Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: Tower of the Gods (17)
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Chronos stared blankly at the shining soul of Arcana.
Though her body had grotesquely degenerated into a worthless bon dragon...
'You are truly magnificent.'
It had been a misunderstanding.
A misconception.
He had judged Arcana solely by her appearance, with shallow prejudice.
Arcana of Despair.
The one who sang of a single ray of hope blooming amid despair.
The dragon who always challenged the impossible with unyielding will.
Chronos had scorned the owner of that supreme spirit, which could never be corrupted.
No matter how the process unfolded, the 'narrative' wasn't important.
Only the result mattered—that was what he believed.
'Is that so? This tower...'
...is a place that reveals hidden stories.
A tower that reminds us of the importance of the process, not the outcome.
That was why the 'epic' existed.
Gathering traces, completing the story, and reaching its conclusion—that was the true reason the 'Tower of the Gods' existed.
This world doesn't consist solely of results.
Even failed stories, even unsatisfying endings...
We must never belittle the process of striving toward success.
Arcana becoming a 'bon dragon' was merely one conclusion.
Once you know the process, realize the sacrifice—who could scorn Arcana then?
But no one knows.
No one knows.
No one even tries to know.
They don't even care.
Because...
...Arcana failed.
'This tower is a place to complete the stories of the failed.'
The 10th floor was like that too.
The Black Evil God and the stigmata of Ialdagols.
It showed the process of a great one's downfall.
Ialdagols was once the master of a distant universe, now faded into obscurity after its destruction.
Chronos knew of Ialdagols.
A glutton who caused natural disasters just by appearing.
A baleful god even the demon gods shunned!
Yet it fell.
Because a great rift tore through its universe, annihilating it.
A great rift devours the universe and world the instant it forms.
That was the most terrifying aspect of great rifts.
The emergence of outer gods paled in comparison to the catastrophe of a great rift.
During the Great War, great rifts occurred three times—imagine the aftermath.
'The 10th floor showed the fall of the great, while the 20th floor proved that the one thought most insignificant was actually the greatest.'
Arcana's spirit and soul were magnificent.
Incomparable to any dragonkin.
Her noble spirit of sacrifice could not be disparaged.
But...
'...What is the Creator's intent?'
He couldn't fathom the purpose of gathering only the narratives of failures.
Designed so that 'Balmun' emerges on the 99th floor if you fail—it must mean to master every story.
Balmun.
That monster was an ancient demon signifying 'wounds.'
Due to its uniquely special nature, it was a beast impossible to defeat head-on.
This tower, a repository of the failed ones' wounds, surely had an undeniable connection.
And if one reaches the tower's end to become a 'god'... what kind of god would it be?
'God of Ruin.'
The only gods craftable from gathered wounds would be the 'God of Death' or 'God of Ruin.'
It even aligned somewhat with Transcendent Lil's thoughts.
And with erasing all curses of the Abyss.
Which equated to eliminating the Abyss itself.
...Chronos shook his head inwardly.
Of course. It didn't matter.
That wasn't important right now.
Thank you.
Chronos spoke sincerely to Park Chan-woo.
Thankful for stopping him.
And sorry for the misunderstanding.
He had thought him a shameless human blinded by power, driven only by selfish desires.
Of course, questions remained.
Why had Arcana so definitively identified Park Chan-woo as 'Sepiro'?
How could she be redeemed with just a glance and a few words?
Chronos was certain.
Park Chan-woo was not Dragon God Sepiro.
Merely pretending to be before Ataraxia.
Yet Arcana was the greatest among the despair clan's leaders.
One of the three supreme clans upholding Sepiro, and its master—need more be said?
This meant she was a dragon who had served Dragon God Sepiro closest.
No chance of mistake, yet if mistaken, was it a mistake or not?
Chronos had never peered into Park Chan-woo's abyss.
Instinctual fear had always halted him.
Was that fear born from Sepiro's presence?
Something tied to Sepiro surely lurked in Park Chan-woo's depths.
But.
A single ray of hope blooming from despair.
This too didn't matter.
No matter what Park Chan-woo did or what he was—even if a world-destroying destroyer.
He believed all his processes would lead to the right outcome.
Besides, Arcana was Chronos's hope.
A beam of light defying the world atop contradictions.
He wanted to stand with her but believed he must stay in the shadows.
Yet now...
Chronos stood with him.
Out of the shadows, facing Arcana squarely from the world's edge.
All thanks to Park Chan-woo.
Without him, such a chance wouldn't exist.
Do you recognize me?
Whoooosh—whooooom!
The soul's light intensified.
'You knew from the start?'
Which start?
Perhaps when he contracted with the evil spirits?
Had he already noticed Chronos lurking behind them?
Chronos's body trembled briefly.
Even knowing, Arcana never once sought his help.
She had considered his circumstances.
Ah...
...He couldn't let Arcana go like this.
After eons circling back to finally emerge into the world.
Now facing her squarely at last.
Will you not come with me... and your god?
Whoooosh!
The soul, repaying its debt, settled into Park Chan-woo.
Then quietly slumbered.
He could feel it.
Arcana's presence.
Though dormant now.
'I will surely awaken you.'
Arcana was the noblest.
When she awoke again, she would exist not as despair, but as hope's dragon.
No matter the sacrifice, Chronos would ensure it.
Ataraxia gazed at Sepiro.
Watching Arcana's soul settle into him.
...This was strange.
The Sepiro he knew wasn't so compassionate.
The Dragon God Sepiro had the coldest blood in the world, ignoring everything but his interests.
The Great War? Clan Wars?
Such things held no appeal for Sepiro.
Let alone the leader of the despair clan turned bon dragon?
'If he hasn't sought her until now, he never will.'
Of course, sentimental words like 'you've suffered,' 'I haven't forgotten your noble will,' or 'rest easy' would never pass Sepiro's lips.
Instead, remarks like 'pointless endeavor,' 'fool,' or 'who are you?' would be normal.
...It's different.
Too different.
From the Sepiro he had seen, known, and heard of.
'...Was it prejudice?'
Perhaps.
...Maybe all dragons had misunderstood.
Dragon God Sepiro seemed numb only because he knew and experienced too much, but in truth, loved dragons more than anyone.
In the end, Sepiro slew the great Ten Lords' 'Lord of the Void,' closing the 'Great War.'
He hadn't sought Arcana, but fulfilled her wish in a way.
Sepiro surely knew Arcana had become a bon dragon.
Yet he never revealed it.
But the dragons were clueless.
Even the despair clan believed their leader Arcana died in the war.
'Lord Sepiro protected our clan's honor.'
...He had safeguarded Arcana's honor.
Had Sepiro found her, the dragons would have learned she became a bon dragon.
Arcana's name would become the dragonkin's shame, eternally reviled.
The despair clan could never rise again.
Nay, the name 'Despair' would have been erased from dragon history long ago.
He thought back.
Recalled.
Sepiro's actions he had witnessed.
'Lord Sepiro works tirelessly for us dragons, in secret.'
His true body remained in the Dragon God Temple.
But his avatars unraveled the world's secrets unknown to all, outside.
For the dragons.
Wasn't that so?
'...He shattered the Black Witch's schemes and saved me too.'
Staying with the Black Witch would have killed him eventually.
Beyond that, despite her targeting him in the 'Second Night,' Sepiro had accepted her mildly.
Wish? Star of Pride?
Had Death Witch Adora become 'Lord of Pride' as the Black Witch intended, dragons would suffer most.
Black magic and dragon magic were polar opposites.
The Black Witch would have targeted dragons first via Pride's Lord.
...What of Moon Lord Aheta?
Destroying him was for the dragons too.
He researched a transcendent's magic to freeze all mana.
Not even Ataraxia could use mana in his lab.
Most lethal to mana-dependent dragons.
Sepiro eradicated it outright.
Behold.
Cold and curt on the surface.
But his actions always benefited dragons!
'We mistook such a warm, kind soul for cold and heartless all this time.'
Ataraxia trembled with emotion.
She wanted to kill her past prejudiced self.
No one had ever truly tried to understand Sepiro.
That's why.
'Even if just me, I must gaze upon and serve Him properly.'
For Sepiro is our most benevolent god.
Misunderstand not His words or deeds.
If any dare—even fellow dragons—he would eradicate them.
Ataraxia pledged absolute loyalty to Sepiro anew.
And amid that.
With all eyes upon him.
'Insane... An option like this exists?'
Park Chan-woo gaped at the options of the manifested divine stigmata, 'Easter Egg (003)'.
...An impossible, forbidden option had appeared.