Ch-365. **Appearance.**
—
The first place where the *Black Dome* phenomenon was observed was in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.
Multiple teams were organized and dispatched in an attempt to investigate the phenomenon that had begun beyond the waters bordering Seattle and San Francisco in the United States—but not a single person returned alive.
The result was the same even though many of America’s most renowned powerhouses had participated.
Even with countless state-of-the-art devices, it was impossible to observe the interior. At best, by analyzing nearby ocean currents and marine life, researchers could only put forward a tentative hypothesis—that the *Black Dome* functioned in a manner similar to Pangaenia’s **Abyss**.
And only one other country in the world had experienced a similar phenomenon.
Korea.
It was Korea that had once gone through the incident globally known as the *Jeju Island Disappearance*.
Along with the Black Dome phenomenon, all beings had been forcibly summoned by the **Fourth Calamity, Baal**.
Because of this, the U.S. government requested cooperation from the Korean government and the Hero Alliance.
“……Alliance Leader. What should we do?”
“…….”
Park Taewoo, the head of the Hero Alliance, still could not easily come to a decision.
The memories of that time were etched far too deeply into him.
The Jeju Island Disappearance, Baal’s assault—those were nightmares shared by all Koreans.
Jeju Island, along with all its residents, had vanished, and there had been no hope to be seen.
Only Park Taewoo had stubbornly clung on and, by a miracle, managed to save them—but even that would never have happened without a miracle like the appearance of the **God of the Black Egg**.
“Damn it.”
Park Taewoo frowned deeply.
They had only just begun to overcome it and move forward.
……And now, the same thing was happening again.
What was worse, this *Black Dome* was three times the size of Jeju Island.
No one knew what was happening inside.
All that circulated were speculations that it was connected to the Spirit Tower.
*This is different from back then. Unlike before, I—no, we—are not powerless.*
Compared to that time, they had grown beyond comparison.
Using the Pangaenia hub city—**the Ruin City Rundela**, which had originally belonged to the Master—as their base, the Alliance had developed at a dazzling pace.
At least ten times stronger than during the Jeju incident.
The size of the Alliance, the quality of equipment worn by its members—everything was on a completely different level from the past.
Especially after Arin assumed the position of Vice Leader, the individual combat strength of members had grown to an absurd degree in terms of quality.
Having endured countless incidents, Korea had become more obsessed with *becoming stronger* than any other nation.
Transcending politics and generations, present-day Korea was more united than it had ever been.
But……
“……It seems the Korean government wants our Alliance to accept the request.”
Hearing the secretary’s report after returning from negotiations with the government, Park Taewoo squeezed his eyes shut.
If the Alliance accepted, there would be appropriate compensation.
But that was not what worried him.
“Even America’s top-tier supers couldn’t return alive after entering the Black Dome. The mercenary group *Nineteen*, considered the strongest on Earth, was the same.”
The world’s ten strongest individuals were referred to as the *Top Ten*.
Among those who entered the Black Dome and never returned were two members of the Top Ten.
America’s *Black Thunder*, and the leader of the mercenary group *Nineteen*.
Considering that Korea officially had no one ranked in the Top Ten, it was easy to grasp just how serious this situation was.
Of course, unofficially, there was one.
The singular existence referred to not as *Top Ten*, but as *the strongest*—
The rumor that **Phantom** was Korean had long circulated as an unspoken truth.
However, Phantom had never appeared to offer help.
That was why—
The thing Park Taewoo truly feared was this:
“Who…… who are we supposed to send?”
There was no guarantee anyone sent in would come back alive.
The Black Dome was a land of death.
Hadn’t they already learned that from the Jeju incident?
If a monster like Baal lurked inside, it would demand an unimaginable sacrifice.
Who could possibly be sent into such a place?
“Alliance Leader. They say the expedition team entering the Black Dome will be composed only of the very best. China and Japan have already confirmed they will dispatch teams as well.”
All neighboring countries had agreed to send forces.
And only elite forces at that.
Korea was the only one that had yet to respond.
“I’ll go.”
Thunk.
A single woman opened the door and stepped in.
Park Taewoo could not hide his shock when he saw her.
“ Arin……?”
Vice Leader Arin.
She had returned after temporarily leaving the Alliance to resolve a main quest.
But Arin was a priceless asset to the Alliance.
“Do you understand the situation?”
“I understand perfectly well that it’s a damn mess.”
A damn mess?
Not inaccurate.
But there was an edge in Arin’s tone.
She sounded deeply displeased.
“Still, we can’t send you in recklessly—”
“If we leave that thing alone, Earth will end.”
“……Do you know what’s inside the Black Dome?”
Park Taewoo asked, and Arin shook her head.
“No. But I can make a good guess.”
“Then… tell me. Is another being like Baal appearing?”
“Something far worse.”
Worse.
More malicious.
Something worse than Baal?
And not just one?
Park Taewoo was beyond the point of even sighing.
“To properly enter that thing, we need to form a *party* that meets certain conditions. I’ll personally select the members.”
“Wait. Entry conditions?”
There had been no such information from the U.S.
If there were entry conditions like a dungeon, they would have reported it.
Arin shrugged.
“That’s why it’s nasty. They don’t want to reveal themselves. Because they’re not complete yet.”
“…….”
“I’ve said my piece. Goodbye.”
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
Just like when she appeared, Arin left after saying only what she wanted.
She was always like that.
Even the Alliance Leader had no authority over her.
She was troublesome—but reliable.
If Arin herself headed into the Black Dome, there would be no pointless sacrifices.
After all, she was known in Korea as the **Grandmaster**.
And she seemed to know something about the Black Dome.
But……
*This feels ominous. Far too ominous.*
Park Taewoo closed his eyes tightly, gripping his trembling hands.
*
*
Arin, Vice Leader of the Korean Hero Alliance.
But in truth, **Seventh Lord Basara** narrowed her brows in irritation as she left the Alliance Leader’s office.
*Mammon. That idiot finally did it.*
The Black Dome that appeared in the North Pacific was Mammon’s doing.
After confronting the Demon King, Mammon had personally destroyed the Spirit Tower.
The problem lay in the aftermath.
He had scattered the Spirit Tower’s *Heavenly contaminants*, its fragments, and everything else across Earth.
If that were all, Basara might not have intervened directly.
*I knew he was unhinged, but still…*
What Mammon dumped onto Earth wasn’t limited to the Spirit Tower.
He had dragged in beings that should never have been drawn in.
*…He brought in the Abyss Kings.*
Her head throbbed.
When the World Tree of Honor appeared, Abyss regions simultaneously surfaced across Pangaenia.
The rulers of those regions had intervened in this incident.
All of it was Mammon’s doing.
He intended to reap benefits without lifting a finger.
But Mammon only understood half the situation.
*The Demon King’s goal is not Earth’s destruction, you fool.*
Mammon had misunderstood the Demon King’s intent.
The Demon King sought to **conquer** Earth—not destroy it.
But the Abyss Kings were different.
They had no interest whatsoever in Earth’s survival.
They only cared about expanding their own power and influence.
*Heavenly contaminants create Abysses. Mammon intends to sink Earth into an Abyss itself, letting the Abyss Kings conquer it on their own.*
To the Abyss Kings floating across Pangaenia, the Black Dome was like a festival.
An opportunity to expand their territories effortlessly.
As a result, inside the Black Dome right now, the Abyss Kings and the remnants of the Spirit Tower were tangled together in a brutal struggle.
If one Abyss King emerged as the final victor—
The entirety of Earth would become an Abyss, and all life would be annihilated.
And the Abyss King who claimed Earth would ascend as an absolute being.
After that, it would set its sights on both Pangenia and the Demon Realm.
This outcome ran counter to the Demon King’s intentions—and posed a latent threat to the Demon Realm itself.
In short, Mammon had done something incredibly stupid.
*It has to be resolved before the inside settles.*
It had to be stopped.
If a monster like the *Unborn Existence* were to win……
It would be beyond control.
Basara was a **Suppressor**.
As the Seventh Lord, her role was to eliminate entities that threatened the Demon Realm.
What Mammon had done was far too dangerous.
It was proof he hadn’t thought things through at all.
Still, she couldn’t do it alone.
This body wasn’t her true one, and on Earth—outside the Demon Realm—she couldn’t exert her full power as a Seventh Lord.
*The condition to enter the Black Dome is possession of the key.*
A key.
Meaning **Hidden Traits**.
And not just one.
*Only a party possessing eight keys can properly enter.*
Eight Abyss Kings had appeared within the Black Dome.
To match them, one needed eight Hidden Traits.
If a party that didn’t meet the requirements entered, they would be weakened by countless Abyss curses and reduced to prey.
*It won’t be easy.*
At first glance, gathering enough explorers might seem sufficient—but reality was different.
There were only about eight known types of Hidden Traits.
And even among those, some were unobtainable.
Such as *Mutant*, *Glutton*, and *Great Sage*.
Traits whose holders were dead—or existed only as names.
That was why she had to personally assemble a team of rare Hidden Trait holders.
The first name that came to mind was **Choi Kang-nam**.
A few other Hidden Trait holders also flashed through her mind.
But it wasn’t enough.
“U-um… Vice Leader. Someone is here to see you. I think you should check.”
That was when it happened.
Not long after leaving the Alliance Leader’s office, a desk attendant came to find her.
Many people sought her out.
Owners of countless groups, even overseas guilds, wanted a meeting—but she had never accepted a single request.
Knowing that, she would normally ignore it.
But for someone to come up personally meant they weren’t someone she could dismiss lightly.
“Who is it?”
Who could it be?
With mild curiosity, she asked—and the attendant hesitated before answering.
“T-that is……”
The moment she heard the name, Basara’s expression hardened.
“……Show them in. Immediately.”
*
*
Aron, celebrating the Goddess Festival, still couldn’t believe it.
That the newly elected Pope was *him*.
Just recently, he had been treated as a troublemaker—yet now he was the Pope of the Church of the Goddess.
*I must never forget that all of this is thanks to the one who bears the Goddess’s will.*
Resolving himself, Aron stepped out of the Papal Palace.
At that moment, countless eyes turned toward him.
People gathered from all across the continent.
Among them were many whose names alone carried weight.
The Three Great Merchant Houses—even kings of numerous kingdoms—were present.
It all felt like a dream.
But something mattered more to Aron than their presence.
*Where is he…?*
The place where the Knights of the Round Table stood.
They were at the very front, witnessing the birth of the new Pope.
Yet the **Master of the Round Table** was nowhere to be seen.
Aron knew well that most of the crowd had gathered to see the Round Table.
And yet the central figure was absent.
On the most important day, the one person everyone expected to be there was not.
“The Pope enters—!”
“The Pope enters—!”
Bwoooooo—!
With the resounding blast of ceremonial trumpets,
Aron walked across the carpet, holding the wooden staff symbolizing the Pope, and looked around.
If he said he wasn’t trembling, it would be a lie.
His hands were drenched in sweat.
His vision swam.
At last, Aron forced his mouth open and spoke his very first words as Pope—the most important words of all.
“Where…… is the Master of the Round Table?”
*
*
Basara.
It was unheard of for her to respond to someone else’s summons.
But this time, she had no choice.
The moment she heard the name, she had to move.
*This man……*
Park Hyeonmyung.
……He was standing right in front of her.
