Chapter 355
Chapter 355
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 355
Chapter Title: Representative Selection Tournament (1)
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The moment he heard those words, the last flicker of light vanished from Park Sang-min's eyes.
Thud. His knees buckled.
If Lee Hyuk-soo hadn't instinctively reached out and grabbed him right then, he would have collapsed flat on the floor.
128th place. Dead last.
It wasn't just a simple ranking.
It was a death sentence handed down to the human race.
Adora's words—"heading toward annihilation in the most miserable way"—echoed vividly in his ears.
"That can't be right. We've grown stronger. Humanity has overcome countless trials from the 'created Abysses'...'
"The creators who've meddled with Earth so far have all been small fry. This world's only just touched the Abyss. It's still under 'beginner protection' for now."
The feeble protest leaking from Park Sang-min's lips came to an abrupt halt.
"...Beginner protection?"
Adora's words stabbed into his chest like daggers.
Were all the trials from the 'created Abysses' that humanity had staked their lives on—just child's play in a protected environment?
Even the last shred of pride he'd desperately clung to shattered into pieces.
Humanity had grown stronger.
Using countless sacrifices as stepping stones, they'd believed they'd advanced relentlessly even in desperate situations.
But to think it had all happened within the safety net of a 'protection period'...
"It's a grace period of sorts for newborn dimensions newly connected to the Abyss. The final breather before they're thrown onto the true stage of survival of the fittest. But that period... has now ended."
Adora's voice remained calm, but to Park Sang-min, it sounded like a death row inmate being informed of their execution date.
The beginner protection period was over.
Humanity had been cast into the vast jungle of the Abyss without any safeguards.
And what they'd face next was the 'Interspecies War'—a brutal survival contest where 128 races clashed head-on.
"So... does that mean everything we've been through... was all meaningless?"
Deep despair laced Park Sang-min's voice.
It felt like all the growth built on the blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifices of so many was being denied in an instant.
Adora shook her head.
"It's not meaningless. At the very least, you've learned how to fight. Better than being devoured alive without a struggle."
Her response was ice-cold.
At that moment, Lee Hyuk-soo, who had been listening silently, spoke up.
"What happens once the protection period ends?"
"It depends on the ranking."
"And if it's low?"
"The small-fry creators will still run the show. And hordes of 'upper races' will swarm in to enslave Earth and humanity."
Park Sang-min's shoulders heaved once more.
Not only turned into a playground for petty creators, but now a hunting ground for slaves by superior races?
Horrific visions flashed through his mind.
Humanity bred like livestock, exploited like resources, living in utter degradation without a shred of dignity.
It might be a suffering worse than death.
Lee Hyuk-soo asked again.
"What if we rise to become an upper race?"
"If you shake up the hierarchy of the Twelve Races, 'Demon Lord-tier' or 'Demon God-tier' creators will start installing Abysses on Earth in droves. Plus, other races won't be able to invade so easily."
"...So a high-tier creator acts as a shield against invasions from other races?"
Adora shook her head faintly.
The Abyss ecosystem she'd glimpsed in Park Chan-woo's memories wasn't that straightforward.
"Less a shield... more like 'territory marking'."
"Territory marking?"
"Exactly. A world 'claimed' by a powerful creator becomes private property, of sorts. Other creators or races hesitate to touch it. Like how hyenas don't dare approach a lion's kill."
Her analogy was blunt and ruthless.
Even if humanity ascended to upper-race status, it wouldn't mean true independence—it'd be like falling under the management of an even mightier predator.
"Of course, an even stronger being might still invade that territory. There's no such thing as absolute safety in the Abyss."
Lee Hyuk-soo's brow furrowed deeper.
No matter the path, danger was ever-present.
The only difference was the nature and scale of that danger.
"A choice between enslavement or facing risks intertwined with opportunity."
Constant torment by the lowest predators, reduced to slaves.
Or precarious tightrope-walking in a powerful entity's territory, confronting both greater dangers and chances.
The former offered no hope; the latter did.
Adora continued.
"Once branded as the 'lowest race,' your species' growth potential seals shut. Record last place in this 'Interspecies War,' and humans won't surpass level 99."
"...!"
Those words hit Lee Hyuk-soo harder than Park Sang-min.
His eyes widened briefly before settling into icy calm.
Level 99.
The realm humanity hadn't yet reached.
But Lee Hyuk-soo was certain he'd step into it soon.
"Is there no way around it? To break past level 99?"
"Abandon your humanity or contract with a Demon God, and it'd be different. But normally? Impossible."
"Even so... it's still hard to believe. Humanity in 128th?"
"What's your level?"
"...85."
"How many humans are around your level?"
"Roughly ten, give or take."
Adora fell silent at Lee Hyuk-soo's answer.
Her gaze pierced through countless possibilities.
Park Sang-min held his breath, awaiting her next words. Lee Hyuk-soo couldn't hide his tension either.
"About ten."
Adora finally spoke.
Her voice held no emotion, but the content was utterly despairing.
"That's the peak elite your human race can field. Fine. Then what about the other 127 races?"
She posed the question but didn't wait for an answer.
"The Abyss teems with races honed by thousands, tens of thousands of years of war. Your so-called level 85 barely scratches their average warrior class in many cases. Some races wield elements or powers freely from birth, their kings capable of shattering planets single-handedly."
Park Sang-min's face paled further.
He was speechless at the unimaginable power gap.
"Also, the 'Abyss' you've experienced is just a tiny fraction. During beginner protection, you've likely only faced straightforward physical threats or predictable patterns."
Adora's eyes turned to Lee Hyuk-soo.
"Humans aren't born with tough bodies or innate magic resistance. You lack experience adapting to diverse threats or unique abilities to counter special dangers. Against races armed with all manner of powers, tempered by tens of thousands of years of survival struggles—what could you possibly do?"
He could picture it: a fledgling race, devoid of experience or knowledge, crumbling helplessly before multifaceted threats no handful of elites could handle.
"128th place isn't because you're weak per se. It's the inevitable result of the Abyss's brutality and your ignorance of its rules. Against countless variables and unknown threats, your 'ten elites' are just grains of sand before a tidal wave—likely to scatter."
That was the moment.
"Guhk!"
"Minister!"
Lee Hyuk-soo urgently supported him, but Park Sang-min was already out of it.
His eyes wandered unfocused, lips trembling.
His body went limp, strength drained—like a puppet with cut strings.
The Minister of Abyss Safety for South Korea.
A steadfast man who'd fought on the front lines through countless disasters to protect his people.
Yet the despair now before him was enough to crumble every belief and resolve he'd built over a lifetime in an instant.
120 million slaves.
128th out of 128 races.
Annihilation.
Those words swirled madly in his head.
He felt trapped in a vast swamp of despair, impossible to escape no matter how he struggled.
Park Sang-min clutched his nape and rose, looking at Adora.
"Then... can you tell us those 'rules,' Lady Adora?"
His voice was hoarse and ragged, but it carried a faint spark of hope—or a desperate craving to understand it all at the end.
Adora gazed down at Park Sang-min for a moment.
His question, crawled from the brink of despair.
Perhaps this was the last thread of reason he could grasp as a human.
"I'll teach you how to survive. In exchange."
"If it's the selection tournament, don't worry. I'll use every authority I have to ensure you participate."
Park Sang-min thumped his chest, asserting his confidence.
It seemed humanity had been far too complacent about the 'Interspecies War.'
It wasn't a mere contest between races—it was a deathmatch wagering mutual destruction.
The selection tournament to choose humanity's ten representatives.
The grand event to 'select' the strongest ten began.
The format was simple.
Gather the top 30 strongest from each nation and pit them against one another.
Then, send the top ten overall—the highest rankers across all nations—as humanity's reps to the 'Interspecies War.'
The venue was a massive dome stadium on the outskirts of Seoul.
South Korea, home to Messiah Lee Hyuk-soo.
They valued him highly enough to host it in Seoul.
The dome, originally built for sports and mega-concerts, had been repurposed post-Abyss for Awakener events and training.
The air inside thrummed with taut tension.
The eyes of elite Awakeners from around the world burned with grim resolve.
In one spectator section, a special area: Lee Hyuk-soo appeared with Adora, Aureum, and Yoo Jin-seo.
"Whoa!"
"She's gorgeous!"
"Is she even human?"
The first to draw eyes were Aureum and Yoo Jin-seo.
Adora hid fully in armor and helmet, but Aureum and Yoo Jin-seo made no effort to conceal their beauty.
It was transcendent allure, straight out of myth.
Their subtly glowing skin and enigmatic eyes were enough to steal breaths.
Instantly, gasps and camera flashes erupted across the stadium.
But admiration was fleeting; soon, murmurs of suspicion and jealousy swept in like waves.
"Who the hell are they? Which country's players, sitting with Lee Hyuk-soo?"
"Never seen 'em before..."
"Props for Lee Hyuk-soo?"
"Figures. Korea's got nothing but him anyway."
Then, cheers erupted from the other side as new figures took the spotlight.
"Ooh! 'Martial God' Yang Cheon-wi! The Chinese Federation's undisputed powerhouse!"
A broadcast camera zoomed on a middle-aged man in a VIP seat.
Plain suit, yet an untouchable warrior's aura emanated from him.
His gaze alone could crush foes—proof of why he was called 'Martial God.'
Yang Cheon-wi was the spiritual pillar of the Chinese Federation team and a top favorite for the tournament win.
"America's 'Reaper' Johnson! EU's 'Valkyrie' Freya! Russia's 'Polar Bear' Ivan... Monsters everywhere!"
The jumbotron flashed intro after intro of named powerhouses from each nation.
Legends from Abyss raids and international comps, each worth a hundred men.
Their radiating auras heated the dome while delivering suffocating pressure.
At last, the tournament curtain rose.
From the first match, titans clashed; national reps fought fiercely for honor and humanity's future.
Dazzling magic and superhuman feats collided in blasts and flashes.
Among them, the standout was China's 'Martial God' Yang Cheon-wi.
He stormed through early rounds like a tempest.
No wasted motion; his martial arts bordered on divine.
Whatever ability the opponent used, he slipped in like flowing water and ended it in one strike.
Now gentle, now crashing like a waterfall—his assaults felled renowned reps like autumn leaves.
"Seventh win! Martial God Yang Cheon-wi dominates once more!"
The announcer's thrilled cry ignited ecstatic roars from the crowd.
Yang Cheon-wi casually brushed his spotless hands and stood center-stage, unfazed.
Four matches, all over in under a minute—total routs.
Slowly, he lifted his head, locking eyes on the special seats where Lee Hyuk-soo sat.
Through the masses, his gaze pinpointed him precisely.
The stadium noise seemed to hush; tension crackled between them.
Finally, Yang Cheon-wi spoke.
His low, steady voice boomed across the arena with sheer power.
"Lee Hyuk-soo."
He called his name.
And declared, as if pronouncing judgment.
"You're weaker than me."
Provoking Lee Hyuk-soo.