the battlefield collapsed further with every second.
Buildings twisted unnaturally under the pressure of the Executor's berserk authority, entire streets breaking apart as corrupted system structures spread endlessly through the distorted city. Black fragments drifted through the air like ash, carrying traces of broken code and unstable energy.
The dungeon—
Was losing stability.
---
[ Dungeon Integrity: 61% ]
[ Territory Authority: Corrupted ]
---
The Executor roared again.
This time the sound carried distortion with it, system interference erupting outward in violent waves that shattered nearby structures instantly.
---
Sera planted her foot against the cracked ground, Resonance Field fully active as she stabilized the space around Suho.
---
[ Skill: Resonance Field ]
[ Synchronization Rate: 89% ]
[ Modifier Efficiency: +42% ]
---
"…It's still increasing," she said sharply.
---
Suho didn't respond.
His eyes remained locked on the Executor as the corrupted hunter dragged its black blade across the ground, leaving fractures in space itself.
---
"…authority… must… continue…"
---
The voice sounded less human now.
Less stable.
---
Whatever remained of the hunter inside—
Was disappearing.
---
Then the Executor moved again.
---
The distorted city vanished behind it as the monster crossed the battlefield in a single instant, black blade aimed directly toward Suho's neck.
---
[ Skill Activation: Modifier — Maximum Output ]
---
The world compressed.
Space bent violently around the attack as Suho redirected the incoming force sideways.
But this time—
The Executor adapted immediately.
---
Its blade twisted mid-motion.
---
"…What—?!" Sera's eyes widened.
---
The strike broke through the altered trajectory and slammed into Suho directly.
---
The impact launched him through the remains of a nearby building, stone and steel collapsing around him as black system interference exploded outward.
---
[ Warning ]
[ Corruption Contact Increasing ]
---
Dust filled the ruined street.
For a brief second—
Silence.
---
Then—
The rubble moved.
---
Suho stepped out slowly, blood running from the side of his mouth as fragments of broken concrete fell from his shoulders.
---
[ Hunter: Suho ]
[ Lv: 77 (C-Rank) ]
[ Status: Damaged ]
[ Corruption Influence: 7% ]
---
Sera's expression tightened instantly.
"…That thing's infecting the system through attacks."
---
"Yes."
---
Suho wiped the blood from his chin slowly.
---
"And it's learning."
---
That was the problem.
The Executor wasn't just strong.
It was evolving during combat.
---
Above them, the Boundary Walker watched silently from the ruined tower.
Golden eyes fixed entirely on Suho.
---
"…You lasted longer than I expected," he murmured quietly.
---
Below, the Executor raised its blade again.
Black structures erupted across the battlefield, forming massive geometric patterns beneath its feet as corrupted authority expanded further outward.
---
[ Territory Authority: Complete Expansion ]
[ Battlefield Control: Lost ]
---
Sera felt it immediately.
Her Resonance Field trembled violently.
---
"…Suho!"
---
The synchronization was breaking.
The corrupted authority was overwhelming the area itself.
---
The Executor took another step forward.
Then another.
Each movement heavier than the last.
More unstable.
More destructive.
---
"…return… authority…"
---
The black blade lifted.
---
And the sky split open above the city.
---
A massive crack tore through the distorted clouds, system structures pouring downward like falling chains as the dungeon prepared to fully synchronize with the corrupted unit.
If that happened—
The entire gate would collapse into a permanent anomaly zone.
---
Sera's face paled slightly.
"…It's merging with the dungeon."
---
Suho saw it too.
And for the first time since entering—
He realized something important.
---
They couldn't win this alone.
---
The Executor disappeared again.
---
This time—
Faster than before.
---
Suho barely raised Modifier in time.
The black blade collided with compressed space—
And shattered through it completely.
---
[ Modifier Stability: Critical ]
---
The strike reached Suho.
---
Then—
Stopped.
---
Silence.
---
Absolute.
---
The Executor's blade froze inches from Suho's face.
Not because of Modifier.
Not because of Resonance.
---
Because someone was holding it.
---
A single hand gripped the corrupted blade effortlessly.
---
The entire battlefield stopped moving.
---
Sera's eyes widened instantly.
"…No way…"
---
The Boundary Walker stood between them.
Calm.
Unshaken.
One hand in his pocket.
The other holding the Executor's blade as if it weighed nothing at all.
---
[ Hunter: ??? ]
[ Rank: S ]
[ Title: Boundary Walker ]
[ Status: Released ]
---
The corrupted authority spreading through the city trembled violently around him.
Not expanding.
Not resisting.
---
Retreating.
---
The Executor roared furiously, black energy exploding outward in massive waves.
The Boundary Walker didn't move.
Didn't brace.
Didn't react.
---
The energy split around him naturally.
As if reality itself refused to touch him.
---
"…Impossible," Sera whispered.
---
The Boundary Walker looked at the Executor quietly.
Not angry.
Not emotional.
---
Disappointed.
---
"…You crossed too far," he said softly.
---
The Executor twitched violently.
Its corrupted system patterns surged.
---
"…authority… must—"
---
The Boundary Walker tightened his grip slightly.
---
CRACK.
---
The black blade shattered instantly.
---
The sound echoed through the distorted city like broken glass across reality itself.
---
Sera froze.
Because she understood now.
---
This man—
Was far beyond ordinary S-Rank hunters.
---
The Executor stumbled backward violently, corrupted patterns spreading erratically across its body as if the destruction of its weapon destabilized the system holding it together.
---
The Boundary Walker stepped forward once.
That alone changed the battlefield.
---
The spreading corruption stopped instantly.
The distorted structures froze.
The unstable sky above stabilized slightly.
---
[ Territory Authority: Interrupted ]
---
"…How…" Suho muttered quietly.
---
The Boundary Walker glanced at him briefly.
---
"…Because I learned where the system ends," he replied calmly.
---
Then—
He moved.
---
Not fast.
Not flashy.
---
Invisible.
---
One moment he stood several meters away.
The next—
His hand rested against the Executor's chest.
---
No explosion.
No dramatic force.
---
Just contact.
---
The corrupted hunter froze completely.
---
"…rest," the Boundary Walker said quietly.
---
The system reacted violently.
---
[ Unauthorized Interference Detected ]
[ Correction Protocol Activated ]
---
Black structures erupted around the Executor desperately, trying to preserve the corrupted authority.
The Boundary Walker's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
---
Then—
For the first time—
His own authority released.
---
The air shattered.
---
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
---
Space cracked around him in thin golden fractures as overwhelming pressure descended across the battlefield. The distorted city stopped functioning entirely, every corrupted structure freezing under the sudden force.
---
Sera's breathing caught instantly.
"…This pressure…"
---
It wasn't hostile.
But it was absolute.
---
[ Unknown Authority Detected ]
[ Classification Failure ]
---
Even the system—
Couldn't identify it properly.
---
The Boundary Walker spoke one final word.
---
"…Disappear."
---
The Executor's body shattered.
Not destroyed.
Not exploded.
---
Erased.
---
The corrupted authority vanished instantly, breaking apart into fading particles of black light before dissolving completely into the air.
Silence followed.
The dungeon stopped trembling.
The distorted sky slowly repaired itself.
And the corruption—
Was gone.
---
Sera stared at the empty space where the Executor had been.
"…What… are you?"
---
The Boundary Walker looked toward her calmly.
---
"…Someone who survived."
---
Then he turned toward Suho.
Golden eyes steady.
---
"…Now you understand why Phase Four matters."
---
Suho didn't answer immediately.
Because he did understand now.
More than before.
---
Power wasn't the danger.
Losing control was.
---
The Boundary Walker looked upward slightly as the dungeon began stabilizing again.
---
[ Dungeon Integrity: Recovering ]
---
"…Good," he muttered softly.
---
Then his gaze returned to Suho one last time.
---
"…You're closer than you think."
---
And for the first time—
There was genuine warning in his voice.