For a breathless moment, no one moved.
The shadow blade hummed in Renji's grip, its dark edge rippling like liquid night, swallowing the faint glow of the clearing. Even the Alpha hesitated, nostrils flaring, as if it recognized the unnatural power coiled within the weapon.
"W-what the hell is that...?" Jake muttered, tightening his hold on the greatsword.
Winter's wide eyes flicked between Renji and the weapon. The icy mist clinging to her hands faltered. "That's not... that's not just mana."
"Stay focused!" RM barked, snapping them back to the present but his own gaze lingered on Renji, a mix of shock and something sharper, wariness.
The Alpha's growl deepened, hackles rising. Its crimson aura flared, the jungle itself seeming to buckle beneath the weight of its killing intent. With a thunderous roar, it lunged forward, earth shattering beneath its claws.
Renji moved to meet it. Steel and shadow crossed in his hands as he stepped into the charge, his movements precise, practiced, and devastating. The clash rang like a drumbeat of war steel sparking, shadow slashing, each blow pushing the Alpha back in a flurry of calculated strikes.
"Everyone support Renji!" RM commanded, snapping the others into action.
Karina's fire roared into the fray, Winter's frost lancing into the beast's flank. Yuna loosed an enchanted arrow, the projectile splitting into three streaks of light as it drove into the Alpha's shoulder.
But even together, the weight of the Alpha's strength bore down on them like a storm.
And still Renji pressed on. His shadow blade carved through the air, seamless with the steel, as though the two weapons were extensions of the same will. Every strike was precise, deliberate, overwhelming. He fought not just with power, but with mastery.
The Alpha staggered under the relentless assault, but its crimson eyes never wavered. With a snarl, it began to gather energy, its aura compressing into something darker, something lethal.
The air quaked as the Alpha's aura condensed into a single devastating burst. Crimson light bled from its body, veins glowing like molten rivers beneath its hide. The beast threw its head back and roared, the sound rattling bone and tearing through the jungle like a shockwave.
"Brace yourselves!" RM shouted, throwing defensive buffs across the line.
The blast erupted. Trees splintered, stone cracked, the world seemed to explode outward yet at the heart of it, Renji didn't falter. His blades blurred, steel cleaving through the wave, shadow swallowing what remained. When the dust cleared, he stood untouched, cloak barely stirred, eyes fixed on the Alpha.
The monster's crimson gaze flickered. For the first time, there was hesitation.
It lunged again, claws like guillotines, but Renji stepped inside the arc, shadow blade cutting across tendons with surgical precision. The beast staggered, howling as its paw slammed uselessly into the dirt. Renji didn't give it space steel followed, carving deep into its chest, each strike unrelenting, mechanical in its perfection.
"He's overwhelming it" Jake muttered under his breath, shifting Yeonjun's limp body further onto his back.
The Alpha thrashed, enraged, its strength rattling the battlefield, but every desperate move was met with calm defiance. Shadow and steel danced together, tearing through flesh, driving the monster further into submission.
Then something shifted.
The Alpha froze, muscles coiling tight, then turned. With a guttural snarl, it broke off, its massive form surging into the trees in a desperate bid to flee.
"Is it running?" Yuna breathed in disbelief, bow still trembling in her grip but Renji was already moving.
He shot forward like a shadow unbound, closing the distance before the Alpha had taken three strides. The air split as his blade cleaved through the beast's hind leg, severing muscle and bone in a single strike. The Alpha crashed into the dirt, snarling in pain, but Renji didn't stop. He vaulted onto its back, plunging the shadow sword deep into its spine while the steel blade carved across its neck.
The jungle fell silent except for the beast's ragged, dying howls. Renji wrenched his blades free, blood spraying across the clearing as the Alpha collapsed with a thunderous crash. Its body convulsed once, twice then stilled.
The fight was over.
Renji stood atop the fallen Alpha, blades dripping shadow and blood, his breathing steady and controlled as though the battle had never touched him. His gaze swept briefly over the group, unreadable, before lowering to the beast beneath his boots.
The Alpha's final breath rattled out, its crimson aura fading into nothing as its massive body collapsed in the dirt. The ground still trembled faintly beneath its weight.
Renji stood on its carcass, blades dripping with blood from the monster. His breathing was steady, his expression unreadable no sign of fatigue, no sign of strain. It was as though the fight hadn't even touched him.
Silence stretched across the clearing.
Jake tightened his grip on Yeonjun's limp form, his jaw clenched. "That was the Alpha and you" His voice trailed off, words failing.
Yuna lowered her bow slowly, her eyes wide. "He didn't even flinch."
Winter's hands shook, the frost fading from her fingers. She stared at the shadow blade still humming in Renji's grip. "That power it's the first time I'm seeing it."
Karina's flames guttered out, leaving only the faint smell of smoke in the air. Her usual composure faltered, lips parting as if to speak, but no words came.
RM, however, met Renji's gaze. For a moment, nothing passed between them but silence the quiet acknowledgment of a truth the others weren't ready to face. Finally, he exhaled, voice steady but edged with tension.
"Everyone let's regroup. Jake put Yeonjun down for a moment. Recover your stamina. We'll plan our next move later."
Renji said nothing. He pulled his steel sword free from the Alpha's corpse and retracted his shadow blade, the dark edge dissolving into mist before vanishing completely. Only the steel sword remained, faintly gleaming in the broken light. Without another glance, he stepped off the body, walking past the group as if the monster he had just slain had been nothing more than an obstacle in his path.
Behind him, the others exchanged uneasy glances.
For the first time, they felt fear towards Renji's power but at the same time felt bad looking down on him.
The jungle lay still after the Alpha's collapse, the clearing drenched in the smell of blood and burnt mana. The group sank to the ground in exhaustion, weapons lowered, shoulders slumped.
RM knelt by Yeonjun taking out a healing talisman from his pocket and murmuring the incantation. The talisman glowed and Yeonjun's breathing started stabilizing. Jake hovered anxiously while Yuna sat cross-legged, bow limp across her lap, her eyes distant.
Karina pressed a hand against her side where bruises throbbed beneath her armor. "If Renji hadn't been here we'd all be corpses," she said flatly, her voice edged with disbelief.
Winter didn't answer immediately. She sat in silence, hugging her knees to her chest. When she finally spoke, her tone was hushed, almost hollow. "Did you see it? The Alpha wasn't just strong, it was terrifying but Renji fought it alone like it was nothing."
Jake clenched his fists, the memory of Renji's shadow and steel cutting down the monster burned into his mind. "We're A-Rank hunters. We are the elite in our guilds, trained by other A-Rank hunter but against one B-Rank boss we were scared" His voice broke with frustration.
Yuna shook her head, guilt plain in her eyes. "And he's registered as E-Rank. E-Rank. What does that even make us?"
The words hung heavy in the air. RM looked at their faces the shaken pride, the fear, the despair settling deep. He understood what they were feeling, because he felt it too but letting that weight crush them would be the end.
"Enough." His voice cut sharp, grounding. Everyone's heads turned toward him.
"Renji isn't like us. He's a returner." RM's eyes swept across them, steady and commanding. "He's fought in battles that we can't begin to imagine. He's fought monsters beyond our comprehension and survivedThat's why he's different. That's why he's strong."
Winter's lips parted in surprise. "A returner?"
RM nodded once. "Yes and if you want to be stronger, then start thinking the way he does. Fight like every battle could be your last. Train like the next monster could kill you. Because out there, one mistake is all it takes. Rank, talent, reputation none of it matters inside the portals where monsters only think about eating you."
The group fell into silence again but it was no longer the silence of despair it was the silence of reflection.
Karina's jaw tightened. "Then we train. No excuses."
Winter lowered her gaze, fists clenching. "I won't... I won't freeze again."
Jake and Yuna exchanged a glance, both of them quietly coming to the same conclusion: they couldn't stay the same after witnessing this.
At a distance, Renji was standing alone, watching the tree line if any of the monsters were going to attack them while listening to RM's motivation for the group. He didn't want to join in and ruin their moment of victory by fighting the boss but if he didn't fight, they would end up dead.
The world warped, light folding in on itself as the team stepped through the portal. The oppressive weight of the dungeon vanished in an instant, replaced by the crisp evening air of the Association's outpost.
Waiting just beyond the stabilization zone stood three figures commanding, unmistakable presences that drew immediate attention from the exhausted hunters.
The first to step forward was Kai of Ironfang, his tall frame radiating quiet menace. Black tactical gear clung to him like a second skin, his gaze sharp enough to cut steel. An S-Rank whose blade was whispered to cleave wyverns in a single stroke his expression froze the moment his eyes landed on Jake carrying the limp form of Yeonjun.
"Yeonjun" Kai's voice was low, controlled, but his jaw clenched as he stepped closer.
Beside him stood Seulgi of Stormwatch, her long hair tied back in a warrior's knot, lightning crackling faintly across the rings on her fingers even though she wasn't in battle. Cold eyes swept across the group, noting every bruise, every ragged breath.
On her other side, IU of Lunarveil regarded them in silence. Dressed in flowing white combat robes trimmed with silver, her presence was serene yet suffocating like moonlight that left nowhere to hide. Her gaze lingered not on the injured, but on the quiet figure standing at the rear of the group. Renji.
Jake lowered Yeonjun onto a stretcher prepared by medics. His voice cracked as he addressed the Ironfang vice leader. "Vice Leader Kai he fought until he collapsed. We wouldn't have made it without him."
Karina swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice. "The Alpha it wasn't like the reports. It revealed abilities we weren't prepared for. Even together, we couldn't" She trailed off, ashamed.
Winter tightened her fists but said nothing, her silence speaking volumes.
RM met the eyes of the three S-Ranks and bowed his head slightly. "The report will explain everything but for now, what matters is that we survived."
Seulgi raised an eyebrow. "Survived? Looking at you, it feels more like you were dragged out." Her gaze flicked briefly to Renji, then back to RM, suspicion forming.
IU's eyes softened, though her tone remained calm. "And yet, all of you are still alive. Even against a berserk Alpha." Her words carried a subtle weight, an unspoken question that hung in the air.
Kai said nothing at first, his hand hovering over Yeonjun's shoulder before pulling back. His focus shifted toward Renji the lone hunter who hadn't spoken a word since emerging. Renji's stance was relaxed, his eyes already scanning the perimeter for threats, as if the battlefield hadn't ended.
The three S-Ranks exchanged a glance, a silent conversation between veterans who understood strength when they saw it.
For the first time, the hunters realized what had happened inside that dungeon wouldn't stay secret for long.
Kai snapped his fingers, and two Ironfang hunters immediately moved in, lifting Yeonjun with practiced care. "Get him to St. Enoch's," Kai ordered, voice clipped. "Priority clearance. I'll have healers waiting."
His gaze shifted to Jake, who was still bleeding through a bandage. Kai pulled a small vial from his inventory and pressed it into Jake's palm. "Drink it will help with the wounds."
Jake muttered a weak thanks, too shaken to meet his eyes.
Seulgi of Stormwatch turned toward her subordinate. "Yuna go to the healers, they'll help you first" Lightning crackled faintly along her rings as though punctuating the command.
Yuna stiffened but obeyed, exhaling in relief as a Stormwatch cleric hurried over to begin her work.
IU of Lunarveil moved next, her steps unhurried, graceful. "Karina. Winter. With me." Two Lunarveil healers appeared at her gesture, already weaving soft silver light over their wounds. IU's eyes lingered on her guild members for a moment longer, then, almost deliberately, on Renji.
When the last of the immediate treatments were finished, Seulgi folded her arms and addressed RM directly. " RM, Stormwatch will expect a detailed report within one week. Every discrepancy. Every irregularity."
IU inclined her head, her tone calm but carrying quiet authority. "Lunarveil as well."
Kai didn't add to it. He gave RM a hard look measured, silent, like a blade pressed just out of sight before turning away and heading for the sleek black vehicle waiting at the edge of the outpost.
Seulgi and IU followed suit, their guild members falling into step behind them. Soon, the three cars disappeared into the night, leaving only the faint echo of engines and an oppressive silence.
RM slumped against the nearest bench, pressing his palms to his face. "Three S-Ranks, breathing down my neck I think my heart aged ten years just now."
Renji, who had been leaning casually against a post, glanced over. "Relax. If they really wanted answers, they'd have dragged you into the car."
RM groaned and let out a shaky laugh. "That's not helping."
Renji smirked faintly. "Could've been worse. They might've asked you to solo the Alpha instead."
That earned a proper laugh from RM, sharp but genuine. "God, don't even joke about that. We'd be corpses. You'd be fine but the rest of us? Gone."
Renji only shrugged, as if the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "I did leave a few scratches for you guys, though."
RM chuckled, shaking his head. "Scratches, he says"
For the first time since emerging from the dungeon, the suffocating tension began to lift, if only a little.
Far from the Association's outpost, the Seoul skyline gleamed under the moonlight. In a fortified office buried deep within government grounds, Minister Jang Seong-min sat behind his desk, the city lights reflecting coldly in his eyes.
The door opened with a soft click, and one of his suited subordinates entered, bowing low.
"Minister, the Association has declared the K-731 portal closed."
Seong-min's expression hardened. His fingers tapped once against the polished wood.
"Closed?" His voice was soft, but laced with venom. "That portal was seeded to evolve into an S-Rank beast. Do you understand what that means? My months of preparation, undone by those incompetent fools."
The subordinate swallowed, then cleared his throat. "There is another matter. Our watchers near the outpost reported the team that emerged."
Seong-min turned slightly, his gaze razor-sharp. "Go on."
"Mr. RM of the association as well as rookie A-Hunters from the big guild and among them was a man named Renji. No official records exist of his ranking, yet his name appeared in connection with the Scarlet Fang incident in the failed experiment and now, he has surfaced again in the closure of K-731."
The Minister's brows knit, annoyance breaking through his carefully maintained mask.
"Renji" He said the name as though it were a curse. "A ghost with no past, showing up where he shouldn't. Scarlet Fang first, and now this."
The subordinate shifted uneasily. "Reports say that the hunter from the Ironfang received significant damage and was rushed to the hospital. The others looked okay but were clearly exhausted from the fight except for Renji who looked calm."
Before Seong-min could reply, the shadows at the edge of the chamber stirred. A cloaked figure emerged, steps deliberate, the faint glow of a Veythar Dominion sigil carved into his neck marking his allegiance.
"You should have let me kill him the last time," the man said, his voice smooth and poisonous. "That hunter is no ordinary insect. I smelled it on him the stench of power."
Minister Jang didn't rise. He leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming against the armrest. His lips curved in a humorless smile. "And yet, here you are, lecturing me after failing to prove your worth in Seoul. You speak of instincts and stench, while I deal in strategy and results. Do not mistake me for one of your Dominion lackeys."
The emissary's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glimmer in the dim light. "Strategy? Is that what you call it? Because from where I stand, your 'strategy' cost us an S-Rank beast that could have shifted the balance of power. Perhaps the Dominion misplaced their trust in you."
Seong-min's smile didn't falter, but his gaze sharpened. "Careful. You stand in my country, under my networks, and breathe only because I allow it. The Dominion sends dogs to bark at me, but it is I who chooses when they are unleashed."
The agent chuckled softly, the sound low and mocking. "Dogs, yes but dogs with fangs sharp enough to tear out your throat, Minister. Do not forget that."
Silence stretched for a moment, the air between them taut with unspoken threats. Then Jang waved dismissively toward his subordinate. "Enough of this. Investigate him. I want everything his past, his allies, his weaknesses. If he is truly as dangerous as our guest insists, I will decide how he is used."
The subordinate bowed and hurried away.
The Dominion emissary leaned in closer, the sigil on his neck pulsing faintly. "Your arrogance blinds you, human. That man is a blade unsheathed. When he cuts, you may not be the one holding the hilt."
Minister Jang's smile widened, his tone dripping with condescension.
"Then let him cut and when the blade breaks, I will simply find another."
The emissary's eyes lingered on him, cold and unamused, before melting back into the shadows.
Left alone, Minister Jang chuckled to himself, though his fingers gripped the chair tightly.
"Renji show me if you are worth the trouble."
In the silence that followed, the shadows seemed to laugh.