Chapter 22
Wolves (2):
3.
James Kim, a scout for the Union Guild, couldn’t think straight because of the pain coursing through his whole body.
It was to the point where he wondered if he might actually die from this beating.
Slaaap—!
He was a level 5 player, and he thought of himself as skilled enough to be respected in any guild.
He had often proven his worth in the Abyss.
Whenever the guild’s raiding party was short-handed, he was always the first to be sent in.
A stealth-type fighter—specifically an assassin-class player.
Tracking people in secret or digging up information was his specialty.
But this lunatic—what the hell was he?
“Kids these days have no manners. Hey, James Hwang. How old are you?”
“Uh, I—I’m Kim, not Hwang…”
Slaaap—!
“So how old are you?”
“Thirty-nine…”
“Oh, so you’re older than me? Still, I’ll just talk down to you.”
Slaaap—!
Meteor.
A figure who suddenly burst onto the streaming scene one day, causing a storm of shocking moments—nothing short of a hot topic.
James had only been following orders from above—just gathering information.
The orders were simple: gather info, then try to recruit him.
So he did as he was told.
Isn’t that what a salaried worker does?
Surely that headhunter over there was being beaten up for the same reason.
“Hey. You. Headhunter? What’s your name?”
“To attack a man like this… Do you think you’ll get away with it?”
“You’ve been uncooperative from the start. You get more hits.”
Slaaap—! Slaaap—!
This was his chance.
James Kim quickly ratted out the headhunter’s identity.
“P-player Meteor. That guy’s with North. I don’t know his name, but that triangular insignia is unmistakable…”
“What’s North?”
“Y-you know that recent incident where promising Korean players were smuggled out? They orchestrated it. They lured prospects—sold one to Japan, another to China. Real scum! They’ve got political connections backing them, and they’ll use any illegal method in the book!”
If he could make himself look like the less bad guy, maybe he’d get hit less.
It was a pretty effective survival tactic.
“So he really is a traitor, huh?”
Meteor grinned like a devil and smacked the headhunter across the face again.
Like James, the headhunter was clearly a player—otherwise there was no way he could withstand these endless slaps.
James let out a quiet sigh of relief and kept his mouth shut. Meanwhile, the headhunter, unable to take any more, glared and shouted:
“You… You’re acting all high and mighty, but earlier I saw your brother’s face—”
At that moment, the air in the alley shifted.
The smile disappeared from Meteor’s face. He stomped down hard on the headhunter’s right leg.
Craaaack—!
With a bone-chilling sound, the headhunter screamed in agony.
“Gyaaahhh!”
“There are some lines you don’t cross.”
Craaaack—!
The previous slaps had just been a joke compared to this. Meteor mercilessly crushed the man’s limbs.
James swallowed hard as he watched.
He has no hesitation when it comes to violence.
Most newly awakened players hesitate when it comes to hurting another human.
But the more time they spend in the Abyss, the more desensitized they become. That’s why player crime spikes sharply after the 4th floor.
Meteor, though—he had no hesitation at all.
…Killing intent?
Just watching that brutal violence made James’ legs tremble.
Yes. It was unmistakable killing intent.
That damp, chilling aura that only someone who’s killed before can emit.
Unconsciously, James lowered his head and shook.
This man is beyond me.
If he survived this, he’d report to his superiors immediately.
Meteor wasn’t just some promising level 2 player.
He couldn’t quite explain it, but this was someone you must never provoke.
This first misstep could turn into a disaster for his organization.
“Fuuuh.”
After some time, Meteor let out a casual breath.
The headhunter’s screams were gone.
“James Kim.”
“Y-yes?”
“I’ll let you off since you didn’t bring up family. You said Union, right? Big guild, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Yes, that’s right.”
“Then you’d better behave. As you can see, I really love my family.”
He gestured at the broken body of the headhunter.
Twisted limbs bent at grotesque angles.
How could a human body even end up like that?
“Your face is all swollen, James. Better put some eggs on it, huh?”
“I was rude. Please accept my sincere apology…”
“Next time, if you want to meet me, contact me first and set up an appointment. My email’s on my channel.”
Meteor dusted off his hands, pulled up his hood, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“Slaps, stalking—let’s call it even. But don’t go whining to the cops. I’ve got to maintain my law-abiding citizen image. Since your guild’s a big deal, I trust you’ll handle this scene, right?”
“O-of course.”
“Do that well, and I’ll look kindly on Union. I’m leaving first.”
Meteor unleashed violence in an instant, then vanished just as fast.
James stood frozen, staring at the spot he disappeared from, before instinctively pulling out his phone to call his superior.
“Hello?”
“Vice President, I’m sorry. Meteor found me.”
“What?”
“I can’t recruit him. And in my personal judgment… he mustn’t be recruited at all…”
He was hurriedly reporting when suddenly a group of players appeared behind him.
“This is troublesome, James Kim. Please hang up the call for now.”
“…Deputy Chief Choi Sunghoon?”
“I came as soon as I got word… hmm, this is a problem.”
They knew each other.
Deputy Chief Choi of the Ability Management Bureau.
I heard he was recently reassigned to Seoul Branch. Wasn’t that a demotion?
Could it be that Meteor really had signed with the Bureau?
If so, things just got complicated.
“I think I know what you’re imagining, but we’re also approaching Meteor very cautiously. If you stir up trouble like this, it causes problems for us too.”
“I just…”
“Wow. You really turned this guy into mush. Did he do something to Meteor?”
“He suddenly brought up his family. Said he’d seen his brother’s face.”
“Ahh. Still, Korea is supposed to be a country of law, so this sort of thing… is awkward, to say the least.”
Choi sighed and walked toward the headhunter.
But then his eyes lit up.
“…Well, what do you know. He belongs to the very organization we’ve been desperately trying to track. They rarely expose themselves. What luck. Meteor really is a godsend.”
He sighed and nodded, then turned to James.
“Let’s continue this conversation at the Bureau. Do you have time?”
“Yes.”
James thought of Meteor’s eyes again.
Compared to that, a Bureau investigation was nothing.
So he agreed without resistance.
“Thank you for cooperating.”
Choi smiled, satisfied.
4.
If you had to name the most cowardly bastards in the world, it’d be those who use family as a tool for threats.
Did you think I only fought monsters in Avalon?
If that had been the case, things would’ve been easier.
But there were also humans who sold their souls to demons and foreign powers, rampaging across Avalon.
And how did I deal with them?
I killed them.
Because in that world, if you didn’t kill, you died.
That’s what war is.
Still, I hope at least Earth won’t turn out that way.
“Uncle! Feeling good?”
“How could I not, when my Ian’s right here with me? Uncle feels great.”
“Me too!”
After stopping by the Ability Bureau to have my unique-grade item appraised, I went straight home.
Ian wanted to go for a walk, so we were out together.
Noona Bitna had gone to the mart for a bit, so this was my time alone with Ian.
“Did you have fun at daycare today?”
Carrying Ian on my shoulders, I asked lightly.
“Yeah! Uncle, come next time! It’s fun!”
“Shall I?”
“Hehehe.”
This—this is healing.
The bad mood I’d been in melted away the moment I saw Ian.
He’s truly a gift to me.
After seven hellish years in Avalon, I returned to Earth and found a new family.
My first nephew.
I want to give him everything.
“Teacher. Saw uncle.”
“Hm?”
“Teacher! Phone. Saw uncle. Said you’re my uncle!”
Ahh.
So his teacher saw me on her phone, huh?
His daycare teacher?
I wonder what her reaction was. Should I ask Ian?
“What did she say?”
“Um. Don’t know! I bragged about uncle!”
“Then soon uncle will come pick you up.”
“Yay!”
If Ian ever asked me to pick him up, I’d cut through the Abyss itself to do it.
Whatever Ian wants, he gets!
As we strolled leisurely through the park, my phone buzzed.
Bzzzz—!
“Ian, shall we sit down for a bit?”
“Yeah!”
Such a good kid.
I sat on a bench with Ian on my lap and answered.
“Hello, hyung. We uploaded the video… 30 minutes ago!”
“Good work. Oh right, I also sent you the video of my unique item appraisal.”
“Ah, I saw it. Haven’t watched yet… Did you get something good?”
“For me, it’s huge. I never imagined a 2nd floor unique item could be like that. That ‘Lucky Matryoshka’ is really amazing—always gives me exactly what I need. Take a look.”
“Understood, hyung. I’ll start making the short-form video right away.”
“From now on, you don’t need to report each time. The channel’s videos are all yours to handle. Oh, and sometime, let’s have dinner with my brother. He seemed interested after I mentioned you.”
I had told Jinsung hyung how Taeo had been bullied by a famous Abyss streamer, sued him, and lost. That got him interested.
At my words, Taeo was silent for a while before replying in a very small voice:
“…Thank you for looking out for me.”
“What are you talking about. Did you eat?”
“I ordered chicken with Mom using the money you gave me.”
“That wasn’t money I gave you—it’s what you earned by working hard. Buy her something better than chicken. Eat properly.”
“…Yes!”
Every call, his voice grows a bit stronger. I like that.
Now then. He said he finally uploaded the first video, didn’t he?
Time to check it out.
“Hmm hmm.”
I quietly opened MeTube and went to the main page.
Let’s head to my channel—
“Uncle! Uncle’s video!”
Ian pointed at my phone, giggling.
Turns out I didn’t even need to click into my channel.
Because—
<Abyss Category Real-Time Trending #11>
<Title: Abyss Streamers, Pack Your Bags>
Channel: Meteor
My video was blowing up MeTube.
The Abyss streaming scene had grown stagnant.
And then—I dropped like a meteor.
