Chapter 161

Episode 161. The User (1)

I ran without looking back.

"What, you son of a bitch!"

"Is it him just now?"

The structure of the building was simple. When I arrived on the second floor, I faced other Transcendents who were crowded to participate in the Boss Game, and I ran without hesitation and pushed them away mercilessly.

A guy whose whole body was made of elements and another guy who was made of stones. No Transcendents could stop my rush. That was how close my body was made to perfection.

"There he is, that bastard. Boss told us to capture him!"

"It's the guy who kills two of our colleagues at once. Don't let your guard down..."

There were also subordinates of the Boss in the corridor on the second floor. There were three fellows. Transcendents with sturdy build blocked me. Unlike the previous ones, who had the appearance of a normal human being, they looked more like monsters.

A guy with the head of a cow and a guy sticking his tongue out like a snake. A Transcendent whose whole body crackled like an electric current flowing. It was

The moment I faced them, I slid down instead of stopping.

"What, how come a guy who can't even change his appearance properly is so fast?"

The soles of the shoes rub against the floor, and an unpleasant sound resonated. Along with that, my mind sank to one place. Time slowed down for a moment. A table in the distance, a wine glass on it. The fluttering pine cones and the clear sound peculiar to the glass. The light smell of liquor and the smell of rags on the floor.

In a clearer sense, I moved towards them.

-Modifier, The Best Hunter-

Something inside me changed the moment I took action. The three enemies in front of me were wriggling. They were no longer Transcendents. They were just three monsters in my way. The invaders who had only threatened humanity that had emerged from the cracks, not beings who had thrown off their shells after going through a great process. That was how my eyes perceived them.

-It's a very efficient method to identify your opponent's image and destroy the essence. However, there is a better way when you are confident that your image is solid.

- It's to completely press the opponent with the image you have with your weapon.

Currently, I was neither the Transcendent Jeong Si-woo nor the Analyst Jeong Si-woo, but a Hunter. A hero who jumped into the waves of disaster for mankind and tore the monster to death. It was one of my cores which were built based on countless years and experiences.

"Heeup!"

Also, no matter what process they went through, I didn't think that the people who worked in those places had stronger beliefs than me. That was why I didn't doubt that I could kill them. That strong faith soon became a weapon. A small blade shone in me.

-I have no doubts that you'll be a great Hunter, Jeong Si-woo.

I twist my back in a low position. A glow emanated from the wrist, and a mirage stretched out long. The long awl pierced a man's head for the first time.

At least it wasn't a vital spot for that Transcendent. That was because he modified his own body, complemented the weaknesses known in common sense. However, the Transcendent could no longer breathe right after being hit there. At once, he lost his breath.

-That's where the vital spot is.

Just because the Hunter who stabbed the part believed it was a vital spot and didn't doubt it. The part that he thought was perfectly complemented became a fatal weakness. He was a Transcendent who had grown up enough not to lose his life just by losing his body, but his life ended because he thought that was the end of the Hunter who attacked him.

Thanks to Han Yeon-soo's acknowledgment, the best Hunter I got was great. Those pathetic bastards never had a stronger faith than me.

-Clang clang clang!

The blade was bent, and those who stood on either side of the collapsing guy were stabbed in their chest and neck, respectively, and fell. All three were struck down in one blow. I trampled on collapsing ones and ran further away.

The Transcendents who were excited to enjoy the festive atmosphere shut their mouth up while watching the terrible scene of World Play. An embarrassment came to their faces. It seemed that the words 'How on earth?' were written all over them. So I ran for a while longer, and...

-Tap.

"...?"

The moment I stepped onto the next floor, a bizarre sound rang from my knees. At the same time, my body creaked.

-Thump thump!

I rolled the floor several times and fell. What was going on? I looked down. My knees were turned upside down like a misassembled machine. My legs didn't move as I wanted. The sensation disappeared below the waist."

"Cheeky bastard."

At that time, the voice of one being echoed quietly from the stairs going up to the third floor, beyond the darkness that hung there. Given the circumstances, it was clear that he was the one doing it. I forcibly pulled up my chin and looked up. A voice that seemed to scrape something rang again.

"You should've accepted it when I offered to give you a glorious end. Foolish thing. You'll face the most gruesome death. A very shameful, vain end."

-Thump, thump.

With those words, a strange guy began to descend the stairs slowly towards me.

* * *

That guy ran away shortly after Boss' order, and many of his faithful subordinates died. It had to be since they let their guard down. They must've been arrogant since no one else could be their opponents around there.

Reportedly, the target was a novice less than 100 years after transcending. It was a luxury to beat about five of those guys.

The one who dealt with dirty work under the Boss and didn't hesitate to do anything. The one whom those living in the back alleys of Utopia were afraid of and tremble just by mentioning his name. Everyone called him 'The One Who Lives in the Shadow.'

"What would your underlings think of if you came out directly. After all I..."

"Enough. You've killed many. Are you going to kill more? I have the highest responsibility in this group except for the Boss. He's playing a Game right now. Of course, I should step forward."

A dazzling building, an unprecedented gambling house built by the Boss in Utopia. The person in charge was staying on the 6th floor of the Casino. He who lived in the shadows moved to catch a mouse hiding in that paradise.

"T-the Shadow is here."

"Did anyone do anything wrong? Ugh..."

His appearance spared many Transcendents. That was because his intrinsic power was very lethal to some gambler.

The Casino had a lot of games besides World Play. Of course, some people played with their hands or tried to shake off their opponents where they were gambling. For such beings, The One Who Lives in the Shadow was the judge.

-Those who were born and raised in the dark do not have their eyes dark even when the night comes.

-They rather look brighter in the dark.

In his mortal days, he was a man who built up his business and became Transcendent by committing many evil deeds. Managing numerous organizations, he thought there was nothing he 'didn't know.' He lived viciously, manipulating things called governments and countries like dolls and having whatever he wanted.

As such, the first power he gained from transcending was 'Looking in.' To look beyond the shell of an object and to see the essence flowing within it.

Furthermore, his power came to the point where he came to treat because he used it as he pleased to ruin the others. That was why the Shadow was the object of horror to the Casino's customers. Eyes that could ruthlessly strip off their feet. A strong image that anyone who went in and out of these gambling houses could never overcome.

Rumor had it that even high-ranking Transcendents who owned dozens of worlds were afraid of his power because a power to expose one's image and destroy it was the power that Transcendents would fear.

Therefore, the One Who Lives in the Shadow went down the stairs without hesitation. Even when he faced Jeong Si-woo, he walked without hesitation because he had confidence in his power and not losing to anyone. As he descended the stairs, he saw Jeong Si-woo running loudly. He who lived in the shadows waved his hand lightly. Along with that, Jeong Si-woo's knee twisted, and he rolled around the floor in an improper manner and fell.

Interference. It completely blew away the sense of the lower body by forcefully intervening in the body.

"Uh..."

He walked slowly toward the fallen Jeong Si-woo. He then opened his mouth and said, "I'll find the most humiliating and painful moment and bring it up. I'll destroy all the beautiful memories and destroy the fundamental image of you. Everyone will remember a man named 'Jeong Si-woo' as an idiot."

It was sort of showed off. A sentence that caused numerous Transcendents to shiver in fear of death.

Hearing that, Jeong Si-woo frowned.

Yeah. He's no different. There's no life without fear of death.......

"That's cliché, these bastards."

But coming back was a strange sound.

"How can you not break out from my expectations? Because the image of the Transcendent is important, I thought there would be one great guy. Like a guy that could see through something and pull it out... I was looking forward to it, but why aren't you not refreshing at all? It's so boring right now."

"... What are you talking about."

"Your power, that's so boring, and I'm tired of it. It's like a hell of a show off that you have something great."

Jeong Si-woo didn't tremble with fear.

Instead, he was looking at him with a gaze as if he were looking at a pathetic man. Facing it, the One Who Lives in the Shadow felt intense humiliation.

At that moment, he felt as if he was looking down at him. He felt as if he put himself in the palm of his hand and looked at him from high in the sky. The sly way of saying that everything went my way... He couldn't stand it.

"You!"

Therefore, the One Who Lives in the Shadow released the most dignity he could and poured out his power on Jeong Si-woo, forgetting to capture him alive. With the intention of tearing his image apart completely, turning him into a living corpse where he couldn't even speak properly.

His thoughts penetrated beyond Jeong Si-woo's shell. Instead of making a special resistance, Jeong Si-woo held out his palm. In the palm of his hand, a very long pole was shining brightly.

"People's words give me strength. If it's a famous word that many people have spoken, it is bound to be more powerful. When it was first spat out, countless interpretations exist by countless people, even if it wasn't spat out with that intention, and there's a lot of meaning to it."

Along with that, Jeong Si-woo's figure unfolded widely on both sides. The next moment, it wasn't a little man in the eye of the One Who Lives in the Shadow.

What unfolded behind it was the universe. The vast darkness and stars shone in every corner. Yes, it was the universe. Several books were floating in the universe. There were old ones and new books covered in hardcovers. The One Who Lives in the Shadow saw a book flying at him with a blank face in the waves of the raging books. The book flew through pages at a very fast pace, and when it arrived in front of him, it stopped with a passage underlined.

"I thought there would be someone inside me who would invade me. And I set this trap thinking that guy would die for sure no matter what kind of person he is."

Jeong Si-woo's voice was mixed with the voice of something he couldn't understand in his head. It was strange. It wasn't the power felt from a novice less than 100 years old. Something was sleeping inside him. There was something immensely enormous about him that he couldn't even measure himself.

"Ah..."

The One Who Lives in the Shadow opened his mouths dumbly.

At the same time, the verse was recited in a clear voice.

[God is dead.]

A short sentence that was very famous in the world of Jeong Si-woo, but he had never heard of. Numerous interpretations and meanings in it soon poured into the One Who Lives in the Shadow like waves and began to destroy him.

He didn't even know he was collapsing in the vast universe in Jeong Si-woo. Faced with the Akashic Records, he slowly and very slowly faced annihilation.

[F-foolish guy, how dare you... where do you think you are to just... barge in...]

While listening to the voices of the universe ringing loudly throughout the body.

[As long as I'm around... No one is allowed in here.]