Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Tower of God (2)
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'What a shame.'
The Transcender Lil thought.
This time was so precious to her.
She was a being who had lived for eternity.
Thus, the flow of time held no meaning for her.
'What a shame.'
It was the first time.
The first time she felt time passing was so regrettable.
While creating the ancient tome's magic, she had already lost her presence.
She had shed even her qualifications as a Transcender and completed the magic within the tome.
The halted time began to flow again once the seal was broken.
And now, as she passed on the magic to Park Chan-woo, even that remaining sliver of time had vanished entirely.
At best, a single day.
She had forcibly stretched out that one day.
'Just a little more.'
Time was cruel.
It was the first time.
She never imagined sharing knowledge with someone could be this enjoyable.
It had gone beyond mere curiosity and become her true heartfelt desire.
She wanted to pass on all her wisdom and knowledge.
...Time was the only cruel thing.
"Master?"
The man who called her his master.
The mortal, Park Chan-woo.
A being with talent that was utterly unique and defying definition.
His determination toward magic surpassed even her own.
Beyond mere 'magical' talent, there was something more.
As if... gazing upon magic itself...
Just looking at it felt like dissecting the true essence of magic down to its core.
—Focus.
Lil said gravely.
A magic had already formed above Park Chan-woo's hand.
It was a small 'star'.
—Imprison the light. Awaken the mana to complete the 'star'.
The ancient tome's magic contained the wishes of all stars.
To contain the Abyss's curse, the 'star' had to be refined into its purest form.
If she had to name this magic...
'The Absolute Star Spirit Magic, Elysion.'
The purest soul of a star.
Through that soul, it blocked and devoured the Abyss's curse—the Absolute Star Spirit Magic 'Elysion'.
Elysion was the name infused with Lil's wish to erase all of the Abyss's curses and turn the world into a 'paradise'.
'Just a little more...'
Yet time was short.
No matter how she thought about it, fully passing on the magic required more time.
However, with only the fourth stage, 'Mana Resonance', it was impossible to perfect the form.
It required reaching the fifth stage, the realm of 'Creation'.
Once touching the creation stage of mana, one could even master entirely new forms of magic.
But Lil couldn't forcibly make him reach it.
Park Chan-woo had to realize it himself.
"......"
He closed his eyes and focused all his mind on Elysion.
This was magic that contained the 'star' and the world.
It countered demons and could even threaten 'Demon Lords' or 'Creators'.
If he had properly mastered Elysion, Aheta, the Lord of the Moon, would have suffered a fatal wound or died during their clash.
'The star's attribute. I must convert the mana itself.'
Easier said than done.
But originally, mana had no 'star attribute'.
Fiction. A non-existent attribute.
'Feel the star itself. Listen to the star's story.'
Easier said than done.
Even with Lil's guidance, he heard nothing.
Felt nothing.
The pulsations echoing from this place, the 'Land of Eternity'.
Perhaps that's why.
The star's form made of light refused to stabilize.
The light spread chaotically, warping wildly.
'In the end, it's mana.'
His resolve hardened.
There couldn't possibly be mana he couldn't sense or understand.
'I myself become the mana.'
He opened all the channels from which mana flowed.
He released all the mana in his body, including the primal mana.
Then, something peculiar emerged.
'...There's a blocked mana channel.'
At the center of his head, a mana channel blocked like a sealed acupoint.
The problem was its location.
'The Demon-Sealing God's Chalice is blocking several passages.'
It was supposed to exist formlessly.
Yet the acupoints where the chalice resided were strangely compressed.
As if someone had intentionally sealed them.
He hadn't known until now.
Couldn't know.
Only upon reaching the 'Resonance' stage of mana did he realize it.
To open those channels would create a gateway linking his entire body in mana communication.
He gathered his mana into a hammer and swung it.
Thud!
His brain shook.
Cough!
Black blood trickled from his mouth.
Yet it didn't break his concentration.
Park Chan-woo poured all his spirit once more, swinging mana at the blocked acupoint.
Boom!
"Guh...!"
A scream escaped unwittingly.
Pain beyond imagination.
But he couldn't stop.
The channel was opening bit by bit.
However, after a fleeting moment, it began sealing shut again.
Thud!
—......
Lil watched him with trembling eyes.
'You've found it.'
Lil had already known.
She had noticed the mana was faint around that area during the inheritance.
Yet she left it untouched because even she couldn't easily meddle with it.
It was too dangerous.
Unless he realized and opened it himself, tampering with it externally with mana could make his head explode.
Even succeeding in 'Mana Resonance', finding that spot would have been no easy feat.
'Tell him one thing, and he opens ten on his own.'
He accomplished even what wasn't taught.
With just a small hint, he produced answers far beyond.
Honestly, there was much she could learn from watching him.
'At this rate, he'll master Elysion without issue.'
The channel he was opening was a passage linking the world and the soul.
All living beings had it completely sealed.
Many had regressed or lacked it entirely.
But Park Chan-woo's was merely blocked.
Because of the Demon-Sealing God's Chalice, it was faintly connected to the world of souls.
He had found that minuscule gap.
Finding it was impressive enough, yet he was forcing it open himself.
'Excellent.'
Now she understood why the shadow spirit Chronos kept calling him 'excellent'.
Park Chan-woo was an excellent human.
She had never seen anyone treat mana and magic with such sincerity.
Not even the Transcenders, not even Dragon God Sepiro, sought true communion with mana.
'In attitude toward mana, he surpasses even me.'
The manas were now with him.
Following his touch, dwelling in his will and soul, they quivered in joy.
Thud!
......The mana passage opened.
Soon, with eyes closed, he began communing with this 'Eternal Star'.
The star forming in his hand gradually sharpened into clarity.
Watching him, Lil thought.
'What I can do ends here.'
Her role was over.
But...
...She wanted to see it.
The true completion of that magic.
The star and galaxy finished in Park Chan-woo's hand.
'Yet one thing remains that I can do.'
The reason she became a traitor to the Transcenders.
It wasn't just overstepping into the 'Creator's' domain.
All Transcenders followed the Creator, but Lil wished for magic that could surpass him.
Thus, the Transcenders branded her a traitor and poured out their resentment.
But Lil's ambition didn't end there.
'...Tower of God.'
It was the tower stolen from the Creator.
From the 'Creator's Land', called the realm of vanished nothingness, she had risked her life to seize it by force.
Because of this, no Transcender would ever forgive her.
But it didn't matter.
This tower would complete that human, the mortal Park Chan-woo.
The issue was the condition to retrieve that 'tower'.
She forcibly opened her 'Transcendent Abyss' into Earth's domain.
At that moment.
"......Ah!"
Park Chan-woo opened his eyes in awe.
He had realized it.
A new world had opened.
He had definitely communed with the star.
"Master, it's complete!"
Success.
The star resting in his palms existed quietly now.
It neither wavered nor leaked light.
There could be no more exhilarating moment than this.
'Fifth stage, the realm of Creation.'
His mana stage had risen.
He had entered the advanced stage capable of accepting all mana.
But soon, Park Chan-woo had to tilt his head.
"......Master?"
She was nowhere to be seen.
She had been right beside him just moments ago.
"Chronos. Where did Master go?"
「It's over.」
"......?"
「She vanished well past the promised time.」
"You mean the end time for the Transcendent Abyss?"
「No, it means she exceeded the time she could exist as a Transcender.」
"What does that...?"
「I'm sorry. I respected her will and couldn't tell you.」
Park Chan-woo was at a loss for words for a moment.
He thought the remaining time referred to the Transcendent Abyss's duration.
He never imagined it was the time Lil herself could exist.
Why didn't he say anything?
Even in her moment of departure, she just watched quietly.
...She couldn't disturb him as he attained enlightenment.
「She was an excellent Transcender. More mortal-like than any I've seen. Since you've inherited her will, you can become an even greater Archmage.」
It wasn't much consolation.
Even so, to leave without a farewell like this—what was he supposed to do?
There was still so much to learn.
So many questions for her.
"......"
The time they spent together wasn't long.
He called her master and followed her, but the absolute time shared was short.
Yet it felt like receiving teachings over an immensely long period.
A profound sense of loss left his chest hollow.
「It's not that there's no way to meet again.」
"...How?"
「The presence of the 'Sealing Sphere' that contained Transcender Lil has been felt from afar these past few days. If you take that Sealing Sphere into the 'Creator's Domain'... Hm, no. It's not a method I'd recommend.」
"......Chronos, tell me. What is this 'Creator's Domain', and where is it?"
He glared fiercely at the shadow, and Chronos spoke in a reluctant tone.
「...If there's even a trace left, a Transcender can be reborn or resurrected in the 'Creator's Domain'. A few upper Transcenders might know where it is. Beyond that, even I don't know.」
"Upper Transcenders......"
He furrowed his brow.
Did that mean reaching the top ranks of the Hall of Fame?
But as Park Chan-woo pondered alone for a moment.
「Transcender Lil left you a final gift. Hmm! This is quite excellent.」