Chapter 290
Chapter 290
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 290
Chapter Title: The Fourth Night (9)
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Why hadn't he anticipated it?
The possibility that the Demon King of the Ashen Flames had kept Aheta alive.
More than that, why hadn't he even considered the idea that Aheta could be mobilized directly?
After his regression, he'd grown too complacent.
He'd thought he knew demons inside and out.
Those ultimate egoists and individualists—would they ever do something reckless that put themselves in danger? He'd sneered at the notion.
But no.
The Demon King of the Ashen Flames.
He was different.
Park Chan-woo had recognized from the start that this guy was no ordinary demon, having built an entire world inside his own entrails.
'...I was careless.'
A move beyond expectations.
To think he'd only transferred Aheta's memories.
Leaving the original Night manager intact was a dangerous gamble.
Especially for a greed-filled bastard like Aheta, who could stab you in the back at any moment.
But if he was turned into a puppet entirely? That changed everything.
Aheta was dead, yet alive.
Park Chan-woo had experienced something similar not long ago.
'Corpse puppetry.'
At the practitioner's mountain.
He'd faced the corpse puppets of the Corpse Puppet Sect, taken down the 'Demon Corpse Puppet,' and even reached the 'Demon Lord Corpse Puppet.'
It was remarkably similar.
Aheta's current state.
Could the Demon King of the Ashen Flames have some close ties to the Corpse Puppet Sect?
But he had no time for further speculation.
If Aheta labeled him as the 'Archmage' here, it would spell trouble in every way.
It could spread to the Demon King of the Ashen Flames and countless other Creators.
That would halve the effects of 'Non-Existence.'
No, it would make survival in the 'Fourth Night' itself far less likely.
Yet there was no chance he'd misread or mistaken it.
"You..."
The look in Aheta's eyes as he stared at Park Chan-woo.
It was as if he'd caught on to something.
Park Chan-woo quickly pondered his next move.
What to do if he was exposed.
The surest option was Chronos.
Using his final summon to call Chronos would get him out of at least a VVIP room.
But it would only buy time.
In the end, he'd have to survive a day in the 'Fourth Night.'
"You...!"
But Aheta's reaction was off.
His body trembled violently, his actions hyper-reactive.
Then he glanced up at Park Chan-woo and...
Suddenly burst into a radiant smile.
"Oh! Death's Supreme Commander, guardian of the temple and my faithful servant! You've come for me without forgetting!"
The moment he heard Aheta's words...
Lee Hyuk-soo's eyebrows twisted.
Death's Supreme Commander.
Wasn't that the vicious monster tormenting humanity in the Third Night?
But that man was a participant in the 'Fourth Night.'
Meaning, he was human.
Whereas Death's Supreme Commander was Anubis.
The colossal beast that even demon merchants feared, unrivaled among all monsters encountered so far.
Why was he calling out that name to a human?
"I've been waiting. I believed you'd come. We were never truly defeated."
Aheta was unmistakably excited.
A complete one-eighty from his previous mocking, sneering attitude toward humans.
He was treating the man with genuine goodwill.
"I refuse to accept my defeat as well. Demon God Gremory, that damned bitch, trampled on my rightful claim."
Aheta's eyes darted wildly.
As if on the verge of rampaging.
His emotions exploded in a way that belied his status as a dead puppet.
Soon, rage overtook him.
"Archmage...! If not for that bastard...!!!"
Rumble rumble rumble!
The ground shook.
But the fury was short-lived.
About ten seconds later, it vanished as if it had never been.
"...Anubis, why are you silent?"
He asked coldly, like ice water had been dumped on him.
Yet Park Chan-woo was inwardly flustered.
Aheta had suddenly mistaken him for 'Death's Supreme Commander.'
Of course, he did have his son 'Ppokssil' with him.
But Aheta wasn't seeing Ppokssil.
'...Did he see Anubis's soul?'
The true identity of Death's Supreme Commander Anubis was the 'God of Light, Ahe.'
He'd asked Park Chan-woo to build the 'Temple of Light' alongside Ppokssil's future.
To do that, they needed to reclaim 'light' and 'life' from the Demon Gods.
'I promised to console the vengeful spirits who died unjustly in the Temple of Death.'
Perhaps they, along with Ahe, had been watching him and Ppokssil nearby.
Ahe's soul might appear to Aheta as 'Death's Supreme Commander.'
Aheta was now akin to a corpse puppet.
Closer to death, he could perceive true souls.
'If he truly sees me as Death's Supreme Commander.'
This was an opportunity.
Potentially dangerous, but exploitable.
Having sorted his thoughts, Park Chan-woo replied.
"...Proceed with the hidden game."
"Ah, right. We must play the game."
Only then did Aheta nod, remembering his role.
...It seemed they'd gotten past it somehow.
He'd nearly been exposed as the Archmage.
But by neither confirming nor denying...
"..."
"..."
He earned ambiguous stares from everyone.
Lee Hyuk-soo with hostility.
And Han Shin with utter incomprehension.
It just didn't add up, no matter how you sliced it.
"You're saying that guy is Death's Supreme Commander Anubis?"
"Han Shin, you still haven't broken that habit of judging everything with your shallow knowledge."
"Did you ever send Anubis to Earth?"
"Of course. Now enough. We lack a starter for the 'game' otherwise."
Of course?
Anubis had gone to Earth?
But no words came out.
...Not even chat ban.
Han Shin's expression hardened further.
'So he was hiding among humans in human form on purpose?'
All stats at 1.
Disguised as the weakest, lurking in the crowd?
He couldn't make heads or tails of it.
One thing was clear.
'The abnormal amount of coins. The tactics targeting the Dealer. I figured he wasn't ordinary...'
Death's Supreme Commander.
The one unsolved mystery was how he'd entered.
The Fourth Night was humans only.
"Behold the combat terrain."
Whoosh!
One wall of the room lit up.
Beyond the window, a jagged landscape appeared.
Atop it, a hundred enhanced Fallen Ghosts drooled in anticipation.
The employer's discernment was key.
Normal Fallen Ghosts were mere level 10s, but these looked far larger and fiercer at a glance.
The terrain was no picnic either.
Victory hinged on selecting fitting mercenaries after full consideration.
All participants crowded the window, scrutinizing the enhanced Fallen Ghosts.
Han Shin with his divine eyes, Lee Hyuk-soo with his senses.
Countless other 'observation methods' were deployed.
'Judging by total mana, average level around 30. Stronger specimens scattered among them.'
With the biggest crisis averted, it was time to focus on the game.
Mana never lied.
Even compared to average humanity levels, they were strong. To handle them plus the tougher ones, you'd need at least three powerhouses at level 50.
Humanity's top fighters were all well-known.
Perhaps that's why.
Participants swiftly recruited the strongest mercenaries.
No need to waste time observing.
Just pick the powerhouses.
"Do all five need to be strong?"
"One overwhelming ranker could wipe out a hundred Fallen Ghosts in seconds."
Or hire one solid one and fill the rest with scrubs—a viable strategy too.
Park Chan-woo pondered.
Who could handle this perfectly?
Flipping through the guest list...
'There she is. Participant 466. Past level 99 achiever.'
Pre-regression, five humans reached level 99.
Han Shin, Lee Hyuk-soo, Park Chan-woo.
And two others.
He found one.
Not yet revealed to the world, but soon to rise as a major force—a woman.
The reclusive expert dubbed 'Adrianna' the pirate!
The sole female among level 99s.
Park Chan-woo offered her '1 coin.'
One might think a powerhouse wouldn't bite for just one coin.
'She will.'
Adrianna was obsessed with coins.
She never passed up even one.
Ding!
Adrianna alone was enough.
He filled the other four slots haphazardly.
"W-We lost!"
"No way! What Fallen Ghost is that strong?!"
"It's rigged, total scam!"
As the game progressed, wails multiplied.
Only natural.
These were leagues beyond ordinary Fallen Ghosts.
Plus tougher ones lurking everywhere.
Soon.
"...Is he sane?"
"Just trying to get five people killed?"
Murmurs rose as Park Chan-woo's turn came.
One coin per mercenary—none were proper hires.
All five would get annihilated for sure.
'He's really the Death Commander!'
'Heartless monster spawn!'
Was killing people the goal?
Even Han Shin and Lee Hyuk-soo frowned as they watched.
Adrianna took to the air.