The flicker of a chargeable lantern cast soft gold across dented snack shelves and broken soda coolers. Outside, the world had slipped into blue shadow, the city drowning in the last hues of twilight. Dust floated lazily in the air, catching the light like slow-falling ash. Every so often, the wind outside whistled through the cracked doorframe, carrying with it the distant scent of smoke, rot, and the metal tang of dried blood.
Inside the Haven, things had quieted—but not settled.
Ji-Hoon sat on an empty crate, a faded store apron tossed over it like a cushion. His bat leaned against his leg, still faintly scuffed from earlier. Across from him, the rest of the group had gathered in a loose circle. No one spoke yet. They were all caught somewhere between exhaustion and the numb clarity that came after surviving something they couldn't yet explain.
Park Min-Seok broke the silence.
"We need more than just food," he said. "That thing outside earlier—the goblin—it didn't come alone. Whatever caused all this... it's still happening."
Ji-Hoon nodded slowly. "You're right."
"Supplies are running low," Ji-Ah added. "And what we have? Junk food. Sugar. No protein, vitamins or medicines."
Tae-Gyu raised a hand hesitantly. "And we will be in complete darkness if the charge runs out."
"It's not just that," Woo-Jin cut in. "We don't know if this area's going to stay safe. We have no maps. No communication. No fallback if this place gets overrun."
"We should scout," Min-Seok suggested. "Map the surrounding streets. Check buildings for supplies or survivors."
Ji-Hoon watched them. They were tense, ragged, with minor wounded—but not broken, he want to use his healing but saved the points for emergency use.
He reached into the system interface—visible only to him—and called up his Sanctum Forge menu. Icons blinked to life behind his eyes.
[Sanctum Forge – Lv.1]
Available Constructions:
– Faith Altar (150 Coins, 100 FP)
– Healing Spring (200 Coins, 150 FP)
– Storage Shrine (100 Coins, 50 FP)
"I can build support structures," he said aloud. "Shrines, springs. Places that heal you, strengthen you. They cost coins and faith, but I'll start one tonight—likely a Faith Altar to passively generate more points."
Ye-Rin stirred slightly. "You can... build structures....like that in games ?"
"Sort of," Ji-Hoon replied. "Structures, not instant magic. But yeah—miracles, in pieces."
So-Ra had fallen asleep against her mother, curled up in Eun-Ha's lap with an empty water bottle in her arms like a toy.
Ji-Hoon's eyes moved across each face.
"Eventually, I'll can help strengthen you all. Awaken something in you. But right now, I can't afford it. Not yet."
"Then what can we do?" Ji-Ah asked.
"Rest. Prepare. Then tomorrow... we will expand, scout neighboring buildings. And will look for survivors."
"Would they even come?" Woo-Jin asked.
"If we offer them safety and work together for mutual benefits," Ji-Hoon said, "they will."
They were silent for a while. The wind outside howled faintly, like something clawing at the edge of the dome. But within, the stillness held.
Min-Seok stood, walked to the boarded-up front, and looked out through a crack.
"The streets are too quiet," he murmured.
Ji-Hoon rose too. "Quiet doesn't mean safe."
Then came the first knock.
It was soft. Then sharper.
Ji-Hoon turned sharply to the door. A shadow shifted beyond the barrier.
The soft patter became a clawing scritch-scratch-scritch.
And then the scream.
A high-pitched, gurgled shriek—not quite animal, not quite human. The kind of sound that sent teeth clenching and hair rising along your spine.
A greenish hand slapped against the outside glass, followed by a face—warped, wrong. The goblin bared its jagged teeth and hissed through the door.
So-Ra jolted awake, clinging to her mother's arm.
Everyone froze.
Ji-Hoon moved first.
He approached the door, slowly, until the goblin's face was inches away on the other side. It snarled, eyes burning red.
Then it swung a rusty cleaver against the barrier.
Thud.
The weapon bounced off like it had hit a sheet of tempered glass.
Again. Thud. Crack. Again.
But the barrier held.
Ji-Hoon didn't even blink.
After several tries, the goblin gave a frustrated snarl and scampered off into the shadows, disappearing into the ruins of the city.
Only then did Ji-Hoon speak.
"Now that we have conform it for ourselves. This barrier—it's real. Nothing hostile can enter it unless I let it."
He turned to face them.
"And that's why we build this Sanctuary. Not just to hide—but to hold ground. If we're going to survive this… we won't do it alone."
He paused, then added with quiet certainty:
"We rescue who we can."
Min-Seok nodded, eyes steady.
"Then tell us what you need."
And for the first time since the world ended, Ji-Hoon allowed himself to believe it.
They weren't just survivors anymore, they were his comrads.
The others were also staring at him now—not just in awe, but with something closer to trust.
That changed things.
Min-Seok stepped forward, voice steady. "Yes… we should go find more people tomorrow. If we have a safe place now, they deserve a shot too."
Eun-Ha looked at him, surprised, but said nothing.
Ji-Hoon was silent for a moment.
Then nodded. "We will."
---
Later, when the group had calmed again, Ji-Hoon moved into a corner, alone, and opened the system.
[Odin's Eye – Activated]
A faint blue light shimmered across his eyes as he glanced toward each person one by one. A soft glyph hovered above their heads—floating, shifting, invisible to anyone else.
[Park Min-Seok]
Trust: 100
Faith: 110
Hidden Trait: Guardian Spirit
Class Potential: [Rare-Class Path Available]
[Yoo Eun-Ha]
Trust: 100
Faith: 105
Hidden Trait: Lifebind Healer
Class Potential: [Rare-Class Path Available]
[Seo Ye-Rin] – Trust: 92
[Choi Dae-Hyun] – Trust: 87
[Jang Woo-Jin] – Trust: 80
Others: Lower still.
Only two had met the threshold.
Ji-Hoon lingered on the husband and wife.
They'd risked everything for their daughter. They hadn't asked for power. They hadn't begged. They'd simply acted, protected, endured.
But it was Min-Seok, Ji-Hoon realized, who had looked him in the eye without fear from the start. Who had walked beside him, not behind.
"He was the first. That counts for something."
Ji-Hoon selected his name on the interface.
[Bless Follower – Park Min-Seok]
Faith Cost: 200
Confirm?
[YES/NO]
>[YES]
Golden light spilled from Ji-Hoon's hand. The room dimmed, as if the world paused to watch.
Min-Seok's body rose slowly from the floor—just a few inches—but the effect was impossible to ignore.
Light surrounded him. His breath caught. His eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly.
And then the system rang.
[Class Unlocked: Guardian of Resolve]
Divine Path (Rare) – Defense / Leadership / Protector
Gains:
– Aura: Shield of Conviction (Passive Defense Boost)
– Spearmanship (Basic lev.)
– Protective Instinct (Triggers Protective Shield if sensed any danger)
Min-Seok landed on his feet, looking at the floating window puzzled—but standing taller than before.
"What… was it your doing?" he asked quietly.
"I just gave you something you already had," Ji-Hoon replied.
---
The world stilled for a breath.
Then, without warning, a subtle vibration passed through the Sanctuary—like a thread pulled tight across dimensions.
[System Alert: External Node Detected]
Cross-dimensional framework seeks synchronization…
[Merging with External Module: StellarNet Protocol]
Initializing Divine Influence Management System…
A beat later, something new blinked to life before Ji-Hoon's followers.
Not Ji-Hoon.
Everyone else.
Transparent silver-rimmed screens unfurled before their eyes—stylized like his own interface but sleeker, more ornate, shimmering like silver-threaded glass.
The logo burned at the top:
STELLARNET
---
"W-What the hell is this?" Woo-Jin muttered.
Ye-Rin flinched, her fingers twitching in the air in front of the holographic panel.
So-Ra gasped and grabbed her mother's hand.
The interface, unlike Ji-Hoon's minimalist layout, was designed like a divine social hub. It had depth, color, personal glow effects—and icons that pulsed softly.
Each survivor now had their own status screen, showing:
Name
Age
Class (if any)
Basic Stats (STR / DEX / INT / etc.)
Alignment
System Affinity
Sponsor Status: [None]
And beneath that, glowing tabs:
Ranking – Global leaderboard of individual feats
Marketplace – For trading divine items, relics, favor
Contact – Connect with registered gods or factions
Chats / Global Chat – Multiverse-linked communication
Channels – Upload or view "miracle broadcasts" from other Witnesses, showing acts of divine favor
Sponsor Status – Shows gods who've offered to sponsor them—or remains blank if none have
---
"Something just… connected to me," Tae-Gyu whispered.
"I see stats—like a game," Ji-Ah muttered. "But also… messages?"
Dae-Hyun's brow furrowed. "It says I'm 'Open for Sponsorship.' Is that normal?!"
Ji-Hoon stepped forward.
[System]
[Skill Unlocked: Master Control (Passive)]
You may now control all StellarNet functionality within your domain.
– Suppress or allow sponsorship offers
– Regulate divine broadcasts and miracles
– Prevent external tampering or cross-channel corruption
– Control follower visibility and ranking presence
Ji-Hoon paused.
Then disabled the platform with a thought.
All of the panels dimmed.
Silence swept through the room again.
Ji-Hoon said calmly, "That isn't my power. But I do control whether it's allowed here."
He stared at his hand, then the system, then back at them.
And toggled it on again.
The screens blinked back to life—only this time, with motion.
A new window opened in front of each survivor. A floating banner shimmered:
[Welcome to StellarNet – Orientation Channel Active]
And then the screen brightened.
---
A handsome elf appeared—long silver hair cascading behind his shoulders, his fantasy robes lined with golden runes and layered silk. His eyes gleamed a soft violet, and when he spoke, his voice was rich and theatrical, like a stage actor in perfect form.
"Welcome, mortals, to the StellarNet—a divine platform connecting you, the awakened mortals, to the infinite tapestry of the divine."
He gestured, and the background behind him shifted—showing constellations folding into symbols, pantheons blinking into view, and cities burning beneath apocalyptic skies.
"In ages past, gods could only act through whispers and faith. But the collapse of borders between worlds has granted us… new tools."
"Each of you now stands as a node—living Witnesses of divine providence. Gods will see you. Judge you. Bless or reject you. If chosen correctly, the path you walk shall be glorious."
He smiled like a performer nearing the final act.
"Gods gain power through belief. Mortals gain miracles through support. A pact of purpose, woven in mutual ambition."
The screen shimmered again—flashes of mortals wielding divine fire, conjuring shields of light, raising fallen allies. Crowds chanting names beneath radiant skies.
"But beware—this apocalypse is no accident. Your world is being eaten by dimensional corruption, born from collapsed realms beyond your comprehension. Only gods—and those who serve them—can push it back."
The elf spread his arms wide.
"Choose wisely. Grow your strength. Record your miracles. Rise in glory. And above all—shine bright enough… for your gods to notice."
The screen faded.
[Tutorial Complete]
Awaiting divine invitations…
---
The survivors stood frozen in their thoughts.
Ji-Hoon didn't speak. He simply stared at their expressions.
Half of them were still processing what they'd seen. A few looked intrigued. Ye-Rin looked pale, like she'd just glimpsed something watching her through the screen.
Ji-Hoon's own system pinged again, silent but firm.
[StellarNet Fully Integrated – Domain Authority: Master Level]
"In your sanctuary, only your divinity may speak."