Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Mystery Codex
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In the Abyss, a "name" holds tremendous significance.
No matter what it is, a name serves as a measure of one's "rank" and carries symbolism beyond comparison.
This is precisely why creators hide their real names and use only pennames.
Names inherently possess power, allowing them to wield greater authority when crafting an Abyss tied to their penname.
For instance, now that Adora had taken the penname "Death's Creator," she would exhibit even greater effects when creating an Abyss related to "death."
If even the creators who rule the Abyss are bound by names to such a degree, what about the items within it?
'Arrogance and Star. The combination of those two words is definitely extraordinary.'
The blue gem, Pride's Star.
It was a treasure Park Chan-woo had never seen before.
He had opened countless boxes and obtained countless rewards, but nothing with such a name combination had ever appeared.
Of course, there were plenty of equipment bearing the name "Arrogance."
But ones with the word "Star" attached? Across the entire Abyss, they were practically nonexistent.
In truth, it was even more special than the name of Arrogance.
It had to be.
'The Abyss has no stars.'
The world of the Abyss had no "stars."
In a world without stars, an item bearing the name "star"?
It was utterly inconceivable.
The demons of the Abyss knew nothing of the beauty of stars.
Their imagination was so impoverished and narrow that they would never think to engrave the name "star" onto a gem.
And items bearing the name "star" never failed to shake the world to its core.
'Star Magic Wand... It was a staff engraved with the Meteor spell.'
For example, the staff used by the man who had transferred to the "Star Mage" class.
Star Magic Wand!
He was the only mage capable of using "Meteor."
Of course, the first time he used it, it devastated an area roughly ten times the size of the Korean Peninsula, claiming five million casualties before he exploded along with it—but its power was jaw-dropping.
Recalling that scene, Park Chan-woo clenched his fist lightly.
'Star's Guide. That was quite the item too.'
The "transforming weapon" known as Star's Guide was the same.
Star's Guide could freely change its form, and since its user was a soldier, he wielded it as a "gun."
The problem was that in an emergency, he switched it to "nuclear" form, causing it to explode and wipe out an entire Abyss.
It's said everyone inside perished as well.
In short, items bearing the name "star"...
'All things with a star's name pack a punch.'
...They packed "one hell of a punch."
They possessed terrifying destructive power.
That was his understanding.
So, how could he not be intrigued by a gem named "Pride's Star"?
Honestly, it piqued his curiosity even more than the Black Witch's pinky finger.
It wasn't just something that created a false qualification.
It was the real deal.
A name capable of destroying everything!
And yet...
...Pride's Star began to glow, and something emerged from within.
'An egg?'
It was an egg.
A pure white, round egg.
About the size of an adult man's fist—perhaps twice as large as a slightly big chicken egg.
The difference from a normal egg was...
'It has wings.'
Flutter! Flutter!
It was even flying.
The egg flew circles around him before darting back into the blue gem with a pop!
'...Is that it?'
He was dumbfounded.
Suddenly, a winged egg popped out of Pride's Star, circled once, and vanished back inside.
He had expected some special effect.
That was when it happened.
"What was that just now? Did it really come out of 'Pride's Star'?"
Adora, who had been watching, spoke in a heavy tone.
As if she couldn't believe it.
Park Chan-woo, holding Pride's Star in his hand, opened his mouth.
"Do you know anything about this?"
"Pride's Star was a necklace the Black Witch cherished dearly. But something like that has never come out of it, not even once..."
...The Black Witch's necklace.
If the Black Witch treasured it that much, it had to be no ordinary item.
He still didn't know what it was used for.
Nor why a flying egg had suddenly appeared.
'Guess I'll find out when I use it.'
Park Chan-woo slowly donned the necklace.
At that moment...
Park Chan-woo's body trembled violently.
All the mana he had used was restored in an instant.
But what shocked him more were the messages that followed.
An unknown mystery had been applied, updating his personal status window.
In other words...
'Pride's Star is an item that has never appeared in the Abyss before.'
That was the meaning of the Mystery Codex being filled.
A name unknown even to the demons of the Abyss!
Something not even the demon merchants, who knew everything about the Abyss, or the lords of the Abyss were aware of!
The very embodiment of mysteries hidden on the world's underside.
That was Pride's Star.
How wondrous.
Especially for a human to fill the Mystery Codex—it was extraordinarily rare.
Park Chan-woo had only known of its existence.
The transcendent beings of other races.
Among them, the "hidden existences" who sought out mysteries were the ones registered there, or so he'd heard.
Nothing else was known.
The reason was simple.
Only those who fill the codex can access the Mystery Codex.
'Insane.'
Naturally, this was the first time Park Chan-woo had seen such a message.
Only unknown names unrecognized by humans or demons could be registered in the Mystery Codex.
In other words, names "not in the system."
This was beyond obtaining ultra-high-grade equipment.
'Jackpot!'
It was on a whole other level—far more tremendous.
No need to hesitate.
Park Chan-woo nodded immediately.
A prompt appeared asking for the discoverer's name.
Park Chan-woo stroked his chin in thought.
The hidden existences would learn of him.
Listing his real name might expose his identity unnecessarily.
Time for a second name.
'Archmage.'
Park Chan-woo recalled his second name.
Archmage.
It was his dream, his aspiration, his ultimate goal.
Soon after...
A surprisingly high number of codex entries.
976 "mysteries" had been discovered so far.
Soon, a separate window related to it appeared again.
【Ultimate Relic, Pride's Star (976)】
The total of 976 names, including the one he had added.
Park Chan-woo began slowly examining the previous entries.
'...Sepiro?'
Surprisingly, the name "Sepiro" appeared among them.
And quite frequently.
No need to start from the beginning.
【Tearing the Twilight (975)】
【Shattered Hope (974)】
【Beyond the Cosmos (973)】
"......"
Most of the 900-series discoverers were "Sepiro."
Other discoverers appeared only sporadically.
It seemed he had been earnestly filling the Mystery Codex.
His bewilderment at the unexpected appearance of Sepiro's name was short-lived.
Park Chan-woo pulled himself together and prepared for the final check.
'Ultimate Relic, Pride's Star.'
Now it was time to uncover its true nature.
The Mystery Codex listed only the name; it didn't specify exactly what it did.
Only the owner could know.
Park Chan-woo looked down at the necklace again.
"Cough!"
He involuntarily let out a startled cough at the information that appeared.
"......"
Dragon God Temple.
Sepiro, who had been gazing at the universe from within, tilted his head slightly to the side.
A sudden message had piqued his interest.
No new "mysteries" had appeared for over 400 years since entry 975.
It meant there were no more "new things" in all dimensions, all universes.
Sepiro had thought the same and ended his "Mystery Codex completion."
...But 976.
Something he hadn't found, something he didn't know, had appeared.
Sepiro immediately checked the Mystery Codex.
'Ultimate Relic, Pride's Star.'
A name he was seeing for the first time imprinted in his eyes.
Sepiro stroked his chin.
Quite intriguing. No, very much so.
Having lived eternally in boredom, he had once devoted about 200 years to filling the Mystery Codex.
Driven by the thought that he couldn't abide unknowns, he successfully discovered around 100 mysteries and filled the codex.
He had been certain it was complete...
But there were more.
Even he, called the Dragon God, still had unknowns.
To think a new Mystery Codex entry would appear after leaping over a whopping 420 years.
Sepiro looked at the discoverer with interest.
"Archmage?"
Archmage, of all things.
Wasn't it like taunting him, the lord of magic?
Who could it be?
Who had discovered something even Sepiro hadn't?
Moreover, the first registrant under the name "Archmage."
And not just that.
'Mystery Fame: 9,999.'
Mystery Fame was equivalent to the value of the discovered item.
Of course, the valuation wasn't conventional.
It wasn't simply scored on strength or weakness.
Roughly, it considered "potential" or "uniqueness" to determine the value.
Even among the mysteries Sepiro had found, few exceeded 10,000.
If even he was like that, for a first registrant to be near 10,000...
"......Looks like they've picked up quite the amusing toy."