Clear

Chapter 48. Clear Kankun lay unconscious on the ground. Looking at him, Park Chan-woo spoke. "You worked hard, Fluffy." “Kkyuu!” Fluffy burst out of Park Chan-woo’s sleeve. Fluffy's ability to "consume death" had worked on Kankun as well. The "death magic" that Witch Adora had cast upon Kankun's heart had been devoured. Fluffy can only consume death under certain conditions. The target must trust me. The act of blooming the "flower of life" and consuming death did not apply to just anyone, neither the orc priest Yan nor Kankun at first. Only after gaining a certain level of trust from Park Chan-woo could the "flower of life" bloom. This meant that he could not erase death at will. Park Chan-woo had challenged Kankun to a duel and won, then swiftly earned his trust by offering enlightenment. Thanks to that, the conditions were met, and the flower of life bloomed. ‘Kankun… truly impressive.’ Park Chan-woo was inwardly amazed. All he had done was give Kankun advice: Do not fear magic. Do not be intimidated. Face it head-on! It was advice anyone could have given. He had simply added a bit of seasoning to make it easier to accept. Yet Kankun had immediately cut through the "death magic." A Heart Sword user, even at max level, it’s not easy to wield, though he hadn’t completely cut it away, there was no doubt it had been the Heart Sword. He had only meant for Kankun to use sword energy to remove the magic. But upon hearing Park Chan-woo’s advice, Kankun had drawn a sword in his heart. The 10th Realm. Kankun is a monster capable of surpassing even that. A truly extraordinary talent. Among orcs, Park Chan-woo had never seen a Heart Sword user before. If Kankun had been afraid of Adora, just how powerful was she? The Tower of Arrogance wants Kankun and Adora to fight again. Park Chan-woo stroked his chin in thought. The danger had passed, and Kankun’s fear had been dispelled. Now, all that remained was to train Kankun, have him reach the 10th floor, and make him battle Witch Adora. But was that really all there was to it? What was the Tower of Arrogance truly planning? Was it simply trying to make them fight again? ‘Does it intend to have them fight at their peak, only to sacrifice one of them?’ Kankun was the most exceptional orc Park Chan-woo had ever met. Adora was surely the same. They were both dazzlingly talented and powerful, existing on a whole different level. When they reached the 10th floor, they would inevitably fight. And one of them would die, while the other would survive. At their absolute best, in their strongest forms, they would ascend to the 11th floor. ‘The 11th floor is the summit.’ That place was the top. Yet, no one knew what would happen on the 11th floor. Since they had been told to climb together, it was clear that something awaited them there as well. Park Chan-woo's thoughts deepened. He brought out every clue he could infer from his memories of the future and his current experiences. The warrior Kankun and the mage Adora. Growth through holy relics. The overwhelmingly powerful floor guardians capable of annihilating everyone. Beside the inevitable battle on the 10th floor… ‘I need to examine the altar.’ The altar! There was definitely an altar. Though the goal was to place a holy relic in the display case atop the altar, ultimately, it was the altar that made it possible. Up until now, he hadn't paid much attention to it, as the display case and holy relic had overshadowed it. But looking back, Kankun had never left the altar’s side. Except for the moment he placed the relic in the display case, he had actively prevented anyone from approaching the altar. He had even used his massive body to partially obscure it, as if trying to hide something. Now that Kankun was unconscious, this was the perfect opportunity. Park Chan-woo quickly examined the altar. ‘What language is this?’ But he couldn't read it. The inscriptions and drawings on the altar were different from the orc language. This meant that it was not an orcish altar. That was suspicious. If it wasn’t an orc altar, why was Kankun, an orc master, guarding it? Moreover, this was a language he had never seen before. "…Dagon." Poof! At the sound of his name, a puff of smoke erupted, and the demon merchant Dagon was summoned. "…What do you need this time?" As always, Dagon appeared in an awkward posture. With one foot stretched out and both hands raised, he looked as if he had been sitting down reading a book. Park Chan-woo glanced at Dagon, who was dusting himself off, and asked, "Do you recognize the language on this altar?" "You mean to say… you don't know?" Dagon's eyes widened in surprise. The ruler of magic, Sephiro, didn’t know something? "I can interpret it, but it's exhausting." "Because of that orc?" Dagon turned his head to look at the unconscious Kankun. Even at a glance, Kankun was an extraordinary being. A monster far stronger than even the demon Dagon. The sheer density of the mana emanating from his body was enough to sting Dagon’s nose. ‘That orc is incredibly valuable.’ Through a merchant’s eyes, Kankun was top-tier. Beyond the highest grade, he held potential even greater than that. And his current strength was already on another level. Even if thousands of the dungeon bosses that Park Chan-woo had previously crushed in a single blow were gathered, they wouldn’t compare to this one orc. Even Dagon instinctively wanted to keep his distance. And yet, this human had single-handedly knocked him out? Without a single scratch? "That's right." When Park Chan-woo nodded, Dagon’s eyes flickered. Dagon had considered Park Chan-woo as Sephiro, but he had assumed there must be some limitations to a human body. But if he had managed to knock out a monster that had reached the 9th Realm, that changed everything. ‘He truly has no limits!’ This was a feat and presence befitting the name Sephiro. Dagon had expected as much ever since seeing him command the divine beasts. But now, it was beyond amazement, it was reverence. Dagon swallowed dryly and turned to look at the altar. "…It's written in Demon Tongue." "Demon Tongue?" "A long-forgotten, ancient form of Demon Tongue." "Can you interpret it?" "Most demons wouldn't be able to, but I can." "As expected, you're quite capable." A demon who loved books, Park Chan-woo had never seen such a thing before. It meant that among all demons, Dagon’s knowledge was truly exceptional. At Park Chan-woo’s praise, Dagon immediately began his translation. "…'I will save you and grant you light, child of arrogance. Climb to the top and become the master of the tower. Then I shall rebirth you as the new ruler of the Abyss'…?!" Dagon, having completed the translation, was appalled. Park Chan-woo was equally taken aback. "The Tower of Arrogance is meant to create a ruler of the Abyss?" "It… it seems so. However, the ruler of the Abyss is not something that  can be made. One must prove themselves and ascend. So, to be precise, it does not seem to be making a ruler of the Abyss, but rather a 'Creator.'" A Creator? That was an unexpected answer. ‘A Creator is a qualification. A qualification to freely create and shape the realms of the Abyss.’ As far as Park Chan-woo knew, that was the case. And such a qualification could only rightfully belong to the ruler of the Abyss. Even if someone who was not the ruler became a Creator, they would not be able to control the Abyss as they pleased. ‘The Lord of Arrogance. A name that does not exist in the Abyss. He has a true ulterior motive for creating Creators.’ Everything that bore the name of Arrogance. If they were meant to create 'Creators', What was the Lord of Arrogance planning to create using these Creators? Creators were, as the name suggested, those who created. They shaped the Abyss with their own colors and imposed trials. If they gathered, they could even form an entirely new world. That meant… "…Is he trying to resurrect himself?" Park Chan-woo murmured softly. Could the Lord of Arrogance have been attempting resurrection by creating his own Creators and using them? He could create a world he could inhabit, then either resurrect or descend upon it. However, even in the distant future, the 'Lord of Arrogance' had never appeared in person. His name had been spoken many times, but that was all. "If this truth is revealed, the Abyss will be turned upside down." Dagon had a grave expression. If someone could intentionally create beings with the qualifications of a Creator, the resulting upheaval in the Abyss would be unimaginable. And yet, the true goal of the Lord of Arrogance had never been revealed. Wasn't that strange? If all things related to 'Arrogance' had left such inscriptions, someone must have deciphered them before. ‘In the current era, the name of Arrogance has appeared on Earth for the first time. This is an unprecedentedly grand spell, and naturally, its formula, its purpose must have been recorded.’ The reason was simple. The name of 'Arrogance' appeared in this world for the first time. And he had inscribed the formula onto an altar. It could only be seen on the first floor of the Tower of Arrogance. And so, it was inevitable that no one would ever know the Lord of Arrogance's true objective. ‘Was he planning to use a defeated one as a sacrifice to create a Creator?’ Kankun and Adora. He strengthened both with sacred relics, subjected them to endless trials, and when they had accumulated enough power, made them fight. Then, the surviving one would be turned into a Creator. By steadily increasing the number of Creators, he could resurrect or descend. Or perhaps he intended to truly 'create' the Lord of Arrogance. If he was indeed an entity that did not exist as the ruler of the Abyss, creation would be more fitting than resurrection. ‘Heh.’ "Truly an arrogant one." Park Chan-woo shook his head. "For now, let's keep this secret." "…I also think that would be best for now." "Head back and finish reading the  rest of your book." "Yes, sir!" Poof! As if terrified of lingering any longer, Dagon vanished the moment the conversation ended. Park Chan-woo then turned his gaze to the unconscious Kankun. "For now…" With little time left, It was time to wake Kankun and go hunting for the floor guardian. Slap! Slap! Kankun regained consciousness. His cheeks stung strangely, but he knew time was of the essence. Now was not the moment to question why his face hurt. "Floor Guardian, magical creature Trog! I, Orc Master Kankun, challenge you to a duel!" Kankun immediately advanced toward the floor guardian's domain. He no longer feared magic. Magical creature Trog. A grotesque being created through magic itself. It looked like a giant frog, but its mouth contained thousands of tentacles. Kankun had once avoided it because it was a being made of pure magic, But now, with newfound enlightenment and mid-tier sacred relics at his disposal, Trog was no longer a match for him. Slash! Shraaaak! Kankun cut down the reaching tentacles and charged through the deadly mist exhaled by Trog. Dense magical energy once again tried to constrict his heart, But it had no effect on him. Kankun drew a sword in his mind, And with that mind sword, he severed all incoming death. "Even in death, remember this name. The great warrior, Kankun!" Kankun crushed Trog's entire body with his blade. Soon, Trog's core shattered. 『Floor Guardian Trog of the First Floor of the Tower of Arrogance has been annihilated!』 『The path to the Second Floor of the Tower of Arrogance has opened.』 『All of Kankun's allies will receive rewards.』 『Those who have displayed sacred relics will receive even greater rewards.』 "Ahhh!" Kankun roared. The thrill of victory, the feeling of being reborn as a true warrior. He then searched for the one who had made all of this possible. "……?" But Kankun tilted his head in confusion. "Warrior, where have you gone?" Kankun had acknowledged Park Chan-woo as a warrior. A comrade who would fight beside him. Yet, despite having been there just moments ago, Park Chan-woo was nowhere to be seen. "Wait, where did Park Chan-woo go?" "…I-I don't know." "He doesn't seem to be anywhere nearby." Even Lim Chang-yeol and the members of the Seoul Union had the same reaction. Park Chan-woo had disappeared without a trace, as if he had vanished into thin air. * * * Park Chan-woo looked around. "……?" It was an unfamiliar place. He had definitely been hunting the floor guardian Trog alongside Kankun. But the moment the magical creature Trog was cut down by Kankun's sword— 『An outcome beyond imagination.』 『'Kankun' has awakened the mind sword?!』 『You are Kankun’s closest ally and a formidable supporter.』 『You have displayed a 'Mid-tier Magical Sacred Relic.'』 『You are awarded '10 Coins' and '3 Chests of Arrogance.'』 So far, nothing was strange. The problem was what came next. 『Pioneer.』 『O arrogant one who carries the spirit of ‘Arahan’!』 『The ‘Tower of Arrogance’ summons you to the camp of ‘Death Witch Adora.’』