"It's exactly like a video game."
Kim Min-jun slumped on a bench beside a humming vending machine, casually sipping strawberry milk through a tiny straw. His eyes, however, were locked on the translucent blue panel floating in the air.
It was the System. Or, more accurately, the System that his unique ability—the 'Manager'—had successfully hijacked.
Some might be startled by how easily the Manager had bypassed the cosmic powers of the Shadow Monarch and the Architect, but frankly, it wasn't as impossible as it sounded. The Shadow Monarch was terrifyingly powerful, but he wasn't a programmer; he had merely repurposed the System from the Architect to strengthen Sung Jin-Woo's body, preparing him to act as a vessel.
If I didn't know the original story, Min-jun thought, I'd assume the System was just a parasite waiting to take over Hyung's body.
People loved to paint the Shadow Monarch as a hero, but in the beginning, he stood with the Monarchs—the monsters that wanted to scorch the earth and annihilate the Rulers. It was only a stroke of luck that Jin-Woo's influence caused the Monarch to betray his own kind, passing on his entire legacy.
What if that hadn't happened? This world would already be ashes. The Monarchs vastly outclassed the Rulers in individual combat. Furthermore, the Rulers' strategy of using fragile human vessels instead of fighting their own battles had always seemed ridiculously naive to Min-jun.
"Then again, if their true bodies actually descended, the universe might just tear itself apart," he muttered.
He rubbed his temples, an intense headache brewing. What the hell was he supposed to do?
When he first awakened as an S-Rank Hunter with a unique ability, he thought he had it made. He thought he could finally relax. But the deeper he looked into the truth of this world, the more he realized how small he was. Jin-Woo only managed to defeat the Monarchs because they hadn't descended with their full power. Worse, they couldn't truly die. No matter how many times they were struck down, they could always return.
Even the Architect—the very creator of the System—had realized the futility of it all, fleeing to the outer fringes of reality to forge a desperate alliance with the Outer Gods.
Outer Gods. The mere term was enough to induce despair. They are cosmic horrors that can wipe out planets and galaxies as if they were taking a stroll through a park. If there was a silver lining, it was that the Architect's escape had forced a ceasefire between the Rulers and the Monarchs. Neither side could ignore the looming threat of the Outer Gods. The only reason reality hadn't been invaded yet was likely the lingering will of the absolute Creator protecting them—and, of course, plot armor. If the Outer Gods descended now, Jin-Woo would die before he could fully mature.
And naturally, Min-jun would die right alongside him.
"Can this System actually help me bridge that gap?"
Min-jun focused on the floating panel. Similar to an RPG, his attributes were divided into five categories: Strength, Vitality, Intelligence, Agility, and Sense.
As an archer, his build was obvious. Agility dictated his sheer speed and kinetic power, while Sense governed his detection, reflexes, and aim. As long as his Strength, Vitality, and Intelligence met a baseline requirement, he poured everything else into those two.
But there has to be a level cap, right?
In every video game, a character eventually hits a ceiling. The System could only push a human body so far, just like how Jin-Woo eventually needed the Shadow Monarch's full inheritance to break past his limits.
"Should I try to become a vessel, too?" Min-jun wondered aloud. Borrowing the power of a Ruler or a Monarch would grant him immediate strength. It would give him the power to protect himself.
No. It isn't enough.
He wanted power that belonged entirely to him. He wanted enough strength to protect the people he cared about, to live without the constant, looming dread of cosmic annihilation. He just wanted peace of mind—the same peace he sought when he realized he no longer had to stream 12 hours a day in front of a monitor just to afford a decent meal.
"One step at a time. Let's test the System first."
Jin-Woo hadn't become a god overnight; his power was the result of an accumulation of relentless, blood-soaked hard work. Min-jun would have to do the same, but could he?
After all, unlike him, Jin-Woo had the help of the Shadow Monarch, but he, Min-Jun, had no such thing at all, and he also didn't have the confidence that he could maintain his body, as he was afraid everything would be taken from him
The ability to share with him from various universes might be powerful, yet it didn't give him the ability to be omnipotent, as everyone needed to work hard, and he wasn't sure whether they could grow strong enough to reach the level where they could face a cosmic horror.
"Let's stop being negative."
Banishing his doubts, as he knew well that his chance to live was better than anyone else's in this world, he opened his spatial storage and pulled out an ornate, glowing key. He inserted it into the air, twisting it until the space fractured into a swirling dungeon gate.
This was his focus; instead of aiming for the distant future that no one knew for sure, he should focus on growing stronger; at least, he shouldn't be strong enough that he could face the Monarchs or the Rulers, and with that thought, he stepped through the portal.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
A chorus of vicious snarls echoed through the cavern. A pack of massive wolves, their fangs bared and eyes glowing with predatory hunger, immediately locked onto the intruder. Without hesitation, the vanguard of the pack lunged, claws extended, to rip Min-jun to shreds.
Splash!
The lead wolf's skull caved in with a sickening crunch, exploding into gore as Min-jun casually swung his heavy bow like a baseball bat.
The rest of the pack froze, their aggression momentarily replaced by confusion. They stared at the human who had just crushed their kin without drawing a single arrow.
But their hesitation was fatal.
Min-jun casually snapped his fingers. The air around him warped as dozens of ethereal, blue mana arrows materialized, vibrating with lethal energy. The number of arrows perfectly matched the number of wolves in the cavern.
"Manager."
[All targets have been locked.]
"Fire."
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The mana arrows tore through the cavern like streaks of lightning. They pierced the monsters' skulls effortlessly, popping heads like overripe watermelons. Blood painted the stone walls as the entire pack was slaughtered in a fraction of a second.
As the dust settled, Min-jun felt a subtle, warm surge of energy enter his body—the undeniable sensation of leveling up.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Interesting."