The world went black for an instant, and when Do-Jin’s vision cleared, the quest had already begun. The first thing he saw was a half-transparent young man, faintly glowing and way too close.

The man was decked out in full knight armor, the kind that screamed he was a ghost here to haunt someone, and his face was only inches away. Do-Jin instinctively stepped back, his brows twitching in disgust. Dead or not, having another man close enough to almost feel nonexistent breath on his skin was something his instincts simply refused to tolerate.

“Oh, you’re here.” The ghost spoke casually, his tone almost too friendly.

Do-Jin’s eyes narrowed. His stance shifted slightly, mana already gathering under his skin.

Who the hell...? An enemy?

Before he could fire off a spell, a system message appeared.

[Quest Unfinished Business has begun. You have encountered the ghost of a fallen hero. Assist him in completing the task he failed to finish in life.]

Do-Jin read the text quickly. Then, his gaze flicked back to the ghost. “A hero’s ghost?”

The spirit perked up immediately. “Oh, do you recognize me? Or wait, maybe you were told about me already.”

The ghost nodded to himself, looking oddly pleased, before extending a hand toward Do-Jin. “Nice to meet you, human from another world. My name’s Matthew. I was once a hero of this realm.”

Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly raised his hand again and laughed. “Oh, right. I’m a ghost now! I guess that’d be awkward for the living. Hahaha... I’m making it weird, aren’t I?”

Do-Jin stared at him for a moment. For a ghost, the guy was way too cheerful.

“You said you’ve been waiting for me?”

“Didn’t you already hear about it?”

“More like I saw something a moment ago,” Do-Jin replied. “All I know is that I’m supposed to help a hero finish something.”

“Then you saw right. That was the deal.”

A deal, so that means this guy had made some kind of arrangement with the so-called “light” that called itself a helper? Makes sense...

Do-Jin pushed the thought aside and focused on figuring out the quest’s objective, which was tied to finishing this ghost’s unfinished business.

“Let’s skip the small talk,” he said bluntly. “I’m here to help, and you’re the one who called for help. Tell me what I need to do.”

“Hmph.” The ghost turned away, muttering under his breath like a sulking child. “Of course they’d send a mage. Mages have no warmth or patience.”

Do-Jin ignored him. He still liked to think of himself as the one sane mage in a million. If this idiot had a problem with manners, that was on him.

He crossed his arms and waited. Whatever this “hero” needed, he’d better start explaining fast, because Do-Jin had no intention of wasting time babysitting a dead man with attitude.

“Tch. You don’t even change your expression. Fine. I’m not exactly in a position to be picky, so let’s do things your way and get straight to the point.”

“Good.”

“There are people who need to die.”

Do-Jin frowned. “What, you want me to slay the Demon Lord or something in your place?”

“No... There’s no Demon Lord left in this world. The place you’re standing in is already a dead world, long past saving. Even death itself has vanished here.”

The ghost’s voice sank low, a faint echo trailing behind his words. “What I wanted was someone who still carried death, someone from another world who could end what should’ve ended long ago. In other words, I wanted a reaper who will kill what I name, whatever it turns out to be.”

“Revenge, then?”

“Perhaps it is.”

The way Matthew said it left no room for further questions. His expression went blank and his tone suddenly went cold.

Whatever it is, I’ll find out soon enough.

Do-Jin didn’t waste time speculating. There was no point in thinking too much when the objective was already clear.

“So, where’s this thing I’m supposed to kill?”

“At my grave! Follow me!”

Matthew’s energy snapped back to life, his tone bright and overly casual again as he shot off like a streak of light.

“Hey, don’t just take off like that—!” Do-Jin reached out but the ghost was already halfway across the horizon, waving impatiently for him to hurry.

What, does he have no idea how fast normal people move?

Clicking his tongue, Do-Jin sighed and called out, “Anemone.”

The spirit beast appeared in a swirl of soft blue light, stretching lazily as if it had just been woken from a deep sleep. Its tail swayed gently, the air shimmering faintly around it.

Do-Jin pointed toward the sky, where Matthew’s ghostly figure was already disappearing into the distance. “We’ve got to catch up to that glowing idiot.”

“Should I just run after him?”

“Yeah.”

Anemone gave him a brief look, signaling for him to get on.

“Hold tight.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The next moment, Anemone surged forward, slicing through the air in sharp gusts. But no matter how fast the spirit beast ran, she couldn’t outrun a ghost who didn’t give a damn about gravity. Matthew hovered far ahead, always just out of reach, tossing the occasional taunting wave like he was daring them to catch up.

Anemone took the bait every time, kicking harder and running faster, her paws leaving streaks of mana on the ground. Because of that, what should’ve been a journey of several days on foot took barely four hours.

When they finally stopped, Do-Jin looked up and froze. “That’s...”

The ruins of a massive city stretched out before him, silent and hollow, like a corpse long forgotten.

“See that black castle over there?”

Matthew had drifted down beside him, pointing at the enormous structure rising at the city’s heart, a jagged, obsidian fortress that radiated menace.

“That’s my grave. That’s where I fell.”

So, a hero’s final resting place turned out to be a Demon Lord’s castle. It was morbidly fitting. The place might have just been ruined by time, but the atmosphere was so suffocatingly ominous that it didn’t make much difference.

“Do-Jin,” Anemone said, her voice carrying a faint warning as her ears perked sharply.

“Good instincts,” Matthew noted, a grim smile flickering across his translucent face. “It’s coming. The first target for our otherworldly Reaper.”

Do-Jin’s expression hardened. “Don’t call me that.”

The rumbling had already started, heavy, pounding booms shaking the ruined streets. From the far end of the city, something enormous came charging through the ruins, crushing what was left of the buildings into dust.

Do-Jin narrowed his eyes and activated Farsight. The spell expanded his vision, bringing the creature into sharp focus. What he saw made his lip curl.

It was a monstrous hulk of muscle, its body rippling like overinflated steel cables. It gripped a massive spear in each hand, and even more spears were strapped across its back like some grotesque collection. The thing looked like it had been born for one purpose, which was to kill anything clueless enough to stand in front of it.

I’ll need to strike first while it’s still closing in.

Do-Jin watched the monster closing in from afar. The distance was still wide, so the best move was to open with a preemptive strike the moment it stepped into range.

“Be careful,” Matthew warned. “That bastard, Brakin, the Spear Knight, was one of the toughest I ever fought.”

The words barely left his mouth before the creature crouched low, its massive frame coiling like a spring. Then he launched itself into the air. The impact cracked the earth as Brakin shot upward like a grasshopper on steroids, closing the distance faster than anything that size had the right to.

“What the hell is that?!”

Do-Jin had already finished casting and had been ready the instant the thing showed itself. However, landing a clean hit on something that fast and that erratic was a whole other problem. Brakin wasn’t just running, though. He was ricocheting across the battlefield, zigzagging like a wild animal.

I’ll wait for the moment that I’m sure it’ll hit.

Each landing shook the ground and erased more distance. By the time the creature leaped high again, Do-Jin knew the next impact would bring it right on top of him.

He didn’t hesitate to summon multiple Fireballs. At the exact moment Brakin’s body reached the peak of its jump, he unleashed the spells.

The air whistled as the monster’s arms snapped forward, his muscles swelling grotesquely before it hurled the spear with enough force to split a mountain. Steel screamed through the air as it tore toward Do-Jin’s skull.

Anemone was already moving, darting sideways and twisting mid-run. The spear obliterated the ground where they had been a heartbeat earlier, and Do-Jin’s volley of fireballs met its mark. Explosions bloomed across the battlefield, swallowing Brakin in a wall of flame, but the bastard did not even flinch.

“Holy shit...” Do-Jin muttered, watching as the creature emerged from the fire, its muscles still rippling, skin blackened but intact.

That was a Tier 5 spell, and it didn’t even scratch the surface?

Brakin landed where Do-Jin had been standing seconds ago, cracking the earth beneath his feet. It looked completely unharmed, as if the explosions had been nothing more than a light breeze.

Jeez... This thing really is built like a damn tank.

Still, he wasn’t invincible. Since the system adjusted monsters to match the player’s level, it was definitely possible to take down Brakin with some effort.

“Anemone, split up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. This one hits hard as hell and takes hits even better. We’ll just chip it down bit by bit.”

Before he even finished the sentence, Brakin hurled another spear. The ground shattered under its launch, the weapon slamming into the dirt with enough force to bury half its length.

Do-Jin used Psychokinetic Release to blast himself backward, the burst of kinetic energy propelling him clear. Anemone darted the other way, her paws leaving cracks in the dirt. With a crash, the spear smashed into the ground, burying itself so deep that even the shaft was nowhere to be seen.

Matthew’s voice echoed above them. “If that thing so much as grazes you, you’re dead! Dodge no matter what!”

No shit! Do-Jin thought bitterly. Anyone smarter than a worm could figure that out!

The way the monster moved, the unnatural precision of its throws, the sheer destructive power behind each strike made it feel like fighting one of the Demon Lord’s old generals. At least there was one upside. Brakin didn’t seem to have much of a brain left.

There was nothing calculating or strategic about him. He was pure aggression, a berserker crammed into a meat mountain’s body, driven only by rage and instinct, which made its attacks predictable. The beast roared and thrust both spears at Anemone as she kept taunting him, darting in and out of range.

Perfect. This shouldn’t be too hard to finish.

Do-Jin raised his hand, focusing mana through his circuits. Lightning gathered at his fingertips, crackling violently. “Lightning Spear.”

A bright bolt of blue shot across the field, slamming into Brakin’s chest with a deafening crack. The monster’s head snapped toward Do-Jin instantly. With a single explosive stomp, he rocketed forward, turning the ground beneath him into a crater as he charged straight at Do-Jin like a living missile.

“Do-Jin!” Anemone’s alarmed cry snapped through the air.

She lunged and sank her teeth into Brakin’s thigh, but the hulking monster didn’t even slow down. He just kept charging, dragging her along as he swung one of his spears straight at Do-Jin.

He barely had time to react before the spear came crashing down, along with the whistling wind that it split. Each strike blurred into the next, stabbing, slashing, thrusting, the rhythm violent and relentless. Brakin was attacking like a machine, giving him no space to breathe.

Do-Jin twisted his body again and again, barely avoiding each blow with movements powered by Psychokinetic Artistry. Even so, every near miss cut so close that he could feel the air split beside his face.

He’s just too fucking fast!

He wasn’t dodging to bait an opening. He was dodging because he had to, just to survive. No matter how hard he pushed himself, no matter how desperately he tried to pull back, Brakin’s instincts were too sharp. He hunted like a wild animal, moving faster than anything that size should be able to.

Shit. I guess I’ll have to handle this up close.

“Gale Arrow!”

He rolled aside, dodging another deadly spear thrust, then fired a Tier 1 spell. He dodged again and followed up with another spell.

“Frozen Arrow!”

Frost and wind burst across the ruined ground, but Brakin didn’t even blink.

This bastard doesn’t react to anything. I can’t even tell what element it’s weak to.

Anemone was still clawing and biting with everything she had, but the monster didn’t spare her a single glance. Furthermore, he seemed to recognize that Matthew’s ghostly body wasn’t a threat, but Do-Jin’s magic was.

Fine, you hardheaded piece of shit. If you’re built like a wall, I’ll just keep hitting till you crack.

Do-Jin gritted his teeth and went all in, moving to the rhythm of Brakin’s attacks. Every step, every dodge flowed together as he weaved through the monster’s onslaught, countering with bursts of mana between movements. Each flicker of his hand unleashed another spell. Psychokinetic Artistry for speed, low-tier attack magic for pressure, and Wedge of Drain quietly draining life with every glancing hit.

The battle turned into a brutal dance of attrition. Every second bled into the next, sparks and lightning mixing with blood and dust.

Above, Matthew’s voice cut through the chaos. “Brakin’s weak point is his stamina! Just hang in there a little longer and wait. No, that was before he turned into this monster. He would normally be exhausted by now, but looks like that thing’s not even breathing hard.”

Then shut the hell up and stop jinxing it! Do-Jin didn’t bother replying out loud, but his thoughts seethed with irritation.

That useless ghost could really pick the worst times to start commentary. Right then, a system message appeared before his eyes.

[Rune Gauntlet damage charge has reached maximum capacity.]

The indicator flared red. He’d finally accumulated enough for the Destruction Rune. A sharp grin tugged at his lips.