The crimson sky of the Rift pulsated like an open wound as Han jun sprinted toward the heart of the forest. The air was no longer thick with spores; it was choked with silver, metallic webbing that hummed with a low-frequency vibration. Every step he took sent a ripple through the forest floor, alerting the Layer Boss to his exact coordinates.
"Twenty minutes left," Han jun gasped, his breath hitching behind his high collar. "The UN Strike Team is probably setting up a dampening field at the stadium right now. If I don't finish this and find a secondary exit, I'm a lab rat."
Viewers: 310,000... 350,000!
Chat:
GamerGod: Look at the webbing! It's absorbing the light from his drone!
SignalLost: The stream is lagging! The boss's mana is too high!
WhaleWatcher: DON'T STOP! USE THE FLAME!
Han jun skidded to a halt in a massive, bowl-shaped clearing. In the center sat the Weaver of Void. It was a nightmare of geometry and flesh a spider the size of a two-story house, with limbs made of translucent violet glass and a cluster of twelve eyes that reflected different timelines. It didn't breathe; it flickered in and out of existence, a glitch in the fabric of the Rift.
The Weaver let out a sound that wasn't a scream, but a burst of static that nearly crashed Han jun's system interface.
System Notification: Boss Encounter - Weaver of Void (Level 15 Elite)
Warning: Spatial Distortion detected. Your Agility is reduced by 50%.
"Level fifteen?" Han jun gritted his teeth, the red runes on his Berserker's Cuffs glowing a fierce, angry crimson. "I'm only Level five. In the novel, the protagonist waited until he had a party of ten to fight this thing."
The Weaver lunged, its glass legs stabbing into the earth like harpoons. Han jun barely rolled away, the spatial distortion making his movements feel like he was underwater. The spider didn't miss; it simply manipulated the space around Han jun, pulling him toward its dripping mandibles.
"You think you can control the arena?" Han jun shouted, his hand diving into his hoodie pocket. "I have the audience on my side!"
System Shop: Temporal Stabilizer (Single Use) 8,000 Points
He slammed a small, ticking device into the ground. A wave of blue energy washed over the clearing, locking the space in place. The Weaver shrieked as its flickering body was forced into a solid, physical form.
Viewers: 400,000!
Chat:
TechWizard: HE STABILIZED THE VOID! THAT COST HIM EVERYTHING!
RichieRich: HE'S OUT OF POINTS! FanGirl_01: Look at his hand! He's still holding the Legendary item!
"This is for the Strike Team waiting outside," Han jun yelled, uncorking the Essence of the First Flame. "And for anyone who thinks they can own the Gates!"
He poured the white flicker of fire onto his notched iron sword. The blade didn't just catch fire; it transformed. The metal melted away, replaced by a roaring pillar of pure, celestial heat that turned the surrounding webbing into ash instantly.
Han jun leaped. With the Berserker's Cuffs magnifying his strength and the First Flame guiding his strike, he became a comet of white light. He cut through the Weaver's glass legs, shattered its thorax, and drove the flaming core of the sword directly into its central cluster of eyes.
A blinding explosion of white and violet light consumed the clearing.
Boss Slain! You have gained 10,000 Experience Points.
Level Up! Level 5 - Level 12 Item
Acquired: Void-Walker's Cloak (Legendary)
Han jun didn't wait for the smoke to clear. He grabbed a glowing violet orb from the boss's remains the Layer Heart and looked at his timer.
"Five minutes. Drone, get ready for a rough landing."
Instead of running back to the stadium entrance where the soldiers waited, Han jun pointed his sword at the center of the boss clearing. In the novel, the death of a Layer Boss created a temporary "Sub-Rift" a one-way exit to a random location within ten miles of the main Gate.
"Chat, I'll see you on the other side," he said, his voice straining. "And tell the UN... they're going to need a bigger net."
He dove into the collapsing violet hole just as the forest began to dissolve.
The transition was violent. He felt like he was being shredded and reassembled. Then, with a sudden burst of cold air, he slammed into a dumpster in a dark, rain-slicked alleyway. The smell of trash and wet asphalt had never smelled so good.
Han jun groaned, pushing himself up. He was back in Seoul, but far from the stadium. He checked his drone; it was cracked and sparking, but the red "Live" light was still blinking.
Viewers: 550,000!
Chat: SeoulLocal: WAIT! I recognize that neon sign! He's in the Mapo District!
PoliceScanner: Multiple tactical units are diverting from the stadium! They saw the stream!
WhaleWatcher: RUN, STREAMER! RUN!
Han jun pulled his hood low over his eyes, his new Void-Walker's Cloak shimmering and turning him almost invisible against the brick wall. He could hear the distant wail of sirens and the thudding of heavy helicopter rotors approaching.
"The first stream is officially over," Han jun whispered into the camera, his silhouette fading into the shadows of the alley. "But the world is never going back to the way it was. Like, subscribe, and stay tuned. The real war starts tomorrow."
He tapped the interface, and the screen went black.