Chapter 7

Priceless Treasures

 

—Disappointing.

 

The day Park Chan-woo first encountered Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo in the Abyss, they crossed swords.

After the duel, Lee Hyuk-soo left Park Chan-woo with that single parting word. He had said that Park Chan-woo was less impressive than expected, and walked away with a disappointed look in his eyes.

After that duel, Park Chan-woo broke his own sword. At first, he denied it, but eventually, he had to accept the truth.

Lee Hyuk-soo was far beyond him in both talent and understanding of the ‘sword’.

‘A brilliant talent with the sword. That was something I was never given.’

Park Chan-woo once thought he had talent. After all, he had grown strong quickly, even though he had started later than most.

But he was wrong.

It wasn’t really talent with the sword—just a stroke of luck. He had walked a path paved by others who had perished, mistaking their sacrifices for his own skill.

He had never encountered someone with true sword talent before, which was why he had believed otherwise.

But Lee Hyuk-soo was different.

His sword had a distinct quality. Even though his strikes seemed random, not a single movement was wasted.

His insight and foresight allowed him to see several, or even dozens, of moves ahead.

He had an uncanny sense for reading his opponent, disrupting their flow, and turning the tide in his favor.

All of this combined to make Lee Hyuk-soo the ‘Undefeated Sword King’.

There wasn’t a single aspect in which Park Chan-woo could surpass him. It was only after experiencing the difference in skill and talent firsthand that Park Chan-woo realized the sword was not his path.

‘At that time, my level was 90.’

It had been too late to start anew.

After much wandering, he discovered that his true talent lay in magic, but by then, it was too late. He had far too few level points to invest in the Mage class.

Even so, he continued onward, aimlessly, without direction.

It wasn’t until he surpassed level 90 that Park Chan-woo began to pursue the truth.

…

But now, Lee Hyuk-soo stood right in front of Park Chan-woo, very much alive.

Not as the Sword King, but as a regular human, Lee Hyuk-soo.

He looked to be in his early twenties now, perhaps mid-twenties at most. He held a wooden sword, wore a blue jacket, and jeans. His eyes, deeply set with double eyelids, held a melancholic gaze.

There was no mistake. Though he appeared much younger than in Park Chan-woo’s memories, it was indeed Lee Hyuk-soo.

He hadn’t even properly farmed yet, but his posture was already set. Even with just a wooden sword in hand, he exuded an aura as if wielding a real blade.

Lee Hyuk-soo was cautiously surveying the entrance of the ‘Great Water Nightclub’.

“Greetings, everyone! Demon Manager Andariel, at your service!”

At that moment, a demon emerged from the nightclub entrance. He had the body of a giant spider, four black wings, and a face painted like a clown—Andariel had finally revealed himself.

As soon as Andariel appeared, he addressed the crowd.

“Before entering, please form your parties. As you know, booking is more successful with two than one, three than two, and four is best.”

Ding!

 

 

Park Chan-woo frowned internally.

Parties were usually formed by people of similar levels. Naturally, there was no one here he could form a party with. His level was -98, while most of the people gathered here were likely between levels 1 and 10.

“Is this hell? Are you the invaders who attacked Earth?”

A man holding an axe spoke up amidst the chaos.

Demon Manager Andariel chuckled.

“Is that a question?”

“Yes.”

“Humans who voluntarily entered the Abyss certainly have a bold side. The answer is, ‘This is neither hell, nor are we the invaders.’ Now that I’ve answered, I suppose I should take my payment.”

“…Payment?”

“One life per question.”

Thud!

“Guh…!”

A thick spike suddenly pierced the man’s chest. His blood evaporated almost instantly, leaving his body shriveled and mummified. As the mummified man fell to the ground—

Ssssh!

—his corpse evaporated completely.

“Anyone else with questions?”

“…”

…No one dared.

A single question had cost the man his life. And it had been done so effortlessly.

That wasn’t all.

Thud!

In the distance, another man, who had been attempting to sneak away, had a spike embedded in his back.

Instant death.

In the blink of an eye, two people were already dead.

“The only option for those of you gathered here is to enter. Now, form your booking parties. Just join hands, and the process will begin automatically. You have three minutes.”

 

 

A number appeared in front of everyone, counting down the exact seconds.

“When the time runs out, you’ll all enter the ‘Great Water Nightclub’ for your bookings. Don’t worry, we’ve arranged for some very beautiful companions!”

Everyone realized it.

It was already too late to run.

‘A high-ranking demon.’

Park Chan-woo immediately identified Demon Manager Andariel.

It was one of the game masters overseeing this “Night Abyss.”

High-ranking demons were the type who enjoyed entertainment the most in the Abyss.

They treat the Abyss as a mere amusement alongside the Creators, occasionally even donning costumes like this to play the role of guides for the humans.

‘Guides, my a-s. They just have a sick fascination with watching people despair.’

Of course, Park Chan-woo saw it differently. To him, a high-ranking demon wasn’t a guide but rather a pervert with a twisted sense of humor.

 

 

“Is there anyone who wants to party up?”

“Hey! Let’s group up with the strongest people!”

“We’re running out of time!”

As the timer ticked down, people began scrambling to form parties, grouping by strength—strong with strong, weak with weak.

Team Leader Kim Byung-han, having completed some basic farming, quickly joined a group.

However, there were still individuals whom no one approached—Park Chan-woo and Lee Hyuk-soo.

‘I guess I really am invisible.’

Park Chan-woo had noticed it earlier. Despite wearing the attire of a demon priest, no one paid him any attention—not even the demon manager, Andariel.

Nonexistent.

Unless he made himself known, no one would notice him. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about being ambushed.

If anything, it was the opposite. He held the undeniable advantage of always getting the first strike. If he could approach and eliminate his target in a single blow, this ability would be nearly unbeatable.

Though he had regressed and became level -99, it wasn’t all bad.

But it would be a mistake to think he was 100% safe.

Park Chan-woo had been noticed once before.

‘But how did Team Leader Kim Byung-han recognize me at the lake park?’

Was it because he knew him before? Or maybe there was another condition that allowed him to see Park Chan-woo, considering that here, Kim Byung-han seemed completely unaware of his presence.

“What about that guy?”

“Pass. He looks too dark and brooding, not really suited for party play.”

On the other hand, Lee Hyuk-soo was too “ambiguous.”

All he had was a wooden sword. No proper equipment, not even a particularly strong-looking build—just a man with a serious demeanor.

He didn’t seem like a good choice for a party. He might disrupt the group’s mood or hinder cooperation.

 

 

“Time’s up! Exactly 58 parties have been formed. Ah, and for those coming solo, don’t worry—I’ll arrange your parties for you. The remaining number is seven… hmm?”

In the middle of speaking, Andariel noticed something strange and scanned the area.

‘What’s going on?’

The total number of people gathered in this area was 199. He could read that 58 parties had been formed, and there were seven individuals left. Grouping these seven into two more parties would make exactly 60.

However, no matter how much he looked around…

‘One person is missing.’

…there were only six.

Andariel, the master of this area, could sense that there were 199 humans. But only 198 were visible.

‘Stealth?’

If someone wasn’t visible, it would mean they were using stealth.

But no human could escape the gaze of a high-ranking demon like Andariel, especially not someone facing only their second Abyss.

So where was the missing person?

The system wouldn’t make a mistake, which meant that he hadn’t found them.

A variable had appeared from the start. Andariel focused his mind and carefully scanned the surroundings.

Tap, tap!

“Hey.”

“…Kehehehehek!”

Startled, Andariel jumped back in shock.

Someone had been tapping him with a staff.

A chill ran down his spine.

Despite being on high alert, he hadn’t sensed anything at all.

No color, no scent.

The sudden appearance of someone right beside him left the demon manager Andariel shaken.

“W-Who are you? When did you get here?”

“It seems there’s no one here I can party up with. It’s fine if I go in alone, right?”

…A human?

That made it even harder for him to comprehend.

‘Just wearing a Demonic Set?’

It was something even high-ranking demons occasionally wore—unmistakable. For humans at this level, it was a treasure, but in the Abyss, it was a common piece of equipment.

How could someone wearing just a Demonic Set possibly approach a high-ranking demon without being noticed?

Andariel attempted to use the authority granted to him within this zone to force the remaining humans into parties.

Then—

 

 

A system message like this appeared before Andariel’s eyes.

…A significant level difference.

It meant that the gap in levels between this human and the others was insurmountable—so vast that none of the remaining humans could even form a party with him.

Suddenly, Andariel’s gaze shifted to the staff the man had used to tap him.

At the same time—

‘W-wait a minute. That staff…!!’