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Chapter Text

Like most things, it seemed, Sung Jin-Woo had found it by accident. On the ninety-seventh floor of the Demon Castle, his clumsy guide trailing behind him, her hands clenching and unclenching on the straps of the bag pack holding goods he’d made pointless on his endeavour of retrieving entrance pass there, Jin-Woo had chanced upon a treasury the second – third? – ranked clan defended religiously.

Esil had said that this was where the entrance pass was, and he had not questioned her further. He was almost at the very top, anticipation simmering in his veins on a slow, building boil. The quest promised great things as did the promise of his mother’s wake from an Eternal Slumber.

He pushed open the doors, looming and carved with the roaring heads of some draconic beast. Jin-Woo had entered in a stride, easily spotting the scroll down the large spacious corridor piled to the nines with weapons and magical items and accessory the demon clan had collected over the… time they’d open eyes here.

He easily ignored the familiar black and gold-worded screen of the system that appeared once he took the scroll into his hands. He’d memorised the description of it by now, what with the rest of the floors he’d already cleared the past week he’d been here.

The ring had caught his attention immediately, presented on a podium even more elaborate than the Entry Pass’s podium that the system specifically brought the demons here to protect. It was a deceptively simple thing: a semi-transparent black stone fixed on a golden band kept in a hollowed out golden sphere.

Jin-Woo wasn’t fooled. The ring practically radiated magical energy, dark and rich and even familiar. He took it with the intention of slipping it on, and the system’s interface immediately informed him of the details of his newest loot.

Discovered [ITEM: Death’s Ring]

[ALARM!]

You have found the first of [ITEM SET: Deathly Hallows]. Death is watching you.

Jin Woo promptly paused from putting the ring on. Goosebumps rippled across his arms. “Death?” he muttered, and whipped his body around because for a split second, he’d felt cold steel of the reaper’s scythe press against his neck. His eyes widened and Esil startled backwards in surprise, but Jin-Woo wasn’t even aware of the demon girl anymore.

Blood rushed through his inner ears, pounding heart turning near thrashing as it threatened to rip free from the protection of its cage.

“Sir Jin-Woo…” she squeaked meekly, and the syllables of his name quickly snapped Jin-Woo out of his stupor; the ring was still in perfect form despite having taken the full brunt of Jin-Woo’s strength compressed in his fist.

Looking up, Esil was trembling in fear and Jin-Woo sighed. “Sorry,” he said, and the demon tentatively nodded because without his conscious knowing, his Shadow Army had reacted to his disarray of emotions and flooded the treasury. The demoness knew better than to ask for an explanation.

He looked down at his hand again.

[ITEM: Death’s Ring]

ITEM CLASS: ??

TYPE: Accessory

A ring forged personally by Death. In another world, it was known as the Resurrection Stone, carrying the ability to recall loved ones from Death.

It’s radiating an unfathomable amount of magical energy. The set effect will activate if this item is equipped along with:

• Death’s Wand (Undiscovered)
• Death’s Cloak (Undiscovered)

SET EFFECT 1. (Locked)

There wasn't any information on the stat or set effects the ring would give him. Jin-Woo frowned, feeling conned. It wasn’t normal, Jin-Woo concluded, and sensed the potential of a hidden quest. He was a concoction of mixed feelings when he discovered his speculations turned out to be true.

[ALARM!]

Equipping [ITEM: Death’s Ring] will instigate Death’s ire. Do you wish to equip [ITEM: Death’s Ring]?

[YES] [NO]

The question was dumber than the one time his sister asked what date it was on Christmas. “No,” Jin-Woo said.

[ALARM!]

Death is pleased. [REWARD: +4 Intelligence Stat] has been provided by Death.

[A quest has arrived.]

Unlocked [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)]

For reasons only known to them, Death’s Master has chosen to hide from Death somewhere in the Demon Castle.

Collect all of the Deathly Hallows so that it may lead you to the Master of Death.

Quest Completion Requirement:

• Complete [ITEM SET: Deathly Hallows].

Reward(s):

• 1. Death’s tentative favour
• 2. Bonus Stats +31
• 3. Unlock of [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 2)]

Jin-Woo stared at the onslaught of notifications and screens in front of him, thumb and forefinger pinching his chin. His eyes lingered on the first reward of the hidden quest. “Death’s tentative favour,” he mumbled to himself. What did that mean? Did it grant a one-time exception for the system’s penalties that threatened his life?

Additionally, the reward of four intelligence stats Death had given him for simply choosing not to put on the ring after he was warned off it. A part of him felt insulted even though sarcasm couldn’t possibly be expressed through the mechanical instruction of the system.

Not anymore, apparently. Jin-Woo was reconsidering a lot of things. Especially how the mere word ‘tentative’ basically screamed personal and the system was supposed to be anything but.

Brushing off the odd offense, Jin-Woo pointed his focus to ‘Death’s tentative favour’ and swallowed his irritation at what popped up.

[1. Death’s tentative favour]

Very reluctantly, Death will help you in a near death experience. Note: Not that you’ll ever need it.

“…” For the first time in a long while, Jin-Woo wanted to scream. He could practically see the eye-roll the note exhibited and could it be even less vague?

[2. Bonus Stats +31]

The birthday of Death’s Master is on the 31^st of July. Wish happy birthday to Death’s Master on the 31^st of July to distribute 31 Stat Points throughout all stats.

[3. Unlock of [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 2)]]

You may meet the Master of Death in the second part of this hidden quest. Death suggests [PLAYER: Sung Jin-Woo] to be grateful for the opportunity to gaze upon its master.

“Okay?” Jin-Woo was honestly just confused at this point. Death seemed quite taken with its master, truly. He was also slowly realising how every reward so far was… unhelpful in the vaguest sense. Any actual benefits to be gained were delayed (it was currently April), the only reward that may prove priceless was done with explicit reluctance, and the third reward was simply…

Frankly put, he was speechless.

Hold on, did this mean he had to go through the rest of the floors - again - to find the Deathly Hallows?

[ALARM!]

Death is growing impatient. Do you accept [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)]?

[YES] [NO]

WARNING! - A penalty will be enforced by Death if you refuse.

Jin-Woo blinked. “What.” It was implied Death had power over the system somewhat. This clearly wasn’t a quest, but an outright demand. The same way bloodlust towards Jin-Woo forced him to kill the perceived threat.

[ALARM!]

Death is busy; you have 10 seconds to make your decision.

[10…]

[9…]

[8…]

Chapter Text

Even to him, the sound of his voice was rushed and panicked. Jin-Woo’s insides tightened at the reminder of how once more, he was powerless against the machinations of the system; more accurately, the appearance of the unknown variable called Death.

“I accept,” he said, and it was like the words were like teeth forcibly pulled out from him.

[You have accepted [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)]]

He was not one to anger easily, much less so since that fateful day in the double dungeons. To be harshly honest, it was like something vital inside of him had died in exchange for his power. His sister mentioned more than once of his change in passing, and Jin-Woo had gradually become aware of what Jin-Ho meant. It wasn’t just about growing taller and fitter anymore. He was notably more level-headed and colder, more focused – and not in an entirely healthy way either.

His eyes never strayed from his goal of growing stronger so that he may protect those he held dear, but it would appear that meanwhile, Jin-Woo had also grown distant to other humans as a result.

The discovery of the hidden quest brought back all feelings Jin-Woo thought he’d lost along the way. He blamed it on yet another unknown in the making. Though the being known as Death obviously used the system simply as a medium of communication, Death appeared in control in ways Jin-Woo could currently only dream to achieve.

Jin-Woo used to find a flicker of satisfaction knowing the system and he were using each other; that he was not completely at its mercies because while a deceptively innocuous heart attack may seem like a pathetic way for a hunter to die, giant centipede less so, the system ultimately needed Jin-Woo to grow strong, stronger.

Death, however, turned the tables for it clearly couldn’t give a damn about the level-up of one Sung Jin-Woo. Additionally, helping Death brought no immediate real benefit and Jin-Woo knew he could spend hours prodding for loopholes besides the non-existent time limit if it weren’t ill-advised. Contrary to the direction a stubborn part of him steered his thoughts too, Jin-Woo maintained the instinct to not delay the hidden quest for too long; because what had the notification stated earlier?

Death is watching you.

If he could conjure fire from the intensity of his glare alone, the blasted interface would be burnt to crisp by now.

[ALARM!]

To observe your progress, Death has solemnly marked you.

Jin-Woo bit back a hiss as a tattoo was un-consentingly seared into the skin above his heart. Its lines were pronounced and as dark as ash against his pale complexion: the print of a circle enclosed by a triangle, the combination completed with a vertical line bisecting the shapes in the middle.

[Received: TITLE: ‘The One Marked by Death’]

Requirement conditions have been met.

[TITLE: ‘The One Marked by Death’]

A title given to those who have been marked by Death. The mark of the Deathly Hallows has been a symbol revered by Great Mages in another world. You now have a connection to Death and its master.

When in close proximity to any of [ITEM SET: Deathly Hallows], the symbol will burn in alarm. WARNING! – A penalty will be enforced by Death if you ignore the alert.

The Undead will hold you in reverence on account of Death’s graciousness. Your proficiency in raising the dead increases when equipped with this title.

(Chance of success for [SKILL: Shadow Extraction LV3] increases by 4.44%)

He maintained a stoic expression as he read the first ‘effect’ of the title, which soon morphed into soft relief once he processed the influence it had on his job-specific skill. The numbers he was being given was starting to feel like a joke, but at this point it was better than gaining nothing at all. “Finally. Something I can use,” Jin-Woo said to himself, lips quirking into a wry smile.

The aforementioned burning did give him reason to be weary, though.  

As for the warning… well, it wasn’t as if he was planning on turning the other way anyway.

Close by, the loyal Igris was awkwardly hovering behind him as Iron was making large expressive gestures to several attentively watching shadow soldiers. They merrily clapped along whenever Iron beat his chest in obvious pride. The endearing familiarity of the scene alone was enough to improve Jin-Woo’s mood by a decent leap. Jin-Woo took a deep relaxing breath, mind clearing with the knowledge that his reasonably smooth ascend to the hundredth floor was not entirely ruined after all.

His smile turned a smidgen more genuine.

“Just three more floors left.” The statement was as much an anchor as it was an urgent reminder. The clock was ticking and his mother was waiting. He’ll proceed clearing the ninety-eighth floor and hopefully, the rest of the Deathly Hallow would appear as conveniently as the first of its set.

Esil had straightened herself like a soldier due for battle once Jin-Woo finally redirected his attention to his original task. She saluted with practiced grace, so unlike her oddly clumsy and stiff movements whenever she walked behind him. “Sir Jin-Woo! Are we ready to go now?”

Jin-Woo hummed an agreeing tune. “Yeah. I’m done here, but you go back to your floor now. I’ll take care of everything myself from here on.”

“Huh? A-Am I…” Esil’s voice trembled, “… no longer useful to you?”

She had been interesting to travel with, but I need to hurry up.

[Moving to the 98^th Floor.]

He ended up being followed by Esil despite the unnecessity of it. Her clan was practically promised free reign over the Demon Castle once Jin-Woo was done, and he was sure in his success, so he didn’t quite understand why she wanted to follow him despite her obvious cowardice before those stronger than her.

The reason why her face flushed as she averted her eyes whenever he spoke to her was another mystery. Girls, and some guys as well, seem to be reacting similarly in his presence lately. Jin-Woo would chalk it up to fear if he wasn’t dead confident nobody could measure his power without his knowing.

He nevertheless did find her amusing to watch – kind of like the sense of entertainment one felt watching a hamster run on its wheel. Esil had got into the habit of wandering the area his army had cleared, touching everything within vicinity. Whether it was charred trees or half-broken buildings, Esil was eager to explore and scavenge like a dog on a walk.

She was quite the funny personality; shameless at the start, and then meek, and then brave for no discernible reason. Jin-Woo thought he had a tendency to attract such types of people towards him. Jin-Ho was like that too. Although instead of shameless, he had been a naïve second-generation chaebol.

ITEM

[ITEM: Entry Pass]

ITEM CLASS: ??

TYPE: ??

A pass to enter the 99^th floor of the Demon Castle. Usable in the floor movement magic circle on the 98^th floor.

Coolly, Jin-Woo closed the screen after confirming his clearance to the next floor. It was a countdown that felt simultaneously too slow and fast. His sister must be worried by now even if he had informed her of his absence for the week. Jin-Woo then took a customary glance at Esil who’d wandered a good distance away, and should she have a tail like most dogs did, it would be wagging furiously. His guide was ooh-ing and ahh-ing at some ragged-looking cloak worn around the shoulders of the boss of this floor.

It was an invisibility cloak that had given Jin-Woo a run for his money in the hands of the enemy. His army of soldiers had behaved as though they couldn’t see their target, wandering about aimlessly despite the boss being right there in front of their glowing sights.

“He’s right there,” Jin-Woo repeated himself thrice – which was three times too many and decidedly abnormal considering the shadow army’s absolute obedience to him.

Igris had cocked his head and looked at Jin-Woo like he was magnanimously listening out of loyalty and respect rather than any actual understanding. Tank even had the gall to roll over on his back like a placating pet whose show of sit or paw wasn’t doing the trick and Jin-Woo, confused but committed, had to take down the floor boss by himself in the end.

Much to his dismay, it was actually quite the enlightening experience defeating a floating head as the cloak made the rest of the demon’s body invisible.

-

Esil was crouched down and admiring the cloak when she bundled it against her chest and stood up abruptly. She whipped her head at Jin-Woo and beamed, “Sir Jin-Woo! Look, I found…”

She started jogging excitedly towards him, and as her footsteps formed small dust clouds on with every step forward, Esil shook the bundle loose until it returned to its original form that was fit for wearing. She attempted to slip it on despite her bulky armour and tripped over the cloak’s dragging ends several times meanwhile.

To Jin-Woo’s interest, the cloak had apparently shrunk in size. The floor boss was a towering thing like most of the demons here, but Esil was strangely not drowning in velvet material. It fit her perfectly even with only half if it draped over one shoulder, and as she drew closer, Jin-Woo’s mark burned.

[ALARM!]

Death’s fury is rising at an alarming rate.

[An emergency quest has been activated.]

(!) QUEST DIRECTIONS

[EMERGENCY QUEST: Retrieval]

The nature and properties of Death are ungovernable for save but one. Retrieve [ITEM: Death’s cloak] before [NPC: Esil Radiru] clasps it to ensure your safety.

If this quest is not completed, your heart will stop.

Quest item(s) retrieved: 0

Jin-Woo’s eyes widened immediately. “Damn it–!”

Heart at his throat, he rushed forwards.

Chapter Text

[ALARM!]

[EMERGENCY QUEST: Retrieval]

Goal: Retrieve [ITEM: Death’s cloak] before [NPC: Esil Radiru] clasps it to ensure your safety.

Quest item(s) retrieved: 1

[ALARM!]

You have completed the ‘EMERGENCY’ quest.

Clenching the thrice-damned cloak in his fist, Jin-Woo furrowed his brows until he was almost sure they were almost touching. Cold sweat ran down the expanse of his back, soaking through his already drenched shirt and pooling at the base of his spine.

It was a close call, and it was by good luck in her upbringing that Esil had responded so well to his demands of her freezing immediately from what she was doing. But even still… Jin-Woo let his complaints flow freely in the confines of his mind, wasn’t this a bit too unfair? 

Crouched near his feet, Esil cowered pitifully. Two of her hands were occupied with a beef jerky Jin-Woo gave her to compensate her for the freight he’d accidentally bestowed upon the unsuspecting demon. She was ultimately innocent given the originally inconsequential outcome of her little past-time. Esil nibbled on the treat with a pout as some of the shadow soldiers sympathetically patted her on the head.

Their treatment looked rather demeaning for nobility, but Esil didn’t seem like she cared all that much. In fact, she appeared to relish in the attention if the way her cheeks wobbled from suppressing a grin was anything to go by.

[Your rewards for completing the emergency quest have arrived. Would you like to accept?]

[YES] [NO]

“Yes,” said Jin-Woo grimly, and he watched the screen flicker into a list of what would hopefully aid him for some time to come. It was within reason and from experience that said hopes weren’t actually all that high.

The would be the second set of rewards of the quest involved with Death. Just how much influence did the being have over the system, really? Jin-Woo suspected he was starting to dive into something he had neither power nor business with for a good time to come still.

Jin-Woo sighed deeply.

Honestly, he might even be overthinking Death’s influence. For all he knew, it could simply be another NPC conjured by the system to trick Jin-Woo into thinking otherwise for reasons unknown. If he compared it to similarly designed RPG games, this would be considered a special event for a special occasion.

[QUEST REWARDS]

Choose your reward.

[You may choose the reward(s) below:]

• 1. Status Recovery
• 2. Stat Points +4 AGILITY

“…” He didn’t know what he was expecting, but the result was surprisingly normal. Jin-Woo stood in front of the screen and stared at the rewards like it would somehow change on the very last minute. He was admittedly bewildered. What, no irritating comment from Death that poked at Jin-Woo’s patience?

Jin-Woo’s choice was made without hesitation: “Stat points.” He would save on the next reward because Status Recovery was more valuable later on – on the hundredth floor, for sure – and not now.  

[ALARM!]

You have received a private message from Death. UNKNOWN ERROR: the system will not be privy to Death’s private messages.

[Would you like to open it?]

[YES] [NO]

The additional bit of information was so inordinately sketchy that Jin-Woo felt the muscle below his eye twitch. Nevertheless, his response was obvious; “Yes,” he said, much to his dismay.

[MESSAGE]

“They are his forever.”

[You have received [ITEM: ‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard’], a personal belonging of Death.]

A book appeared in his hand: hard-covered and mostly blue. It depicted a navy-inked tree stump in the middle, framed by a circle of thorns with a small picture of the side view of a human skull at the very top. The spine was creased and leathery, like someone had opened the book often and cared greatly for it.

There was interestingly no author. Jin-Woo idly wondered if Beedle was the author or if the name was simply part of the book itself. He opened it in the middle and flipped through several pages, finding little tears and small dark stains of some sort of beverage.

He doubted Death was the original owner of the Tales of Beedle the Bard; whoever it was, either way, may not be the most coordinated person in the world. He remembered his sister who was the exact opposite until she directed all her focus on her studies. She became just as clumsy then, tripping over the doorway as she nearly crawled into the kitchen while mumbling formulas under her breath at 2 in the morning.

At around the end of the book, Jin-Woo caught something that told him something about Death. Something tender and achingly soft, something Jin-Woo didn’t need to know about an unknown variable indifferent to ending his life at the drop of a hat.

It was on a blank page, paler than the rest and perhaps newer too, standing out against the yellowing others. Written in English and ink and beautiful calligraphy:

For my master, who finally learned to read without his female human.

And then just below that, scrawl that resembled chicken scratch that Jin-Woo’s primary school teacher would’ve put a ruler to his knuckles if he did the same:

To Death, light and darkness of one-third my immortal life, major pain in my arse for two-thirds of it. The character called Death in the story sounded rather bored and lonely, wouldn’t you agree? (Don’t think I don’t know about the paperwork you’ve neglected to complete the last 3 days. I’m still waiting to sign them.)

For my master, who I’d last expect a workaholic considering how often he complains, Death indeed was, but not anymore. (I was busy finding you this gift. Its publication was first edition.)

To Death, who as I'm aware is ignorant of the living world’s economy, I hope you properly paid for it.

For my master, who used nothing from his inheritances before me, no book could exceed a payment of twenty more years to live.  

It ended there, an undercurrent playful companionship throughout the penned conversation. Jin-Woo imagined Death’s master finding the unnatural page at the back instead of the front, unfazed and used to Death’s random, unusual antics. The way Jin-Woo’s quest rewards were peculiar.

Seeing the faint imprint of a continuation, Jin-Woo curiously flipped to the next page.

To Death, who knows that’s against the rules, did you at least promise the poor sod?

For my master, who is too kind and merciful (who’s broken rules since he was eleven), the bookkeeper’s opinion on you was unsound and offensive. There were no promises made.

To Death, who I’m grateful for defending my honour, (but) Harry Potter’s been officially dead for 50 years. Let the guy speak for Merlin’s sake.

Describing his feelings after reading everything was... challenging. Discounting the fact Death’s master was called Harry (of all things, which was so jarringly normal), Jin-Woo’s chest grew tight and uncomfortable as a melancholy weight settled on his shoulders, sudden enough Jin-Woo could tell it didn’t belong to him. He traced the corner of the paper and tried to picture Harry – how would someone endeared to Death look like? The person free to speak to it as though they were equal.

How powerful was he? Significantly more so than Jin-Woo’s ninety-five levels? And what must he do to reach that pinnacle of power and achieve such privilege?

A twinge in his gut compelled him to look over his shoulder with his teeth grit. But Jin-Woo saw only Esil, recovered and upbeat, back to normal as though nothing traumatic had happened earlier. He chuckled dryly, divulging softly into the smoky air, “What was I expecting?”

Just as the question left his mouth, Jin-Woo got a notification.

[Death has been forcibly removed from the clearing.]

Jin-Woo did a mental spit-take.

-

[The system will be undergoing maintenance for the next 3 hours.]

[TIME REMAINING: 2 H 59 MIN 54 SEC]

[[PLAYER: Sung Jin-Woo] may resume completing [NORMAL QUEST: Collect Demon’s Souls (Part 2)].]

[Death wishes you the best of luck in completing [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)]!]

[Deleting [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)] …]

[Delete failed.]

[Deleting [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)] …]

[Delete failed.]

[Deleting [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)] …]

[Delete failed.]

Chapter Text

Death had not returned after an hour or two, and Jin-Woo was left contemplative for a total of two and a half hours before he was hesitantly convinced that the system had managed to somehow stow its unwanted guest away in a storage space at another dimension entirely. Small victories if it couldn’t banish the hidden quest in the end.

Perhaps he was having it too easy in the Demon Castle. Jin-Woo could still hunt while imagining the creation of another Gate appearing in front of his home in Korea out of misplaced punishment from the system – the portal large and inviting and powerful, but under strict lock and key in case any poor idiot freed its prisoner by accident. It wouldn’t be Jin-Woo who did it, of course, because unless the Gate promised at least ten levels, nothing could convince him to enter voluntarily.

Overall, Jin-Woo had not stopped to wonder about the insignificant details of his lost stalker for long. He’d continued on to the 99^th Floor with Esil tagging along behind him. Often, she’d throw furtive glances at the invisibility cloak Jin-Woo had chosen to tie around his waist despite the cloak’s awkward cutting for the task and his convenient storage space.

[ITEM: Death’s Cloak]

ITEM CLASS: ??

TYPE: Armour

A cloak woven personally by Death using the hair of a sage Demiguise. In another world, it was known as the Invisibility Cloak, possessing the ability to hide the wearer from Death.

It’s radiating an unfathomable amount of magical energy. The set effect will activate if this item is equipped along with:

• Death’s Ring (Discovered)
• Death’s Wand (Undiscovered)

SET EFFECT 1. (Locked)

He didn’t know why, but a part of him kind of liked the feeling of the silky, shimmering velvet close enough to touch. Softness otherwise, the mana practically interwoven with every strand of a… Demiguise – whatever it was the cloak was made of felt terribly familiar that he loathed to part from it. The unpredictable notifications sent by Death were silent as well, so there really wasn’t anyone stopping him from indulging in surrounding himself with mana as right as home. The ring too had a similar draw to be honest, but it was much less prevalent compared to its shared set piece.

Perhaps size was an influencer? Or maybe Death simply used the cloak more. Broken-in shoes were similar in that sense.

Thinking about it, his open but indifferent acknowledgment of the little thrall was absolutely a red flag soaked in blood. Especially considering how Jin-Woo’s weird conscience’s subconscious refused to put the thing away regardless of the metaphorical blearing alarms going off. He didn’t need blue boxes to tell him how dangerous playing with fire was by ordering him to eliminate factors that might threaten his life.

Whatever Jin-Woo was unintentionally thinking and assuming he could handle needed to stop.

Conducting a debate in one’s own head was truthfully a new low. He’d thought he was over that phase in high school. Arguing with himself over something he already knew the answer to was undignified for someone who raised their sister like the parents he lost to Eternal Sleep and monsters respectively. Jin-Woo literally couldn’t afford to even consider stupid actions if he wanted his sister model herself after him so that she may live a nice, long, and stable life.

… Okay, the Hunter business was the first and last of its kind. Desperation was easier to swallow than people might think. The dungeon diving had put food and water on the dinner table and it paid the bills; all complaints could stay in his stomach and dissolve there. Jin-Woo had also drilled into Jin-Ah’s mind that she was never allowed to become a Hunter if she Awakened. Over his dead body, which had admittedly not been the harshest criteria when he still was the weakest E-Rank in South Korea back then.

His anticipation of Murphy’s Law was obviously lower than most low ranked Hunters. The optimism was positively a key point in surviving the many lows he’d mucked through determined while trying to keep up with life.

Tapping on the memory of sacrificing his university degree in exchange for risking his life on a regular basis to raise his younger sister, Jin-Woo looked down at the comforting warmth around his waist, its well-used and treasured appearance reeking of deceptive innocence. The cloak could have easily passed off as an heirloom from three Sung generations back.

“Can’t afford to be stupid, huh.”

Well, things have changed a bit; Jin-Woo certainly could afford a thing or two now. The system was moreover another insurance and Jin-Woo, against better judgement, left the cloak as it was.

[The system will be undergoing maintenance for the next 3 hours.]

[TIME REMAINING: 0 H 16 MIN 43 SEC]

[Moving to the 100^th Floor.]

The ominously hailing snowfall on the hundredth floor was a glaring contrast to the rest of the ninety-nine other floors of the Demon Castle. The prickle of cold on his skin was the first thing Jin-Woo noticed upon his arrival. Gone was the scorching heat and raging flames that danced on the remnants of a crumbling city, instead replaced with dreary grey skies and stone cracked in ice. 

It was the first and last floor that implied nature existed before the world went to ruin. Several trees were scattered sparsely throughout the new territory, bare from leaves and fruit in the wintry setting. Icicles hung from the branches instead of life, and Jin-Woo was searching for prey when Death’s Mark burned once more.

The pain was acute, sharper than the first. Everything seemed to intensify proportionately to the number of Deathly Hallows he collected. First was the draw to each individual item, and now his tattoo that felt like heated needles eating through his skin. Death was a massive pain even though he was kicked out like an irritating troll in a computer game server.

Ah, it had been a while since Jin-Woo played video games. His life was basically a copy of one, though. Would virtual RPG games feel boring now that he was a literal ‘Player’ in the real world?

Jin-Woo was not trying to test the limits of his pain tolerance, nor was he vainly attempting to pretend another Hollow wasn’t nearby. It took time to find the wand, that’s all. The hundredth floor was rather large despite the suspiciously non-existent residents it had. He told Esil stay where she was unless her life was at risk as he mentally planned to walk north – the pain was unfairly intense in that direction – and the demoness had nodded vehemently in response.

“Will you be alright by yourself, Sir Jin-Woo?”

“I’ll be fine. Just worry about yourself.” He pinched her mochi cheeks and left, letting his gaze narrow on every tree in his path ahead. Wands probably looked like branches, right? He should keep an eye out for anything long and thin. Jin-Woo would order his shadow soldiers to help search but he wanted to avoid the reappearance of an emergency quest again.

Geez, his blood pressure would crash right into the roof if it wasn’t kept stable by his passive ability.

[The system will be undergoing maintenance for the next 3 hours.]

[TIME REMAINING: 0 H 10 MIN 23 SEC]

Death’s Wand was impossible to find.

He’d searched high and low, east and west, and yet there were no signs that told him the wand was close at hand.

The continuously falling snow was also really starting to pile up, obscuring the landscape into white, white and more white. Jin-Woo tilted his head up and cursed softly. The ring and cloak he got by accident – why couldn’t the wand conveniently drop from the sky. Death wasn’t even here; Jin-Woo was risk-free from any imposed penalty.

Hsss…

Only five minutes ago, Jin-Woo was ready to strip off his shirt because of the stupid tattoo. It had moved from hot to burning to searing over the course of the time taken to make a serving of cup ramen, and the temptation to bury himself in the snow was not small.

Right. The reminder. Jin-Woo felt like the world’s most expensive pushover.

There were no obligatory demon spawns either, much less a floor boss. This place was like a ghost city, abandoned and left to its own devices. “There must be a better way to find the wand,” he speculated out loud. Better than him acting like a bloodhound locked on a scent for miles.

Jin-Woo stood still for a while, the joint of his forefinger crooked to his chin. An idea suddenly came to mind and he unwound the cloak from his waist, placing it on the ground. He then pulled out the ring from his inventory, placing the accessory before him too. He waited for a reaction, and didn’t bother telling his busybody shadow army to disperse from the little circle they’d formed around him.

Jin-Woo dismissed the system notification on the ongoing update but left the countdown alone.

[TIME REMAINING: 0 H 04 MIN 44 SEC]

“I swear to god…”

[TIME REMAINING: 0 H 4 MIN 42 SEC]

Oh, so Death was really gone huh. Too bad, Jin-Woo wouldn’t miss the guy.

His mouth was forming into a victorious smirk when suddenly, a random spot in the landscape of snow literally blew up and sprayed everywhere, chunks slamming right into Jin-Woo’s face and leaving him wet and cold.

“Shit.” Jin-Woo’s ears had heard it before he saw it. The oncoming object that was shooting towards him at the speed of a bullet was pointed and quite obviously capable enough to easily pierce wherever it was aiming should Jin-Woo’s defence fail to hold up against this unknown weapon.

Long and thin. Jin-Woo’s instincts were screaming at him yes, anyway, his defence was inadequate and his expression turned grim watching the air being cleanly split with a dull whistle as the wand – there was a ninety percent chance it was Death’s Wand – acted as though reuniting with its set was the last thing on mind.

From his point of view, the thing was trying to kill him. The benefit of doubt could wait.

Jin-Woo grabbed the cloak and hastily used it to shield his body – “Tsk.” He was careful to resist actually putting it on and he was soon hearing a near soundless thud sound, and the snow at his feet shifted like something had dropped on it. That easy? His scepticism was on high alert.

[TIME REMAINING: 0 H 4 MIN 37 SEC]

He crouched down to take a proper look at his could’ve-been killer. It was surprisingly unassuming. Jin-Woo had been right when he assumed it’d be long and thin like a tree branch. At first glance the wand appeared simple in design at almost 40cm, a stick with increasingly smaller knobs from the base up. The handle had intricate designs on it, so tiny Jin-Woo had difficulty making out whether it was words or for decorative purposes. He poked and prodded the wand, pawed snow over it like a child who’d discovered the action of burying for the first time.

Prior experience told him holding it would be a bad idea. Jin-Woo played around until the wand had a little hill on top of it. “A shallow grave,” he huffed sarcastically, but wasn’t that a strangely appropriate description?

Death’s Wand.

[ITEM: Death’s Wand]

ITEM CLASS: ??

TYPE: Wand

A wand created personally by Death and the first Deathly Hallow made. In another world, it was known as the Elder Wand and it was said to be the most powerful wand in existence, capable of performing impossible feats of magic. It has a core of a Thestral’s tail hair, so only someone who has seen death may see and use Death’s Wand.

It’s radiating an unfathomable amount of magical energy. The set effect will activate if this item is equipped along with:

• Death’s Ring (Discovered)
• Death’s Cloak (Discovered)

SET EFFECT 1. (Unlocked)

[TIME REMAINING: 0 H 0 MIN 0 SEC]

[ALARM!]

[The system has finished undergoing maintenance. Death is watching you.]

… It’s back. That crazy son of a bitch. Jin-Woo was laughing before he knew it.

[ALARM!]

[You have united [SET ITEM: Deathly Hallows]. Death is immensely pleased by your achievement. [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)] has been completed. Reward(s) are now available.]

[SET ITEM EFFECT]

SET EFFECT 1. Summoning the Master of Death

[ALARM!]

Death has activated [SET ITEM EFFECT: SET EFFECT 1. Summoning the Master of Death].

[Would you like to summon the Master of Death?]

[YES] [NO]

Chapter Text

The words had flown out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“What if I said no?”

It was said bluntly and almost curtly, and Jin-Woo had known the exact moment his intelligence underwent a metaphorical drop because why had he said that? It was practically begging Death to take away the gold thread dangling from the edge of the pit he was in.

There was no mistaking it; it was what this whole fiasco revolved around in the first place: his literal inability to say no. It was yes in accepting the hidden quest, yes and yes and yes to finding the Master of Death like a collared scent hound for someone else’s pleasure. Only, Death was probably desperate instead of bored in its self-imposed mission. Jin-Woo had gained an inkling of insight studying Death’s stubborn involvement in getting all up Jin-Woo’s business.

The Master of Death could’ve been a surprise hidden boss for what meagre information Jin-Woo was in possession of, and arguably everybody knew hidden bosses were stronger than final ones. The price for this battle, however, was highly likely to outweigh its profits when he was so close to getting a cure for his comatose mother.

Yet his notifications inbox remained unsettlingly empty. The sole blue screen floating innocently in front of his view had a large enough presence that time seemed to pause in trepid patience, waiting for Jin-Woo to make his decision.

And Death? Death was powerless in its influence for this alone.

Jin-Woo had formed this assumption quickly for several reasons. The lack of any immediate penalties being one of them, while the second was under more unreliable terms, such as his gut-feeling. The coast was clear nevertheless, and Jin-Woo would take whatever small victories he could get because something told him that the question was honest: YES, or NO. He could choose the latter and there would be consequences disconnected from punishment on his side.

From the exchange he’d read in the Beetle the Bard’s book, Harry Potter seemed like a merciful and warm individual. Someone easy to like and love and adore. Death’s dedication was proof of that, which made Jin-Woo wonder.

Was this man perhaps the reason behind the strange interference in the system? Offering what others failed to consider when they were stronger than Jin-Woo and demanded him for his services like it was their right, the simple courtesy of a choice. Jin-Woo may be cold, but he was hardly heartless. Maybe some kindness would’ve done Death a great favour by motivating Jin-Woo to speed up his search process entirely and not feel like he was pulling teeth all the while.

He wanted Death to squirm in its seat, a small vengeance for being so impatient and petty whenever the opportunity arose.

The dialogue box flickered erratically, its outline and words of blue gradually turning into deep crimson red. Still, Jin-Woo’s heart pumped fearlessness like he breathed oxygen.

Against better judgement, his little stint stretched on for what felt like an eternity. The air begun to grow heavier and denser, until the temperature dropped to the point Jin-Woo felt the numbing chill seep through his jacket. The snow on the ground in the area scattered into a harsh twist that circled Jin-Woo’s ankles, nipping like starving piranhas.

Death was quite the dramatic fellow, wasn’t it? Jin-Woo smirked with the full knowledge he was being watched intently.

No point waiting any longer. It’d be such a waste to skip out on seeing the beloved Master of Death in the flesh.  

“Yes,” he huffed amused, watching intently as mana rushed from the ground below his feet to swivel gracefully in front of him instead. It was a stark contrast against his earlier bout with the snow, because now the snow looked a lot like the serene koi fish his mother used to enjoy watching on their family outings to the local parks. The circle glowed and started warping into the familiar twisted space similar to a dungeon entrance.

“Thank you,” a faint voice said. It was a mere wisp of a sound, quiet and quick that Jin-Woo’s eyes widened in slight surprise, neck turning to look over his shoulder. There was nothing, of course, and a sense of déjà vu hit him weakly.

The world seemed to hold its breath.

[You have failed to summon the Master of Death]

Exhale.

Jin-Woo felt a wry smile grace him. Seriously? So much for the sincere thanks when the point of the quest wasn’t even available for event. A part of him even found it funny in an ironic sort of way. All the effort for a failed summoning event whereupon he could’ve been by his mother’s side in the hospital instead, resurrecting her from an endless sleep that he and sister had been waiting for anxiously year after year.

His patience was thankfully well trialled and tested so Jin-Woo waited for the pin to drop. It took only a short moment when the next wave of notifications started washing in.

[ALARM!]

[You have completed [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 1)]

[Your rewards for completing the emergency quest have arrived. Would you like to accept?]

[YES] [NO]

Jin-Woo nodded without hesitation, holding back a tired sigh.

[QUEST REWARDS]

Choose your reward.

[You may choose the rewards below.]

• 1. Death’s tentative favour
• 2. Bonus Stats +31
• 3. Unlock of [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 2)]

Longer than he should, Jin-Woo’s finger lingered above the third option before pressing down.

[A new quest has arrived.]

Unlocked [HIDDEN QUEST: Finding the Master of Death! (Part 2)]

Congratulations! You have successfully united [SET ITEM: Deathly Hallows]. As a result, you have gained to right to summon the Master of Death. However, due to mysterious reasons, the Master of Death was unable to answer your summoning.

Explore the dungeon to uncover the secret behind his disappearance.

Quest Completion Requirement:

• Retrieve all 7 of Tom Riddle’s Horcruxes
• Find the Master of Death: Harry Potter, who resides in the hidden dungeon.

[No rewards are available for the completion of this quest. Death wishes you good luck for your next great adventure.]

For a moment, Jin-Woo thought he had read the text wrong, staring for a solid minute until his eyes stung.

“What a scam.” No rewards: a high risk, low return quest. Jin-Woo’s little stunt in uncovering the existence of the Deathly Hallows was arguably the worst decision he ever made. On top of that, who even was Tom Riddle? And how was he relevant in finding the Master of Death?

The curious and calculative part of Jin-Woo hummed and hawed, weighing the benefits and otherwise in officially accepting the second part of his accidental quest. On one side, he was far too deep into this quest. Plus, it would be interesting to have Death owe him a favour if the entity had such a conscience.

On the other end, there would be no obvious gain from completing this quest. Jin-Woo already braved the anticipation of summoning Harry Potter only to be met with nothing. He wasn’t sure if such disappointment wouldn’t happen again, resulting in an absolute waste of his time.

[ALARM!]

[You have received [ITEM: Dungeon Key].]

[ITEM: Dungeon Key]

ITEM CLASS: Unknown

TYPE: Key

A key that allows you to enter a hidden dungeon. You may use this anywhere to enter King Cross Station, a space between life and death in another world.

[WARNING!]

[Failure to clear this dungeon may result in inability to return to this world.]

The description had Jin-Woo freezing in his place. He wouldn’t say fear had fed his subconscious confidence to the wolves, but it definitely pinched him to a degree. Suddenly, seedlings of doubt and uncertainty took root in the muscle of his mind. They were migraine worthy, ingraining themselves deeply and painfully with thoughts of: what if I don’t come back?

What if this becomes my final quest?

Who will take care of my mother and sister?

He had family and friends to return to. No, it was too much of a risk. Jin-Woo was about to retrieve the dungeon key and let it rot in his inventory when Death’s familiar presence filled the air once more. Bastard really came and went whenever it wanted.

“Stop it. You can’t convince me to find him. I have people waiting for me.”

This time when Death spoke, it was a million voices that belonged to souls who existed no longer. “He is innocent. He is my family.”

Damn it. Jin-Woo gazed deeply into the sky and cursed his soft heart.

He materialised the dungeon key into his hand and flicked his wrist, causing a large curtain of silent darkness to seep from the jet-black key like spilled ink. He noticed how the base had Death’s symbol carved on it too, and near rolled his eyes when he instantly related to a key of all things. “Do you really need to make your mark everywhere?” he asked rhetorically as he stepped willingly into the darkness.

[You have entered the hidden dungeon.]

[You cannot leave the dungeon. Either complete the requirements or wait for Death.]