Chapter 21

Savior

“…Insane.”

The exclamation escaped his lips involuntarily.

Just looking at it made his chest tighten.

It felt like all the accumulated fatigue from his two-day-long grinding session had dissipated in an instant.

A top-tier potential ability!

The chance of getting the highest-tier potential ability from a ‘Potential Power Enhancement Scroll’ was less than 1%.

It was already hard enough to acquire the scroll itself, but to hit the jackpot with a top-tier ability?

Could anything be more exhilarating than this?

Park Chan-woo took a deep breath and focused his gaze on the World Tree Staff.

“…Perfect.”

Park Chan-woo closed his eyes after confirming the added abilities.

The result of two days of non-stop grinding.

Not sleeping for a second, throwing himself into the Abyss like a madman had finally paid off.

It felt like the ultimate punctuation mark to all his brilliant rewards.

When applying a Potential Power Enhancement Scroll, three random options are added, and the range of possibilities depends on the level of the equipment.

The result? A stamina boost of 10 and two attack power boosts, each nearing 50.

As expected from something labeled ‘top-tier’, the World Tree Staff had reached its maximum potential.

‘All three options are exactly what I needed.’

Even the added potential abilities were flawless.

Park Chan-woo had been suffering from severe ‘status effects’.

A deadly threefold combo of weakness, frailty, and infirmity.

All his base stats were fixed at 1, making him susceptible to disease, curses, and constant fatigue.

The only way to mitigate these ‘status effects’, even slightly, was through the stat Stamina.

With no clear method to replenish his low stamina, this had been a source of concern.

Given his low level, boosting his attack power had also been a challenge.

But the Potential Power Enhancement Scroll had addressed both issues at once.

Above all, 100 attack power was no small figure.

At this point in time, Park Chan-woo was confident that his attack power was the highest among all of humanity.

Moreover, for a mage, attack power was a coveted attribute.

‘At least I can use this for another 20 levels.’

Stamina +10 and attack power +100.

To close that gap, he would need at least 10 more levels.

Given that there were no throwaway options in his current setup, he could confidently use this staff for at least another 20 levels.

Frankly, even if he gained those 20 levels and searched for a new staff, he wasn’t sure he could find anything better than this.

‘It was worth pushing myself nonstop.’

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

He didn’t need to eat—he already felt full. Even though the world outside was darkening, it felt as bright as morning to him.

Everything had gone perfectly.

Without hesitation, Park Chan-woo invested his Class Level Points.

His Mage class had reached level 5.

What a difference.

In the past, this would have been unthinkable.

In his previous life, Park Chan-woo had walked the path of the mage far too late.

He had changed classes to a Mage at level 90, but had only managed to raise his class level to 9.

How far could he go this time?

Could he reach the pinnacle of magic he had always dreamed of?

The ultimate mastery.

“Status window.”

To review everything, Park Chan-woo called up his status window.

Simultaneously:

…Excellent.

There was nothing more to see.

Park Chan-woo immediately lay down on his bed.

He had lost 2.5 kilograms in just two days, but that didn’t matter.

He had gained so much more.

‘It feels like forever since I last slept on a soft bed…’

He couldn’t even remember the last time he had fallen asleep in a bed.

The last time he had slept soundly without a care in the world was at least five years ago.

…He had always been anxious.

No matter how powerful he had become, even as one of humanity’s strongest, reaching level 99 as the fourth human to do so, it had been impossible to sleep soundly in a world that had crumbled into ruin.

The Abyss relentlessly appeared, and the twelve species of monsters treated humans like slaves, hunting them down. For nearly five years, Park Chan-woo hadn’t let his guard down for even a minute or a second. Neither had any of the survivors.

As time passed, humanity’s destruction became more apparent, and in the later stages, all kinds of Creators began tormenting the remaining survivors—unless you signed a contract as an Avatar and willingly played the bait or had a mountain of coins stockpiled.

…It was impossible to sleep peacefully.

That was one of the reasons Park Chan-woo despised the Avatars so much.

“…”

Park Chan-woo, lying down, shifted his position and leaned his back against the wall. He curled up in the corner, hugging his knees, burying his head. He placed the World Tree Staff right next to him, ready to react at any moment.

For the past five years, Park Chan-woo had only slept in this position.

Maybe that’s why, despite the soft mattress and blankets, and despite being in a situation where he could finally sleep without worry… it wasn’t until he assumed that posture that Park Chan-woo could finally fall asleep.

***

On the third day after the first Abyss appeared, humanity had no choice but to accept that the world had started to change.

They had felt it with their whole bodies over the last two days.

Countless people died. Regardless of gender, age, class, or rank, death showed no favoritism.

The survivors experienced hell, and those fortunate enough not to go through it trembled with severe anxiety.

The Abyss could appear anytime, anywhere, without warning.

Faced with this unpredictable fear, nations and humanity were powerless.

But by the third day, something even greater occurred.

“…What is that?”

“A Dungeon Abyss?”

Over the past two days, the Abyss had appeared randomly, with no regard for time or place. But on the morning of the third day, changes occurred around the world.

Something known as a Dungeon Abyss, an entrance leading to the Abyss, appeared.

These entrances mostly formed in front of historic landmarks of nations or peoples. In Seoul alone, gates to the Abyss appeared in front of Gyeongbokgung, Bongeunsa, the Statue of King Sejong, and the Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-shin.

“…If it’s not cleared within the given time, there will be major consequences?”

“Starting from now, in 4 days. If the Dungeon Abyss isn’t cleared and a certain number of points aren’t accumulated, a Siege Abyss will open across the entire nation…?”

The sudden messages that appeared in front of everyone threw people into panic.

Siege Abyss?

It meant that a dungeon would open, and monsters would invade.

‘So it begins.’

At that exact moment, Park Chan-woo was sitting leisurely on the terrace of a café near Gwanghwamun, sipping coffee.

He already knew about today’s great upheaval. It was the signal marking the start of the true war against the Creators.

Park Chan-woo slowly read through the messages.

‘…These trash Creators.’

Even after reading it several times, it was still the worst.

Join forces? And they say that if you unite, nothing is impossible?

‘Just don’t let the Avatars interfere.’

These Avatars, who had made contracts with Creators, were notorious for doing everything they could to sabotage the accumulation of 5,000 points.

Park Chan-woo knew all too well how terrible this game was, having experienced the horrors of a Siege Abyss firsthand.

‘Last time, Korea missed the 5,000-point mark by just 500 points, and the Abysses opened across the entire country.’

In the past, South Korea had failed to reach 5,000 points, and the monsters from a few uncleared Dungeon Abysses had escaped, slaughtering people in the streets.

Over 200,000 people died, marking the beginning of dark times for Korea.

‘North Korea had it even worse.’

Though South Korea’s situation was dire, it wasn’t as bad as North Korea’s.

There, Dungeon Abysses had opened in front of the statues of Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Il-sung.

Not only did no one clear them, but no one even attempted the challenge.

As a result, all the Dungeon Abysses across North Korea opened, causing casualties far exceeding a million. It was a story you couldn’t help but laugh bitterly about.

‘Just one.’

Park Chan-woo didn’t need anything more or less—just one Dungeon Abyss to clear.

The ‘Water God Abyss’.

If he cleared the Water God Abyss connected to the Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-shin, it would yield exactly 1,000 points.

Among all the publicly known Abysses in Korea, it had the highest point value, and it was undeniably the most difficult.

‘…I must clear it.’

Without clearing the Water God Abyss, South Korea would never be able to reach 5,000 points.

‘And soon, the Avatars will start stirring things up.’

The Avatars, contracted with Creators, would do everything in their power to prevent the 5,000-point goal from being reached.

Among them, there was him.

‘Humanity’s strongest. The first to reach level 99.’

Park Chan-woo’s gaze darkened.

The worst, most powerful Avatar who pretended to be humanity’s savior.

‘He’s here, too.’

Without a doubt, that man was here.

Somewhere in Gwanghwamun.

“Is there a brave citizen willing to join me in the Water God Abyss?”

“We mustn’t run away! We can’t turn a blind eye! We must unite and fight together!”

“Let’s show those damn demons what we’re made of!”

Then, from a distance—

…A voice that sounded oddly familiar reached his ears.

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