[Stream has Ended]
[Stream Chat]
[Admin]: This is the end of the stream. Let's give our goodbyes to Mr. Kim Yujeo.
[User_144]: GG EZ BROOO š„š„š„
[LunaChan]: NOOOO šš WHY U END SO SOON
[DarkHunter21]: Yujeo-senpai, you're insane at this game š
[xX_K1LLF33D_Xx]: Infinite Abyss GOD. BOW DOWN šš
[CherryPie]: Rest well, Emperor š«”
[ShadowFox]: WRAITH KING OF ABYSS š
I stared at the fading wall of emotes and goodbyes as the chat slowly died down.
With a quiet sigh, I leaned back, letting my body sink into the gaming chair that had molded itself to my shape over the years. The neon glow from the triple monitors dimmed automatically as the system detected stream closure.
The room fell silent except for the soft hum of the PC's cooling fans.
I rubbed my face and muttered, "Another day, another death counter reset."
Standing up, I stretched lazily before tossing myself onto the bed. The mattress felt cold against my skin, pulling me into a rare moment of comfort.
Before I drift off, thoughā¦ I should introduce myself properly.
My name is Kim Yujeo. Online, people call me the Emperor of Hardcore. I'm a full-time streamer on CHZZK, specializing in permadeath challenges across every genre imaginable.
But there's more to me than just streams and highlight reels.
I'm one of the five players worldwide who've officially cleared the hidden, bugged, "unbeatable" stage in Infinite Abyss. It's a title that carries weight in certain circlesā¦ and a price most wouldn't understand.
I chuckled softly, staring at the faint cracks on my ceiling.
As a streamer, you'd think I'd be rolling in cash ā but reality'sā¦ harsher. Sponsors pay less than you'd imagine unless you sell your soul to ads, and I don't. So, yeah, I eat cup ramen more than I'd like to admit.
And yetā¦ I'm not exactly broke.
Thanks to a few "lucky" investments ā Google, Samsung, Bitcoin ā I could buy myself a penthouse tomorrow if I wanted. But I haven't.
I guess it's because I don't really have a place I'd call "home."
I'm an orphan.
Graduated with a Master's in Commerce at 21, but a piece of paper doesn't fill the emptiness when there's no one waiting at the dinner table.
Soā¦ I built my home here, between screens, streams, and strangers who scream my name in chat.
This room, these games, this personaā¦ this is where I exist.
I drifted into the realms of sleep, and when I woke the next morning, the sun was already spilling its pale gold through my curtains.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
The faint hum of the ceiling fan.
The distant sound of cars outside.
The quiet comfort of a new day.
But that peace lasted only a few seconds.
I groggily sat up, stretched my arms, and plopped down on my gaming chair.
My fingers moved on autopilot, clicking open Kimwoom Securities, the Korean investment app.
[Kimwoom Dashboard ā 07:12 AM]
Google (NASDAQ) ā ā² 12.7%
Samsung Electronics ā ā² 8.9%
Bitcoin ā ā² 15.4%
Portfolio Status: š¹ Massive Gains
I blinked.
"Whoaā¦" I whispered, rubbing my eyes. "Why the hell is everything pumping so hard?"
But before I could process, I switched tabs and opened Daum News, expecting the usual financial reports.
And thenā¦ I froze.
[Daum Breaking News] š
Timestamp: 08:00 AM KST
Headline: "The Tower of Infinity 'Aeternum' Appears in Seoul"
Details:
A 500-meter radius surrounding Jamwon Hangang Park has been completely annihilated.
Eyewitnesses report seeing a massive obsidian tower ā identical to the one from the VRMMORPG "Infinite Abyss" ā emerging from the ground.
Emergency services are evacuating civilians. The government has raised the Disaster Alert Level to Tier 1.
My breath hitched.
"Thisā¦ can't be real."
I clicked the live stream attached to the article.
šŗ [LIVE ā SEOUL DISASTER RESPONSE]
The footage shook violently as a drone hovered above the Han River. In the distance stood an enormous black tower, spiraling endlessly upward, piercing the clouds like a spear. Its surface was alive ā faint runes glowing crimson as waves of black mist rolled out from its base.
Shhhhhhā¦
The audio crackled. People screamed in the background. Sirens wailed.
And thenā¦
A deep, distorted voice rumbled through the speakers.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
["The Trial of Infinity has begun."]
Rule 1: Do not approach the tower unless chosen.
Rule 2: Chosen individuals will receive a System Interface.
Rule 3: Survival is optional. Death is permanent.
"ā¦What the hellā¦" I whispered under my breath.
[LIVE STREAM CHAT]
[HyunGamer97]: BRO IS THIS A MARKETING STUNT???
[NoonaSlays]: nah fam, my cousin lives near Jamwonā¦ she's not answering her phone š
[Crypto4Life]: BITCOIN IS UP CAUSE OF THIS WTF
[GoblinMain]: IF THIS IS INFINITE ABYSS IRL IM GONNA SOLO THE TOWER š„
[Admin]: šØ This is not a drill. Please stay indoors.
I leaned back, staring at the screen. My heart pounded.
Everything about this screamed game, but the raw panic in the chatā¦ the screams from the live feedā¦ the trembling hands of the reporterā¦
This was real.
And then my phone buzzed violently.
[You have been selected.]
[The choices are simple:
1.Do nothing and Die peacefully.
2.Face my wrathā¦ and survive if you can.
Timer: 00:59:54
I froze.
"ā¦What?"
Another buzz.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE ]
Do not move.
Or die.
Suddenly, my surroundings felt suffocating.
Every creak of the chair, every distant honk outside, every second ticking away felt heavier.
And thenā¦
I heard it.
Knock.
Knock.
Slow, deliberate, unnatural.
From my door.
My fists clenched without me realizing it.
That damned purple screen was still floating in front of my face, glowing faintly like it owned me.
I couldn't die here.
Not now.
Not like this.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE ]
Choose an Option:
ā Do nothing. Die peacefully.
ā” Face my wrathā¦ and survive if you can.
Timer: 00:59:12
I let out a long breath, forcing my shoulders to relax. My lips curled into a smirk.
"Like hell I'm dying hereā¦ Option two."
A soft chime followed.
[You have chosen survival.]
[You can move now.]
The tension in my muscles snapped back instantly. I pushed myself up, grabbed the kitchen knife from my desk ā don't ask why it was there ā and walked to the door, my senses on high alert.
Half of me expected some nightmarish monster to be standing outside.
"Who's there?" I called sharply, knife at the ready.
The door creaked open.
And instead of claws or fangsā¦
"Hyung!"
A cheerful voice. Familiar. Annoyingly familiar.
I lowered the knife a little as Kim Haeryn ā my little sister ā beamed at me from the hallway.
Twenty-one years old. Second-year med student.
Currently looking like she had zero worries in the world.
"I'm your cute little sister, Haeryn!" she said, throwing up a V-sign like some idol wannabe.
I sighed, lowering the knife completely, then grabbed her cheeks and stretched them until she squealed.
"Ow ow ow! Hyung, stop!"
"You brat," I muttered, narrowing my eyes. "You nearly gave me a heart attack. Can't you text first like a normal human being?"
She pouted, rubbing her cheeks.
"Hyungnimā¦ I didn't want to stress you out. Not afterā¦ last time."
That made me pause for a second.
Last time, huh.
Yeahā¦ neither of us wanted to talk about that.
I let go and leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
"So," I said casually, "you're here to check on me after I retired?"
Her brows furrowed.
"ā¦Retired?"
"Yeah," I said flatly. "I quit streaming."
Her expression froze, and thenā
"What?"
I ignored her tone completely and headed for the kitchen.
"It's morning. Want breakfast or not?"
A few minutes later, the sound of sizzling eggs filled the small apartment.
The smell of meat on the pan made the air warm and heavy.
Haeryn sat at the counter, chin resting on her palm, watching me.
Or more accuratelyā¦ watching the food. Her stomach growled.
"Hyungā¦" she muttered.
"Hm?"
"ā¦This isn't because of the tower, right?"
I paused mid-flip but didn't answer.
Partly because I didn't have an answer.
That's when the chime hit.
A sharp, crystalline ding right in my ears.
[A Message Has Arrived.]
I wiped my hands on a towel and opened it.
The sender's name made my breath catch.
[Messenger: Queen of the Blood Ruins]
"ā¦No way."
That wasn't possible.
The Queen of the Blood Ruins.
An A-rank hidden dungeon boss from the first floor.
A monster so powerful that even top-ranked players avoided her unless they had a death wish.
And yetā¦ she was messaging me.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Messenger: Queen of Blood Ruins
Message:
"Enter the tower as the first player to set foot insideā¦ or face my wrath."
The kitchen went dead silent.
Haeryn frowned, sensing my shift.
"Hyung? What is it?"
I didn't answer. My eyes were glued to the message, my mind racing.
I knew this dungeon.
I knew the Queen.
I knew every little thing about her ā her patterns, her lore, the triggers for her appearance.
Because I'd studied her.
I'd spent years researching Aeternum, compiling everything: the hidden bosses, the event triggers, the lore all the way to the 100th floor.
In the game, she was just another boss.
Here, thoughā¦
She was threatening me.
My grip tightened around the spatula until my knuckles went white.
If the tower had really manifested in Seoulā¦
Then this wasn't a game anymore.
The rules had changed.
And somehowā¦
I'd already been marked.
The kitchen smelled faintly of sesame oil and grilled meat, mixing with the earthy bitterness of steeped green tea. The eggs hissed quietly on the pan until I slid them onto a chipped porcelain plate.
By habit, I made two servings.
Haeryn padded into the room, her hair still damp from her morning shower, dressed in the plain white blouse she always wore during rituals. She sat across from me and gave me a soft smileāthe kind that reminded me she wasn't that little kid anymore, though I still saw her as thirteen sometimes.
I pushed a plate toward her. "Eat first. You'll need strength before we go."
She looked down at the food, then back at me with that glimmer in her eyes. "You still cook like Mom."
That hit harder than I expected. For a second, the sound of the pan sizzling faded, replaced by the sharp memory of twisted metal, shattered glass, and red flashing lights. I swallowed. My voice was steadier than I felt when I finally spoke.
"Are you here todayā¦ for Jesa?"
Haeryn's expression softened. She picked up her cup, cradling the warmth. "Of course. We have to respect the deceased. It's the least we can do."
The word "deceased" lingered in the air like smoke. She always said it that wayāformal, respectful, distant. I just called them what they were: our parents. But maybe that was how she dealt with it.
I nodded and sipped my tea. The bitterness grounded me.
Uncle's family would already be waiting at the small ancestral altar, incense burning, portraits staring silently from their frames. We'd bow, place offerings, and recite names. A tradition older than any game I had ever played.
Funny. I could predict every mechanic in Fafnir's Rage, every hidden pattern of a raid boss, every secret dialogue tree. But when it came to the rhythm of real life, to grief and familyāI was still fumbling. Still searching for the right inputs.
And today wasn't just about Jesa. It was also the day I realized something had shiftedāboth in me, and in the world I thought I had mapped out.
While we ate, you might wonder why I call myself an orphan when I still have relativesāand Haeryn by my side. That word, "orphan," sticks like a burr, doesn't it? It sounds dramatic, maybe even self-pitying. But it's not for sympathy. It's because the truth isā¦ our parents died in a car accident when I was seventeen, and Haeryn was only thirteen.
One moment, I was a boy dozing off in the backseat, staring at city lights flickering like little fireflies through the glass. The next, there was screeching metal, shattered glass, the smell of gasoline, and then silence. The kind of silence that eats at you, that wraps around your bones. I crawled out of the wreck, bleeding and coughing, only to seeā¦ them. Their faces. Their stillness. You don't forget something like that, no matter how much time passes. It brands you.
After that, we lived under our uncle's roof. He wasn't cruel, but he wasn't exactly tender either. A man carved out of stone, who thought grief could be solved with three square meals and an occasional pat on the back. To him, survival was enough. To us? Survival was a hollow, endless ache. Haeryn cried herself to sleep for months, while I learned how to smile with teeth, how to act like nothing mattered. Calm. Relaxed. Pragmatic. If I didn't, the weight of it all would've crushed me.
That's why I call myself an orphanānot because there wasn't a roof over my head, but because something inside me had been severed forever. Home wasn't home anymore. Family wasn't family anymore.
But let's not drown in my sob story. You're not here for pity, are you? You want to know about the Queen.
Ah, yes. The so-called Queen of Blood Ruins.
Her true name is Seraphine Von Crimsonvale. You like the sound of it, don't you? Rolls off the tongue like a curse and a prayer all at once. According to the lore I uncoveredāburied deep in a dusty tome from the library of the 29th Floor's bossāshe is no ordinary monster. No, she is the Primordial Progenitor, the first vampire to ever exist. The mother of them all.
The story I pieced together was almost poetic. Betrayal. Fear. Hunger. Imagine it: Seraphine creates kin in her own image, gifting them fragments of eternity. And how do they repay her? By conspiring against her, whispering in shadowed halls, until their fear outweighs their loyalty. They sealed her, banished her into the deepest floor of the dungeon. It wasn't just exileāit was execution in all but name.
Centuries later, she was nothing more than a ghost story to adventurers. A myth. Something to frighten children or make fledglings shiver at campfires.
But me? I found her.
And not only did I find herāI confronted her.
Picture it: the air dripping with the stench of rust and old blood, the walls alive with the whispers of the dead. At the center, chained by ethereal runes, was Seraphine. Even weakened, even half-starved, she radiated an aura that made my knees buckle. Crimson eyes like twin suns burning in a sea of darkness. Her voice was silk laced with venom, promising me death in one breath and eternal glory in the next.
I should've died in that fight. By every calculation, every possible outcome, I should have been ripped apart, drained dry, left as a husk among the countless corpses she had already claimed.
But I didn't.
I stood victorious.
And do you know what's worse? I didn't win because I was stronger. I won because I was clever. Pragmatic. Manipulative, even. I baited her into underestimating me, then exploited her rage, her hunger, her loneliness. I used words as weapons, my calm as armor, and when the moment cameāI drove the blade home.
Oh, don't mistake me for a saint. Compassion had nothing to do with it. Ego did. The thrill of proving that even a primordial being could be shackled under my will.
The relicā¦ ah, the relic. That was the key. A cursed artifact I had plucked from the dungeon's depths, one whose origin I barely understand even now. It glowed with a hunger of its own, and when her blood touched it, chains eruptedāspectral, searing, unbreakable. In that instant, Seraphine Von Crimsonvale, the terror of forgotten ages, the Queen of Blood Ruins herselfā¦ became mine.
Bound.
Leashed.
A pet.
Yes, I said it. My pet. Do you hear the arrogance in my voice? Good. Because I want you to hear it. I earned it. Few men get to say they tamed a primordial monster and lived to brag about it. Fewer still keep their sanity afterward.
Sometimes, thoughā¦ I wonder. When I look at her, kneeling in crimson chains, head bowed, voice stripped of its former venomā¦ is she truly mine? Or am I hers, caught in a web of temptation and power, feeding my own ego until I forget the bars of the cage I'm building for myself?
But I won't tell Haeryn that. She sees me as calm, reliable, unshakable. She doesn't need to know that every time Seraphine smiles that faint, mocking smile, I feel the floor tilt under my feet.
So, orphan. Survivor. Manipulator. Victorious fool. Call me what you like.
But never forget this: in the depths of the dungeon, where gods themselves fear to tread, I shackled the Queen of Blood Ruins. And that makes me something more than human.
Somethingā¦ dangerous.
[End of Chapter 2]