Chapter 1

Prologue

 

Lee Ha-kyung reflexively looked back.

As he did, he saw his comrades turning to ash and scattering into the air.

Axis Prime.

They were the greatest guild of Awakened in South Korea.

However, despite possessing the strongest combat force, they could not avoid the brink of total annihilation. The Ultimate Abyss was just that treacherous of a place.

[The Abyss Ruler’s Authority of 'Restraint' binds your mind and body.]

[Mana Suppression Effect: 99%]

It felt as if his entire body were about to be ground into powder. He wanted to win, but there was no way. This was a raid that had mobilized one hundred and twenty of the most elite Awakened.

Yet, even after pouring everything they had into the fight, the Abyss Ruler remained standing, unscathed. His comrades were swallowed by a sense of defeat. Then, suddenly, someone placed a hand on Ha-kyung’s shoulder.

"I suppose this is the end."

"……Father."

Ha-kyung turned his gaze and saw a handsome middle-aged man with a genial expression.

This was the man who had founded the Axis Prime Guild. He was the hero who stood at the absolute forefront of the Abyss raids.

It was Ha-kyung’s father, Lee Tae-heon.

But what did such prestigious titles matter now? They were all about to die. Ha-kyung squeezed his eyes shut.

"We cannot end it like this."

They had made so many sacrifices to get here. They could not afford to fall this way. Soon, Lee Tae-heon’s gentle voice reached his ears.

"Of course not."

Ha-kyung snapped his eyes open. His father was an Awakened who had achieved one legendary feat after another. Just as he had always done, he would surely find a way to use his ingenuity to save them all.

However, Lee Tae-heon only gave a faint smile and said nothing more. Ha-kyung looked around with a bewildered expression. He saw that his other comrades were wearing the exact same smile as his father.

"Naturally. Who do you think we are? We would never kneel before a mere trial like this, kid."

"I thought you would be a child forever, but looking at you now, you are an adult. You even know how to be resentful of defeat."

"Haha! He is twenty years old, so he is all grown up. What is there to worry about?"

The comrades each spoke a word in turn.

The Crushing King, Han Do-cheol.

The Mad Bullet Shooter, Seo Kang-min.

The man known as the Iron Wall Enforcer, No Ji-hoon.

Every one of them was a hero who had defined an era alongside Lee Tae-heon. Ha-kyung felt a sense of cognitive dissonance. He could not understand why they were saying such things at this moment. He voiced his confusion.

"No, Uncles. Why are you suddenly saying this in a situation like—"

"We have already made up our minds."

Lee Tae-heon suddenly looked back at the Abyss Ruler. Caught off guard, Ha-kyung followed his father’s gaze.

The creature stood easily over one hundred meters tall. It had five pairs of arms spread wide like wings. Ten artifacts were held in its various hands. Everyone had been swept away by the Authorities; it manifested without rest.

Of course, Axis Prime’s response had also been magnificent. However, they had only succeeded in destroying four of its arms. They could not bring the Abyss Ruler down. In that moment, as the crushing weight of the creature's presence bore down on them, his comrades grabbed hold of Ha-kyung.

Clang!

"What are you doing?"

He shouted in a panicked voice, but the faces of his comrades were calm. Lee Tae-heon looked at Ha-kyung with a complex gaze.

"Most of our people died just to deal with those four arms. We have also used up almost all of our mana."

"Is there…… no hope?"

"It would seem so."

Click!

Suddenly, something heavy was fastened onto Ha-kyung’s wrist. It was Lee Tae-heon’s own watch, which he had taken off to give to his son. Immediately after, text appeared before his eyes.

[The Clock of Fate is preparing for activation.]

[Additional sacrifices required for activation are being added.]

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Ha-kyung shouted reflexively. He did not know much about the Clock of Fate, as the effects of artifacts were incredibly diverse. However, it was impossible not to notice the atmosphere of the room.

When everyone was holding onto him with such solemn expressions, how could he not know? But the situation flowed in a direction contrary to his will.

[The Abyss Ruler’s Authority of 'Scorch' creates a sea of fire.]

[The Abyss Ruler’s Authority of 'Gale' creates a tornado.]

RUMBLE!

A crimson fire tornado approached, turning everything it touched into ash. So many comrades had already fallen to that combination. They had managed to endure somehow until now, but it looked like they had reached their limit. It was then.

[Requirements for the activation of the Clock of Fate have been met.]

Ssssh!

Lee Tae-heon and the comrades began to scatter into dust. This was the result of throwing their very souls into the Clock of Fate. Ha-kyung screamed in a desperate voice.

"I cannot survive like this alone! If we are going to die, we should go together!"

"……I am sorry. I love you, son."

Those were Lee Tae-heon’s final words. Shortly after, the forms of his comrades vanished completely.

"No!"

Ha-kyung wailed, flailing his arms. However, he could not stop the wheels of fate that had already begun to turn.

[The Ultimate Abyss is being sealed.]

[Lee Ha-kyung, designated by the Clock of Fate, is being expelled from the Abyss.]

[The title ‘The Ultimate Escapee’ has been granted to the target.]

Click! THUD!

A massive stone gate slammed shut before his eyes. Immediately after, an unknown force pushed violently against Ha-kyung’s entire body.

In that manner, he escaped the Ultimate Abyss alone.

***

Chapter 1

It had been five years since the fall of Axis Prime.

The world had undergone continuous change, and the Abyss was no exception. The Ultimate Abyss had vanished, and various dungeons had risen to take its place.

Squelch. Squelch.

In the depths of a dark pit, a young man waded through the muddy ground. His robe’s hood was pulled down low, but a gust of wind briefly revealed a sharp jawline.

The man’s identity was Lee Ha-kyung. He was once a rising star, a promising young Awakened whose name had echoed throughout the land.

Thinking back on his past, he let out a self-deprecating smile.

'That is all in the past now.'

Ha-kyung had been naturally forgotten by the public. He had not made a single official appearance in five years. For the first six months, he did nothing but drink heavily, consumed by a sense of loss. Though he eventually pulled himself together, nothing changed.

Ha-kyung stepped onto a pile of jagged rocks and muttered softly.

"It should be around here……."

He was searching for the disappeared Ultimate Abyss. He had spent four and a half years scouring the deepest parts of the Abyss. Some might have called it a foolish obsession.

However, Ha-kyung had a reason for his search.

'Soul Brand. This will be my guide.'

He recalled the moment immediately after he was expelled from the Ultimate Abyss.

[The skill ‘Soul Brand’ has been added due to the effect of ‘The Ultimate Escapee’.]

[‘Soul Brand’ is detecting traces of a fragment.]

Ha-kyung moved according to the sensations provided by Soul Brand. As a result, he had been able to discover an artifact called an 'Ultimate Abyss Fragment.' It was a small, purple key fragment.

When he found it, he was overcome with a sense of euphoria.

[Ultimate Abyss Key Progress: 1/3]

If he could collect all the fragments, he would be able to open the Ultimate Abyss once more. However, when he found the second fragment, he realized this journey would not be easy.

The fragments did not only contain pieces of the key. Inside the second fragment, he found his old equipment, the 'Reactive Magic Armor.' Reclaiming his armor was a joy, but it also brought back painful memories.

"Whew……."

Ha-kyung shook off his thoughts. As he took a long breath, his clouded mind began to clear. Spending half a year grieving for his lost loved ones had been enough. Now was the time to move forward.

Ha-kyung steeled his resolve. Suddenly, he felt the hair on his body stand on end.

Whoosh—

The scent of a fragment drifted through the blowing wind. Ha-kyung was certain.

'It is here.'

His heart felt as if it were dropping into his stomach. A thrill surged up his spine to the crown of his head. His fingertips turned ice-cold, while a hot ember seemed to wake deep within his body.

Ha-kyung moved forward cautiously, following the lead of the Soul Brand. Finally, a different sight unfolded before his eyes.

[You have entered the dungeon ‘Abyss of Collapse’.]

[This space is filled with poisonous miasma and collapsing terrain.]

[Locate and defeat the Venom Drake hidden in the depths of the Abyss.]

[Grade: Unknown] 

[Reward: Weapon-type Artifact]

A yellow mist poured out, obscuring Ha-kyung’s vision. Soon, the acrid smell of burning drifted to his nose. With every step, his breathing grew heavier, and the landscape before him warped like rippling water.

Ha-kyung had entered a dungeon within the Abyss.

'It definitely would not be hidden in an easy location.'

If it were easy, anyone could have obtained an Ultimate Abyss Fragment. Ha-kyung heightened his senses and explored his surroundings.

RUMBLE! BOOM!

Earth and sand poured down with a thunderous roar. Giant trees collapsed without warning. The Abyss of Collapse was, in itself, a massive collection of traps.

However, Ha-kyung had gained vast experience by roaming the Abyss countless times. Since he had practically lived there, he was more confident in exploration than anyone else.

As Ha-kyung moved nimbly, a massive pile of rocks tumbled down. The unstable ground had caused the earth to shake entirely. It was an environment where maintaining balance was nearly impossible, yet Ha-kyung stood tall and steady.

'My senses have become sharper thanks to the Soul Brand.'

No system messages appeared, but Ha-kyung could feel it. He ventured deeper into the Abyss. Light bent in strange directions, and gravity occasionally inverted, but Ha-kyung avoided these anomalies with ease.

Suddenly, he felt a subtle movement.

Rustle!

'Is it an Awakened?'

Ha-kyung kept a close watch on the movement. Abyss dungeons were highly popular because, despite the danger, the rewards were immense. If the other person was malicious, he might have to fight.

Ha-kyung moved forward carefully. But the moment he stopped after advancing a certain distance, a maw filled with sharp teeth lunged out in front of him.

"Kieeeek!"

It was a moment that would have startled anyone, but Ha-kyung simply smiled. The Abyss always offered such a rough welcome. And that greeting usually led to a feast of blood and flesh.

'It seems some troublesome pests are living here.'

The creature appearing before Ha-kyung was a Lizard Hunter. It was a monster in the form of a giant reptile. Its hind legs resembled those of a frog, and two hooked arms sprouted from its shoulders.

Ha-kyung parried the hooks that lunged toward his face.

WHOOSH! CLANG!

Before long, his sword was engulfed in greyish-white flames. An Awakened could inject mana into their weapon, a process called 'Mana Refinement.' Normally, the energy would be red if no specific skill was used.

However, the energy dwelling in Ha-kyung’s sword was greyish-white.

'Soul Brand has changed so many things.'

He recalled the moment he challenged the Abyss again four years and six months ago.

[New Skill Unlocked: Abyss Refinement]

[From now on, you can directly utilize Abyss energy.]

Soul Brand was not just a guide. To Ha-kyung, it was both a stigma and a hope. Abyss energy was a power that operated on a completely different level from Awakened's mana.

He wove through the Lizard Hunters, swinging his sword wildly.

SPLAT! SIZZLE!

"Kieeeek!"

The creatures pierced by Ha-kyung’s attacks let out agonizing screams. The power of Abyss Refinement was that extraordinary. The Lizard Hunters scattered in all directions, seemingly terrified by his overwhelming martial prowess.

'It is best not to waste time on monsters if I can help it.'

The Abyss of Collapse was an open dungeon. Someone else might finish the boss raid before him. Ha-kyung did not pursue the Lizard Hunters. He simply moved deeper into the dungeon.

Suddenly, a thrill shot through his entire body. It felt as if Soul Brand was pointing toward a specific location.

[You have encountered the boss of the Abyss dungeon, the Venom Drake.]

[The poisonous miasma intensifies.]

[Mana Efficiency Reduction: 50%]

Ha-kyung had arrived at the boss’s nest. He would likely find an Ultimate Abyss Fragment soon. Of course, defeating Venom Drake was the priority.

However, a group of people suddenly caught his eye. By chance, another group of Awakened had entered from the opposite side at the exact same time. He could understand having competitors.

The problem was who they were.

'That person is…….'

He spotted an emblem shaped like a black wave and a trident. It was a symbol anyone would recognize at a glance.

It belonged to one of South Korea’s four major guilds.

Black Water.