Alright, so, for this chapter, we're getting a bit of a shift in character-focus.
Basically, we're getting into more Jin-Woo-OP bullshitness as center stage. It's going to be a slow mesh but I'm confident in my ability to keep them both relevant. I mean, with all due respect?
The distance between them is only CURRENTLY big, by his status as both an MC and a POWER FANTASY MC, Jin-Woo is set-up to be one of the big dogs if not THE biggest. Seeing Chapter 175 of SL, it's honestly sad we never got the kind of build-up I feel we should have in the manwha.
In my honest opinion, Jin-Woo should have come into conflict with every 'S-Rank Situation' that would eventually be overtaken in the near future.
I.E. He should have fought Hwang Dong-Su FAR before fighting in Jeju.
He should have fought Ryuji right before the end of the Demon Tower.
Fighting Thomas, honestly? I feel like he should have only been equal strength with him.
It's one of the things I feel like was a big opportunity with Solo Leveling, it's something I'll make clear here.
Just because Jin-Woo has great power and speed, there should be people who usurp him in single 'STATS' before killing Legia. And, even then, I feel like there should have been aspects he simply couldn't overcome.
For example, Ryuji being the better blade-user. Liu being the better martial artist. Thomas being an amazing showing of what an almost fully-sync Ruler & Vessel can do who's gone above and beyond to dominate the 'TANK' Class and so on. I don't give a FUCK that it's supposed to be a power fantasy if I don't give a fuck about the characters he's supposed to be overcoming easily in the future.
He's a damn NECROMANCER, why is he more physically powerful than a Tank/Fighter? At least, by the time he faces them?
Showing that the other Hunters of the world are actually powerful in their own right outside of his own damn country BEFORE he comes into frame would have been magnitudes better than what we got.
There, those are my feelings and hints on how I'll be handling the characters.
~NRK~
Il-Hwan grew sheepish as his children, his son and daughter who he'd not seen in ten years, sat on both sides of him like they hadn't just tackled him off Obito's threads.
So, clearly, the two didn't look remotely embarrassed by it.
Damn it, he felt loved!
And then he ate good cooked food and felt like he'd died.
Il-Hwan cried tears of joy as Obito brought over more and more plates of rice, steak, bread, and potatoes.
The man ate it all like he'd starved for YEARS.
"Hmm, this guy…" Liu's eyes glowed with a searching light, the Chinese man's mouth settling into a grin. "He's strong-"
"Stop it," Soo-Hyun slapped his back, getting a startled noise out of him. "Read the room."
Obito's smirk had Liu chuckling sheepishly.
"Ah, right, context… Well, if he's not up for a fight, xue zhang?"
"Hmm… It has been some time since we've sparred, di di. I think," Obito smiled as he handed a Shadow the plates. "I'll take you up on that offer," he chuckled as his former student grinned.
"Ahah, I also noticed, you used Moshen," the National-Ranked Hunter said. "Did you honestly master it? Or was it just an imitation?"
"Wait, what?" Jin-Woo asked, confused. "I…Isn't that Skill yours?"
"It is, in the sense that it's a Skill I came up with during my lifetime before being a Hunter."
The [Player's] eyes widened in great interest. 'Wait, so, it's not his Class Skill?!' And if he was right. "Uncle, you learned this technique?"
"I did. The basics of it, anyway," Obito explained with a nod. "Moshen is translated as 'Demon God', it's based on the principle of 'destruction'," he began as Liu nodded with crossed arms, standing at his side. "Know this, places like China and Japan had good reason to be at the head of the game. America wouldn't beat them if they didn't have a numbers advantage. China and Japan have a history of martial mastery that is so easily applied to Hunter physiology that it's hilarious more people never figured it out."
"That sounds useful," Yoon-Ho said as Jong-In nodded. "What, you learned some of that?"
"I know the theory but it's the kind of control that I don't possess," the redhead explained as he lifted a finger and a small flame sprouted to life. "The basics of Moshen is the 'physical world'," he continued as Hae-In's eyes locked onto him. "The intermediate level contains the 'spiritual world'," Jong-In said as his eyes went to the grinning Hunter. "Finally, the last 'world' isn't magic if you're all thinking it is, at least, it wasn't in the beginning. No, it's the abstract world. The world of things we used to not be able to see and has since been integrated into the 'magical world'."
"Physical," Jin-Ah noted. "Spiritual and Magical…" She looked intrigued as she held onto Hwan's elbow while lifting her other hand.
"I think I get it," Gina said. "At least, I can understand my body's physical 'power' and then my magical ones," she offered.
The two's hands lifted before those limbs glowed powerfully, almost impossibly skin-deep.
Liu grew intrigued. "You haven't been teaching them, have you?" He asked the intrigued Obito. "They're not there, not yet, but they're close, xue zhang. More your woman than your niece but that's already impressive," the Chinese man explained. "What you're both doing is 'magical world' mastery, it's impressive, but you've not reached your physical world ideology. Let me ask you both, can your magic be used for its purpose?"
"What?" Hee-Jin blinked, confused.
"The concept, the ideology, the purpose of magic, of mana itself," Obito told them. "Isn't to use spells, no, that's a by-product. The purpose is-"
"To fill & enhance our bodies, correct?" Jong-In asked, looking intrigued as Jin-Ho blinked in confusion while Liu Zhigang grinned.
"A smart student, yes, that's the point," the Chinese man explained. "The concept of Moshen, the ideology, is to embrace the 'meaning' of your very being down to your soul. The technique, Moshen, is to use all of that 'meaning' and turn it into a 'purpose' that you control," his eyes opened and his eyes glowed. "To imbue POWER and DESTROY."
The ground quaked before splitting all around them, energy spilling out with such ease and speed that it was almost calamitous.
He cut it off, confusing the others as Il-Hwan's eyes snapped to his body.
'Didn't the Rulers say that a Vessel wasn't as strong?' The Sung man couldn't believe that, he really couldn't with such a display, somewhat. 'This one, he's actually STRONG beyond what I expected,' and there were methods? Concepts to enhance one's body and technique?
Well, color him downright obsessed then.
"H-How?" Jin-Ah asked, alarmed, as Jin-Woo's eyes flickered to his screen as he cupped his chin.
'Focusing the purpose of your being?' How would he interpret that? 'I have MP and HP but nothing that represents spiritual things,' damn, he thought this might have been easier.
"So, wait, when you said Love had more than the basics…" Gina began. "What did you mean?"
"Xue zhang's spirit came under his control," the National-Ranked Hunter explained as Obito's eyes narrowed before he nodded. "You seem to grasp it rather solidly and you've already mastered the physical and magical worlds. You need to focus on your training to emphasize it and you'll likely be breaching another tier of strength when you can use it for more than a burst. When I Awakened, that was part of what got emphasized for myself. I can use it for every one of my senses, my body parts, and my Skills."
Obito looked down at his arms before nodding. "I understand completely, I guess that'll require training that will focus on true inner-thought… I think I'd have to focus on being in a place with an intense atmosphere."
"I'd suggest a giant freezer but that's for later. Let's work off the food."
They walked off towards a nice flat part of the field, the others looking on in interest.
"Full reinforcement?" Obito asked as he dropped his haori & vambraces into his spatial pocket, cracking his knuckles.
"Yes, use your incomplete-Moshen and face me, my teacher," Liu said with a nostalgic smile.
Their fists settled into their palms before both sides bowed.
And then the air erupted with a sort of 'roar' that didn't come from men or even beasts.
No, as the two stood to their full heights, their bodies flexed an imperceptible amount.
And the park coiled with power that could be felt nearly all-over Seoul.
~NRK~
Thomas hummed with intrigue as his car, already heading towards Obito Uchiha's known whereabouts, double-timed it.
"He's getting a better read of him," the hulking blonde muttered as he looked out into the distance.
At that tower of energy and magic that flew into the sky.
"Honestly, Monarchs and Rulers having a friendly outing? Who'd have seen that one coming?" Thomas said, unknowingly, to himself.
~NRK~
They felt it down to their very beings.
Jin-Woo's eyes watched the two suck in a pair of single breaths. Ones that echoed throughout the entire park.
And then they slammed their forearms together in the center of the field.
The two Chinese men struggled for only a moment before Obito's back leg came around and slammed into Liu's guarding side.
The man was sent sailing for a moment before he grinned, recovered, and landed with a nearly unparalleled grace.
Then the ground around him erupted, the Fighter vanishing from sight.
Jin-Woo, Jin-Ah, Hae-In, Yoon-Ho, and a glowing Gina followed the lunge as Liu's fist slammed into the blocking Obito's forearms.
The blow sent the Mage off his feet, his form shooting out of the park for a moment before his eyes flashed.
He vanished in a burst of red, form coming sailing down at Liu's grinning form.
The park quaked at the dropkick, a trailing number of explosions dragging the two across the park's length before exploding into a series of punches and heavy-handed smacks.
The blows rocked the ground with each clash before knees knocked into each other as magical energy clashed.
They trailed around with more exchanges, Obito's arms and legs already covered in glowing-red thread enhancements.
'He's as strong as always!' Obito thought before curling around Liu's lightning-like kick that split the ground behind him before the Mage lifted his own leg.
The pushkick sent the younger man soaring backwards, Liu's eyes looking up and finding an approaching Obito.
He slammed his feet down into the dirt below, bringing his flight to a slow halt as Obito came closer-
And skid to a stop, his side towards him.
"Demon Leg."
The National-Ranked Hunter's eyes widened in excitement.
His cross-arm block was battered by a series of kicks that rang out in the air and spread to those on the street.
The flashing cameras of the populace followed the two around as leg met leg, the powerful kicks evening out and bringing them into a sort of 'kick-slugfest' that carved apart the ground and sliced the grass.
"You're good, xue zhang!"
"You're as ridiculous… As ever!"
There was the sound of snapping thread.
And the two shot apart like cannonfire, the Hunters' feet digging into the ground before they lunged at one another once more.
Their fists met in the middle before Obito stepped in while grabbing the younger man's elbow.
The throw happened in an instant before Liu slammed his feet into the ground, rupturing the field before his flexibility was on display.
The man's legs shot up around his old teacher's arm before Obito's grab was reversed mid-air with the Chinese Hunter grinning as he reared back one of his feet.
Obito's eyes glowed, their spinning tomoe watching the attack come in slow motion.
'I can't dodge that,' he knew better.
So, he took one out of Baruka's book.
An explosive force snapped about his body and rebuffed Liu, the younger man rolling through the air before he landed with a smirk.
"Copy, use, sharpen," the long-haired brunette smiled. "Truly, xue zhang, your powers were basically meant for the Destruction Style."
"Perhaps," Obito said as he widened his stance, thread spinning around his body at high-speeds. "Let's take this up a notch!"
His form slammed into Liu's in a flash of red light before the two S-Ranks carved through the park at high speeds and a series of red and yellow flashing shockwaves shot through the air.
"Damn!" Jin-Ah said with a look of awe as they all floated within Gina's grip, a figure 'landing' on it as the Mage woman chuckled.
"Welcome, Mr. Go," she said with a smile as the oldest Hunter chuckled while observing the fighting duo, Jin-Chul landing not a moment later.
"Did… Something happen?" He asked, confused as the air shot past them and ruffled their hair.
"They're sparring," Yoon-Ho said with a cupped chin, glowing slit-pupil eyes shifting about the field at the powerful duo. "Liu Zhigang is clearly the stronger fighter but, while physically weaker, Obito Uchiha's martial arts are on-par and his speed's only a single level behind. I wonder if this is what Liu meant when he said using Moshen in more than bursts."
"... Ah, Moshen, I remember that," Gun-Hee chuckled as Joo-Hee tilted her head. "I looked into Chinese medicine quite a few times, maybe, eleven years ago," he smiled. "At that time, there was a notable young man who'd developed greatness and became a powerful young practitioner of his own martial arts. Liu Zhigang demonstrated Moshen around nine years ago as well. He's not using it yet."
"He's not?" Song-Yi wheezed as Il-Hwan's eyes gained a powerful gleam. "H-How?! Shuushuu's basically half-transformed and that guy's not even going halfway?!"
"Girlie," a familiar, hulking, man landed as Gina's eyebrow twitched before she adjusted to the magical weight. "Hmph, you're actually strong-strong," Thomas raised a brow at this other oddly powerful Mage. 'Actually, her magic's ridiculous,' amongst this group of seemingly interesting individuals he had:
Choi Jong-In.
Cha Hae-In.
Gina Acolette.
Go Gun-Hee
That little Sung girl, Sung Jin-Ah.
The apparent father of said Sung girl, Sung Il-Hwan.
And, finally… His eyes went to that grinning man who watched the entire fight with a sort of 'lightness' that surprised but amused Thomas.
This one, Sung Jin-Woo.
'What's with this little Korean family?' Wasn't it odd how many powerful individuals resided within, or would soon be married into, it? Thomas knew plenty of powerful Hunters, some of which were brothers or, at least, related.
But the Sung family's sheer number of them beat out that trend, at least with Gina & Obito's involvement, by twice as many.
Down below, Obito knew that he was approaching 'that point'.
'If I keep upping my enhancements,' he'd transform fully, would that defeat the purpose of this fight? Or, really, how much money did he have to handle the damages?
He sweatdropped as he and Liu skid to a stop ahead of one another before rearing back.
Use the physical realm.
Their arms tightened.
Sharpen the magical world.
Their bodies flashed for that single, indescribable, moment.
And grasp the spiritual domain!
Their powers hit a crescendo as they swung.
A torrent of insane winds, powerful magic, and absurd strength popped up within the center of the park.
The hurricane that sprung up nearly disturbed their telekinetic footing before Gina's eyes narrowed.
'Adapt, grasp the movement and…!'
Their platform stabilized a moment later, the woman sighing in relief as she flexed her hand.
The winds split around their pedestal, Il-Hwan's eyes going to his brother's fiance in interest.
"You're remarkably practiced," he said with a cupped chin as Gina smiled.
"We've been training for years. Beforehand, I was already an A-Rank Hunter and then went on to adopt a lot of Obito's training methods, ideas, alongside concepts & theories. Now," she said as she opened her hand. "I wield telekinesis, ya know? Yet, every National-Ranked Hunter has some Skill involved in it, I guess they got a series of Rune Stones with them from their Bureaus. The thing is, they've got power in spades, ridiculous spades… But I've got my own specialties."
The wind around them curled before dying down in a wider range.
"I can sort of manipulate magic through it, at least, in magic I understand. Obito always says to focus on the minutiae, the traits of your magic, and that's what I found out long ago. That's why Liu likely said what he did, I can fully-alter the magical flow in my body and I recently had an idea… A stupid but dangerous idea. If I can make it work, I'm sure it'll be my own final Skill like honey's One-Horned Oni."
"Is that what he calls it?" Il-Hwan asked but his mind was whirling with ideas. 'She's got such insane powers?' And his brother-in-law was to thank for her getting close to her full potential? 'He'd make an amazing instructor or general,' it'd be amazing to have such a powerful mind on their side.
"Sadly, I'm not so capable up-close," Jong-In said sadly. "I've tried, I'm not built for close-combat but evasion has worked well for me, especially through flame constructs. Hyung teaches well and we should always make use of that."
The park below them was covered in dust clouds, the coughing of the other Hunters in that spot gaining a nervous chuckle out of Joo-Hee.
"M-Maybe they should have kept it simple?!" She asked.
And two figures floated down to them before falling into Gina's grip.
"Now, why would we do that?" Liu grinned, looking satisfied as Obito rubbed his neck, right arm bruised down the forearm. "Life's only so short, let us enjoy it, no? Xue zhang's even gotten some ideas from this so it's a win-win!"
Soo-Hyun's eyes went flat. "You're crazy," she told him as he wiggled his eyebrows. "God, you're the worst and still not even close to my 'annoying list', I blame your good looks."
"I'll take the compliment."
Having the two healed by Joo-Hee & Jin-Ah, they returned to the ground before Hee-Jin repaired the ground in large amounts bit by bit.
Eying her accessories, Jin-Woo perked up. "Right, uncle, when we get the chance, can we make those accessories?" He asked.
Only to find a band in front of him a second later, Obito smirking at him. "I made them a while ago, Woo, it was honestly the first thing I did two days ago."
Accepting the accessory, his [STATUS] Menu popped up and he got a bangle slot.
'Nice,' he thought, putting it on and nodding to the +10 increase in INTELLIGENCE. "Thanks, shuushuu."
"Hmm? You made that thing?" Il-Hwan asked, looking confused as Yoon-Ho nodded.
"He's the blacksmith of the Hunters," he explained as the father of two looked more interested.
"The who? No offense but I've been trying to catch up on things I missed."
"That's fair, sir, you just need to focus and read!" Cheung grinned as Hwan chuckled with an amused raised brow. "Actually, right, you were a Hunter of the olden days."
"O-Olden days?"
"Ah, that feels appropriate," Gun-Hee chuckled as Il-Hwan slumped.
"No offense… But olden days?!"
Obito rolled his eyes. "It's life, for those younger than us, we're old fogies," he chuckled as Gina grinned. "Of course, except for Gina but she's a special case."
"... You're old?" Il-Hwan asked, vacant-eyed.
"I think the Gate changed more than we thought."
~NRK~
Il-Hwan's eyes softened as he saw the door to the apartment, oh God.
"I-It's been so long," he whispered as Jin-Woo smiled before opening it and allowing them in- "God, everything's the same," the large man shuddered, almost close to tears…? "Where did these marks come from?" Il-Hwan asked, blinking at the oddness in the walls-Was there one in the ceiling?
Jin-Woo's face froze in time as Joo-Hee giggled, the [Player's] face beginning to sweat.
"A-Ahem! Erm, j-just some mistakes in practice!" He said in a higher octave as his father shot him the weirdest look. "D-Don't need to worry about it! Hahahahahah," Jin-Woo grinned weakly.
"... Ya did something, didn't ya?"
"I'D ADMITTED IT!"
"You were always like this, I swear," the man sweatdropped. "Yes… You really were and now you're a man, of all the years, what did I miss?"
Getting into the living room and sitting down, Il-Hwan asked questions.
He asked dates, he learned about meetings, he hummed at food, and he gawked at relationships!
"Y-You're engaged?!" The man said to the grinning pair of Mages. "W-Whoa, um, wow, I didn't think you'd do it without Kyung-Hye doing something, first," Hwan added.
Obito sweatdropped as his wife-to-be cackled.
"... A-Actually…"
~NRK~
Seeing her in her bed, in her hospital room, Il-Hwan sat down by Kyung-Hye's bedside with a solemn look, his hands holding his woman's limp limb.
"It's been so long," he whispered to her, kissing her knuckles. "A long, painful, ten years, Kye," his nickname for her, something stupid he'd come up with out of nowhere that she'd laughed at, called cute, and then adopted it without so much as a word to the otherwise.
This damn beautiful, loving, amazing woman who'd told him 'Yes'.
The man's eyes watered as he sat there and spoke with her about their past and stories.
Il-Hwan spoke with her for hours as the rest of the 'Sung Family' sat in the background and just rested while listening.
~NRK~
It was only when they got back that Jin-Woo nodded.
"Dad," he spoke, gaining the drained but solemnly-happy man's attention. "There's actually something else we need to talk to you about," Jin-Woo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Il-Hwan blinked, confused.
Sitting down in the living room once more, Jin-Woo spilled everything.
His beginnings, his near-death, his Reawakened status, the strength in that status, and adventures they'd gone on before his return.
Il-Hwan's jaw had dropped throughout the entire thing, his eyes trembling in disbelief but he kept his peace, barely, long enough to truly get the real story out of everyone.
At the end of the explanation about Obito's fight, Il-Hwan's eyes remained bugged-out as Joo-Hee wore a bashful smile.
"I can't imagine how that all sounds to you," she said as Jin-Woo nodded at her side, Jin-Ah sitting beside Il-Hwan with a grin.
"Oppa and shuushuu have really been going through it to bring us all to this point," she added proudly as her father rubbed the back of his head.
'He's capable of eternal growth?' That sounded outright ridiculous and yet what of the others when they were in his 'Party'? They'd apparently grown so much stronger thanks to his son's odd-ass powers. 'But isn't there something off here? How is his power so long-reaching? It's not like he's building it up but like this [System] is preparing him for something… Odd,' he frowned in thought. "I'm sure you're all smart enough to consider the possible 'downsides' to this."
"Yea, we did," Gina said. "Woo's well-aware to be cautious about it but it hasn't done anything as of late, has it?"
"Nothing outside of the penalties which I only fell into once," the youngest man in the room said, clarifying that. "All things considered? It's just been the Dailies and… Yeah," Jin-Woo shrugged as his father hummed.
"I see, you've been going through a surprising amount of craziness, all of you have," he said. "So, what is your goal, now?"
"To get as strong as I can," Il-Hwan smiled at his son's convictions. "I need to reach beyond 'S-Rank' and get better, stronger, and more able. I won't allow another Dong-Su situation when I can do something and not weigh-down uncle."
"Obito, you've really given them a lot, I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that you have."
"Never worry about them if I'm living and breathing. Now, all that's left," Obito smiled. "Is to find a way to bring Kyung back to have you all meet again after so long."
"Eternal Slumber…"
"It's something I've been studying," Jin-Ah said as her father nodded. "My powers… I-I've been trying to figure them out and I think I need to open up mom's magic channels or, at least, make her able to handle the mana surrounding her."
"Really?" Joo-Hee asked. "I don't… How?"
"The thing is, Hee-noona, that's basically what Eternal Slumber is, it's an overdose of mana that normal bodies can't handle… And, I don't know if this would work," Jin-Ah's eyes narrowed. "But what if we had mom, somehow, level-up?"
That got some raised brows around the room, Jin-Woo's head snapping up at the thought.
"The issue is that we'd need her to be awake in the first place to make that happen, no?" Gina asked. "I mean, it's a catch-22."
"I… I-I don't think so," that confused her. "... Uncle's been working with Spirit Cores, hasn't he?"
The group went silent as Obito's eyes narrowed before he templed his hands over his mouth. "You mean a sort of forced possession… I do see where you're going with this, Jin-Ah, but I think we can make this so much safer," he said, confusing his niece. "It might very well make things worse to bring Kyung-Hye into the [Demon Tower]. No, I think what we need to do is give her a 'system' of networks to allow the mana of the world and Hunters to come and go. That's why, I think we need three spirit cores of high-grade."
Jin-Woo's eyes widened. "R-Right, you said this before, didn't you? To make the cores copy monster networks so they're 'usable' by humans?" He looked excited by the idea. "But then…"
"The other cores are likely to stabilize her, right?" Joo-Hee asked as Obito nodded.
"To create a 'network' for Kyung where we don't allow the mana to stay and to get it to leave through a safe pattern. I want to use everything the Spirit Cores are to make this process as seamless as possible. That'd be two cores, especially if we enhance them with Jin-Ah's powers. For the last, I want to enhance her body despite not wanting her to Awaken. Kyung being more durable, safer, will ease our minds."
"Would that work with the Mid-Level Spirit Cores?" Jin-Ah asked.
"We know they can turn off things like senses and magical sensory skills like Hae-In's special nose. Sadly, I've never actually done that idea I came up with. Create a secondary magical network based on monsters' own."
Il-Hwan got the gist of it all. "So, you're saying you need a High-Grade Spirit Core," he stated.
"To get rid of doubt? Yes," Obito said. "The issue is, well, finding that. Gates don't come in 'flavors' besides strength. Outside of that, we'll never know what could be what."
"... You're an S-Rank now, Obito," Gina cupped her chin with a small frown. "You could get opportunities most people won't get," she told him.
"..." Obito's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean leveraging that?"
"If we're looking for something that's rare and specific? There isn't a lot more that we could do," she explained. "I know Jin-Ho gets special options due to his status as an heir but you also have 'status leverage'."
"But what if there's not one in Korea?" Jin-Ah asked worriedly.
"Then he'd need to go to other places?" Joo-Hee asked, looking very anxious. "Shuushuu…"
"I know," Obito looked down in thought before coming up with something. "Tomorrow, I'll ask Gun-Hee if he can find something and discuss a decent trust for such a thing. Right now, that's the best way to get my wants out there."
"I get ya… So," Il-Hwan cleared his throat. "Where do I sleep?"
Obito chuckled. "Il-Hwan, your & Kyung's room still exist, we just got permission to add a room from the landlord after I bought the spot next door."
"Oh thank God, I had a feeling that would have been awkward."
~NRK~
The next day, Obito had left the Association building with his business done.
'Now, how long until someone desires my attention enough to snatch up this opportunity?' If Obito was a betting man?
It'd be either America or China.
"Alright, let's have that talk."
~NRK~
Obito arrived at a restaurant, smiling as the shocked waiters gawked at him.
"A table for the 'Sung' family?" He asked.
They led him over to a downstairs area where he found a hall of doors before going to the one at the very end of the hall, farthest from the others.
Going in, Obito closed the door behind him. "Alright," he said as he walked forward before taking a seat at the opposite head of the table to closed-eyed Hwan. "What did you see in the Gates that had you looking at everything with interest, especially the powerful Hunters, brother?"
The large Sung sighed softly, eyes cracking open to see Gina, Jin-Woo, and Jin-Ah alongside his brother-in-law. "... There's something important to know, something devastating that we'll all need to prepare for in time," Il-Hwan frowned deeply. "... Tell me, all of you, has the term 'Monarchs' or 'Rulers' come up?"
Gina and Jin-Ah looked confused while Obito & Jin-Woo frowned in thought.
"No…?" Jin-Woo frowned as something pecked at the back of his mind. 'Those terms aren't something I'm aware of yet I feel like they're familiar,' he crossed his arms in thought. "... Actually, well, there was something odd," he remembered something key, something that had confused him a week back. "Dad, there was something odd that happened to us. It was during a Red Gate, an incident where we fought Ice Elves-"
Il-Hwan's eyes widened as they snapped to him and Jin-Woo realized that, yes, it was connected.
He and Obito explained the entire event from beginning to end with Dong-Su's little mishap in the middle.
"He couldn't finish… No, it was more like we couldn't hear that odd word he was saying," Obito frowned. "And Baruka had been very clear about this impossible-to-hear person being the strongest Ice Elf."
'Should I really tell them?' Coming this far, implying things, and then feeling anxious didn't feel great.
Il-Hwan was sure he could have them keep it secret but… But the idea of them being worried in the meantime filled him with guilt that he hadn't expected.
This father of two was concerned… And so he came to a compromise.
"You all will likely come into contact with monsters beyond understanding," he began with focused eyes. "That one in particular is one of nine monsters I'm tracking to kill, they're legendary beings that are hard to track and will require Obito-levels of strength to even try and harm them," Il-Hwan explained. "... I was tasked with killing these guys in return for being returned," he stressed.
"Wait, what?! Dad?!" Jin-Ah looked alarmed and the man winced at the look of fear on her face.
"No, please, it's fine, I promise. I'm alive, by all metrics bar none, it's just… I made a promise to destroy these denizens of chaos and will follow through to ensure no one has to face them-"
"That's moot, now," Gina chuckled, confusing him. "Sweetheart and Woo have already made their minds up."
"What-?"
"We'll join you," Obito and Jin-Woo said in unison, Il-Hwan's eyes widening at the two other men. "Never again, this family is never splitting apart again," they told him.
'... I see…' Il-Hwan chuckled slowly as his eyes closed. 'It was never that they were actually Monarchs.'
The trail of shadows and powerful light formed in the air, astral images of beings that weren't there but held a presence only few could know.
'They've made the Monarchs' powers their own,' but then, he was confused.
How? And he meant that question twofold.
If the Shadow Monarch had found a Vessel, why did his son still hold his mind?
And on the other hand, how… How had what felt like the Demon Monarch of White Flames reside in Obito's body? What had he encountered?
Or who had reached out to him?
"... You both need to get stronger, everyone does, if you want in," he told them, all of them.
"I-I will!" Jin-Ah declared, looking serious, as her father smiled. "I'm an A-Rank Hunter, father," she explained, confusing him.
"... Ah, right, isn't Ms. Gina the same?" He asked as the Mage woman chuckled.
"Well, the best way to put it is that, yeah, we're both the same RANK, for sure," Gina smiled knowingly as Obito snorted and Jin-Woo grinned. "That's about right."
"Noona's still way stronger than me, though!" Jin-Ah told him, getting a raised brow from her dad.
'I can tell but A-Rank?' His eyes went to the amused Obito.
Obito nodded with a smirk that told him everything.
'She doesn't know her actual Rank,' hilarious, really. "You have to truly conquer your mind, body, and power, Ahn. You're strong, for sure, but what keeps you at a lower level is experience and mastery."
"Yeah, like Liu said, I think," Jin-Ah considered. "I've got healing powers, pops," she said, getting a curious hum out of him.
She showed him, the feeling within her surprising the father of the two.
'It's an energy network? But isn't it supposed to be a spell?' How curious.
It seemed his family had grown not just bigger but more unique while he was gone.
"Actually, since you're in the know, I think we should use the nights we have to the utmost," Jin-Woo said.
"That [Demon Tower] thing, right?"
"Yep. It allows us to get stronger, father, we can keep growing and catch up to you."
~NRK~
Walking to the Sung home, Obito perked up.
"Right, I had some things I wanted to ask you, Woo," Obito began, gaining his nephew's attention.
"Yes, shuushuu?" Jin-Woo asked his uncle.
"When you finally get your true evaluation, what will you do?"
The younger man hummed as his father raised a brow, Jin-Ah sitting on Il-Hwan's shoulders.
"... I want to make a Guild of our own, a Guild of family and friends," he said, looking at Obito with a smile. "I know you've got one of your own, a Guild of great renown, but the door's always open, uncle."
Obito's eyes closed as he nodded. 'That makes my decision clear,' he thought. "I'm sure I'll find a way, trust me."
~NRK~
The rest of the week had Obito receiving his first month's payment adjusted for his mid-year Rank-Up, the man's new training method enacted, and Il-Hwan's reintroduction to the Hunter system via Obito's word and Gun-Hee's secrecy as another S-Rank.
By the beginning of the second, the [Demon Tower] group plus one Il-Hwan entered said space through an interesting interaction.
"I-It looks like a Gate now," Joo-Hee said to the nodding Jin-Woo.
"It does, I think uncle's powers have also evolved," he said as Obito crossed his arms in thought.
The feeling of Cerberus in his personal rift throbbed and Obito was left wondering where this development would end up.
"Alright, let's go."
~NRK~
Traversing the floors had gone by in a horribly fast amount of time.
With his father's crazy strength, Obito's own new abilities, Gina's growing mastery, and his efficiency at his dagger play & needing to gain levels, they'd cut through the Demons at an alarming rate.
Well, that, and they learned his father didn't 'level'.
"There's likely a good reason for it," Il-Hwan had told them with a nod. "I'll tell you all, one day."
~NRK~
By the time they'd finished their next 8 hours? They'd hit floor 25.
"God, we're making a good amount of time," Jin-Woo whistled with a chuckle at the small bits of Demon Skin, Teeth, or Horns he'd gotten and sold for the most part. "Sadly, these are no good for you, uncle."
"It's what it is," Obito said as he flexed his hand, the group landing back by the entrance of the [Demon Tower] thanks to a quick-travel function. "... I think I understand what's leveling up, now," he told them.
"Really?" Gina said, looking utterly refreshed before snickering. "Yep, without question, I-I'm pretty sure I'm S-Rank in magical levels. And my control over the minutiae has gone up, too," she added as she clenched her hand into a fist, the feeling of her telekinesis in her very veins filling her with ideas. "And I was right about my magical 'adaptation' idea."
It'd been something the woman had brought up mid-fight, using her telekinesis and sensory skills to adapt to magic of a certain 'brand'. It'd been something that alarmed them when she, with great effort, copied the Demonic energy surrounding them.
"Noona, you're something else," Jin-Ah said as she stretched, body glowing a powerful hue. "But I literally can't complain, m-my final spell is freaking ridiculous!"
Potential Boost, what Jin-Ah was sure was her final spell, and a ridiculous one to boot.
"You bring up the potential of one's Class by 50%, it's incredible," Jin-Woo said as Joo-Hee nodded. "That's a Skill I'm sure is solely unique to you."
"I'm happy to have it. Plus, I got so much stronger in my abilities, hehe, I might be a S-Rank by now."
The others nearly busted a gut.
~NRK~
The following morning, Obito nodded as he finished Ki-Hoon's Naga Mail.
A dark blue chest plate with scale-like pauldrons, the Naga's lower skin layer acted as material to cover the joints and abdomen, and finally a pair of pants that tied at mid-shin, the A-Rank Tank grinned.
"Nice! It's so light, too!" He said with a bow to the S-Rank Mage. "Thanks, hyung!"
"No problem," Obito said even as his eyes went to the forge. 'My smithing reached another level,' the spiritual aspect.
He now had more 'conceptual' control over his creations. Naga materials weren't 'light', not that much, but he'd imbued 'lightness' into his armor alongside the Naga materials' own 'Water Resistance' effect which was another thing.
He could learn the capabilities of the equipment he'd made now.
"Spiritual control," he'd been gaining more control over it ever since going into the [Demon Tower], its oppressive atmosphere allowing his soul to thrive. 'Which is what cinched it all.'
His leveling had enhanced his soul's quality, the quality of its adaptability, to harness the powers of all his effects and slowly-gaining demonic traits.
It'd been shocking to figure this out but Obito had been sure once he activated his greatest Skill again and learned more and more.
On the amusing side, Jin-Woo had freaked out before geeking out and having a jealous Igris over his shoulder for the past 12 hours.
'I just need to keep fighting, keep looking, keep training,' Obito thought before blinking at a figure that came into the forge. "Hm?"
She came over before looking embarrassed and sheepish.
"O-Oppa, can we talk?" Hae-In asked, the Fighter in a casual white shirt and gray capri pants with sandals on her feet.
~NRK~
Sitting within that chicken place near their Guild, Obito raised a brow as Hae-In took a deep breath.
"I-I think I like Jong-In," the woman burned as she revealed her feelings. "I-I don't know what happened, it's just like, one day, he became attractive and then I love it when he laughs, h-his smirks are my weakness!"
Obito let out a whistle as the young woman blushed up a storm. "I see," he considered her for a moment. "Well… What's wrong?" Obito asked her.
The young woman steamed a bit, fiddling with her fingers. "I… I don't know how this works."
Ah, it was a sadly amusing yet heartwarming sight.
A woman's first-love, as she'd revealed during their drinking stupor, and a previous inability to connect to others due to both sensory information and height of strength.
Now, she only had one previous issue now and it made life easier but more awkward.
"Alright, let's start with this, what do you like about Jong-In?"
Hae-In's cheeks colored as she looked down in thought. "... I like how put-together he can be," she admitted, hands messing with a napkin. "I've always been one who followed the flow, oppa, even now in the Hunters, I'm happy but it's not like I'm not just doing whatever. I don't have any big goals, I-I kinda feel like I've accomplished them anyway, and don't know what's next."
"And Jong-In's seemingly more moving ambition intrigues you, doesn't it?" Obito asked her as she nodded slowly.
"He's an S-Rank, an amazing Mage, a rich boy, a grand leader," she pouted as Obito chuckled. "H-He's got good looks, he's fit, he's knowledgeable, knows great people, a-and he's got a funny & cute side… How would I even be remotely in his league?"
When one put that all out there, yes, it sounded almost ridiculous, didn't it?
Despite both being S-Rank, both being grand fighters, and people with 'weight' to throw around, their origins were night and day. One had been groomed and nurtured to live a life of grand decisions and the like while the other was simply a normal woman by all standards. Even just a little awkward and shy at times with most situations.
To someone like Hae-In, Jong-In likely felt like he lived in an entirely different world.
"... Well, you're right, Jong-In is all those things," Obito smiled as Hae-In muttered a bit. "But he's also just a man, a man who works too hard sometimes, a man whose need to protect his guildmates can come at his own health's issue," her eyes softened. "He's a bit uptight and Jong-In, in the end, is still only two years your senior. He's not lived that much life nor has he experienced the things you have. You both have your own little things that make you amazing."
"L-Like what?"
"Your bravery, on more than one occasion, Hae-In. Jong-In values you greatly but your bravery was honestly one of the first things he noticed about you."
"She just… Went in?" A younger Jong-In said in confusion as Obito chuckled in the former's office. "Didn't she just Awaken? What is she thinking?!"
"I'm more surprised that's what you're focusing on outside of her apparent strength," the C-Rank Mage smiled as his former student rubbed the back of his head.
"Power means nothing without character, you've taught me that. I just… To go into the Gates, the clearly dangerous unknown… I can't help but be moved by such a person," the redhead's eyes narrowed on the screen. "Before she's picked up, hyung, let's grab her."
Hae-In's eyes widened as Obito smiled.
"Despite all we've said, he's also someone who can be moved by things like that," he chuckled. "Don't put yourself so low when you're likely just as amazing to him as he is to you."
The S-Rank Fighter's hands stopped their fiddling, Obito smirking at her blushing visage.
And the eloquent paper lily within her palms.
"And things like that are just as amazing as some of his own titles to him."
~NRK~
Gina chuckled a mere hour later back in that same restaurant.
A red-faced Jong-In sitting in front of her.
"A-Ahem, Gina, there's a… Situation that might need addressing," he began weakly, looking completely out of his depth. "... C-Cha Hae-In, I believe," Jong-In stressed very poignantly. "... Has presented me with an invitation to d-dating."
"I see," the older Mage nodded. "Well, how do you feel about it?"
"How I feel?"
"Yes, relationships, hell feelings, are a two-way street, Guild Master," the blonde closed her eyes while touching her engagement ring. "You know that me and Love have been working alongside each other for, basically, our entire tenures as part of our Guild and yet we only got together two and a half years ago, ain't that strange?"
"I mean," the wealthy young man looked bashful. "I won't say it was bound to happen, I'm not so naive, but… I don't now."
"I understand, truly, I do. The thing is, Guild… Jong-In," the younger Hunter looked more embarrassed. "I'm being perfectly honest, if you're not comfortable with this, you can say 'NO'."
"I-I can?"
Oh, this man. The 'A-Rank' Mage realized how different he was compared to a normal person.
'Likely, having Obi working as his guiding light had this effect,' where he believed going along with it was the right way due to the older Mage's truly worldly knowledge. "Yes, you have every right to do it."
"..." Jong-In looked a bit ill. "T-That might make life horrible, Gina, that can't… If I was to reject her, Hae-In might become depressed or become fed-up with myself," he corrected. "She's a valued teammate, an amazing comrade, and the sort of second-in-command I'm happy to work alongside… Wouldn't doing so without me thinking about it be bad for everyone?"
"So, you're not against it?"
"?!" He stammered as the woman chuckled.
"I'm not kidding nor am I teasing, you're clearly not against the idea, Jong-In, I think that's where you have to come to terms with it. Are you afraid of this because you're afraid of what saying 'NO' will do? Or are you uneasy because you don't know what to do?"
Their table was silent as the younger Mage's eyes went to the table. "... I don't know what will come of this if I say 'Yes'," he began. "The feeling of doing this… I-If I say yes, I'm worried about failing her expectations. I'm the leader of the Hunters, I can't fail at romance or I'll set a bad example."
Gina wanted to laugh but knew it wouldn't be conducive to the situation. "Look, no one's gonna lose faith in you if you flub a relationship, not one of us," the American-Korean mix said. "Like, Jong-In, people were betting on my current relationship," she said flatly as he wore a sheepish smile. "I think you'd be more likely to have more outside help than any person in the Guild, it'd be terrifying."
He sweatdropped before looking thoughtful. "... I just wish to show my best side everywhere."
"No one can, sadly, it's not possible but finding the people we can show those 'worse' sides to, Jong-In, that's one of the greatest things you'll become part of."
~NRK~
They watched from atop one of the cafeteria building, Obito & Gina smiling kindly at the two S-Ranks currently speaking in red-faced tones in a small section where they wouldn't be disturbed.
"Do you think they'll get it?" Gina asked.
"I do. They're, unfortunately, mature for their ages. The life of a Hunter will do that to you very easily," Obito answered.
And seemed to have been right as a rigid Jong-In got hugged by an embarrassed, if not happy, Hae-In.
And then they sweatdropped at the clearly fainting man, the Fighter's freak out about his flat-on-the-back form amusing before she carried him out and into one of their buildings.
They laughed a bit.
Well, that was hopefully a good sign.
~NRK~
Wednesday morning, Obito's eyebrows rose as he got a call.
-It would seem Japan has a curious situation where they're willing to part with a set of four- Gun-Hee said over the phone as Obito wiped his face in the bathroom.
"Any particular requests?" Mage asked.
-They wish to have you demonstrate your training method-
Obito blinked, surprised. "Really? Is it that interesting?" He asked.
-So it seems, Hunter Uchiha, they're quite taken with the idea. I question if they think you'll also reveal some secret to your strength alongside your relationship with Liu Zhigang- The old Hunter hummed. -Politics truly are so conniving but you're an aware man. Are you interested?-
"Have there been any other responses?"
-None-
"I'm interested."
~NRK~
Going through their workout routine in the park, Obito revealed this new development.
"Yes, it seems that Japan was the answer," he said to the group as they stretched.
Jong-In blushed beside a similarly-red-faced Hae-In who smiled for him.
He looked ready to faint again so he focused on other matters.
"A-Ahem! Is that so?" He asked as Song-Yi chuckled.
With the entire group in Obito-made workout ware, they all sported some of the man's black thread bands on their wrists and ankles.
"How does this work, xue zhang?" Liu Zhigang asked, stretching with a trio of stack of weights on his upper-back & forearms. "I feel it beating on my energy."
"Let's see," Obito began as he did the same but with his arms clasped together behind his back. "I've noticed it in the past but I'm sure, now. You all know how my Sharingan works, you all should also know that I have the ability to break into Gates, closed or Red."
Liu's jaw dropped while Soo-Hyun spat out her water.
"You can WHAT?!" They shouted as Yoon-Ho nodded while Cheol blinked.
"... Is it that powerful?" The B-Rank Tank asked as Ki-Hoon gawked.
"It's because of the Sharingan-portion," Obito explained as Cheung's eyes went blank. "Amongst all else, it allows me to copy things, to emulate on a near-impossible level. So energy patterns, muscle movement, magic, it's all doable. The thing is, I can't do everything a monster can do, I don't have the body for it. I can't do, say, earth magic, obviously, I don't have that ability."
"In the end, it's still based on what you can do," Jin-Ah considered with a nod. "But that's why you're able to break open Gates."
"I can copy all the intricacies of a Gate's energy… But, only recently, did I realize it's more than that," he continued. "I'm not just emulating the pattern, I'm syncing with the space in question. I can basically open up a pathway to it since my energy emulates the Gates. So, in that same vein, I copy the energy of it and can use that as a sort of mini-Gate energy."
"And this translates to this training," Jin-Ho said as he sat up. "How?"
"... Yes, right, your powers emphasize the energy within their space," Liu said, humming as the others blinked. "Did you all forget, his powers can enhance either themselves, or what's in their range, exponentially. That's honestly never been elaborated on, though, xue zhang."
"Sadly? That's just what they do. It's like how water makes things wet. You can ask why, you can be sure that there's a science to it, but that's just what it does."
"So, because it's enhancing the effects of Gates on our bodies," Song-Yi's mind tumbled with words as Jin-Ah snickered. "That, basically, stresses our own magic?" Her eyes went flat. "I-I think?!"
"There are Gates with intense magical atmospheres," Joo-Hee explained. "Your body, magic, and even senses can be affected by them. Especially if the boss is powerful enough," she frowned as her boyfriend nudged her shoulder with his, getting a sigh out of her. "Y-Yeah, I know. Here's an example," she began. "You all remember there are wounds that can't be healed due to mana density of the attack that caused them, right?"
"OH!?" Jin-Ho realized. "So, wait, doesn't that mean Sir's thread aren't necessarily enhancing themselves but mana itself?"
"Basically. To note, my threads do enhance each other but it's not as exponential if there's nothing else added," Obito admitted. "So, think of it like, without anything add, I'm doing only Addition. If something else comes into the picture, it's Multiplication."
"That makes an odd amount of sense, I mean, if you'd been able to keep on multiplying your own magic, you'd be the strongest… Ever," Il-Hwan tilted his head.
"I mean, theoretically, that's correct but my body does have limits. Back on track, so, by emulating Gate Energy, GE for short, I'm condensing it around your bodies in an intense fashion and you're training to acclimate. You're getting used to a horrid environment which is also why I had a more… Ridiculous training method when we have some privacy."
~NRK~
"Okay, we're in the S-Rank Gym," Jin-Ah said as they all stood there with a curious Jin-Chul in the background. "So…"
"I can overlap an area with a dimensional space," Obito said as he held up a handsign. "Terrain."
His blue magical energy shot out-?
And then the area was covered in moist stone, the sound of running water, and… A-And had they entered a cave?!
Looking around the space, the group gawked as Obito chuckled.
"This is the Gate we went into two years ago, for the Hunters side," those in-the-know gawked as Obito nodded. "So, for simplicity's sake, I'm taking the mana around us, supplanting it with the emulated mana of that Gate, and then enhancing that emulated mana through the use of my threads' special traits," he pointed to a corner.
They all looked and noted the clear outline of black?
"I-It's like a cartoon character's outline, basically?" Song-Yi offered unsurely.
"I mean, in that case, it's more like we're in a picture," Jin-Ho offered them even as his skin shivered. "A-And the mana here's growing stronger?" He asked.
"I have some control over how intense it is, that's why I called it a new method. It's also why my magic changes colors based on when I emulated the Gates' energies… I think, maybe," Obito began. "If I use the red energy, things might become too intense."
"So, let's just do it with the S-Ranks!" Liu grinned at the feeling on his wrists. "This is so curious," he clenched his fist. "It's like being inside a Gate. What happens when you end it?"
Obito shrugged.
The Terrain vanished and they all shivered at the feeling of condensation still on their skin.
"T-That's crazy," Jin-Chul said as he hurried over. "How have you never brought this up before?"
"The reason? It'd be a headache," Obito shrugged as the man's jaw dropped while Joo-Hee giggled at him. "Can you imagine what some people would hound me for if this got out? It'd be an unprecedented pain in my ass and those around me. I'd never know sleep."
The Monitoring Division member understood, really, he did but this was ridiculous!
"So, it's like you're basically changing the space within your Terrain into that Gate."
"Exactly. The thing is, if I go where those Gates had appeared-"
"You can open a path, can't you?" Il-Hwan realized as Obito nodded. "So, wait…"
"The thing is, I couldn't do it easily in the first place, for one," he began as his brother-in-law nodded. "Two… Well," he gestured to Jin-Woo and Jin-Ah and Il-Hwan nodded rapidly.
"I understand completely and… And I think it would have been a bad idea regardless. You can't take those chances, especially since I ended up in a different Dungeon, anyway."
"It sadly wasn't feasible and, by the time I got here? Your signature was already over the ocean, I couldn't even try by that point," Obito said as Jin-Woo crossed his arms with a frown.
"Gates are so vast and complex, sometimes, I really am surprised we know so much about them," he said.
"Do we? Do we really?" Jong-In adjusted his glasses, cleaning some moisture off of them. "By this point, I believe we truly don't know even a quarter as much as we could. Ten years sadly isn't enough, it'll likely be beyond our lifetimes so we'll just deal with what we have," he nodded as Hae-In cupped her chin.
"Wait, oppa, is there a difference between those two colors? Like, something important?" She asked as the others perked up while Jin-Woo winced and those in-the-know looked nervous.
"Yes," Obito said. "After all, isn't it obvious, I'm copying the energy of things that aren't human, for lack of a better word," he smiled patiently as that dawned on some of them. "If I'm able to emulate, that means I have to get used to it. After all, I was never able to open a Gate so easily as I can now," he emphasized.
"... O-Oppa?!"
"We truly don't know anything about Gates," Liu hummed in thought. "So, what's changed about you?"
"Mostly energy if anything else. I believe that's why One-Horned Oni changed as much as it did," Obito said.
"Wait, okay, can we stop running around that?" Cheung sweatdropped. "Every time. Every time someone asks about it, w-we get interrupted! Just show it to us!" Ki-Hoon chuckled sheepishly.
"She's kinda got a point, hyung," he sweatdropped.
Obito smirked.
And a second later, it was like the world shuddered as he gained that form.
"... YEP! THAT'S DIFFERENT!" Ki-Hoon wheezed as Obito crossed his arms.
"Yeah, a few extra changes took place," he said as Song-Yi and Jin-Ho prodded his biceps, shoulders, and then wings. "This change has been as subtle as a hammer to the face in the past two weeks."
Truly, the Skill, his masterpiece, had evolved.
Where before the mask portion of One-Horned Oni was so… Well, mask-like, now it was more like a helmet than ever before, one that conformed around his head with a smooth number of textures reminiscent of a knight's with a canine-like jaw mask covering his mouth.
His hair had gotten longer, too, coming down to the back of his knees in long spiky locks, his body's coverings now far more, well, uniform.
"It's like a one-piece battle suit," Cheung noted.
It was true, the whole things was seemingly skin-tight save for waist down to his shins where it had thick 'mass' for his legs that led down towards clawed feet with thick-looking talons instead of boot-like bottoms.
Raising one, they noted that he had paw pads? What the hell?
Speaking of, his hands did as well, the large claw-hand mix fitting to his form, thankfully, but clearly not human.
And, finally… Well, the wings.
The two large black-'ridged', dark red-'membraned', extensions from his back that flared out a bit as Obito crossed his arms. The crimson-red glows lighting up throughout his body cast a sort of haze over him that was curious to look at.
"Yes, it is curious," Obito said in that odd distorted tone, his mask's new sleek design giving Jin-Ah ideas.
"I'm liking where this is going," the young woman grinned excitedly as Obito shrugged before Gina observed his wings. "How's it feel, shuushuu?"
"Hmm, I just feel different, really," he told her. "For example, these," Obito gestured to his wings.
They flared out before releasing a small pulse.
"Have something to them-"
The space around them shifted before they all blinked.
~NRK~
And then found themselves in a world that didn't make sense.
"What the hell?" Obito gawked along with them all, all eyes going around to see a… What even was this? 'No… This wouldn't make sense! The [Demon Tower] didn't look like this.'
He looked out at their surroundings, the dark green ground beneath their feet, the rose-like sky, and the odd structures behind them confused the group to no end.
"... W-Where are we?" Jin-Ho asked, utterly floored as he looked around in shock.
"Um… Is this another Gate simulation, oppa?" Cheung asked as Cheol released a breath.
"The air's so thick," the B-Rank Tank said as he tapped on the ground with his boots. "Hmm… This isn't Earth, is it?" Cheol muttered.
As they looked around, Jong-In kept his eyes on Obito's wings. "... I think we're in this space only for as long as your wings are active," he told his former mentor as the transformed man looked back at them with a hum.
"If this is true, what does that mean for this space?" Obito asked as they looked around. '... Why does this feel familiar and yet not?' He thought as they kept looking around. "Gina, take us up so we can survey the world around us."
With the Telekinetic Mage doing so, they were all up in the sky and blinking at the landscape.
"Wait, isn't this weird?" She said as they flew over those odd structures that looked like a broken-down fort. "What's been here-?"
Obito's eyes blinked at several things they saw before wheezing at a sort of distortion covering those items.
Distortions he had no problem seeing through and recognizing those covered items!
"... Oh," he said in disbelief, gaining the others' attention. "... AHEM," Obito grunted. "I know what this place is, completely," he explained. "This, you all, is the dimensional pocket I've had since I could use my magic… And I believe it created this odd dimension after I kept synchronizing with all the Gates' energies."
"... Huh," Il-Hwan's eyes went blank as his children followed suit. "... Bro, you're really something else, you know that?"
"Yes, I'm aware. Those distorted items are the things I keep in my special pocket. Look at that tower."
They did and noted a surprising amount of bone weaponry.
"Oh crap! That's from Tank's old life!" Jin-Ah said, shocked and then awed. "This is so cool! Your powers came together and made a dimension?!"
"... I wonder if it's not complete," Obito said, looking at his wings. "I mean, think about it, if this is a dimension, made of Gate energy, that means it's a Gate. But I can't make a portal here?"
"So, wait, this place grows more with each Gate you've gone into?" Hae-In blinked thrice. "H-How big is it?!"
"... Honestly? I'm not sure. I've been in over 2400 Gates since I've been a Hunter so…"
"That's a lot of Gates!" Song-Yi wheezed as Jin-Woo hummed.
"If I could guess for myself? Maybe around 500?" He offered as Joo-Hee nodded.
"I'm probably i-in the 300s," the Healer admitted.
"Hmm, maybe around 900," Jong-In revealed. "We do have two Strike Teams, after all, but hyung has gone into all of them regardless of which team."
Getting more reveals all around from the others.
"You never think about it but, man, Hunters travel so many miles as they adventure," Jin-Ho said curiously.
Gina took them farther and farther from their original spot, the group seeing more and more land as they kept going.
By what felt like 10 miles, they officially realized it was too big.
"H-How much is it per Gate?!" Soo-Hyun asked weakly as they stopped at a familiar canyon. "Oh my God."
"Actually, so, is it just how much land he's gone into?" Liu offered. "Ten miles, while vast for a city, isn't comparable to the overall length of Gates a raiding party has gone into over ten years."
"T-This is still ridiculous," Song-Yi said. "And what if there are other entrances to other Gates down below?"
"... Ah."
"This dimension is, sadly, too vast to just explore right now. We don't even know if we're even in the same spot right now," Jin-Woo said nervously. "Crap, what'd happen if we exited here?"
"Likely, assumably if hyung's personal spot acts like a Gate," Jong-In said. "Which I might have some different opinions on? We'll be… We went east, yes? We should be in the ocean."
"Yikes-Wait, why do you think it's different?" Jin-Ah asked, confused.
"Because hyung is able to pull all his necessary items from wherever he is. Just because his powers adapted Gate-like physiology doesn't mean it's completely the same."
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Obito said as he cast some thread beneath their feet, giving Gina a break.
His wings released their throbbing energy.
~NRK~
"W-Whoa?!" Jin-Chul stumbled a bit before looking around and finding themselves in a familiar gym. "I-I see, Choi Jong-In was correct," he said even as his mind whirled with ideas. 'That's a powerful rescue ability!' If Obito could, in fact, cast that over an AREA in an instant, they'd be capable of moving an entire city's worth of people in seconds!
"I'm confused by how your powers work, a lot, actually," Il-Hwan said even as he cupped his chin in thought. 'The Demon Monarch was supposedly able to teleport demons, his army, from portals of his energy. That's true and Obito's powers… Were we really in a dimensional pocket? Or are his powers so insane that he transfigures land into such things and we went elsewhere?' Too interesting, his family was simply too interesting.
"Wait, so, if you can do that, our training can go up several magnitudes," Jin-Ah realized. "Since shuushuu's powers are kinda like a field-type," she stressed as the others perked up. "That means you have to have some form of control over the intensity of the area, don't you?"
Obito dropped his transformation, chin in hand. "... I don't know. Jin-Ah, once again, this is the first time even I've ever done this," he reminded her as she rubbed the back of her head.
"I guess you got a lot to figure out, uncle."
"So it seems-"
Jin-Chul's phone rang, stopping their conversation for a moment as he answered it.
"Hello, sir?" He answered.
-Goodness, I thought something had happened- Gun-Hee said over the line as Jin-Chul set it to Speaker. -The cameras in the gym showed you all vanishing from within-
"Well, that cinches it, we did get transported," Cheol said as Ki-Hoon looked intrigued.
"So, wait, is that land, you know, real real? Like, there's material there?" He asked.
"We didn't see any mana crystals."
"Right but there's clearly a system, at least, a nature system. There weren't any animals inside, obviously."
Jin-Chul took his phone off to the side and explained the situation.
~NRK~
"My word," the Chairman said in his office, alarmed. 'If such a thing got out, it'd be a damn SLUGFEST for this one man!' And just the sheer concept of a Gate for humanity might have spurred people in a bad direction as is. "That's incredible but something we can't let anyone else know."
-I-It'd be hard to not see why- Jin-Ho said over the line. -Imagine all the companies that'd want to rent space!-
Despite his previous worries, Gun-Hee laughed heartily.
"Yes, well, that'd honestly be the most mundane worry we'd have."
~NRK~
The following morning saw Obito, Jin-Woo, and Jin-Ho on a plane.
"I'm surprised you two came even if the Japanese Bureau said anyone could," Obito said in a casual elbow-length white top, dark blue pants, black gloves, and his Song-Sung Boots. "I mean, it will be us demonstrating so I guess they did want to see what this would be like on people who are used to it. We brought your scores from last time, Jin-Ho."
"I-I hope this goes well, sir, but won't this cause people to chase after you?" Jin-Ho offered, wearing a pair of black boots, gray cargo pants, and a thick-looking black polo shirt. "All things considered, this being a success would mean more people would want your attention."
"I know but, really, there's not much they could offer me to even stay, my life's in Korea, my family, my Guild, and my fiance are in Korea."
"It's still interesting to think about what they'd offer, ya know?" Jin-Woo grinned, wearing a familiar light blue hoodie but now customized into a zip-up version, a black shirt, similarly-colored pants, and his own Song-Sung Boots. "Like, what if they offered some Rune Stones?"
Rune Stones were basically, for lack of a better word, low-chance items that copied Skills of monsters and bosses. It was rather like himself but more in the vein of being a full-on integration into the person who'd used them.
So, his were 'accessories' while Rune Stones were 'TM Machines' from Pokemon, basically.
"I don't know if there'd be something they could give us. I can literally copy Skills with enough observation, the world knows this now, and they'd be cautious to let me see anything," Obito said, Sharingan flashing to life for a moment before they vanished. "I'm done being conservative about things, I suppose. Outside of Liu's fighting style and those around me's Skills, I will copy anything of use from here on out."
They chatted nearly the whole way into the trip, their plane beginning to descend sometime later.
As they saw the cityline of Tokyo, the three were honestly impressed by the structures, buildings, and billboards.
"That's just interesting," Jin-Woo chuckled as they landed. "It's so bright and vibrant."
"Japan's recent population increase has done well for them," Obito said. "Ten years ago, they were on the decline before the Gates situation took place and people spread throughout. They took their families, friends, relatives, and anyone else to start a new life here to the point of the population literally being 40% foreign."
Once they landed and departed, they found a series of men and women in suits there to greet them before one in particular came forward.
"Good evening, Hunters Uchiha, Sung, and Yoo," she said, her height similar to only Jin-Ho's.
She was a young woman with peach skin, black eyes, and neatly-combed back black hair that parted at the center of her forehead like a curtain that ended in a small mullet at the back near her neck.
Wearing a black suit, white dress shirt, black dress shoes, and dull-red tie, she bowed to them with her eyes trailing them.
'The Yoo-Jin heir isn't much,' he was, at best, a C-Rank, but she might need to check that again. 'But the other two are…' Her eyes glowed softly.
They were honestly more powerful than the Tank by a horrid amount which was… Surprising?
The weirdness wasn't the S-Rank, of course not, but it was the younger man beside him.
That one named 'Sung Jin-Woo', the man who'd formerly been an E-Rank if their records had been right and had set up a Re-Eval later next week.
'He's not an E-Rank,' her eyes widened at the feeling before her. 'He's not normal!' What the hell was going on with these Koreans?! "A-Ahem, I am Hanekawa, translator for the Japanese Hunters Bureau & a member of the Draw Sword Guild."
"Pleased to meet you," Obito greeted in perfect Japanese, startling the translator.
"W-Wait, you can wield Japenese?"
"Yes. I'll help with any discussions we might need to have, just to keep things going smoothly."
The woman was honestly surprised, her arms crossing as she tilted her head. "This will be… Curious," she said with a nod. "Very well, please, come this way," Hanekawa gestured alongside the other Japenses Bureau members. "We'll be taking you both to the gym immediately."
"Hmm," Jin-Woo's eyes observed this woman, his SENSE giving him all the info he needed. 'She's a strong A-Rank. Likely, she's a Fighter who's like Jin-Chul, she's at the top but…' Maybe it was just him but this woman didn't feel that 'seasoned', if you would.
She wasn't used to combat and likely just trained a lot.
~NRK~
The drive had them going down streets of curious people trying to peek into the tinted windows of the cars, the group of vehicles coming to a stop by a large stadium-esque building.
Getting out through via the Japenses agents' assistance by opening their doors, Obito stepped out first to the barrage of flashing lights he'd gotten used to by this point.
Following behind him with a look around, Jin-Woo's senses screamed at him from ahead, his eyes going up-
And finding a man walking at their side with a focused look.
'When did he get there?' His eyes narrowed a bit at this… At this S-Rank of ridiculous strength. 'If I was fight this guy, it'd be a tough one,' his energy alone was potent enough to match his own but knowing what he did about the now-familiar person?
He'd be a downright bastard to try and beat.
Being a man of tall stature, similar to his own and his uncle's, he had peach skin, narrow black eyes, an angular handsome face, and swept-back slightly scraggly black hair that connected down his sideburns to a neatly-kept beard.
Wearing a uniform of tight dark gray pants, a long-sleeved top, and black boots, it had on a black coat that was secured to his form via metal latches and belts, a blade of ornate sheath sitting on his back in an angle seeing as it was almost half a foot taller than him.
Goto Ryuji, the third-strongest Hunter from Asia outside of Liu Zhigang and, as Obito had supported, Go Gun-Hee.
And the man… He felt almost hostile.
It would seem that this [Player] would need to mind Japan's best.
~NRK Out~