Chapter 43: Into the Abyss

The new dungeon loomed before them, its entrance a jagged tear in reality itself. The air around it was thick with mana, and the oppressive weight of the cosmic entities’ presence pressed down on them like a storm.

Jinyoung, Yuna, and Minah stood at the entrance, their weapons drawn, their hearts pounding with anticipation. The rest of the White Flame Guild had stayed behind, their injuries from the previous raid still too fresh to risk another fight. This time, it was just the three of them.

As they stepped into the dungeon, the world around them shifted. The walls were no longer made of stone—they were made of light and shadow, constantly shifting and warping as if the dungeon itself was alive.

"Be careful," Jinyoung whispered, his All-Knowing Eye scanning the area. "This place isn’t like the others."

Yuna’s icy magic flared to life around her, her eyes sharp with focus. "I can feel it. The mana here—it’s wrong."

Minah’s flame sword crackled in her hand, her expression grim. "Let’s just get through this and get out. The sooner we’re done, the better."

But as they ventured deeper into the dungeon, the oppressive presence grew stronger. And then, out of the shadows, a figure appeared.

Jinyoung’s heart stopped.

It was Eunwoo.

But this time, she wasn’t alone.

Chapter 44: A Face from the Past

The air inside the dungeon felt heavy with pressure, the kind that made every breath feel labored. Shadows danced along the warped walls, and the low hum of mana vibrated through the air.

Jinyoung, Yuna, and Minah stood at the ready, their senses heightened as they faced the figure that had stepped out of the dark.

Eunwoo.

But she was not the same. Her silver hair shimmered in the dim light, but her once kind eyes were cold, lifeless, and filled with purpose. Behind her, strange shadowy figures hovered, almost humanoid but twisted, their forms flickering in and out of existence.

Jinyoung’s heart twisted as memories of his past life flooded his mind—of the Eunwoo he had known, who had fought beside him with courage and loyalty. But that Eunwoo was gone, replaced by this pale reflection, a puppet controlled by the cosmic entities.

"Eunwoo," Jinyoung called out, stepping forward cautiously. "You don’t have to do this. You’re being used. You can fight them."

Her eyes flickered with something—perhaps a hint of recognition, a ghost of the person she used to be—but it quickly vanished.

"You don’t understand," she said, her voice soft yet filled with something dark, an edge of finality. "I’ve seen the future, Jinyoung. I’ve seen what happens if you continue. It all ends in chaos."

Jinyoung tightened his grip on his sword. He could feel the weight of her words, the doubt gnawing at his mind. Was he really making things worse by defying the entities? But he couldn’t give in. Not now.

"And if I stop? If I let them win?" Jinyoung asked, his voice firm. "What happens to humanity? To the people we care about?"

Eunwoo’s eyes darkened. "There are worse fates than destruction."

Behind him, Yuna and Minah exchanged uneasy glances. They could feel the tension, the personal stakes at play. But they didn’t know the full story, the history that tied Jinyoung and Eunwoo together.

"Jinyoung," Yuna’s voice broke through the tension, "we can’t afford to hesitate. She’s already made her choice."

Before he could respond, Eunwoo raised her hand, and the shadowy figures at her back surged forward, their forms twisting as they lunged at the group.

BOOM!

The first strike hit like a thunderclap, a wave of pure, dark energy crashing toward them. Jinyoung and Yuna jumped back, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the attack. Minah’s flame sword flared to life as she parried another shadowy figure’s attack, her movements swift and precise.

The dungeon seemed to come alive around them, the walls twisting and shifting as if reality itself was unstable. Jinyoung’s All-Knowing Eye activated, scanning the battlefield. His mind raced as he tried to find a way through the chaos.

But Eunwoo moved like a blur, her time-manipulating abilities in full force. She was faster, stronger, and more precise than any enemy they had faced so far. With every swing of her blade, she bent time itself, allowing her to strike with impossible speed.

Jinyoung met her attacks head-on, their blades clashing with a sharp, metallic CLANG. His muscles strained as he pushed back, using his newly developed Time Disruption ability to counter her movements. It wasn’t perfect yet, but it gave him enough of an edge to hold his ground.

"You think you can save them?" Eunwoo spat, her eyes flashing with anger. "You think you can stop what’s coming? The entities are far beyond anything you can comprehend, Jinyoung. You’re just delaying the inevitable."

SLASH!

Her blade came down hard, and Jinyoung barely managed to parry the strike. The force of it sent him stumbling back, but he quickly recovered, his eyes locked on hers.

"I’m not doing this because I think I’ll win," Jinyoung said, his voice steady, "I’m doing it because I can’t afford to give up. I won’t let them control our fate."

BOOM!

A blast of energy erupted as Yuna joined the fray, her icy magic swirling around her as she unleashed a barrage of ice spears at the shadowy figures. Her magic clashed with theirs, creating a storm of frost and dark energy. Minah was right behind her, flames roaring as she cut through the shadows, her movements a blur of fire and steel.

But Eunwoo was relentless. She moved through time, her strikes hitting from impossible angles, her every step calculated. It was clear that the cosmic entities had given her more than just power—they had reshaped her into their weapon.

Jinyoung pushed forward, his Ultra Instinct guiding his movements as he parried, dodged, and struck. Each swing of his sword was a calculated move, his All-Knowing Eye allowing him to see the flow of the battle, to anticipate Eunwoo’s attacks. But she was still faster, her control over time sharper than his own.

"Enough of this!" Eunwoo hissed, and with a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a temporal blast, the air around her warping as reality itself distorted.

CRACK!

The shockwave tore through the dungeon, the walls splitting as the very fabric of time unraveled. Jinyoung’s heart pounded in his chest as he felt the surge of temporal energy slam into him, freezing him in place. His body ached as time itself bent around him, trapping him in a moment of suspended agony.

But then, something deep within him stirred.

The system flashed in his vision, and he felt a surge of power flood his body. The All-Knowing Eye burned with newfound clarity, revealing the weak points in the temporal prison Eunwoo had created.

[System Update: New Power Unlocked — Temporal Severance.]

The words burned into his mind, and with a growl of effort, Jinyoung activated the new ability. The world around him snapped, the temporal prison breaking apart as he regained control of his body. Time flowed normally once more, but now, Jinyoung could feel something new—an understanding of how to disrupt time itself.

"Not bad," Eunwoo said, her voice filled with mock admiration. "But it won’t be enough."

Jinyoung didn’t respond. Instead, he rushed forward, his sword glowing with light and darkness, the two opposing forces swirling together as he swung at Eunwoo with renewed strength.

SLASH!

Their blades collided once again, but this time, Jinyoung’s Temporal Severance cut through Eunwoo’s defenses. Her form flickered, the temporal distortions around her faltering as Jinyoung pressed the attack.

BOOM!

The force of the clash sent shockwaves through the dungeon, the ground cracking beneath their feet. For the first time since the battle had begun, Eunwoo staggered back, her control over time slipping.

"You can’t keep this up, Eunwoo," Jinyoung said, his voice low. "The entities don’t care about you. They’re using you just like they used me. You don’t have to follow their path."

For a moment, Eunwoo hesitated, her gaze flickering with uncertainty. But the doubt quickly vanished, replaced by cold resolve.

"I don’t have a choice," she said softly. "Neither do you."

And with that, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Jinyoung, Yuna, and Minah standing in the wreckage of the dungeon.

Chapter 45: The Next Move

The battle with Eunwoo had shaken Jinyoung in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Seeing someone he had once fought alongside, someone he had trusted, now twisted into a tool of the cosmic entities—it left a weight on his chest, something cold and heavy. The echoes of their clash still reverberated in his mind, and the way her eyes had flickered with regret just before she disappeared only deepened the knot in his stomach.

As the group trudged through the forest on their way back to the White Flame Guild, Yuna walked beside him, her expression carefully neutral. She hadn’t said much after the battle, but Jinyoung could feel the tension radiating from her.

"You’re holding back," Yuna finally said, her voice barely above a whisper as they walked in step. "When you fought her… it wasn’t just about winning, was it?"

Jinyoung glanced at her, his eyes dark under the hood of his cloak. "No." He didn’t elaborate, didn’t need to. Yuna had always been perceptive, and she had seen through him just as easily as she had seen through the enemies they’d fought together.

"You care about her," Yuna continued, her tone soft but edged with something Jinyoung couldn’t quite place. "But you know that’s dangerous, right? She’s not the same person you once knew."

He sighed, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. "I know." The words were simple, but they carried the weight of his conflicted feelings. He had once trusted Eunwoo, and part of him still wanted to believe she could be saved. But the reality was that the cosmic entities had her now—and they didn’t give their pawns back so easily.

Yuna’s gaze shifted, the tension in her eyes deepening. She was about to say something more, but before she could, Minah rejoined them from ahead, her flame sword resting against her shoulder.

"Alright," Minah interrupted, breaking the silence between them, her voice more serious than usual. "What’s the plan now? Because we can’t just keep reacting to whatever they throw at us."

Jinyoung glanced at Minah, appreciating her straightforwardness. She was always quick to turn the page after a battle, always looking for the next move. It was something he respected about her. She never let the past cloud her focus.

"We need information," Jinyoung said, his voice steady. "The Weaver of Fates… it’s pulling the strings behind all of this. If we’re going to have any chance of stopping them, we need to know what they’re planning."

Minah raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly do we get that information? We can’t just ask the cosmic entities for an interview."

Jinyoung’s eyes darkened, his thoughts drifting to a place he hadn’t been in years. "There’s a dungeon—a forgotten one, hidden in the Ruins of Eldrion. It’s connected to the entities. I remember it from my past life."

Minah frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. "The Ruins of Eldrion? Isn’t that place basically a death sentence for anyone who goes in?"

Jinyoung nodded slowly. "That’s why it’s perfect. It’s dangerous enough that the entities won’t expect us to go there. If we can break through the seal, we might be able to find something that gives us an edge."

Yuna had been silent for a while, but now she stepped forward, her icy magic flickering faintly around her hands. "We’re with you, Jinyoung. If this place holds answers, we’ll get them."

Jinyoung felt a warmth spread through his chest at her words. He wasn’t used to leaning on others, but Yuna’s unwavering support made it easier to bear the weight of the choices he had to make. Still, the doubts lingered—about Eunwoo, about what they were truly up against.

And then there was the growing tension between him and Yuna. He could feel it every time they spoke, every time their eyes met. But there was no room for that now. Not when the stakes were so high.