Chapter 366

Chapter 366
Chapter 366

—

The Emergence.

The initial sighting of the phenomenon known as the “Black Dome” occurred in the center of the North Pacific Ocean.

Multiple investigative units were organized and sent out to analyze this anomaly, which had manifested past the maritime boundaries of San Francisco and Seattle in the United States. However, not a single soul returned from these missions.

This remained true even when a significant gathering of America’s most elite warriors took part in the expeditions.

Internal conditions remained a mystery despite the deployment of cutting-edge technology. At most, experts could only speculate, based on the behavior of local sea life and ocean currents, that the “Black Dome” functioned similarly to the “Abyss” found in Pangenia.

Globally, only one nation had dealt with a comparable event.

South Korea.

Korea was the site of the “Jeju Island Disappearance,” a crisis that had once captured the world’s attention.

During that catastrophe, all living things had been forcefully abducted by the “Four Perils, Baal,” coinciding with the appearance of a similar dark sphere.

In light of this connection, the American government sought aid from the Korean administration and the Heroes Association.

“…President. What is your decision?”

“….”

Park Taewoo, the leader of the Heroes Association, struggled to find an answer.

The memories of that era were etched into his mind with terrifying clarity.

The disappearance of Jeju Island and the onslaught of Baal were nightmares shared by the entire Korean population.

The inhabitants of Jeju had vanished along with their land, leaving the nation in a state of total despair.

Park Taewoo had fought desperately to save those he could, but even that success would have been impossible without the miraculous intervention of the “God of the Black Egg.”

‘Curse it all.’

President Park Taewoo knit his brows in frustration.

They had only just recovered and begun to move forward.

…And now, history was repeating itself.

To make matters worse, the “Black Dome” that had appeared this time was three times the size of Jeju Island.

The events unfolding inside were a total mystery.

The only prevailing theories suggested a connection to the Elemental Tower.

‘Things are different now. We are no longer the helpless victims we once were.’

Indeed, their strength had grown exponentially since those dark days.

With their base established in the “Ruined City of Rundela”—a stronghold in Pangenia originally belonging to Master—the Association had flourished.

They were at least ten times more powerful than they had been during the Jeju crisis.

Whether it was the size of the Association or the sophistication of their gear, everything had reached a new level.

Particularly since Arin took the role of Vice-President, the combat capabilities of individual members had seen an extraordinary spike in quality.

Having endured numerous trials, Korea was more obsessed with gaining power than any other nation on Earth.

Moving past political divides and generational gaps, the Korea of the present stood more unified than ever before.

However…

“…It appears the government is leaning toward our Association accepting the request,” reported the secretary, returning from high-level talks.

Park Taewoo closed his eyes tightly at the news.

Acceptance would bring massive rewards, but wealth was not what troubled him.

“The most famous American superhumans who entered that dome never came back. Even the ‘Nineteen,’ renowned as the premier mercenary group on the planet, failed to return.”

Currently, the world’s elite were categorized as the “Top 10.”

Among those lost within the Black Dome were two members of that prestigious group.

America’s “Black Thunder” and the commander of the “Nineteen” were both gone.

Given that Korea still lacked officially recognized members in the Top 10, the gravity of the situation was undeniable.

Of course, there was an unofficial exception.

A peerless, singular warrior who wasn’t just considered one of the Top 10, but the “Strongest” of all.

Rumors whispered that “Phantom” was Korean, a claim treated as an open secret.

Yet, Phantom had never stepped forward to assist personally.

That was the root of Park Taewoo’s anxiety.

“Who… Who can I possibly send?”

There was no promise of survival.

The Black Dome was a graveyard.

The Jeju Island tragedy had proven that.

If a horror on par with Baal was waiting inside, the cost in lives would be staggering.

Who could he order to march into such a place?

“President. They are saying the strike team for this mission will consist only of the absolute best. Japan and China have already pledged their top-tier squads.”

The surrounding powers had committed their finest assets.

Only Korea remained silent.

“I will go.”

Thud.

The door swung open, and a woman stepped inside.

Park Taewoo stared at her, caught off guard.

“Lee Arin…?”

Vice-President Lee Arin.

She had returned after a temporary leave to focus on the Main Quest.

But Lee Arin was far too vital to the Association to risk.

“Are you aware of the magnitude of this situation?”

“I am well aware that it is a complete disaster.”

‘A disaster?’

Her assessment was accurate, but her tone was sharp.

She seemed profoundly irritated.

“Even so, I can’t just send you in without a plan…”

“If that thing isn’t dealt with immediately, it will be the end of the world.”

“…Do you have knowledge of what lies within the ‘Black Dome’?”

Arin shook her head in response to Park Taewoo’s question.

“No. But I have a strong suspicion.”

“Then tell me. Is it another entity like ‘Baal’?”

“It is something far more malevolent.”

‘Malevolent.’

It implied a Truly wicked nature.

And she had used the plural—”things” worse than Baal.

The thought made Park Taewoo want to collapse.

“To enter that place effectively, we need to assemble a ‘party’ that satisfies specific requirements. I will handle the selection myself.”

“Wait. There are requirements for entry?”

The intelligence provided by the United States had mentioned nothing of the sort.

If it functioned like a restricted dungeon, they surely would have known.

Arin gave a casual shrug.

“That’s why they are so twisted. They are hiding their presence because they haven’t reached their full state yet.”

“….”

“I’ve stated my position. Goodbye.”

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

Just as quickly as she had arrived, she delivered her ultimatum and vanished.

Arin had always been fiercely independent.

Not even the President of the Association could dictate her actions.

He might find her personality difficult, but her power was undeniable.

If she led the charge into the “Black Dome,” perhaps they could avoid meaningless deaths.

She was, after all, hailed as the “Great Master” of Korea.

It seemed she possessed insights into the Dome that no one else had.

Yet…

‘This feels wrong. It feels incredibly dangerous…’

Park Taewoo shut his eyes, trying to still his shaking hands.

Lee Arin, Vice-President of the Korean Heroes Association.

In truth, she was the 7th Lord, Basara. As she walked away from the office, her face was contorted with anger.

‘Mammon. That idiot has finally done it.’

The “Black Dome” in the Pacific was Mammon’s handiwork.

He had personally obliterated the Elemental Tower following his audience with the Demon King.

The fallout was the real issue.

He had let the “Celestial Contaminant” stored within the tower, along with its debris, rain down upon the Earth.

If that were the extent of it, Basara might not have bothered to interfere.

‘I knew he was unhinged, but this…’

The Elemental Tower wasn’t the only thing Mammon had dumped on the planet.

He had invited entities that should never have been allowed to cross over.

‘…He actually brought in the Abyss Kings.’

The thought made her head ache.

The Abyssal territories that had emerged in Pangenia alongside the World Tree of Honor were now being mirrored here.

The rulers of those dark lands were now involved.

It was all part of Mammon’s plan to achieve his goals without personal effort.

But Mammon was missing the bigger picture.

‘The Demon King’s goal is conquest, not the total annihilation of Earth, you dim-witted Mammon.’

Mammon was misreading the Demon King’s desires.

The Demon King wanted a world to rule, not a wasteland.

The Abyss Kings, however, were different.

They cared nothing for the Earth’s survival.

Their only ambition was the expansion of their own darkness.

‘The Celestial Contaminant births the Abyss. Mammon wants to drown the Earth in it, letting the Abyss Kings seize it for themselves.’

The “Black Dome” was essentially a playground for the Abyss Kings of Pangenia.

It allowed them to carve out new territories.

Inside that dome, the Abyss Kings and the remnants of the Elemental Tower were currently locked in a brutal struggle for dominance.

If a single Abyss King emerged as the ultimate victor.

The Earth would be consumed by the Abyss, and every living creature would perish.

The winning Abyss King would then evolve into an unstoppable force.

Next, they would set their sights on Pangenia and the Demon Realm.

This course of action defied the Demon King’s orders and endangered the Demon Realm itself.

Mammon had made a catastrophic mistake.

‘I have to settle this before the chaos inside settles itself.’

She had to intervene.

If a horror like the “Unborn Being” claimed victory, it would be the end.

Basara was a “Suppressor.”

Her duty as the 7th Lord was to neutralize threats to the Demon Realm.

Mammon’s recklessness was a bridge too far.

He clearly hadn’t considered the long-term effects.

However, she couldn’t do this alone.

This vessel wasn’t her true form, and on Earth, she was far from her full power as a Lord.

‘To enter the Black Dome, one must be a key holder.’

A key.

In this context, it meant a “Hidden Trait.”

And a single key wouldn’t suffice.

‘Only a team holding eight keys can gain proper entry.’

Eight Abyss Kings had manifested within the Dome.

To counter them, a party needed eight Hidden Traits.

Anyone entering without meeting these criteria would be crippled by abyssal hexes and slaughtered.

‘It won’t be easy.’

One might think the global exploration teams could manage it if they pooled their resources, but the reality was grim.

There were only about eight known types of Hidden Traits in existence.

And some of those were virtually impossible to find.

For instance, traits like “Mutant,” “Glutton,” or “Great Sage.”

Their owners were either deceased or purely legendary figures.

She needed to track down the holders of these rare traits and build her own team.

The “Strongest Man” was the first name on her list.

She could think of a few others, but it still wasn’t enough.

“Um… Vice-President. There’s someone here to see you. I think you should meet them.”

It happened just as she was leaving the building.

A receptionist hurried over to her.

Arin was used to being hounded by international guilds and organizations, all of whom she ignored.

The receptionist knew this, so for them to approach her meant the visitor was someone of high status.

“Who is it?”

Arin was curious.

The receptionist paused before speaking the name.

“It’s…”

As soon as the name was uttered, Basara’s expression turned stone-cold.

“…Bring them in. Now.”

Aaron, currently in the midst of the Goddess’s Festival, was still reeling from the shock.

He was the new Pope!

He, who had been seen as nothing but a troublemaker until recently, was now the leader of the Church of the Goddess.

‘I have to remember that I owe everything to the one who carries out the Goddess’s will.’

Gathering his resolve, Aaron stepped out from the Papal State.

A massive ocean of people greeted him.

Followers had traveled from every corner of the continent.

The crowd included legendary figures—leaders of the three great merchant guilds and various monarchs.

It all felt like a surreal dream.

But Aaron was looking for something—someone—else.

‘Where is he?’

He looked toward the section reserved for the Knights of the Round Table.

They were seated at the front, witnessing his coronation, but the “Master of the Round Table” was missing.

Aaron was well aware that most of these people had actually come to catch a glimpse of the “Round Table.”

Yet the central figure was absent.

The person he most wanted to see on his biggest day was nowhere to be found.

“His Holiness the Pope has arrived!”

“His Holiness the Pope has arrived!”

Bwooooooooo-!

Trumpets blared a regal fanfare.

Aaron walked down the ceremonial carpet, clutching the wooden staff that served as the Papal symbol, and scanned the horizon.

He was terrified.

His palms were slick with sweat.

The world seemed to spin around him.

Finally, Aaron found his voice to deliver his first official words as the seated Pope.

“Where… is the master of the Round Table?”