The Black Veil Lifts
The black curtain lifted.
The shadows draping the city receded, and the sun in a clear sky began to shine down once more.
Guild members and broadcasting crews who had been waiting outside the curtain streamed into the city.
Citizens who had taken shelter in evacuation centers emerged, gazing up at the sky. The black veil of darkness was nowhere to be seen.
What should have ended in catastrophe—the Death Wave—had been safely resolved by a single man, Mumyeong.
And in the heart of the city.
On the rooftop of a skyscraper.
“One job done.”
Gabriel struck a V-sign with one hand, her voice mock-serious.
Lucifer landed beside her.
“Idiot, you'll get caught on camera. Don't tarnish the master's name, or I'll kill you.”
“I told you, I don't listen to weaklings.”
“You little...”
Gabriel was always attention-seeking like this. Lucifer ignored her and looked across at Sa Choiheon.
Sa Choiheon held an ice crystal in his hand, his gaze sunken as he stared at Lucifer.
“...”
His face said he had plenty to say.
But there were too many ears here—Cheon Iryeong the hunter, and members of the Bulmyeol Guild.
Lucifer shrugged.
“Surprised by the master's power? This is just the tip of the iceberg. You humans will see even greater things ahead.”
It wasn't empty bravado.
His master, Joo Kanghyeok, hadn't finished growing yet.
The skills he'd learn and the power he'd gain would make any current debate laughable.
“Payment for slaying the demons. We'll collect it soon, so polish up those items in your vault.”
As Lucifer turned to walk to the other side of the roof, he paused.
“Oh, right.”
He pointed at the Ice Spirit King's heart in Sa Choiheon's hand.
“You're not using that, so it'll count for its full value, right?”
Sa Choiheon chuckled softly.
“...Of course.”
A chance to connect with Mumyeong.
From Sa Choiheon's perspective, it was a thread he had to grasp at all costs. He couldn't let such an opportunity slip.
As Lucifer lightly waved over his shoulder and prepared to leap off the building—
“W-wait! Mumyeong-nim!”
Cheon Iryeong dashed across the roof, stopping him in his tracks.
“I... I want to get as strong as you, Mumyeong-nim! I know it might seem shameless, but could you tell me the secret to that strength?!”
Her voice was desperate.
Sa Choiheon's gaze lingered on Cheon Iryeong for a moment.
Cheon Iryeong.
Her family had been massacred by ma-in.
Her sole trauma, the root of her endless drive to grow stronger.
Revenge against the ma-in.
Indeed, that vengeance fueled her growth, leaving her as one of Korea's final five survivors.
“You want to get stronger?”
Gabriel answered Cheon Iryeong's plea. She turned, her voice serious.
“Do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run every day.”
“Pardon? That's too easy...”
Lucifer clamped a hand over Gabriel's mouth.
“Hey, human kid. Ignore this one. If you really wanna get strong, ask Sa Choiheon over there.”
“H-hey, wait!”
Before Cheon Iryeong could grab him, Lucifer dragged Gabriel off the building.
“Ah...”
Cheon Iryeong withdrew her outstretched hand regretfully, biting her lip as she stared at the ground.
Of course. Even she thought it was too brazen.
And truthfully, during this Death Wave, she hadn't accomplished anything. She'd just stood in awe of Mumyeong's power.
“Cheon Iryeong.”
Sa Choiheon finally spoke, unable to watch.
“...That guy's not Mumyeong.”
“Huh?”
“He's like Mumyeong's subordinate.”
“No way. He's that strong. Not Mumyeong? But he wiped out those Phobobaks too.”
“...”
Sa Choiheon cut himself off there.
He'd never actually seen the real Mumyeong himself.
“Eh, he wasn't Mumyeong?”
“Yeah, Mumyeong wouldn't wear a bread bag on his head.”
“Guild master, you've really met the true Mumyeong, right?”
The guild members, who had been holding their breath, chimed in.
“...”
Sa Choiheon recalled their expressions from his past regressions.
Bulmyeol Guild's first failure.
Including Sa Choiheon, Bulmyeol had failed to protect the city. It became a perpetual frozen wasteland, sealed indefinitely.
Despair, frustration, apathy...
He never forgot the guild members' faces, filled with self-disappointment as they returned.
But now, it was the opposite.
They were rowdy and lively.
“Guild master, I seriously wanna meet Mumyeong.”
“Idiot. He hides his identity completely—why would he meet us?”
“Still disappointing.”
There were no shadows on their faces as they chatted.
And it wasn't just here.
Citizens from the shelters, S-rank hunters too.
All survived without a single casualty.
These survivors would become the foundation for the future. Another possibility to resist the coming apocalypse.
An impossible event has occurred.
Sa Choiheon tucked the ice crystal back into his pocket.
This unused artifact could serve as a joker card for the future.
A complete clear of the Death Wave during the system's Tutorial phase.
The point where Sa Choiheon had despaired time and again.
...What we lacked was overwhelming power.
Mumyeong was special.
The first entity to appear across all his regressions.
He didn't know what brought him into being.
But one thing was certain:
He could never let go of the opportunity called Mumyeong.
“Prepare for the next one.”
“Let's go, guild master.”
“How about a sauna for the afterparty?”
The guild members followed as Sa Choiheon turned to leave. Cheon Iryeong, lost in thought, departed too.
And on the opposite side of that building.
A black crow and a white dove soared into the sky.
“Damn it, damn it... This can't be happening.”
Here, a ma-in with disheveled blond hair clutched his head.
Roland, the strategist of ma-in society.
The black curtain behind this Death Wave, its mastermind.
He was also the one who implanted the magi fragment into villain Han Jongu beforehand.
He'd induced chaos among the hunters and even used the source of magi for the Death Wave itself...
Yet the result was utter failure.
Black veins bulged on Roland's forehead as he observed from outside the Death Wave.
Catastrophic losses. How do I even explain this failure?
For this operation, Roland had expended a source of magi.
A source was a conglomeration of magi that disrupted the system—the pinnacle of ma-in technology.
To waste it so pointlessly...
The loss was beyond what he could bear.
Damn it!
Mumyeong.
Just thinking of those two characters ground his teeth.
Of course, he'd anticipated his appearance.
The most talked-about figure in Korea. The mysterious hunter who slew the world boss and the summoned demon.
The problem was, he never imagined he'd subjugate an overwhelming horde of monsters so effortlessly.
Crunch.
Roland ground his teeth.
Ugh.
Regardless of the outcome, he had to report to the upper ma-in.
The ma-in's goal was to reclaim the mortal world.
They naturally sought to devour humanity.
Oppressive rule and merciless destruction inevitably birthed heroes. The subjugated rallied around them, resistance growing fierce.
It wasn't something to scoff at.
The 'Night of Humiliation,' where 80% of ma-in society perished, happened that way.
As long as the system existed, such events would repeat.
Ma-in society's upper echelons didn't want that.
Whoosh—
Thick magi rose from his hand in the darkness.
The magi took on formless ma-in shapes, spreading around him.
- Roland, something incomprehensible has happened.
- To fail against one small Eastern nation...
- Perhaps the strategist role was too much for him.
Angry voices reached Roland in turn. He bowed his head and began his report.
“The plan was flawless. We sowed chaos among the hunters and intensified the Death Wave to the extreme. However... we underestimated Mumyeong's strength.”
Roland's voice trembled.
- To waste a source of magi so frivolously.
- Their numbers in the mortal world are limited.
- A boneheaded blunder. Tsk tsk.
“Two apostles appeared... and a miracle akin to divine authority manifested in the Death Wave. I beg for leniency.”
It was nearly an excuse.
But it was truly unjust.
His strategy simply didn't work against the foe. Power far beyond common sense rendered all plans useless.
- A strategist this incompetent.
- Wasn't the plan itself sloppy?
- Shall we demote him to the lowest rank?
Roland's body shook violently. Blood trickled from his clenched teeth, his muscles spasming.
The lowest rank meant slave.
Treatment worse than livestock.
He had clawed his way up from that cesspool.
He'd rather die than return.
- But Mumyeong's power was indeed unexpected.
- Unpredictable at the current stage, yes.
- Too valuable a card to discard after one use.
Roland focused every ounce of his mind on each voice. His fate hung on their words.
- How about one more chance?
- No matter how unpredictable Mumyeong is, he's just a mortal human, right?
- The mortal world is no different from a newborn that hasn't taken its first step.
One of the top ma-in called Roland's name.
- Raise your head, Roland.
He lifted his head with a trembling heart.
The forms of ten top ma-in.
A black key appeared in one of their hands.
- One more chance. Instill fear in Korea and execute Mumyeong. Make him forgotten by all before he becomes a hero.
Roland's eyes widened as he received the key.
◈ Not merely a key. Unseals various demons and can summon ultra-legendary demonic beasts slumbering in the mortal world.
It wasn't just any key.
An artifact that could unseal all manner of demons and even summon ultra-legendary demonic beasts from the mortal world.
“Th-thank you. I'll devote my life to doing my utmost.”
A gleam entered Roland's eyes as he took the key. The crushed despair vanished from his face.
- This is your last chance.
- Not just you, Roland. The Korean Hunter Association president too—if this fails, ma-in society will hold you accountable.
- Heh, I know full well.
With this, even human extinction might be possible.
- Roland, this chance is exceptional. No second chances.
“Yes, I'll keep it in mind.”
Bowing his head, Roland hung the key around his neck with a sinister smile.
Mumyeong. Let's see how far a mere human like you can go.
Caw.
Coo!
Two birds entered through the basement window.
A black crow and a pure white dove.
Gabriel's the dove, huh.
Unlike Lucifer, who landed politely on the floor, the dove circled me twice before alighting.
Shaa—
With a faint light, the dove transformed into human form.
A beauty with long blonde hair and a cold expression. The word “angel” suited her perfectly.
“Master, thrilled to meet you.”
Gabriel grabbed both my hands and shook them.
We'd clearly just met, yet she felt strangely familiar. From watching her as a constellation?
I nodded.
“Yeah. Good work.”
Her former constellation status made formal speech slip out. Gabriel shook her head firmly.
“Banmal, please.”
If she insisted.
“Alright.”
“Phew.”
Only then did Gabriel sigh in relief.
“Take care of me, Joo-in.”
“Joo-in?”
“Joo Kanghyeok master, shortened to Joo-master. Shorter: Joo-in.”
“...”
My mind blanked for a second.
“Joo-in my ass. Master, just ignore her.”
Unable to endure it, Lucifer spoke to me, dismissing Gabriel.
“Think of her as an attention whore. Born to piss people off.”
“Come at me, legend-grade apostle.”
Attention-seeker.
Short: attention whore.
Peck peck peck peck.
Gabriel turned into a dove and relentlessly pecked at Lucifer. He desperately ignored her.
Okay.
Got it—both had unique personalities.
I leaned against the wall and sat.
“Anyway, glad the Death Wave wrapped up nicely.”
The largest battle of my hunter career.
With tension gone, exhaustion hit hard.
The white bread reduced my need for food.
So I'd basically just sat on the floor.
But maintaining vision sharing made me tired.
“Not just nicely—your performance was dazzling, master.”
“Master's the best.”
This time, I might've done pretty well.
I'd used nearly all my items.
Without White Dawn, Sa Choiheon would've frozen the whole city.
Still, one questionable part.
Did Sa Choiheon think from the start the Death Wave would fail?
He'd brought the ice crystal right away. It looked like he'd freeze the city instantly if we didn't cooperate.
The nuance that failure was certain.
Well, top hunter—must have his reasons.
More importantly, something to check.
The Death Wave had ended successfully.
Death Wave Contribution Rankings
1st: Mumyeong [99,999 points]
2nd: Cheon Iryeong [825 points]
3rd: Kim Seokho [742 points]
4th: Kang Jiyeon [707 points]
Mumyeong's score was overwhelmingly dominant.
Settling rewards.
Crackle, crackle—!
Sparks flew from the floating message window, just like before.
“...Gonna delay the rewards again this time?”
Lucifer and Gabriel crowded to my sides to view the system window.
“If the system has any brains, it'll pay up quick.”
“Constellation White Dawn awaits rewards.”
Constellation ‘Master of the Black Star’ nods.
Truth be told, quite some time had passed since the Death Wave ended.
Last time's demon-slaying reward took a full day.
I stood up.
“Death Wave's over, Gabriel's here now. Wanna grab something tasty?”
“Ooh, yes!”
“Totally for it.”
With 1 billion won in cash, nothing was off-limits.
Special day—might as well go for the priciest.
“Let's do beef.”
“Yay!”
“Gabriel, appreciate your luck. I started with pork.”
“Ribeye already?”
“Of course. Hierarchy must be strictly maintained...”
Time to party with beef I'd never properly tried.
As we prepared to head out—
Constellation ‘Otherworld Discipline’ has discovered you.
Constellation ‘Volcano Smith’ has discovered you.
Two notifications popped up.
“New constellations always welcome.”
“Ooh, one's famous. Volcano Smith. Can't say the true name, but he's the famed smith from Greco-Roman myth.”
Gabriel and Lucifer commented on the starlight hovering around me.
Greco-Roman smith? Hephaestus came to mind.
Even a famous one like that, huh.
With fallen angel Lucifer and angel Gabriel here, why not.
“What's Otherworld Discipline?”
“Dunno. First I've heard—probably broke as hell... Name screams poor.”
“Agreed.”
Constellation ‘Otherworld Discipline’ raises a fist at the apostle's rudeness.
Constellation ‘Volcano Smith’ laughs heartily.
The more constellations, the better.
Could snag items in a pinch.
Constellation ‘Master of the Black Star’ asserts its presence.
Didn't forget Master of the Black Star, who'd gone all-in on me.
“Alright, let's really go. Wonder if there's a good beef spot nearby.”
“Anywhere with you, master—even grilling on the street.”
“That's a bit...”
Still, better at a proper restaurant.
I pulled out my smartphone to search for spots. Articles floated under the portal site.
Couldn't unsee them.
Skimmed roughly.
Mumyeong's name dominated most articles.
“Ooh, as expected of master.”
“Korea should thank you, master.”
Gabriel pressed her head close to mine. Lucifer clung to see the screen too.
Should buy them smartphones. Under my name is fine.
Articles later—search restaurants first.
As I tapped the keyboard—
Crackle, crackle—!
“What now...”
I stopped my complaint.
This time, it was a system alert.
Death Wave reward settlement completed.
Your contribution in this event is overwhelming.
The achievement I'd expected to wait ages for settled quickly this time.
Clear level of this conquest: Immeasurable (Unknown)
System detects overload.
System modifies this sequence.
Crackle, crackle—!
Red sparks surged in the air again.
The system window that followed read:
System twists causality to dispense rewards.
Future Manifestation: Partially unlocks system functions.
“Wh-what's that mean?”
Partially unlocking future functions?
“Heart pounding.”
“First time seeing this too.”
The two apostles froze, staring at the system window.
Shaa—!
A new form of reward began to settle.