The sky above Seoul remained unchanged, a vast canvas of deep blue with the occasional drifting cloud. The world had finally returned to peace—or so Jin-Woo believed. Standing atop a high-rise, he let the cold wind brush against his face as he observed the city below, watching humans live their mundane lives, blissfully unaware of the cosmic battles that once threatened their existence.

But something felt... off.

For days now, a strange sense of unease had clawed at the edges of his mind. His shadows were restless, and some had even begun flickering as if being pulled into an unseen abyss.

Jin-Woo exhaled, his golden eyes narrowing. Was this just a side effect of his power growing too vast? Or was it something more?

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind. "My Liege... something is wrong."

Beru appeared beside him, kneeling with his head lowered. The once mighty Ant King—now one of Jin-Woo’s most loyal shadows—seemed troubled. That alone was enough to make Jin-Woo wary.

"Speak," Jin-Woo commanded.

Beru hesitated before continuing, his mandibles clicking. "Some of your shadows... have disappeared."

Jin-Woo stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"They did not die in battle, My Liege. They were simply... erased."

A chill ran down Jin-Woo’s spine. Erased? That shouldn’t be possible. Even if his shadows were destroyed, they would eventually return to him unless he dismissed them personally.

He summoned one of his higher-ranked shadows, Igris. The red-armored knight appeared before him and immediately dropped to one knee. "My Lord, I must confirm Beru’s report. Some of our brethren have vanished into nothingness. It is as if they never existed."

Jin-Woo clenched his fists. Something was interfering with his domain.

Just then, he felt it.

A presence. Faint yet overwhelming. Silent, yet more terrifying than any Monarch he had ever faced. Something—someone—was watching him.

Stolen novel; please report.

Jin-Woo turned sharply, his gaze locking onto the empty night sky. The sensation of being observed vanished instantly, but he knew it had been real. His instincts, honed through countless battles, screamed at him.

He was not alone.

The darkness between dimensions trembled.

A formless realm, untouched by time, shuddered as an ancient force stirred. The silence that had reigned for millennia fractured as a presence awakened, golden eyes burning through the void.

The Arbiter of the End had returned.

His consciousness, once buried beneath the weight of forgotten eras, sharpened as he observed the world that had outgrown him. The war between Monarchs and Rulers should have concluded. Balance should have been restored. And yet, a Monarch still remained.

Jin-Woo.

His name was but a whisper in the Arbiter’s mind, an anomaly that should not exist. The Shadow Monarch’s power was supposed to fade into obscurity, yet it persisted—evolving, expanding beyond its intended limits. The Arbiter clenched his hand, and a ripple of annihilation spread through the void. Something had to be corrected.

With deliberate precision, he extended his will, reaching into the physical realm. Seoul, a city so insignificant compared to the vast cosmos, suddenly felt his presence.

And so did Jin-Woo.

Jin-Woo stood motionless, his golden eyes scanning the sky. The unease in his chest had solidified into certainty—he was being watched.

"Igris, Beru," he said, his voice steady. "Prepare for battle."

The two shadows responded instantly, their forms shifting as they stood at the ready. Jin-Woo did not know what was coming, but he could feel its magnitude. It was unlike anything he had encountered before—not a Monarch, not a Ruler, but something else entirely.

And then it happened.

A rift tore open in the sky, jagged and unnatural. The city remained oblivious to the horror unfolding above them, but Jin-Woo saw it—a figure stepping through the breach.

Cloaked in darkness, yet carrying an aura of absolute finality, he descended. Unlike the Monarchs who exuded malice or the Rulers who embodied authority, this being was different. He was neither light nor darkness—he was the force that dictated when all things must end.

Jin-Woo took a step forward, his power flaring around him. "Who are you?"

The figure did not answer immediately. His golden eyes locked onto Jin-Woo’s own, studying him with a gaze devoid of emotion.

Finally, he spoke. "You should not exist."

Jin-Woo’s pulse quickened, but he maintained his composure. "That’s not an answer."

The Arbiter raised his hand. Reality itself quivered.

In an instant, a dozen of Jin-Woo’s shadows vanished—completely erased. There was no resistance, no struggle. They were simply unmade. A power unlike anything he had seen before.

Jin-Woo’s fingers curled into fists. "I don’t know who you are, but if you think I’ll go down without a fight—"

"It is not a matter of fighting," the Arbiter interrupted, his voice calm yet absolute. "It is a matter of correcting an error."

Jin-Woo’s instincts screamed at him—this was no ordinary foe. This was a force of nature, an existence that should have never been disturbed.

And now, it was coming for him.

TO BE CONTINUED...........