Ch.35Chapter 35 – Isaac

# Status Window, System, and Awakening

It was an unknown power to humanity.

An unidentified law that science could not explain.

But that power was clearly a blessing. A grace from an unknown entity that allowed humans to overcome their inherent disadvantages and hunt monsters.

Evolutionists claimed the status window was a naturally occurring human evolution, dreamers argued it was ultra-futuristic technology sent by future humans to help their ancestors overcome crisis, and cult religions like the Paradise Church called it a gift bestowed upon humans by God.

Of course, no conclusion could be reached in this meaningless debate. The status window was extremely unfriendly and unresponsive. It didn’t display stats or skills like in games, nor could one choose desired abilities to develop upon leveling up, and items like achievements or civilization force values were completely incomprehensible.

Nevertheless, humanity researched the secrets of the status window. Even if it seemed like an illusory goal akin to alchemy, the potential rewards of success were too sweet to ignore.

Fortunately, the research yielded some results, and people discovered several facts.

First, awakened individuals immediately gain mana and awakening skills upon awakening, along with overall enhanced physical abilities. Since an individual’s abilities—encompassing physical capabilities, intellectual prowess, and more—are converted and displayed as “levels,” one could increase their level through training as well as hunting monsters.

But above all, there was another mysterious aspect to the moment of awakening.

Awakening heals all negative effects on the awakened. Not just physical injuries like near-fatal wounds or permanent bodily defects, but also status abnormalities such as brainwashing or curses.

When this fact came to light, the non-awakened’s desire for awakening grew even more fervent. To gain special abilities and be freed from all ailments!

Awakening was the key to social advancement and a chance to turn one’s life around. People desperately wanted to become awakened and began searching for ways to achieve awakening. Countless recollections and testimonies from awakened individuals flooded social media.

Most awakenings occurred in extreme situations. Many testified that the status window was granted miraculously when intense and desperate yearning reached its peak, when one sought God in the worst situations, when one cried out for salvation.

When this speculative hypothesis circulated on social media, the number of suicide jumpers increased dramatically.

These were people trying to experience the brink of death to push themselves to an extreme state. When individuals who had jumped from buildings claimed they survived by awakening, it ignited the hearts of those who had been hesitating. Only after the Hunter Association and various governments imposed strong sanctions did such people disappear.

Not everyone could awaken just by being desperate. Only after realizing this truth did the “awakening fever” finally subside among the public.

But people still wondered. Were those given the opportunity to awaken predetermined, or did the degree of “how desperate one must be” vary from person to person?

That remained unknown.

***

“Ah, Father, where are we going at this late hour?”

“Shut up and drive!”

The old man barked at the middle-aged man holding the steering wheel. Anyone who kept up with the news would be shocked to recognize these two. The old man was Song Su-jeong, chairman of Sujeong Corporation, and the middle-aged man was Song Su-kwon, his second son and vice chairman.

Song Su-jeong commanded his son in a sharp voice.

“Turn left here!”

Vrooom—

The luxury sedan’s headlights cut through Incheon’s night air as it sped down the road. A chaebol driving in the middle of the night without a chauffeur or any attendants was no ordinary matter.

Even Song Su-kwon, the person involved, had no idea what was happening. Summoning him as he was about to go to bed and using him as a driver? But unable to refuse his father’s command, Song Su-kwon drove obediently, albeit bewildered.

“Park the car up ahead.”

Screech—

The car stopped as it reached its destination according to Song Su-jeong’s instructions. They had arrived at the entrance to Munhak Mountain hiking trail. Slamming the car door shut, Song Su-jeong began climbing the mountain path with urgent, frivolous movements unlike his usual dignified elderly demeanor.

“Father, why sudden mountain climbing…?”

Song Su-kwon looked at his father with an expression that seemed to ask if the old man had finally lost his mind. Had he been acting strangely lately? He’d received reports about some secretive dealings with Director Park from Sujeong Shipping, but assumed it was just another slush fund and didn’t pay much attention. Otherwise, he’d been normal…

What was this moonlight exercise about? Had he finally gone mad from stress?

“Father, wait for me!”

As Song Su-jeong disappeared from view in the distance, Song Su-kwon hurriedly followed. The two climbed the hiking trail, panting with quick steps. Physical exertion was challenging for both the 80-year-old man and the 40-year-old who had no interest in exercise.

Though the mountain offered beautiful nighttime scenery, the two men passed through without leisure to appreciate nature’s beauty.

Halfway up the mountain, Song Su-jeong spotted a red ribbon tied to a branch and, with a satisfied nod, left the established path to enter the deep darkness between the trees.

“Um, Father. This isn’t the hiking trail. Are we allowed to enter here?”

“It’s my private property, so it doesn’t matter! Just follow me.”

Song Su-jeong dismissed his son’s timid concern with one sentence and strode forward without hesitation. He led the way, pushing through waist-high wild grass, with Song Su-kwon following behind. Having left the main road, the mountain path without streetlights was so dark that they had to rely solely on their smartphone lights to move forward.

They ventured deeper into the mountain where no human presence could be found. The midnight forest grew increasingly eerie the deeper they went.

The father and son soon arrived at a small clearing. It was a flat area, as if construction equipment had leveled the ground. Song Su-kwon gasped at what he saw.

“Huh, huh! Father, this is—!”

In the center of the clearing was a black sphere that seemed to absorb all surrounding light. The source of calamity known to everyone worldwide.

A Gate.

Why was there a Gate on his father’s private property? He’d heard rumors about unregistered Gates hidden from the Association, but never imagined his own father would conceal such a dangerous bomb.

“How pathetic… It’s not dangerous, so hurry up and come in.”

He looked at his son with disapproval. How could a businessman’s bloodline be so fearful and weak? This reinforced Song Su-jeong’s conviction about what he was about to do.

‘Yes. Better than letting such garbage take over my company.’

He turned away from his hopeless son and surveyed the surroundings. After confirming there were no witnesses, Song Su-jeong disappeared into the Gate.

Song Su-kwon was startled to see the old man entering the Gate without any protection. He hesitated, wondering if he should go back down the mountain, but then decided his father must have had a reason for bringing him here and closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the unknown darkness.

‘That’s right… Father wouldn’t leave an unregistered Gate on his property without reason. Maybe it’s a secret company warehouse, or Father’s personal vault…’

He closed his eyes and entered the black sphere, then opened them inside the Gate. The interior landscape reflected on his retina.

It was a dark, vast cavern.

Since electronic devices brought into Gates would break, there were no electric lights, but torches sporadically installed on the cave walls illuminated the interior. The red-burning lights illuminated something massive in the center of the cavern.

‘What is it? Laundered money? Black market artwork? Smuggled hunter equipment?’

But what he witnessed was none of these.

“—!”

A mountain of corpses.

A corpse temple built by piling up dead bodies stood there. A hill of naked bodies. The blue postmortem lividity of cold flesh contrasted with red blood, creating an eerily dissonant feeling.

A sinister magic circle was drawn on the stone floor, encircling the corpse mountain, and several discarded chicken carcasses suggested the circle had been drawn with chicken blood. In the center of the magic circle, Director Park was stacking flat stones to create a well-shaped altar.

‘Director Park?!’

Why was Sujeong Shipping’s Director Park here? How did he know about and find the Gate on Father’s property? Could Director Park alone have caused this carnage…? No, that couldn’t be… Song Su-kwon tried his hardest not to continue that train of thought. His intuition warned him not to think any further.

“Director Park! Is everything ready?”

“Yes, yes, Chairman.”

Despite the horrific scene, Song Su-jeong approached Director Park with complete composure. He threw off his coat and received the “preparations” from the director.

Song Su-kwon staggered to the altar like a person in a trance and looked up at the massive tomb.

Hundreds, no, thousands of corpses. The top of the hill nearly touched the ceiling. Like the Tower of Babel, seemingly built to reach the heavens in defiance of God.

Up close, the tragedy was even more apparent. Faces twisted in agony…

Looking at the scene made his chest ache terribly. It felt like his heart was dropping.

No, literally—

“Kuh, kuhk!”

Song Su-kwon coughed up blood and looked down at his chest. He could see a dagger protruding from his heart after piercing through his back. With difficulty, he turned his head to look at the owner of the dagger.

“Father, w-why.”

Song Su-jeong’s blood-stained hand was gripping the knife handle. The cold-blooded father who had stabbed his son muttered to himself:

“At least you’re proving useful in my life this way.”

Song Su-kwon, collapsed on the stone altar, didn’t hear the answer. The dead have no ears.

Song Su-jeong slit his fallen son’s throat with the dagger, allowing blood to seep down the stone altar. The blood connected the broken parts of the magic circle.

Abraham offered Isaac to his Lord.

“I offer the most precious thing by my own hand…”

Song Su-jeong began reciting an evil incantation, concentrating his mind. It was a summoning spell taught to him by a demon. A spell that even ordinary people without mana could use to perform a ritual.

Indeed, it was effective. Dark energy slowly gathered around the old man reciting the spell. A whirlwind began forming around the caster.

“—STOP RIGHT THERE!”

At that moment, someone burst into the Gate! It was Shin Jae-hyuk, covered in blood, wielding a mace.

He had been tracking the VIP at full speed using the phone location information hacked by Lee Yu-jin. From the moment the signal was suddenly cut off at Munhak Mountain, he had frantically followed the trail, his body covered in grass and dirt.

Shin Jae-hyuk’s eyes quickly scanned the situation.

A massive tower of corpses.

A corpse on the sacrificial altar.

A muttering old man.

Swirling dark magic.

The situation was clearly ominous. A summoning ritual in progress!

‘Fortunately, it’s not complete yet!’

“Who are you? This is private property! Get out right now!”

Director Park shouted at the intruder, pointing his finger. Though frightened by the blood-covered stranger, he needed to buy time for the chairman to complete the ritual. Only then could he follow Song Su-jeong in becoming a demon.

Hearing Director Park’s shout, Song Su-jeong instantly recognized the intruder’s identity. The interferer that Ryu Chang-geun, the Black Death Faction’s chairman, had warned about. He had to hurry! His tongue moved faster, whispering the evil incantation.

Shin Jae-hyuk punched the director in the face, sending him flying like a paper doll, and rushed forward.

“STOP RIGHT NOW!”

“I place a worthy sacrifice on the scales to maintain the balance between the surface and the underworld—”

He tried to throw a lightning spear to interrupt the spell, but the lightning was torn apart by the magical storm enveloping the caster. The whirlwind surrounding the corpse tower scraped and gnawed at the floor like a drill. With each completed sentence, the dark energy surged more violently. The chicken blood, responding to the evil energy, burned red, and each line of the magic circle was being completed.

As Shin Jae-hyuk ran, the nearly activated magic circle emitted an ominous red light. A color as red as blood and as hot as flame. The spell was nearing completion! He had to stop it immediately—

But it was too late.

“As your faithful servant calls, descend upon us! Leader of the First Kingdom—!”

Song Su-jeong uttered the final sentence of the spell. Joy and despair crossed paths. The paladin’s face hardened, while the old man’s face was filled with ecstasy.

KUUUUNG—!

A storm shook the cave. Shin Jae-hyuk, who had been running, was hit by the gust and thrown backward. Even as he flew back, he couldn’t take his eyes off the eye of the storm. An ominous vibration emanated from the center of the typhoon.

A low, body-trembling resonance like the heartbeat of a fetus.

Destruction creeps silently. From a place no one knows, at a time no one knows. Like an assassin hiding the most lethal dagger. The ritual of genesis was completed in a hidden Gate on Incheon’s Munhak Mountain.

And so, despair began.