Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Bystander
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Park Chan-woo didn't know Han Min-oh.
To be precise, he knew of him but couldn't classify what kind of person he was.
The only thing he knew for sure about Han Min-oh was one fact.
He was the younger brother of Han Shin, the hypocrite who pretended to be humanity's savior.
After the Abyss descended, he was someone who should have died by all rights.
He had exited quickly, and there had been no further mentions of him since.
It was only natural that Park Chan-woo wouldn't know him.
'Blood will out, as they say.'
That was why he had no choice but to be even more cautious.
If Han Min-oh possessed the same "hypocrite" tendencies as Han Shin...
...even without contracting with a Creator, he could still pose a significant threat to humanity.
Considering the influence a Divine Beast contractor could wield, pairing him with Han Shin could form a disastrous duo.
More than anything...
'Does he have the vessel to contain a Divine Beast, or not?'
The specific Divine Beast he contracted with mattered, but even more crucial was whether Han Min-oh truly qualified for it.
Power exceeding one's vessel often turned into poison.
Half-hearted sympathy was the same.
If he spared him only for the Creators to steal the Divine Beast later, that would be the worst outcome.
Better to let him die and sever the contract with the Divine Beast.
Someone might look at him and say:
Was he judging a human life based on such trivial value?
But...
Park Chan-woo recalled it.
The betrayal of those whom everyone had called heroes, cheered and praised.
The harm they had inflicted on humanity.
'Humans are scarier than Creators.'
He never trusted Creators to begin with.
But humans, as social creatures, were predisposed to trust one another.
The fallout from betrayed trust was immeasurable.
That was why Park Chan-woo had to be cautious, ever so cautious.
...Because Han Min-oh wasn't someone he knew.
Because he was someone who shouldn't be alive in the first place.
Even if spared, the Creators would never let him go.
'Before the large-scale sniper Abyss begins, I need to grasp everything inside here.'
The time limit was 72 hours.
It wasn't just about identifying Han Min-oh.
The Incarnations. He needed to assess them and the Creators they were contracted with.
How many there were, their hierarchies, and how prepared they were.
Observing how they handled this Abyss would reveal a great deal.
That way, he could prepare for the large-scale sniper Abyss.
'...I might have to bankrupt them all.'
Park Chan-woo's gaze deepened as he watched Han Min-oh.
The people, plunged into chaos right after the Abyss's erosion, quickly regained their composure.
"Han Min-oh. The second son of Han Yeon Group?"
"Yeah, that's him. You can tell by the bodyguards."
"Doesn't it end after 72 hours anyway?"
"We can hold out that long... right?"
They had no need to band together and kill Han Min-oh specifically.
The event ended after 72 hours, and the penalty was merely revealing the "identity of the Incarnation."
Non-Incarnations had no reason to rush.
The problem was the Incarnations.
Han Min-oh's bodyguards.
They cautiously eyed one another.
'The Creators seem confused too.'
'Is one of our Creators really behind this Abyss?'
'If our Incarnation status gets exposed, our lives are ruined.'
They were Incarnations with perfectly laundered identities.
No one knew they were Incarnations.
They had desperately hidden it.
Because perceptions of Incarnations were rapidly souring.
A quick glance at the news or SNS revealed info on Incarnations everywhere.
"Humans contracted with demons!"
"Incarnations. Who are they?"
"Abyss villains: How to spot Incarnations"
Perhaps due to their evil deeds inside Abysses.
Their karma was piling up fast.
They knew "Incarnation hunts" could start soon.
Most Incarnations also knew the "Abyss Safety Department" was compiling a "Incarnation Kill List."
'Incarnation list... Once on that kill list, the tag follows you forever.'
'Real-time surveillance.'
'Surveillance would be lucky. They'll eliminate us quietly.'
Incarnations were obsessed with their own safety.
They absolutely had to avoid a widespread "Incarnation" label.
Especially now, when Incarnations were still weak.
"...Young master. Don't worry. We'll protect you."
The team leader of the bodyguards, Kim Chan-min, spoke.
Leading over forty bodyguards—Incarnations—with a leader's poise.
His voice was steady, volunteering to guard Han Min-oh.
Having handed over precious Coins, Han Min-oh had no room for suspicion.
"Thank you. That said... it seems the Incarnations are targeting me."
Han Min-oh quickly pieced it together.
From the popup message, he inferred his would-be killers were "Incarnations."
And quite a few seemed mixed among the people.
If they didn't want exposure, they'd act desperately.
"Yes. Stay close to us, and you'll be safe."
Team leader Kim Chan-min replied confidently.
His intuition in spotting Incarnations as enemies was sharp, but he hadn't realized all his own bodyguards were Incarnations.
Then Kim Chan-min glanced at the other bodyguards, conveying a silent message.
'We have time. Let's discuss among ourselves what to do.'
Half a day passed.
When everyone was exhausted and asleep.
Team leader Kim Chan-min gathered reliable members behind the building.
"My Creator says there's a traitor among us."
The others nodded.
"Yes. I heard something similar."
"Doesn't know if it's one or several."
The Creators were just as uneasy as they were.
Kim Chan-min stroked his chin.
"They blocked eight Coins. Probably multiple Creators running this Abyss together."
Eight Coins had been spent trying to evacuate Han Min-oh.
Yet he still hadn't escaped.
An unknown Creator—or Creators—had used the same number of Coins to block it.
But it seemed unlikely one Creator would burn through eight Coins like that.
Sorting his thoughts, Kim Chan-min continued.
"We root out the traitor first. Then we can plan after this Abyss ends."
"We're not killing Han Min-oh?"
"We can kill Han Min-oh anytime. But the Creators don't want him dead."
"...What's your plan?"
"We fake an accident, separate Han Min-oh, and kill all witnesses."
"Everyone out there?"
"Yes."
Immediate answer.
He spoke of killing over a thousand people without hesitation.
Including the elderly, pregnant women, and children.
But they were Incarnations.
Their own safety came first.
"Couldn't Han Min-oh confirm it via 'message'?"
One raised a question.
Kim Chan-min smirked.
"Even if identities are revealed, it'll just be names. None of us use real names anyway, right?"
They all used aliases.
Even "Kim Chan-min" was fake.
Not just the name—his entire identity was forged.
'The Incarnation Alliance's power is impressive.'
They had started as enemies but were now uniting covertly.
Incarnations existed everywhere, in politics and business alike.
Though fragmented like a cell organization, with unknown members and leaders, forging identities was trivial for the "Incarnation Alliance."
The bodyguard nodded at Kim Chan-min's words.
"...You're right."
"Knock Han Min-oh out. As long as he doesn't check at the moment the sniper Abyss ends, he won't peg us as Incarnations."
"The bodies will turn to dust anyway. He'll think there were Incarnations among them."
"This is the Abyss, not reality."
"Heh. The Abyss is the best."
This was the Abyss.
A game-like place to them.
Most Incarnations treated it that way.
That's why they could casually discuss massacring a thousand people.
"Anyway, the traitor wants exclusive rights to Han Min-oh. They want us to panic and kill each other."
The bodyguards perked up their ears.
Waiting for how they'd flush out the traitor.
Kim Chan-min spoke in a chilling tone.
"Our job is simple. Secure Han Min-oh completely."
He eyed each bodyguard one by one.
These people here were trustworthy.
They were mercenaries who had fought together across the world's battlefields for over a decade.
They wouldn't stab each other in the back.
Confirming their resolute gazes, Kim Chan-min continued.
"We'll kidnap Han Min-oh."
Park Chan-woo quietly eavesdropped on their conversation.
No need to forcibly hide his presence.
This was the Abyss, and inside it, his "Non-Existence" activated naturally.
As long as he didn't reveal himself first, they'd never detect him.
'Things are getting interesting.'
A kidnapping plot.
He had anticipated as much.
But what amused him was something else.
'The Incarnations all think so alike.'
They weren't the only ones plotting a kidnapping.
Gangs had formed, watching each other warily.
Waiting to see who would act first.
All aiming to seize Han Min-oh as their trump card.
Soon, one group moved swiftly.
"Gah!"
"Urk!"
They knocked out nearby bodyguards under cover of darkness.
"Who are you... mmpf!"
A cloth soaked in powerful sedative covered Han Min-oh's face.
As he went limp, the masked group swiftly carried him to a secluded spot.
Park Chan-woo followed slowly behind.
'What the hell?'
Regaining consciousness, Han Min-oh couldn't believe the situation.
He couldn't see.
Bound, he couldn't move.
Kidnapped, without a doubt.
'Incarnations. It's the Incarnations.'
Definitely Incarnations.
No time to panic.
Han Min-oh pretended to still be unconscious, listening intently to the sounds around him.
"Wouldn't it be better to just kill him?"
"The others must have caught on by now."
"If we're found out..."
"We only have two choices anyway. Kill Han Min-oh or kill everyone outside."
"I think we should keep Han Min-oh alive. Can't ignore the Creators' wishes entirely."
"Right. Better to kill the thousand. No point in us Incarnations turning on each other."
Who were they?
Familiar voices.
They spoke softly, but he'd heard them somewhere before.
'...The bodyguards?'
Unbelievable.
If his ears weren't deceiving him, they were definitely the bodyguards.
Were some of them Incarnations?
Then.
"Wait. He's awake."
One who had been silent spoke up.
He had pierced through Han Min-oh's ruse.
The others panicked noisily.
"...Huh?"
"We used elephant-grade sedative, and he's already up?"
"Wait, then he heard our voices?"
Ah.
The worst-case scenario.
The man who noticed spoke.
"Guess we have to kill him."
Shing.
The sound of a sword slicing air.
A cold blade pressed against Han Min-oh's throat.
Damn it.
Han Min-oh squeezed his eyes shut.
No way out of this.
"Tough luck, Han Min-oh. Farewell... gah!"
"Argh!"
"W-what?!"
Just as the blade neared his throat.
Someone appeared and attacked them.
In an instant, silence fell.
Swish.
The blindfold was removed.
Han Min-oh cracked his eyes open timidly and saw the man assessing the situation.
"You okay?"
"...Who are you?"
"Who am I?"
Han Min-oh nodded.
The man—Park Chan-woo—shrugged.
"Just a passerby."