Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

 

Actually, it was not that he had answered the Pain Bringer's silent question.

 It was merely a promise he made to himself. Ha-kyung immediately activated Abyss Refinement.

Fwoosh!

A majestic, grayish energy erupted and blazed along the blade of his sword. In that state, Ha-kyung prepared to spring forward. However, the retreating Pain Bringer suddenly raised its staff.

Clang!

The metal rings hanging from the top of the staff collided, creating a distinct, sharp sound. At that moment, Ha-kyung felt a powerful sense of crisis. An ominous energy was creeping up from the ground.

Soul Brand was sending him a warning. Ha-kyung’s movement, which had been intended as a surge toward his opponent, shifted abruptly.

Swish! Rumble!

Suddenly, a dark energy erupted from the floor. It was as if a giant hand were reaching out to seize him.

Boom!

A shockwave exploded with a thunderous roar. However, his figure vanished as if he were being erased. The Pain Bringer’s attack had only swept through an afterimage.

Meanwhile, Ha-kyung was sprinting across the ceiling as if it were level ground.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

“Ke-rawat?”

The Pain Bringer could not hide its bewilderment. It had been certain that the attack succeeded, yet the outcome was entirely unexpected.

Ha-kyung dropped straight down and thrust his sword forward.

Swoosh! Crunch!

His sword pierced cleanly through a gap in the mask. At this rate, it seemed as if the Pain Bringer’s head would be skewered. But it was at that exact moment.

[Pain Bringer Ultimate Skill Deployment: Blade Storm]
[An unstoppable wave of Abyss energy has been detected.]

Ha-kyung had no choice but to withdraw his sword. It was an instinctive reaction.

Whack!

He kicked the Pain Bringer’s wooden mask and immediately tried to throw his body to the side. However, his attempt was easily thwarted.

Roooooar!

A vortex began to spin, centered on the Pain Bringer. A dark-red gale filled the boss’s nest. Surprisingly, sharp blades were hidden within that wind.

Slice! Slash!

“Urgh!”

Ha-kyung let out a groan. Blood began to flow from the gaps in his armor. He deflected as many blades as possible.

Clang! Clink!

‘What about the others?’

Ha-kyung instinctively looked back. The tanks and melee dealers were setting up a defensive wall. They were blocking the Blade Storm with their shields and their bodies.

However, the situation was not good. At this rate, they would be wiped out before they could hold on much longer. He had to do something.

Ha-kyung glared at the Pain Bringer.

‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I will meet an ultimate skill with an ultimate skill.’

A grayish energy soared from his sword. It seemed as if he had cast Abyss Refinement, but it was quite different from usual. In an instant, the blade extended to a length of five meters, and the flickering flames became sharply refined.

This technique was the skill ‘Soul-Sever,’ which maximized Mana Refinement. For Ha-kyung, it was essentially his own ultimate skill.

‘In the past, using this once would immediately lead to mana exhaustion.’

That was why he had not been able to use it actively. But now, he was different. Because of Soul Brand, he could directly manage Abyss energy, and by obtaining the Abyss Ruler’s artifacts, his mana had increased significantly.

He now had enough leeway to utilize it naturally in actual combat. Ha-kyung lunged toward the front of the Pain Bringer.

‘I will finish him with this.’

But just then, his artifacts ran out of power.

[Reactive Magic Armor Deactivated]
[Cloak of Command Deactivated]

Ha-kyung’s jaw dropped. An immense pain surged through him. Of all times, the artifacts had stopped now. It was because the battle had dragged on for too long.

For a moment, his knees buckled, and it seemed as if he would be finished off by the Blade Storm. However, Ha-kyung did not stop.

Thud!

He took a step to stabilize his collapsing posture. Ha-kyung stood up while staring straight at the Pain Bringer.

‘I have to move forward. I cannot give up after coming all this way!’

The fact that his body was still moving meant he was not dead yet. As long as his body was alive, he could fight as much as necessary. Ha-kyung walked forward silently, enduring the pain through sheer willpower.

Then, the Pain Bringer’s scream became even more ferocious.

“Kyaaaah!”

It felt as though it were pleading for him to just die. In truth, this was not a solo achievement. Ha-kyung felt the overflowing power surrounding his entire body.

‘The raid members are supporting me.’

The focused care from the tanks and healers continued. Thanks to them, he was able to keep moving forward. The moment the distance closed to four meters, Ha-kyung’s footsteps finally stopped.

Then, a brilliant flash of light erupted from his sword.

Vooooom!

A grayish line was drawn in the air as if the very dimension were being split apart. For a moment, everything went silent. The frantically dancing Blade Storm stopped, and the Pain Bringer’s scream vanished.

It was a single swing. His entire soul was poured into that simple motion. Soul-Sever struck down like a divine judgment. Soon after, a large arm fell to the floor.

Splurt! Thud!

“Kreeeeeck!”

The Pain Bringer staggered while spewing blood. Surprisingly, at the final moment, it had twisted its body to minimize the damage. A look of regret flickered in Ha-kyung’s eyes.

‘Its reaction was too good.’

Still, it was not without results. The raging Blade Storm had subsided. Now, they could move into follow-up attacks at any time.

However, Ha-kyung could not do that.

Snap! Crack!

“Oh, no...”

His sword shattered with an ominous sound. It seemed it could not withstand the power of Soul-Sever.

“Hehehehe!”

The Pain Bringer chuckled. It seemed to have noticed Ha-kyung’s situation. There were signs that the Blade Storm was about to intensify again. If he did not do something, there would be no more chances.

Ha-kyung ran forward, drawing the hook-like blade he had kept at his waist.

[Poison resistance has improved.]
[The Miasma Infusion effect is being deployed.]

It was the artifact he had obtained from killing the Venom Drake: the Miasma-Stained Karambit. It was an item he had never even considered using as a main weapon because it was so short.

However, as he deployed Abyss Refinement, its form changed remarkably.

Voom!

A ferociously flickering energy extended nearly one meter. Looking at it now, the length seemed similar to the weapon he usually used. Furthermore, the curved blade straightened out completely. It took a form similar to the sword Ha-kyung typically used.

Soon, his sword strike gleamed like the scythe of a grim reaper heralding death.

“Cha-at!”

Swish! Crunch!

It was a strike that pierced the flank at a perfect angle. Ha-kyung wore a smile of conviction.

‘You will never be able to dodge this.’

Soul-Sever was activated while the blade was still embedded in the body. A grayish energy erupted from the Pain Bringer’s chest.

Splurt!

Dark blood poured out in a rush, and the ferocious light in the Pain Bringer’s eyes gradually faded. It ended up burying its head into the altar, which was filled with eerie sculptures. It was a dramatic victory.

[You have defeated the dungeon boss, Pain Bringer.]
[As a reward, you have received the ‘Sadism Mask’.]

Ha-kyung knelt on one knee and gasped for breath.

“Ha... huff! Huff!”

It was the side effect of consuming too much power all at once. Suddenly, cheers broke out.

“Whooa!”

“We won!”

The Awakened individuals stood up with difficulty and pumped their fists. They were all rushing toward Ha-kyung. It was a scene that clearly showed just how great his contribution had been. It was only natural for them to cheer like that.

Ha-kyung gave a faint smile.

‘This brings back memories.’

It was a moment that reminded him of the days when he was active in Axis Prime. Meanwhile, Yoon Chang-ho was getting up late. Then, someone abruptly spoke to him.

“Who is that guy?”

It was a man with sharp features carrying a bow. He was the long-range dealer nicknamed Wind Facer, Ryu Jae-wook, the master of the Chang-un Guild.

Yoon Chang-ho stared into space as if reminiscing about the past and spoke.

“That exhilarating footwork and superior swordsmanship... I finally remember. He is likely the last prospect of the Axis Prime Guild.”

“What? If that is the case...?”

Ryu Jae-wook’s expression changed dramatically as if he had realized something. Based on the circumstances, the man was not an Awakened of Black Water. If he was a guest member, he could be recruited at any time.

Pure greed entered Ryu Jae-wook’s eyes.

‘Was his name Lee Ha-kyung? I must bring him in no matter what it takes.’

Then, Yoon Chang-ho shook his head.

“I already tried to propose a deal by promising the best treatment. He refused, saying he had other things to do.”

“Master Yoon Chang-ho.”

“Yes.”

“If a problem cannot be solved with money, you should first consider if the amount was simply insufficient.”

“Well, feel free to try it yourself then.”

Yoon Chang-ho shrugged his shoulders, thinking there was no way Ha-kyung would waver.

‘You brat, do you think I have not tried that?’

Thus, the raid on the Abyss of Loathing ended successfully. Although there were many injured, no one had died. Yoon Chang-ho immediately showed the boss reward to Ha-kyung.

“A Sadism Mask... It is quite unique.”

“It is a magic type and belongs to the accessory category.”

“It is a pity, but that is not something I need.”

“Then how would you like to handle the purchase?”

“I will not buy it. Just make sure to give me a generous labor fee.”

“Haha! Understood.”

Yoon Chang-ho burst into a hearty laugh. When it came to artifacts, the more, the better. There was likely someone among the Awakened of Black Water who could put it to good use.

Having reached an agreement, the raid team immediately escaped the dungeon. They passed through the Abyss Gate and returned to reality.

***

Beep-beep-beep-beep! Click!

After opening the front door, Ha-kyung stood still for a moment. Silence filled the excessively large living room. Ha-kyung muttered softly.

“I am home.”

Of course, there was no answer. After taking a shower, he immediately lay down on his bed. Because he had cleared dungeons consecutively, he was quite exhausted.

Ring!

Suddenly, his phone rang. It was an unknown number, but he answered it for now. Lately, his contact information had been spread to many people.

“This is Lee Ha-kyung.”

—It is a pleasure to meet you. This is Ryu Jae-wook.

“Ah, the master of the Chang-un Guild.”

—First, I would like to apologize once again. Even though it was due to a curse, it is a fact that we attacked an ally.

“It is fine. That is all in the past. But what brings you to call me?”

—Ah, well, the thing is...

Ryu Jae-wook got straight to the point in a serious voice. As expected, the reason for the call was a recruitment offer. The treatment was so good that even Ha-kyung was tempted. The benefits were 1.5 times more than what Black Water had offered.

However, he firmly shook his head.

“I am sorry. Due to my circumstances, I cannot belong to any organization.”

—Then how about joining us as a guest member occasionally?

“As long as the conditions are right, I am more than willing.”

Of course, Ha-kyung had only one condition: the dungeon had to be Unknown grade or higher. Ryu Jae-wook continued in a slightly excited voice.

—Oh! Then would you like to join us for this upcoming raid?

“What kind of dungeon is it?”

—It is a High-grade dungeon, but it is a place that requires a key. As for guest members, I only intend to invite you, Mr. Ha-kyung.

In the end, it meant they would pay him a high labor fee. However, Ha-kyung was not someone who needed much money.

“I am sorry.”

—May I ask the reason for your refusal?

“The dungeon difficulty is lower than I expected.”

—I see you are looking for high-risk, high-return opportunities. I will keep that in mind. It is a pity, but I will see you next time.

“Yes, I understand.”

—Ah! If you are looking for high-grade dungeons, try contacting the Association.

“Has something been discovered over there?”

—I do not know the details myself. The support rate is quite high, so it would be best to move quickly.

“Thank you for the information.”

—Haha! Yes, then I wish you good luck.

Ha-kyung immediately checked the Awakened community. Fresh information was being posted. The Association was forming a large-scale raid team, and they were starting public recruitment today.

Ha-kyung sprang out of bed.

“The entry capacity is 120 people?”

His fatigue seemed to vanish instantly. If it was a place like that, could an Ultimate Abyss Fragment be hidden there? There was a very high possibility.

Ha-kyung immediately grabbed his car keys. Although he had finished preparing for sleep, he was not the least bit annoyed. To him, there was no task more important than this.

Soon, Ha-kyung arrived at the Association headquarters.

‘As expected, there are many people.’

Even though it had just begun, fifty people had already gathered. Ha-kyung immediately stood in line and waited. When his turn finally came, the interviewer asked a question with a dull expression.

“How many artifacts and skills do you possess?”

Ultimately, they were asking how many artifacts he had obtained. Ha-kyung clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘The entry requirements are high.’

More than half of all Awakened likely did not possess a single artifact. Furthermore, it did not feel like they were only asking for one or two. That made sense. The Association would want to take only the elite of the elite.

Ha-kyung answered the question in a casual tone.

“I have three equipment artifacts and four skills.”

“W-what did you say?”