It had been three hours—at least, that's what it felt like inside the Echo Rift. Time bent unnaturally here, ticking by in odd pulses, disconnected from the outside world. Jaemin had stopped trying to guess the real-time hours. His focus was singular now.

  His boots crushed against coarse obsidian gravel as he approached it—the radiant tree.

  It stood even taller up close than it had from a distance. Its bark shimmered faintly, textured like celestial ore, while golden leaves rustled without wind. The roots hummed low, as if alive, as if watching.

  Jaemin took a single step forward.

  TING!

  [+7000 EXP Earned.]

  [New Item Acquired: Tub of Water.]

  He blinked.

  "Water? In here?"

  He muttered. Still, his throat was dry. He raised the tub and drank.

  The moment it touched his lips, a chill rushed through his veins—it was ice-cold and sharp, yet clean, like a mountain spring had poured straight into his core. He staggered back slightly, heart beating a little faster.

  Suddenly, the ground cracked under him with a loud CRRKK.

  A fracture line glowed faint gold, and then with a deep mechanical hum, it split wide open—revealing a pulsing portal below.

  Jaemin glanced once more at the tree, then back at the portal.

  "This must be the next level…"

  He leapt in.

  The fall was short—he landed with a thud, crouched. This biome looked almost identical to the last, except now it was crawling. Abyssals—three times more than before. Spindly limbs. Clicking mandibles. Hollow-eyed humanoids crawl like roaches in all directions.

  He cracked his neck and raised his hand casually.

  "Now."

  His voice echoed, and the shadows responded.

  But something was off.

  His Resonants rose again—Warden. Ink. A few Vanguards.

  "Go. Kill 'em."

  The Resonants surged.

  Ink's sythe sang through the air—clean arcs that left black trails behind. Warden cracked skulls open with his thunder spear like it was routine. The Vanguards swarmed the frontlines, outnumbered but ruthless. Screeches echoed across the rift, but Jaemin just stood still, watching.

  In less than two minutes, the rift had fallen silent again.

  No cries. No movement. Just the fading hiss of black blood vaporising off the ground.

  Then, one by one, his Resonants slowly faded—vanishing into shimmer particles.

  Jaemin shook his hands loose, then bolted forward.

  Again, the tree waited. Its presence is like a lighthouse in a storm—always glowing, always watching. He didn't hesitate. As he touched its trunk, another crack formed beneath him, glowing the same golden hue, and opened another portal.

  ****

  Four hours in.

  Jaemin's breath was heavy, but steady. He'd reached Level 20.

  His inventory was starting to swell. Shards. Dusts. Scrolls. Unrefined cores.

  TING!

  [You have acquired:]

  [Gilded Riftstone] ×4

  [Nullifier Extract] ×1

  [Vial of Frozen Echo] ×2

  [Unknown Core Fragment] ×1

  [Skill Scroll – Phantom Bloom] ×1

  [Abyssal Bone Dust] ×300g

  He exhaled hard.

  It was worth it. He was grinding fast, and the drop rate here was absurd. His fingers twitched to open his stat screen and spend the XP—but he didn't.

  There were still 437 levels left.

  "I'll have to go back soon... before Nari wakes up."

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  Jaemin sighed.

  The moment the twentieth level of the Echo Rift was cleared, he didn't waste a second. He looted everything, not even checking the drops—just swept them into his inventory and exited.

  ****

  The world outside hit him like a cold wash. The sun was already out. Pale morning light painted the sky in sleepy oranges and greys. It was 7:03 AM.

  Back at the apartment, Jaemin moved quickly. Quietly.

  He walked straight to Nari's room. The door creaked open with a soft push. She was still asleep, buried under her blanket, one leg sticking out like usual.

  A rare moment of peace.

  Jaemin stood at the doorway for a second longer than he meant to—then slowly closed it, muffling the world from her.

  He walked into the kitchen. The lights flicked on.

  Without hesitation, he grabbed a pan, some eggs, tofu, and chopped vegetables. He cracked the eggs into a bowl, beat them with practised rhythm, and got the miso soup base going. It was muscle memory now—simple, clean, nourishing.

  By the time breakfast was halfway done, he'd already prepped a recyclable grocery bag. A thick canvas one—meant to carry weight. He tossed in a checklist pad, pen, and several freezer-safe containers.

  This wasn't going to be a one-day trip.

  He planned to fill the rift—level by level, tear through it as far as he could—and the only way he could do that without worrying was by ensuring Nari had everything she needed.

  He plated the food, covered it, and left a sticky note on the table.

  "Eat this before class. Don't skip, or else you're doing the laundry.

  -Jaemin, the older one, and the smarter one."

  Grabbing his hoodie and slipping the bag over his shoulder, he gave one last glance toward Nari's room.

  Then he stepped out.

  And Jaemin was just getting started.

  ****

  Yoon Taeha sat stiffly, his palms pressed tightly to his knees, barely breathing. The room was silent except for the ticking of the wall clock. His heart thumped with every second that passed. Core level test—done. Now came the result.

  The door clicked open.

  A man in a lab coat entered, holding a tablet.

  "Well… your results are different. From before."

  Taeha's head snapped up.

  "Huh? What do you mean by different from before?"

  He could feel his throat drying up.

  The man looked at him, eyes calm.

  "Just tell me this—how long do I have?"

  There was a pause.

  "Well… if you keep your health up, avoid dangerous rift zones, and don't push your limits like before…"

  The man tapped the tablet.

  "A good ninety to a hundred years."

  "…HUH???"

  Taeha shot up from his seat, eyes wide.

  "Yeah. Congrats. Your core is stable."

  Those words hit like a thunderclap. Core. Stable. It echoed in his brain like a choir of relief. His mouth went dry. His knees almost gave in. He stood there, frozen, until his lungs suddenly remembered to breathe.

  He sucked in air—sharp and deep—like someone who just surfaced from drowning.

  After thanking the man at least ten times, bowing with his whole back, and paying the bill without a second glance, he ran.

  Ran to his car.

  He drove like a madman across town, straight to the apartment building he knew by heart. The one next to the small neighbourhood store.

  He parked with a screech, bolting out of the car before it even came to a full stop. And there—there he saw that familiar silhouette, hoodie on, recyclable bag in hand.

  "HYUNG-NIM!!!!!!!"

  Jaemin turned, blinking at the loud voice. His head tilted, eyes catching the panting boy rushing toward him—face flushed, chest heaving, tears threatening to fall.

  Jaemin didn't even ask. He didn't need to.

  The corner of his lips curved, just a little. Quiet, knowing.

  As if he already knew what the answer was.

  ****

  Alaska

  "What seems to be the problem..."

  Seo Ilyeon muttered, watching his breath release frozen mist into the cold air.

  One of the Covenant: Horizon members stepped forward, nervously adjusting his scarf.

  "Well, the pool—no, this well of the Abyssal thingy—it just… cracked. We didn't really do anything..."

  "Yeah, yeah, cut it. I know."

  Ilyeon said, brushing past him.

  He walked slowly toward the well, hands in his pockets. The air grew heavier with every step. A faint dark hue was leaking from the small crack in the surface—viscous, slithering, and unnaturally cold.

  Abyssal corrosion. But it wasn't just that.

  It was thicker. More potent. It smelled wrong.

  "…Hmm. Looks bad."

  Seo Ilyeon muttered, crouching beside it, peering closer.

  Nothing else moved. The area around the crack was unnervingly still.

  "Pft."

  He smacked his lips in mild irritation and rose back to his feet.

  "I'll take a look at it tomorrow."

  He said with a shrug, already turning away. He tugged his coat tighter, walking back toward the dimly lit road where his car was parked, frost crunching under his boots.

  He didn't look back.

  ****

  Covenant: Iron Judgement HQ:

  TING! – TING!

  "Acting Commander?"

  A voice crackled from the phone line in Kang Daesang's private office.

  "Yes, Daesang speaking."

  His voice was calm, firm.

  "Raihan Kurozawa wishes to speak to you. Do I let him through?"

  Kang Daesang sighed lightly, placing his tablet aside.

  "Let him through."

  A brief pause.

  Then, a more laid-back voice, slightly distorted by static, filtered through.

  "Ehh… hello? Am I connected?"

  "Ahh, Raihan Kurozawa."

  Daesang replied, his tone shifting into a familiar mix of formal and teasing.

  "Tell me, how can I help you—Japan's top CoreBorn."

  "Ehhh? Top CoreBorn?"

  Raihan drawled.

  "You got it wrong, Kang Daesang. It's Special CoreBorn… you know, title and all that."

  The grin was audible in his tone.

  "Mhm, how could I forget?"

  Daesang said, smirking faintly.

  "My high school friend, riding the waves of fame. So tell me—how can the Core of Steel help the Core of Vitality today?"

  "Well."

  Raihan's voice suddenly shifted, a little more serious beneath the playful surface.

  "The world's master healer is here with a… well, a depressing note."

  "Oh?"

  Daesang leaned forward slightly in his seat, the change in tone making his brow twitch.

  "It's about Ulleungdo."

  Daesang stayed silent.

  "We saw something. Not just on radar—our ships saw it."

  Raihan said.

  "An Abyssal ape."

  Daesang's grip around the receiver stiffened.

  "What kind?"

  "That's the problem."

  Raihan replied.

  "We don't know. Bigger than the ones you've seen. Covered in fractured core crystal. Moved unnaturally fast. And when the ship turned, the radar lost it in seconds."

  "Any survivors?"

  "No. The ship was gone in under ten minutes. There was an explosion visible from the Busan port. We only recovered fragments and traces of burned abyssal tissue, which—by the way—didn't match anything on file."

  A long silence stretched between them.

  "I see…"

  Daesang finally muttered.

  "We're still digging. But Daesang…"

  Raihan's voice dropped to a whisper, cold and serious.

  "This isn't just another mutated beast. This thing had purpose."

  Another pause.

  Kang Daesang slowly stood from his seat, his voice flat now.

  "Send me the data logs."

  "Already done."

  Raihan confirmed.

  "I'll forward this to the Coreborn Association. Don't say anything to the media or your board."

  "I wasn't planning to."

  Raihan muttered.

  "Daesang…"

  "…Yeah?"

  "This thing... if it gets to shore, there won't be much left to fight for."

  Click.