With the alliance formalized, the System's presence, though less intense, remained long enough to issue the final directives for the mission. The vast intelligence projected the coordinates of Knull's domain and, crucially, the method of access into Cid and Jinwoo's minds.
[The System: Knull's domain exists within the Primordial Void, intertwined with the remnants of the original prison. Conventional entry points are either nonexistent or heavily defended by his older creations. An optimal infiltration point has been calculated using your unique energy signatures.]
The information showed a conceptual map that defied Euclidean geometry, marking a point in a space of non-space. It was the threshold.
[The System: Transit will again be facilitated by the System grid. A temporary dimensional conduit will open from your current location directly to the calculated insertion point. The stability of the conduit depends on keeping your energetic signatures aligned with the transit pattern.]
There would be no ships or way stations this time, just a direct jump from this shattered highway in Jinwoo's Land to the threshold of Knull's realm.
Jinwoo absorbed the instructions. The idea of traveling directly to the territory of the god of darkness was chilling, even for someone who had conquered death and commanded an army of shadows. A brief image of his sister, of his friends, crossed his mind. He had promised them peace and safety. This mission... put that peace at unimaginable risk.
Cid noticed the momentary dizziness in Jinwoo's energy. He interpreted this as a high-level asset preparing for a critical operation.
Cid thought: The Designated Shadow Asset is making final preparations. Disconnecting local links. A standard procedure before deep interdimensional missions. As a Level 7 Agent, my own links are subtle enough not to require an extensive protocol. But I must ensure my teammate is mentally ready. A good mission coordinator monitors the team's status.
He turned to Jinwoo, his posture exuding the calm confidence of someone used to missions of this caliber (in his own mind).
"Monarch," Cid said, his voice echoing slightly. "The System has provided the insertion plan. The transit window is... optimal now."
Jinwoo nodded, pushing away the mental image of his loved ones. He had accepted the mission. There was no turning back. He looked at Cid, at the man who still seemed absurdly calm even though they were about to jump into the cosmic lion's den. His strange normalcy in the face of the impossible was disconcerting. Cid didn't seem worried, or even serious in the conventional sense; he seemed... excited, or perhaps just methodical.
"Are you... ready for this?" Jinwoo asked, a question he felt foolish to ask, given the power Cid had demonstrated. But the nature of the destination they were heading toward made it necessary.
Cid tilted his head slightly.
Cid thought: Final assessment of the asset's disposition. Standard. Demonstrating confidence is key.
"I'm always ready, Monarch," Cid replied. "This is the type of operation I was... optimized for. Infiltrating the realm of the ultimate enemy is the culmination of years of... covert training. Consider this... a routine deployment for a Level 7 Agent."
Jinwoo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly. Routine deployment? This man was incredibly powerful, but also... deeply peculiar. Still, his calmness was, in its own way, reassuring. He didn't seem like the type of person who would panic or make a fatal mistake out of fear.
"Good," Jinwoo said, taking a deep breath and feeling the latent power beneath his skin, the connection to his shadow army. He was as ready as he could be. "Then let's do this. How...?"
Before he could finish the question, the System's presence intensified one last time. Not a communication, but a direct action. In the air in front of them, just above the shattered asphalt, space began to ripple. Not a Gate portal, not the chaotic vortex of the Nexus. It was a controlled tear in the fabric of reality, a hole that opened toward a darkness that was not night, but... an absence. A palpable Void, cold and silent. The threshold.
The hole grew, revealing a passage shrouded in deep shadows, no stars, no light. Only the absolute blackness of nonexistence, which seemed to whisper silently. The energy emanating from it wasn't magical, but... fundamentally flawed. The very breath of the Primordial Void.
[System: The conduit is open. Destination coordinates are locked. Proceed with transit. The stability window... is limited. The containment mission... begins now.]
The "voice" of the System faded, leaving only the unreal sound of the Void open before them. The decision was theirs alone now.
Cid turned toward the threshold without hesitation. His cloaked figure seemed to absorb the darkness emanating from the portal.
Cid thought: The portal to the final boss's domain. The entrance to the Abyss. The Level 7 Agent leads the way. A fitting entrance for the ultimate infiltrator.
"After you, Monarch," Cid said, taking a calm step toward the mouth of the Void. He didn't wait for a response; he simply began walking into the darkness.
Jinwoo watched Cid's figure step into the portal, the man's absolute calm contrasting with the terrifying nature of the passage. He didn't have Cid's strange confidence, nor the same delirium of an undercover mission. He felt the gravity of the moment, the immense risk. But he also felt the need. Knull. The resonance in his own power. This was his fight too, in a way.
With one last glance at the sky of his own world, Jinwoo turned. His shadow loomed around him as he followed Cid toward the threshold. There was no fanfare, only the quiet determination of a warrior striding into the darkness.
Crossing the boundary, the sensation was disorienting. It wasn't like passing through a Gate. It was as if his being was stretching, compressing, and reconfiguring itself all at once. The chill of the Primordial Void wasn't physical, but existential, a sense of nothingness that tried to hold onto him. But his own shadow energy and the System's mysterious transit protection protected him. He felt Cid's immovable presence nearby, navigating this unnatural space with apparent ease.
Behind them, the dimensional conduit closed as quickly as it opened, sealing their path back, at least for now. They were in transit. Traveling through the Void. Toward the Black King's realm. The second part of the season, the infiltration, had begun.
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