Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 

Ha-kyung panted heavily.

"Huff! Gasp!"

Before he had obtained the Soul Brand, he had avoided using Soul-Sever. It simply consumed too much mana. However, Ha-kyung had changed ever since he started utilizing Abyss energy. He had reached a point where he could comfortably fire it off two or three times.

Now, he felt as though he had grown even further. Even after absorbing a massive amount of Abyss energy, he was managing to endure it reasonably well. Ha-kyung looked down at his tingling arms.

'It is not enough to cause mana exhaustion. But this power…'

The result of borrowing the Fusion Tyrant's strength was immense. It was enough to cause voices filled with shock to erupt from all around him.

"Crazy! He has become even stronger than before."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was with him in the Abyss of Collapse and the Abyss of Loathing. He practically took down an Unknown-grade boss by himself."

"And now he is doing that against an Incomprehensible-grade? He really is insane."

It was only natural for them to be surprised. Ha-kyung had nearly reduced the Fusion Tyrant to a near-death state. Furthermore, he had destroyed every single Energy Circulation Core with a single attack. How many sacrifices had been made until now just to break one of those?

Soon, Yoon Chang-ho's excited voice rang out.

—We must not miss this opportunity. Let us gather our strength once more!

Hope was the source that made living creatures stronger. A rat submerged in water was destined to drown in fifteen minutes. However, if it was saved just once before the moment of death, the result changed significantly. Rats that had gained hope could endure in the water for as long as sixty hours.

It was a condition similar to the current situation. The raid team had been groaning from mana exhaustion, but they soon forced themselves to stand. Ha-kyung’s performance had planted hope within them.

'The probability of winning is rising.'

The main tank bit his lip as he grabbed the aggro. The ranged DPS characters attacked even as blood poured from their noses. The healers did their absolute best to provide care. Everyone was doing their part in their respective positions.

With a faint smile, Ha-kyung gripped his karambit tightly.

'I can still do more.'

A fair amount of Abyss energy drawn from Kin-Eater remained. He would be able to land at least one more Soul-Sever with decent power. Ha-kyung immediately approached the rear of the Fusion Tyrant. Because more than half of its waist had been sliced away, the creature was currently staggering. It was the perfect situation to cut it down completely.

Ha-kyung generated a thick, five-meter-long blade. It was somewhat shorter than the first one, but the power would be sufficient.

Whirrr! Swish—!

As Ha-kyung charged, a heavy shockwave exploded. Soul-Sever followed immediately after. A trail of grayish-white light followed the swinging blade. However, it was right at the moment the decisive blow was about to land.

[Fusion Tyrant Ultimate Skill Activated: Madness Torrent]

[A surge of unstoppable Abyss energy has been detected]

A dark, murky aura poured out abruptly. It was like a liquid substance that filled the boss's nest in an instant. It happened so fast that there was no time to react. Naturally, Ha-kyung's attack also lost its momentum.

Rumble! Click!

The tip of Soul-Sever barely managed to touch the Fusion Tyrant's waist, but it failed to exert any significant power. Ha-kyung felt an immense sense of frustration.

'This is not simple liquid. It is concentrated Abyss energy!'

Looking around, every Awakened person was in a similar situation. They had gained hope thanks to Ha-kyung, but now their expressions were filled with despair. The Fusion Tyrant's ultimate skill was just that lethal.

Ha-kyung stared toward the opponent's head.

'That is where this massive flow of power begins. If I can just crush that somehow…'

Rumble!

Suddenly, a strong current occurred and pushed Ha-kyung back. He knew the solution, but it was a situation where he could not even attempt it. He could not even steady his own body. How was he supposed to get over there?

It seemed impossible not just for Ha-kyung, but for the ranged DPS characters as well. They were all rolling their eyes back under the pressure of the Madness Torrent. Pushed to the outskirts of the boss's nest, Ha-kyung collided with all sorts of debris.

Thud! Thump-thump!

It was the fragments of the destroyed Energy Circulation Cores. It was an absurd situation where the byproducts of his own success had returned as a danger. Bubbles momentarily burst from Ha-kyung’s mouth.

Blub-blub!

'Damn it, I cannot breathe…'

The Fusion Tyrant was the final boss of an Incomprehensible-grade dungeon. As expected, it was not an easy opponent. Ha-kyung gripped the handle of his karambit.

'I cannot let it end like this.'

He had said those same words five years ago when raiding the Ultimate Abyss. However, the Ha-kyung of then and the Ha-kyung of now were incomparably different. He exhaled all of his breath at once.

Bloop!

'I will fill my entire body with Abyss energy.'

Then, he activated Kin-Eater once again.

[Kin-Eater Skill Target Selected]

[Target: Madness Torrent]

Ping—!

Ha-kyung could use Kin-Eater on monsters because he was capable of handling Abyss energy. However, he had not known if it would work on a boss's ultimate skill. In truth, it was not something he had done intentionally. It was simply a strong will to escape this situation that had taken effect.

[Reactive Magic Armor Deactivated]

[Cloak of Command Deactivated]

As if they had reached their limits, the artifacts stopped functioning. Consequently, Ha-kyung had no choice but to feel the pressure of Kin-Eater directly.

'Ugh! This is insane!'

All sorts of curses came to mind, but he did not even have the leisure to vent them. Ha-kyung barely held onto his fading consciousness. He focused on the movement of the Abyss energy. If he made even the slightest mistake, his entire body would be torn apart.

Suddenly, he realized his breathing had returned to normal.

'Where did all that liquid go?'

Ha-kyung realized one fact: he had swallowed the entirety of the Fusion Tyrant's Madness Torrent. Soon, he felt an ominous vibration from the karambit.

Whirrr!

The weapon felt as if it might break, just like when he had cut the arm of the Pain Bringer. Ha-kyung quickly unleashed Soul-Sever. Normally, a grayish-white line would be drawn in the air. However, the manifestation of the skill was quite different this time.

Vwoooom—!

A disk fifteen meters in diameter tore through the air. A massive shockwave followed in its wake. It felt as though a natural disaster had occurred.

"Ugh!"

Ha-kyung groaned as he dropped his left knee to the floor. His body was a mess, to the point where he could not stand properly. This was because such a colossal power had passed through his entire being. He laboriously lifted his head.

'What happened?'

A V-shaped scar was engraved into the Fusion Tyrant's body. A grayish-white line extended from its head to its feet. Split vertically, the creature soon collapsed powerlessly.

Boom!

As the white smoke cleared, the other side of the boss's nest was also destroyed. It was in the exact same V-shape as the Fusion Tyrant. After confirming that much, Ha-kyung let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew!"

Then, he did not move from that spot for a very long time.

***

Much later.

When Ha-kyung regained consciousness, he realized he had returned to reality. This was because he could no longer feel the subtle scent of Abyss energy in the air. As he sat up, a luxurious interior came into view.

It was a spacious private room with a wooden table and a sofa. The bathroom, separated by a glass door, even had a large bathtub. Had it not been for the various medical machines, he might have mistaken it for a hotel. Ha-kyung climbed down from the bed and tried moving his body.

'I am in a hospital. My body does not feel too strange.'

He had simply overexerted himself by taking in a massive amount of Abyss energy; he had not sustained any actual injuries.

Sliding open!

Just then, the sliding door of the hospital room opened and someone entered. The person he suddenly encountered was a woman in a suit. She had a neat style, much like the secretary of a large corporation’s chairman. Upon discovering Ha-kyung, she spoke with surprised eyes.

"Oh? When did you wake up?"

"Just now. First, I think I need an explanation. Who are you?"

"I am Yoon Ji-eun, a member of the Black Water Guild’s secretariat. One moment, please."

Yoon Ji-eun placed a call somewhere. He could guess the general situation. Yoon Chang-ho must have looked after the unconscious Ha-kyung. Soon, Yoon Ji-eun informed him of what had happened in the meantime.

"The raid team has returned safely. About a day has passed."

"I will express my gratitude to Master Yoon Chang-ho personally."

Ha-kyung immediately changed his clothes. Since his body was fine, there was no reason to stay in the hospital room. Yoon Ji-eun followed him and spoke.

"The Black Water secretariat will handle the discharge procedures for you. I will have a car waiting in front of the hospital."

Ha-kyung momentarily glanced at Yoon Ji-eun. It was actually a meaningless look; he was simply unaccustomed to having someone assist him. Still, it was comfortable. He even briefly considered the idea of hiring an employee.

However, Ha-kyung soon shook his head.

'What would a guy who is always stuck in the Abyss do with an employee?'

Keeping one around would only lead to unnecessary expenses. Ha-kyung immediately got into Yoon Ji-eun’s car.

"Where should I take you?"

"How was the aftermath handled?"

"You woke up at just the right time. The internal auction is about to begin. Ah, as for starting without waiting for you, Mr. Ha-kyung…"

"There was no way of knowing when I would wake up. I completely understand."

"Thank you."

"Let us go to the Association."

The Fusion Tyrant raid had essentially been led by Ha-kyung. Naturally, he also had the right to bid.

'I wonder what dropped.'

Was it not a rare Incomprehensible-grade dungeon? There was a high probability that the performance of the artifacts would be excellent. After waiting with his eyes closed for a moment, he heard Yoon Ji-eun’s voice.

"We have arrived."

"Thank you. Well then."

Ha-kyung headed straight for the large conference room on the tenth floor. When he opened the door and walked in, the Awakened were gathered in small groups. As he appeared, everyone’s eyes focused on him.

"Is, is that him?"

"It is Lee Ha-kyung."

"Is he okay already?"

"His mana exhaustion must have been severe, yet his recovery speed is incredible."

Most of them just whispered from a distance. However, every single one of them used formal honorifics. It was a sign of how much Ha-kyung’s status had risen. Soon, several individuals approached to speak with him.

"I survived thanks to you. I am Jeong Cheol-jin of the Iron Heart Guild."

"I should have visited you in the hospital, but my greeting is late. I am Do Hyun-ah, the leader of the Globe Amaranth Guild."

Business cards were pressed into Ha-kyung’s hand. They were not from the Big Four guilds, but they were all prominent organizations. Perhaps because they had shared this raid, they were remarkably friendly. It was only natural, as they all essentially owed their lives to Ha-kyung.

While he was accepting their greetings, someone took the microphone. It was Kim Tae-geun, the Director of the Safety Management Bureau of the Association.

—The internal auction for the Incomprehensible-grade dungeon, the Fusion Abyss, will begin shortly.

Immediately after, Ha-kyung’s phone rang. When he checked it, he saw that a text message had arrived with the same content as the announcement. It was his first time dealing with official aftermath procedures, but the process was not difficult. Ha-kyung sat quietly and waited for the auction to begin.

Soon, Kim Tae-geun brought out several items. They were artifacts that had come from the mid-bosses, the guardians. Ha-kyung had the right to bid on a weapon that looked like a sledgehammer.

'I will pass on that one, obviously.'

He had no intention of buying it. Eventually, the auction for the other guardians’ artifacts ended. Finally, the reward from the final boss, the Fusion Tyrant, was brought up. Kim Tae-geun spoke with a slightly flushed face.

—The final boss reward is the 'Tyrant’s Bracelet.' Its primary options are defense and recovery, and its utility value is extremely high. The starting price is 50 billion won, with bid increments of 10 billion won.

Every Awakened person in the room, including Ha-kyung, realized instantly what the 'recovery' attached to the Tyrant’s Bracelet meant. Could one repair their physical body at an incredible speed, just like the Fusion Tyrant? One might even become an immortal monster. Of course, there would be some limitations.

"..."

Silence fell over the room. While everyone was merely watching one another, Ha-kyung’s hand suddenly went up.

"100 billion."