Park Siwoo

Shadow.

An organization of assassins operating in the darkness, dreaming of a great being's resurrection. Its membership was remarkably diverse, and many of its members were active in the public eye as well, leading a sort of double life.

Its leader, Han Baekgil, gazed at the pitch-black stone in his hand.

A Life Stone. A gift bestowed by the great being.

Its effect was simple. When the designated person died, it lost its color. Just like Lee Seoyun's stone, which he now held.

'She's dead.'

Han Baekgil clicked his tongue inwardly.

Lee Seoyun had been a talented prospect from the moment she awakened. She was also an awakener with a cruel streak lurking inside her.

A crazy bastard knew a crazy bitch when he saw one.

Han Baekgil had recognized it at a glance. That was why he had approached her early on and recruited her into Shadow.

'I'd intended to give her an important role down the line.'

She had been all but certain to grow into an S-rank awakener. Even within Shadow, few possessed talent like hers.

And now that talent had dropped dead overnight.

"... Tsk."

Clicking his tongue, he summoned the members. They entered wearing masks: Number One through Number Seven, the organization's core talents, each assigned a number.

Han Baekgil looked at them and spoke.

He said, "Lee Seoyun is dead."

"That psycho bitch is dead? How?"

"Isn't it obvious? She finished an assignment recently, didn't she? She probably went hunting to unwind and got herself killed instead."

The others inwardly nodded in agreement. Lee Seoyun's bizarre habits were fairly notorious even within Shadow. Whenever she finished an assignment, she invariably went off to butcher someone.

"Still, isn't that a little strange? The bitch was crazy, not stupid. She must've gone after someone who looked like easy prey..."

That was true. Lee Seoyun enjoyed hunting; she wasn't the type who sought out life-or-death duels.

"She usually targeted people traveling alone, right?"

"Yeah. Said people in parties were boring, so she probably did the same this time. And got killed for it..."

Han Baekgil raised a hand and spoke.

"There are two possibilities. First, a high-ranking awakener entered a low-rank gate under a false identity. Or..."

"Someone new showed up and wasted Lee Seoyun one-on-one?"

"Exactly."

Han Baekgil nodded.

If an A- or S-rank awakener had entered in disguise, it would hardly be surprising for Lee Seoyun to end up the prey.

But that possibility was extremely unlikely. She usually operated in D- and E-rank gates. What could a household-name awakener possibly stand to gain by entering one of those?

Of course, some hidden secret might have drawn them there, but that wasn't particularly likely either. For high-level awakeners like that, even the starting points for hidden secrets were usually in higher-level areas.

"If it's someone new, who could it be?"

The members' eyes lit up at the intriguing subject.

People often assumed anyone with a high-grade achievement would announce it to the world, but that wasn't necessarily true. Many awakeners concealed their actual achievement grade to some degree.

An A passed off as a B. A B passed off as a C.

They accepted slightly worse treatment in exchange for attracting less attention. Quite a few awakeners operated that way. Boasting about a high-grade achievement wasn't always to one's advantage.

"That bitch's achievement grade was A, right? And she was level 300. Whoever took her down must be something else..."

"Yes. That's why I called you here. If someone new really has emerged, we have a new variable on our hands."

The members nodded.

Of course, even if it was someone new, they wouldn't be a complete newbie. It was far more likely to be someone with plenty of experience in the awakener world. Surely no low-level scrub could have taken down Lee Seoyun of all people.

"All right. I get why we're here. So, boss, what happens when we find them? Are we killing them?"

"Not necessarily. Recruitment will remain an option. Of course, if that doesn't work..."

Han Baekgil's eyes turned chilling. Everyone understood without him having to finish.

"All right. I'll trace the movements of awakeners ranked A and above. If one entered a gate, there's bound to be a gap in their schedule."

"I'll check the entry records for low-rank gates. People who went in alone."

Shadow began to move, seeking to discover who had killed Lee Seoyun.

* * *

After leaving the gate, Kim Minwoo returned home without incident and summoned his bodyguards.

"Look into this person for me. Oh, and dispose of this ID."

"Understood."

Park Siwoo. Hanbit Orphanage.

He handed over a sheet of paper bearing those basic details, along with Park Cheolung's ID. Shadow might pick up the scent, so he intended to dispose of it in advance.

Less than ten minutes later, he received a file containing Siwoo's information. As expected, Park Siwoo was currently living at the orphanage.

He read through the noteworthy details.

[Skilled with a sword since childhood. Several guilds approached him in hopes of securing his talent, but he ultimately failed to awaken.]

'He certainly showed promise early on.'

The sooner he made contact, the better. Once a certain point passed, awakening Park Siwoo would require taking a long detour.

'I'll meet him first.'

Leveling up? He could do that anytime.

Hunt down the Outer God within seven years.

Honestly, he didn't need seven years. A few months would be enough to reach level 200 with ease. After that, his growth would hit a wall.

This had the potential to break through that wall. That was reason enough to act right away.

"Get the car ready. We're going here."

Hanbit Orphanage.

First, he would meet Park Siwoo there.

* * *

Hanbit Orphanage.

As on any other day, children were running around the orphanage in Gyeonggi Province. As Park Siwoo gazed blankly at them, a friend his own age sat down beside him.

"What are you doing?"

"Just... I don't have much time left here, you know. So I was watching."

"Must be nice, having time to sit around spacing out."

"Nice, my ass. I'm already miserable enough."

"True. You've got your little sister to think about, too..."

His friend nodded in understanding. As he'd said, Siwoo's younger sister lived at this orphanage too.

Siwoo had reached the age when he had to leave. Even with the resettlement grant, that pittance would barely cover a tiny room in a boarding house.

After briefly wrestling with the stifling worry washing over him, Siwoo spoke.

"... What are you going to do for a living once you leave?"

"Me? I told you. I'll just learn a trade. What about you?"

"I don't know. Lately, I've been thinking I might really have to do that too. It'd be different if I'd awakened..."

His friend chuckled.

"Awaken? If we haven't done it by our age, it's over."

"... You're right."

Siwoo nodded quietly, bitterness welling up inside.

Since childhood, his dream had been to become an awakener. The reason was simple: awakeners had saved him.

Thirteen years ago, an A-rank gate had suddenly broken open in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. He'd been on a family outing and lost his parents. If awakeners hadn't come to their aid, he might have lost his only sister too.

Ever since then, he'd dreamed of becoming an awakener. Just as he and his sister had been saved, he wanted to save others.

Of course, that didn't necessarily mean he had to become an awakener...

But few professions were as respected. That was why most of the children at this orphanage dreamed of becoming awakeners too. Sadly, only a tiny handful ever realized that dream.

Just then, a line of cars pulled to a stop outside the orphanage. Both boys' eyes widened at the parade of vehicles that looked outrageously expensive at a glance.

"What's going on? Is some big shot visiting today?"

"No idea. The director didn't mention anything."

Then something astonishing happened. Among the people stepping out of the cars, they spotted a very familiar face.

Kim Minwoo!

Even in sunglasses, he was impossible not to recognize. After all, wasn't he the hottest awakener in Korea right now? On top of that, the people who appeared to be his bodyguards had both hands laden with so many gifts they could barely carry them.

'What on earth is he doing here...?'

Just then, a voice called out.

"Hey! You there, buddy!"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah, you. You're Park Siwoo, right?"

"Yes, I am... Do you know me?"

"Of course. I know you well. Very well indeed. How about a little chat? Somewhere quiet."

Kim Minwoo took off his sunglasses and flashed a broad grin.

* * *

Inside a small café, Kim Minwoo and Park Siwoo sat facing each other.

"Order anything you want."

"No, thank you. I ate earlier, so I'm fine. Um, what was it you wanted to talk to me about...?"

Siwoo seemed curious about what he wanted. He might as well get straight to the point.

"Siwoo. You've got a lot on your mind these days, don't you?"

"... Pardon?"

"You'll have to leave the orphanage soon, and you have no idea how you'll make a living. Am I wrong?"

"Well... no?"

"And with your little sister here, you'll need to get yourself established first."

Siwoo nodded.

"See, I've got a pretty good eye for people. And I think you're going places."

"What do you mean by that...?"

"I mean you have the talent to be an awakener."

"... Pardon?"

"Didn't hear me?"

"No, I did. But I still haven't awakened."

"Kid, I awakened when I was much older than you. And look at me now."

"You're a Super... Rookie."

"Exactly. Find your condition and awaken, and you can turn out just like me."

"I'm sorry, but... I don't know what my condition is..."

"Of course you don't! Who knows their own awakening condition? I only stumbled onto mine by luck after trying all sorts of things."

He hadn't actually stumbled onto it; he'd simply known it all along. But there was no need to tell Siwoo that.

"I've been looking for talent lately, and you caught my eye. Your orphanage records say you're pretty good with a sword?"

"Oh..."

Siwoo nodded, apparently finding that explanation reasonable.

Being an awakener was an excellent profession. And discovering an awakening condition often came down to a lucky break, like winning the lottery.

Naturally, orphanages worked to produce awakeners too. If they raised an outstanding one and sent them to a guild or organization, generous funding often poured in as thanks.

Training was part of those efforts. The children were given various practice weapons and made to train. That not only helped them find a weapon that suited them, but sometimes even led to a lucky awakening.

Even if no one awakened, there was no harm in identifying promising talent.

Park Siwoo had once drawn attention that way too.

Incredibly skilled with a sword. But not yet awakened.

Maybe they could be the ones to scratch this lottery ticket?

Guilds with that thought had established ties with Siwoo and provided him with some support. They'd also helped him try various things to discover his awakening condition.

But now, after considerable time had passed, Siwoo was chewing gum with all the flavor gone. Promising kids generally finished awakening before fifteen at the latest, yet nothing they tried could make him awaken.

What good was talent for swordsmanship? If he couldn't awaken, it all amounted to nothing.

There were only so many times they could try. In the end, the guilds that had taken an interest in Siwoo dropped away one by one.

That was why he was worried about how he would earn a living after leaving the orphanage.

Instead of studying. Instead of learning a trade.

He'd pinned everything on awakening, only for it to fall through.

"You haven't given up yet, have you?"

"..."

Siwoo quietly nodded to confirm he hadn't. Seeing that, Minwoo grinned.

"I'll help you. Until you awaken. Whatever you've imagined, you'll get more support than that."

"... Um..."

"Go on, no need to be formal. Just call me Minwoo."

"... All right, Minwoo. I understand why you wanted to see me. But I don't understand why you'd go this far for me. All the other guilds gave up..."

Minwoo chuckled.

Why go this far?

The world didn't yet know this genius's worth. The one who deserved to be hailed as a true genius by the Sword Immortal wasn't him, but Park Siwoo.

'Because this kid really is a genius.'

Trait: Swordsmanship Genius.

Hadn't the game's starting screen spelled it out beyond all doubt? This kid was a monster.

There was nothing to lose by building a relationship with him. And most importantly...

'There's a very good chance I'll earn achievement points.'

Their value couldn't be measured in mere money. Achievement points increased Kim Minwoo's very potential.

The higher his level, the better his chances of hunting down the Outer God. This was his only way past that agonizing level-200 limit.

How could he pass that up?

"No way I can pass it up."

"Pardon?"

"I said I can't pass it up."

What sort of life would Park Siwoo have lived originally? He didn't know exactly, but he could make a guess.

Long ago, even when the best player knew the awakening condition and took direct control, an S-grade achievement had been the limit.

And the current Park Siwoo didn't even know his own awakening condition.

With such demanding conditions, even if he did awaken, he'd normally end up with a C or B. His genius with a sword would carry him into the upper ranks, but...

'An awakener famous in Korea. That's about it.'

That was probably as far as he'd go.

That was how important the first skill book was.

What if, instead of meeting that fate, Siwoo earned an achievement of S or higher?

With a protagonist's destiny changed that drastically, how could the story possibly remain unaffected? If he succeeded, the achievement points would come pouring in.

A guaranteed winning lottery ticket.

He had to scratch it.

"S-rank? No, you'll definitely become something greater. Let's do this. I'll help you."

Write a new legend in Korea's awakener world.

That was why he had come to find Park Siwoo.