Still standing before the shifting gateway to Abeloth's prison, he said nothing aloud.
But Abeloth—watching him closely from the other side—tilted her head. Her black eyes shimmered with unnatural glee. A distorted hand pressed against the inside of the gateway screen, and crude words began to etch themselves in jagged white glyphs across the surface:
Do you need help?
Jin-Woo didn't answer. Didn't flinch. Just raised one hand slowly.
And made a circular motion with his fingers—then a flick toward his nose. A gesture that said exactly what he meant. "You need toothpaste. It smells."
Abeloth's grin widened, grotesque. Teeth far too sharp. too many.
But still—she could do nothing but watch.
Jin-Woo turned, vanished into a tear of slipspace, and emerged once more at Zeta Halo. The moment he stepped into the command platform, a small voice called out.
"Sir Jin-Woo! This woman is amazing—she can do magic!"
It was Rey, only twelve years old, her eyes wide with childlike awe as she pointed up at Morgan.
Morgan, hands on her hips, smirked proudly. "Of course I can. I am the Queen of England, after all."
Offensive Bias projected a quiet telepathic link into Jin-Woo's mind. Supreme Executor… as you engaged with that entity—'The Mother'—Queen Morgan acted immediately. The child Rey wandered in, but Morgan utilized her maternal presence and political tact to redirect the girl's attention away from the screen. She ensured Rey never glimpsed the being.
Jin-Woo gave a faint nod. Just once. Silent approval.
Then he spoke aloud. "Despondent Pyre."
The air shifted as the second AI came from the sky , its presence more gentle than Bias, but no less efficient.
"Yes, Supreme Executor," Despondent Pyre replied in its soft, ethereal tone.
"Slipspace Rey back to her quarters on Zeta Halo," Jin-Woo commanded. "A major event's about to begin."
"Awwww, come on—!" Rey started to protest, arms flailing.
But her voice was cut off in a blink of light, her form vanishing as she was safely slipspaced away.
Morgan chuckled under her breath. "She's going to hate you for that."
Jin-Woo didn't even blink. "Offensive Bias," he said coolly. "Status on full data integration. How long until every level of Coruscant is under our eyes?"
Offensive Bias responded without delay. "Affirmative. Current progress: 55%. Estimated time to completion: three days from now, provided current beacon integrity and signal frequency remain optimal."
Jin-Woo gave a slow nod. "That's good. Now—slipspace Daybit. It's time he fulfills his Surefire role."
"Affirmative," Offensive Bias replied.
A dimensional ripple tore open near the platform—space folding inward as slipspace cracked into a luminous gate. From the portal stepped Daybit calmly, hands folded behind his back, expression unreadable as ever.
Beside him, walking with a casual swagger and the scent of smoke clinging to the air, was Tezcatlipoca.
The spider and jaguar deity wore his pseudo-servant body like it was tailored—long blond hair tied back, a sleek modern outfit blending ceremonial patterns with street-level style. Slung across his back was a weapon that defied classification—part rifle, part relic—and he carried it like an extension of himself.
He smirked at Jin-Woo, cocky and challenging.
"So this is the infamous Shadow Monarch, huh?" Tezcatlipoca said, voice gravelly, yet amused. "Daybit's told me about you. Said you walk around with your full power like some god-shaped tsunami. Meanwhile, I have to bind myself into a human shell just to talk. Divine spirit limitations and all that…"
He let the smoke roll from his mouth and tilted his head.
"Tell me, junior. Mind sharing how you cheat the system?"
Immediately—Offensive Bias activated. Thousands of sentinel constructs emerged above the Halo control platform. Every single one locked on Tezcatlipoca, charging up their sentinel beams.
At the same time, Morgan narrowed her eyes and reached for Rhongomyniad.
But Jin-Woo didn't even flinch. He raised a single hand. "Stand down."
Offensive Bias halted instantly. The sentinel beams disappeared.
Jin-Woo turned his head slightly. "That includes you, Morgan. No Rhongomyniad."
Morgan gave a quiet tsk and folded her arms again, stepping back with a glare.
Tezcatlipoca chuckled through his teeth. "Now that—" he said, gesturing loosely at Jin-Woo, "—is how a god commands."
Jin-Woo didn't react. His eyes flicked forward.
"Offensive Bias. Briefing. I want the full layout of where Daybit will operate."
Daybit tilted his head slightly, amused. "Didn't you say it was unknown? Like a hidden quest in some MMO?"
"I'm aware of the place," Jin-Woo replied calmly. "But the last time we talked about it—was during the Olympus Crypter Chamber. All of them were present. Too many ears. Too many questions. You prefer to scout alone anyway, don't you?"
Daybit gave a single nod. "That's a good call."
A soundless hum pulsed across the chamber as Offensive Bias's massive crimson eye lit up. Holographic screens spread outward in an orbital cascade—rotating layers of Coruscant, each one etched in red data streams.
Offensive Bias began.
"Coruscant is a stratified megastructure. A planet-wide city with 5,127 distinct levels. The surface layer hosts the Senate, Jedi Temple, and government elite. However, from Level 3000 downward—control diminishes. Criminal factions and decentralized warlords control sectors. Public infrastructure ceases to function. Emergency services are nonexistent."
The screen zoomed downward, showing deeper cross-sections of the city's depths.
"Level 1313 is listed as purged. Level 42.5 contains a shifting pre-Republic structure. Biohazards and psychic anomalies increase the further down one travels. At Level 1, documented populations disappear. This zone—referred to in myth as the B'ankor Refuge—is the most structurally unstable and culturally erased."
Offensive Bias's voice didn't change.
"Recommended insertion point: Level 4000 through 1500. Daybit will remain undetected. Target structure anomaly is deep beneath 43.5. Risk level—classified as [High]. Estimated survival rate for standard agents—below 12%."
Daybit brushed the edge of his coat and muttered, "What do I need to do?"
Jin-Woo took a slow drag from his cigarette, letting the ember burn before replying.
"To simplify things for you," he said, "since you'll be scouting nine or ten years ahead in this galaxy's future… here's the base layout."
"This galaxy's problem is old and obvious. Two major factions. Constant war. The Jedi are the so-called 'good guys.' They preach peace. The Sith? The ones who want control, power—always called the bad guys."
Daybit tilted his head. "Like Caedus. He was a Sith. Used a red-colored blade—lightsaber, right? Fought you in that twisted arena, when we were all bound in silence. But I assume… the Jedi won the long war, since Coruscant is still intact and Offensive Bias said it's home to their temple."
Jin-Woo nodded once.
"Partially right. But here's the real data you need."
"There are three hidden Sith active in this current time —one stays in the dark, the other works through politics, and the last walks the streets like a shadow. Maul. Palpatine. Plagueis."
Jin-Woo exhaled.
"Plagueis—Darth Plagueis the Wise—rarely shows himself. He plays the long game. The deep game. But Palpatine—also known as Darth Sidious—is more active. Right now, he's just a senator of Naboo. Walks around the Senate building. Makes connections. Builds webs."
"And Maul?" Daybit asked.
"Maul is his apprentice. Red skin. Horned. A Zabrak. He doesn't talk much, but he kills fast. If you ever see him? He'll be nearby Palpatine. Like a hound.". jin woo then continued
Tezcatlipoca scoffed behind them, the mayan god resting his modern-looking weapon on his shoulder, grinning with sharp teeth.
"Oy oy, junior," he said with a smirk. "You're telling my master what to do like that? He's the surefire, right? The ace in the hole. He's supposed to lead this mission. Not take notes like some intern."
Jin-Woo turned to him slowly. "Then let's fight," he said flatly. "Settle the hierarchy. You respect hierarchy, don't you, Divine Spirit ?"
Daybit sighed and leaned in toward Jin-Woo, voice low. "He's trouble. Sometimes."
Jin-Woo didn't break eye contact with Tezcatlipoca. "Better to settle it now. But if he causes any problems later in your mission..."
"I'm dumping both of you back in your South America Lostbelt. And your CHALDEAS problem will stay your own."
Daybit nodded once. "Understood."
Offensive Bias, Morgan, and Daybit instinctively stepped back, clearing a wide berth in the hangar floor. The air grew tense as if the Halo installation itself held its breath. The Shadow Army stood silent behind Jin-Woo—millions deep, but unmoving.
Jin-Woo didn't look at his opponent. His eyes drifted lazily past Tezcatlipoca like the spider and jaguar Deity wasn't worth the attention.
Tezcatlipoca grinned, baring teeth around the cigarette in his mouth.
"Oyyy, junior," he said mockingly. "Show a little respect to your senior here. I might just beat your ass befo—"
A black saber . And Tezcatlipoca froze.
The cold edge of Vectivus' lightsaber now hovered just beside his neck—still humming, still burning faintly with void-colored energy. It hadn't been there a moment ago. Not even the AI sensors reacted in time.
Jin-Woo still didn't blink. "Should this be counted as the first round or not?"
Tezcatlipoca's grin faltered for a heartbeat. Then it returned, twisted and sharper.
"Heh… yeah. Count it. Three rounds," he said, voice low. "You beat me three times, and I'll listen to your request."
The atmosphere remained taut.
Below, near Jin-Woo's feet, the shadows stirred violently. His entire legion watched with simmering fury. Beru, closest among them, vibrated with hostility, mandibles twitching.
Jin-Woo sent a single pulse of telepathy through the dark.
Calm down. He's never lived through what I did.
The shadow swarm quieted—but their eyes never left Tezcatlipoca.
Tezcatlipoca moved fast—faster than most would expect for a deity in human form. His right arm snapped forward, gripping the sleek, modern weapon held on his right arm . A rapid volley of bullets—compressed kinetic rounds rather than plasma—exploded toward Jin-Woo in sharp bursts.
Jin-Woo reacted instantly. His black Vectivus lightsaber snapped upward, deflecting the shots with clean, precise slashes. But the shrapnel, the ash, and the sharp echoes that followed still grazed across his coat.
"Annoying bullets," he muttered, brushing metal flecks off his collar.
Tezcatlipoca grinned wide. "Then let me raise the stakes."
He stomped the ground—and a storm burst forth.
A violent dust storm surged from beneath his feet, swirling with high-speed particles and micro-lit shards, each gust sharp enough to carve flesh from bone. It howled like a desert of blades, whirling straight toward Jin-Woo.
Jin-Woo didn't flinch.His hand extended. The Force rippled.
The storm halted midair—then began to shrink. Jin-Woo's fingers curled inward, and the entire cyclone compressed itself down… smaller… smaller… until the raging storm became a single, vibrating sphere of death no larger than a child's ball. It floated, humming in perfect telekinetic containment.
Tezcatlipoca whistled low. "So that's the Force, huh?" he said with a mix of admiration and predatory excitement. "The infamous power… more robust than magecraft. Impressive."
He adjusted the grip on his smoking weapon and grinned with his teeth bared. "I might just kill one of those Jedi myself when we land on that Coruscant planet."
Jin-Woo didn't answer. [Force Lighning]
Instead—black lightning crackled around his arm. In the blink of an eye, the Force exploded from his palm—arcs of obsidian energy ripping across the space between them with predatory precision.
Tezcatlipoca's eyes sharpened. Shit— He barely sidestepped, moving like a phantom caught in a duststorm. The lightning grazed him, .
He landed, crouched, muscles tensed. That lightning… it's not normal. It's like the Age of Gods condensed into a pulse…
He didn't wait. The dust stirred again—and like a jaguar, he vanished into motion. Blending with the sand and haze, he moved in silence, reappearing just behind Jin-Woo in an instant.
The barrel of his gun clicked, aimed directly at the back of Jin-Woo's skull.
"Let's test it," Tezcatlipoca muttered. "Your Force… or my trigger."
Jin-Woo didn't even glance back. "Go ahead. See which is faster."
Tezcatlipoca grinned. "Crazy bastard."