The Visitor

Looking at his status window for what felt like an eternity, Saebyeok felt a strange warmth of familiarity.

Check the status window, then check the weapon… Sasha said as long as I stick to the order, it'll be fine…

Saebyeok's jaw dropped at the sweeping overhaul across his status.

Specific conditions? What the hell is that? Does it mean I can't level up normally anymore?

He combed down through the lines one by one.

Luck locked at Lowest? Sure, I thought prioritizing other combat stats made sense… but seeing it permanently capped like that leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Even so, the absurd surge across his baseline parameters left him thoroughly satisfied. Above all, his Cephalopod Spearmanship had climbed all the way to S+ rank—a whole tier higher than he had bargained for. A genuine sense of security settled over his chest. For the first time in a while, he could breathe a little easier.

Now I can roam a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bit farther out… though I wonder if this will really be enough.

Shaking the stray thoughts from his head, Saebyeok stood and drew his spear out from inside his body. Even now, the mechanism of how a full weapon could vanish into his flesh and emerge at will remained an absolute mystery.

As the spear slid smoothly from his forearm, its slate-gray shaft instantly darkened, dyed in pitch-black ink. Every inch turned obsidian, save for the crimson gleam clinging to both tapered tips. Then, as though his own vascular network had grafted into the shaft, the weapon began to throb in his grip.

Thump. Thump.

Thick, vein-like cords bulged along the black shaft, pulsing with heavy surges of vitality.

Man… it definitely didn't get any prettier. What a shame.

Almost as if sensing his silent complaint, the spear bound itself tighter to his consciousness, lacing into his nervous system like living nerve fibers. From blade tip to butt spike, every millimeter felt as vivid and responsive as his own fingertips.

Looking down at the S+ rank rating and system notifications that had never appeared before, Saebyeok sank to his knees. In that fleeting second, an unbidden wave of reverence washed over him, and he silently offered his thanks to The Great Dreamer.

"Whew… this should at least keep me from getting wiped out like a dog somewhere, right? God…"

"Huh? Oppa, what are you doing down there?"

Seeing Saebyeok reverently cradling the obsidian spear with both hands on his knees, Heejin tilted her head in bewilderment. Behind her, Jian watched with an equally baffled expression, wondering what on earth had possessed him.

"Uh… well… the weapon got an upgrade… haha… hahah." Saebyeok let out an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Whoa, really?! Did it turn out great?" Jian beamed with radiant delight, celebrating as if the triumph were her own.

Heejin leaned in close, inspecting the spear with predatory curiosity.

"Unni… take a look at this."

"Hmm?"

"Doesn't this kind of look like Oppa's… you know? Hehe. The girth, the hardness, mmm… and especially how utterly terrifying it looks? It's basically an exact match!"

Smack!

Saebyeok delivered a crisp flick straight to Heejin's forehead.

"Ow! Oppa! Are you gonna take responsibility if I turn stupid?!"

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"Oh, wait! You already have to take responsibility for me anyway! Hehehe!"

Heejin threw her arms around him in a tight hug, burying her face into his chest.

"Wait, what?"

Sniff, sniff.

"Wait a second…"

Sniff, sniff, sniff.

"Oppa, did you change your body wash? No, that doesn't make sense. We use the same bottle. Why do you smell so good all of a sudden? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! Back off for a second, will you?!"

"Hehehe."

With Heejin clinging to his torso like a cicada to a summer branch, Saebyeok stood up and stepped toward Jian.

"Jian, give me your hand."

"Yes?"

Though question marks practically hovered over her head, Jian obediently offered her hand without hesitation.

Clack!

Saebyeok pressed the Communion Mark of the Abyss Walker firmly against the back of her hand.

"Oppa, what is this?"

"The thing I bought earlier… to hedge against the madness."

"Ah! I remember now! You mentioned you picked up an item like that, didn't you? But wow, it really does look just like a regular stamp. That's so neat…"

Suddenly, a slender hand poked out from under Saebyeok's right armpit, thrusting upward.

"Hehe, Oppa, do me too! Hurry!"

Clack!

"Ooh!"

While Heejin gasped in admiration, Saebyeok stamped his own hand as well.

"Huh… feels like we just formed an official party in an RPG."

"Right?! Wait, we didn't have an actual party system before, did we?"

"Who knows… the status window never mentioned anything like that. If I had known, I would've set one up ages ago. In a world like this, a feature like that is practically a lifeline."

"True," Jian said, turning toward Heejin. "Everyone gets along pretty well now, but remember how guarded and hostile people were at the very beginning?"

"Wait… really? Oppa's crazy strong, though. Does he really worry about stuff like that?"

"…Heejin, even the strongest people die if they get stabbed in the back. Or poisoned."

"Well, yeah, technically… but I just assumed you were beyond worrying about that sort of thing."

"I hate dying. It scares the shit out of me. That's why I always go out of my way not to make enemies… and in a cracked-up world like this, keeping your distance is even more essential."

"That's unexpected. Ah… so that's why you don't take charge. It all makes sense now."

"What's clicking in your head now?" Saebyeok asked, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Heejin's ear.

"Teehee! Well, usually, the strongest person in a pack struts out front and runs the show however they want, right? But with you, Oppa, it feels like you're deliberately stepping out of the societal gears. Like you want the whole machine to run on its own without you having to turn the crank."

"Spot on… I despise wearing an armband and babysitting everyone's lives. Look at our setup right now. People already try to lean on me, and whenever there's an uncomfortable call to make, you can see them itching to dump it on my shoulders. It's exhausting. I'm no savior… I'm just an ordinary bastard clawing to stay alive. Drawing a hard line and helping only within reason is the best way to live."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The following ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠day, near the perimeter of Incheon Plus Mart.

"Haaah… fuck, I see ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it! It's right there! Holy shit, I survived… ha… hahahaha!"

A man looking like a ragged beggar dragged his feet toward the mart, his voice dry and cracking like parched earth.

"Thank you… O Crawling Chaos! Minseon… just hold on a little longer… even if Oppa has to sell his soul, I swear I'll save you!"

Meanwhile, inside the mart kitchen, Lee Jaehoon rushed down from his sentry post.

"Saebyeok-hyung!"

"Yeah? Jaehoon, what's up?" Saebyeok paused mid-bite, glancing up from his meal.

"Hyung, you… you need to come take a look at this."

"Why? Did something happen? It's not time for a wave, and I haven't felt any sinister presence."

"No, it's not monsters. A person showed up. He says he walked all the way here on foot from Seoul…"

"Are you insane? Walked? From Seoul?"

"Well, it's technically possible, but we have no clue where in Seoul he started. We checked him with the silver bracelet just in case, and he doesn't seem to be a doppelganger."

"Ugh… let's go."

Saebyeok set his spoon down and got to his feet.

"Auntie Myung-sook! I'm finishing this as soon as I get back, so please don't clear the table!"

"Got it!"

Lee Myung-sook barked back from the kitchen without even lifting her head from the stove.

"Lead the way, Jaehoon."

"Right, Hyung."

The two hurried down to the first floor.

Ahn Doyoung was already there, engaged in a tense interrogation with the newcomer.

"Unbelievable… my god, a stronghold like this… O Chaos…"

"Look, I'm asking how the hell you got here," Doyoung pressed, his arms crossed.

"I told you, didn't I? I walked all the way from Seoul."

"Where in Seoul, exactly? With the whole country turned into a slaughterhouse, how is that even remotely possible?"

"I can't go into details, but… I'm not ly—gasp!"

The ragged man choked on his own breath mid-sentence. His jaw dropped, eyes widening in sheer shock as his gaze locked onto Saebyeok rounding the corner.

"It's you… isn't it?" the stranger blurted out without preamble.

"Excuse me?" Saebyeok frowned.

"It is you! Good god… Crawling Chaos, thank you… thank you so much…"

"…"

Saebyeok scrutinized the man, struck by an uncanny, inexplicable sensation of kinship humming between them.

The man kicked back his chair, dropping straight to his knees before Saebyeok.

"Please, just hear me out. Just once."

"Speak. Nobody's stopping you."

"I need to speak with you alone. Just the two of us."

"…"

Every eye in the hall snapped to Saebyeok.

"Look, mister… is there any real reason we have to do that?"

"Yes… there is. Please… I'm begging you…"

Saebyeok weighed the situation carefully. He dissected the man from head to toe, looking for concealed weapons, poison needles, or hidden transmission tools that could coordinate an ambush or sniper strike from outside.

"I'm sorry, but take off your clothes first. Just to be safe. Doyoung-hyung, give me a hand here. Jaehoon, you too."

With determined resolve in his hollow eyes, the man began stripping off his tattered shirt without an ounce of resistance. His exposed torso was skin and bones, a grim testament to the harrowing journey he had endured.

Even so, Saebyeok kept his fingers coiled around his spear, quietly circulating his mana so he could strike at the first hint of betrayal.

Every martial arts novel says the same thing… the ones disguised as weaklings, old men, women, and beggars are always the most dangerous.