Chapter 35
Perfect Clear
The world is divided in two.
The strong and the weak.
Those who have, and those who do not.
Han Min-oh was among the strong, among those who have.
After all, he was born the second son of Han Yeon Group.
How many people in South Korea didnât know about Han Yeon Group?
One of the nationâs top ten conglomerates, the group was a pioneer across various industriesâhotels, department stores, entertainment, food, and beverages, each essential to civilian life.
Yet, it also symbolized absolute power, passed down through three generations over fifty years.
It wielded familiarity as a weapon, yet remained an icon of âthe most powerful bloodlineâ across both political and financial circles.
The second son of Han Yeon Group.
A birthright as a âheavenly dragonâ, one that anyone would envy.
Yet, Han Min-ohâs life was far from easy.
Because of his older brother, Han Shin.
Han Shin was like a child of the gods.
Anything he set his mind to, he could achieve without fail.
No matter what he learned, he mastered it tens of times faster than others.
Even calling him a genius didnât quite capture it.
To make matters worse, he was perceptive, easily discerning peopleâs emotions.
As for Han Min-oh⊠he was different.
âI worked myself to death, but I could never catch up.â
In every aspect, Han Min-oh was measured against Han Shin.
For a while, when he was young, people paid attention, wondering if he might be another prodigy, a special talent.
But no matter what he didâŠ
Not one thingâŠ
Not a single thingâŠ
Did he manage to match his brother, even at the tip of his toe.
Far from any special gifts, Han Min-oh was relentlessly ordinaryâa mediocre man with no remarkable qualities.
ââŠBut it didnât matter. If my brother were to lead the company, Han Yeon Group would become Koreaâs top corporation, without a doubt.â
It was fine.
After all, the heir was his brother, Han Shin.
With Han Shinâs abilities, Han Yeon Group would be firmly established.
But there was a problemâHan Shinâs attitude.
He rejected even the title of the groupâs future head.
It happened when Han Shin was ten years old.
Ever since, his entire family, from both his fatherâs and motherâs side, had worked tirelessly to change his mind.
Finally, after endless persistence, Han Shin made a declaration.
“If any of the bodyguards can defeat me in a fight, Iâll consider getting involved in group affairs.”
A challenge to fight.
Anyone, he saidâcome and take him on.
He meant it literally: a physical showdown.
The lead bodyguard took him up on it, but he didnât last even three seconds before collapsing.
This wasnât just any bodyguard. He was a seasoned veteran, an expert in various martial arts.
Yet he fainted, utterly defeated by Han Shin, who had only been practicing combat for three months.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
ââŠMy brotherâs true talent lies in his physical abilities.â
It wasnât just combat.
Han Shin continued to face every master he could find.
And through it all, he realized that Han Shin was something beyond human, a monster of sheer physical prowess.
National athlete?
Gold medalist?
World record holder?
If Han Shin ever showed his abilities publicly, all global records would be rewritten.
The company worked to keep such rumors from leaking, so the world never learned.
âI have everything, yet I possess nothing.â
To outsiders, Han Min-oh appeared to have it all.
But, in reality, he had nothing.
“Tsk. If only you were a little more accomplished.”
The scornful gaze of his father.
Han Min-oh wasnât even a broken spare part to Han Shin.
Everyoneâs attention was on Han Shin alone.
Afterward, Han Min-oh chose the path of retreat.
“Iâve told you repeatedly, your body doesnât belong to you alone.”
“Having bodyguards is just a burden.”
“Shin-ah. These arenât ordinary bodyguards. Theyâre handpicked âmonster hunters.â”
“Iâm not interested.”
“Shin!”
Han Shinâs face was emotionless as he faced the head of Han Yeon Group.
Han Min-oh had always envied Han Shinâs unshakable composure.
âIf Iâd died in the AbyssâŠâ
Would anyone have cared?
Han Min-oh imagined what would happen if he died.
Han Shin, his father, his familyânone of them would likely react.
Especially Han Shin, who had always looked at Han Min-oh as if he were an insect: weak, useless, a pathetic creature lower than an earthworm.
That cold, piercing gaze had always terrified him.
In front of Han Shin, he could never even utter a word, keeping his head bowed and cowering.
âDamn it.â
He had faced death and come back.
Couldnât they at least ask if he was alright?
Anger began to simmer inside him.
As if possessed by something, Han Min-oh lifted his head and spoke firmly,
“Father! Brother! Iâm here!”
“âŠâŠ?”
“âŠâŠ”
Only then did both of them look at him.
His fatherâs gaze seemed to say, âThis brat?â
Han Shinâs expression remained indifferent.
But even that was a remarkable change, considering he had always looked at Han Min-oh with a disdain that suggested he was ashamed to share the same blood.
“What did you call me here for?”
“âŠI called you regarding security.”
His father, the chairman of the group, nodded as he answered.
Han Min-oh asked again.
“Is it because of the âAbyssâ?”
“Yes. Until the situation develops further, youâll be staying in the âsafe houseâ with the security team.”
“The government still hasnât set any clear policies on it?”
“It seems theyâre planning to intervene as little as possible.”
The world was in chaos.
Creatures that no weapons could harm had appeared, and this nightmare called the âAbyssâ was spreading over reality.
Now that everyone was forced to awaken their powers, the government was figuring out how to minimize its involvement and shift the burden of responsibility onto civilians.
After all, they, too, needed to survive this unprecedented crisis.
Self-preservation.
A world was arriving in which each person had to fend for themselves.
At the corporate level, the only thing that could be done was hiring powerful awakened individuals as bodyguards for 24/7 protection.
CEOs of other conglomerates had also set up âsafe housesâ where they were being protected with their families.
“You⊔
At that moment, Han Shin spoke for the first time.
He strode forward andâ
Rip!
“âŠâŠ!!”
He tore Han Min-ohâs clothes with his bare hands.
Han Min-oh was so shocked he couldnât speak. He had no idea why Han Shin was doing this so suddenly.
“B-Brother, what do you think youâre doing?”
“Did you survive the Abyss?”
“âŠYes.”
Han Min-oh managed to affirm.
Han Shin looked him over, his gaze roaming over his body as he spoke.
“Both arms and all ten fingers were severed and then reattached.”
“âŠâŠ”
Although the scars had mostly faded, faint traces remained if one looked closely. With a thorough inspection, it was possible to tell.
But Han Shinâs next words were far more shocking.
“Both arms were torn off with great force, and the fingers were sliced off all at once by something sharp. To heal these wounds with barely a scar, you would need at least a high-grade elixir. Who gave you a high-grade elixirâŠ?”
“âŠI encountered a demon merchant.”
“Did you strike a deal with them?”
“He tried to kill me.”
“Of course. In their eyes, youâd be worthless. So, all these injuries were caused by the demon merchant, then. But how did you survive?”
“There was someone who saved me.”
“Who was it?”
For the first time in his life, Han Shin showed interest in Han Min-oh.
But Han Shin was genuinely curious.
âThere was no chance this guy could survive the Abyss. And yet⊠he did.â
As far as Han Shin could tell, Han Min-oh should have been dead.
There was no way a worthless human could face a demon merchant and live.
Someone could have saved him, sure, but to go so far as to use a high-grade elixir to keep him alive was incomprehensible.
A high-grade elixir requires an immense price to obtain.
Who would go to such lengths to save someone like Han Min-oh, with no talent, a weak heart, and a lack of perseverance?
In Han Shinâs view, it was unthinkable.
At length, Han Min-oh spoke.
“I have no obligation to answer that.”
“âŠâŠ”
A bold statement. Han Shin was quietly surprised.
âHeâs changed.â
Han Min-oh had changed.
The boy who could never even meet his gaze was now staring him down.
His temperament seemed altered. Perhaps he had grown bolder after surviving a brush with death.
Or maybe the high-grade elixir had caused some physical transformation.
Yet, a strange unease lingered.
âIt doesnât seem to be just the high-grade elixirâŠâ
He suddenly wondered if there was more to it than the elixir alone.
Who would make such an excessive investment in someone like Han Min-oh?
It piqued his interest.
âStill, a bird without wings will never fly.â
But that was all. Drawing lines on a pumpkin wouldnât make it a watermelon.
Even if Han Min-oh had changed, he was still just Han Min-oh.
Unlike Han Shin, he was a bird born without wings, incapable of flight no matter how hard he tried.
A faint glimmer of hope meant nothing; clumsy potential would only lead to deeper despair.
Ding!
In that instant, a bell chimed, and a series of messages appeared.
ăCongratulations! All Dungeon Abysses summoned in âKoreaâ have been cleared.ă
ăâKoreaâ is the only country to achieve a âPerfect Clearâ!ă
ăAll citizens of Korea are awarded a âGold Boxâ!ă
ăTo celebrate, the Abyss will not appear on Korean soil for an entire day.ă
ăPlease, enjoy this time!ă
“âŠâŠ”
Han Shin furrowed his brow.
Someone had achieved what he had deemed impossibleâa âPerfect Clearâ.
The creators themselves were expressing reverence, which said it all.
To halt the appearance of the Abyss across Korea, even for a dayâŠ
Knowing how arrogant they were, Han Shin couldnât help but grimace.
ââŠWho?â
This was the first time he had felt such a sense of defeat.
It was probably the one who had stolen his plans and killed the âWater God.â
Han Shinâs curiosity about that personâs identity was driving him to madness.
The moment he cleared every dungeon, Park Chan-woo collapsed from exhaustion upon returning home.
“Ughhh⊔
A groan slipped out. He could barely lift a finger. After clearing 13 dungeons without rest, this was only natural.
Yet a gentle smile played at his lips.
The endless messages hovering before him.
“This is amazing⊔
The rewards for achieving a Perfect Clear were, indeed, ridiculously incredible.
