moved for him.
The floor liquefied, turning into a wave that slammed into both of them like a tidal surge. Yun Lee flipped over it using acrobatics — Ji-min sliced through it using her aura blade.
But Dae-hyun snapped his fingers.
The liquefied matter hardened instantly into spikes — right in front of their paths.
Go Ji-min skidded to a stop, but Yun Lee crashed into a wall as the spikes bent and wrapped around her arms, immobilizing him.
"How—?!"
"Control the battlefield," Dae-hyun said calmly.
"Control the fight."
Ji-min roared and unleashed a high-tier aura slash.
Dae-hyun simply tapped the air.
Tap.
The aura slash froze mid-air — suspended like a paused video frame — then dissolved into dust.
The entire arena went silent.
He appeared in front of Ji-min in a blink.
"Too open."
Bam—!!
A palm strike to the stomach.
Her entire aura shattered as she rolled across the arena like a ragdoll.
Yun Lee freed himself and tried one last desperate attack, a spinning kick amplified with spirit plates.
Dae-hyun placed one finger forward.
Her kick stopped.
Not blocked — stopped, as if time refused to move around it.
Dae-hyun sighed.
"Good effort."
He flicked his forehead lightly.
BOOM—!!
he flew backward, embedding into the far wall.
The S-rank members watching were pale.
Someone whispered:
"He's… he's a monster…"
---
CHAPTER D — THE REAL SERPENT OF THE UNION
Kang Dae-hyun walked into the Guild Master's office, still dusting off his clothes from the spar.
The air inside was heavy.
Tan Yi-kan sat behind his desk, sipping tea. His presence was calm… too calm… like a serpent curled around prey.
His eyes lifted, sharp and ancient.
"Dae-hyun."
The captain bowed lightly.
"Guild Master."
Yi-kan smiled slightly — a smile that could freeze oceans.
"The first phase begins in two days. At the National Guild Gathering."
Even Dae-hyun felt a small chill run down his spine.
"Understood."
Yi-kan's eyes gleamed.
"Make sure the world remembers the name… Silver Cross Union."
The tension in the room could crush a B-ranker with pressure alone.
Outside, members continued training, unaware that the ground beneath their feet had already begun to shift.
And far away…
the Phantom's path was crossing all of theirs.
Soon.
Very soon.
---
---
LEVEL 88 — THE DRAGON OF THE SILENCED HELL
The ground beneath Jae-min cracked.
Not from his footsteps…
But from the pressure of Level 88 itself.
A suffocating wave of sulfuric heat rolled across the landscape. Nothing existed here except a wasteland of molten rock, towering obsidian cliffs, and pools of green, bubbling ectoplasmic lava. The air shimmered red, every breath feeling like swallowing fire.
This was no ordinary level.
This was the final gate of his trials.
> [LEVEL 88 — THE ABYSSAL CHASM OF SILENCED HELL]
Eliminate all Ghost Entities within the zone.
Final Boss: S-Rank Dragon Wraith — "Valzarketras."
Jae-min exhaled, summoning his Phantom attire in a streak of dark flames. Ragged shadows wrapped around his arms as his twin mystic guns materialized — black barrels inscribed with crimson lines that pulsed like molten veins.
"…Alright," he muttered. "Let's finish this."
---
THE WELCOME COMMITTEE
The moment he stepped deeper into the chasm, the world shook.
A roar echoed.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A spear of spectral flame exploded behind him. Three Ghost Knights crawled out of the molten fog, each towering over three meters tall. Their cracked armor glowed like burning coal, and their hollow skulls burned with eerie, emerald fire.
High-A Rank Ghosts.
All three charged at once.
Jae-min's irises sharpened, glowing with dark energy.
He flicked his wrist—
BLITZ—!
A chain of shadow shot from his palm and wrapped around the first knight's throat. He yanked—
CRACK!
The knight's head spun unnaturally, but it staggered forward anyway, swinging its flaming halberd.
Jae-min ducked, sliding across ash-covered ground as the blade sliced through molten stone.
He teleported.
SHRRIPT—
Appearing behind the second knight mid-air, Jae-min extended both guns.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Dark-infused bullets ripped through the ghost's armor, destabilizing its core until—
BOOM!!
It burst into green ectoplasmic smoke.
The first knight roared and leapt toward him.
The third raised a molten axe, swinging downward.
Jae-min clicked his tongue.
> "Time Zone."
—WHOOM—
A distortion spread around him.
Time warped.
Flames slowed to a crawl.
Axe swings froze midway.
The world itself held its breath.
Jae-min sprinted forward, leaving streaks of dark flame behind him as he spun, kicked, and hammered bullets into the knights' exposed spirit cores.
1 second.
2 seconds.
5 seconds…
The zone shattered.
Both knights exploded.
The battlefield fell silent.
Jae-min didn't smile.
He wasn't even breathing heavily.
Because he knew…
The real battle hadn't even begun.
---
THE EARTH SPLITS OPEN
The ground rumbled.
Cracks formed — spiraling outward like veins.
Molten rivers erupted upward.
Obsidian pillars shattered.
A shadow rose from beneath the earth…
No… A monster.
A colossal skeletal dragon emerged, draped in chains of cursed iron and cloaked in green fire that devoured the surrounding air. Its wings were tattered specters of what they once were, each flap releasing soul-freezing wind.
Its skull had three pairs of glowing emerald eyes layered on each other.
Its voice rumbled like a collapsing world.
> "Kneel… mortal."
The S-Rank Ghost Dragon.
Valzarketras.
Jae-min's grip tightened on his guns.
"…I've fought demons. I'm not kneeling to a ghost."
The dragon inhaled—
The air crystallized—
Jae-min's system screamed.
> [WARNING!]
[SPIRIT DECAY BREATH APPROACHING!]
He leapt—
FWOOOM!!!
A beam of emerald destruction obliterated the ground where he stood.
Hundreds of meters of rock melted instantly.
Jae-min teleported mid-fall, reappearing on the dragon's back. His chains shot out—
The dragon twisted its entire skeletal frame unnaturally and swung its tail.
CRASH!!!
Jae-min flew across the landscape, smashing through three rock formations.
"Ghh— cough—"
Blood dripped from his lip.
The dragon spread its wings.
> "This realm is mine. Your soul will feed the Abyss."
Jae-min's eyes narrowed.
"Not today."
---
RANGĀH — THE SOUL OF THE HAVOC DEMON
The dragon struck again.
BOOM—!
Jae-min barely rolled aside, sliding across molten ash.
His hand lifted—
> "Rangāh—"
The air around him trembled.
The ground split…
A towering demonic shadow rose behind him — horned, broad-shouldered, wrapped in cracked obsidian armor and chains dripping with hellish fire.
Rangāh, the Demon Commander.
Once a terror feared in the Havoc Realm — Now bound to Jae-min.
The demon knelt.
> "My master. Command me."
Jae-min pointed at the dragon.
"Destroy that thing."
Rangāh grinned, baring fangs.
> "With pleasure."
---
THE DEMON VERSUS THE DRAGON
Rangāh launched forward like a meteor.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The dragon responded with a storm of soul-piercing flames.
But Rangāh punched through them, shattering the attack with brute demonic strength.
They clashed.
The shockwave tore apart the chasm.
Dragon claws met demonic fists.
Spectral fire met demonic flames.
Each strike tore the ground open, sending quakes rippling for miles.
Jae-min fired from the side—
BANG BANG BANG!!!
His bullets detonated on the dragon's ribs, weakening sections of its armor.
Rangāh seized the opening, grabbing the ribcage—
And ripped an entire piece off.
The dragon roared, retaliating with a tail strike that sent Rangāh bouncing across the battlefield.
Jae-min leapt onto the dragon's spine, channeling Dark Flame.
"Let's see you handle this—!"
He aimed downward.
> "Dark Burst: Hellfire Nova!"
KRRRRAAAAASH!!!
A wave of black-crimson flames exploded through the dragon's spine, erupting out its chest.
The dragon buckled—
But it didn't fall.
Instead, it laughed.
> "You wield demonic power… yet you lack mastery."
Green lightning crackled across its wings.
The dragon flapped—
And the entire realm trembled.
A storm of soul-shredding blades descended upon them.
Jae-min's eyes widened—
> "Rangāh!"
The demon leapt in front of him, raising both arms.
The blades tore through Rangāh's body, ripping dozens of wounds across his chest, legs, and arms.
"Rangāh…!"
The demon grinned through the pain.
> "I live to serve. You will not perish."
---
THE DEMON RISE — FULL RELEASE
The dragon soared upward, gathering energy for another catastrophic breath.
Jae-min clenched his fists.
He couldn't let Rangāh die.
He couldn't fail here.
Not after everything.
Dark energy surged inside him.
His veins glowed black-crimson.
A violent wave of demonic force blasted out—
> [DEMON RISE — FULL RELEASE]
D.E awakened. Power output multiplied.
Jae-min's Phantom attire shifted again — sharper, heavier, with jagged crimson streaks across his cloak. His guns extended, forming twin demonic cannons pulsing with hellish fire.
The dragon saw him and froze.
> "…Impossible. A hybrid…?"
Jae-min's voice dropped into a growl.
"Rangāh… let's end this."
The demon rose behind him, towering like a shadow of death.
> "As you command, Master."
---
THE FINAL STRIKE
The dragon unleashed its strongest attack —
A beam of annihilation so bright it turned everything white.
Jae-min fired both cannons.
Rangāh punched forward with everything he had.
The two forces collided.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
The explosion swallowed the entire realm.
The blast wave vaporized mountains.
It tore open the sky.
Molten rivers evaporated.
For several seconds, nothing existed.
When the light faded—
The dragon's skull rolled across the ground, empty and cracked.
Its enormous body dissolved into emerald motes.
And Jae-min…
Stood victorious.
Rangāh knelt beside him, trembling but alive.
> "You have conquered Silenced Hell, master."
Jae-min exhaled, exhausted.
"…Yeah. We did."
---
THE FIRST GHOST REPRESENTATIVE
The dragon's soul condensed into an orb of emerald flames.
The system chimed:
> [S-Rank Ghost Soul Acquired!]
Use as Ghost Representative?
Jae-min nodded.
The orb shattered—
Revealing a new spectral form kneeling beside Rangāh.
The Ghost Dragon bowed.
> "I acknowledge you… Phantom of the Demon Rise."
Jae-min smiled faintly.
"Welcome to the team."
---
THE END OF THE TRIAL
A countdown appeared before him.
> 10…
9…
8…
Jae-min let the exhaustion hit him.
His body felt like shattered glass.
His energy nearly empty.
> 3…
2…
1…
Light swallowed him—
And he awoke in his bed.
Breathing softly.
Fully healed.
Safe.
He stared at the ceiling…
And smirked.
"…Level 88… cleared."
Jae-min was trilled that he was finally done with the levels. Then he got a notification.
[Congratulations! Host has f8nally finished the 88th level !!.]
[ Host will now receive a special reward from the Masterpiece!]
[Award: 5 awakening chances for anyone Host desires]
[ Rangāh has Leveled Up to 4 times]
" Yessssss!!! , this is Amazing!"
Jae-min sais as Quinn woke up from her sleep dew to her brothers screams.
"That knuckle head shup up!!"
She shouts as well from her room...