Chapter 283
Chapter 283
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 283
Chapter Title: The Fourth Night (2)
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Humanity was starting to adapt.
The Abyss's erosion.
The creators' tyranny.
Ways to kill monsters and overcome trials.
But there was still one thing they couldn't get used to.
"The full moon is up."
"The fourth night..."
"How many will it take this time?"
It was the start of the "night" that came once a month.
Before long, the full moon had become a symbol of "curse" for humanity.
Because countless people died every time night fell.
And not just that.
The war against the "Legion of Death" during the third night had left enough trauma to last a lifetime.
They had somehow won.
"...I can't go."
"Fight another war like that?"
"The difficulty ramps up insanely every time we skip a night."
Public opinion was poor.
The stories from survivors of the third night were enough to instill fear across all of humanity.
But up to this point, it was still manageable.
There were plenty of Awakeners who hadn't lost their fighting spirit yet.
The real problem was...
A string of lengthy message windows.
This was a completely different progression from previous "nights."
The biggest change first and foremost was the replacement of the organizer.
"Demon King?"
"Wait. Demon King?"
The fourth night wasn't made by Aheta.
It was the Demon King of Karmic Flames.
No one had known until now, but it became clear as the fourth night began.
"Even Aheta wasn't a Demon King?"
"None of the other creators were called 'Demon Kings' either..."
Demon King.
The pressure that name carried was immense.
Countless "creator Abysses" had appeared on Earth, but none had ever been called a "Demon King."
This was the first.
And it appeared in the grandest creator Abyss of all: "Night."
It was only natural that it would unfold at a whole different level of difficulty.
"N-No, I can't do it."
"We're all gonna die!"
"Can't even enter anyway. How many people have 20 Coins?"
People were terrified.
Even those not gripped by fear gave up upon seeing the entry conditions.
20 Coins.
At this point in time, less than 1% of all Awakeners probably possessed 20 Coins.
In other words...
"...They're only letting in the strong?"
"How insanely hard is it gonna be?"
"Can they even fill 500,000?"
No answer.
It was uncertain if they could even gather 500,000 within 30 minutes.
Even those with 20 Coins might hesitate to challenge the "fourth night."
The truly powerful would have challenged the third night already, and many of them now feared the nights...
Slow.
The rate at which participants were increasing.
It was on a whole different level from previous nights.
"...At this rate, they won't fill it."
"What happens after 30 minutes?"
"'Abyss of Death'... Does that mean a creator Abyss opens?"
Humanity hadn't experienced the "Abyss of Death" yet.
But given that such "warnings" appeared every night, it was undoubtedly a fatal Abyss for the entire planet.
Its scope was the "entire Earth," after all.
The longer time passed, the slower the participant count rose.
Woefully short.
20 minutes left.
If they couldn't fill around 450,000 in that time, the Abyss of Death would begin.
"Minister."
In the massive conference room of the Abyss Safety Ministry.
Minister Park Sang-min bit his lip while staring at the full moon outside the window.
"...Coins can be transferred, right?"
"Hardly anyone will hand them over easily. And there's not enough time anyway."
"No solutions from the 'Global Line' either?"
Global Line.
A sort of "community" where Abyss management departments from around the world gathered to communicate.
"Everyone's just pacing anxiously. The only suggestion is to use Lee Hyuk-soo as a messenger..."
"How do we get the guy on Hallasan here in 20 minutes...?"
To broadcast Lee Hyuk-soo as a messenger across the world, he needed to come here.
But time was short.
He was on Jeju Island right now—on Hallasan, no less.
If they'd known this would happen, they never would have sent him to Hallasan.
"Everyone seems scared, Minister."
"After that war in the third night. Sigh."
No answer.
Forcing Coins into people's hands and sending them into the fourth night was possible, but time was still the issue.
"How many people have 20 or more Coins?"
"Who knows. Still, over 5 million at least."
Many had acquired large amounts of Coins in the third night.
The war hadn't brought only fear.
If even a tenth of them stepped up, the night could proceed.
But so far, barely 1% were entering.
"No way to broadcast footage from the Jeju branch worldwide?"
"None."
"Way to bring him here in time?"
"...You know that's impossible."
"Then..."
It was then.
Boom!
A man burst into the conference room, practically shattering the door.
He immediately shouted at Minister Park Sang-min.
"M-Minister! Lee Hyuk-soo is doing a live broadcast on NutTube!"
"Everyone. Good to see you. This is Lee Hyuk-soo."
Lee Hyuk-soo appeared on NutTube, the global video-sharing platform.
The reaction was explosive.
The moment his name and face popped up, live viewers surged past a million in seconds.
"I have a lot I want to say, but let's get to the point."
The comment section was in chaos.
Half shocked, half worried.
Because he was still on Hallasan.
He'd taken care of most of the half-demons, but not all were cleared yet.
GRRAAAAH!
It was then.
A grotesque roar as a half-demon charged.
It resembled a wolf, but its flesh was bloated, it had eight legs, and it was hideous just to look at. The monster leaped through the air, ambushing Lee Hyuk-soo.
But...
Thud!
Suddenly, the half-demon froze mid-air.
As if time had stopped.
The half-demon's shadow was holding it in place.
Lee Hyuk-soo hurled the sword he held like a boomerang.
Slash!
The blade sliced its throat clean and flew back to him.
Viewers flooded the comments in shock.
But Lee Hyuk-soo continued speaking, his expression stern.
"The 'fourth night' has begun. If we don't fill the participant slots like this, the 'Abyss of Death' will start."
"If the 'Abyss of Death' starts, Reapers will be summoned across the entire Earth until night ends. Reapers are immortal and soul-reapers, so no matter where you hide, they'll find and wipe out humanity. At least tens of millions. Possibly hundreds of millions could die."
An ancient being he'd contracted with had told him that.
The Abyss of Death must be avoided at all costs.
He hadn't spoken of it until now to minimize social chaos.
But he couldn't hide it anymore.
"Don't be afraid. I will protect you. And also."
Lee Hyuk-soo put strength into his voice.
"Warriors who fought death! Let's stand together again in the 'fourth night'. We can win. The moment we bow to those demons, our friends, families, nations, and humanity will vanish before our eyes."
Still short.
The increase was picking up, but filling 400,000 in 15 minutes was impossible.
Lee Hyuk-soo's heart raced.
"Believe in me. I've never lost a single night. I killed the Dragon God General in the first night, achieved the sole accomplishment in the second, and triumphed over the Legion of Death in the third. The fourth night will be no different."
He mixed truth and lies.
To awaken the warriors, to banish their fear.
He issued a declaration of war.
"Aheta couldn't stop me and went bankrupt to his death. I will kill the Demon King. I will protect you all. So, I beg you. Let me fight."
Lee Hyuk-soo bowed his head.
He appealed to their emotions.
Before long, live viewers exceeded 5 million.
It began broadcasting worldwide.
Still short.
The pace had surged, but they needed another 270,000 in 10 minutes.
Drastic measures were needed.
Stronger words than before.
Crack!
Lee Hyuk-soo clenched his fist hard.
Hard enough to tear flesh and draw blood.
'No answer.'
What stronger words could there be?
Even warnings of humanity's end and emotional pleas weren't reaching 500,000.
Smack!
"M-Master?"
Lee Hyuk-soo snatched the phone from Han Min-oh.
Then, glaring at the broadcast screen, he scowled and said,
"Stop hiding like cowards and get out here right now, you bastards."