Episode 09
The Void
On the day Seongjun vanished with the body of his master Minastrias—
The world as humanity knew it collapsed.
Minastrias had succeeded in sealing Sillamantis, one of the Seven Calamities that invaded Seoul.
But at the same time—
She could not stop the massive, simultaneous outbreaks of erosion spreading across the entire nation.
In Busan, a colossal ape-like creature with horns rampaged through the harbor, hurling anchored fishing vessels like toys and tearing the city apart.
In Daejeon, a winged, zebra-like monstrosity unleashed sonic waves that pulverized everything they touched—collapsing skyscrapers in an instant.
For a country like South Korea—forced to keep most of its military power stationed along the border with North Korea—
It was a nightmare scenario.
Yet, fortunately—
The disasters were still within the limits that could be handled by the government’s elite force:
The Division of the Dimensional Agency.
“Report from Unit 7. The commander-class entity ‘Siren’ in Daejeon has been neutralized.”
“Casualties?”
“Four Grade-2 agents dead, twenty-seven injured. Twelve Grade-1 agents dead, one injured. One Special-Class agent injured.”
“…Even a Special-Class?”
“It was a commander-class, and a ranged-type entity.”
“…Then we can consider Daejeon reclaimed.”
Inside the underground emergency command center beneath the Yongsan Presidential Office—
A space designed to function even during nuclear war—
Soldiers and agents stood shoulder to shoulder, assessing the unfolding catastrophe.
“Any movement from the erosion entities?”
“None significant. They appear to be claiming territory—massacring all humans in their zones and holding position.”
One officer muttered grimly.
“If that serpent above Seoul had remained… I don’t even want to imagine it.”
It wasn’t an exaggeration.
All global communication had been severed overnight.
Phones. Internet. Satellites.
Gone.
Attempts to send ships to Japan had ended in disaster—
A massive unidentified sea creature devoured the vessel before it could even reach Japanese waters.
From that moment on, the government enacted emergency measures:
- Day 1: Nationwide martial law
- Day 2: Ban on hoarding
- Day 3: Fuel sales completely halted
Three months later—
Electricity itself was rationed.
The once-proud logistics system that delivered anything overnight—
Dead.
The food delivery culture that defined convenience—
Gone.
Electricity.
Oil.
The very forces that powered humanity’s golden age—
Had become its greatest shackles.
“Communications still down?”
“Domestic lines are being buried underground to restore partial functionality. International… no hope.”
“Satellites destroyed?”
“Not destroyed. Blocked. Some kind of invisible interference field.”
“…Then everything depends on power supply.”
At that moment—
A new voice entered.
She walked in—
Her body drenched in blood.
Han Su-ryeon, the strongest awakened agent in Korea and a former Olympic gold medalist in archery.
“You could’ve at least cleaned up first.”
“There’s no hot water at this hour, thanks to your curfew.”
“…At least remove the flesh from your gear.”
“…Flesh, huh.”
She scoffed, slamming her bloodied bow onto the table.
“To people sitting safely in bunkers, placing pins on maps—
I suppose it looks disgusting.”
“But for the agents fighting on the frontlines—
blood, flesh, and filth… that is their normal.”
Her voice sharpened.
“Fourteen agents died today.
Heroes—who fought until their last breath.”
“You know what’s strange? More Grade-1 agents died than Grade-2.”
“Because they sacrificed themselves—
to protect the weaker ones.”
Her fist glowed—
And before anyone could stop her—
BOOM!!!
The situation board shattered under her strike.
“…Still no.”
The commander replied calmly.
“We cannot reassign personnel.”
“…I see. Then I’ll try a different approach next time.”
Her tone changed instantly—cold, composed.
The room fell silent in confusion.
Moments later, she was dragged out by her subordinate Kim Changhyeok.
“…That’s her? The strongest awakened in Korea?”
“Yes. Without her, the government would’ve collapsed already.”
“…Then what’s the problem?”
“…Her obsession.”
“The man in the costume.”
The unidentified figure—
The one rumored to have destroyed the colossal entity over Seoul.
Despite a week-long nationwide search—
They found nothing.
And so—
She was reassigned to the frontlines by force.
The commander, Oh Beomseok, did not believe in the man’s existence.
If such a being truly existed—
someone capable of killing that serpent…
He would be humanity’s greatest weapon.
At the same time—
Han Su-ryeon thought the same.
If only that man were here…
We need him…
And at that very moment—
The man they both desperately sought—
Was nowhere near the battlefield.
In a quiet valley—
Far from civilization—
Seongjun sat alone.
His appearance—
Ragged.
Broken.
Like a beggar.
Before him was a crude meal:
A pot of watery soup with potatoes and carrots thrown in without care.
A bowl of rice so mixed with grains it barely resembled rice at all.
And across from him—
Another bowl.
Placed before it—
A smartphone.
On its screen—
The image of his master.
Minastrias.
As if—
They were still sharing a meal together.
The world was ending.
And the one who could change it—
Sat alone, in silence.
