Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

The cluster of light Ha-kyung grabbed was yellow. It was a stray one, separated from the others in a corner. Soon, he felt something wriggling in his hand.

[You have opened an Ultimate Abyss Fragment.]

[You have obtained an item lost due to the Clock of Fate.]

[The artifact contains a large amount of Abyss energy.]

A dark red piece of cloth floated in the air, enveloped in greyish-white energy. Normally, it would be impossible to tell what kind of artifact it was because its shape was so peculiar.

However, Ha-kyung could not help but recognize it.

"Is this not what I used to wear?"

As he reached out, the piece of cloth unfurled. It flew toward him in an instant and settled on his shoulders—a dark red cloak. It was the artifact that paired with the Reactive Magic Armor.

The Cloak of Command.

It was a bit disappointing that he had not obtained another Authority of the Abyss Ruler. However, Ha-kyung’s heart was swelling with emotion.

'With this, I can use the Reactive Magic Armor more aggressively.'

The Cloak of Command possessed a pain-transfer function. Its effect significantly reduced pain, allowing for more active movement. This meant he would not have to writhe in agony whenever mana was transferred through his armor.

Ha-kyung’s eyes grew nostalgic as he touched the fabric.

"Uncle Do-cheol gave this to me."

It had been his twentieth birthday present. He stroked the cloak, reminiscing about his comrades. It was then.

Sizzle!

The Cloak of Command fluttered, and Ha-kyung felt a sudden pressure throughout his entire body.

[Abyss energy is penetrating your body.]

"Ugh!"

Ha-kyung groaned at the sudden pain. However, he did not panic. He had already experienced a similar phenomenon before. Enveloped in greyish-white flames, he remained motionless for a while.

Once the burning energy vanished, his entire body pulsed with new strength.

'By accepting the Abyss energy, my total mana capacity has increased as well.'

To think he could become this much stronger just by reclaiming an artifact he used to own. A sense of immense satisfaction filled his mind. Ha-kyung pondered why this result had occurred.

'There was more Abyss energy this time than when I found the Reactive Magic Armor. That means……'

It seemed the artifact had been steeped in the fragment for a long time, allowing it to be encroached upon by Abyss energy. For a normal Awakened, this would be no different from poison. Attempting to wear it would only result in chronic illness.

But for Ha-kyung, it was a boon. He was capable of mixing Abyss energy with his own mana.

"Shall I head out now?"

Perhaps because he had achieved his goal, Ha-kyung’s steps were light. He went out to rejoin the raid team, but not a soul was in sight. He traveled all the way back to the dungeon entrance, but it was the same.

Ha-kyung tilted his head in confusion.

'Where did everyone go?'

While he was lost in thought, he suddenly sensed a presence. The shadows near the dungeon entrance seemed to shimmer. As he turned his head, three Awakened appeared. They must have been hiding with a concealment skill.

Among them was a familiar face.

"Ah! Lee Ha-kyung."

Seo Jun-hyuk greeted him warmly. The other two were healers who had participated as guest members. Ha-kyung threw a question at Seo Jun-hyuk.

"Where is everyone else?"

"There was nothing we could do. We were attacked from both sides."

"Ah!"

Ha-kyung felt his mind clear as he realized the true nature of the curse. Seo Jun-hyuk and the guest members were individuals who did not belong to either major guild. Because they were unaffiliated, they had not become hostile toward one another despite the curse.

Ha-kyung turned to the healers and spoke.

"So, it is a curse that makes everyone except those you are close to look like enemies."

"That is what we concluded as well."

"What do you plan to do now?"

"Normally, we should follow the raid leader’s orders, but we simply could not."

It seemed Yoon Chang-ho had been properly hit by the curse as well. It was not a situation where they could talk things out. However, they could not just leave the dungeon either. Doing so would be a breach of contract.

Seo Jun-hyuk approached Ha-kyung and bowed politely.

"I am asking for your help."

"Why the sudden request?"

"To get through this ordeal, we need your assistance, Ha-kyung."

It was a rather absurd proposal. A prospect from a top four guild was handing over command to a guest member? This was an action that could cause trouble later. The senior guild members would surely have different thoughts on the matter.

Furthermore, Ha-kyung’s reputation among the Black Water Awakened was already poor.

'It will be difficult to change their perception. First impressions are very important to people.'

But for Seo Jun-hyuk, this was the best option. What did seniority matter when his seniors were under a curse and attacking him? Since Awakened were only human, it was natural for them to look for a way to survive.

Ha-kyung gave a heavy nod.

"I understand. Follow me."

"Thank you."

In any case, he had no intention of backing down either. This was a raid where the right of first refusal for the boss reward was on the line. Ha-kyung took the lead.

'If it comes down to it, I have to be prepared to clear this dungeon with just this group.'

The possibility was not zero. He had already cleared the Abyss of Collapse alone, and now he had three healers to provide sturdy support.

Ha-kyung performed the role of a scout perfectly. Disarming traps was basic; he also made quick work of monsters and navigated the maze with ease. Seeing this, the skeptical expressions of the healers began to change.

"You do not seem to have any scouting-related skills, so how are you doing all this?"

"Experience. I found that I could do anything when I was cornered."

Ha-kyung answered the question casually. He did not bother going into depth. Even if he told them, they probably would not be that interested, nor would they take it to heart.

Eventually, Ha-kyung reached the boss’s nest.

[You have encountered the boss of the Abyss dungeon, the Pain Bringer.]

Atop a spacious altar sat a giant on its knees. It was draped in red boards like armor, with numerous yellow flags stuck into its back. The grotesque structure and the smell of blood added to the macabre atmosphere.

However, the boss raid was already underway.

'The Chang-un Guild decided to attempt the raid on their own.'

Furthermore, Ha-kyung’s group was not the only one to arrive at the nest. A group emerged from the opposite side. Soon, a welcome voice crackled through the Whisperer.

―This is Yoon Chang-ho. It seems the curse has subsided. Why don't we join forces and proceed?

―Come over. We are aware of the situation as well.

Fortunately, cooperation was smooth. Seeing this, Ha-kyung also grabbed his Whisperer and spoke.

"The guest members have arrived as well."

―Well then, shall we proceed with the raid together?

Ha-kyung locked eyes with Seo Jun-hyuk. The two of them nodded. It seemed everything was finally returning to normal. As they moved along the outskirts of the nest, the Chang-un Guild came into view.

Ha-kyung tried to join the flank of the formation. However, a massive sense of crisis suddenly overwhelmed him. The Soul Brand was sending out a danger signal. He quickly retreated and shouted.

"Get out of the way!"

To his shock, the Chang-un Awakened began to pour out attacks. A mana arrow grazed his ear.

Flash! CRACK!

Judging by the depth it buried itself into the wall, it was not a warning shot. Seo Jun-hyuk’s trembling voice came through, sounding utterly bewildered.

"W-why are they doing that?"

"It seems the curse has not been lifted yet."

"Then why did they tell us to come over in the first place?"

"They were lying. There are monsters that pretend to be on your side, after all."

The Chang-un Guild was still unable to distinguish friend from foe. It seemed they had perceived even the communication via the Whisperer as a deception. Black Water, approaching from the opposite side, also entered combat. It was an unprecedented situation where allies were fighting each other in front of a boss.

Ha-kyung pressed a hand to his forehead.

'This is the worst-case scenario.'

It was more precarious than when they were hit by Venom Drake’s ultimate skill. Back then, they were just short-staffed; there were no interferences. But now, allies were checking one another. It was a truly frustrating moment.

Right then, the Pain Bringer began to wave a massive staff.

Rattle! Rattle!

[A curse is encroaching upon your entire body.]

[Subtle pain rises from deep within your body.]

"Ugh!"

Ha-kyung clutched his stomach. It felt as if insects were crawling through his internal organs. As the pain rose from sensitive areas, it became difficult to move at all. Looking around, he saw everyone else staggering as well.

But then, an unexpected sight caught Ha-kyung’s eye. A shimmer seemed to weave through the Awakened, jumping from one person to another. As it did, people began to collapse onto the ground in a chain reaction.

What else could that phenomenon mean? Ha-kyung suddenly muttered to himself.

"The curse…… was a projectile?"

If that was the case, he could block it as much as he wanted. At that moment, a transparent shimmer headed toward the healers behind Ha-kyung. Despite the cold sweat dripping down his face, he reached out his arm.

[The Abyss Challenger’s ‘Distortion’ Authority flips the space.]

Flash!

A small noise brushed past his ear, but nothing changed on the surface. The flow of a curse was difficult to grasp visibly. However, Ha-kyung knew his plan had succeeded.

Vroom!

A purple disc appeared behind the Pain Bringer’s back. The shimmering projectile headed straight for the boss, and soon, a system message appeared.

[You have reflected the Pain Bringer’s curse.]

[The mechanic of the Abyss dungeon is forcibly broken.]

[Harmful effects are removed.]

[There are currently no active curses.]

The Pain Bringer flinched and retreated. Its staff clattered to the ground. It was a small movement, but everyone realized it: the tide had turned.

Immediately, a voice came through the Whisperer.

―I am sorry. Because it looked so grotesque, I thought an enemy was pretending to be an ally.

It was the Master of the Chang-un Guild, Ryu Jae-wook, the 'Wind Facer.' He apologized immediately, his voice thick with regret. Ha-kyung, of course, did not mind.

'This happened because of the curse. How can I blame him?'

Besides, the boss raid was the priority for now. However, the situation was not great. Ha-kyung sensed a crisis on the Black Water side.

'Yoon Chang-ho is heavily wounded. It will take time for him to re-enter the fight.'

Originally, an Awakened from the Chang-un Guild named Choi Geon-woo had been the main tank. But due to the clash with Black Water, he was also in a near-death state. Though brief, the skirmish had been incredibly intense.

There were no tanks left. Seo Jun-hyuk muttered with a dazed expression.

"We are all going to be wiped out at this rate."

The dark arrows fired by the Pain Bringer covered the entire battlefield. The various factions of the raid team were struggling just to hold their ground. At this rate, it looked like everyone would be dead within minutes. There was not a single person left to protect the front line.

It was then. Ha-kyung stepped forward. The despair on Seo Jun-hyuk’s face turned into something else.

"H-Ha-kyung……"

"Prepare to support me. I am going in right now."

The other healers looked bewildered. Their eyes seemed to ask what a single melee dealer could do in this situation. It appeared they were already looking for an escape route.

On the other hand, Seo Jun-hyuk was burning with hope. He believed that Ha-kyung would pull off another miracle.

Ha-kyung charged toward the Pain Bringer, taking the pain curse head-on as it was cast again.

[A curse is encroaching upon your entire body.]

[Immense pain gnaws at your entire body.]

"Ah……!"

"Oh no!"

Laments broke out from all sides. Everyone had read the system message regarding the curse's activation. They all expected Ha-kyung to collapse helplessly.

However, the text that appeared before his eyes was quite different.

[Cloak of Command activated.]

Sizzle!

Ha-kyung was barely affected by the curse. He walked toward the center of the nest with a dignified stride. The Pain Bringer’s gaze fixed on him. Through the gaps in its mask, its eyes shimmered with unease.

It seemed to be asking why he had not fallen. Of course, Ha-kyung’s condition was not perfectly normal either. He had been continuously exposed to curses until now.

But he acted as though nothing were wrong.

'I must not be looked down upon. The moment I show a weak interior, I lose the battle of momentum.'

How could Ha-kyung not be afraid? His opponent was a medium-sized Unknown-grade boss monster. He gave a pale smile and whispered.

"I never learned how to fall."