Chapter 605

A solitary light shone dimly in the interrogation room.

Inside that cramped space, Han Sangjin sat face-to-face with the Unknown.

“So… you wish to make a deal with us?”

“Yes. At this rate, humanity is doomed. Initially, I trusted you to capture the impostor—but that was clearly a mistake.”

“Are you saying that you, Player Kang Jinhyuk, can capture the fake?”

“The imposter is a copy of me—my traits and memories replicated. Not perfect, but I can predict his thought process to a degree.”

Unknown nodded calmly.

Han Sangjin swallowed hard.

“We want to believe you, Player Kang Jinhyuk. You’ve cooperated fully so far, but… may I ask one question?”

It was the same reason the Awakeners’ Association still kept Unknown under containment—not as an ally, but as a prisoner.

“If you’re truly the real one… then why are the members of the Veteran Corporation siding with the fake?”

That was the most perplexing question of all.

Especially figures like Teresa—renowned for her integrity—or Chun Yoosung, famous for his distrust of others.
Why would they choose the fake over him?

At Han Sangjin’s words, Unknown exhaled slowly.

“Actually… there’s a reason my comrades are following him. The impostor spent a long time brainwashing them.”

[‘Memory Fragment’ is unlocked.]

Whirr—!

Dozens of holographic screens appeared.

The recordings showed Jinhyuk crushing and subjugating targets, forcing both players and residents alike to kneel beneath him, branding them with the [Brand of Soul Flame] to enslave them for life.

The clips were cleverly edited to favor Unknown’s narrative—yet the [Eye of the Abyss] prevented anyone from noticing the manipulation.

“Th-this can’t be…”

“Tell me, Chairman Han—didn’t you ever find it strange? Why so many talented people would follow a man notorious for cruelty and violence?”

“……!!”

Han Sangjin’s pupils quivered.

He *had* found it strange, many times.

Every incident he’d seen involving Kang Jinhyuk was so brutal that even hardened criminals would seem tame by comparison.

Now, at last, the puzzle pieces seemed to fit together.

Then Unknown revealed a gleaming item.

[‘???? ??’ is activated!]

Vwooom!

The small room filled with radiant light.

“Is that…?”

“Soon, countless lives around the world will be lost. But no matter what happens, please trust me. I’ll capture the impostor—whatever it takes.”

Even if half of humanity perished—it couldn’t be helped.
The die had already been cast, and the real Jinhyuk had vanished from all radar.

Now there was only one choice left: believe the one before them.

“…I’ll convince the world leaders.”

—

[The next seal has been released.]

On the fourth day, the “Covenant” drew even closer to full activation.

Governments and Awakeners’ Associations, barely maintaining order, lost control as panic and terror spread.

Cities burned. Monsters multiplied.

Outside of capitals and fortified zones, most regions had turned into ghost towns.

It was an apocalypse in every sense.

Those who failed to escape were trapped in a living hell.

“Grrr…”

“Graaaagh!”

Orcs clad in black armor prowled the ruins.

Their dark-red skin, adorned with primitive tattoos, made any who looked upon them tremble.

Clang! Crash!

Empty cans and shelves toppled with harsh echoes.

The smell of blood rose from their gore-stained glaives.

Just a few meters below ground, a handful of survivors trembled. Some sobbed, others fainted, others… lost their minds.

“Hiiik…”

“It’s over. It’s all over… heh, we’re dead… all dead.”

“Shh! Be quiet! We smeared goblin dung near the entrance—maybe they’ll pass by.”

“Please…”

A few among them were Awakened. But none dared resist.

After endless battles, they had learned the truth—
humans could not stand against an Outbreak.

No matter how many they killed, more came.
And each new wave was stronger, faster, and more monstrous than before.

[Gate is opening!]
[Gate is opening!]
[Gate is opening!]
[Gate is… opening!]

Named Hobgoblins, Elite Orcs, Trolls, Undead Ogres—even Wyverns.

High-tier versions of every monster humanity had ever faced in the Tower.

Humanity now faced extinction.

Major guilds collapsed. The Veteran Corporation was gone.
It was the true apocalypse.

“Grrrk…”

Aside from the growls of the orcs, silence filled the air.

The survivors prayed the monsters would pass them by.

But luck never favored reality.

CRASH! RIP! CRACK!

The glaive punched through the steel floor.

No matter how much they masked the scent, the keen noses of [Immortal Orcs] could not be fooled.

“Uwaaah!”

“R-run!”

“Run where? They’re everywhere out there!”

“Damn it! We should never have come here!”

Screams erupted.

There was no escape—the underground shelter had only one entrance.

The orcs smashed through, drooling as they descended.

“Grrr… Kill half for meat. Take the rest as slaves.”

“Yes, commander.”

An Immortal Orc hurled its glaive.

Whish—Thunk!

The weapon impaled a man trying to crawl away.

“Kh… urk?”

He stared blankly at the blade protruding from his chest before collapsing.

An orc approached, drew its sword, and hacked away.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

It didn’t stop until the man was unrecognizable.

A warning to the others: resist, and die the same way.

“Fresh meat.”

“Enough for a feast.”

The orcs tore into the corpse.

Crunch. Rip. Crack.

Bones shattered. Flesh ripped.

The air froze in terror.

No one dared move.
All they could hope was to be taken as captives—
to live even a second longer.

And then—

Vwoooom!

[The rift has been destroyed.]
[Space is reconnecting.]

The air cracked like a shattered shell.

Rip—!

A group of men and women emerged from the distortion.

—

“Whew. Finally back.”

The man in front brushed dust and blood off his body. He looked as though he’d crawled through a chimney.

The rest of his group was just as battered.

“Grk… new humans?”

The Immortal Orc narrowed its eyes.

Fresh prey was always welcome.

“Kill them.”

“Yes!”

A glaive sliced through the air—

Clang!

—but instead of tearing flesh, it met metal.

“Oh?”

“You blocked that? This isn’t even near the capital, yet there’s still a decent fighter left?”

“No, it’s because that one’s weak.”

“Hahaha! Tarochi, you can’t even kill one scrawny human? Disgrace to our race!”

“Come on then, human. Let’s see you squirm. I’ll make it slow.”

The orcs burst out laughing.

They’d grown bored of slaughtering cowards. A fighting prey was entertainment.

“You… pathetic human dares shame me?”

The one called Tarochi bared his fangs.

Rumble!

[Immortal Orc activates ‘Warrior’s Tattoo’!]

Mana surged, swelling his muscles until his weapon weighed several times more.

The glaive forged from “Meteor Iron” gleamed with a deadly edge even without aura.

Even skilled knights would struggle against Immortal Orcs.

Sparks flew as blades clashed.

Kzzzzt!

The sheer force of the orc’s blows would have shredded any normal weapon.

Then—

“Heh. So even orc trash wants a piece of me? I leave for a few days, and everyone forgets who they’re dealing with, huh, Contractor?”

The silver-haired girl watching nearby chuckled.

“Seriously. I just got back from the worst hellhole imaginable. I was planning to take a hot shower and eat some mint chocolate… tch.”

The man steadied his dagger, infusing it with mana.

Its blade turned crimson.

In an instant—

“Grk…?”

Slash!

The orc’s torso split cleanly in half.

Blood trickled down the perfect cut, and its glaive—made of meteor iron—was sheared in two.

“Well, at least being trapped in that barrier wasn’t a total waste.”

Jinhyuk flicked the blood from his blade.

The time he’d spent confined had been infuriating—
but fruitful.

He’d gained vital information.
Learned what “they” were planning.
And, most importantly—
how to exploit an enemy who treated everything like a game.

[Subspace Inventory is opened.]

In his hand appeared the Dragon Slayer Sword, [Balmung].

“Immortal Orcs from the mid-floors, huh? Not bad for a warm-up. I actually needed someone to question.”

“You’re confident for someone with so few allies. You may be strong—but what can you do against all of us?”

The Orc commander drew a horn carved from bone.

[Commander Immortal Orc uses Special Skill ‘Tribal Summons’!]

A wave of green light rippled outward.

The ground shook as countless footsteps thundered closer.

The true horror of the orcs wasn’t individual strength—it was the overwhelming numbers.

“Now what, human? Beg for mercy and I might spare you as a slave. After some… entertainment, of course.”

Their blood-red eyes gleamed with sadistic joy.

They wanted to watch him squirm.

Jinhyuk dragged Balmung’s tip along the ground.

Screeeech…

Sparks danced.

“Heh. I’m glad we’re thinking alike.”

Because he planned to do the same—
extract every bit of information they had.

And then kill them all.