Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: A Deal with Adora
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The first question that popped into his head was, naturally, this one.
Why was Adora here?
No—how had she even gotten in?
And how on earth had she arrived faster than him?
"What trick did you use?"
He asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
No matter how close they were, she was still a witch.
For someone as distrustful as him, the only being he trusted 100% was the God of Offerings.
Adora replied in a slightly bitter tone.
"...It seems to be a side effect of the soul contract. The territory I was in suddenly connected to this one."
Soul contract.
The pact he'd formed with Adora.
It was an absolute bond, far beyond any incarnation contract.
The description called it a "companion and ally of the soul," so it wasn't all that strange for the territory he'd claimed as its master to link up with Adora's.
But still.
"What were you doing here?"
Even if they were connected, showing up right away felt a bit off.
She'd been waiting for him in front of the portal, like she knew exactly when he'd arrive.
If she'd harbored any ill intentions, he would've been reduced to Abyss dust the moment he stepped through.
"Waiting. For you to come through."
"You were waiting for me? Why?"
"...Can I use this territory?"
She cut straight to the chase.
In truth, Adora had been waiting for Park Chan-woo.
Valhalla. The warriors' territory, ruled by the Moon's Owner Aheta and used as the stage for the Second Night—it held immense value.
But her sudden proposal left Park Chan-woo tilting his head in confusion.
"Doesn't the Abyss already have territories?"
Through the Black Witch's pinky finger, Adora had claimed the status of a Creator.
That came with a slice of territory in the Abyss.
A space where she could generate a "created Abyss," specifically.
"Hmm... I don't even know where to start explaining."
Adora hesitated for a moment.
Her vague demeanor made it hard to read her.
But if she didn't explain, there was no way he'd approve using Valhalla.
Park Chan-woo waited silently, and after a pause, Adora spoke.
"...The territory I was given was utterly worthless. Probably because I didn't become a Creator with any foundation to build on. I tried expanding it, but I couldn't manage it alone."
Only Abyss Lords could become Creators.
Adora, however, was an Abyss witch—not a lord. Even with Creator status, she lacked the base.
To expand, she'd need to conquer like the Conquest King Khan or employ some advanced method, but she couldn't do it solo.
It was impossible without any support structure.
And growing power from a barren wasteland of a territory was no easy feat either.
...Most importantly.
Adora was still growing.
Compared to true Abyss Lords, she was like a child.
She couldn't yet handle the hordes of demons they commanded.
Only after awakening and mastering the talent the Black Witch had coveted would that change—but even then, she'd need a "prime territory."
Having grasped the gist, Park Chan-woo said,
"You want to use Valhalla's land to create a 'created Abyss'?"
"...Exactly. Among the Abyss's many regions, Valhalla is exceptionally valuable. Making a created Abyss here should be straightforward."
To craft and run a massive created Abyss like the Second Night, an ordinary territory wouldn't cut it.
That kind of value was why the Moon's Owner Aheta had claimed it.
Park Chan-woo pondered for a moment.
He had a rough idea of how created Abysses were made.
'Creators build their created Abysses in their territories and link them to the world.'
That's why they didn't tolerate intruders in their created Abysses.
It was a territorial invasion, plain and simple.
Would any lord just watch idly as an uninvited guest trespassed on their land?
Of course they'd try to wipe them out.
'The level and effects of a created Abyss depend on the territory's value.'
High-grade created Abysses required specific conditions.
The territory's traits influenced everything.
If it was held at sea, you could assume the Creator had built it in a water-attuned territory.
Creators needed territories with diverse properties.
That was the extent of his knowledge on Creators.
"I'm not saying just take it for free. I'll pay a usage fee."
She'd pay to use Valhalla's land.
Quite the bold offer.
The fee would be in coins, of course—far better than letting the land sit idle.
Clink!
Clink!
Clink clink clink!
The moment Park Chan-woo thought that, coins piled up on Adora's palm.
He blinked.
She had more coins than he'd expected.
Noticing his gaze, Adora continued.
"I bet everything on this Second Night. Thanks to that, I raked in a fortune."
There had been plenty of gambling elements.
Adora had bet on survival rates.
While most Creators wagered on 10-20%, she'd gone all-in on over 80%.
That netted her nearly 30 times her stake.
She'd only had two coins to start with.
"...You gambled?"
His head spun for a second.
It was as good as betting her entire fortune.
In other words, she could've gone bankrupt.
If some freak accident had killed him, Adora would've died too.
Without Creator status or Abyss protection, the Black Witch would've crushed a lone Adora in an instant.
Adora shook her head.
"I don't consider it gambling if you're certain of victory."
"Gambling is gambling. Don't pull stunts like that again."
Park Chan-woo spoke firmly, emotion lacing his words.
If Adora went bust, it'd spell trouble in every way.
Creator status was her shield. Lose it, and the Black Witch would pinpoint her—dragging him down with her.
To face the Black Witch crawling from the depths, he'd need Demon God level at least.
He was still taking his first steps; she was beyond him.
That was the moment.
'Is she smiling?'
A faint smile tugged at Adora's lips.
Stiff as ever, but unmistakably amusement.
Was this situation entertaining her?
Soon, Adora spoke.
"Worried about my life?"
"What kind of question is that?"
Adora's life wasn't hers alone.
It was his too.
He had to avoid any future where she went bankrupt, no matter what.
"...Understood. No more reckless moves."
Adora nodded obediently.
Park Chan-woo let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Good to hear."
"Anyway... I'm offering payment for the territory. What do you think?"
"50 coins for permanent use?"
"No. One coin per day. Upfront for 50 days."
"That'd leave you with barely any left."
"Hm, about five, give or take."
"...Put them away."
Hearing she'd prepay 50 out of her 55 coins, Park Chan-woo rejected it outright.
Adora ventured cautiously.
"Is one per day not enough?"
"It's not about enough. I know creating a 'created Abyss' burns through a ton of coins too."
"True."
"Can you make one with just five?"
"Hmm, a tiny one, maybe..."
Practically meaningless.
From what he knew, a proper created Abyss demanded dozens, hundreds of coins.
Value weak humans alone couldn't provide.
Hence the gambling dens for recouping investments.
No other Creator would eye a five-coin created Abyss.
Hardly anyone would join.
Waste of coins, plain and simple.
Park Chan-woo mulled it over.
Several options surfaced, but which was best?
'Coins can be transferred without conditions.'
Coins were the Abyss's sole currency.
Essential to every being surviving there.
And transferable.
'I could give her my coins.'
Just as she offered coins for territory use, he could hand them to her.
Incarnation contracts between Creators and humans worked similarly.
Contracted humans献 a cut of their coins to the Creator.
Forcing Creators to nurture their incarnations.
They'd use their own coins to set up support accordingly.
But he and Adora could exchange directly.
Which meant.
'I can bet with my coins.'
He could join the Creators' gambling tables.
His thoughts reached that point, and he shook his head inwardly.
'...One failure, and it's all over.'
A single mistake could lose everything.
He'd seen it plenty.
Creators ruined by gambling fever.
Even small bets could balloon losses based on participants' results.
Diving into their game was risky.
Playing their rigged board was foolish to begin with.
No matter how good he was at creating variables, success wasn't guaranteed.
So.
'Don't enter their gambling den. Make them come to mine.'
Draw the Creators to his table.
Having sorted his thoughts quickly, he said,
"I'll invest."
"...Invest?"
"Meaning I'll put my coins into your 'created Abyss' as shares."
"...!"
Adora's body trembled faintly.
She hadn't expected him to push the investment.
Park Chan-woo added,
"But on one condition."
"...You have terms?"
Adora's expression hardened.
An investment—even turning down a usage fee.
There was no such thing as free.
What would he demand?
Tensing slightly, she eyed him.
Finally, Park Chan-woo spoke.
"What if we make it together? The 'created Abyss.' Oh, and we'll split all coins from this territory 60-40."