The Abyssal Dream

It's been two weeks before the incident occurred, The female S-rank hunter was asleep at the hospital for the whole week during her battle at the gate.

The man name Sung Jin-woo was sitting down beside her bed, watching her sleep made him guilty for not been on her side fighting a strong foe that even Igris couldn't manage to defeat.

He was utterly ashamed that if he was able to make it in time this wouldn't happen in the first place.

"She's been asleep for 2 weeks now since the gate occurred"

He greeted his teeth while slamming on the side deck with an angry tone.

"Dammit"

2 weeks ago, back at the time of the gate...

The massive gate opened by Sung Jin-woo with the rest of the hunters from other guilds joining his side to rescue the hunters who were stuck there for 12 hours.

He open the gate by using his key which allows him to enter it, they saw a pile of corpses gathered in the center of the area with a lot of casualties happen inside.

"What the hell is this!"

"It's a massacre"

"Oh! crap"

"Hey look over their"

"What is that?!"

The first glance at it, plus clear witness the monster fully geared like a rusty knight slowly vanishing in front of the female hunter in midair like turning into tiny particles of light flowing to the sky above. The female hunter fell to the ground unconsciously.

"HUNTER CHA!"

The man first glance at the woman and quickly sprang both feet managing to catch her in time before she hit the ground.

He caught her in his both arms while looking at her body with bruises on every part of her being and a very deep wound on her stomach.

"Hunter Cha, are you alright?"

She was deeply unconscious wounded.

"She's asleep"

he called out his summon out of the bloom and command him his simple demand.

"Beru"

A dark figure came out from his shadow appeared beside him.

[yes my liege]

"I want you to bring her to the nearest hospital right away"

[as you wish my liege]

beru slowly carried the unconscious woman on his palms then flew quickly ahead to the exit. Two hunters walk together ahead until one notices a blurry black figure in incredible speed flew past them.

"Did you see that"

"See what?"

"A black blurry thing just pass right us"

"Probably your imagination"

"Am sure, I saw it"

"Shut up, we have a lot of dead hunters in front of you and now you seeing things, don't get it in your head"

"Yeah sure whatever you say"

The monarch slowly stood up to his knees calling out few shadow soldiers consist 16 of them assisting the hunters for a helping hand.

The hunters observe him calling out his summon rising behind their master back flowing outside the surface of darkness. they were stunned by his incredible summoning ability consist of thousand or more inside his shadow like a piece of cake.

"Damn"

"So this is his ability hah?"

"Yep, Pretty scary for a guy who just reawakened into an S-rank, no doubt about it"

"I've seen him on tv but am amaze seeing him showing his badass power on live, so cool"

"Badass indeed"

The Monarch shouted to the hunters.

"Everyone one of you helps the wounded hunters out of here. My summons will assist you carrying the corpses along with moving all the treasures, get started!"

"Right!"

The hunters and the shadow soldiers started helping each other normally. the wounded hunters walk slowly to the exit beside the magic crystals and rare chest lying on the ground. The hunters observe the rare magic chest can be found inside a gate of all places, it was magnificent and sparkling like a diamond.

"Are those magic chests?"

"I think it is"

"isn't that rare to be found on any gate?"

"yes it is, man the hunters guild are lucky to have this kinda reward"

The man with the cloak appeared behind their backs and said.

"that is not luck"

the hunters quiver their bodies and look behind their backs with sweats on their forehead.

"Hunter Sung Jin-woo!"

"yikes"

They widen his eyes, hanging their mouths in silence.

"luck has nothing to do with this situation..."

The man looks around his surroundings with a glare that what they haven't seen was a bloody massacre instead they looked at the price of a treasure inside the dungeon. the hunters look along with him with an afraid tone.

"As you can see 17 hunters died today. The hunters were not lucky to survive this many casualties before, this is a mere fraction of death they just encountered, If luck were here..."

the hunters gulp their dried saliva with sweat came out of their bodies.

"the hunters were betrayed by misfortune disguise itself as luck"

remain silent.

"Alright, I should be moving now, continue your work "

"ok?"

He walk away to the place where the ultimate soldier was resting a bit.

"did we just talk to him"

"of course you idiot, watch your words this time"

"but am not criticizing or anything"

"shut up and get to work"

"yeah yeah"

The Shadow monarch Walkley arrived in front of the red-haired man and sat down beside him. The man in glasses started spouting his funny words beside him.

"Ah isn't the most famous hunter Sung Jin-woo just came here rescue the princess"

"what are you even talking about?"

"nothing"

"anyway what happens here"

"Well, where should I start with..."

He explains all the details to the black-haired man about what happened to them inside this gate.

"what do you mean, we're already deceased?"

"as I already mention, his power is out of this world, even us the top hunters in the hunters guild stood no victory by a monster who has the power to annihilate a town with his bare hands"

"Is he that powerful?"

"yes, without a doubt he's a few times stronger than the ant at the Jeju island"

"he's stronger than beru" his thoughts

"but some reason he wanted challenge hunter cha to a duel"

"a duel? why?"

"I don't know but all his nonsense come out from his mouth was utterly suspicious"

"Utterly suspicious? What did that monster tell you?"

"If I were to emphasize on what he said then it's like this in the past were humanity cannot withstand a war were true hell begins"

his eyes widen in astonishment, feeling the same semblance of a monarch for who knows the truth of this world.

He remains silent again.

"I don't know what is he talking about, but monster like those knows something about this world like a terrifying era is coming"

"really?"

"yes, if that monster was telling the truth then we might face something far scarier than gates"

He continued to remain silent

"I have to ask, did the statue from the double dungeon told you something similar here"

"No, I don't understand anything at all, he simply tried to kill me that's all"

He looks at his glance with a suspicious look on his face like he knows something.

"Figures"

He twists his head around his surroundings looking for an uncertain someone.

"Now I think about it where is she anyway, I haven't seen her since you guys entered"

"you don't have to worry about her, she's safe"

"Ah, I see"

"What?"

"The princess is always your top priority when it comes to this kind of situation right"

"Now your spouting nonsense" he grins.

The ultimate soldier started to laugh smoothly low.

*Laugh*

The ultimate soldier laugh for a few seconds until he stood up and walk away to the exit.

"I should be heading out now"

"Sure, I'll be taking from here"

"Am very grateful Hunter Sung, thanks"

he left going towards the exit, while the shadow monarch watch a far distance from him with a secretive facial expression on his face.

"I can't say anything to him nor anybody about the truth, this is my responsibility to take. facing them alone were humanity will be ready when the war will be soon to begin where they can't withstand its true potential"

He began to grip his hand into a fist while looking straight at the wall in a different expression. He was also curious about this monster that faces Hunter Cha alone where they have a different power between them but it takes 12 minutes.

"Right now, am currently curious about this monster that why he challenges cha hae-in to a duel even though he can destroy a town nor country by himself but fighting someone inferior to him, doesn't make sense"

he looks around the surrounding area of the ruin walking each step while he needs to investigate. He walks around the empty hall but still nothing.

"It looks like there's nothing here, not what am expecting for"

he continued walking along with the stone tiles until a surprise shining beside his right shoulder near the wall. He covered his face waiting to be undone.

"What's this?!"

the stone wall in front of him suddenly moving on its own, opening an unknown path for him to enter. He has begun to look at the shadowy hallway with bright red light along in it.

"It seems there's a hidden path for me to enter, I should check it up before anything happens "

when he entered the hidden path. there was an empty hall with an empty throne similar to the shadow monarch castle but with more royalty. when he stood step one foot on the ground the dust flown away from his step continue walking through the red scarp floor going closer to the throne.

"It feels familiar. this place was similar when I met Igris but I can't shake the feeling that this is far more different than the place I used to know"

He stop at the stood of the throne and said.

"The throne looks majestic, I wonder who sat there, is it the boss of the dungeon, or is it..."

He keeps on glaring at the throne with a scary tone for a few seconds.

"A Monarch"

He notices a sparkling thing on the right corner of the throne so he turns his body to the right and walks near it.

"What's that?"

He bent his body from the floor and grab the unknown object in his hand, went back to his normal position. The system showed information about the unknown object but some details are full of a question mark.

[The Book of the Relevance]

?????

?????

????

[ You need a Key for it to reveal its information ]

[You don't have The Key]

"I need a key? so this information must be varial, I've must keep it for now, somewhere safe so the others won't find what's in here and now I think about is this a book, It looks like a stone tablet to me don't tell me this is a..."

He stare at it, dumbfounded for there are no other items left except the one he was holding.

"Ah forget it, I should go now there's nothing in here"

He stomps the floor walking back to the pathway where he came from and put the stone book in his storage space and never come back to the hidden ruin.

...

Few hours came to pass since they have cleared the gate, Sung Jin-woo visit the hospital while bringing flowers on his way, were beru brought her there as he demanded.

He walk towards the Nurse station and ask where she was held. The nurses from the station are gossiping with each other about a rumor about the incident in Seoul park until the S-rank hunter stop by and said.

"Hello, Miss?"

"Yes...?"

The nurses stop gossiping about each other until they saw a handsome man staring at them in sparkling around his aura waiting to ask a question.

....

The nurses were astonished and quiver as ever that their hearts starts bumping beats faster, they drank their wet saliva on their mouths and turn into both lovely nurses. the man was confused as af but wanted to ask something.

"Yes? may I help you, Hunter sung"

"Am looking for a certain someone name Cha hae-in?"

"Miss Hae-in, Let's see"

She started to scroll the book looking for her name until she found it.

"Ah! found it, She's on the 3rd floor, door number 183 "

"Thank you"

When he was about to left the station, the nurse called out his name.

"Hunter Sung!"

"yes?"

"umm.... can we have your autograph, Sir?"

"Sure"

he wrote his signature from both nurses' textbooks and then he left to the elevator immediately. The nurses started to scream like crazy like ready to explode in a heartbeat.

"OMG, WE GOT IT!"

"WE GOT IT, GIRL!"

"WE GOT HIS SIGNATURE!"

"SO HOT AF!"

"I KNOW RIGHT!"

both nurses scream harder as they could until one nurse came to discipline them.

"Shhh... your too loud, your screams can be heard along the hallway, aren't you embarrassed by it?"

"UNNIE, WE JUST GOT AN AUTOGRAPH!"

"What did I tell you to be quiet pls"

"Ok"

"good, anyway from whom did you get?"

"from Sung Jin-woo"

"really he's here?!"

"Yeah, He's hot in a lot closer than other guys"

"I know right so cool"

"I was about to lose my heartbeat when I saw him"

"omg me too!"

"I don't know about you two I just have his phone number when he was an E-rank"

the nurses are quiet for some time until they shouted.

"WHA!"

"what?"

"Unnie can we have his phone number pls"

'No'

"Oh, Pls well do anything to get that number, pretty pls"

'anything really?'

"Yes"

"if you behave properly of course and work hard too"

"yes mam"

when the nurses go back to work, the nurse name Choi yoo-ra went casually to the hallway with a blush on her cheek.

"I gotta admit he got hotter than the last time but he just ignored my messages since when he was an E-rank, I should be better go after him and ask..."

Her face turns to full red and blushed harder until it pluffs off in mid-air like a mad volcano pop out her feelings in smoke while she starts stomping through the hallway.

"No, no, nono, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no that's a big no, no it's too embarrassing cuz it's not like we're a couple or anything, it's just why he didn't read my messages that's all, right?!"

she remains silent for a few seconds.

"Even though I have his phone number, I haven't received any messages at all, are all handsome guys are liked that, or is it I'm not that attractive, man what a waste"

She kept on stomping through and through while no one is around. Sung Jin-woo heard it all due to his enhanced hearing from leveling up and he was guilty about it.

"I should message her sometimes just in case"

He was lifted on the 3rd floor till the elevator opened. He walked out going straight while looking at her door number on what the nurse said to him.

...

After a few stroll of doors on his way, he found her door number. He stood straight in front of her doorstep and knocked on the door three times after that he opened it.

...

He entered her room and closed the door.

...

He put his flowers beside her bed on the desk and sat down on the empty chair at once, observing the unconscious woman in front of him.

He called out beru to ask him something, the shadow with a ferocious aura shown behind his back to answer.

"Beru"

[Did you call me, my liege]

'Yes... so tell me beru, how is she'

[She's fine, my liege but something happen to her body while I was healing her]

'What happens?'

[She's somehow regenerate quickly than my healing, my liege]

'her body constantly regenerates? is it due to the hunter healing probability faster than any normal human being'

[No, my liege it's quite faster than hunters generate healing, it might be somehow connected to that monster who was in front of us at that time ]

'Wait you saw it?'

[yes my liege, after that incident Igris was immediately drawn back to your shadow ]

'I guess so, continue the topic what do you mean connected?'

[I can't explain in detail but I can say one thing]

'what is it?'

[She's somehow become a vessel]

'a vessel? you mean...'

[I can't sure if that's true but I certainly believe that's the case, it's better if you keep watch on her in the meantime]

'Sure, thanks for telling me

[Anything for you my liege]

The former ant monarch return to his shadow as usual.

'A vessel hah'

He looks at her more intensely holding both hands roughly while covering his unfazed expression, if one day it will be more chaotic if she were in trouble or endangered somehow due to her becoming a vessel and involved in the most dangerous situation for her to enter.

The man in black hair look deep down below his feet and felt responsible, if she were to die in his sight, he might become berserk someday.

Suddenly an unexpected person just came by her doorstep, step in inside the room until she saw a man sitting down in front of the unconscious woman. she said.

"Who are you, supposed to be?"

He turn his head to his back while he stood up to greet the person in front of him.

"Hello am Sung Jin-Woo, it's a pleasure to meet you"

"Wait your the Sung Jin-Woo, The hunter who just awakened an E-rank to National authority, is a way, badass dude"

"isn't it too far for me to become a National rank"

"What are talking about you just beat the Goliath who was known to be the king of hunters got smash into a pulp by your hands. there is no way you'll never be recognized as a national authority hunter when you just beat him up, right now nobody is gonna hurt you since you just become too strong for them to handle"

"Yeah maybe"

"Oh! how rude of me, am Ae-cha hae-in nice to meet yeah"

"So you must be her..."

"Yes, am her older sister but unlike her am a Former hunter"

"You're a hunter Miss hae-in"

"Not anymore lately cuz I'm tired of fighting

"I see"

"So you, what kind of relationship with my little sis here"

"Friends"

"Friends? no that can't be right, I've heard you dating my sister don't tell me it's false information"

"It's true but as friends"

"No way I was about to recognize you as my brother-in-law"

*chuckled*"sorry for the disappointment"

"Don't apologize, I was happy that mom just stop ordering me around lately, looking for a boyfriend for my sister, man so exhausted"

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah, my mom wanted my little sister to have a boyfriend since 18 but later on she's been avoiding her cuz she was tired of mom when someone chooses a partner that she doesn't want so she left the house immediately and became a hunter instead, more badass than me though"

"I can see that"

"but of course am the one who kept an eye on her since I'm her older sister so it's natural for me to look after my little sister"

"Of course it's natural for us to look after younger siblings"

"Yes, I agree with you"

Silent for a moment

....

"When I heard the news about the strongest couple around the news, I saw my sister walking with a hot dude name Jin-Woo"

He spouts his face in confusion.

"Am I considered hot to girls, I thought am not that handsome in the first place" his thoughts

"I was like YES THAT'S MY SISTER ALRIGHT, NO GIRL HAS THAT BEAUTY OTHER THAN HER GO, GIRL! GET THAT BOI! While I started to boasting around the neighborhood like pretty crazy"

"Really how amusing of you" he smiled.

"Yeah that was my expectation of course but in reality, it turns out you're just friends....it's a matter of time mom starts looking for another guy to date my sister"

"I may ask, why does your mom want Miss hae-in a boyfriend"

"cuz she doesn't want my sister being alone for the rest of her life so she kept searching even though she's not interested or..."

remain silent.

"Well, anyway since your here I should be leaving, I have work to do, See yeah"

"Going already?"

"yeah, I know it's short it was fun talking to you"

as she went to the door to opened widely then closed quietly as she left the room.

"even though they look similar but they have different personalities it's kinda amazing don't you think"

[yes, my liege] beru said.

...

At her current dream, it was plain empty black, with empty space everywhere like it was pure darkness itself but then a woman in white was floating between them. she slowly woke up and gaze at the empty space of the darkness surrounded her, she surely not was her first time but she came back twice.

"Am back again but did I really die?"

until a moment of silence.

...

After a few hours later, a certain roar echoed through darkness feeling intense power flowing into the void. she couldn't grasp what's going on but she knows something is not right here.

"What the! something odd around here and It's not good alright"

the roared of darkness echoed again and again for multiple times now, like a waving black river trying to push her back to the surface.

After that occurred a mysterious being appeared while it rise to his slumber throne and started to walk among his abyssal ground. he asks.

[Who goes there?!]

she remains silent in the abyss.

[Who sted foot of my eternal abyss]

she drank her dried saliva while being silent again.

The Shadowy figure notice her while his eyes were bright purple glowing in the dark flowing out for each step he takes. when he got closer to her, he lift his head and ask the person in front of him.

[Was it you, who stood here?]



She widened her eyes while her body quakes like she began to face true death who rules in the eternal darkness swallowing her whole. she was shaken deeply and afraid that the monster in front of her was no different than other death encounters, it was her first time witnessing a powerful being other than Aldrich the monarch of knights who is far stronger than him. the shadow asks her.

[A woman? why are you here?]

She was deeply afraid and confused, she replied.

"I don't know?"

[Don't know, you say hmmm...]

Another time of silence, the monarch was thinking about her situation while the woman continue to quiver.

[Does it mean you died but not really dead]

"huh, what do you mean?"

[Forget it, you should wake up to the living than sleeping here of the abyssal dream] he slowly raise his hand and made his finger snap.

Ping!

Then Her body began to swirl around like she was sucked out to the void. She panic, trying her best to move around while she was holding something between the void.

"what's this!"

The Abyssal lord Ignored her and took a look closer to her face in curiosity like he has seen her before.

[When I take a closer look at you, your that woman from before]

She was confused so she remain silent while trying her best to move her body. The Abyssal lord continued to say something before she disappeared into his realm.

[yes, I remember you, your name was Cha hae-in if I have not mistaken you from someone else, don't worry you will wake up soon enough]

After that, the woman was continued to pull out from the void and starting to disappear, the monarch turn his back from her and walked away but then the woman shouted something to ask.

"WAIT! WHO ARE YOU?!"

The monarch twist his head while looking at her. he said.

[Me? you don't need to ask me who I am, you already know the answer]

"but I-"

[Soon of course]

She was about to peak of disappearing in the mince of the dark void while starting to see a flashing light around her eyes while the center of between white was small darkness with a mysterious being walk away from her and then he began to say before she woke up.

[Ah, yes I almost forget to tell you, send my regards to Jin-woo if you can]

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