Chapter 41
That day.
The day the Sniper Abyss formed, engulfing the company and everything around it.
Kim Byung-han felt threatened with murder by every single person who came to work that day.
From employees he had just been joking with moments ago, to team leaders he had always gotten along with.
Everyone was trying to kill him.
If the ‘Prophet’ hadn’t appeared…
That day, Kim Byung-han would have died.
A narrow escape from death.
After miraculously getting a chance at life, Kim Byung-han changed.
‘The only person I can trust in this world is myself.’
There was no one he could trust.
Even the ‘Creator’ he had made a contract with betrayed him.
—You’re saying the being you contracted with dumped all the blame on you?
Just like the Prophet said.
The [Oath Ring of the Dead] he had stolen from the Game Master Andariel was something given to him by the Creator known as the [Invisible Hand].
It had been dumped on him.
That Creator had set him up for assassination!
And he had treated it like a treasure, not knowing that—he was so embarrassed he felt his cheeks burn.
So he resolved to harden his heart.
He decided to trust no one.
‘From now on, power is the only truth. I need to level up.’
Once he made up his mind, Kim Byung-han acted immediately.
He crossed between Abysses, leveled up, and obtained dazzling high-grade equipment and pets.
Allies?
Just people who would stab him in the back eventually.
Even if they were in the same party, to Kim Byung-han they were just expendable.
When danger struck, he always prioritized himself.
That’s how he survived and reached the [Tower of Arrogance].
‘Level 15.’
There was nothing left to fear.
There were no humans stronger than him now.
If the same situation as the Sniper Abyss happened again, he was confident he could smash the heads of anyone who came after him.
Of course, the ‘Prophet’ was an exception.
‘The Prophet isn’t human, but a god.’
How could someone who obliterated a Death Knight with one blow and summoned a Creator themselves be considered a mere human?
The wondrous ‘magic’ the Prophet wielded was like a miracle.
They blanketed the entire Abyss in thorns and saved Kim Byung-han.
And that wasn’t all.
He was convinced that the Prophet was the one who raised the hero, Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo.
‘I almost died, but I gained something too.’
Although the Prophet didn’t heal him, they did save him.
Thanks to that, Kim Byung-han was able to reflect deeply on life.
It was the decisive reason he no longer feared the Abyss.
“Uh… Team Leader Kim Byung-han, is that you?”
It was while Kim Byung-han was heading toward the Tower of Arrogance.
He turned at the familiar voice.
“…Lee Min-soo?”
“Y-Yeah, it really is you, Team Leader!”
There stood Lee Min-soo, greeting him with a smile on his shabby face.
A once-loyal employee who had followed him.
—I’m not staying here a second longer!
When the Abyss struck, Lee Min-soo was the first to try to kill him.
The subordinate Kim Byung-han had treasured the most.
The one who taught him firsthand that no one could be trusted.
“Wow—Team Leader. Is that thing you’re riding a pet? As expected, you’re amazing!”
“……”
“Um… I know this is rude, but… could I go with you?”
“……”
“I-It looks like this area is outside the Tower of Arrogance’s jurisdiction. We don’t know when the Abyss might strike again. People keep disappearing suddenly. Please, at least for the old times’ sake…”
Lee Min-soo got down on his knees.
At present, Kim Byung-han was traveling near the Tower of Arrogance with the [Seoul Union].
The Seoul Union was one of the largest factions in Korea, and they were treating Level 15 Kim Byung-han as an honored guest.
“Mr. Kim Byung-han. Do you know this person?”
One of the Union members ahead turned to ask Kim Byung-han.
And—
“…No. I don’t know him.”
Kim Byung-han immediately shook his head.
He wanted to crush him on the spot, but he was no longer the man he used to be.
Letting emotions control him was something only the weak would do.
Lee Min-soo wasn’t even worth killing.
Leave him alone, and he’d disappear eventually anyway.
Kim Byung-han turned away and continued toward the Tower of Arrogance.
“Team Leader! Team Leader Kim Byung-han!!”
Ignoring the voice of Lee Min-soo calling out from behind.
About five minutes later, after walking some more—
‘Hm?’
There was one man who stood out from the crowd.
Blended into the masses, yet he didn’t mix—like oil in water.
Kim Byung-han smiled and shouted.
“Park Chan-woo! You’re still alive?”
“……?”
“Man, I gotta hand it to you. You’ve got one tough life thread.”
Kim Byung-han dismounted his pet and approached Park Chan-woo.
Back when the Sniper Abyss was activated—
‘The only one who didn’t attack me.’
Park Chan-woo had been the only one who didn’t go after Kim Byung-han.
Even when the entire company had gone mad and swarmed to surround him, Park Chan-woo just watched from afar without moving an inch.
Also, Park Chan-woo was the only one who hadn’t pursued him afterward to kill him.
That was why.
Unlike Lee Min-soo, Kim Byung-han was genuinely glad to see Park Chan-woo.
‘This guy isn’t normal.’
At first, he thought Park Chan-woo had simply gone crazy.
Like when the Abyss opened at the lakeside park, and he used Kim Byung-han as a shield to lure the ‘Corrupted Spirit’ away—crazy stuff like that.
But no, that wasn’t it.
Now he understood.
Park Chan-woo had simply taken control of the situation with cold logic.
Even when Kim Byung-han was sniped, Park Chan-woo had been thinking of something else, looking somewhere else entirely.
An incredible ability to remain calm and search for solutions in dire situations.
This world was full of idiots and morons, but Park Chan-woo wasn’t one of them.
He was clearly different from the rest.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I quit the company too, you know. The world’s gone insane—what good is a company now? You were the smart one.”
Kim Byung-han scratched the bridge of his nose at Park Chan-woo’s strange gaze.
They’d never had a particularly close relationship, but now, Kim Byung-han realized that this kind of relationship might be better.
At least Park Chan-woo had never tried to kill him.
The guy had no interest in others.
Park Chan-woo shrugged.
“Looks like you’ve been doing pretty well for yourself.”
“After quitting, all I did was dive into the Abyss nonstop. I’m not sure you could call that living well… But what about you? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been waiting.”
“For what? Oh, the line? Forget it, just come with me.”
Tap, tap.
Kim Byung-han patted Park Chan-woo’s shoulder as if they were close friends.
Seeing this, the building rep cut in.
“Uh, excuse me. Would it be alright if we came too? We’re actually pretty close with Chan-woo.”
“Really?”
Kim Byung-han looked at Park Chan-woo.
It was a question—was that true?
In response, Park Chan-woo nodded.
Since they all lived in the same building, that counted as a kind of closeness in times like these.
‘It’ll draw less attention than going alone.’
He didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention.
His goal was to quietly enter the [Tower of Arrogance].
“How many of you?”
“A-Around fifty.”
“Wait a sec. Hey!”
Kim Byung-han raised his right hand and called out. One of the watching members of the [Seoul Union] approached.
“You called, sir?”
“These people—can they come too?”
“Are they acquaintances of yours, Mr. Kim Byung-han?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Then there’s no issue. Let’s all go together!”
Recruiting high-level Awakeners was their objective.
This kind of special treatment was nothing to them.
Soon, the group of fifty joined the ranks of the Seoul Union.
Where they moved, a path opened.
Like the Red Sea parting, no one dared block the Seoul Union’s way.
“Wh-Wow. That’s incredible.”
“All thanks to unit 505’s young man.”
“Thank you. Really, thank you.”
People from the same building expressed their gratitude to Park Chan-woo.
Whether they did or not, Park Chan-woo kept his eyes fixed on the [Tower of Arrogance].
A tower so high its top couldn’t be seen.
As it gradually grew nearer, a dull ache pressed on one side of his chest.
‘Overall, their equipment looks decent. I don’t remember it being this good before.’
What’s more, the closer they got to the tower, the more formidable people’s equipment appeared.
Far better than in the past.
After experiencing the Dungeon Abyss, every citizen of South Korea had received a [Gold Box], so it was only natural.
The general standard had been elevated.
‘So he hasn’t broken through the level cap yet.’
Meanwhile, Kim Byung-han glanced at Park Chan-woo and thought to himself.
The fact that he’d been standing in line meant he hadn’t reached Level 11.
That part was slightly disappointing, but in fairness, Kim Byung-han himself was an exception.
As far as he knew, no one had leveled up this quickly in such a short time.
‘In the end, it all comes down to level.’
Kim Byung-han smiled faintly.
The future world would be all about level.
Everything gained from the Abyss was based on [level].
Look at it.
Even the Tower of Arrogance had level-based entry requirements.
If your level was low, you couldn’t do anything.
As time went on, the gap between levels would become even more pronounced.
The key was how fast you advanced early on.
In that sense, Kim Byung-han was already flying.
Meanwhile, Park Chan-woo was still crawling on the ground.
‘The Abyss is still a mental battle. Park Chan-woo’s mental strength is not that of an ordinary man. He’s worth bringing along.’
Even so, there were parts of Park Chan-woo that Kim Byung-han respected.
His mental strength, for instance, was on an entirely different level.
Most Abyss situations still relied heavily on mental fortitude.
The most important thing was to not be afraid, to not fear.
Park Chan-woo had already long since passed that starting line.
However, in the distant future, level would be the new standard.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Oh, we’re really close now.”
At the Union member’s words, Kim Byung-han let out a snort.
After following the Seoul Union, the [Tower of Arrogance] now stood right beside them.
It was clear just how much influence they wielded here.
“Mr. Kim Byung-han. The Union Leader is waiting for you.”
“He’s coming too.”
Kim Byung-han pointed to Park Chan-woo.
The Union member’s expression hardened.
“…Forgive me, but has he broken through the level cap?”
Only those who had broken through the level cap were allowed to meet the Union Leader.
Park Chan-woo hesitated.
He had broken through the level cap—but his current level was –89.
If he tried to form a party, the system wouldn’t even allow it.
Tap, tap.
At that moment, Kim Byung-han patted Park Chan-woo’s shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t worry. I vouch for this guy’s identity. And he’ll break through the cap soon enough.”
“He must be quite skilled, but…”
“Then should we just drop it?”
“N-No, please wait a moment.”
The Union member went into a tent set up near the tower.
Meanwhile, Kim Byung-han glanced at Park Chan-woo with a smug look.
‘Do I seem impressive now?’
He wanted to establish the pecking order.
I’m above, you’re below.
And yet, he was still offering his help.
“The Union Leader says both of you may enter.”
Soon, the Union member returned and said.
Tap, tap.
“Don’t be nervous, kid. I’ve already worked everything out with the Seoul Union. Just stick with me.”
Kim Byung-han suddenly acted all friendly.
Park Chan-woo found it quietly absurd.
‘Must be really lonely.’
Well, considering the betrayal he went through, it wasn’t surprising that he was starved for companionship.
And Park Chan-woo was also curious.
The Seoul Union would go on to become one of the most influential groups in Korea’s future.
They had suddenly risen like a comet and taken over Seoul in an instant.
Yet, surprisingly little was known about them.
Who the first Union Leader was—that was a mystery.
There were speculations, but almost nothing was known about the ‘first Union Leader.’
He never revealed his identity.
Unless you were one of the chosen, meeting him was impossible.
So, this meeting was meaningful for Park Chan-woo too.
Slowly, he and Kim Byung-han followed the Union member into the tent.
“You’ve arrived!”
“…Where is he?”
Kim Byung-han tilted his head.
Even though they were inside the tent, the Union Leader was nowhere to be seen.
Then, the entrance to the tent was sealed.
Ssshhk.
“Welcome.”
“…!!!”
Someone appeared behind them like a ghost.
Startled, Kim Byung-han flinched and stepped back.
At the same time, Park Chan-woo turned his head.
…And they could see the man who had appeared.
He smiled brightly at the startled Park Chan-woo and sweating Kim Byung-han.
“I’m the Seoul Union Leader—Lim Chang-yeol.”
…Lim Chang-yeol?
‘Tyrant Lim Chang-yeol?’
The man who reigned as a kingpin of the underworld.
Not a Level 99 achiever, but a monster even they didn’t dare touch lightly.
He stood at odds with Han Shin, and in the end, met his death at Han Shin’s hands—a tragic figure!
…To think that Tyrant Lim Chang-yeol was the first Union Leader of the Seoul Union.
