Caedus then vanished, [White Current] cloaking his exit, his body flickering in and out of sight like refracted glass.
But just 0.5 seconds later—the sky above Jin-Woo exploded.
It was biotech bombardment.
Dozens—hundreds—of Yaret-Kors, the organic orbital cannons of the Yuuzhan Vong, rained down from above like molten asteroids, screaming through the atmosphere with trails of fire and gravity distortions. The ground shattered. Lava-like bursts of living plasma cratered the earth. Entire chunks of the arena vanished beneath the assault.
Everything vanished under the red glow. And far away…
At the jagged edge of a massive hangar, built into the ribbed bone-like structure of the Koros-Strohna Worldship, Caedus stood—clutching his bleeding stump, but victorious in expression.
Wind blew across the open hangar bay, revealing an army in wait.
Yuuzhan Vong shock troops—scarred, tattooed, breathing through coral implants—stood in silent formation behind him. Their armor pulsed like living skin. Their amphistaffs hissed.
Caedus narrowed his eyes at the storm of flame behind him.
"I told you," he said softly to no one. "Contingency."
"I put every effort into all of them. My failures. My successes. Even these creatures—"
Caedus turned his head slightly as the Yuuzhan Vong dropped to one knee in reverence.
"I made them see me as a god."
Back in the burning crater… A single wave of Jin-Woo's hand. And all the flame dispersed.
Magma retreated. Ash rolled back. The smog cleared instantly.
He stood there. Untouched. Not even burned.
His coat fluttered in the residual wind. He narrowed his eyes at the sky, calculating, and muttered in his thoughts:
That wasn't a natural summoning. That was Flow-Walking…
He implanted a suggestion in their past . Made the Yuuzhan Vong believe he was divine… long before this day ever came.
Jin woo smiled . This guy… plan everything like a lunatic.
Without a word, Jin-Woo lifted his hand again—and the air bent.
The Koros-Strohna, the living Worldship of the Yuuzhan Vong, shook above the battlefield. Groaned like it remembered war. Like it remembered pain.
Ruler Authority gripped it—not to crush, not to obliterate—but to bring it down.
The pull wasn't harsh, but absolute. The ship descended steadily, safely, like a god guiding a relic from heaven. Jin-Woo had no interest in destroying rare things. Especially something this rare.
Caedus, standing near the edge of the hangar, felt the pressure. His body leaned slightly forward from the gravitational shift. His stump still bled beneath his cloak. His eyes widened—just slightly.
That pull again… like a black hole. It even bypasses the Force immunity of the Yuuzhan Vong…
And that moment—that slight moment—where Caedus let his thoughts wander…
It was all Jin-Woo needed. [ Shadow Exchange.]
In a blink, Jin-Woo vanished from the crater. Gone like a breath in the wind.
And behind Caedus—within the smallest, thin sliver of shadow cast by his own sleeve—
Jin-Woo appeared.
The True Monarch of Shadows no longer needed a soldier to switch with. Anything that bore a shadow belonged to him. Even the Sith's own silhouette was just another open door.
Caedus didn't even turn before—
SHUNK. The black blade of the Vectivus lightsaber punched clean through his chest, straight into the heart. Caedus's body froze mid-thought, lips parting slightly. Jin-Woo's grip didn't shake.
Then— strike-strike-strike-strike-strike—
Jin-Woo twisted and stabbed again—into Caedus's side, his abdomen, under his ribs, his back, his spine, his center—all across the lattice of Force points and core junctions that would normally allow a Sith to attempt essence transfer. Jin-Woo destroyed them. One by one. Precise. Without cruelty. Just certainty.
The last stab severed everything that could have carried Jacen Solo beyond death.
Behind them, the Yuuzhan Vong shock troops watched.
Not a single one dared move. Not a single one even blinked.
The presence pouring off Jin-Woo now—the aura of the Shadow Monarch at close range—was suffocating. Like being stared at by death that already had your name carved in its book.
Caedus stumbled forward slightly.
Blood ran from his mouth. He looked down, then up—his vision already darkening.
"…From the moment I wanted to take over your body…"
"…That was my fall, huh… Jin-Woo…"
Jin-Woo didn't answer.
Caedus coughed—once—wet and sharp. But his gaze is full of curiosity.
"Jin-Woo… what kind of galaxy do you envision?"
Jin-Woo paused. His face unreadable. His voice came low, almost reluctant.
"…Normally, I wouldn't answer that. Not to someone like you."
He turned slightly, the wind tugging at his coat as he stared into the starless sky.
"But since you're about to die—I'll give you something."
He exhaled, slow and steady. "I already made one."
Caedus's eyes twitched.
Jin-Woo continued, still watching something only he could see. "There was a time… only one universe. Just one. I shaped it—by hand, by will, by massacre . I called it perfection. I called it peace."
"And it turned into a nightmare. A living hell. No laws. No balance. No kindness. Just cruelty disguised as logic. Everyone turned on each other. They killed for nothing..
"That's something I won't repeat."
Caedus gave a dry, choking chuckle. "…No wonder you were so chatty about my path. You already made a mistake bigger than mine, didn't you?"
Jin-Woo didn't reply.
But Caedus still had one move left. With his last drop of willpower, he called upon the one technique he knew would remain. Flow-Walking.
He sent a pulse—lightless and slow—through the past… aimed at the Yuuzhan Vong who stood frozen in the hangar of the Koros-Strohna.
And with that flicker of suggestion, a single truth was rewritten.
Jin-Woo… was their god.
The Yuuzhan Vong, hardened and bred for nothing but war, began to tremble. Then—one by one—they dropped to their knees. The hangar echoed with their guttural chorus.
"Long live Jin-Woo!"
"Worse than a Sith! Wiser than a god!"
Jin-Woo looked back toward the fallen Caedus, brow furrowed.
"…For what purpose, Caedus? You and I both know we hated each other."
Caedus managed a broken grin, blood at his lips. "My master… Lumiya… always said…"
he whispered, voice nearly gone, "…If you want to leave something behind… make sure your legacy sustains."
He exhaled. One last ragged breath.
"…So long, Jin-Woo. The man… 100 times worse than a Sith…"
With those final words, Caedus's body began to disintegrate. It was no longer flesh, but a mixture of light and dark—Force energy swirling together. It merged, dissipating into the air, absorbed by Jin-Woo.
Jin-Woo stood silently for a moment, letting the weight of the moment pass through him.
Then, without a word, he turned away from the remnants of the battlefield.
He walked calmly, without fanfare, out of the Koros-Strohna's hangar. Into the shattered arena.
[Notification: Quest Completed]
The system chimed.
[Hidden Quest: SUCCESS]
.......................................…
[Emergency Quest: DEFEND YOUR SOUL]
Arena: Vergence of Betrayal
Status: COMPLETED
Description:
You have entered a battlefield carved from fragmented Force memory—shattered timelines, broken destinies, and echoes of conflict. Darth Caedus, a master of psychological warfare and Force manipulation, is attempting to hijack your body through Essence Transfer. This duel is more than physical—it's spiritual. Resist, or be consumed.
Zone Effects:
• Force Severance Zone: Midichlorian response slowed by 20%.
• Essence Drift: Temporal delay affects your Force reactions.
Caedus Buffs:
• Blade-Phase Mastery: If your composure falters, Caedus's strikes ignore 20% of your durability.
• Dark Empathy: The more unstable your emotions, the faster Caedus adapts to your patterns and counters you.
Objective:
Defend your soul from Caedus. If you fail, your existence is erased.
Reward:
• Absorb the Core Caedus's Force techniques and psychological warfare tactics.
• Gain New Republic Era Holocron (Jedi + Sith knowledge combined).
• Unlock Darth Caedus's hidden contingency protocols.
• Unlock Essence Memory: Darth Caedus – Legacy of the Betrayer.
[Hidden Objective: COMPLETED]
Caedus dies peacefully , killed by lightsaber , willingly allowing absorption.
He reveals one of his secret contingency plans: remaining command of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet.
Rewards Unlocked:
• +5,000,000 EXP
• 1x Yuuzhan Vong Fleet Voucher
- Includes Baanu Rass, worldship-class, 120 km wide
• Rakatan Holocron Fragment
• Ancient Rakatan schematics: Star Forge Blueprints
..........................................
Jin-Woo read it all And then he smiled. Faint. Quiet.
Suddenly—like a bullet—FLASH
Morgan bolted out of nowhere, a blur of silver and blue, her cloak whipping behind her as she tackled Jin-Woo with the every pent-up emotion she'd held in during the duel.
She crashed into his chest and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm glad you're okay, Jin-Woo!" she said, voice muffled slightly by his coat. "I was so scared when that monster bombarded you with meteors—!"
Jin-Woo tilted his head.
"…Not a monster," he said, lightly resting his hand on her back. "It was a ship. Koros-Strohna. One of the largest living ships in the galaxy. Organic—Yuuzhan Vong tech. Very rare."
Morgan blinked up at him. "…Wait, that thing's alive?!"
Jin-Woo just chuckled under his breath.
But the moment hung too long. In a blur of motion, the surviving Yuuzhan Vong—strange, armor-clad beings marked by ritual scars and bone-crafted gear—surrounded Morgan in a tight circle. One stepped forward, its voice a hiss of devotion.
"A disrespect toward our god is—"
Jin-Woo's presence surged. A sudden flare of deep violet—his aura pulsing with silent command. Hidden signals rippled like threads through the domain .
The Yuuzhan Vong all paused mid-sentence. Then, without a word, they lowered their weapons and knelt—before turning away and retreating back toward the Koros-Strohna.
Jin-Woo exhaled. "It's a living ship. What did you expect?"
Morgan slowly lowered her guard, eyeing the retreating army with thinly veiled suspicion. "That's… the Yuuzhan Vong? The ones Jacen Solo mentioned?"
"Yeah," Jin-Woo nodded. "And I've got about five thousand of them waiting aboard that ship. Assuming the records are right… they're the last surviving force from the New Republic era."
Morgan narrowed her gaze at the behemoth floating in the distance—Koros-Strohna, its silhouette monstrous even when still. She sighed, then raised one hand. Dozens of glowing magecraft circles spiraled into the air, forming a latticework. Giant conjured blades shimmered into being around her.
"You don't mind if I stab your ship, right?"
Jin-Woo didn't even look at her, only folded his arms. "Morgan. Yuuzhan Vong are resistant to the Force. Your magecraft might as well be light snowfall to them. But… I get it. Most folks want proof with their eyes."
He glanced casually at the audience—magus bound in silence by the arena rules, watching from their chains.
Suddenly—CLACK.
A shadow emerged beside him—tall, armored, and knelt with weight of loyalty.
Igris . spoke, his voice deep and unwavering.
"The Liege speaks true. The Vong will not falter beneath enchantment. Isn't that right?"
And then—like a wave of silence torn open—two thousand more shadows stepped forward. All knights. All kneeling. Their voices echoed as one:
"Yes. The Liege desires demonstration."
Jin-Woo's eye twitched. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as a vein pulsed slightly in his temple.
Stop saying stuff like that, he projected through telepathy, sharp and exasperated. You're gonna make me sound like a damn cringe overlord in front of the magi.
The shadow army bowed deeper in perfect silence, reverent… and totally ignoring his tone.
Morgan, meanwhile, still holding her summoned blades aloft, gave a playful smirk. "Fine then, let's test this… living warship."
With a flick of her hand, the massive, glowing blades of magecraft shot forward like divine lances. They sailed through the air, trailing streaks of mystic energy—until they struck the hide of the Koros-Strohna.
And shattered. Like glass.
Each one exploded into a cloud of shards and scattered light, not even leaving a scratch on the creature-ship's obsidian-flesh hull.
"…What," Morgan muttered, eyes wide.
Jin-Woo casually gestured with his hand toward the lingering sparkle in the air. "Satisfied?"
She gave a slow, reluctant nod.
"Good," Jin-Woo said, turning on his heel. "Come on. We still have kebabs to eat."
Morgan flinched, suddenly remembering the earlier chaos, and found herself awkwardly tugging at her clothes . "Then—I… I command you to transport me back, Jin-Woo. That's an order."
He didn't respond immediately.
Because just then, the System chimed in his mind.
.......................................…..
[Notification]
The Arena of Vergence has reached a critical phase.
If you and Morgan exit now:
– All magi spectators will retain full memory of the battle against Darth Caedus.
– The Koros-Strohna will not return to containment.
– Its full 12km mass will materialize in realspace—above the current region.
– Earth's population will witness the arrival of an alien bioship.
Confirm: Y/N
.......................................…..
Jin-Woo's smile returned.
And without a word, he pressed Y.
In an instant, reality folded cleanly. The smoke of Vergence dispersed like it had never existed—replaced by the crisp scent of roasted meat, warm spices, and freshly baked bread.
Morgan and Jin-Woo reappeared right where they had been: seated beside the bustling kebab stall in 2017's Camden Market, London. The moment they landed, Morgan didn't hesitate—she grabbed the nearest kebab from the towering tray and bit into it like she hadn't just fought two Jedi fragments and a Sith Lord across a fragment of memory.
Only 299 kebabs remained.
Jin-Woo, however, didn't move. His hand gripped the green Sith Holocron as his eyes slowly scanned the world around them.
The crowded Camden Market of 2017 London buzzed in soft color—food carts from every nation lined the alleys. LED signs flickered above steaming grills. Thai skewers sizzled beside takoyaki pans. Brazilian steak wrapped in flatbread. Turkish sweets glistened in sugar beside overflowing juice carts. Christmas lights stretched between stone buildings.
A carousel spun beside the market square, golden horses dancing with mirrored reflections. Children's laughter filled the air. Street musicians played jazz with worn brass instruments.
And then… People around them staggered slightly. Blinked. Rubbed their chests. Every breath felt thin. Their lungs—tight. Their minds—hollowed.
The crowd had been stunned for a whole day. Their bodies remembered. Even if they didn't know why.
That clash inside the Holocron—the battle between Jin-Woo and Darth Caedus—had Effect them too far.
Jin-Woo raised his gaze toward the sky, brows drawing close. The holocron in his palm pulsed, green light cracking gently down its edge. He didn't need to open it to feel what was coming.
The Koros-Strohna.
It hadn't arrived yet. The delay in spawning—whatever the cause—was a blessing.
One he didn't plan to waste.
"Offensive Bias," he whispered.
A quiet pulse echoed in his mind. The familiar cold voice of the ancient AI replied at once. "Online."
"If you see a massive, organic ship start slipping into realspace—twelve kilometers wide, coral plating, living sensors—I want you to slipspace it. Immediately."
There was a pause. Then:
"Negative. Scanning a biological mass that large requires fifteen minutes minimum. If performed incorrectly, structural displacement could lead to vaporization mid-transit or a tear in the target's own cortex wall."
Jin-Woo exhaled, hand still steady on the holocron. "…That's good enough," he murmured. "Just be ready."
Above, the clouds didn't shift. But the pressure in the air said it all.
.Jin-Woo? He just closed his eyes for a moment. Then reached for a kebab and took a bite.
Morgan, her mouth full, mumbled through food, "Hurry and eat. You promised me victory snacks."
Jin-Woo smirked slightly, chewing as his other hand kept the Holocron tight.