Chapter 21

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 21

Chapter Title: Abyss Conference

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"...Abyss?"

The tears hadn't even fully dried on my face yet, but it turned ice-cold.

Not Nightmare, but Abyss?

Something had felt off. That goblin chieftain was definitely the same one I'd seen on the 5th floor, but its toughness and overwhelming presence were on a completely different level.

I'd heard that when the difficulty ramped up, it wasn't just the number of monsters that increased—their stats changed too. But this was a bit much...

What if Tikhe hadn't stopped time? What if the dice hadn't landed on a 6?

"Honey! Snap out of it, okay? Honey!"

Tikhe grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently.

And then the messages lined up one after another.

"...What? Why is the score like this?"

I screamed.

It had been bouncing around 50,000 points, and now suddenly 210,000?

The previous 1st place hadn't even hit 20,000—over ten times the difference. This was bug-level stuff.

"1st place... bonus?"

It was a message I'd never seen before. It had only upgraded skillbooks until now—suddenly dropping items? Was it because it was Abyssal Difficulty?

Fragment of the Abyss? Another first-time item.

"Tikhe, do you know what a 'Fragment of the Abyss' is by any chance?"

Tikhe, who had been fidgeting anxiously beside me, lit up at my question.

"Ah~ that? I think it's that thing. A kind of special exchange ticket from the Tower!"

"Exchange ticket?"

"Yeah. As you climb the Tower, special shops pop up sometimes, right? It's like a ticket you can use to trade for super rare items there.

Congrats, honey! Coming in 1st got you something good, huh?"

At that moment, one more line was added to the clear reward list in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my status window.

"Huh? What's this now?"

As I tilted my head in confusion, Tikhe freaked out beside me and yelled.

"What? Why is this here? Is this real? Tell me this is real!"

Tikhe stared with wide eyes, screaming. Her usual sly demeanor was gone—she was genuinely shocked.

And that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't all.

Little One, who had been collapsed on the floor panting, suddenly sprang open its eyes, scrambled up my body like mad, and started nuzzling and rubbing against the nape of my neck.

"Ah, what's with everyone? What is this?"

"Honey, get a grip. This is an Abyssal Mana Stone. A really, truly, suuuuuuuper rare thing!"

Tikhe snatched my hand and panted heavily.

"Even where I lived, this was super precious! And it shows up as a clear reward? Insane!"

Tikhe's eyes were dead serious.

A small pouch dropped from thin air.

The moment I picked it up, my vision went white.

Home.

The moment I closed the front door, exhaustion hit me like every wire in my body had snapped.

I kicked off my shoes haphazardly and crawled into bed.

Little One staggered in after me and flopped down beside me.

"Honey, you should wash up before sleeping. At least change your clothes."

Tikhe's nagging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reached my ears, but I didn't have the strength to lift a finger. I just waved my hand vaguely.

I pulled Little One into a hug. Exhausted as it was, it nestled quietly against me.

The bed creaked. Tikhe lay down next to me.

"Fine, whatever. You must be beat."

The bed creaked and sank a little more. Tikhe must have settled in beside me.

"Yeah, you worked hard today too."

A warm hand gently brushed my hair. Pet, pet.

A pleasant drowsiness washed over me.

I slipped into deep sleep without a chance to resist.

In front of the Korean Hunter Association headquarters.

Whoosh—.

Park Si-hoo exhaled a long trail of cigarette smoke.

'...No matter how I think about it, that kid has to be the one.'

Park Si-hoo recalled the girl he'd met a few days ago. The one who sold the Hero-grade greatsword and the deep-layer mana stone.

'She's gotta be Blanc... My gut keeps telling me so.'

But hard data blocked that intuition.

'When Blanc cleared it, the kids said no one was at the Cheonan Tower.'

Park Si-hoo frowned at the burning cigarette butt.

'Still, it feels like it's her...'

That was when it happened.

"Oh my, brooding out here?"

A bright, lilting voice pierced from behind.

Park Si-hoo flinched and stubbed out his cigarette.

Choi Se-hee stood there with her arms crossed, Dawn Guild Master.

"Oops? Trying to run away?"

"...Time's up, so I'm heading in."

"Liar. You barely smoked half."

Se-hee clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"Quit smoking already. How long have you been saying you're gonna quit, and you're still puffing away? Think about your health."

"...Hunters don't get lung cancer. And work's been crazy lately."

Se-hee let out a chuckle at Park Si-hoo's grumbling.

"Fair enough. Things have been insane lately. We're dropping dead here."

Ever since the 'Inflation' crisis dubbed the Great Cataclysm, guild masters' lives had been pure hell.

Endless guild join requests, failed raids from rising difficulties, floods of support pleas, scrapping and rewriting old strategies, setting up Nightmare Difficulty raid teams—

It was a time when ten bodies wouldn't be enough.

And right in the middle of that mess exploded today's 'Blanc's 210,000 points' incident.

"No wonder the government and Association called this emergency meeting at this hour. 210,000 points...

Se-hee's voice lost its playfulness. She nodded toward the conference room.

"Let's go. They're waiting."

Park Si-hoo nodded silently and walked alongside her.

Of course, still harboring that one unresolved suspicion in his chest.

Association basement level 3, secret conference room.

The heads of the three major guilds, government officials, and the Association President sat around the round table.

A heavy silence where even breaths felt weighty.

A government official brought up a screen.

"No time to waste. Straight to the point."

As the official pressed the remote, a familiar nickname appeared on the front screen.

Even seeing it again, the number felt unreal. As eyes fixed on the screen, the official spoke.

"The government's stance is simple. Identify 'Blanc' and prevent them from leaking overseas."

The screen summarized movements from foreign agencies.

"The US, China, and Japan intelligence agencies are already moving. Losing talent like this is a national loss. We want to stop that."

The official scanned the room and added firmly.

"The government isn't trying to oppress or imprison Blanc. Our goal is to guarantee top-tier treatment and convenience to keep them in Korea."

"So, you want us to play detective?"

Suho Guild Master Lee Min-ho sneered.

"No. Find them however you like. We won't interfere with methods.

Report to the government when you do, and we'll oversee the contract and official hunter registration."

"Sounds like annoying meddling to me."

"Not meddling—special privileges."

The official's eyes gleamed.

"Contract signing tax fully waived. And..."

He paused dramatically, then dropped a bombshell card on the table that overwhelmed the room.

"Exclusive management and raid rights for the Capital Region's 'Tower 1' for one year."

"...!!!"

Bam!

Someone unconsciously slammed the table.

The guild masters' bored eyes instantly sparkled with greed.

Prime real estate monopoly. Power beyond monetary value.

"...The government's really going all-in."

Park Si-hoo muttered lowly.

"So, is the motivation enough to get moving?"

Silent, heavy nods answered instead. The prelude to war.

Meeting adjourned.

Park Si-hoo grabbed his jacket and slipped out quickly.

But he got caught in the hallway.

"Hey, Park Si-hoo."

Choi Se-hee closed in tight.

"You have a lead, don't you?"

"...No."

"Your reaction says otherwise."

As Se-hee probed lightly, Si-hoo feigned nonchalance, staring straight ahead and replying curtly.

"No."

"Really?"

Se-hee leaned in close without stopping, peering into Si-hoo's face.

A familiar perfume scent wafted over.

Si-hoo reflexively whipped his head the other way and shot back.

"If I say no, it's no."

Se-hee burst into a smirk at his reaction.

"Liar. You can't meet eyes when you lie. Same old habit?"

"...What?"

He whipped around, indignant.

Se-hee's sparkling eyes right in front of his nose. Close enough to feel her breath.

Si-hoo's face ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flushed red. He snapped his head away again.

"Ugh, forget it. I said it's nothing, so stop following me."

Ears red to the tips, huffing and puffing. Where was the Shadow Guild Master's dignity?

Se-hee wore a sly smile.

"Whatever. Doesn't matter to me. I don't mind if you find them this time."

"...Huh?"

"Anyway, do your best. I'll be watching~?"

She waved lightly and strode out of the building without a backward glance.

Click-clack, click-clack.

Her heels echoed unusually cheerfully as she faded away.

"...Hah."

Left alone, Si-hoo roughly raked his hair.

His eyes hardened coldly.

He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and walked into the darkness.