Chapter 31
Chapter 31
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Fever Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Han Shin had an exceptional eye for people from the moment he was born.
Especially when it came to gauging an opponent's strength, he possessed an innate talent.
This ability had awakened as 'Mind's Eye,' and thanks to it, Han Shin could instantly discern an opponent's stats just by looking at them.
Of course, there was the limitation that it only worked on those with lower levels than his own—
'All stats at 1?'
It was a number so unbelievable that even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't accept it.
Park Chan-woo's 'pure stats' were all a measly 1.
Not even the frail elderly on their last legs had numbers that low.
It was like the stats of a newborn baby.
Far too small for an adult to have.
Wondering if he'd seen wrong, Han Shin examined Park Chan-woo's complexion.
'...Terminal patient.'
A face pale beyond white, almost ashen.
Cracked lips covered in dead skin, deep shadows under his eyes, hazy pupils, sunken cheeks... Only after checking all the signs could Han Shin accept it.
Park Chan-woo's condition was no different from a dying patient.
A man who should be hooked up to a ventilator in the ICU had somehow made it outside.
From what he'd observed with Mind's Eye, most people with such abysmally low stats were severe patients.
They thought their illness had been cured upon awakening and ventured out, only to meet tragic ends left and right.
This guy was surely one of them.
'Definitely not him.'
The one Han Shin was searching for was whoever had stolen the gift meant for him and killed the 'Receiver.'
Someone with a higher level than him, or possessing utterly ridiculous stat multipliers.
An 'irregular' on a completely different plane.
However...
'...Nothing.'
He had precisely checked the stats of 627 people.
But there was no human—or group—that seemed capable of hunting the Receiver.
Had he missed someone?
It had taken about 30 seconds to scan all 627 people around the Yi Sun-sin statue.
No one had left the area in that time.
He possessed beast-like dynamic vision and transcendent senses.
The claim that he had 'humanity's greatest talent' was no exaggeration.
And yet, he'd missed them.
If they were among these people, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed.
Even without his talent blooming into the 'Mind's Eye' skill, no one could fool Han Shin's eyes.
But no matter how many times he scanned, there wasn't a single person who looked like they could hunt the Receiver.
Not even Lee Hyuk-soo, whom he'd been keeping an eye on—and besides, Lee Hyuk-soo had been with him the entire time in the Receiver Abyss.
...Who could it be?
Who the hell...
"Man, I barely survived!"
"Damn it. Can't even dream of entering other dungeons."
"S-someone, please take me to the hospital!"
People began to disperse one by one.
Han Shin's impatience grew.
No matter how exceptional he was, he only had one body.
Meanwhile, the crowd was scattering in dozens of directions.
His eyes darted restlessly.
He knew well that if the culprit was among them, it would be much harder to track after this moment.
However, Park Chan-woo still wasn't even on his radar.
'He still doesn't recognize me.'
Park Chan-woo turned his back.
Slowly. Leisurely.
With footsteps no different from usual.
This was the first time he'd faced 'Han Shin' since his return.
Humanity's first to reach level 99—a monster.
Moreover, the time he'd hit level 99 was three years faster than the second person to do so.
Of course, that was only the 'official' record.
In reality, it had likely been even sooner.
A great hero who had shown miraculous growth and become humanity's role model.
Once, Han Shin's name had been the symbol of humanity's hope.
Now, facing that very Han Shin, Park Chan-woo was tense.
The bastard would be desperate to find whoever stole his gift and killed the Receiver.
And with Han Shin's abilities, it wasn't impossible.
'Mind's Eye.'
A cheat skill that could discern everything about an opponent.
Thanks to it, Han Shin could uncover the info on anything.
To the point where people said he was 'stealing status windows.'
Completely, in detail.
Maybe that's why.
Standing before Han Shin always felt like being stripped naked.
But just moments ago, Han Shin's gaze had passed right over him.
'My rank is still too low for him to see everything.'
All skills had ranks.
No skill started with omnipotent power.
Even if it was a talent worthy of a god's envy that had turned into a skill, without raising class level and skill rank, there would be restrictions on use, or the range and efficiency would be drastically reduced.
At best, he'd only glimpsed the pure stats.
Proof was that Han Shin had checked Park Chan-woo's condition and immediately ruled him out as a suspect.
'You still despise the weak, don't you, Han Shin.'
He could tell from the bastard's eyes.
That signature look of contempt for the weak.
It had flashed toward him just now.
Viewing him as a pathetically frail human.
Without the mask, it was crystal clear.
With this, all confirmation was complete.
'Three big things figured out.'
First. The creator contracted with Han Shin wasn't one of the 'Great Nine Lords,' but 'Moon Lord Aheta.'
Second. Even 'Aheta' couldn't recognize him, who possessed 'Non-Existence.' If he had, he'd have tipped off Han Shin somehow.
Third. Han Shin truly knew nothing. Not that he was the one who stole 'Full Blood Group' and killed the 'Receiver.' Not even a shred of suspicion.
'I want to kill him right now so bad...'
He almost grimaced at the sight of Han Shin's face.
Because his desire to kill the bastard was utterly genuine.
However, 'Aheta' was backing him.
The moment he killed Han Shin, Aheta would surely seek revenge.
'Aheta's the most headache-inducing among the creators.'
Cruel and vicious was standard.
He toyed with his targets thoroughly.
Trampling their honor, mocking them, inflicting pain worse than death, and only when they begged to be killed did he turn them into 'liches' to serve eternally.
Among all creators, Aheta was the most insidious.
And that Aheta had created an incarnation.
'Han Shin. He must adore the bastard terribly.'
For now, he couldn't kill Han Shin.
But that was fine.
He just needed to grow strong enough that the bastard couldn't touch him.
Once he amassed power to ignore him entirely, or bankrupted Aheta in the 'Night Abyss'...
That day would be Han Shin's execution.
Park Chan-woo checked his remaining 'buff time' and smiled.
The goal had been to hunt the Receiver in the Receiver Abyss.
But now that he'd done it, the goal had changed.
Bigger. More ambitious.
'Clear every dungeon in Korea.'
The moment the Receiver Abyss was cleared.
South Korea had reached a total of 2,200 points.
"We can totally do this, right?"
"Yeah, it's only been a day."
"Easier than I thought?"
Four days since the Abyss began.
For the first time, a hint of leisure appeared on the faces of people who had been thrown into panic by the sudden dungeons.
If they gained just 2,800 more points in the next three days, Korea would be safe.
They believed it could be easily achieved if the powerhouses took the lead.
...24 hours later.
People sensed something was wrong.
"What? Still at 2,700?"
"A whole day passed and we only got 500 more?"
"What's going on?"
The score wasn't rising.
Even when it did, it was only by tiny increments.
They'd grown complacent, firmly believing someone would clear the dungeons for them, so no one moved.
Of course, there was a bigger reason behind it.
The leader figures who should have guided the people had vanished.
For example, Yoo Han-seop of the Dawn Fellowship.
He, who had first taken the initiative to form a group, was dead.
Through the incarnation war in the Receiver Abyss, many 'capable' incarnations had perished en masse, and the survivors had no desire to step to the forefront.
Above all.
Han Shin was silent.
...A society where no one stepped up.
If they didn't challenge dungeons, all that awaited was the 'Invasion Abyss' blanketing the entire country.
The 500 points gained that one day were all thanks to 'Lee Hyuk-soo.'
"Already day three..."
"44 hours left."
"Someone do something!"
People shoved the blame onto each other.
Everyone was busy watching and waiting.
At the point with 40 hours remaining.
A new message appeared before everyone's eyes.
Like prodding the hesitant masses.
The message instilled fear alongside its warning.
In the end, the first to step up was the 'military.'
Massive troops led the dungeon clears.
But it wasn't enough.
Reaching 5,000 points in the remaining time seemed impossible.
Dungeon clears couldn't be achieved just by numbers.
What use were bullets against monsters immune to firearms?
Abyss monsters could only be killed with weapons from the Abyss.
As time passed, point gains slowed even more.
Even those who'd charged from the start were growing exhausted.
"Ah..."
"What are you waiting for? Get in! Go in!"
"At this rate, we're all dead!"
People's hearts grew desperate.
"All talk! If you're so sure, you go in!"
"Even the military failed—how are civilians like us supposed to do it?"
As more adopted aggressive attitudes, backlash grew.
In reality, on SNS, in the news—fierce online wars erupted.
And at that moment.
'...Can't move anymore.'
Inside a dungeon. Lee Hyuk-soo dragged his weary body to his feet.
He'd been silently grinding dungeons.
For three straight days without sleep.
Solely driven by the resolve to protect his mother, he'd cut down monsters.
But even he was human and needed rest.
Without it, the body broke down.
He'd soloed over 800 points, but this was his limit.
He barely stood, only to collapse with a thud.
His legs gave out; he couldn't move further.
Lee Hyuk-soo bit his lip.
Now level 11.
Even having surpassed the limit via first awakening, three sleepless days of dungeon assaults weren't easy.
'This is it.'
Huuu.
As he exhaled deeply.
Ding!
......
......