Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Final Settlement
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After hardship comes happiness.
They say that joy follows suffering.
Park Chan-woo gazed at the fruits of his labor spread out before him, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
'Even the toughest time-attack Abysses couldn't hold a candle to this.'
There were special trials or missions in the Abyss that required clearing within a set time limit.
These were called "time-attack Abysses," and in the past, Park Chan-woo had built himself a solid reputation in that field.
But even he had to tip his hat to the mission of clearing thirteen dungeons in under ten hours.
He had conserved as much stamina as possible before starting, yet it had still been a razor-thin margin.
Already hampered by status ailments.
He had endured muscle-tearing agony, pushing nonstop through fever time until his feet blistered with sweat.
'...Not something a human should do.'
He had nearly blacked out countless times.
No matter how much the elixirs bloated his attack and defense, his stamina and mana stats remained the same.
The relentless sprinting and spellcasting piled up fatigue until his brain overloaded.
His brain, pushed to the brink, kept trying to sever its connection to his body.
An instinctive urge to force sleep and recover.
'Slept the whole day away.'
Defying that instinct, Park Chan-woo had collapsed into sleep for twenty-four hours straight.
He had plunged into slumber without even checking his rewards.
Even with his superhuman mental fortitude, with both stamina and mana depleted, there was no enduring it.
At least the Abyss's erosion had held off.
If he hadn't seen the message "The Abyss will not erode for one day," he wouldn't have slept so soundly.
"......I slept well."
It was a deep, refreshing sleep after so long.
Even after regressing, he hadn't had many peaceful nights.
His body felt light as if it might float away.
Park Chan-woo did some light stretching before reading the unchecked messages.
...My God.
A string of messages too unbelievable even seeing them with his own eyes.
Twenty Coins, a new title, doubled dungeon rewards—none of it lacked impact.
'Already 41 Coins.'
The more, the better.
Coins granted escape chances from all future Abysses and were the only tradable currency across both Earth and the Abyss.
Demons went without saying, but soon everyone on Earth would desperately crave them.
'Money will turn to scrap paper.'
For now, it was an era where money ruled all.
Those with money held power and steered the world.
But soon, money's value would plummet.
The age of Coins as power and authority was coming.
Treasures beyond any price tag.
A world where Coins were everything!
Those who grasped the Abyss's rules would be frantic to gather Coins.
But Park Chan-woo didn't need to worry.
Forty-one Coins would steadfastly safeguard his life.
Unless a Demon God-level lord targeted him directly, they wouldn't run out.
The only current risk of burning through them was if the Moon's Lord Aheta went all-out to erase him.
But whether Aheta had the leeway for that was questionable.
'Aheta lost a massive amount of Coins in this Abyss.'
He was certain.
Aheta had prepared the finest arrangements among all Creators, scheming to ensure 'Hanshin' could never clear the dungeons.
Yet those arrangements were stolen, and every dungeon cleared.
By Park Chan-woo.
Foolproof plans had all failed spectacularly.
The damage to Aheta was unimaginable.
So he'd scramble to recover in the 'Second Night Abyss' somehow.
'Might bankrupt Aheta before the Fifth Night Abyss if things go well.'
Night Abysses occurred once a month on the full moon.
With the 'Sixth Night Abyss,' the 'First Interracial War' would begin.
If he could bankrupt Aheta beforehand... the war might tilt more favorably for humanity.
Park Chan-woo stroked his chin.
Enough of the Coin praises.
Time to check the rest of the rewards.
'Two 3-star Platinum Boxes.'
Among them, two '3-star Platinum Boxes' stood out.
One from clearing the reception Abyss, two from the thirteen dungeons—totaling three '3-star Platinum Boxes'.
And that wasn't all.
'Even a Creator-related title.'
Titles were rare treasures already.
Creator-related ones were exceptionally scarce.
Park Chan-woo immediately checked the new title.
'...Mental immunity effect!'
Park Chan-woo's pupils dilated sharply.
A title granting mental immunity, limited to Creators.
But Creators could only become 'Lords of the Abyss'.
Lords of the Abyss meant 'upper demons,' so it could apply to lesser demons too.
Above all, ignoring even 'Creation Spaces' sent shivers down his spine.
How many vicious Abysses polluted minds and induced madness?
Without high Intelligence stats or protective skills and gear, escape was impossible.
'It'll shine in Creator-targeted sniper Abysses.'
A smile tugged at his lips.
In the Abyss where Kim Byung-han had been sniped before, Park Chan-woo had faced Demon God Greymory directly.
That terror lingered vividly.
Overwhelmed by primal fear, he couldn't move.
If it happened again, he wouldn't be overwhelmed.
And not just that.
'...I remember. Greymory's face.'
The moment he gained the Predator of Creators title.
Greymory's face, shrouded in abyssal mist, finally surfaced.
Park Chan-woo recalled the scene.
When he tried handing over the 'Ring of the Dead's Oath' from killing Andariel, Demon God Greymory opened a 'door' and appeared.
Back then, he'd only seen her pale white hand.
But Greymory had revealed herself fully.
He bowed and placed the ring on her hand, but he'd glimpsed it clearly.
No doubt about it, yet he couldn't recall it since.
His mind had forcibly sealed it away.
A mere human couldn't bear a Demon God's presence.
Staring her face directly would have etched it in, ending him then and there.
Heart stopped, departed the world.
Yet now, it surfaced.
Greymory's face.
Her full figure before the door.
'Beautiful.'
Even to Park Chan-woo, whose aesthetic sense was lacking, Greymory was stunning.
Beauty beyond this world, indescribable grace.
A pang of regret hit him.
He hadn't met those eyes properly.
【Human who knows honor. In the near future, the day my aid reaches you will come...】
Soon, the day they'd meet again.
Greymory herself had said so.
If he could gaze into those eyes directly, converse with a Demon God once more, Park Chan-woo had a question burning inside.
'What are you all trying to do?'
Their purpose, their goal.
At first, he'd thought it mere amusement.
But they were dead serious.
Staking their existences on the game.
He desperately wanted to know the driving force, but in the past, truth was out of reach.
No chances to face named Creators like Demon King-level or above leading the Abyss.
Ding!
In that instant, another message flickered before him.
"...Final settlement?"
Wasn't the settlement already done?
More to settle?
......Such a thing existed?
'So the rumors were true.'
He'd heard whispers that too many rewards triggered extra chances.
But it was his first time experiencing it.
With no precedents, he'd dismissed it as gossip, but apparently real.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A radiant light area materialized before him.
Drop unopened boxes inside, and it would combine them automatically.
Without hesitation, Park Chan-woo tossed in all the 'Gold Boxes'.
'What about the Platinum Boxes?'
Fifty seconds left.
Had to decide fast.
'Time to rotate gear anyway.'
Gear swaps usually every ten levels.
Especially his current 'Demon's Pauldrons (-98Lv, Epic)', 'Demonic Armor (-98Lv, Epic)', 'Demonic Gauntlets (-98Lv, Epic)' needed urgent replacement.
To swap at least three pieces, multiple 'Platinum Boxes' were essential.
Naturally, he pondered how to handle the two 1-star Platinum Boxes and three 3-star ones.
Park Chan-woo decided swiftly.
All acquired boxes in.
Better one sure thing than ambiguous sets.
In that instant.
Fwaaaah!
A fierce wave of light enveloped everything.
1st 'Limit Break Quest' started.
Transcendent EXP acquired: 'Limit Break Quest' forcibly completed.
Overwhelming EXP forcibly shattered his level limit.
But this wasn't the combination result.
Merely a byproduct of the process.
And it broke the limit.
What the final product might be was beyond imagination.
Park Chan-woo swallowed dryly, eyes on the combination area.
Perfection incarnate.
Easter Egg luck piled on top.
"Surges" implied a massive amount, not just one.
Flawless.
Unknown grade, but this combo guaranteed at least 4-star Platinum.
Maybe 5-star Platinum.
Even a 'Diamond Box' for level 99 or a special one like Radiant Anubis's was possible.
Bliss just thinking about it.
Pop!
"............Huh?"