Chapter 343
Chapter 343
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 343
Chapter Title: Colosseum of Death
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The last time Lee Hyuk-soo had seen Park Chan-woo was in the "Realm of Night."
When the Black Witch had tried to dye them with her curse.
They had fought with everything they had to protect the unconscious Park Chan-woo, and in the end, he had awakened, leading the dragons to bring the situation to a close.
After that, they had been trapped in the "Dragonkin World" before finally being released.
Lee Hyuk-soo suspected Park Chan-woo's involvement there too, though he didn't know the details.
But Han Shin seemed to know more.
A contract with a Demon God.
It was on an entirely different level from his previous contract with the Demon King.
Constantly switching to new contracted Creators was a talent in itself, if nothing else.
"A bet with the Dragon God? With him?"
"Park Chan-woo was never human to begin with. He was a 'split soul' of Dragon God Sepiro."
"……!"
Han Shin's words were so shocking they halted Lee Hyuk-soo's train of thought.
Park Chan-woo, the Prophet, wasn't human?
It was possible, but the problem was that he was a "split soul of Sepiro."
"Nonsense."
The retort burst from Lee Hyuk-soo's lips reflexively.
The Park Chan-woo he knew was unmistakably human.
Even if he displayed power and wisdom beyond common sense, at his core, he was a being with human emotions and struggles.
Even in his ruthlessly cold demeanor at times, there were unmistakably human traits.
Han Shin sneered.
"You're just a coward without the guts to face the truth."
He continued as if he were a prophet preaching absolute truth.
"Think about it. How could an ordinary human achieve such absurd growth and toy with the laws of the Abyss at will? It was possible only because he was the Dragon God's split soul. Sepiro sent a fragment of himself into the human world as an experiment or a pawn."
Han Shin belittled Park Chan-woo's miraculous feats as "the split soul's potential awakening" or "a portion of the Dragon God's knowledge" to back his claim.
"In the end, a split soul is just that. He defied his main body, Sepiro, and met a pathetic end, vanishing in the rift. That's the conclusion drawn by me and all the demons, including the Demon God I contracted with."
"...He's alive."
Lee Hyuk-soo held out the scraps of cloth.
Han Shin glanced at them briefly before clicking his tongue.
"Just like your pointless hope, even if some dust remains, it means nothing. Dead is dead. He was just a split soul defeated by Sepiro."
He still believed his information was the truth, mocking Lee Hyuk-soo's hope.
But Lee Hyuk-soo no longer trusted his words.
On the contrary, between Kim Byung-han's story and Han Shin's conflicting claims, his conviction that Park Chan-woo was alive was growing stronger.
The only issue was the anxiety that he might not be in perfect condition.
With the Interspecies War right around the corner, Park Chan-woo's power was desperately needed for humanity.
Lee Hyuk-soo hesitated for a moment.
Asking a loathsome foe for a favor bruised his pride.
But now wasn't the time for such concerns.
"Han Shin."
Lee Hyuk-soo called out lowly.
"The survival of humanity hangs in the balance. We need him."
He stepped forward, staring straight into Han Shin's eyes.
"If you know where he is, or even a clue to find him, tell me. I'll pay any price."
Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo bowed his head to the King of Night, Han Shin.
For the fate of humanity, he set aside even his pride.
For a moment, the smirk on Han Shin's face faded.
He fell silent, as if the proposal was unexpected or the situation intrigued him.
Instead, he slowly stroked his chin, his expression weighing something.
'……!'
That reaction.
Lee Hyuk-soo's heart pounded fiercely.
If Han Shin truly believed Park Chan-woo was dead, he wouldn't react like this.
He should have sneered, refused outright, or mocked Lee Hyuk-soo's weakness.
But he was "considering" it.
Weighing Lee Hyuk-soo's offer and that "price." It meant only one thing.
'He's alive!'
Lee Hyuk-soo was convinced inwardly.
'He knows he's alive. Maybe... he even knows where he is.'
Han Shin's claim that Park Chan-woo was dead was either him being deceived by the Demon God or a lie to test Lee Hyuk-soo.
Feeling the spark of hope reignite fiercely, Lee Hyuk-soo wet his dry lips.
Now, how to pry open Han Shin's mouth.
"A price, huh..."
Han Shin, who had been stroking his chin, finally spoke.
His eyes were still inscrutable, but they held a different kind of interest now.
Soon, Han Shin smiled.
"Let me represent humanity in the Interspecies War. You can make that happen."
Han Shin's demand exceeded Lee Hyuk-soo's expectations.
Lee Hyuk-soo's face, which had swallowed hard for a moment, hardened coldly in an instant.
"You're insane."
His voice, laced with icy fury, echoed across the clearing.
"I can't put someone like you forward as humanity's representative."
Lee Hyuk-soo's answer was firm.
Han Shin was a threat to humanity.
His very existence symbolized darkness and betrayal.
Sending such a man as humanity's champion in a war that decided their fate was absurd.
It was unacceptable both morally and practically.
"Hmm?"
Han Shin raised an eyebrow.
"Refusing? What a shame. Does your flimsy hope end here?"
He cackled, as if Lee Hyuk-soo's reaction amused him.
But Han Shin was already a "person of interest."
Word had spread that he was alive, and those in the know understood he was a dangerous Incarnation.
Having contracted with a Demon God made him even more so.
Humanity couldn't send an Incarnation who prioritized demonic interests as their representative.
Moreover.
Even if Lee Hyuk-soo tried to hide it, it was a problem.
Tools to detect Incarnations were scattered worldwide.
It stemmed from the numerous "half-human, half-demons" that had appeared on Jeju Hallasan.
Hunting those half-breeds granted tools to identify Incarnations, and many of those tools still remained.
Han Shin knew this too.
He wanted to join the Interspecies War but couldn't.
That's why he needed Lee Hyuk-soo.
The savior of humanity, Messiah Lee Hyuk-soo, could cover for one Han Shin.
"You're humanity's enemy."
Lee Hyuk-soo said without wavering.
"I'd rather bet everything on a 0.01% chance than put you forward as our representative."
"Kuhahaha! As expected of the Sword King! Childish hero games!"
Han Shin burst into laughter.
"You'll regret it. Your vaunted nobility will drag all of humanity into the abyss!"
"……."
Instead of replying, Lee Hyuk-soo gripped his sword hilt tighter.
His gaze pierced Han Shin without a hint of hesitation.
Caught between the desperation to find Park Chan-woo, his loathing for Han Shin, and his duty to protect humanity, he could make no compromises.
Hero games or not, this was his conviction.
But... could his conviction alone save humanity?
Images of the defeat penalties from the meeting flashed through Lee Hyuk-soo's mind.
10% of the race evaporated, enslavement, loss of function, existence erasure... Without Park Chan-woo, their win rate was a mere 0.01%.
It was practically a death sentence.
If upholding his beliefs led to humanity's annihilation, was that truly the right choice?
Han Shin didn't miss the faint flicker in Lee Hyuk-soo's eyes.
The King of Night was adept at exploiting weaknesses.
"Kehhehe... Having second thoughts, Sword King?"
Mockery crept back into Han Shin's voice.
"Well, it's not just a few lives on your shoulders. With billions of humanity's fates at stake, who cares about petty convictions."
Han Shin had pierced straight to Lee Hyuk-soo's core.
He judged the deal had a high chance of succeeding.
"Fine. Seeing that uneasy look in your eyes softens me up a bit."
Han Shin grinned slyly and stepped closer.
"If you can't trust me that much, how about a 'vow' as a special favor."
"A vow?"
"Yeah. I'll swear on my name and the authority of the Demon God I contracted with. 'Until the Interspecies War ends, I will never betray humanity.' If I break it, my life and soul get reaped by the vow's reaper."
He was staking his heart.
Then, before them.
Shaaaaaa...
A reaper holding scales appeared.
It was Lee Hyuk-soo's turn next.
He was still deliberating.
But his hesitation didn't last long.
"...I, Lee Hyuk-soo, swear. I will put Han Shin forward as humanity's representative in the 'Interspecies War.'"
Kududuk!
The moment the vow ended, something shattered in their chests.
Their faces twisted in pain instantly.
The vow was established, its price etched directly into their beings.
Srur...
The presence and shadow of the vow's reaper witness vanished in a flash.
"Kuh... Kehuk."
Han Shin staggered briefly but soon regained his signature arrogant smile.
A constraint on his soul was undoubtedly unpleasant, but he seemed to think the reward outweighed it.
"That proves it, right, Sword King?"
Lee Hyuk-soo nodded silently.
He felt the weight of the vow too.
Putting Han Shin forward as humanity's representative.
It went against his convictions, and the price was far from light.
But there were no regrets.
It was the only path right now.
"The vow is established."
Lee Hyuk-soo said coldly.
His voice mixed displeasure from the vow with desperate urgency for the information.
"Your turn now. Where is Park Chan-woo? Tell me the promised information."
Han Shin shrugged.
"There's no exact 'location.' Even if I told you, it wouldn't help."
"What do you mean?"
Lee Hyuk-soo's brow furrowed.
"Like those rift fragments, Park Chan-woo has scattered somewhere."
"How to find him?"
"Take those remnants... and this to Valhalla. Through the demon merchant Dagon there, you might learn something."
Han Shin pulled out a glass vial.
"No way?"
"The glass vial containing Demon God Belial's secret shame. Kim Byung-han stole it from me, and apparently, Park Chan-woo became its owner afterward."
Yet the vial remained.
Of course, it wasn't intact either.
What had been a glass vial.
Now just shattered remnants.
...Why did Han Shin have a piece of the glass vial?
Had Han Shin searched for Park Chan-woo too?
"That's all I know."
"Do you know how to get to Valhalla?"
"Abyss 666."
"……?"
"The Colosseum arena on Bukhansan. Only Incarnations can enter, but it's connected to 'Valhalla.'"
With that, Han Shin turned away.
"That's all I know. Keep your promise, Lee Hyuk-soo."
He waved his right hand and vanished.
The Creator Abyss on the peak of Bukhansan.
The site of the first half-human, half-demon appearances.
Lee Hyuk-soo had taken a major wound there and barely escaped.
By the time he returned with other Awakeners, the situation had already resolved.
'A place only Incarnations can enter.'
He had known that much.
But he never imagined it was a Creator Abyss connected to "Valhalla."
How to enter.
He had to enter personally to trace Park Chan-woo's footsteps.
But something felt off.
The moment he reached the entrance of the Creator Abyss "Colosseum" at the peak.
Lee Hyuk-soo was instantly transported to the Colosseum.