A New Companion and Snatched Spoils

Although he had boldly declared his intention to conquer a Legendary-grade ruin and secure its high-purity magic crystals, Jeon Jaewoo flatly declined the Korean Hunter Administration’s offer of support.

Commissioner Yoo Jeongtae and Minister Lee Cheolsoo had both tried to dissuade him multiple times, but Jaewoo held firm. He would attempt the Underground Labyrinth alone. If he failed, only then would he accept additional personnel and mount a joint assault.

In terms of pure safety, relying on the agency’s elite backup was the logical choice. What weighed on Jaewoo’s mind, however, was the exposure of Myeolgeop and the Elder Lich. He had no desire to advertise the extraordinary beings that emerged from Heaven's Box to the prying eyes of the world.

“Are you two really going to be alright with this?” Jaewoo asked, his tone tinged with concern.

He harbored no doubts regarding their combat prowess. Yet the Underground Labyrinth demanded tracking down hidden targets across an endless maze. Their forte was slaughter, not reconnaissance.

The Elder Lich let out a dry, clattering chuckle.

“Maker. The golem bound to your service, Myeolgeop, is the supreme combat machine upon this world. Is it not only natural that his capacity to detect the foe should prove overwhelmingly superior as well?”

Myeolgeop’s voice rang out in a flat, synthesized cadence.

“If the Elder Lich employs necromancy to dispatch the undead throughout the labyrinth, locating the beasts will present minimal difficulty.”

So their innate traits allowed them to sniff out hidden monsters with ease. Even so, Jaewoo could not shake his unease entirely.

The Underground Labyrinth ranked among the most valuable sites within the Legendary grade. The European Union, China, and every other global hunter superpower had eyed its riches hungrily for years, yet none had managed to conquer it. That alone spoke volumes of its lethal complexity. To make matters worse, Myeolgeop had pushed his mechanical joints to the brink during their battle in the Ancient-grade ruin and still required maintenance.

I need to reinforce our frontline.

Considerable time had passed since he created the Elder Lich, and he had recently acquired a prime material. Gathering the severed roots Myeolgeop had sheared from the Corrupted World Tree within ‘The Unsetting Sun,’ Jaewoo placed them carefully into Heaven's Box.

Exactly twenty-four hours later, the box began to vibrate.

A low hum resonated as a soft, ethereal glow spilled from the seams of Heaven's Box, and a brand-new entity drifted into view.

Novum. An unusual name.

The description, as always, was filled with cosmic lore Jaewoo could scarcely fathom. The entity itself resembled an elongated, opaque white slime. It stretched and rippled on the floor before Jaewoo, swaying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠playfully before emitting a gentle voice.

“Master? It is wonderful to meet you.”

Jaewoo blinked in surprise. Coming from the body of a gelatinous blob, the voice was strikingly human—clear, melodic, and soothing.

Whoa. That voice is incredible.

If he closed his eyes, he would have sworn an actual person was speaking to him.

“Yeah. Nice to meet you too,” Jaewoo replied warmly. “I’m counting on you from now on.”

“I will do my absolute best! Please, give me any task you wish!”

Unlike the eccentric, rattle-jawed Elder Lich or the cold, mechanical Myeolgeop, Novum possessed a sweet, eager-to-please disposition. Jaewoo couldn't help but smile as he reviewed the spirit’s abilities once more.

One Transcendent-grade trait titled ‘Natural Realm.’

Two S-grade traits: ‘Purification’ and ‘Creative Regeneration.’

Jaewoo clenched his fists in satisfaction. Another Transcendent trait right after Myeolgeop.

Still, a wry thought crossed his mind. When creating Myeolgeop, he had casually tossed in soil from a potted plant lying around his apartment, yet that had produced two Transcendent traits. Here, despite using the sacred roots of the World Tree, he had obtained only one. It drove home just what an absurd stroke of astronomical luck his very first pull had been.

Looking at its toolkit, Novum was the quintessential support healer. Purification would cleanse abnormal conditions like curses, poison, and disease, restoring the body to baseline. Creative Regeneration likely repaired severe physical trauma and replenished depleted mana, though the exact limits of its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠potency remained to be tested.

There was just one thing he couldn't wrap his head around.

What on earth does the Transcendent trait ‘Natural Realm’ actually do?

It was even vaguer than the Elder Lich’s Resurrection or Evocation traits. Jaewoo turned to the source for clarification.

“Novum, what exactly is this Natural Realm trait?”

“Ah, this?” Novum replied cheerfully. “It is an ability that allows me to commune directly with nature. To put it simply, I become one with the natural world!”

“……”

Jaewoo stared blankly. That explained virtually nothing. Becoming one with nature was all well and good, but what did that mean practically? Did it allow offensive earth magic? Physical body enhancement?

The Elder Lich chuckled, stepping forward with his staff clacking against the floor.

“Establishing an immediate communion with nature is a marvelous gift, Maker. In fact, it is precisely the instrument we require at this very moment.”

“Why is that?”

“Any living creature that constitutes a breath of this world can never escape the perception of one unified with nature itself. Would that not make purging the vermin concealing themselves within the depths of the labyrinth a trivial matter?”

Jaewoo’s eyes widened. A summon custom-tailored to solve the Underground Labyrinth had dropped straight into his lap. He could unravel the full scope of Natural Realm later; right now, conquering the ruin took precedence.

“Shall we head out immediately?”

Myeolgeop, the Elder Lich, and Novum all signaled their readiness without hesitation. With his ranks bolstered, Jaewoo stepped across the threshold and entered the ruin.

A suffocating gloom swallowed them the moment they stepped inside. Jaewoo instantly grasped why this ruin had stumped the world for years.

The darkness was so thick that human vision barely extended a few feet, while the corridors branched into dozens of jagged, winding arteries. On top of that, over a thousand elusive shadow beasts were scattered across this sprawling underground maze. No matter how many elite hunters an alliance poured in, scouring every corner within the twenty-four-hour time limit was practically an impossibility.

“How does it look, Myeolgeop? Think you can sweep it alone?”

Myeolgeop scanned the murky corridors, sensors humming softly before he answered.

“Conquering the ruin alone is feasible. However, to minimize variables and reduce operational time, an artificial spirit possessing superior sensory capabilities would prove immensely beneficial.”

Creating Novum had indeed been the right call. Jaewoo looked down at the soft, squishy spirit resting in his hands.

“Can you assist Myeolgeop, Novum?”

“Yes, Master! Commencing environmental scan immediately!”

Jaewoo felt a swell of warmth. Sandwiched between a hulking mechanical brute and a morbid skeleton, having such an adorable companion felt like a ray of pure sunshine.

The Elder Lich’s jawbone rattled in dry amusement.

“Go forth, then. I shall remain at our Maker’s side and ensure his safety.”

Receiving Novum from Jaewoo, Myeolgeop cradled the spirit securely against his chest armor. Thrusters flaring with muted energy, the golem launched down the dark corridors, vanishing into the subterranean depths. All that remained for Jaewoo was to wait.

Around the same time, inside the opulent presidential office in Beijing, China.

“How is the assault on the newly assigned Legendary ruin proceeding? Are there any complications?”

“None, Mr. President. Everything is progressing smoothly. Our front-line hunters are performing exceptionally well.”

The Director of China’s Hunter Administration bowed respectfully as he delivered his report. It was the third day since China had expelled the South Korean strike force from their joint raid and turned its full might toward a newly manifested Legendary-grade ruin.

Barely seventy-two hours had passed since the cosmic system unveiled it. Yet, proving their status as a global superpower, China had already pushed the raid to the brink of completion. After one final round of resupply and tactical positioning, the final push would begin—and the ruin would belong entirely to China.

The President took a leisurely sip of his tea, a smug smirk playing on his lips.

Insolent Korean upstarts. Don't think for a second that this ends here.

Historically and economically, South Korea remained heavily reliant on trade with China. The President intended to use this opportunity to completely choke off South Korea's access to the high-purity magic crystals yielded by Legendary-grade ruins. It was the modern equivalent of the rare-earth mineral embargoes China had weaponized during geopolitical trade disputes before the Great Cataclysm.

In this new era, high-purity magic crystals were the lifeblood of advanced industry, fulfilling the roles once held by lithium and rare earth elements. Cutting off that supply would deliver an immediate, crippling blow to South Korea's key technological sectors.

Let them squirm for two or three months. Once they are brought to their knees, I will ease the stranglehold little by little—in exchange for the treasures they stole from that Ancient-grade ruin.

They would pay dearly for daring to rob what rightfully belonged to him. Failing to etch the name of China onto the system announcement for the Ancient ruin was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠regrettable, but in truth, what did an ephemeral record matter? The tangible spoils were all that truly counted.

Bang!

The heavy office doors burst open without warning. A high-ranking bureaucrat stumbled inside, his face as pale as parchment.

“D-Disaster! A catastrophe has occurred!”

“What is the meaning of this insolence?!” the Hunter Director barked, his face darkening. “You dare cause a scene before the President—”

“The Underground Labyrinth has fallen!” the aide cried out, completely heedless of protocol. “The Legendary-grade ruin, the Underground Labyrinth... it was just conquered!”

The President froze. Fury flared like molten lava behind his eyes. His teacup slipped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from his fingers, shattering into ceramic shards on the carpet as he surged to his feet.

“What did you say?! The Underground Labyrinth—our ruin—has been cleared?! Who dared?!”

To the President, this blow landed with the force of an artillery shell, every bit as devastating as losing the Ancient-grade ruin earlier that week. The Underground Labyrinth had long stood unvanquished due to its brutal maze layout, but its subterranean veins held the world’s richest deposits of superior magic crystals. China had poured astronomical sums, years of manpower, and endless research into conquering it, boasting the highest exploration record among all nations.

Now, in a single heartbeat, years of blood and treasure had turned to dust. In the law of ruins, the first to conquer owned everything.

Who could have possibly cleared that maze? Could it be...?

“The conqueror’s nationality is listed as South Korea,” the official stammered, trembling under the President’s murderous gaze. “The registered name is... Jeon Jaewoo. It seems...”

“Damn it all to hell!”

The President roared, slamming both fists onto the mahogany desk. It was that very same Korean hunter. How could a lone individual conquer an Ancient-grade ruin and then immediately turn around to sweep a Legendary-grade ruin practically overnight?

Though his features twisted in rabid fury, a sudden chill of dread crept into the recesses of the President’s chest. Just what manner of monster was this man? How overwhelmingly powerful did someone have to be to conquer calamity-level ruins back-to-back as if clearing chores?

Yet the nightmare was far from over.

A few minutes later, the Chief of Staff sprinted into the office, his breath ragged and eyes wild with terror.

“Mr. President! An emergency!”

“Another emergency?!” the President snarled, his voice hoarse with rage. “What could possibly be worse than losing the Underground Labyrinth?!”

“It’s... it’s our raid! The new Legendary-grade ruin our forces were about to conquer... South Korea just cleared it!”

“...What?”

For a fleeting second, the President wondered if his hearing had failed him. Or perhaps he desperately prayed that his mind was playing tricks.

The system announcement had already solidified into stone. The man who had swooped in and snatched the brand-new Legendary ruin right out from under China’s nose, moments before their final strike, was none other than Jeon Jaewoo.