Chapter 16

Radiant Anubis

‘It must be a mistake.’

At first, he denied reality.

But no matter how many times he looked, the face floating above the sun was undeniably his own—Kim Byung-han.

‘It’s probably just someone who looks like me.’

His name hadn’t been mentioned. So, couldn’t it just be someone with a resemblance?

Besides, there was no reason he should be the one to die.

Kim Byung-han re-read the message that had appeared before him.

Find and kill him? But why?

Everything was different from the Abyss he had encountered yesterday. In that one, all he had to do was fight monsters. But now, they were asking him to kill another human. How was that even reasonable?

“Team Leader, it really does seem like it’s you, though?”

“…Don’t cross the line, Lee Min-soo. How does that look anything like me?”

“But it is! The background even looks like our office. Look, if I wave my hand, you can see it reflected beside you, right?”

“What the hell are you babbling about?”

Smack!

Kim Byung-han slapped Lee Min-soo’s hand away, hard.

But the hand Lee Min-soo had been waving appeared in the reflection above the sun. Anyone could see that Kim Byung-han was the target, yet he stubbornly denied it.

“Does this make sense? I’m not a monster.”

“…But how can you be sure?”

However, Lee Min-soo’s expression had turned cold.

“Hey, you know who I am, right? I’m Kim Byung-han, your team leader!”

“Team Leader, I also experienced an Abyss during lunch yesterday.”

“…What?”

“In my Abyss, monsters that looked human chased us for hours. I spent six hours running for my life. Do you know what happened to those who tripped or collapsed from exhaustion?”

“How would I know…?”

“They were eaten alive. Their eyes were gouged out, their brains spilled out, and their bellies were ripped open while the monsters buried their faces in and devoured their insides.”

At some point, a dagger had appeared in Lee Min-soo’s hand.

His eyes were filled with an icy resolve.

Seeing those eyes, Kim Byung-han’s face stiffened.

“Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

“There are Abysses like that. So couldn’t there be monsters that act just like people?”

“Lee Min-soo! You don’t really believe I’m acting, do you? You think I’m faking this?”

“After what I went through yesterday, I learned something. The only way to survive an Abyss is to get out of it as fast as possible. And honestly, I can still hear the voices of those begging to be saved. Damn it, I thought I’d forget about it by coming to work.”

Thud! Thud!

With his left hand, Lee Min-soo struck his own head forcefully.

The Lee Min-soo who had been joking with Kim Byung-han earlier was long gone.

In reality, it had been Lee Min-soo who was pretending all along—pretending everything was normal so he could forget the horror of the previous day by clinging to routine.

But the memories wouldn’t fade.

It wasn’t a dream.

This was reality—an unbearably harsh one.

“Why does the Abyss even drag in children? It’s strange, isn’t it? The monsters run at adult speed, so how can the kids possibly outrun them? It’s not even a fair competition.”

When he had first been trapped in the Abyss, Lee Min-soo had held the hands of the children and tried to run with them.

But eventually, he let go.

Because if he didn’t, he knew he would be caught and eaten too.

“Snap out of it, man!”

“I don’t want to stay here for one more second!”

Ignoring Kim Byung-han’s shouts, Lee Min-soo swung the dagger with a clear intention to kill.

But Kim Byung-han wasn’t just going to stand there and take it.

He quickly dodged backward to avoid the blade and kicked Lee Min-soo hard.

Bang!

Lee Min-soo slid across the floor, skidding until he hit the wall.

Watching him, Kim Byung-han cursed under his breath.

“You son of a b-tch! After all I’ve done for you! You’re lower than an animal!”

Just five minutes ago, Lee Min-soo had been singing his praises, calling him the best team leader.

Infuriated, Kim Byung-han waved his hand through the air.

Then, with a series of clinks, equipment fell from his inventory.

The moment it touched his body, it automatically adjusted to fit him, piece by piece, until he was fully armed.

Kim Byung-han’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

“I’m going to beat you to within an inch of your—”

“There he is!”

“Get him!”

“Kill him, quick!”

Suddenly, a mob of people rushed in, overwhelming Kim Byung-han.

They were pouring in from every corner of the building, all of them focused on capturing him.

Just from a glance, it looked like there were at least fifty people.

No matter how strong Kim Byung-han had become after surviving two Abysses, taking on a group of fifty all at once was impossible.

He swung his sword toward the advancing crowd.

Shiing! Shiiing!

“Stay back! I’ll cut down anyone who comes near!”

But it was hopeless.

Kim Byung-han quickly found himself cornered, trapped at the far end of the office.

“I’m Kim Byung-han! I’ve worked with you for over ten years!”

He screamed until his throat was raw, but no one paid him any mind.

To them, Kim Byung-han was nothing more than a target to be killed. Nothing more, nothing less.

And as time passed, more and more people joined the mob.

Meanwhile, Park Chan-woo stood in the background, lost in thought.

‘What kind of grudge did a Creator have to target this guy with a sniper Abyss on just the second day?’

It was a rare occurrence. In fact, Park Chan-woo had never even heard of someone being targeted so quickly.

Opening an Abyss was a risk even for a Creator, and if the only objective was to kill a single person, the reward for the Creator was minimal.

‘Is there anything to gain from killing Kim Byung-han?’

Kim Byung-han was a nobody.

So what had he done to deserve this?

What could he possibly have done to be targeted by a sniper Abyss on just the second day?

“Push forward!”

“Kill him! Hurry up and kill him!”

The crowd, filled with murderous intent, had grown from fifty to nearly a hundred people.

The only magic Park Chan-woo could use was a reflection spell. In this situation, there was no chance to save Kim Byung-han.

Si-siit! Si-siit! Si-siiit!

He glanced down at the floor, noticing the small white furball circling around him. He read the name floating above it once more. Suddenly, a status window appeared.

Despite being only level 1, its stats were impressive. A total stat score of 60.

“For a Level 1 pet, it’s as strong as most Level 10s.”

Moreover, its level wasn’t reduced. Radiant Anubis was recognized as a ‘pet’, not equipment.

However, Park Chan-woo had rarely seen a legendary-grade pet.

Familiars in the Abyss were exceedingly rare. The world, created by demons, was filled with monsters intent on killing humans, so the existence of a pet that followed humans was a paradox in itself.

“Gigantification.”

Poof!

Upon using the skill, Radiant Anubis expanded, enveloped in a cloud of smoke, growing to about 1.5 meters tall—transforming into a large furball.

“W-What the?”

“A mo-monster!”

“Run!”

The crowd, mistaking Anubis for a monster, scattered in every direction, terrified.

Amidst the confusion, the giant furball began hopping toward Kim Byung-han, who was already too exhausted to react.

“P-Please, spare me…!”

Sckk!

Anubis jumped, pinning Kim Byung-han beneath its massive fur, securing him tightly within its embrace. Then, with one swift motion, it leaped toward the window.

Crash!

Glass shattered as they flew through the air.

‘I-I’m going to die. This is the end!’

Kim Byung-han began falling from the 11th floor.

***

“Where the hell is that guy hiding?”

“Did you find him?”

“He’s not here!”

“Damn it!”

The people who had been searching inside the building spilled outside, looking for Kim Byung-han.

“Ugh…!”

Shivering uncontrollably, Kim Byung-han hid beneath the rubble, his hands covering his mouth as he tried to silence his breathing. He trembled like a frightened animal.

The white furball that had saved him disappeared the moment it touched the ground. From then on, Kim Byung-han had no choice but to hide in various places, avoiding people’s gaze.

‘Why are they doing this to me? What did I do wrong that they want me dead?!’

Silent screams of desperation echoed in his mind. It felt like he was losing his sanity. Why had he become the target? Was this some kind of hidden camera prank? But no—the murderous intent of the people was real. They genuinely wanted him dead.

As night fell and the moon rose, Kim Byung-han’s face no longer appeared in the sky. Instead, spectral bats fluttered around, filling the air. The bats scoured even the smallest cracks and crevices where human hands couldn’t reach.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

“Damn it…!”

Eventually, Kim Byung-han’s hiding spot was discovered.

He ran with all his might, but the number of spectral bats chasing him only grew. Their eyes emitted bright lights, illuminating Kim Byung-han’s location.

By now, the area around him was as bright as daylight.

“There!”

“He was hiding nearby after all!”

“Get him!”

Thwip…

Thuck!

“Aaagh!”

An arrow struck Kim Byung-han’s side, and he tumbled onto the concrete floor, screaming in agony.

He struggled to stand, but—

Thwip!

Thuck!

“Ack!”

This time, the arrow pierced his left thigh. The pain was so overwhelming that he couldn’t even scream anymore. He was crawling across the ground, surrounded by a mob of people.

“You should’ve just died quietly. Why did you make things so difficult?”

“Look at the trouble we’re going through because of one fat pig!”

“Crush him!”

“I’ve always hated this bastard!”

“Always swaggering around like he’s something special!”

With each insult, they stomped on him, kicking him with all their strength.

Kim Byung-han curled into a ball, sobbing uncontrollably. He prayed over and over that this was all just a nightmare.

These were his colleagues—people he had shared meals and laughter with. He had crossed paths with each of them as they moved between departments.

But now, everything had changed, and they were mercilessly lynching him.

‘Please… let me live…’

His voice barely escaped his throat. Not a single person was on his side. He wondered if they were the real monsters.

To him, they looked more like demons than humans.

Poof!

Suddenly, a familiar sound rang out.

“Huh?”

“It’s that monster from before!”

“But… the person standing next to it…?”

The crowd stopped their assault, startled.

Kim Byung-han, now barely conscious, managed to lift his head slightly to see who had appeared.

‘Th-that guy…?’

He definitely recognized him. This was the man who had killed Game Master Andariel yesterday and had partied with Lee Hyuk-soo.

“He… he doesn’t seem human, does he?”

“He’s a demon!”

As Park Chan-woo approached with the gigantified Anubis, the crowd, now calling him a demon, began to cautiously retreat.

By the time Park Chan-woo drew near, everyone had scrammed.

Kim Byung-han, his face battered and bruised, looked up at Park Chan-woo.

“S-Spare… me… please…”

His teeth were broken, making it difficult for him to speak clearly. Park Chan-woo smiled and asked,

“Do you want to live?”

“…!”

Kim Byung-han nodded desperately.

“Then you must answer my questions truthfully.”

“I-I’ll answer anything… just ask…!”

“Have you made a ‘Vassal’ contract with a Creator?”

“N-No, I haven’t…”

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

As Park Chan-woo turned his back, Kim Byung-han quickly panicked, knowing that if he left, the crowd would return, and this time, he would surely die.

“I-I did!”

“With whom?”

“Well… it was with the Creator of the ‘Invisible Hand’…”

Kim Byung-han stammered, hesitating. When forming a Vassal contract, there was a clause forbidding him from revealing it to others.

But as he was now on the verge of death, such rules didn’t matter.

‘So that’s what happened.’

Park Chan-woo’s smirk widened. He now understood why Kim Byung-han had been “sniped”.

The ‘Creator of the Invisible Hand’ was the most hated of all Creators—because…

“What did you steal?”

The Creator of the Invisible Hand was known for coveting other Creators’ treasures.

“W-what?”

“I’ll ask again. What did the ‘Creator of the Invisible Hand’ order you to steal?”

“Well… it was just… just a small ring… I slipped it away…”

“Where is that ring?”

“The ‘Creator of the Invisible Hand’ already took it…”

“No, it should still be with you. Search carefully.”

Groaning, Kim Byung-han searched his pockets. From the back pocket of his pants, a ring tumbled out.

“W-Why is it here?”

“’Cause they got caught and dumped it back on you.”

Park Chan-woo responded plainly, and the whole situation became clear.

The ‘Creator of the Invisible Hand’ had offered a Vassal contract to Kim Byung-han, who accepted and stole a ring at the Creator’s command.

But after delivering the ring, the real owner discovered the theft. To cover up the mess, the Creator secretly returned the ring to Kim Byung-han, leaving him to take the fall for everything.

‘The Creator of the Invisible Hand… that thief has done this with several Vassals before.’

Park Chan-woo remembered it well because of the unusual methods. This particular Creator was despised not by humans, but by other Creators.

But what kind of ring could have warranted such a sniper Abyss?

Park Chan-woo examined the ring closely.

‘…No wonder they wanted him dead.’

He understood the Creator’s desire to kill Kim Byung-han now.

Of all things to steal, it had to be this ring.

‘The Ring of the Covenant of the Dead!’

He couldn’t help but be impressed. Of course, it wasn’t just because of the ring’s inherent abilities.

‘The ring itself isn’t that powerful…’

It didn’t have any special unique options. Its only function was this:

‘It can seal the wearer’s power.’

The ring allowed its wearer to seal their own magic power.

Park Chan-woo distinctly remembered seeing this ring in the ‘First Night’s Abyss’.

‘Game Master Andariel. That guy was wearing it.’

Why would Andariel, a high-ranking demon, wear the Ring of the Covenant of the Dead?

The answer was simple: to conduct the game.

If Andariel had unleashed his full power as a high-ranking demon, no human would have been able to survive.

After all, Andariel was stronger than all Twelve Divine Generals combined.

‘This ring contains the essence of a high-ranking demon.’

…It gave Park Chan-woo chills.

A high-ranking demon was a creature evaluated to be at least level 80.

At this point in time, such a being should never have appeared. Therefore, the ring likely held an unimaginable amount of magic power, sealed within it.

The curiosity about how this immense magic had been engraved into the ring was almost unbearable.

But what surprised him more than the ring itself was Kim Byung-han.

‘I always knew he had sticky fingers.’

He had caught Kim Byung-han stealing from other employees several times in the past.

And now, right at the moment Andariel died, Kim Byung-han had successfully used the powers granted by the ‘Creator of the Invisible Hand’ to steal the ring.

The Creator trying to kill Kim Byung-han was most likely closely connected to the deceased Andariel.

What audacity.

‘What should I do now?’

…It was a serious dilemma.

The Creator of the Invisible Hand—his power in this Abyss was akin to a miracle. The treasures he so desperately coveted wouldn’t disappear, even when handed over. That was why the Ring of the Covenant of the Dead still remained, even after Andariel’s death.

This unpredictability was the reason other Creators loathed the ‘Creator of the Invisible Hand’.

In other words…

‘…I could just keep this ring for myself.’

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