Chapter 213
Chapter 213
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 213
Chapter Title: Tower of the Gods (14)
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'Combination Area!'
The moment those words appeared, Park Chan-woo's eyes lit up with energy.
He hadn't even considered that the 'Combination Area' would show up again.
It had first appeared back when he snagged a ton of rewards at once after first encountering Demon God Gremory in Kim Byung-han's Abyss Sniper stage.
He'd tossed around twenty boxes into that area and pulled out a whopping 7-star Gold Box.
A 7-star box, of all things.
For a brief moment, he'd been stunned by the unprecedented number of stars.
But then, opening it had yielded the 'Golden Mystery of the Arhat'.
'That one piece of gear broke right through my limits.'
He still couldn't forget the thrill of that moment.
Arhat—the ultimate ideal attainable by any practitioner!
The options were beyond ecstatic, no need to even mention them.
'Attack and defense both shot up over a thousand.'
As his coin reserves grew, his power scaled exponentially.
A single item that boosted every stat by up to 50.
Nothing to discard.
It was the gear everyone dreamed of.
And he'd only gotten the Golden Mystery of the Arhat because the 'Combination Area' had appeared.
'Stay calm.'
Endorphins surged wildly through his mind.
Park Chan-woo fought hard to suppress his excitement.
Ataraxia was right there beside him.
To play the role of Dragon God Sepiro, he couldn't let something like this shake him.
...Why had the 'Combination Area' popped up all of a sudden?
Reading the message again, he started to understand.
'The boxes I got climbing the Tower of the Gods. Even if I opened them, nothing better than my current gear would come out anyway. So I just left them be...'
Every piece of equipment he was wearing now was powerhouse stuff that could be called "strength to move mountains and aura to overshadow the world."
The lowest grade among them was Legendary.
It was rare to pull Legendary or higher from your average Platinum Box.
So he'd left the boxes unopened.
They might come in handy as offerings to the 'God of Offerings' someday.
'...Jackpot.'
A massive one, at that.
He'd just let them sit, and fortune smiled on him.
And that wasn't all.
'The Combination Area lets you merge every unopened box you have into one miracle.'
He'd stockpiled quite a few boxes without opening them over time.
No real use for them.
Boxes couldn't be traded, only the acquirer could open them.
The only time he'd properly cracked a 'Platinum Box' was when he got the 'Advanced Shatiros Boots'.
Everything since had just piled up.
'Feels like over a hundred.'
At least a hundred plain boxes for sure.
Maybe the Combination Area triggered because he had so many boxes accumulated—not just from the Tower climbs.
Heart pounding, he opened his inventory.
'4-star Platinum Boxes: 4, 2-star Platinum Boxes: 8, 1-star Platinum Boxes: 15, regular Platinum Boxes: 34.'
An all-time high number.
61 Platinum Boxes total!
Nearly half marked with stars.
If anyone saw this, they'd pass out from envy.
He counted the rest tucked in the corner of his inventory too.
'4-star Gold Boxes: 2, 3-star Gold Boxes: 10, 2-star Gold Boxes: 17, 1-star Gold Boxes: 30, regular Gold Boxes: 80.'
139 in total.
Not just a lot—well over a hundred.
Combined with the Platinum Boxes, that made 200.
He tilted his head.
'Did I really have this many Gold Boxes?'
He hadn't realized.
Though, he never paid them much mind even when he got them.
There were limits to what Gold Boxes could yield.
He'd gotten the Golden Mystery of the Arhat from a Gold Box, sure—but that was a 7-star treasure.
Anything less naturally didn't satisfy.
He hadn't even glanced at them, so they'd piled up endlessly.
The silver lining: no Silver Boxes or below at all.
'...I've lost my beginner's mindset.'
He chuckled inwardly.
Relieved there were no Silvers or worse.
Probably because he'd scored so many top-tier gears.
Now he didn't even bother looking at anything below Platinum.
Prior to level 99, boxes came in four main types.
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum.
In the past, even a single Gold Box was precious.
He'd open Bronze and Silver with utmost care.
Desperately hunting for gear in the slots he needed.
'61 Platinum Boxes, 139 Gold Boxes.'
He swallowed a whistle.
Even after countless 'box runs' in the past, he'd never amassed this many.
Speed, grades, quantity—nothing compared.
Pre-regression, he'd soloed with Another Level challenge counts, but still.
Proof that post-regression him was on a whole other plane.
Back then, he'd cleared too honestly.
Anyway.
'The Combination Area lasts for one hour.'
The previous one had vanished after just 60 seconds.
This one was different.
A brief deliberation.
Park Chan-woo made up his mind.
"I'll climb to the 20th floor."
There was still time.
Meaning he could gather more boxes.
Especially on the 20th—high-grade boxes were a given.
"......Yes."
Ataraxia replied, her face pale as a ghost.
She'd used up all her mana transforming into her true form and deploying the domain.
'I've hit my limit.'
Honestly, she wanted to stop.
Judging from the 'Complete Black Evil God' on the 10th floor, the 20th would likely spawn something far stronger.
Challenging it in her current state might be impossible.
'But I have to push through.'
She couldn't disappoint the holy one.
Stopping here would kill his interest dead.
Even if it meant death, she had to do it.
She couldn't even remember the last time someone had pushed her this hard.
"......"
The instant they entered the 20th floor and faced the 'Bone Dragon', Ataraxia couldn't help but grimace.
A massive dragon made purely of bones, just as its name implied.
Some black mage had turned a dead dragonkin into an undead.
"......How dare they."
She couldn't tolerate it.
Rage boiled up unbidden.
Every dragon was precious.
Their numbers were so few, and their pride as dragons pierced the heavens.
Yet this was unnatural.
Dragons left only their hearts upon death.
Bones and flesh dissolved.
No black mage could turn the Twelve Races into undead.
In other words.
'They turned it undead while it was still alive.'
If there was a method, that was it.
Gradually undead-ifying it while alive.
Of course, it could be an illusion crafted that way.
But Ataraxia had learned something climbing the Tower of the Gods.
'This tower only holds things that truly existed and were destroyed.'
Meaning this 'Bone Dragon' had been real.
One of her ancestors, then...
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The core of the Bone Dragon.
The dragon heart was intact.
That heart's mana animated the colossal bones.
Four hearts.
Only 'ancient dragons' had more than two.
Dragon God Sepiro had twelve; primordial dragons stored mana in at least six.
'I only have three myself.'
Four hearts? That was only possible for a 'clan leader'.
This 'Bone Dragon' had once led its clan.
'Who was it?'
She racked her brain.
Four hearts marked a leader.
Any missing or kidnapped clan leaders?
...Yes.
'During the Great War.'
Many dragons died.
Their clan leaders couldn't escape death either.
After that, the 'Racial Great War' rules were revised—no more leader deaths.
So this was one from back then, dead or vanished.
"Arcana of Despair."
"......Ah."
Ataraxia shuddered violently.
Arcana of Despair!
Undoubtedly one of her Despair clan's past leaders.
Dragon God Sepiro had uttered the name.
But Arcana of Despair was said to have died ages ago.
So long ago even the Despair clan rarely recalled it.
Yet Dragon God Sepiro remembered?
If so, no greater honor or感動.
He was watching the Despair clan itself!
Of course, Park Chan-woo wouldn't know the name.
His shadow 'Chronos' had provided it.
Chronos seemed lost in nostalgic memories.
Park Chan-woo silently observed the Bone Dragon.
Sure enough, that form was disgraceful for a clan leader.
No stretch to call it a disgrace to dragonkind.
'Ataraxia can't step up anymore.'
A far-ancient Despair clan leader.
Tough for current Despair ancient dragon Ataraxia to face.
Her mana was depleted, and even true form transformation seemed impossible now.
Was this the tower's will intervening?
To deny further aid from Ataraxia?
Or the finale for trials she'd handled so far: 'Arcana of Despair'.
But Ataraxia couldn't clear this trial.
He couldn't solo the Bone Dragon either.
However.
"Arcana. You, who once mocked the heavens with your magnificence, have fallen into such ugliness."
Park Chan-woo borrowed Chronos's lines to continue the act.
He was Dragon God Sepiro now.
The lord of dragons must maintain solemnity.
No hiding, no fleeing.
Park Chan-woo raised his hand.
"Chronos."
At the same time.
From his shadow.
Clap clap clap clap!
Whoosh!
The shadow spirit and reaper, 'Chronos', manifested into the world.