The moment Jae-Hyun locked eyes with the Judicator of Chains, he knew—this was unlike any enemy he had faced before.

  It stood like an executioner of the damned, its colossal frame unmoving, as if it had all the time in the world. The ruins trembled beneath its weight.

  The void in its helmet stared back at him, empty yet burning with a deep crimson glow—the same energy that coursed through his own body. The realization sent a chill down his spine, but he had no time to dwell on it.

  Then, it moved.

  And the city collapsed.

  The Judicator took a single step, and the entire battlefield cracked beneath its weight. Chains erupted from the ground, snapping toward Jae-Hyun like serpents made of steel.

  He barely dodged in time. The moment his foot left the ground, a massive warhammer came crashing down, smashing through the pavement with an impact that sent shockwaves tearing through the ruins. A deep crater replaced where he had stood just seconds ago.

  Jae-Hyun twisted midair, counterattacking—

  CLANG!

  His blade bounced off the Judicator’s shield.

  His arms rattled from the impact, the force too much to break through. His instincts screamed at him—

  This thing wasn’t just big. It was built to last.

  Before he could regain his footing, the summoning tome flipped open, pages turning by themselves. A low, guttural chant echoed across the ruins.

  Then, they appeared.

  A swarm of shadowy enforcers, faceless figures clad in rusted armor, rising from the very ground.

  Jae-Hyun gritted his teeth. Of course it could summon.

  I don’t have time for this.

  Jae-Hyun launched forward, cutting through the first enforcer in a single stroke. It dissolved instantly.

  They’re weak individually, but they’ll keep me busy.

  The Judicator didn’t wait.

  Its chains lashed out again, and this time, Jae-Hyun was half a second too slow.

  The bindings clamped around his left arm, dragging him toward the towering executioner.

  The warhammer rose again.

  If that lands, I’m done.

  In a desperate move, Jae-Hyun drove his sword into the ground, summoning every shadow soldier he had left.

  They rushed the Judicator at once, slamming into its towering frame. It barely flinched.

  But it was enough.

  Jae-Hyun wrenched himself free, rolling to the side as the warhammer crashed down, obliterating another section of the battlefield.

  The system laughed.

  “Struggling already? You’re not even at the best part.”

  Jae-Hyun exhaled sharply. Tch. I hate this thing.

  He gritted his teeth as he observed the battlefield. His army of shadows had been hammering at the Judicator’s defenses for what felt like an eternity, yet the colossal executioner stood unwavering, as if their efforts were meaningless. Every strike, every attack barely chipped away at its armor.

  Jae-Hyun himself had landed dozens of blows, some aimed at the gaps in its plating, others infused with abyssal energy—but the damage was painfully slow. Too slow.

  His stamina was dwindling, his breath growing heavier, yet the Judicator remained as imposing as ever.

  This thing is an absolute monster.

  He adjusted his stance. If brute force wasn’t enough, he had to change the way he fought. And fast.

  Jae-Hyun landed hit after hit, but the damage barely made a dent.

  No matter how many times he struck, the Judicator of Chains barely seemed affected, its massive frame absorbing the punishment like an unbreakable fortress.

  The massive colossus continued moving forward, unrelenting, absorbing punishment like a machine that refused to break.

  It had been nearly an hour. Maybe two. Jae-Hyun wasn’t even sure anymore. His body screamed, his stamina dwindled, but the boss remained standing.

  I’ve thrown everything at it, and it’s still going…

  He gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance, his mind racing. This wasn’t sustainable.

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  He had to find another way.

  Jae-Hyun launched forward again, his blade striking the Judicator’s armor with precision. Another hit, another fraction of damage—it was excruciatingly slow. The battle felt endless, each successful strike taking an eternity to show any real progress. He pulled back, panting, watching the boss’s health decrease at a pace that made his exhaustion feel unbearable.

  It’s taking too long.

  He had been chipping away at this monster, barely making progress. He had used every strategy, every technique, every ounce of strength to bring it down, and still, the Judicator of Chains refused to fall.

  His summons clashed against its towering form, but they, too, were failing. Even Kaelzar’s devastating strikes barely left a dent.

  Damn it. His stamina wasn’t going to hold out much longer.

  Then—

  Jae-Hyun landed another strike, the impact reverberating up his arms. The boss’s health ticked downward—slow, agonizingly slow.

  At 40% HP, the Judicator threw its shield aside.

  The moment it hit the ground, the entire city shifted.

  "Shit... Just how heavy was that thing?" he muttered under his breath, panting.

  Chains burst from the streets, rising like spires, turning the battlefield into a death trap.

  The Judicator, now faster, more aggressive, swung its warhammer with terrifying force, each impact sending shockwaves that shattered nearby buildings.

  The summoning tome pulsed violently, and two new enforcers emerged—

  But this time, they didn’t attack.

  They fused into the Judicator’s armor.

  Its body shifted, growing even more resilient.

  Jae-Hyun’s heart pounded. This thing wasn’t just tanky—it was evolving mid-fight.

  The system chimed in mock amusement.

  “Oh? You thought this would be a fair fight?”

  Jae-Hyun ignored it.

  He was done playing defensive.

  Jae-Hyun barely had a moment to breathe before the Judicator of Chains surged forward—and this time, it was different.

  The towering colossus that had once moved with imposing, deliberate steps was now faster, relentless, unshackled. The weight of its body did nothing to slow it down. Every attack came faster, stronger—just as devastating as before, but now near impossible to react to.

  Jae-Hyun dodged the first swing by the barest fraction of a second, the hammer slamming into the ground behind him, blasting debris and stone into the air. He didn’t even have time to recover before the chains lashed out, one wrapping around his leg, another shooting toward his arm.

  He twisted violently, barely tearing free—but the delay cost him.

  The warhammer came down again—this time, it landed.

  A sickening crack rang out as Jae-Hyun was sent flying through a collapsed building, his back slamming into broken stone. His vision flickered, his ribs screaming in agony.

  His body refused to move.

  Damn it—damn it—MOVE!

  The Judicator was already approaching, the sheer weight of its steps shaking the crumbling cityscape. There was no time left.

  Jae-Hyun forced himself upright, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He couldn’t match this thing in a direct fight—he had to fight smarter.

  His eyes darted to the ruined buildings, the broken structures towering above him. This was his only advantage.

  Jae-Hyun ran—not away, but through the wreckage, forcing the Judicator to follow. The city was collapsing around them, chunks of stone crumbling under the weight of their battle.

  A massive chain shot past his head, embedding itself into a building beside him. The moment Jae-Hyun turned, the chain tightened—and the entire structure was ripped from its foundation, sent crashing toward him in a storm of rubble.

  Jae-Hyun barely dodged in time, shards of stone cutting into his skin. His body screamed in protest, his vision blurring—but he couldn’t stop.

  Then another hit.

  The gauntlet slammed into his torso, sending him sprawling. He coughed violently, blood staining the ground beneath him. His hands shook as he gripped his sword, struggling to lift it.

  The Judicator wasn’t slowing down.

  This wasn’t just a punishment. It was execution.

  Jae-Hyun pushed himself to his feet, his body barely responding.

  He needed to turn the battlefield against the Judicator.

  With one last burst of energy, he led the monster toward the most unstable section of the ruins.

  As expected, the Judicator followed, its sheer mass crushing the weakened ground beneath it. Buildings trembled, walls began to collapse.

  Jae-Hyun jumped at the last second, twisting in midair, just as the Judicator’s weight caused the street to cave in beneath it.

  For the first time, it was off-balance.

  The Judicator lurched forward, its massive form tilting as the ground beneath it crumbled. It swung its hammer wildly, trying to regain its footing, but the ruins betrayed it. The colossus, which had once moved with absolute certainty, now struggled—just for a moment.

  That moment was all Jae-Hyun needed.

  Jae-Hyun didn’t hesitate.

  He descended like a blade of judgment, his sword aimed for the core.

  The Judicator swung—

  Jae-Hyun ducked under the hammer, pivoted, and drove his blade into the exposed core.

  For the first time—it reacted.

  The crimson energy surged violently, and the Judicator let out a deep, guttural roar.

  Jae-Hyun didn’t let up.

  He summoned every last ounce of power he had, his body screaming in protest as he drove his sword deeper.

  A final massive explosion of energy erupted, sending him flying backward—

  And then, silence.

  As the crimson glow flickered, the Judicator raised its warhammer one last time, its movements sluggish, desperate—refusing to fall. But the energy in its core surged violently, its own power betraying it. The hammer slipped from its grasp, crashing to the ruined ground below.

  Then, finally—it fell.

  The Judicator remained standing.

  For a moment, Jae-Hyun thought it hadn’t worked.

  Then, the crimson glow in its core flickered.

  The towering colossus slowly dropped to one knee.

  Then—

  A voice. A voice he knew.

  “You did well.”

  The Demon King’s voice echoed from above.

  Jae-Hyun’s breath caught in his throat. He didn’t need to look to know who had spoken.

  The Judicator collapsed, fading into dust.

  The battle was over.

  Jae-Hyun staggered, barely able to keep himself upright. His entire body throbbed in protest. Blood dripped from his side, staining the fractured pavement beneath him. He reached for a potion, downing it in one gulp—only to feel the wound on his torso remain untouched, the deep scar refusing to fade.

  A permanent mark of this battle.