Chapter 37
Chapter 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: 7-Star Gold Box
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My brow furrowed involuntarily.
Gold Box?
I'd thrown in an excessive number of boxes—enough to feel overkill. There were even multiple 1-star and 3-star Platinum Boxes mixed in.
And the result was just a Gold Box!
'Aren't stars on boxes capped at five?'
Of course, it wasn't an ordinary Gold Box.
It was a whopping 7-star.
Stars on typical random boxes were limited.
Five was the common-sense maximum.
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond.
No box—even the special-colored ones—could exceed 5 stars.
I'd never even heard of a 6-star box appearing.
Yet here was a 7-star one, no less.
...Completely beyond common sense.
Park Chan-woo stared in stunned disbelief at this unprecedented situation.
'More stars, but lower grade.'
Still, the box's grade was the real issue.
Despite inputting multiple Platinum Boxes, it had downgraded to Gold.
This was another first.
Normally, when the 'Combination Zone' appeared, grades went up. I'd never heard of them dropping.
'...Usually, box grade trumps enhanced star values.'
No matter how many stars, grades weren't easily substituted.
For example, a 3-star Bronze couldn't replace a regular Silver, nor could a 3-star Silver replace a Gold.
They said it changed from 4 stars onward, but grade superiority was generally more absolute than enhancements.
Park Chan-woo took a deep breath, gazing at the completed 7-star Gold Box.
'Considerable luck was invested. There must be a reason it turned into Gold.'
When combining, 'Easter Egg (001)' had brought luck.
Easter Eggs granted one luck boost per level-up, and the phrasing 'brought' implied a substantial amount.
The luck they delivered was rarely ordinary.
Just one had transformed 'Cursed Anubis' into 'Radiant Anubis.' They'd also upgraded other box rewards without fail.
Now, multiple lucks had culminated in this 7-star Gold Box.
There had to be a reason for the grade drop.
But... just in case.
If it fell short of expectations, the blow would be irreversible.
I'd invested enough boxes to replace all my gear.
Huuu!
Steadying my breath once more, I glared at the box.
'Open.'
Unique Options:
(1) Generates a 'Golden Aura' around the wearer.
(2) Attack and Defense increase by the number of Coins possessed.
(3) Grade upgrades when Coins exceed a certain amount.
(4) Unlocked at 100+ Coins
(5) Unlocked at 500+ Coins
Explanation: The ultimate ideal attainable by ascetics. The divine mystery perfected by one who had nothing left to learn or cultivate in the ways of gold.
"......!!"
My eyes flew wide open.
It felt like a blunt weapon had smashed into my head.
The reward from the 7-star Gold Box was that stimulating.
In a positive way, not negative.
'Arhat!'
The implications of an Arhat's name were profound.
The pinnacle ideal for ascetics.
A title held by only the rarest qualified few.
It meant reaching the ultimate in a field.
An Arhat's Golden Mystery meant mastery in gold itself.
'Indestructible, stats scaling with Coin count.'
Fittingly fantastical.
Gold's value was eternally indestructible.
Indestructible gear was virtually nonexistent in the Abyss.
They said it was harder to obtain than stars in the sky.
Moreover, Attack and Defense scaled with Coins held, grade upgraded, and even unlock potential remained.
'Grade upgrades without limit. Could it reach Zero-grade?'
Zero-grade gear came only from Diamond Boxes.
Diamond Boxes required level 99, a distant goal for Park Chan-woo.
If 'Arhat's Golden Mystery' scaled limitlessly with Coins, it could rival Zero-grade!
Park Chan-woo quickly checked the acquired 'Golden Aura'.
Explanation: Shares the aura with its bearer and deeply bonded beings. 'Golden Aura' effects match option 2 of 'Arhat's Golden Mystery'.
'...It stacks.'
Golden Mystery's option and the aura's effect overlapped.
In other words, Attack and Defense rose by twice the Coin count.
With 41 Coins currently, that meant +82 to both from gear and aura.
...Insane.
Utterly mad.
'No wonder they're called creators' nemeses.'
Coins obtained by bankrupting creators.
Now with broader uses.
Escape the Abyss, trade, or just hold for stat boosts.
With locked options and grade scaling on Coin count, its potential was unimaginable.
And 'Arhat's Golden Mystery' was armor.
Attack options on armor were exceedingly rare.
Plus it included an aura.
A treasure stacked with rarities.
A mystery piercing astronomical odds—I couldn't be happier.
Equipping it immediately bathed both shoulders in golden radiance.
The aura's glow soon linked to 'Radiant Anubis' as well.
This was the aura's advantage.
Strengthening together.
'Applies to pets, summons, or party members.'
I didn't know the exact bond criteria, but since it worked on Radiant Anubis, the range could expand further.
Excellent.
Assuming ample Coins, 'Arhat's Golden Mystery' rivaled Eternal-grade—or surpassed it.
...One thing left.
'Fruit of the World Tree.'
Meant to eat after Dungeon Abyss ended.
It erased all debuffs causing adverse effects.
Perhaps his Lowest, Sickly, Frail, Non-Existence, and Terminal could be offset.
Non-Existence had been beneficial, but strictly a debuff.
'Please, at least remove Terminal.'
Terminal killed in 500 days without clearing minus level.
Impossible to clear minus level in 500 days, no matter the growth speed.
Even if not all debuffs vanished, at least Terminal...
Slowly retrieving the 'Fruit of the World Tree,' I popped it into my mouth.
Gulp!
......What?
Cannot release? What did that mean?
The World Tree Fruit's effect was absolute.
It even dispelled custom curses from Creator-sniped Abysses!
Whiiiii!
In an instant, a cold wind blew, and darkness engulfed my vision.
Nothing visible.
The world shrouded in shadow.
'Demon-Sealing God's Chalice?'
Why did that name appear out of nowhere?
The Demon-Sealing God's Chalice had originally imprisoned the God of Offerings.
Park Chan-woo no longer possessed it.
Yet it had nullified the World Tree Fruit's debuff removal.
And shortened Terminal's deadline to boot.
Impossible.
The Chalice had been used as a sacrifice to return to the past.
Gone things couldn't reappear.
'Didn't the Demon-Sealing God's Chalice vanish as a sacrifice?'
And why nullify the Fruit's effects? No clue.
Park Chan-woo gritted his teeth.
Darkness was encroaching.
Instinct told him.
This darkness was death.
Terminal's deadline shortened—death approaching.
To offset, offer tribute to God of Offerings.
'God of Offerings still aids me. But Demon-Sealing God's Chalice drives me to the cliff's edge.'
Thinking calmly.
Returning to the past made God of Offerings' whereabouts unknown, but its system lingered.
Similarly, if something from the vanished Chalice remained active...
Wait.
What was inside the Demon-Sealing God's Chalice?
'...Sepiro.'
Half of Sepiro.
Could that connect to Terminal and debuffs?
Was its curse gnawing at me?
...Was God of Offerings silent for this reason?
Offered all unneeded items, but still insufficient.
If higher value needed, obviously equipped gear and Coins.
But couldn't offer them.
Offsetting would lead to death anyway.
Couldn't waste efforts so far.
'Even if I die, I won't discard them.'
Vision blurring.
Sinking into deeper darkness.
Struggling to focus, but failing.
Kyuuuing! Kyuuing!
Then, a familiar sound from somewhere.
Right before consciousness faded.
Like a hallucination or auditory illusion...
In that moment.
A miracle occurred.