The intense presence of someone three meters tall.
An iron helmet.
A hammer that could crush anyone.
The moment he appeared through the wall was too intimidating.
This was one of the named monsters, Breaker.
The Eye of Gluttony quickly scanned the subject.
—
Name: Breaker
Gender: None
Age: 1
Level: 45
Strength 100 | Agility 15 | Stamina 30 | Magic 0
Stat Points: 0
Unique Ability: Relentless Hunter
Skills: Lv12 Guillotine, Lv11 Armor Break, Lv11 Breakthrough, Lv10 Strengthening Weapon
—
[Target cannot be killed]
The overwhelming strength combined with a zero magic stat immediately stood out. However, the most critical information was that the opponent could not be killed.
Its trait of relentlessly pursuing prey to the ends of hell meant that it could not die.
Because of these factors, the ward's difficulty was far higher than the others.
Well, whatever the case, Jin-hyuk ran, because the opponent was invincible no matter what he did.
"Sir…"
"We… we weren't scared…"
The mad ones trembled.
They knew better than anyone what the outcome of their actions would be. At that moment, Breaker grabbed the head of one of them.
"Kuaaauk!"
Red blood poured down like a waterfall. The monster's overwhelming strength made this inevitable.
'If I'm caught, he could even rip my spine out.'
Jin-hyuk frowned.
Now that this thing was out, he would have to play tag for the time being.
A game of tag where getting caught even once meant logging out of life.
Shhh!
Jin-hyuk moved forward toward where Breaker stood among the kneeling madmen.
Breaker reflexively swung the hammer, but it was too late—Jin-hyuk escaped the attack by a hair's breadth.
Instead, the hammer crushed the body of one of the kneeling madmen.
Woong!
Kwang!
Kwang!
A single attack caused the wall to collapse and cracked the floor.
Overwhelming power.
Enough to turn a human into pulp.
However, no matter how strong the attack was, it meant nothing if it didn't hit the target.
Jin-hyuk continued to evade the hammer.
"Kuaaak!"
Intoxicated by blood, Breaker began to rampage.
"Kuak!"
"Ackk!"
The mad ones suffered under the wild swings of the hammer.
Jin-hyuk gradually widened the distance between himself and the falling corpses. Just a little more, and he would reach the hallway.
But at that moment—
[Breaker activates Lv12 'Guillotine'!]
Breaker gripped the hammer with both hands and leaned back.
Kwakwakwang!
The hammer smashed through the ceiling and crashed down toward Jin-hyuk's head.
A blow carrying both immense weight and speed. The falling debris obstructed his vision, making it difficult to evade.
But it didn't matter.
"Friend Shield!"
Jin-hyuk shoved one of the madmen in front of him.
"What, fr—frien—?"
The madman questioned the unfamiliar words, then died.
Kang!
The hammer dug into the floor, and the unfortunate lamb was returned to the hands of God.
Meanwhile, Jin-hyuk pulled a flashlight from a drawer in the hallway.
'Fortunately, no one took it.'
Everyone had been too busy running to check the drawers.
Jin-hyuk turned back.
Kuku!
Breaker was struggling to pull the hammer out of the ground. Nearly all the madmen inside had been mutilated.
'He killed them all on his own.'
This gave Jin-hyuk ample time to escape—but he didn't.
Instead, he repeatedly pressed the flashlight's power switch.
Click. Click!
"Should I be a bit more confident now? Can you catch me with such a slow body?"
Breaker's eyes shone brightly.
A blatant provocation.
The third floor of the psychiatric ward.
This was where the key to the main entrance was kept.
At the same time, it was where the master of the ward resided.
"What happened to these humans?"
A man with bulging blue veins across his pale body spoke.
He was the master of the ward and the elder of the fanatics.
The man standing in the shadows answered.
"We are handling it smoothly. Some are still running around, but it's only a matter of time before they die."
"Are you certain?"
"Of course. The leader doesn't need to worry."
As long as magic was sealed, the players were nothing more than insects waiting to be crushed.
Everything was proceeding as planned.
The leader's lips curled into a smile.
"At first, when the Demonic Human Association came, we tried to throw them into a furnace and burn them. From our perspective, players and you people are all the same."
"But…"
"The moment I heard your purpose, that changed. I never imagined humans could possess such great intentions."
"You overestimate us. We're only doing what must be done."
The man bowed his head, and the leader looked satisfied.
"God demands more sacrifices. Now, as the Tower has just opened and the ignorant continue to flood in, the promised time of His return draws near."
Offerings.
Yes.
Imprisoning humans in the psychiatric ward, brainwashing them, and turning them into madmen—all of it was for gathering sacrifices for their god.
The leader gazed ahead.
Specifically, at the captured players.
"Ugh… Kuak…"
"S-spare us…"
"My leg… I'll do anything. Please, let me live."
The players who had escaped through the vent with Jin-hyuk were soon captured.
"Do not be afraid, humble servants. I will give you a choice."
The leader gently stroked the Asian woman's cheek with his icy hand, sending chills through her body.
"A… a choice?"
"If you convert and follow us, I will spare you from being burned alive."
A chance to live.
At those words, their eyes trembled.
"However, you must kill another person as proof of conversion."
Only two of the four would live.
Only those who abandoned their humanity could survive.
The leader dropped a black dagger onto the floor.
Decide.
Who lives.
Who dies.
The four stared at one another—and the dagger.
But at that moment—
"Leader, you should see this."
One of the believers monitoring the CCTV urgently called out.
"What is it?"
The leader approached the screen and froze.
"What… is this?"
The footage showed Breaker—and a single player.
Players being chased was nothing unusual.
The problem was that this player was toying with Breaker.
Despite being able to escape, he deliberately allowed Breaker to close in.
He dodged attacks by razor-thin margins while flashing the light repeatedly.
Those eyes read the opponent's movements instantly.
Such composure, such freedom, even with his life on the line.
Who could look at this and believe his abilities were sealed?
"How… how can a human do that to God's agent?"
They shouted as they stared at the screen.
Kaak!
Fingernails dug into the display.
Then the man beside them muttered.
"K-Kang Jin-hyuk? How did he come here?"
"Kang Jin-hyuk? You know him?"
"Yes. An S-ranker from Korea…"
The man recognized him.
"He is the most dangerous obstacle to our plans."
Even with his abilities sealed, underestimating him would result in catastrophic losses.
Wooong!
Once again, the hammer tore through the air.
Hundreds of attacks had been unleashed over twenty minutes, yet Jin-hyuk dodged them all.
'It's been a while since I've had this much fun.'
He danced through the terrain, taunting the enemy and exploiting the environment.
Even things that should grow dull became exhilarating when fueled by the opponent's rage.
Watching them gnash their teeth and lose control only heightened his enjoyment.
Of course, it was all deliberate.
"Goooo!"
Breaker rampaged in fury.
Kwakwakwang!
It no longer cared whether its attacks hit—it smashed everything indiscriminately.
Jin-hyuk merely kept his distance.
There was no time limit, but this wasn't just for fun.
'It's almost there.'
The god worshiped by the ward's leader would take notice once Breaker was pushed past its limit.
And then—
['Corrupting Heart' is interested in your actions.]
A crimson status window appeared.
'As expected.'
Nickname: Corrupting Heart
Like Elise, it was one of the powerful beings, known by many names…
Often referred to as the Demon King.
Flinch.
Braham's Ring trembled.
Elise must have sensed the magic.
But there was no need to worry.
Demon King or Demon God—
He resided on the 40th floor.
More importantly, knowing about him already gave Jin-hyuk the advantage.
"Ugh. How did such a shabby person reach such a precious place?"
Jin-hyuk smiled.
[Corrupting Heart proposes to become your sword.]
[Second job change requirement has appeared.]
[If accepted, your occupation will change to 'Black Apostle'.]
'I really like this.'
A second job quest—Black Apostle.
If Teresa was the Paladin of the Stars,
Then a Black Apostle was a black knight under a Demon King's protection.
Different powers.
Different restrictions.
And a life bound to servitude.
'The biggest issue is that if I refuse, I'll be cursed.'
And once cursed, every demon would receive an order to kill him.
In the game, no one ever refused.
In reality, the consequences were far worse.
So—
"I'm sorry, but I decline. Do you know why?"
"A tiger cub does not kneel beneath a Chihuahua."
Jin-hyuk chose a different path this time.
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