Chapter 19
Countless lines of text blurred before his eyes.
As Park Chan-woo read through them one by one, he frowned.
‘…They didn’t go bankrupt.’
They had bridged a gap so vast it could shock the world. A minus 96 level had hunted a Death Knight of at least level 41—that was a leap across dimensions.
As a result, over a hundred players received [Gold Box (★★)] as a reward, and Park Chan-woo, who had actually hunted the Death Knight, received both a [Platinum Box (★★★)] and a [Potential Awakening Scroll].
The rewards were overwhelming.
Especially what he had gained—it was nothing short of treasures of the highest order, worthy of being called peerless.
‘Any ordinary creator would’ve gone bankrupt at least three times over.’
But they hadn’t.
It meant they held a significant number of coins.
At this point, only an extreme few creators could afford that.
Which meant, the one who created this ‘Sniping Abyss’ wasn’t an ordinary creator.
‘Unless they’re a Named Creator…….’
Which only made it harder to understand.
There was a hierarchy among creators, and they were ranked accordingly, but most of the ones involved with humanity at this stage were from the lower ranks.
For example, those with the highest authority were the beings known as the [Great Nine Lords].
As the name implied, they were beings of such magnitude that only nine existed throughout the Abyss.
All creators and demons revered them, unable to even meet their gaze. Even the [Twelve Progenitors] couldn’t approach them carelessly—these were interdimensional monsters.
Below them were the [72 Demon Gods].
While not quite on the level of the Great Nine Lords, their influence over the Abyss was even more far-reaching. They were the true owners and administrators of the Abyss.
Then came the [108 Demon Kings], who governed smaller territories but wielded extraordinarily powerful authority.
These three ranks were considered the top, the so-called [Named], in the Abyss—but they had no interest in humanity.
Among the [Twelve Species], humans ranked the lowest. Weak and fragile. Only the lower-ranking creators played games with them.
It would take at least a few more years before the top-tier beings would even glance in humanity’s direction.
Which meant—
‘Are they really a Named Creator?’
The one who created this Abyss that targeted Kim Byung-han—could they really be a Named Creator?
As proof, even though a message had appeared, they hadn’t requested any [trade] with Park Chan-woo.
No offer to exchange the reward, no demand to reduce it. Nothing at all.
Despite the clear cost.
Named Creators had pride as high as their standing and never deigned to trade with humans.
And if—
If the opponent really was a [Named Creator].
If they belonged to one of the [Great Nine Lords], [72 Demon Gods], or [108 Demon Kings]…
—The Queen has given the order: Exterminate all humans in this place. Especially you—she commanded that you be completely annihilated.
The words the Death Knight had spoken suddenly came to mind.
How many Named Creators could be referred to as “Queen”?
You could count them on one hand, and each was terrifying.
Which meant—
‘…This is bad.’
…They must never become an enemy.
At this point, crossing a Named Creator was suicide.
Because ordinary creators couldn’t ignore the requests of a Named Creator.
There would be serious complications in trying to survive the Abyss moving forward.
Or he could be subjected to relentless [sniping].
Just like Kim Byung-han had been targeted, manipulated into betraying his comrades.
A creator might find Park Chan-woo’s weakness as well.
Of course, he wasn’t afraid of being sniped. But it would slow his growth—and that could mean defeat in the [Species War], which was the real problem.
How to overcome this situation?
He had a vague idea.
Park Chan-woo looked up at the moon and spoke.
“Andariel and I shared a life-and-death [Oath of the Abyss]. And she died honorably. To a demon, death means perfection—a complete end. But Andariel didn’t reach a true end.”
The conclusion he had reached after coming this far was just one thing.
That the owner of this [Oath of the Dead Ring], Andariel, had a special relationship with the creator.
Which meant they had come to hate Kim Byung-han for stealing the ring.
This ring was the root of everything.
Park Chan-woo slowly raised the [Oath of the Dead Ring] to the sky.
“Because Andariel’s [Existence] remains in the ring. There can be no greater disgrace for a demon than that. I can fully understand your anger.”
When a demon dies, they disappear.
They must evaporate without leaving even a speck of dust.
But the ring remained.
Because of the power engraved by the creator of the [Invisible Hand], who had made a possession pact with Kim Byung-han.
Isn’t that what had enraged the creator?
They believed the demon they had cared for had died dishonorably.
“O unnamed creator. O lord of the great Abyss! If you wish, I will return the ring. I won’t even ask for a reward.”
【…What do you want, human.】
Ah…!
Park Chan-woo trembled inside.
The creator’s voice pierced through the message interface.
A voice filled with majesty and gravitas—like a queen.
That meant the other party was indeed a [Named Creator].
And at quite the high level!
A being incomparable to any of the creators who had invaded Earth so far.
Park Chan-woo suppressed his emotions and said,
“Do you think I did this hoping for compensation?”
As if he felt wronged.
Even with a hint of anger.
Park Chan-woo gave it his all—he acted.
“Andariel fought alongside me under the [Oath of the Abyss], and I hope she can now find eternal rest. I acted on my own, for the honor of a great opponent—I have nothing to gain.”
The truth was, Andariel hadn’t been great at all.
She failed because she abused her authority for a tip.
If she had followed the rules and not blocked Park Chan-woo from joining the game due to lack of a proper party, her death wouldn’t have happened.
However, if the creator and Andariel truly had a ‘special relationship,’ then it was only natural that the creator would want Andariel to be remembered with ‘honor.’ What’s more, if the one who killed her praised her and upheld her honor, wouldn’t that be a great comfort?
【Give me the ring.】
Kuuuuung!
A ‘gate’ opened in the air.
From within it, a ‘hand’ shot out.
Without hesitation, Park Chan-woo placed the ring in the palm of the outstretched hand.
‘It would’ve run out of mana after two more uses anyway.’
A significant amount of mana had been depleted during the battle with the Death Knight.
At most, it could be used two more times before it became completely useless.
《You have transferred the [Oath of the Dead Ring].》
《The ring’s level will be adjusted to match the level of the recipient.》
There was no risk of his level being exposed.
The ring would automatically adjust to the recipient’s level.
At the same time, the creator’s voice echoed across the entire world.
【You are a human who understands honor. The day shall come, not far from now, when my aid reaches you……】
* * *
The moment the Abyss ended and reality returned—
“Huff! Huff! Huuuuff!”
Park Chan-woo gasped for breath he had been holding back.
Cold sweat streamed down his back.
His pounding heart felt as if it could burst from his chest at any moment.
His face had gone pale, and both hands were trembling uncontrollably.
The moment he faced the being who opened the gate and reached out a hand, the tension he had barely suppressed exploded.
‘Definitely a Named.’
To exude such presence in just a fleeting moment—
Even a few seconds longer and his heart might’ve literally burst.
Park Chan-woo quickly rushed home.
And the moment he arrived, he collapsed onto the floor.
‘I thought it was impossible, but to think it was a Demon God.’
He stared up at the ceiling, recalling the event he had just experienced.
He still couldn’t believe it.
A [Named Creator].
He was fairly certain they were one of the [108 Demon Kings].
Creators with higher authority wouldn’t bother paying attention to humans.
Even when he had reached Level 99, the Demon Gods still looked down on Earth and its people. To them, humanity was nothing more than a toy they could destroy at will.
Honestly, Park Chan-woo had felt like a toy too.
From the level of coins they possessed, it was clear—once you reached Demon God class, you were simply on another scale.
‘…I almost didn’t live to see tomorrow’s sunrise.’
A Demon God was a true ruler of the Abyss.
They governed immense territories, commanded countless demons and legions, and wielded powers that could only be described as miraculous—that was a [Demon God].
Wiping out a single human on a whim?
Most creators in the Abyss wouldn’t even dare defy a Demon God. Doing so would mean the complete annihilation of anything related to that creator.
The owner of that hand from moments ago was one of them.
Someone who proudly sat in the seat of a Demon God.
When the name came to mind, Park Chan-woo bit his lip once more.
‘Gremory of Lamentation!’
Known as [Lamentation], and the only one among the Demon Gods to be called a Queen.
Had he not improvised and given his best performance, he truly wouldn’t have lived to see another day.
And yet, she only took the ring and left the reward untouched.
‘Help from a Demon God… I can’t even imagine what kind of help that would be.’
But on the other hand, there was no greater gain than this.
He had made a Demon God owe him—for nothing more than a ring.
A being of that level had personally spoken of “help.” There was no way that help would be trivial.
Unlike regular demons, they never spoke empty words.
Ssshhh!
Park Chan-woo showered in cold water.
The cold touch of Gremory of Lamentation’s hand still lingered on his skin, so he scrubbed his hands over and over again.
Afterward, Park Chan-woo came out to his room and pulled out three rewards from his inventory.
‘[2-Star Gold Box], [3-Star Platinum Box], and the [Potential Awakening Scroll].’
After turning back time, he had managed to get a 3-Star Platinum Box again, but the Potential Awakening Scroll was a first.
If Gremory of Lamentation had taken it, it would’ve been a real shame.
In some ways, it was far rarer than the 3-Star Platinum Box.
Gulp!
‘…To think I’d get this already.’
