The teleportation gate to Japan didn't look like the others. It wasn't blue or red; it was a swirling vortex of violent purple and obsidian black. As Ren and Jin-Woo stood before it, the surrounding air felt like it was being sucked into a vacuum.
"The mana readings from this gate are off the charts," Jin-Woo remarked, his hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. "The Association labeled it S-Rank, but this... this feels like something else."
Ren stepped forward, his eyes glowing with the hollow light of the Void. "That's because it's not just a dungeon, Jin-Woo. It's a tear in the fabric of the System. The Architect is trying to flush us out."
As they entered, the scenery changed instantly. They weren't in a cave or a forest. They were in a ruined version of Tokyo, where the sky was a fractured mirror reflecting a dead sun. In the center of the city stood a colossal figure—a Void Sentinel, a creature made of the same energy that powered Ren's own core.
[Warning: Ancient Guardian Detected!] [Level: Unknown] [Threat Level: Catastrophic]
The Sentinel raised a massive blade of crystallized darkness. With a single swing, it sent a wave of erasure toward them.
"Igris! Iron! Tusk!" Jin-Woo roared, summoning his elite shadows. "Protect the perimeter!"
The shadow army clashed with the Sentinel's minions, but the main boss was focused entirely on Ren. It recognized its own power. It recognized the "glitch."
"Jin-Woo, hold its attention for ten seconds!" Ren shouted, his body beginning to phase in and out of existence. "I'm going to use a skill I haven't perfected yet."
Jin-Woo blurred into motion, his daggers clashing against the Sentinel's armor in a flurry of sparks and purple lightning. He was a whirlwind of destruction, keeping the giant occupied.
Ren took a deep breath, focusing every ounce of his Void energy into a single point in front of his chest.
[Skill Evolution Triggered!] [New Skill: Void Singularity (Rank S)]
A tiny, pin-sized black hole appeared between Ren's palms. The gravity around him inverted. Rocks, debris, and even the shadows of nearby buildings were sucked into the point.
"Now!" Ren unleashed the singularity.
The black hole expanded instantly, traveling toward the Sentinel with silent, terrifying speed. When it hit, there was no explosion. There was only... silence. A massive chunk of the Sentinel's torso simply ceased to exist, erased from reality.
[Target Heavily Damaged!] [Experience Gained: 500,000 XP] [Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!]
The Sentinel let out a silent scream as it began to dissolve. Jin-Woo landed next to Ren, looking at the empty space where the monster's chest used to be.
"Absolute erasure," Jin-Woo whispered, a hint of awe in his voice. "Ren, if you ever become my enemy... I'll have to kill you before you can blink."
Ren wiped a trail of blood from his nose, his body exhausted but his soul stronger than ever. "Let's hope it never comes to that, Shadow King."