Episode 2: Chapter 13

[Plot Review - A climactic scene is unfolding.]

The notification blinked across my vision like a quiet warning. My eyes locked on it for a moment.

So this was it—the moment when everything would escalate. The moment we'd face the entities. And deep down, I knew it. My hidden skill would trigger again. Whether I liked it or not.

I pulled a chair toward me and sat on it backward, arms resting on the top rail. "What sort of beast are we dealing with?" I asked, eyes sweeping across the squad leaders.

"...Sigh." The woman in the fitted armor spoke first. Her eyes held no fear—only calculation. "It's unpleasant. Uncanny. You won't even be able to tell if it was once human or not."

That image alone itched at the edge of my thoughts. My gaze dropped to the ground as I tried to dig through the archives of myth in my brain. Something from Greek lore? Maybe Galatea? No—that didn't fit. She was turned human by Aphrodite. This... felt far more corrupted.

"Any other intel?" I asked.

Another man leaned forward. "The dungeon connects directly to Hades. That much is clear."

My brows drew together. "How can you be sure?"

He nodded once, as if bracing himself. "Our Guardian Graces told us."

Guardian Graces—so that's what they call them now? Their so-called divine sponsors.

However, as that thought sank in, I recalled what I'd reviewed just the other day from the draft chapter.

They're going to face three entities today—not just one. And right in the middle of that chaos, Jae Min is going to awaken half of his full potential.

That's the major turning point. His character arc splits wide open from there.

I reached up, fingers tugging gently at a lock of my hair, trying to sift through the fog of old myths and logic, piecing things together.

If this dungeon is connected to Hades—then by all mythological context, the underworld—what kind of creature would even match the "uncanny, human-like" description they gave?

Mythologically speaking, most daemons in the underworld aren't shaped like twisted humans.

They're formless, shadowy, monstrous—guards of the dead, sure, but not the kind that wear the uncanny valley like a mask.

That's the gap that's bothering me.

Something doesn't add up. Either this dungeon is pulling non-canonical entities—outside Hades' original lore—or someone, or something, is tampering with the integrity of the gate itself.

And if that's true…Then this distortion might not be just an anomaly.

It might be intentional.

It seems my suspicion toward Zeus's incarnation is slowly fading.

He's powerful, sure—divinely blessed, maybe even a little too radiant—but I don't think he's the source anymore. Not of this.

In fact...I'm starting to think none of them are.

With a soft flick of my finger, I activated the Plot Review skill again.

The interface jittered, fractured lines trembling across the translucent screen like broken glass trying to hold itself together.

It's still glitching.

[The the the the @!#!@#@# the three entities flinched from the intense light cast by Ja Ja Ja Ja Jae min—their expressions finally shifting—but not from fear but fro#!#$!#$%$%#$...]

[Distortion has not been comprehended]

[Distortion has not been comprehended]

I then rewind it a little.

[Amidst the chaos, Jae Min stood alone—his silhouette framed by ruin, his breath ragged, his body trembling as blood spilled from the corner of his lips, trailing down his chin like a thread of crimson silk. Without Eunseok on his side, one cannot defeat such beings.]

[The entity stared at him, amused. Then, from its back, two more figures emerged—humanoid, yet utterly wrong. Their movements were fluid, like oil sliding over glass.]

["Pitiful... aren't they, brother?" murmured the one on the right, voice like a whisper through broken glass.]

["Truly. Cowards, hiding behind borrowed strength," sneered the one on the left.]

I still couldn't grasp it.What are they?

No daemon I know of.

No familiar myth twisted or retold.

The story shouldn't be this unstable—unless the lore was altered. If someone tampered with the foundation of the tale itself... that would explain the distortion.

A rewrite is not meant to happen. A fragment forced in.

I rewound more.

Then more.

Until the screen finally stopped shaking. The static was gone, and the distortion hadn't yet crept into the timeline.

[The rest of the group continued exploring the dungeon, fully aware that the beast responsible for nearly wiping out the previous raiding squad was still lurking somewhere within. They remained on high alert—every movement, every shadow was met with cautious eyes.]

After some time, they stumbled upon a vast cavern. At each edge, flames roared like infernos, casting flickering light across the ancient stone walls. Standing between the fires was a looming, gigantic gate.]

["A gate," one of the leaders said, staring directly at it.]

["The Gates of the Underworld," Byeom In-seok muttered, his voice low. He slowly placed his helmet over his head, bracing himself.]

Although I had already read this part before, a subtle theory was slowly piecing itself together in my head.

I wasn't really listening to what Byeom In-seok—the leader of the main raiding squad—was saying. There was no point. I wouldn't be participating in the initial assault anyway. 

Once the climactic scene began, I knew my hidden skill would activate again, pulling me out of the flow like a ghost among players—forced into that damned spectator state.

Still, if something off happens—If the distortion shows its ugly face—Then I'll move.

But until then, I'm just here to watch. To observe. To catch what no one else can.

"That's all for now," Byeom In-seok concluded, exhaling with subtle frustration. 

"Sigh… This Hell's Gate isn't even classified as a Catastrophe-class, yet here we are—two pantheons gathered at one place. I apologize for the unnecessary disruption, Pantheon of the Holy Light."

His gaze shifted to the man in white—The blind priest with hair like snow.

The one Jae Min had called Father Jung.

"And you... Detective Park," the main leader said, his gaze sharp and unwavering as it locked onto mine, "I assume you'll be contacting the higher-ups once something goes wrong?"

"I don't really have another choice," I replied, tone light—almost joking—but I knew it didn't land that way. It never did when it came from me.

No one laughed. No one even smiled.

A moment later, we stepped out of the tent. The air shifted.

The moment Byeom In-seok emerged, the attention of the entire raiding fleet snapped toward him.

All eyes turned—waiting, watching, bracing.

I let my arms slip free from my coat sleeves, letting the fabric drape over my shoulders like a cape as I surveyed the hunters standing across the ruined asphalt and shattered pavement.

So many of them. 

All strong.

All willing.

But I knew better.

Not all of them were ready for what was coming.

Murmurs died out, swept away by the weight of the voice that echoed from the tent's entrance.

"This time around, we will clear this dungeon and leave no single beast alive," the main leader declared, his tone loud and resolute.

Here we go again with the 'motivating' speech… I thought.

He continued, stepping forward with the conviction of a seasoned commander, "Let us all avenge those who fell in the past raids of this damned dungeon—and kill the very beast that reeks of death upon our brethren!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd of hunters, their battle cries rising like a wave crashing through the silence.

"Kill all the beasts your eyes lay upon, and make sure they do not draw another breath!"

With that, he stepped off the raised stone and descended the broken road—his cape fluttering, armor gleaming in the portal's pulsing light—as he led the charge toward the swirling blue maw of the dungeon.

The hunters followed like an army of shadows behind him.

I stood still, coat fluttering gently on my shoulders, watching. Observing.

"Hey... why didn't you tell us that you're an officer of the Association?" Jae Min asked, catching up beside me. His armor gleamed faintly under the rays of sunlight that pierced through the gaps in the clouds.

"You didn't ask," I replied flatly, not even turning my head.

He stopped mid-step, clearly caught off-guard.

I could almost feel his eyes boring into the side of my face, filled with disbelief.

"...Y–You could've just said something!" he protested, a pout creeping into his tone. "Anything! Other than nothing!"

The sound of countless armor plates clinking filled the air as the hunters marched forward into the Hell's Gate. 

The wind caught the noise, carrying it like a haunting rhythm—like even the world itself was warning us of what was to come.

"Hey…" Jae Min muttered, his voice lower now, almost unsure.

"Do you feel something from this Hell's Gate too?"

I turned to look at him.

The way he said it—it wasn't casual. There was weight behind it.

And truth be told, I did feel it. That same offbeat hum in the air. The kind that gnaws at the back of your thoughts. 

The distortion—it was already creeping in.

We said nothing more as we stepped through the swirling gate, letting it swallow us whole. 

The world twisted instantly, reality folding into something new, something darker.

The broken skies behind us disappeared, replaced by a vast cave—cold, echoing, unnatural.

 A dungeon. Wet stone and the distant sound of dripping water greeted us as we landed.

Light shimmered faintly as the mages at the front lifted their staffs and cast illumination spells. 

Soft white orbs floated toward the ceiling, revealing jagged formations, eerie shadows, and the faint glimmer of something deeper within.

We continued to venture deeper into the cave, the jagged walls closing in on either side like a throat ready to swallow us whole. 

Claw marks raked through the stone, some deep enough to hint at size.

Blood streaks—dried, dark, and dragging—told stories we didn't want to read.

The only sound was the echo of our footsteps, the clanking of the armors, and the slow, constant dripping of water somewhere in the dark.

"A bit cold here… isn't it?" Jae Min asked, his voice small, almost joking. He clutched the plates of his armor, the other hand gently holding onto the sleeve of my coat.

"No," I replied flatly.

He frowned. "…You're no fun," he muttered, but didn't let go.

"Ms. Go let you choose your reward. It's not my fault you picked that bulky tin can," I said, making him let out a soft chuckle at my nickname for his gear.

"Hey, this is a high-grade armor of a war angel—Samuell," he blurted out, chest puffed like a proud kid showing off his new toy.

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered.

We kept moving, steps steady along the uneven ground. Though we tried to move quietly, the clanking of metal—mostly from Jae Min—echoed around us like whispers in a tomb. 

At least we were still breathing. The cave is still quiet.

Or so I thought.

A sharp scream suddenly tore through the quiet, followed by a deep, guttural growl that shook the air.

"Demons!!" a hunter shouted from up ahead.

The sound of weapons being drawn followed immediately—swords sliding from sheaths, magic crackling to life, arrows nocked and strings drawn tight.

And just like that, the first wave began.

the demons began to rise from the shadows, twisted beings that charge right towards us with their sharp claws and sharp fangs.

Based on the fact that my hidden skill hadn't triggered yet, I knew—we weren't there. This wasn't the climactic scene. 

The three entities hadn't shown themselves. Not yet.

Still, the fight had begun.

I pulled my two combat knives with a clean flourish, spinning them once before catching both in a reversed grip.

Without missing a beat, I plunged one straight into the skull of a demon creeping behind me—its body twitching before collapsing like a sack of flesh.

Jae Min, already surrounded, moved like a knight reborn from medieval legends. His sword arcs were clean, precise—no wasted movement. The bulky armor didn't slow him down as much as I expected.

But even skill has its blind spots.

A demon leapt onto his back, claws ready to sink into his exposed neck.

With a flick of my thumb, I pressed the button.

Thwip.

The wire hook shot forward, piercing the demon's throat clean through. One tug—and the head snapped off like a pulled weed, rolling across the cave floor.

"You're welcome," I muttered.

Jae Min smiled and gave a silent nod, understanding the flow of battle between us.

The wire retracted back with a smooth click, coiling neatly into the handle of my knife.

All around us, the raid had broken into scattered skirmishes—hunters locked in fierce combat with demon beasts pouring from the jagged shadows of the cave. 

Some moved like seasoned predators, dispatching enemies with brutal efficiency. Others… not so much. Struggling. Staggering. Caught off guard.

Jae Min moved from one faltering hunter to the next, lending his blade where it was needed—light-footed despite his armor.

Then a scream split the chaos.

A woman's voice, sharp and panicked.

I snapped my head toward the sound. A mage—staff tossed aside—was pinned down by a towering demon beast, its arm raised high, claws wide open like jagged scythes.

Its face was chaos: a snarl of fangs, a crown of curling horns, and too many eyes blinking in perfect sync.

"Seo-jun!!" Jae Min called, urgency slicing through the noise as he pointed.

I was already moving.

One wire shot from my blade, wrapping around the demon's raised arm. The other whipped out, looping its way around the beast's long horn. I planted my feet, gritting my teeth as I pulled both with all the strength I had left.

The wires strained, the beast jerked—but not enough.

I wasn't strong enough to hold it long. Not with my stats still this low. The Ink system still hadn't kicked in properly.

"Hwang Jae Min!" I yelled, voice like flint against steel.

And then—

Flash.

A burst of golden light behind me.

Just like before.

He soared over my shoulder, his blade catching the light as he came down like judgment incarnate.

With a powerful downward arc, Jae Min's two-handed sword cleaved through the demon's sinewy flesh. The blade, bathed in radiant light, sliced clean through the beast's arm as if the bone were paper soaked in oil.

A heavy thud echoed as the severed limb hit the ground—followed quickly by the rest of the demon's body, which collapsed with a tremor. A deep, brutal gash ran across its chest, from shoulder to ribcage, where the holy blade had struck true.

The wires loosened in my grip, retracting automatically as the threat faded.

Jae Min landed beside me, his armor gleaming faintly in the flicker of torchlight and spell-fire.

"I got to try that," he said with a grin, eyeing my combat knives.

I instinctively hid them behind my back like a kid guarding his favorite toy.

"They're mine," I said, turning my back slightly, half-serious, half-pouting.

He laughed. "Alright, alright. Greedy."

But I could tell he was still eyeing them.