Level -99 Archmage

Chapter 15. Snipping

『Opening the ‘Black Box’』

『A powerful curse surrounding the contents of the box is being released.”』

The moment the box was opened, black smoke began to slither out from inside. The black smoke was accompanied by tiny, sparkling lights that resembled stars.

‘The Curse of Anubis!’

Park Chan-woo quickly took a step back. He recognized that the curse infused in that black smoke was no ordinary thing. He had seen black smoke like that before.

‘It’s the same smoke that turned people into monsters inside the ancient temple of Anubis.’

There was a massive abyss that appeared in Egypt. That place was named “The Ancient Temple of Anubis.”

Everyone who entered was touched by that smoke and transformed into monsters. Despite this, people still willingly entered the temple. This was because they had all witnessed Anubis standing at the temple entrance, holding the “Staff of Earth.”

The “Staff of Earth” was a legendary weapon on par with the “World Tree Staff.” Park Chan-woo himself had entered the temple in pursuit of it but barely escaped with his life. Ultimately, “The Ancient Temple of Anubis” remained uncleared. No one could overcome the black smoke emitted by Anubis, because there was no known way to break the curse it carried. And that wasn’t all. Anubis himself was an insurmountable force.

Only those who had faced him could understand. His roar still echoed in Park Chan-woo’s ears.

—Gooooooooh!

Even the top-tier clan, which had assembled an elite raid party of 3,000 members, failed to take down a single Anubis and was utterly annihilated. After that, the clan was disbanded, and “The Ancient Temple of Anubis” was officially deemed “Unclearable.”

‘So that’s why it was called a Black Box… because it contained a curse!’

The box’s contents had been wrapped in a curse. However, there was no time to check what was inside. The smoke had already filled his room. Just as Park Chan-woo was about to leap out the window—

『‘Easter Egg (001)’ has been activated.』

『‘Luck (1)’ has arrived, allowing you to evade the curse.』

『Another ‘Luck (2)’ has arrived, making the contents of the box radiant.』

Swoosh!

The black smoke vanished as if it had never existed. Park Chan-woo furrowed his brows.

‘…I never expected the Easter Egg’s luck to even nullify Anubis’ curse.’

The one who dispelled the curse was “Easter Egg (001).” He was beginning to understand what it truly meant when they said that leveling up would bring luck. Honestly, he was shocked. Humanity had spent so much effort trying to solve this, yet the “luck” of a mere “Normal-tier” Easter Egg had accomplished the impossible.

‘If luck at the Normal tier is this strong… just how powerful would a higher-tiered luck be?’

Now, he understood why Easter Eggs were called “Item Cleaner”. Their overwhelming potential alone was enough to break through everything. Park Chan-woo stepped toward the Black Box once more. Unlike before, a white light was now seeping out of it.

‘It’s just like Pandora’s Box.’

A Black Box that looked ominous at first glance. He had opened something that should have remained sealed, releasing all sorts of calamities and disasters. And so, only “Hope” remained inside. Park Chan-woo cautiously peered inside the box.

“…Huh?”

He tilted his head in confusion. The contents were far from what he had expected. Considering the message that said it had been made radiant, he thought there would be a powerful weapon or artifact inside. But instead—

“…A ball of fur?”

Inside the box was a fluffy, white ball of fur. At that moment, the white furball lifted its head and looked at Park Chan-woo.

“Ssht?”

『‘Radiant Anubis’ has recognized you.』

* * *

Kim Byung-han, the team leader, was in a great mood. In just a single day, the world had undergone a dramatic transformation. And in the midst of that change, he had seized an opportunity. He had gained power, a status that set him apart from ordinary people.

“What? Only this many people came to work today?”

Kim Byung-han frowned as he looked around the office. There should have been at least 15 people, but only 3 had shown up.

“Well, they say the world is on the verge of ending.”

Lee Min-soo, one of the employees, spun his chair around and joked. If the world was ending, what was the point of going to work?

“The world isn’t ending! Geez, young people these days are the problem. Always looking for an excuse to slack off.”

Kim Byung-han clicked his tongue in disapproval. But in reality, just one day after the Abyss appeared, the world had practically collapsed. The only reason those three had even come to work was to prepare for emergencies. But in truth, there was nothing to do.

“Team Leader, is your family safe?”

Lee Min-soo asked, implying whether any of his relatives had been affected by yesterday’s catastrophe. The official death toll in South Korea had already surpassed 100,000.

Kim Byung-han shrugged.

“Me? Well, I’ve always been lucky.”

It felt as if fate itself was on his side. He had gained the power to adapt to this new world. And on top of that, he had befriended Lee Hyuk-soo, whom everyone hailed as a hero. As long as he could keep Lee Hyuk-soo on his side, he had nothing to fear. Just thinking about it gave him chills. That overwhelming power. The way he had instantly obliterated a dragon commander with a single swing of his sword…

Then suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he spoke.

“By the way… where the hell is Park Chan-woo?”

“Probably hiding at home, crying in fear?”

“Yeah, sounds about right. That cowardly brat.”

“It’s all because of you, Team Leader.”

“Huh?”

“You took such good care of him that he turned into a spoiled child. Hahaha!”

“…I went easy on him.”

“Team Leader, you’re the best!”

Lee Min-soo gave a thumbs-up. Kim Byung-han shook his head.

“…That’s just the kind of guy Park Chan-woo was.”

Everyone in the office agreed that Park Chan-woo was a coward. He always followed orders without question. But yesterday…

Yesterday, he was different. So different that it was hard to believe he was the same person. Kim Byung-han couldn’t forget the way Park Chan-woo looked at him.

‘It’s going to be different from now on.’

Kim Byung-han clenched his teeth. If the same situation as yesterday were to unfold, the one crying, begging for his life, and wetting himself in fear wouldn’t be someone else, it would be Park Chan-woo.

“Look, Team Leader. This guy just sucks.”

“Yeah, You’re right.”

It was at that moment. While Kim Byung-han was chatting idly with Lee Min-soo, his gaze casually drifted toward the entrance of the office. Kim Byung-han followed his gaze and, upon seeing who it was, called out in delight.

“Park Chan-woo!”

Standing at the entrance of the office was Park Chan-woo. A smile naturally formed on Kim Byung-han’s lips. Striding forward, Kim Byung-han wrapped his arms tightly around Park Chan-woo’s shoulders.

“You bastard, I was worried! Nothing happened after yesterday, right?”

SQUEEZE!

With all his might, he clamped down on Park Chan-woo’s shoulders, as if trying to crush them. With his rare-tier equipment and increased level and stats, his strength was now superior to that of most athletes.

HISSSSS!

At that moment.

‘Something feels… warm on my pants…’

Feeling a sudden dampness, Kim Byung-han glanced down at the floor, only for his face to immediately twist in disgust.

“Oh, oh, pee! Hey, you crazy bastard! Why the hell would you bring a damn dog to the office?!”

On the floor was a bundle of white fur. A tiny fluff ball, so small that one could call it a “mini-cup puppy.” It truly looked like a rolling puff of white fur. Though Kim Byung-han cursed out of nowhere for being caught off guard, Park Chan-woo remained unfazed and went about his business.

“Pants-wetter. Take this.”

THUD.

Park Chan-woo pulled out a resignation letter from his pocket and threw it. Since he had to avoid getting entangled in unnecessary trouble while the social infrastructure was still functioning, submitting his resignation was a necessary step.

“Pants-wetter…?”

“Team Leader, are you a pants-wetter?”

Two employees who had just arrived at work mumbled quietly in the background. Kim Byung-han’s face flushed red with anger.

‘So it really was you, Park Chan-woo!’

It wasn’t a dream. The incident he had experienced in the Abyss during lunch yesterday. The one who had killed that Fallen Ghost, it really had been Park Chan-woo. Otherwise, there was no way he would have called him “Pants-wetter.” But Kim Byung-han had grown after experiencing the Abyss at night. He didn’t need to be afraid like yesterday.

“Park Chan-woo. You should know your place.”

“I’ve handed in my resignation. Handle it however you like.”

Of course, it was an empty threat that carried no weight. Park Chan-woo turned his back and started walking away. Then—

THUD!

Kim Byung-han grabbed Park Chan-woo by the shoulder.

“When an adult is talking, shouldn’t you at least be respectful?”

“…….”

Park Chan-woo stopped, still facing away. Seeing this, Kim Byung-han grinned and continued.

“Apologize for yesterday. Then I’ll let you go quietly. Otherwise, why don’t you try threatening me like yesterday?”

“…….”

“Why is this bastard silent? What, are you scared?”

“…Abyss.”

“Hmm? Abyss?”

Kim Byung-han frowned at Park Chan-woo’s words. At first, he thought it was nonsense. But then he burst out laughing.

“There’s no notification, so what Abyss are you talking ab— what, what, what the hell is that?”

Then he turned to look outside the office door, and his pupils dilated in shock. At first, he thought it was just some meaningless babble. But the office hallway outside had already transformed into something unrecognizable.

“H-Hey, why does the hallway look like that?”

“Team Leader, what’s wrong?”

“Uh…?”

The employees who came closer were equally bewildered. The hallway looked as if it had been abandoned for decades, with cracks running through it. Soon, the office itself began to change in the same eerie manner. Like an infection spreading rapidly, the entire place began to transform. There was only one thing that could cause this phenomenon.

“T-This can’t be! There’s no notification!”

An abyss was  manifesting.

Kim Byung-han shuddered. From his experience yesterday, a notification always appeared when the Abyss materialized. But this time, no message had popped up.

‘A Sniping Abyss.’

Of course, Park Chan-woo knew exactly what this meant. Some creator had forcibly triggered a “Sniping Abyss.” As the name suggests, an Abyss specifically targeting a certain individual. There were no warnings. It appeared suddenly, without any prior notice. If one had no coins, the survival rate in a Sniping Abyss was over 95%. Some even claimed it was 99%.

‘Am I the target?’

It was only the second day. Who would a creator want to kill so badly as to trigger a Sniping Abyss? Was the target Park Chan-woo, who had bankrupted four creators yesterday?

‘…If they know I bankrupted creators, then they should also know I have coins.’

Park Chan-woo possessed seven coins. And if the creator knew he had coins, it was unlikely they would waste a Sniping Abyss on him. The usual tactic was to first deplete the target’s coins through other Abysses before launching a Sniping Abyss. Could it be revenge for bankrupting the creators?

That didn’t make sense either. There was no loyalty or camaraderie among creators. In fact, when a creator was bankrupted, the others would celebrate like they were watching a spectacle. Moreover, he couldn’t recall having provoked any particular creator enough to warrant a direct Sniping Abyss.

“Ch-Check outside! Look at the sun!”

Everyone turned to look out the window. And in that instant, Park Chan-woo realized the true purpose of this Sniping Abyss. Lee Min-soo pointed at the sun with one hand, then shifted his gaze to Kim Byung-han and spoke.

“…Team Leader. Doesn’t that look like your face?”

Just like he said. Floating above the sun was none other than Team Leader Kim Byung-han’s face.

“W-What? Why is my face up there?”

Kim Byung-han muttered in disbelief. And soon, a message appeared before everyone’s eyes.

『Find and kill the ‘one whose face is on the sun.’』

『Upon completion, the Abyss will be terminated.』

『Time limit: 72 hours.』

『Failure will result in the emergence of a ‘Death Knight.’』

“…….”

Reading the message, Kim Byung-han’s face turned deathly pale.