Preparing the Vanguard

A month had come and gone, bringing with it a fresh emergence of ruins: several Legendary-grade ruins, alongside a multitude of Rare and Normal ones. No new Ancient-grade ruins had appeared this time.

Under normal circumstances, the global superpowers would have scrambled headlong into the fray. Yet now, every one of them hesitated, glancing nervously in the same direction. All eyes were fixed on South Korea—or more precisely, on a single hunter residing within its borders. The international community watched with bated breath to see which ruin Jeon Jaewoo would set his sights on. Pouring manpower and resources into an expedition only for him to sweep in and seize it in the blink of an eye was their worst nightmare; it would mean squandering untold effort and time for nothing. Even China and Japan, who had initially watched like hawks for an opportunity to strike back, seemed to have lost whatever will they had left to defy him.

Yet this month, something was different.

Several days had elapsed since the new batch of ruins appeared, yet Jeon Jaewoo had not made a single move. Had something happened to him? Was he still recuperating after fighting nonstop for thirty grueling days? Had conquering Ancient-grade ruins spoiled him, dulling his appetite for anything merely Legendary? Or had some quiet rift opened between him and the South Korean government?

Whatever the reason, his stillness signaled an opening. Once foreign powers confirmed that Jaewoo remained inactive, they plunged headfirst into raid preparations. True to their reputations as global hunter superpowers, they conquered the Legendary-grade ruins one after another.

And what of South Korea?

The nation had simply slipped back to where it stood before Jeon Jaewoo arrived on the scene. In truth, it wasn't even a matter of falling behind; stripped of his singular presence, Korea's domestic strength was barely sufficient to secure a single Legendary-grade ruin on its own.

The public had spent months reveling in top-tier raid rankings, but the harsh truth was setting in: without Jeon Jaewoo, none of it belonged to them. While foreign powers claimed the new Legendary ruins one by one, South Korea's odds grew bleaker by the day. To make matters worse, the specific Legendary ruin the domestic raid teams had targeted happened to overlap with Japan's objective.

Regrettably, the difference in national weight class between Korea and Japan was vast—and decidedly not in Korea's favor. Barring an unforeseen miracle, going head-to-head meant Korea had virtually no prospect of victory.

With tensions mounting, the halls of the Hunter Administration filled with cold sweat once more.

"Is he really not planning to conquer another ruin...?"

Why was Hunter Jeon Jaewoo refusing to move? Commissioner Yoo Jeongtae reviewed daily logs from the agents discreetly stationed near Jaewoo's residence, but the reports revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from occasional trips to standard dungeons to cull stray monsters, Jaewoo showed no sign of preparing for an expedition.

Driven to his wit's end by anxiety, Yoo Jeongtae had reached out personally, pressing Jaewoo on when—or if—he intended to resume ruin raids. Yet for days on end, Jaewoo offered only the same polite, evasive brush-off: he simply wasn't ready yet.

Minister Lee Cheolsoo slumped in his chair, exhaling a sigh heavy enough to cave the floor in. "Just how much longer is it going to take for him to get 'ready'?"

"......"

Commissioner Yoo could only sigh in response.

"Don't just sit there like a statue. Say something, Commissioner Yoo!"

"Even if I wanted to, Minister, I have nothing to tell you."

"Is that an acceptable answer from the head of the Hunter Administration?"

"If it isn't, feel free to sack me and put someone else in the chair."

"......"

Rendered speechless, Minister Lee fell silent. He knew full well that installing a successor wouldn't magically yield a solution to sway Jaewoo. Even the commissioner had no legal authority to compel Jaewoo into a raid. Nor did anyone possess the raw power to force his hand in the first place.

Still, doing nothing was not an option. If they couldn't mobilize Jaewoo, they needed to conquer at least one Legendary ruin on their own to demonstrate the South Korean hunter community's mettle.

"If he's too exhausted to run point, could we at least request his support while our strike team handles the raid?"

"He told me he has zero intention of setting foot inside a ruin for the foreseeable future."

"......"

In that fleeting moment, Lee Cheolsoo was seized by an overwhelming urge to throw his ministerial credentials out the window and retire on the spot. The Prime Minister hounded him mercilessly to get Jaewoo back in the field, while the press and public battered the Administration for gross incompetence. Before this relentless tide of pressure, he felt entirely powerless.

In truth, Jeon Jaewoo had his own reasons for staying out of sight. Over the past several days, he had been wholly consumed with using Heaven's Box to upgrade his summons.

More than four days had elapsed since he placed the Elder Lich inside the mystical container.

Rumble...

The heavy lid parted, venting a haze of bizarre mana as a skeletal figure emerged.

"Oh."

Jaewoo let out a quiet murmur of admiration.

The newly evolved being spoke, his voice brimming with regal satisfaction. "It feels as though I have awakened from an age-long slumber."

Well, you certainly look like something dragged out of an age-long slumber.

Though his memories remained intact, the former Elder Lich's exterior had changed drastically. The skull staff in his right hand was now encrusted with intricate, arcane embellishments, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and perched upon his bleached cranium rested a crown radiating royal authority. Though still skinless bone beneath, he wore flowing, ornate ceremonial robes draped across his frame.

A glance at the status window confirmed that both his designation and description had transformed. With his evolution into the Lich King, a Transcendent-grade trait had taken root.

That description doesn't pull any punches.

Leading an immortal army, standing at the pinnacle of the undead realm. Jaewoo wondered if the other apex entity mentioned was that Skeleton Knight King from his very first Legendary ruin. More importantly, in exchange for gaining a Transcendent trait, two of his previous S-grade traits had vanished.

Did they merge into a single trait rather than being wiped out?

Curious, he looked up at the Elder Lich—or rather, the Lich King.

"Old man, what's different now?"

"I can now directly claim departed lives as my personal thralls. Or more precisely, thralls of the Creator."

Jaewoo tilted his head. "How is that any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠different from your old Evocation and Resurrection traits?"

"Conventional necromancy relies upon summoning pre-existing undead spirits into empty vessels. This power, however, fashions an undead creature directly from the deceased."

Jaewoo still couldn't quite wrap his head around the technicalities of magic. "What does that look like in practice?"

"Hmm. Let us see..."

The Lich King peered about the room, searching for an appropriate subject. "Ah. That should serve nicely."

He pointed his staff toward a withered stalk of grass resting in a dead flowerpot and invoked Necromancy.

Kwooooom!

A sinister, murky darkness gathered around the dead stalk. Then, something extraordinary happened. The shriveled plant raised itself upright, standing firm as though restored to life.

Or rather, appearing as though it had returned to life.

Though vital breath had long departed its fibers, a residual spirit had been dragged back by force, compelling the physical shell to obey the caster's whims.

"Feats such as this are now well within my grasp."

"Whoa."

Back when he was an Elder Lich, his spellcraft had been limited to raising standard skeletons. Now, so long as a corpse lay before him, he could reanimate and command it like a combat zombie on the spot. Any enemy slain on the battlefield could instantly be repurposed into their own frontline strength.

Basically like the Impure World Reincarnation from Naruto.

His original skeleton-summoning repertoire remained intact as well. A sudden worry crossed Jaewoo's mind: this felt uncomfortably close to a certain national-level hunter in a popular webtoon. Was he bordering on copyright infringement?

"Do note, however, that zombies raised through Necromancy dissipate once their allotted duration expires."

So it wasn't a completely broken ability that sustained an infinite, permanent army. Still, combining a summon with rare materials inside the box had successfully elevated its core trait to the Transcendent rank.

...Should I try another one?

He had plenty of time on his hands anyway. This time, it was Novum's turn.

"Novum. Want to take a turn inside the box?"

"I'll do whatever Master wants!"

What an obedient, adorable spirit.

—To think you would confine this exalted presence within such a squalid contraption! Present me with an imperial palace this instant!

Jaewoo wondered if shoving that obnoxious Ego Sword into the box might smooth out its sharp tongue. Deciding to deal with the lunatic blade later, he turned his full attention to Novum. Gathering nature-attuned components—including branches harvested from the World Tree—Jaewoo placed them into Heaven's Box alongside the little spirit.

"Master! See you in a bit!" Novum chirped, waving a tiny hand before slipping beneath the closing lid.

More than a full week—longer even than the Lich King. It seemed upgrading an entity that already held a Transcendent-grade trait demanded far more time.

When the countdown finally hit zero, the box opened. Novum sprang forth, hurtling directly into Jaewoo's chest.

"Master!"

"Whoa there. Welcome back, Novum. Was it rough in there?"

"Not at all! It just felt like taking a really nice nap!"

Unlike the Lich King, Novum looked virtually identical on the outside. Cradling the soft spirit in his arms, Jaewoo brought up its status window.

Just as with the Lich King, its title and description had evolved, accompanied by an expanded suite of abilities. While it hadn't developed a second Transcendent trait, it had acquired two brand-new S-grade traits. The designation had simply received a '2' tacked on the end.

If I put it through the box again, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will it evolve into Version 3?

Managing the sequential upgrades had consumed over ten days. Commissioner Yoo Jeongtae had phoned repeatedly, but Jaewoo had ignored every call; he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no intention of deploying until his vanguard was completely reinforced.

Now, his forces were ready. More than enough to bridge the gap left by Myeolgeop's temporary absence.

"Well then," Jaewoo said, stretching his arms. "Shall we go conquer a new ruin?"