A hazy scene unfolded before him, like a dream.
A vast aerial city, intricately connected like a piece of precise machinery.
What… is this?
Si-woo focused his mind, trying to sharpen the blurry image before him. Slowly, the mist cleared, revealing something astonishing.
This… this is real.
It felt detached, as though he were peering through a dream, yet the world before his eyes was undeniably real.
How did he know?
It was as certain as knowing the air existed, even without seeing it. A deep, unshakable belief filled his chest—this was reality.
Just as one doesn't need to step into space to know the stars exist beyond the night sky.
My God… this place actually exists?
Si-woo's gaze darted around in stunned disbelief.
This was an advanced civilization—one beyond imagination, a world he had never even dreamed of.
The sky was painted in hues like an oil painting, thick, rich colors blending together. A high-tech civilization floating above an almost fairy-tale-like backdrop.
The city itself hovered in the air, with objects zipping rapidly between the gaps.
Floating islands, overflowing with trees and vibrant flowers, drifted serenely. Even a massive, transparent body of water—a floating lake suspended in the sky—hung above.
Magic.
Si-woo instinctively understood that everything in this place existed because of magic.
It was breathtaking.
A world shaped by incredible sorcery.
And in that space, creatures soared freely through the sky.
A profound sense of joy and wonder filled him. Their very existence exuded a beauty that felt almost sacred.
But then…
Wait… I've seen them before…
Si-woo tilted his head.
At first, he assumed they were ordinary creatures. But as his gaze drew closer, familiarity struck.
And then he recognized them.
Monsters?
They had six legs. Jagged, sharp horns protruded from their foreheads.
A nightmare made flesh.
Why were they here?
Three days ago, one had appeared in the heart of Seoul, terrorizing the city—trying to kill him.
Fantaura…
The name surfaced in his mind unbidden.
A mystical beast, the Fantaura.
Then… this place is…?
It hit him.
He was in the world of the Fantaura.
Fantauraus.
But how do I know that?
As the thought struck, a blinding light erupted in the sky.
And then—
A roaring mass, brighter than the sun, hurtled toward the ground, expanding as it fell.
A meteor?
A monstrous, planet-killing asteroid, comparable in size to Earth's moon, was plummeting from above.
Death. Destruction. Oblivion.
Dread clawed at his gut.
Fantauraus was on the brink of annihilation.
His panicked gaze swept across the horizon.
A massive congregation of Fantaura, numbering in the thousands, were gathered in a single place—casting magic.
Desperately trying to stop the impending doom.
Their last, desperate stand.
A colossal magical barrier rose to meet the meteor, crashing against it with a blinding explosion of light.
For a moment, hope flickered.
But—
CRACK.
SHATTER.
The meteor pierced through. Their magic wasn't enough.
A deafening impact followed as the celestial behemoth slammed into the ground, carving deep into the earth.
And then—
BOOM!
A cataclysmic explosion erupted.
In mere moments, the advanced civilization was wiped from existence.
Si-woo felt a sudden wave of sorrow and rage.
Why am I… so angry?
The emotions were overwhelming—irrational, yet undeniably real.
And if he felt anger…
Did that mean this wasn't a natural disaster?
Had someone sent that meteor—an act of war, a deliberate extermination?
As those thoughts swirled, the world around him flickered.
Like waking from a dream, reality began to return.
And at that exact moment—
"You little piece of shit, Si-woo!"
A foot came flying toward his face.
Si-woo's vision sharpened.
Jang Dong-pil.
It was him.
His eyes were wild, whites showing as he swung at Si-woo in a mindless frenzy.
"Stop! You'll kill him!"
Another voice.
Seo Kwang-seok—trying, and failing, to hold Dong-pil back.
But something was… wrong.
They were moving too slowly.
Their voices sounded… distorted, sluggish.
Like a slow-motion video.
More importantly—
It doesn't hurt.
A moment ago, Si-woo had been in unimaginable agony. But now?
Nothing. No pain.
What the hell is going on?
Then—
WHOOSH.
A surge of power coursed through his body.
What…?
His heart pounded.
Something was happening.
His body was changing.
It made sense now—the pain he felt while passing through the Gate wasn't normal.
No other Hunter had ever reported something like it.
And back when he'd been inches from death, he hadn't felt pain at all.
Instead, he had seen the vision of Fantauraus.
That meant…
Could it be because of that?
His mind flashed back to that moment—
The sensation of stabbing his blade into the monster's neck. The sticky, translucent blood splattering onto his skin.
It's the blood.
Everything clicked into place.
The monster's blood—its very essence—contained an unknown power.
I absorbed it.
That was it. That was why he had awakened.
Why he had become the first Hunter in history to achieve a Double Title.
As if confirming his revelation—
WHOOSH.WHOOSH.
A newfound energy burned within him.
And it wasn't stopping.
This power—
Si-woo had stared death in the face and chosen to live.
And this power had responded.
Fantaura blood resonated with those who willed survival.
Like solving a puzzle, the pieces finally fit together.
Then—
BOOM!
Something deep inside him expanded.
A transformation.
Si-woo felt it.
He was evolving.
"Stop! Stop it already! You're going to kill him!"
Seo Kwang-seok's frantic voice rang out.
"Haa… haa…"
Jang Dong-pil finally staggered back, panting heavily.
He hadn't stopped because of Kwang-seok.
He was simply too exhausted to continue.
"You piece of shit… haah… don't think this is over. Spit."
Dong-pil glared down at Si-woo with murderous eyes.
You dared mess with my girl?
You deserve every beating you get.
Still, something about it felt… off.
Looking at Si-woo's unmoving body, an uneasy feeling settled in his gut.
The guy wasn't moving.
Even his Amformation device, which had been beeping nonstop, had gone completely silent.
Something was wrong.
Did… did he die?
A sharp pang of fear hit him.
"Hey, Si-woo… answer me. You dead or what?"
Dong-pil nudged him with his foot.
No response.
"Shit."
Panic crept into his voice.
Seo Kwang-seok seemed to realize it too.
"Dude… I think he's actually dead. What do we do?"
Dong-pil's mind raced.
A death inside a Rank 3 P-Type Gate?
If they got investigated, their names would definitely come up.
And as unaffiliated Hunters, they'd have no way to cover it up.
They'd be branded murderers.
"No way. No fucking way."
He refused to lose everything because of this bastard.
"Hey, Kwang-seok."
"…What?"
"You got a shovel in your gear bag?"
"…Yeah? Why?"
"We're gonna bury him."