Chapter 22
There were several reasons Park Chan-woo was sipping coffee on the streets of Gwanghwamun from early morning.
First of all—
‘Experimenting with my status condition [Nonexistent].’
He wanted to see how the [Status Condition: Nonexistent] applied in reality.
He walked the streets, entered a few shops, and checked if people could notice him.
‘There’s a difference between inside and outside the Abyss.’
The result was somewhat unexpected.
For starters, Park Chan-woo’s presence in the real world was no different from before.
People could see him and quickly noticed where he was.
They avoided bumping into him while walking, and even from a distance, they looked at him.
When he sat down after ordering coffee normally, no one else sat at the same table.
This was proof that people could perceive Park Chan-woo.
‘Outside the Abyss, people can recognize me.’
Then what about things that weren’t human?
Like the [Creators].
He had a guess about that as well.
‘When Kim Byung-han was targeted by a sniper Abyss—until I revealed myself, Gremory of Lamentation inside the Abyss didn’t notice me.’
When Kim Byung-han was being hunted by his coworkers,
Park Chan-woo had enlarged [Radiant Anubis] to help him escape.
Yet even afterward, the [Creator] didn’t intervene and allowed Park Chan-woo to roam the Abyss freely.
Even though she likely knew he had killed the gamemaster Andariel.
Which meant—
‘[Nonexistent] is effective inside the Abyss.’
At the very least, the [Status Condition: Nonexistent] was functioning properly inside the Abyss.
Its power exceeded even his expectations.
‘If even Gremory of Lamentation couldn’t sense me… then it’s safe to say no [Creator] inside the Abyss can detect me first.’
The opponent had been a demon god, after all.
Even one of the Abyss’s true rulers couldn’t perceive Park Chan-woo.
That meant lesser monsters or demons within the Abyss had no chance of detecting him first.
However, he couldn’t say it was 100% certain.
‘Inside the Abyss, people couldn’t recognize me either. But Kim Byung-han was different. At the lake park, and in the office… he recognized me.’
There were exceptions to [Nonexistent].
Kim Byung-han knew Park Chan-woo, and even recognized him first.
But not in front of [Pretty Faces Nightclub].
‘It’s not my existence itself—but rather a specific image they already know—that determines recognition…’
At that time, Park Chan-woo had been wearing the [Demonic Set], looking almost demonic.
So Kim Byung-han had only recognized him because he knew what Park Chan-woo truly looked like.
He had simply identified him based on his face.
Conversely, when Park Chan-woo covered his face and body, he wasn’t recognized.
‘It should apply similarly to [Creators].’
[Creators] who had encountered Park Chan-woo before would be more likely to recognize him.
And [Creators] might even perceive things in more detail.
For humans, the ‘eyes’ are the most crucial means of recognition.
But [Creators], as lords of the Abyss, perceive existence itself—through mana, presence, scent, and every other perceivable trait.
Because demons frequently change their appearances.
Their visible forms meant absolutely nothing to them.
‘If I don’t finish it in one strike, there’s a high chance I’ll be exposed.’
Park Chan-woo thought of himself as a ‘joker card.’
Powerful enough to kill an unsuspecting enemy in one blow, but once revealed, nothing was easier to counter.
If [Creators] learned of his abilities, they would prepare accordingly.
The thought of them being ready for both [Nonexistent] and his negative level was terrifying.
Thankfully, he had done Gremory of Lamentation a favor.
A demon god who was communicative enough to say she would help him outright.
He was certain that even Gremory hadn’t fully figured him out.
No one could imagine someone existing outside the minimum thresholds.
‘The key is whether the [Creators] can detect me on Earth, outside the Abyss.’
That was the true heart of the matter.
If the [Creators] couldn’t perceive Park Chan-woo even on Earth, there would be no risk of being targeted first or hunted by [Incarnations].
And so far, there had been no signs of that.
Even after bankrupting several [Creators], they had shown no special interest in him.
There hadn’t even been an offer for an Apostle or Incarnation contract.
Such contracts often occurred outside the Abyss as well.
[Creators] possessed inherent [Authority] that allowed them to observe the entire planet in real-time.
‘Given that I’ve received no proposals, it must be the latter—they can’t detect me.’
Therefore, the latter was more likely.
They currently had no awareness of Park Chan-woo at all.
‘…Only the [Host Creator] knows the challengers in a given Abyss. If I bankrupt the host [Creator], I won’t be exposed.’
He reached a conclusion.
Once inside an Abyss, he would destroy the host without fail.
That applied to this [Dungeon Abyss] as well.
Each dungeon was created by a different [Creator].
So naturally, each had its own owner.
He didn’t know who had created the [Water God Dungeon], but he knew how to bankrupt them for sure.
‘I’ll use [Nonexistent] to kill the [Water God] in one strike.’
Until now, he had been using [Reflection] magic.
However, using [Reflection] required either revealing himself or having someone like Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo to take the hit in his place.
Getting someone else to take the hit increased the risk of exposure.
And a revealed ‘joker card’ becomes nothing but easy prey.
So Park Chan-woo planned to kill the [Water God] alone using [Judgment], a skill from the [Frosty Helmet].
Lightning magic had good synergy against water, so it wasn’t a far-fetched plan.
And so, while pondering both the experiment with [Nonexistent] and his strategy for clearing the [Water God Dungeon], he sat at the café, sipping his coffee.
Of course, there were other reasons as well.
“Everyone! This is an opportunity! A golden chance to grow stronger and gather power!”
“Join the ‘Dawn Fellowship’!”
“We will protect you!”
…He was here to observe the people gathering at this location today.
Since the [Water God Dungeon] held the highest score, there was an overwhelming likelihood that all kinds of powerful individuals and [Incarnations] would converge here.
And those people were one of them.
‘Dawn Fellowship, huh.’
Later, it would become known as the ‘Dawn Sect.’
They were shouting with full combat gear equipped.
Especially one voice in the center—very familiar to his ears.
‘Yoo Han-seop, the leader of the Dawn Sect.’
He never expected to run into Yoo Han-seop here.
A powerful figure who had distinguished himself early on, growing the ‘Dawn Fellowship’ into one of Korea’s most prominent organizations.
One of the few individuals who didn’t fear the Abyss.
Moreover, Yoo Han-seop never avoided dirty work.
He would go wherever he was needed.
He inspired people by promoting a positive influence.
Young, handsome, with a good personality and great ability—of course, his followers grew rapidly.
But—
‘He’s an [Incarnation].’
…Yoo Han-seop was an [Incarnation].
He had signed a [Contract of Incarnation] with a [Creator] on the very first day.
While he was certainly talented, the reason Yoo Han-seop was able to stand out so much was that the [Creator] he contracted with offered him full support.
They must have seen his ability to attract people.
‘Did he come to clear the [Water God Abyss]? Or is he here to sabotage it?’
It was hard to say for now.
It all depended on which side the [Creator] who contracted Yoo Han-seop had bet on.
If they bet that Korea would achieve 5,000 points, he’d aim to clear it. If they bet against it, he’d actively interfere.
It was also possible that he was the host [Creator] who had made the dungeon.
By observing his actions, his intentions would become clear.
It was very curious why Yoo Han-seop would choose to challenge the hardest dungeon right from the start.
“Isn’t that Yoo Han-seop?”
“Oh… I saw him on the news. The one who wrote that ‘Abyss Column’?”
“Yeah, that’s him. They say he saved over 500 people inside the Abyss.”
“Then he must be insanely strong, right?”
The crowd was abuzz.
Yoo Han-seop was already a celebrity.
He had performed remarkably on the first day of the Abyss, and his guest column, the “Abyss Column,” had even made the news.
It was filled with tips for surviving the Abyss and garnered over 3 million views in just one day.
“I—I want to join too!”
“What should I do to help?”
As soon as it became known that he was Yoo Han-seop, people swarmed around him.
They figured there would be no harm in building rapport with someone like him while navigating the Abyss.
In the blink of an eye, over fifty people had gathered.
Then Yoo Han-seop spoke.
“From this moment, you will enter the [Water God Abyss] with me. And there, you will encounter an incredible opportunity.”
“Incredible opportunity? What do you mean?”
“Courage!”
“Courage…?”
“Yes. You will gain the courage to no longer fear the Abyss. You will grow stronger and become astonishingly powerful. And I, along with the Dawn Fellowship, will do everything we can to help you.”
The Dawn Fellowship had around ten members.
All were fully equipped and looked reassuringly dependable.
With their help, the promise of gaining power didn’t seem like a lie.
People had already experienced the Abyss for two days and learned the brutal truth of powerlessness and despair.
The offer of power—
What a sweet temptation it was.
It was impossible not to take the hand Yoo Han-seop was extending.
Before long, Yoo Han-seop, the Dawn Fellowship, and the crowd gathered before the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
“Then, let us begin.”
Yoo Han-seop boldly stepped into the [Water God Abyss].
As the members of the Dawn Fellowship followed him without hesitation, the people, after a moment’s pause, entered as well.
‘It’s all just showmanship.’
There were a few ways to enter a [Dungeon Abyss].
One could step directly into the “gate” like Yoo Han-seop,
But even just staring at it would eventually bring up the entrance prompt.
Just like now—
《Would you like to enter the [Water God Abyss] (1,000 points)?》
《Currently the dungeon with the highest point value in the Republic of Korea.》
《Difficulty: Supreme》
《Once inside, you cannot leave until a [Waypoint] is discovered.》
There was no expected survival rate because this dungeon wasn’t the betting target.
In this game, [Creators] had only bet on whether Korea would surpass 5,000 points or not, or whether the dungeon would be cleared or not.
‘At least I won’t draw attention.’
He wanted to avoid being the first one to enter.
Even with [Nonexistent], he couldn’t be 100% sure he would remain unnoticed.
Better safe than sorry.
Especially when it came to the first entrant—there was bound to be more interest.
Thankfully, with Yoo Han-seop and his group entering in large numbers, even the smallest risk had been avoided.
Park Chan-woo nodded.
《You are entering the [Water God Abyss] (1,000 points).》
* * *
Inside the [Water God Abyss], Yoo Han-seop quietly smiled to himself.
‘These people are just stepping stones for me to grow stronger.’
There was a reason he had entered the highest-scoring dungeon with a group.
‘My [Creator] told me. That treasures and [Elixirs] are hidden throughout the Water God Abyss.’
Yoo Han-seop was an [Incarnation], and he had a contract with a [Creator].
And that [Creator] had whispered the secret in advance.
About the [Water God Abyss].
【My Incarnation. I shall give you a map—enter the [Water God Abyss] first, along with those who will die in your stead. Search the marked areas. Countless [Elixirs] and treasures that will make you stronger are sleeping there.】
He had even been handed a map.
The [Creator] who had contracted with him was like a giving tree.
They were wholeheartedly invested in raising Yoo Han-seop.
Thanks to that, even on the first day, and during the [Abyss of the First Night], Yoo Han-seop had achieved considerable results.
And the same would surely happen in this Abyss as well.
Yoo Han-seop smiled.
‘This is it.’
Before long, he arrived at the lakeside marked on the map.
Though he had spent some time directing people, there was no way anyone could have arrived before him—he had moved with clear purpose from the beginning.
Moreover, the [Water God Abyss] was the most dangerous of all dungeons in Korea.
There were few challengers to begin with, so there was no chance anyone else would be at this lakeside.
All he had to do now was leisurely achieve his goal.
And then—
“A m-monster!”
“A mermaid with a spear just came out of the lake!”
Five mermaids appeared.
Yoo Han-seop immediately drew his sword and shouted,
“Do not be afraid! Kill the monsters with me!”
He charged in first.
As the Dawn Fellowship members joined him, the five mermaids were slaughtered in an instant.
‘He’s really strong.’
‘No wonder he wrote that column!’
‘He’s not even human!’
The people were in awe.
Meanwhile, Yoo Han-seop quickly approached the lakeside.
Rumble!
The lake and ground began to tremble.
And then—
SPLAAASH—!
A massive hippo emerged from the water.
At least three times the size of a normal hippo, with tusks sharp as blades.
The giant hippo charged straight at the people the moment it appeared.
‘Just as the [Creator] said.’
Yoo Han-seop had already hidden in the nearby bushes just before the hippo emerged.
‘The [Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng] is guarded by the mystical beast—this giant hippo.’
He already knew a monster would appear here.
“R-Run!”
“Kyaaaaa!”
As the hippo barreled toward the crowd, the people scattered in terror.
Seeing them all flee, Yoo Han-seop finally made his move.
To obtain the [Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng] sleeping in this place.
‘If the map is right, it should be exactly here.’
Cross-referencing the map and searching the area, Yoo Han-seop began to frown.
“……What the? Why is there nothing here?”
* * *
‘Not bad.’
Chomp, chomp!
Near the lakeside, Park Chan-woo smacked his lips as he chewed on the [Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng].
