Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Perfect Devil Box
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The message appeared right before his eyes.
Immediately after the match between Balzac and Champion Nameless Man ended.
Adora stepped into the 'Creation Abyss' with a tense expression.
All the spectators had evacuated, leaving only Nameless Man... no, Park Chan-woo behind.
'He definitely demonized.'
There was no way she had seen it wrong.
Park Chan-woo's mind had been tainted in an instant, turning him half-human, half-demon.
He had assimilated with the shadows, becoming Azoth and Zarpham themselves.
And so, as a witch who had lived in the depths, she was certain.
The mana he exuded in that moment was unmistakably demonic.
Not just any demon, but the mana of a great demon.
'...If mental corruption progresses, he can't come back.'
It was common knowledge.
The fate that all summoners who handled Abyss summons met.
Even incarnations fell to mental corruption from their creators, becoming half-human, half-demon.
The problem was that those whose minds were corrupted and changed never returned.
There was no cure, not even regeneration.
Once it took hold, they lived their lives as 'other beings' forever.
Forgetting everyone, losing everything.
Like this, the very existence of the Abyss was poison to humans.
The closer they got, the more it crushed their minds and shattered their souls.
That was why Adora never approached Park Chan-woo more than necessary.
She, too, was a being from the Abyss.
A witch born in the deepest 'Depths,' no less.
'If it's not too late...'
Adora quickened her steps toward the Colosseum.
She needed to see it with her own eyes to know for sure.
Park Chan-woo stood motionless, staring into empty space.
What was he looking at?
One thing was clear: this wasn't the usual Park Chan-woo.
'...Too late.'
He was different.
No trace of his human form remained, and even his mana felt ominously sinister.
That wasn't Park Chan-woo.
It was something between Azoth and Zarpham.
A ferocious aura.
Fierce enough to destroy everything it faced.
Just approaching it sent chills down her spine.
"...Are you okay?"
Adora asked, tense.
She didn't expect an answer.
On the contrary, he was likely to attack upon sensing her presence.
Smoothly.
Park Chan-woo lowered his head.
And looked at Adora.
Red eyes glowing from the shadows.
Belching thick black mana smoke.
"Not bad."
"...!"
...Adora's expression twitched for the first time.
He had spoken.
In the same voice, with the same gentleness.
A voice so identical it was impossible to believe his mind had been corrupted into another being.
"You're... Park Chan-woo?"
"Have you forgotten my name already?"
"Your mental corruption clearly progressed..."
It had undoubtedly progressed.
And hadn't he even deployed magic from an entirely different 'unique domain'?
Magic of an ultra-high order that no human could possibly use.
Transcendent magic on a level that affected even the separated spectator stands.
There were few monsters in the Abyss capable of such feats.
Impossible without becoming a great demon like a demon god.
Yet, common sense had been shattered.
The corruption had progressed, but Park Chan-woo's mind remained intact.
How in the world?
"It was a bit tough."
Park Chan-woo shrugged.
Once assimilation exceeded 1,000%, an entirely different world unfolded.
As expected, 'mental corruption' had indeed occurred.
What he saw, felt, every sense was completely unlike the world he'd known.
It felt like becoming an entirely different being.
However, Park Chan-woo quickly grasped the core of the 'mental corruption'.
'Mana wavelength.'
Mana wavelength.
The final barrier that allowed existence in the Abyss.
Upon death, the barrier vanished, turning one to dust.
The issue with mental corruption was the mixing of 'an entirely different being's wavelength'.
The final defense line protecting body and soul became distorted upon blending.
That was why Balzac became half-human, half-demon.
His wavelength mixed with his creator, 'Immortal Curser, Lord Arvanil'.
This even altered his unique mana pattern, turning him into something entirely 'other'.
The same principle applied to summoners assimilating and corrupting with their summons.
However.
Park Chan-woo could 'read' mana wavelengths.
He could read their vibrations, intensity, flow, and thickness completely.
To read them meant he knew how to wield them.
"Are you really okay?"
"It was close."
Park Chan-woo said sheepishly.
It was true that he might never have returned if things had gone wrong.
'1,000% was the limit.'
He instinctively knew he couldn't go beyond that without it being irreversible.
He minimized wavelength interference, but he didn't yet know how to handle it perfectly, so the limit was clear.
Recognizing this, he stopped at 1,000% assimilation.
Even that allowed him to reach Zarpham's domain.
Dimensional Encounterer, White Whale Zarpham's 'Dimensional Great Glacier' lived up to its name as absolute magic that warped dimensions themselves.
To think it even loosened the bond between creator and incarnation.
The 'law interference' he'd only heard of in tales.
A miracle possible only for those of demon god rank or higher!
In other words.
'Zarpham possesses demon god rank.'
Realizing this sent shivers down his spine.
And Zarpham had said eight, or perhaps nine, beings stronger than itself were in the 'Demon-Sealing God's Chalice'.
He couldn't even guess what existed inside the chalice.
If Zarpham was this strong, the strongest sealed one might rival the 'Great Nine Lords'.
However, Park Chan-woo hadn't fully conquered even Zarpham yet.
He'd merely tasted one of its spells.
...Wasn't it exciting?
His heart pounded wildly.
If this didn't thrill him, he wasn't a mage.
Park Chan-woo's goal was to ascend to true 'Archmage' at the pinnacle of magic.
It felt like discovering another facet of magic.
However.
Adora's gaze was unusual.
Park Chan-woo chuckled and said,
"Were you worried?"
"...No. As long as you're fine."
She instantly reverted to her usual icy expression.
In that moment.
'Ugh.'
Park Chan-woo's form staggered.
His mana was depleted.
Forcing assimilation that high had drained his mental strength too.
Whoosh!
Adora hurriedly reached out to catch the falling Park Chan-woo.
Bang!
But she couldn't grasp him.
She couldn't catch him.
"...Ah."
Adora let out a small sigh.
...Azoth's shadow had reverse-summoned.
How long had he been unconscious?
He slept and slept, yet still felt drowsy.
He couldn't open his eyes at all.
He rose from his spot exactly three days later.
'...First time I've slept this long.'
Handling the White Whale's domain magic seemed to be the culprit.
Even after three straight days, the fatigue lingered.
This was what 'sleeping like the dead' truly meant.
Clap!
Park Chan-woo slapped his cheeks with both hands to snap himself awake.
He couldn't waste more time here.
There was much to do right away.
First, the messages still floating before his eyes.
+ Level has risen.
+ Level has risen.
+ Level has risen.
+ Massive EXP gain and transcendent achievement force-break 'Level Limit'.
+ Level has risen.
No matter how many times he read them, the phrases hit hard.
The first thing that caught his eye was the multiple level-up notices.
Defeating True Demon Balzac and Immortal Curser, Lord Arvanil simultaneously had skyrocketed his levels.
A dramatic surge that cleanly shattered even the level limit.
'Minus 79 level.'
With this, his level had reached -79.
The peak was still far, but hope was in sight.
'Remaining deadline: 494 days.'
He had to reach level 1 within that time to evade death.
80 levels left.
At first, he'd thought it nearly impossible.
Even in a normal state it was tough, and the EXP required seemed over double.
However...
'It's possible.'
He clenched his fist.
He could do it. He had to.
In just over two months since regressing, he'd slain an Abyss lord.
Who could have imagined?
A human had 'directly slain' an Abyss lord.
Something everyone said was impossible.
But he did it.
He turned the impossible into possible.
Likewise, reaching level 1 was entirely feasible.
'...Perfect Devil Box.'
He tapped the message, and a small black box appeared.
Nothing special about it.
But this was the first 'Perfect Devil Box', not a regular one.
'Han Shin monopolized all Devil Boxes.'
Didn't it make you curious?
Han Shin hunted half-human, half-demons desperately.
He never yielded.
Thus monopolizing every 'Devil Box'.
Why?
What drove him to such extremes?
It was out of character for Han Shin.
Especially with 'Perfect' attached.
No need to wait longer.
'Open.'
Bang!
Easter Egg (001)'s function activated once more.
And the luck it brought had never disappointed him.
What could be inside?
"...Hah."
Park Chan-woo was stunned upon checking the contents.
They were nothing like what he'd imagined.
'...So that's why he went all out to monopolize them.'
The reason Han Shin hunted half-human, half-demons so desperately.
Park Chan-woo pulled the contents from the box.
Then.