Chapter 15
《Opening the ‘Black Box’.》
《A powerful curse that enveloped the contents of the box begins to seep out.》
The moment the box was opened, black smoke began to creep out from inside.
Tiny lights, like twinkling starlight, accompanied the black smoke.
‘The Curse of Anubis!’
Park Chan-woo quickly took a step back.
He recognized that the curse lurking within the black smoke was no ordinary threat.
In the past, he had seen black smoke just like this.
‘It’s the same smoke that turned people into monsters at the ancient Temple of Anubis.’
There had been a massive Abyss outbreak in Egypt.
Those who entered the so-called ‘ancient Temple of Anubis’ were all transformed into monsters after touching that smoke.
Even so, people didn’t hesitate to enter the Temple of Anubis.
That was because they had all witnessed Anubis at the temple entrance, holding the ‘Staff of Earth.’
The ‘Staff of Earth’ was a final-tier weapon on par with the ‘World Tree Staff.’
Park Chan-woo had also ventured in for that reason but barely escaped with his life.
In the end, no one ever cleared the ‘ancient Temple of Anubis.’
There was no way to overcome the curse that Anubis emitted with that black smoke.
And that wasn’t all.
Anubis himself was an insurmountable wall.
Only those who had faced him firsthand could understand.
His roar still rang vividly in Park Chan-woo’s ears.
—GROOOOOAR!
The roar of Anubis, that black beast.
A top-tier clan once assembled a 3,000-man raid team and launched an assault, but they were annihilated, unable to do anything about even a single Anubis.
The clan disbanded afterward, and the ‘ancient Temple of Anubis’ was deemed unconquerable.
‘So it was called a Black Box because it held a curse…!’
It had said the contents of the box were wrapped in a curse.
But he had no time to confirm what the contents actually were.
The smoke had already filled his room.
Just as Park Chan-woo was about to leap out the window—
《‘Easter Egg (001)’ activates.》
《‘Luck (1)’ arrives and evades the curse.》
《Another ‘Luck (2)’ arrives and illuminates the contents of the box.》
Spat!
The black smoke vanished without a trace.
As if it had never existed.
Park Chan-woo furrowed his brow.
‘…To think the Easter Egg’s luck could even dispel Anubis’s curse.’
The curse had been erased by ‘Easter Egg (001).’
He now understood what it meant when it said luck would come with each level-up.
…Honestly, he was surprised.
Something that humanity had never achieved no matter how hard they tried was now undone by the luck of an item of merely [Normal] grade.
‘If the luck of a [Normal] grade item is this powerful… just how terrifying would the luck of higher grades be?’
No wonder the Easter Egg was called a ‘clear item.’
Overwhelming potential.
The Easter Egg was something that could devour everything with that ‘potential’ alone.
Park Chan-woo approached the Black Box again.
Unlike before, white light was now leaking from it.
‘It really is like Pandora’s Box.’
The Black Box gave off an ominous feeling at first glance.
By opening something that should never have been opened, all kinds of calamities and evil had poured out.
And so, only ‘hope’ remained inside the Black Box.
Park Chan-woo cautiously peered at the contents.
“Hm…?”
At the same time, he tilted his head.
What he saw was vastly—no, gravely—different from what he expected.
The phrase said it had been illuminated.
Naturally, he thought it would be a piece of equipment or a tool worthy of that description.
“…A ball of fur?”
…Inside the box was a white ball of fur.
Eventually, the white furball lifted its bowed head and looked at Park Chan-woo.
Sssit?
《‘Radiant Anubis’ recognizes you.》
* * *
Team Leader Kim Byung-han was in a good mood.
In just a single day, the world had undergone a dramatic transformation.
And in the midst of that change, Kim Byung-han had seized an opportunity. He gained power. He now possessed a stature far beyond that of ordinary people.
“What the hell. Are these the only people who showed up for work today?”
Kim Byung-han frowned as he looked around the office.
Even in a world gone mad, there should’ve been at least 15 people here. Instead, there were only 3.
“They say the world’s ended.”
Employee Lee Min-soo twirled his chair with a joking tone.
He meant, what’s the point of going to work when the world had ended?
“How the hell has the world ended? Seriously, kids these days are the problem. Always looking for some excuse to slack off. Tsk.”
Kim Byung-han clicked his tongue in disdain.
But the truth was, the appearance of the Abyss had brought the planet to a standstill in just one day.
They had come to work today only to prepare for emergency situations.
Even after showing up, there wasn’t much to do.
“Team Leader, everything okay with you?”
It was a question about whether any of his close friends or relatives had been harmed.
The death toll from yesterday’s incident had already surpassed 100,000 in South Korea alone.
Team Leader Kim Byung-han shrugged.
“Me? I’ve always been lucky, you know.”
It really felt like some god was watching over him.
He gained power that helped him adapt to the changes, and even developed a connection with ‘Lee Hyuk-soo,’ the man hailed by all as a ‘hero.’
If he could get Lee Hyuk-soo on his side, there was nothing to fear.
With a single swing of his sword, Lee Hyuk-soo had blown up the Dragon General—his destructive power was that immense.
Just watching it had been enough to send shivers down his spine.
Then, a thought crossed Kim Byung-han’s mind and he spoke.
“By the way, where the hell is that bastard Park Chan-woo?”
“He’s probably cowering at home, crying his eyes out?”
“Well. He should be scared.”
“Isn’t that all because of you, Team Leader?”
“What?”
“I mean, you took such good care of him that Chan-woo got used to being pampered. Haha!”
“…I went easy on him.”
“You’re the best, Team Leader!”
Lee Min-soo gave him a thumbs up.
Kim Byung-han shook his head.
…Anyway, that was the kind of guy Park Chan-woo was.
Even the other employees would agree—he was a timid guy.
He followed orders without question, bowed his head without complaint.
But the Park Chan-woo he saw yesterday was different. So different he could hardly believe it was the same person.
He still couldn’t forget the look in his eyes.
‘Things will be different now.’
Kim Byung-han clenched his teeth.
If a situation like yesterday were to happen again, the one crying, begging, and wetting himself wouldn’t be him—it would be Park Chan-woo.
“Look, Team Leader. That guy’s no gentleman.”
“Huh. You’re right.”
It happened then.
While idly chatting with Kim Byung-han, Lee Min-soo glanced toward the office entrance.
Kim Byung-han followed his gaze and, spotting someone, called out cheerfully.
“Park Chan-woo!”
Park Chan-woo was standing at the office entrance.
A smile naturally crept onto Kim Byung-han’s lips.
He walked over briskly and grabbed Park Chan-woo’s shoulder in a tight embrace.
“You punk, I was worried! Nothing happened after that yesterday, right?”
SQUEEZE!
He used all his strength, nearly crushing Park Chan-woo’s shoulder.
Thanks to his increased level and stats, bolstered by [Rare]-grade equipment, his strength now surpassed that of most athletes.
Sssssss—
It was at that moment.
‘Why does it feel like my pants are getting warm…?’
Feeling a sudden dampness, Kim Byung-han looked down at the floor and instantly grimaced.
“P-Pee?! You crazy bastard! Who brings a damn dog to the office?!”
A white ball of fur sat at his feet.
It was small enough to be called a mini-cup puppy. It genuinely looked like a fluff of white fur rolling around.
Though caught completely off guard, Kim Byung-han cursed loudly, while Park Chan-woo remained unfazed and got straight to the point.
“Piss-pants. Take this.”
Thud.
Park Chan-woo pulled out his resignation letter and tossed it.
As long as society’s infrastructure was still functioning, he needed to submit it to avoid being dragged into troublesome matters.
“Piss-pants…?”
“Team Leader, were you the one who peed?”
The two employees who had come to work whispered from behind.
Kim Byung-han’s face turned red.
‘So it really was you, Park Chan-woo!’
It wasn’t a dream.
What he experienced yesterday during the Abyss incident at lunch—
The one who killed the monster really was Park Chan-woo.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be calling him “piss-pants.”
But having gone through the Abyss of the Night, Kim Byung-han had grown.
It meant he no longer had to cower like he did yesterday.
“Park Chan-woo. Don’t push your luck.”
“I’ve handed in my resignation. Handle it however you want.”
Of course, that threat didn’t carry any weight.
Park Chan-woo turned his back.
Then—
Thud!
Kim Byung-han grabbed his shoulder.
“Is that how you act when a grown-up is talking to you?”
“……”
Park Chan-woo stopped, still facing away.
Seeing this, Kim Byung-han got excited and spoke on.
“Apologize for yesterday. Then I’ll let you walk out quietly. Or maybe you’d like to try threatening me again like you did yesterday?”
“……”
“What, cat got your tongue? Don’t tell me—you scared?”
“…It’s the Abyss.”
“Huh? Abyss?”
Hearing Park Chan-woo’s words, Kim Byung-han furrowed his brow.
For a second, he wasn’t sure what he meant.
But soon after, he laughed it off.
“There’s no message or anything. What Abyss—wait, what, what the hell is that?!”
Then he looked outside the office door—and his pupils dilated.
At first, it sounded like nonsense.
But now, everything outside the office had changed.
“W-Why does the hallway look like that?”
“Team Leader. What’s going on?”
“Uh…”
The employees who approached also froze in confusion.
The hallway looked decades old—worn down and cracked.
Soon, the office around them began to change in a similar way.
Like an infection, the entire world rapidly transformed.
There’s only one cause for such a phenomenon.
“T-That’s impossible! There wasn’t any message!”
…When the Abyss appears.
Kim Byung-han flinched.
Based on yesterday’s experience, a message always appeared when the Abyss arrived.
But this time, there was nothing.
‘A targeted Abyss.’
Of course, Park Chan-woo knew exactly what that meant.
Some creator had forcibly triggered a ‘Targeted Abyss.’
Just like the name implies, a ‘Targeted Abyss’ aims to kill one specific individual.
There are no signs. It arrives one day, without any warning.
Without coins, the chance of dying to a ‘Targeted Abyss’ exceeds 95%.
Some even say it’s 99%.
‘Is this one targeting me?’
It was only the second day.
Who would a creator want dead badly enough to unleash a ‘Targeted Abyss’?
Could it be Park Chan-woo himself, who had bankrupted four creators yesterday?
‘…If they knew I bankrupted them, they’d also know I have coins.’
Park Chan-woo possessed seven coins.
And any creator who knew that wouldn’t waste a ‘Targeted Abyss’ on him.
The typical method would be to exhaust someone’s coins in another Abyss first, then use the ‘Targeted Abyss.’
Was this revenge for bankrupting a creator?
Even that felt off.
There was no loyalty among creators.
They were indifferent to one another.
If anything, they’d clap like seals and cheer when another creator went bankrupt.
And he had no memory of provoking any specific creator enough to warrant a targeted strike.
“L-Look outside! Look at the sun!”
Everyone turned to the window.
Soon, Park Chan-woo realized what this ‘Targeted Abyss’ truly meant.
Lee Min-soo pointed to the sun with one hand, then turned to look at Kim Byung-han.
“…Team Leader. Isn’t that your face up there?”
Just like he said—
…Kim Byung-han’s face was floating on the sun.
“W-What the hell. Why is my face up there?”
Kim Byung-han mumbled in disbelief.
And soon, a message appeared before everyone’s eyes.
《Identify and kill the ‘person whose face appears on the sun’.》
《Upon success, the Abyss will be cleared.》
《Time limit: 72 hours.》
《If failed, the ‘Death Knight’ will appear.》
“……”
Kim Byung-han’s face turned pale as he finished reading the message.
