Chapter 58: Entering the Abyss
After a refreshing and fulfilling rest, I dressed early in the morning and left home.
My destination was the Abyss Portal.
Today, I was entering the Abyss.
“Whew!”
Though I had frequently passed through the portal to head to the Tutorial Zone, today, the portal felt different.
My heart raced, and excitement surged.
Finally, I was taking a real step forward to shed the nickname of a bottom-tier hunter.
“Next. I’ll verify your ID. Alright, you’re clear to enter.”
After a simple ID check, I stepped into the portal. Instantly, a suction force pulled me in.
A moment of dizziness followed, and before I knew it, I was standing in a pristine, white space.
Simultaneously, countless system messages flooded in.
〚You have entered the Abyss!〛
〚Additional systems are now unlocked!〛
〚The Job System has been added! Awaken or acquire your unique job within the Abyss and carve your own path!〛
〚The Rune System has been added! Discover the hidden mysteries of the Abyss and receive blessings!〛
〚The Quest System has been added! Complete the countless quests scattered throughout the infinite world of the Abyss and make your name known!〛
〚The Community System has been added! Interact and grow through communities divided by dimension, nation, and affiliation!〛
.
.
.
.
.
Only after these countless systems were introduced did the final system message declare:
〚Welcome, new player, to the Abyss! We hope you achieve all you desire in this boundless, infinite world!〛
It was the official confirmation that I was now a genuine player. The thrill of the moment swelled within me, but I suppressed it.
This was merely the starting line.
The real journey lay ahead. To progress, I had to strive harder and become stronger.
“I won’t fall. Ever.”
As if acknowledging my determination, the system displayed one final message.
〚Dimension: Earth A00. Continent: Asia. Nation: South Korea. You are permitted to enter 11 zones.〛
〚1. STAGE 0-49,872: The Verdant Kingdom – Puruzio
- STAGE 0-6,588: Shadows of Good and Evil – Ketahum
- STAGE 0-1: The Primordial City – Teraium
- STAGE 0-478: The Pristine Temple – Hailan
.
.
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11. STAGE 0-189,762: The City of Steel and Technology – Titanium〛
There were 11 options, all beginner zones within the initial stage of the Abyss.
I didn’t need to deliberate. I had already decided.
〚You have chosen STAGE 0-1: The Primordial City – Teraium. Transporting now.〛
Teraium, the smallest domain in the Abyss, was where the job I sought was hidden.
As my body was once again pulled into the portal, the world twisted and transformed.
〚Welcome! May the blessings of the Primordial accompany you!〛
When I opened my eyes, a new world greeted me.
Exiting the Summoning Altar—which exists in every city—I found a comfortable bench and sat down to observe my surroundings.
It was fascinating. A completely different world.
I remembered watching a program where scholars theorized that the Abyss was a dimension of infinite size, existing beneath all others.
‘No wonder they call it “boundless.”’
The farthest stage reached by Earth’s pioneer players was STAGE 53.
Meanwhile, the highest stage encountered through a Hidden Stage was the infamous STAGE 666—The Starting Point of All Evil.
This indicated how little of the Abyss had truly been explored.
Sitting in the Primordial City, I relished the air, which was purer and more invigorating than Earth’s.
But suddenly, I felt a presence watching me.
“Huh!”
My body froze. I couldn’t move.
The mere sensation of being observed overwhelmed me.
It felt like my very being was being crushed under the immense weight of that gaze.
My mind began to unravel.
〚Authority: Golden Tower preserves your sanity against a trivial gaze!〛
〚Authority: Heavenly Fortune shields your spirit with a disapproving frown!〛
〚Unique Ability: Curse of Misfortune bares its teeth at the insolent creature daring to prey upon you!〛
〚Unique Ability: Ultimate Soul fortifies your mind, rendering it unshakable!〛
“Gah…! Hah…!”
The gaze wasn’t malicious.
It was curious, intrigued, perhaps even pleased. But the sheer power of that gaze was beyond what a mere low-tier hunter like me could endure.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of my abilities—Golden Tower, Heavenly Fortune, Misfortune, and Ultimate Soul—I barely managed to lift my head and look skyward.
It felt as though our gazes met. In that moment, a message appeared.
〚Throne: The Master of Life and Death, the Serpent Lord, takes an interest in you and the trace of themselves they sense within you.〛
‘A Throne?!’
How could there be a Throne in STAGE 0? The answer soon became clear.
I realized who that Celestial Being was.
The original owner of the divine artifact I had used to save Gundan during the Dungeon Blackhole incident.
The God of Medicine, Asclepius.
‘Of course!’
The word “trace” reminded me of a certain title.
〚Title: Blessing of Ophiuchus
Rank: Mythical
Grade: C+
Description: The blessing of Ophiuchus, the hidden 13th zodiac sign. For some reason, its full abilities are currently unusable.
Abilities:
- Unavailable
- Unavailable
- Unavailable
- Unavailable
- Unavailable〛
When I used the divine artifact’s greatest power to heal my sister, the Serpent emerged.
However, since it wasn’t a disease, it couldn’t heal her and eventually returned to the artifact, leaving a part of itself inside me.
Half was severed by Misfortune, and half embedded itself within me while the other half returned to the artifact.
That’s when I gained this title.
‘I thought it was a useless title with no effect.’
Could it be related to the Throne?
I swallowed nervously. This answered a lingering question I had.
The countless items in my Inventory—were they physical objects pulled from reality? Or were they manifested in some other way?
Considering their number and variety, they couldn’t be trivial. Surely, if they existed in this world, they also existed within my Inventory in identical form.
“May I ask if the serpent remains intact within the staff? Great God of Medicine.”
A response came immediately.
〚Throne: The Master of Life and Death, the Serpent Lord, confirms that their staff exists with them at all times and remains whole. However, they express great curiosity………〛
The message paused, and then a new form of communication began.
【How did you acquire the remnants of my hidden power?】
The Divine Speech, spoken directly by a god, resonated in my ears and pierced my mind.
As the sheer presence and weight of the words bore down on me, my abilities activated once more to shield me.
Now, it was clear. The items in my Inventory were distinct from their real-world counterparts.
While their power, grade, and abilities were identical, they were separate entities.
I didn’t dwell on it further. This revelation alone was enough.
Speculating about truths beyond my grasp wouldn’t benefit me, especially since the ever-dismissive Golden Tower wouldn’t reveal anything.
But if these items truly were pulled from reality and projected through Manbyun, the implications were chilling.
What if borrowing a Throne’s weapon led to another incident like before?
It wouldn’t be surprising for a god to annihilate the insect that dared to steal and partially destroy their weapon.
The gaze lingered, waiting for my response.
‘But what should I say?’
I couldn’t just ignore it. This was a god, a being that existed in myths and legends.
Though their stature paled compared to Ra, they were still categorized among the gods.
Fortunately, this was a benevolent god.
In myths and reality alike, they were aligned with good.
An evil deity might have slaughtered me for merely possessing their remnants.
The lack of hostility and the presence of curiosity and goodwill spoke volumes about their nature.
Of course, it made sense.
One who governed the concept of Medicine couldn’t be malevolent.
Not to mention, their father was Apollo, one of the twelve Olympian gods.
Opposing such a god would bring no benefit.
Thus, I carefully explained with as much detail as I dared:
“When I replicated your divine artifact through my Authority, I activated its ultimate power, Ophiuchus, to cure my curse. The attempt failed, and half of the serpent’s body embedded itself within me.”
The gaze radiated astonishment, shock, and immense curiosity.
Soon, it intensified, scrutinizing every inch of my body.
There was no malice, and the presence didn’t grow oppressive.
I remained still, and before long, another message appeared.
〚Throne: The Master of Life and Death, the Serpent Lord, clicks their tongue at the severity of your curse and shakes their head in dismay.〛
Even they couldn’t resolve it. Understandable, given that the Ultimate Authority of the divine artifact failed to even approach the curse.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. While the Master of Life and Death hadn’t promised to cure me, I had hoped otherwise.
Could I ever overcome a curse that even a god couldn’t remedy?
‘Stop indulging in weakness.’
I wouldn’t let despair consume me. I’d worked hard since my regression, and I’d continue to persevere.
As I met the god’s gaze once more, I heard what sounded like a resigned sigh.
〚Throne: The Master of Life and Death, the Serpent Lord, grants you a portion of the power they once concealed.〛
〚Title: Blessing of Ophiuchus has partially unlocked its abilities!〛
Out of the five previously inaccessible abilities, two had been unlocked.
〚Throne: The Master of Life and Death, the Serpent Lord, remarks that this is the best a god of medicine who cannot heal your curse can offer. Consider it a token for providing intriguing research material. They hope to meet you again in the deeper Abyss and wish you the fortune of the serpent.〛
With that, the Throne vanished completely, leaving behind its final message.
“Whew~~ My heart feels like it’s going to burst.”
Meeting the gaze of a god brought forth a memory from the past—when I cleared a Hidden Stage and saved Ra, I encountered other gods.
‘Atum and Khepri.’
Gods who divided Ra’s power into three parts, stealing a fragment each and eventually sealing him away.
One of them, Atum, had even threatened to kill me if we met in the Abyss again.
‘I need to tread carefully.’
I shuddered and resolved to avoid crossing paths with them.
Settling back on the bench, I reviewed my Status Window and the messages anew.
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