Chapter 27
Treasure Chest
Boom!
A massive hippo collapsed.
It was a hippo three times the size of a normal one, and as its enormous body hit the ground with a thud, the onlookers erupted into applause.
“Ooooh!”
“Saviors!”
“We believe in you, we believe in you!”
More than thirty people had gathered around.
They were members of the âDawn Fellowshipâ who had followed Yoo Han-seop, along with others who had entered recklessly and found themselves in danger.
All of them gazed at the two men in front of them, full of admiration.
“……”
“Looks like I won again.”
In the manâs hand was a âGold Boxâ, shrunk down to a small size. It was his reward for contributing the most to killing the giant hippo.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyuk-soo, who had placed second in contribution, received a âSilver Boxâ.
The man chuckled.
“Still, you didnât do too badly. Except you were tensing up too much in your shoulders and wrists. Thatâs because youâre not used to a real sword, so fix it before it becomes a habit.”
“……”
The man lectured Lee Hyuk-soo, commenting on everything from his sword stance to how he handled monsters. It was a habit of his to go on and on.
But Lee Hyuk-soo remained silent.
He wasnât thrilled about this stranger who had suddenly appeared and started giving him unsolicited advice.
âWho is this guy?â
After cutting off Yoo Han-seop’s arm, Lee Hyuk-soo had continued his monster hunt throughout the Abyss.
Along the way, he had saved people, and a group had naturally formed around him.
The people hailed Lee Hyuk-soo as a âSaviorâ, but he never had any grand intention of becoming such a figure.
His reason for entering the Water God Abyss was simple: to protect his mother.
If Korea was safe, so was his mother.
Then, at some point, this man had appeared, asking to join Lee Hyuk-sooâs group. Ever since, he had been a constant thorn in his side, trying to interfere at every turn.
“So, how about forming a ‘party’ now?”
The man kept insisting.
Lee Hyuk-soo knew from experience that forming a party wasnât necessarily a bad idea.
After all, with the help of the Prophet, he had managed to kill the Dragon General during the First Nightâs Abyss.
But this time, the situation was different.
There was something burdensome about how familiar this guy was acting.
Lee Hyuk-soo was not a social person, and he knew it. He also knew that people who suddenly acted overly friendly were rarely trustworthy.
As he turned his back, the man continued to extol the virtues of forming a party.
“If we form a party, we can share rewards based on contribution. Quests will be easier, and leveling up will be quicker. And together, we could even take down the âWater Godâ.”
Lee Hyuk-soo stopped in his tracks.
Mentioning the Water God had caught his attention.
“…I donât have any intention of forming a party with someone I donât know.”
“âŠâHan Shinâ. My last name is Han, my first name is Shin. Iâm thirty-one years old.”
“Lee Hyuk-soo.”
Though his response was curt, Han Shin smiled. He liked people who only gave their names. In the world to come, age and occupation wouldnât matter.
What would matter was strength.
The only thing that would speak for you was raw, bone-crushing power.
âHeâs definitely got talent.â
Han Shin thought highly of Lee Hyuk-sooâs abilities.
The more he fought, the more encounters he had with monsters, the faster he adapted.
It was proof that his fundamentals were solid.
It was as if he had been born to fight.
âAnd heâs a bit unhinged, too.â
That was what Han Shin liked the most.
…He had almost no fear.
He didnât avert his gaze or retreatâhis courage was like that of a beast, relentless until his opponent was dead.
âTo think thereâs someone like me in this world.â
Han Shin marveled.
From a young age, he had been different.
Stronger than everyone else, instinctively knowing how to fight.
His muscles grew just by breathing, and he had a natural talent for handling weapons.
But Han Shin had no interest in sports. It only took him a month to surpass even the masters who had spent their lives training.
National champion? Worldâs best athlete?
It didnât matter what field it wasâif it required physical skill, Han Shin could do it. He didnât need thirty days to defeat them.
If he had been born in the past, he would surely have been called a Warlord.
So why would he care?
âNothing interested me in the past.â
In the modern world, his abilities were more of a curse.
What use was honing your body when there were no real battlefields?
No matter how strong you were, you couldnât stop a bullet.
And so, Han Shin lived his life quietly, without revealing his true nature.
…Until the Abyss appeared.
âThe Abyss is my world.â
He was exhilarated.
Finally, a world had emerged where he could test his limits. A world where firearms were meaningless, where only the strength of your body could prove your worth.
A world of pure survival of the fittest.
âI will rise to the top.â
He would become the strongest and save humanity.
He would become the ruler and leader of this new world.
But he couldnât do it all alone. He needed capable subordinates, people to be his hands and feet.
Someone likeâ
Lee Hyuk-soo. A talent that shone brightly.
His budding potential could be fully nurtured by none other than Han Shin himself.
“Letâs kill the Water God, Lee Hyuk-soo.”
Han Shinâs voice was filled with determination.
Lee Hyuk-soo had paused earlier when the Water God was mentioned, so it was clear he was seriously considering it.
It was reckless, but that made Han Shin like him even more.
“……”
Lee Hyuk-soo hesitated.
Han Shin was undeniably strong. Even though Lee Hyuk-soo hadnât seen him during the First Nightâs Abyss, his raw power and gear were top-notch.
If they fought head-on, to be honest, Lee Hyuk-soo wasnât sure he would win.
He had no idea where this monster of a man had come from, but if they were going to take down the Water God, forming a party would make things much easier.
Forming a party was simple. All they had to do was clasp hands, and the party would be automatically established.
Without hesitation, Han Shin extended both his hands.
“What are you hesitating for? I also want to save Korea. But taking down the Water God alone is impossible. This is the time when we need to join forces, donât you think?”
“……”
The reason for Lee Hyuk-sooâs hesitation wasnât anything else but Han Shinâs true identity.
What if Han Shin was an Avatar?
It was entirely possible.
However, hunting the Water God was also crucial.
At that moment, Han Shin tilted his head in confusion.
Then, suddenly rummaging through his belongings, he pulled out an empty glass bottle and frowned.
â…The life force that was in the Lichâs Life Vessel is gone.â
It was strange.
The arrangement had been made for him.
The plan was to destroy the Lich Necromancer using the Life Vessel he had prepared in advance.
If he approached the Lich and shattered this glass bottle, the guardian of the sanctuary would disappear.
Naturally, the barrier would vanish, and he could open the treasure chest on the altar, securing the reward.
He had planned to let people witness the process and establish himself as the “Savior.”
But now, it was gone.
The enormous life force that should have been in the Life Vessel.
âCould it beâŠâ
Han Shinâs expression darkened.
Had the Lich died?
Had someone already opened the barrier?
Even if that were the case, opening the treasure chest would be impossible.
He was the only one who knew the magic pattern required to open it.
Well, technically, the Lich, as the guardian priest of the altar, might also know, but… how could a soul sealed within a shell reveal such a method?
Han Shin took a deep breath, slowly calming himself.
âEven so, they wonât be able to open the chest.â
Yes. His arrangement was still secure.
He was sure of it. No one else could take it.
“Whatâs going on?”
“…Nothing. Anyway, shall we go ahead and form that âpartyâ now?”
At Lee Hyuk-sooâs question, Han Shin forced a smile and responded.
* * *
Lich Necromancer Yan.
Once the priest of the Orcs, he was now meeting his end.
Most of the petals had already entered Anubisâs mouth.
Yet Yan was content.
Finally, he could find rest. And if his end came by that âbeingâ, there was no greater blessing.
ăI humbly offer my death.ă
The one who summons, guides, and consumes death.
Yan willingly offered his death to him.
He should have died long ago.
During the war with other species, his fellow Orcs were annihilated, and Yan was left alone to guard the altar.
In fulfilling his role as a priest, he had sacrificed his life to create the barrier.
However, at some point, he had become a Lich.
âAhata, damn you, Lord of the Night.â
Ahata, the Lord of the Night, had turned Yan into a Lich, binding him.
The creatures that followed Ahata had burned Yanâs world to ashes and forcibly sealed beings like him, who possessed special powers, under the name of âdeathâ.
After that, Yan had been trapped in the Temple of Death for a long time.
Anubis had once been the guardian of the Temple of Death, but he had fallen, and the templeâs master had changed to Ahata…
ăI offer my greetings to the one who will become the master of âdeathâ!ă
Yan gladly accepted his demise.
He didnât know why this being was with humans, but he was undoubtedly someone closely connected to death itself.
Gulp!
The Radiant Anubis swallowed the last petal.
In that moment.
ăThe death of âOrc Priest Yanâ has been fulfilled.ă
ăThe growth rate of the Radiant Anubisâs stats increases by 1.1 times.ă
ăThe Radiant Anubis gains 10 potential points.ă
ăThe master can directly allocate the potential points of the âpetâ.ă
The Radiant Anubis rapidly grew in strength.
Not only that, but it had also acquired a boost in its âstat growth rateâ.
It was a miraculous result.
âThis is beyond any elixir.â
Consuming death was like a human consuming an elixir.
Moreover, the fact that he had gained 10 freely allocatable stat points was extraordinary, something even the best elixirs couldnât offer.
ăI know the magic pattern needed to open the treasure chest. I will unlock it with the last of my magic.ă
In an instant, the rigid body of Lich Yan began to move.
He raised his staff toward the altar.
Thenâ
Whoooooosh!
A radiant light burst from the altar.
The light gathered around the âtreasure chestâ.
And thenâ
Creeeak!
The treasure chest opened.
ăThank you… for granting me peace…ă
As soon as Yan finished speakingâ
Whooosh!
His body turned to dust and scattered.
ăYou have successfully completed the hidden quest âHunt the Lich Necromancerâ.ă
ăYou have achieved the first accomplishment of âThe One Who Guided the Lich to Deathâ.ă
ăYour honor increases significantly.ă
ăYou receive 1 coin.ă
ăThe grade of the treasure within the âtreasure chestâ has increased by one tier.ă
A hidden quest and a first-time achievement.
There were very few ways for a human to earn coins aside from bankrupting a Creator.
But if a Creator placed a coin as a reward, that was a different story.
âSo, the Creator wanted to give everything to that guy.â
It was clear that the Creator, who had made a contract with his enemy, wanted to shower him with rewards.
Both the rewards and the accomplishments were outstanding.
Depending on the âhonorâ gained, new quests, Abyss entries, and titles could become available, so steadily increasing one’s achievements and honor was extremely important.
Park Chan-woo smiled faintly and slowly approached the treasure chest.
After all this convoluted process, he was curious to see what had been left as the ârewardâ.
Without hesitation, Park Chan-woo peered into the chest.
And thenâ
“âŠCrazy.”
