To start with the conclusion—

It was a complete success.

"Sit."

"Stand."

"Paw."

"Roll forward."

The Giant Horn Lizard obeyed every one of Jhin's commands without the slightest resistance.

The towering beast, once the size of a dinosaur, had now shrunk to a size comparable to a horse—its eyes now leveled with his. The size was perfect.

"Well done."

Jhin gave it a pleased smile and patted the lizard's head.

The creature wagged its massive tail side to side, delighted by the praise.

Looking at it now, who could have imagined this was the same monster that had devastated an entire village not long ago, the very one that had nearly wiped out dozens of people?

There wasn't the faintest trace of hostility left.

No more killing intent.

No more monstrous aura.

'I figured it would submit. No matter how fearsome it was, facing a natural predator like a dragon, and the very person who had ended its life—it wouldn't dare resist…'

But even then, he hadn't expected the soul's submission to be this smooth.

The Giant Horn Lizard, resurrected with an earth-shaking roar, had immediately bowed its head without even a hint of defiance.

[Please assign a name.]

A name…

That was new.

None of the other souls he'd summoned using Goblin's Summon had ever started with this.

He had never once given a name to a summoned soul before.

'Not even Pierrot had something like this.'

And judging from the system messages appearing now, it was clear—

None of this was coincidence.

[You have completely subdued the soul of the elite monster 'Giant Horn Lizard.']

[!]

[You have fulfilled a special condition.]

[Activating the title 'King of Goblins.']

[Unlocking title skill: 'Hundred Ghosts (S).']

'A title skill…'

There'd been no mention of this even in the item's description.

An Easter egg, then—hidden content.

Jhin frowned slightly and opened the details.

Title Skill — Hundred Ghosts (S)

The Neil General may bind up to 100 souls under his command.

• Registered Souls: 1

1. Giant Horn Lizard : ???

[Nearby soul available for registration.]

['Tri-Goblin Lykan' wishes to be bound under your 'Hundred Ghosts.']

As message after message popped up, Jhin swallowed dryly.

He didn't yet know the full picture.

But one thing was absolutely clear:

'This is huge.'

Originally, he'd only resurrected the Giant Horn Lizard because it felt wasteful to let a monster of that caliber just vanish.

If he could control it, it would help him clear the dungeon more efficiently.

But this?

This changed everything.

'Up until now, any soul summoned using Goblin's Summon was a one-time thing. Once they were used up, they disappeared forever.'

Souls needed living vessels to anchor themselves.

After the BeyWorld arc, he'd extracted the souls of many monsters—but none had lasted.

The moment they were spent, they'd vanish into nothingness.

And this dungeon wasn't like BeyWorld either.

There wasn't a stable magical field here to help maintain them.

'But this skill… is different.'

The Hundred Ghosts didn't just control spirits—it housed them.

It didn't consume them.

When he checked using Spirit Sight, the soul of the Giant Horn Lizard wasn't fading at all.

Instead, it was recharging, slowly but surely.

He tracked the source.

'It's connected to me.'

The Hundred Ghosts seemed to use his own existence as a vessel—letting him directly govern the souls he summoned.

"Of course. You're a Guide of Spirits."

The quiet voice snapped Jhin out of his thoughts.

He turned to see Atlas approaching, eyes calm.

"…Guide of Spirits?"

"I've read of them in ancient records.

A mystical race said to lead the souls of the dead down the proper path."

[You have acquired information about 'The Secret Lore of the Goblins.']

Jhin narrowed his gaze.

This was unexpected.

Way beyond what he'd predicted.

'Goblins… Secret Lore…?'

Maybe this was the reason Tri-Goblin Lykan had shifted from monster to NPC alignment.

A piece of lore even Exodia 1 hadn't uncovered.

He was just about to ask Atlas more—

"Jhin!!!"

A frantic voice rang out.

A group of players came rushing over, carrying a stretcher between them.

On it lay Millie.

"She's not recovering!"

They'd been pouring HP potions into her nonstop, tending her wounds over and over—but ironically, the more they tried, the worse she got.

Her wounds widened with every breath.

The healing couldn't keep up with the damage.

It wasn't hard to figure out why.

Jhin leaned in, looking down at her with a furrowed brow.

[Target is immune to potion-based healing.]

['Potion of Resurrection' required.]

Her current condition couldn't be stabilized by anything short of that.

Adonis clenched his teeth.

"This… doesn't make sense. Even if she couldn't use a Resurrection Potion, why are her wounds getting worse?"

He wasn't wrong.

Ordinarily, that would have sounded logical.

But Millie was no ordinary case.

"She's developed a resistance to HP potions.

She hasn't acquired the skill that compensates for it yet."

Everything stemmed from her skill—Burn Blood.

A power that enhanced her physical body by consuming her own blood.

In emergencies, she'd pushed HP potion intake to extreme levels, tapping into superhuman strength well beyond her limits.

But—

Great power always exacts a price.

Inevitably, her body began to reject potions.

The more she used them, the less they worked.

'That's why I wanted her to stop relying on those combo chains until she unlocked the skill that offset it…'

But time and again, her power had been necessary.

New Capital was still a mess.

Every challenge demanded life-or-death choices.

Jhin placed a hand on her forehead and checked her HP.

Dozens of potions were strung around her—but her health kept falling.

"W-wait a second…!"

Lutz rushed in, trying an alternative method—treating her by manually manipulating the potion effects.

It worked. Somewhat.

"…I can only maintain her condition.

The moment I run out of power—"

He didn't finish.

He didn't need to.

Jhin stared down at her, and for the first time, realized something deeply unsettling—

He was panicking.

Even with his S-rank composure trait,

Even with all his experience—

His heart pounded, and a creeping anxiety spread across his chest.

He forced himself to stay calm, then turned to Atlas .

"…Is there any 'Potion of Resurrection' in this place?"

"I'm sorry. That's a legendary item.

Even we've only heard of it in stories."

Of course.

The Potion of Resurrection only appeared in B-rank or higher dungeons.

There was no way a mere C-rank would ever produce one.

Not here.

"Jhin! Millie—!"

Her body began to convulse again, as if in seizure, trembling uncontrollably.

And then—another sharp drop in HP.

Her resistance had increased again.

Jhin furrowed his brow tightly.

'…There's only one option left.'

They had no Potion of Resurrection.

The HP potions they had—none could heal her.

Even the highest-grade potion he carried wasn't potent enough to save her.

The system had said so itself.

['Potion of Resurrection' is required.]

In other words, within the game's mechanics, the only way to save her was to obtain that potion.

'Which means I need to go outside the game's mechanics now.'

Jhin handed the top-grade potion to Lutz.

"I'm going to Ark for a bit."

"…What?"

"Captain, I'll have to leave the cleanup here in your hands."

The moment Jhin made up his mind, the Giant Horn Lizard silently stepped forward and lowered its head.

The players helped lift Millie onto its back, alongside Lutz, who continued administering emergency treatment using specialized potion techniques.

Everything was ready.

For a moment, Jhin turned to Atlas .

"I have urgent business. I'll need to step away briefly."

"Is there nothing I can do to help?"

"Please protect my teammates."

With both Jhin and Millie gone, the raid party would be left without its sharpest blade and its most capable commander.

If the Company attacked now, the rest of the team wouldn't stand a chance.

"Don't worry. The life of my tribe's benefactor is no less important than my own."

Jhin nodded solemnly, then climbed onto the back of the Giant Horn Lizard.

With a powerful stomp, the creature shifted into a sprint-ready stance.

And then—

A name popped into his head.

"Let's go. Rocket Delivery."

Faster than any courier.

He had to get her to Ark. Now.

"Today's weather… doesn't feel right."

Looking up at the overcast sky, Caleb clicked his tongue and shut the window.

Heavy clouds loomed, thick and dark with rain.

"Aaaaagh!"

Suddenly, a scream burst from the bedroom.

Evan shot up from bed, drenched in sweat.

Caleb turned quickly, worry in his eyes.

"Was it that dream again?"

"…Yeah. It comes back just when I think it's gone."

The trauma of what happened at Stoneveil city Station still clung to Evan.

Even after coming to Ark and receiving Caleb's care, his mental state remained fragile.

Recurring nightmares.

PTSD.

It never left him.

"I'm okay," Evan said, forcing a smile.

Caleb gave a slow, understanding nod.

Dreams. Nightmares. PTSD.

These days, it was practically a modern epidemic.

Anyone could be afflicted.

Even Caleb still saw that day in his dreams—

The day the world turned into a game.

People being torn apart by monsters right in front of him.

Buildings collapsing.

And his lover—buried under the rubble.

It was burned into his brain, like a scar that would never fade.

"…What about Luke?"

"He came home drunk again last night. He's probably still asleep."

Caleb walked to the adjacent room and knocked. No answer.

He gently cracked the door and peered inside.

Sure enough, Luke was snoring, lost in sleep.

"…I believe in it… Kemen…"

Muttering in his sleep.

"Should we wake him?" Evan asked.

"…No. Let him rest."

And with that, Caleb and Evan quietly stepped out of the quarters.

Their destination: District 3.

They had a job to do today.

"The zone we're patrolling today is a little risky. Players from District 2 will be joining us."

"Wasn't there talk of a Demon showing up?"

Caleb, with his background in law enforcement, was now responsible for maintaining peace in District 3.

He wasn't a high-level player, but he was trusted with the role because of his experience—and because Bellatris herself had deemed him fit for it.

His police know-how made him perfect for keeping order where others overlooked things.

As they reached the edge of a narrow alley, Caleb spotted a group of players already gathered there.

District 2's team.

"Ah, detective. Good to see you."

"Yes. Let's work well together today."

"No—thank you. We're lucky to have you."

They didn't look down on Caleb for being low-level.

They had their reasons for trusting and following him.

"My sister owes you her life. If it weren't for you… I'll never forget that."

Many of the players here had family who'd once been trapped in District 3.

And they knew what Caleb had done to save them.

That alone made them loyal.

"Alright… let's move in."

No need for further words.

Caleb led the group into the alley, his expression calm but focused.

The sky grew darker by the minute.

Heavy clouds thickened—the mood sinking into gloom.

"This way. There's a rumor that the Demon's hiding inside this church."

The church had clearly been abandoned long ago—

Shattered windows, collapsed walls, debris scattered inside.

Cobwebs covered the broken cross, and strange offerings had been laid at its base.

Caleb narrowed his eyes.

"…Someone was living here."

"Yeah. We should be careful."

They moved slowly, tense.

And then—it happened.

Everyone froze at once.

A sound.

Something was there.

Caleb's eyes scanned the dim interior of the church.

Nothing—yet.

But then—

"…It's coming."

The thing emerged from a stairwell leading underground.

It swayed as it moved, limbs dragging, shape unnatural.

Everyone swallowed hard.

A Demon?

But its form was… strange.

"…That's a Demon?"

What they knew of Demons was simple:

People who ate human flesh, cursed into monstrosity.

Hair fell out. Skin turned black. Eyes turned crimson.

They drooled endlessly—driven only by the urge to feed.

But this creature had none of that.

In fact—was it even human?

SKRAAAAA!!

Its arms, legs—even its neck—were stretched long and thin.

As it rose slowly from the basement, its lanky frame filled the space unnaturally.

Something they had never seen before.

A monster, yes—but a new one.

Caleb and Evan stared, frozen.

"…A Grid."

PTSD had become real.

The nightmare was now walking toward them.