Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: Transcender (12)
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"Hah," 'Death' let out a disbelieving chuckle.
He never dreamed the guy would abandon 'Life' right in front of him and choose him instead.
And what the fool spouted at the end was even more ridiculous.
'I'll handle it alone? How foolish.'
Without the God of Offerings, he truly would've been nothing.
His magical talent shone brightly enough, but he hadn't even realized it until the God of Offerings pointed it out.
...But.
This choice was entirely his own.
Park Chan-woo had surpassed 'Death' through his own will.
He chose himself, not the God of Offerings.
Why?
He was death incarnate, the being who brought absolute death to Park Chan-woo.
The fool had to know that.
'A being who rejected the God of Offerings at death's doorstep.'
There had never been such a one before.
All the Holy Grail bearers who reached this depth had chosen 'Life.'
It was an irresistible instinct.
Consciousness fades, and life is craved.
No one he knew had escaped the trap the God of Offerings had prepared.
Not when that guy obsessed over Holy Grail bearers like a madman.
—What an interesting fellow.
But that was before Park Chan-woo appeared.
...None until now. For the first time, one has emerged.
Isn't it strange?
They possessed far greater physical power and mental fortitude than Park Chan-woo.
Yet even they couldn't make this choice.
Park Chan-woo could because something far more important than his own life existed.
His burning desire to become an Archmage.
His unbreakable will to pass the trial and master the Transcender's magic!
That mad willpower alone made the choice possible.
Honestly, if it didn't feel exhilarating, it'd be a lie.
Especially seeing the God of Offerings slink away in defeat.
If 'Death' willed it here, claiming Park Chan-woo's life would be child's play.
But it was still too soon for that.
The deadline of roughly 400 days hung over him.
'Death' had no intention of taking Park Chan-woo's life himself before that limit.
Besides, he'd enjoyed quite the spectacle...
A grin spread wide!
—But you're correct, human.
"M-My heart's beating!"
"Mr. Lee Hyuk-soo! Are you conscious?"
"I'm alive!"
At the clamor around him, Lee Hyuk-soo scanned his surroundings.
The emergency responders waiting in the government office and Minister Park Sang-min's face came into view first.
"...What is this?"
"Pardon? Don't you remember? Your heart stopped just moments ago, Mr. Lee Hyuk-soo!"
"My heart...?"
Lee Hyuk-soo swallowed hard.
His mouth tasted bitter.
At the same time, memories of moments before flooded back.
'The party member Prophet has died.'
He'd wanted the Prophet to live, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
As he made that 'wish,' a message appeared saying he was being offered as sacrifice, and his heart stopped.
'I heard... something.'
Just before regaining consciousness, he'd felt like he heard a petulant child's voice.
Was it his imagination?
Lee Hyuk-soo shook his head to clear it.
Either way, if the message before his eyes was true, the 'Prophet' seemed to be alive.
What was clear was that he'd died and come back.
He'd nearly died in the blink of an eye to some absolute force.
"Whew. Truly a relief. You've been overworking yourself too much. We've canceled all the scheduled interviews, so please check into a hospital and rest."
Tears welled up slightly in Minister Park Sang-min's eyes.
How shocked he'd been when Lee Hyuk-soo suddenly collapsed.
His own heart had nearly stopped.
"I'm fine..."
"Please, I beg you."
"M-Minister...!"
Minister Park Sang-min suddenly dropped to his knees before everyone.
Lee Hyuk-soo panicked and forced him back up, but the minister spoke with a grave expression.
"Mr. Lee Hyuk-soo. You are Korea's future and hope. We can't have you dying suddenly. So please, rest. I'm begging you like this."
"...Understood."
Lee Hyuk-soo nodded heavily.
But one thought wouldn't leave his mind.
'That voice.'
He'd definitely heard it.
It should've been easy to dismiss, yet it nagged at him.
Lee Hyuk-soo kept recalling it.
...And finally, he remembered.
【In the end, the one who'll stay by your side is me.】
The Transcender Lil noticed the mortal's change first.
All the 'Offerings' dedicated to the Demon-Sealing God's Holy Grail had been canceled, returning to their original places.
And that wasn't all.
—...You've gained the ability to wield Primal Mana.
It was as if he'd attained enlightenment.
He'd driven out the Holy Grail's curse himself.
Honestly, it was an unbelievable sight.
At least, as far as Transcender Lil knew, no one had ever overcome the Holy Grail's curse.
Moreover, Primal Mana was akin to life itself.
In other words, this mortal had awakened to life.
Solely through his own will, he'd determined his own fate.
Thump!
Soon, the mortal's heart began to beat again.
Thump! Thump!
Once started, the pulsing grew uncontrollably loud, asserting its presence.
As blood flowed once more and color returned to his face...
"...Dizzying."
The mortal opened his eyes.
Transcender Lil gazed at him calmly and asked.
—How does it feel to have awakened Primal Mana?
"Doesn't seem like much has changed."
An honest impression.
Compared to before, nothing felt drastically different yet.
If anything, his body felt a bit lighter, floating slightly?
Lil nodded and said.
—Primal Mana bows to no other mana. Try casting a spell.
Cast a spell?
But all mana was suppressed around Lil.
The intense repulsion made even basic spellcasting difficult.
Pure mana at level 1 wouldn't even activate.
Watching Park Chan-woo pause, Transcender Lil looked puzzled.
—You didn't come this far just to be unable to cast magic, did you?
"Not that, but... excuse me for a moment."
Park Chan-woo stepped out of the lab.
Then he pulled equipment from his inventory.
—...What are you doing?
"Gonna get dressed first."
He began equipping piece by piece.
Lil watched the scene with incredulous eyes.
The mortal's base stats were all 1.
He'd wondered how he survived like that.
'He was surviving on equipment bonuses...'
Now he understood.
Every visible piece of gear was of an absurd grade and effect.
Treasures even average demon lords couldn't possess.
Returned to his original state, he stepped back into the lab.
His eyes widened.
'No repulsion.'
Mana didn't scatter.
No interference, no burning of the body from backlash.
"Heaven's Punishment."
He cast the spell 'Heaven's Punishment' toward an empty spot in the lab.
Shiiiii.
Kwaaaaaang!
Blue lightning crashed down, shaking the entire lab.
All mana flowed and manifested normally.
A free unleashing of mana that even Moon Lord Aheta couldn't achieve.
Watching this, Lil said.
—You pass.
"So now I can learn the Transcender's magic?"
He'd crossed death's boundary solely for this moment.
Asking with eager anticipation, Lil nodded.
—I shall teach you the grimoire's magic. You should be able to master it. But this magic is not yet complete.
"...It's not finished?"
—It is complete. 'Not complete' means it's too vast to contain in your body.
"Ah. Got it."
—Your name?
"Park Chan-woo."
—Park Chan-woo. I, Transcender Lil, acknowledge you. Your honor, your talent, your spirit—all of it.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the 'grimoire' burst into flames.
Soon, it turned to ash, leaving only a single white essence.
—The grimoire's essence is the true form of my final magic. Make it fully yours, and the magic will be complete.
Final magic.
A meaningful phrase.
Considering it, Transcender Lil had been sealed solely to perfect this one magic.
He couldn't even guess what it was or how incredible.
Lil continued.
—However, even with your immense talent, fully assimilating it will take far too long.
"How long?"
—Roughly a century.
"..."
100 years?
He had less than that left to live.
Not even a year before death, let alone 100.
And after 100 years, Earth and humanity might not exist.
"Can't shorten it?"
—A century is already incredibly short. An ordinary mage wouldn't master it in ten thousand years.
"...I don't have that kind of time."
—So it seems.
Lil could sense the 'death' clinging to Park Chan-woo.
Too dangerous to touch, that's all.
—Worry not. My 'Transcendent Abyss' shall manifest on your Earth. With effort there, you can shorten the time.
A string of astonishing revelations.
But he recognized this as Lil's consideration too.
Park Chan-woo bowed briefly.
"Thank you."
—Now, grasp the grimoire's essence.
Park Chan-woo approached the burned remnants of the grimoire.
He slowly cupped the remaining white essence in both hands.
Then.
Flash!
Shuuuuuuaaaaa!
The Eternal Land.
Cygnus looked up at the sky.
「...Shooting stars?」
Countless stars rained down from above the Abyss.
They evaporated upon hitting the ground.
But.
Humm-!
Huuuummm-!
They vibrated, instantly sweeping away all darkness.
Soon, the entire Eternal Land was bathed in pure white light.
All lingering 'remnants of death' vanished, and even the Abyss's own darkness was gone.
The same held for the witches in Aheta's secret lab.
"...W-What?!"
"My curse...!"
"No, no...!"
Their curses were erased.
All curses etched into the witches' very existence.
Their eardrums cleared, and the heart curse from the 'Black Witch' dissipated too.
And it wasn't just the Eternal Land.
—This is...?
—What magic is this?
—Did Sepiro complete some weird spell again?
...Across the entire Abyss, pure white stars poured down.