Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Masterpiece
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That doesn't make sense.
Even if that man's true identity was the transcendent being of ultimate truth, surpassing purity and supremacy—a near-omniscient origin of all things—he was currently operating in the body of a human.
Yes. A human.
A resident of the planet Earth, which had only recently connected to the Abyss.
The least impressive vessel of flesh belongs to humans.
A body that epitomized inefficiency. Pathetic talent!
Sepiro was enjoying his diversion in a human form that had nothing remotely outstanding.
And that was just the beginning.
The human body hits rock bottom in both productivity and efficiency.
Humans had to eat every day and drink water.
Just a few days without food or water, and they could die.
They needed periodic rest and sleep just to maintain their stamina.
Miss a single night of sleep, and their efficiency dropped by more than half.
To Dagon, humans truly seemed like a cursed race.
They required far too much just to survive, yet as individuals, they were utterly helpless.
Park Chan-woo was no different.
...I handled his cleaning, meals, and laundry. His body is undeniably human.
He had taken care of him personally countless times, so he was certain.
Both on Earth and in the Tower of Pride, Dagon had looked after Park Chan-woo himself.
Even with the soul of the colossal Sepiro dwelling within, the flesh was unmistakably that of the human Park Chan-woo.
However, "Reputation" inherently bound itself to the physical form.
Naturally, that human body wasn't Sepiro's true form.
Thus, his Reputation shouldn't have been shared.
Therefore, for Park Chan-woo to have already amassed a Reputation score far exceeding perfection was not just illogical—it was impossible.
Unless the flow of time for him alone is different...!
Dagon had witnessed parts of Park Chan-woo's life firsthand.
He was achieving astonishing feats one after another, but he was still experiencing the same flow of time as any other human.
He simply wielded and utilized absolute time better than anyone.
Even so, there were limits.
It had been barely two months since Park Chan-woo's awakening.
Moreover, he had yet to fully traverse even ten Abysses.
An exceedingly brief span, less than sixty days.
Having cleared just a handful of Abysses at most, and yet he'd piled up over 10,000 Reputation?
...He conquered Pride. That's an unprecedented feat even the Twelve Races couldn't achieve. But still, it's impossible!
The only variable was the "Tower of Pride."
Dagon didn't know Park Chan-woo's exact level, but it was certain he'd gained experience far beyond his level.
Even if a level 1 gained the experience of a level 100, the Reputation gained wouldn't exceed three digits.
Dagon had estimated Park Chan-woo's Reputation at around 3,000 at most.
17,000?
He'd never even imagined it.
It was a figure even the demons of the Abyss rarely encountered.
You'd need to be the lord of a minor warlord faction to amass that much.
...He's testing me. Sepiro, the capricious king, is surely checking my quick thinking in this situation.
Ah, it had to be a probe.
A lure tossed out to see how he'd respond in such a scenario.
Dagon forcibly calmed his heart, which felt ready to burst.
He slowed his breathing and stilled his wildly trembling eyelids.
A merchant's spirit meant greeting guests with composure, no matter the circumstance.
A merchant had to act like one.
Dagon opened his mouth as calmly as he could manage.
"Th-there are, uh, other fine items, plenty of them. Why don't you, uh, take a look around... a bit more!"
...
Failure.
He couldn't possibly stay composed from the start.
He knew the customer wasn't ordinary.
Who was Sepiro?
A being of the dragon race's god and master of magic—insufficient even with every flowery title lavished upon him.
Such an entity wouldn't spout nonsense in jest.
Every word would carry majesty and authority; that was Sepiro.
No matter that he was playing in human form, his essence wouldn't change.
Park Chan-woo replied.
"These three will do for now."
For now?
Did that mean he might buy more later?
"U-understood, sir. Shall I, uh, ring these up then?"
The final hurdle remained.
Checkout.
If his Reputation was insufficient, the purchase wouldn't go through.
With trembling hands, Dagon placed the three items on the counter.
Trajectory of Divinity, Ultimate Gauntlets.
And the Masterpiece Map!
But how did he know he could get the Masterpiece Map here?
The Second Night's Abyss.
This Abyss had twelve shops.
Each shop sold different items, including hidden ones.
However, hidden items couldn't be mentioned by the shopkeeper.
They couldn't even be brought out unless the customer named them first. That was the rule.
In other words, they were the shop's "hidden pieces."
Moreover, the "Masterpiece Map" was the pinnacle among those hidden pieces.
Abyss participants couldn't even know of its existence, and even if they did, it was a pipe dream they couldn't afford.
How had Park Chan-woo learned of it?
Don't question it. It's Sepiro.
Sepiro could do it.
The very name encompassed all explanations.
Doubting that name was akin to blasphemy against an omniscient god.
"Ring it up."
"...Y-yes. Right away."
Fwoooo!
Dagon invoked his merchant authority to process the "checkout."
At that moment, his hands began to glow brightly.
One by one, in sequence, the checkouts proceeded.
By now, Dagon's eyes had rolled back past agitation, showing only the whites.
He'd half-doubted until the end, but this proved he truly possessed even more Reputation than that.
But one item remained.
The Masterpiece Map, worth a whopping 10,000 points.
The previous two combined weren't even worth this one.
No way this too?
...Could it actually go through?
Even just the 7,000 points from the first two already exceeded Dagon's targets handsomely.
If another 10,000 were added...
Among all the shops and merchants in the Night Abyss, he'd clinch first place in sales.
With elite merchants competing fiercely, Dagon's—always the perennial loser—top spot would shine even brighter.
His merchant rank would rise, letting him handle even more item types.
Whiiiish!
"Kuhk!"
It worked.
It actually went through.
Dagon stared silently at Park Chan-woo.
"I'll drop by again."
After receiving the items, Park Chan-woo left the shop without a backward glance.
Dagon watched his retreating figure, his vision blurring.
Demons didn't dream, yet it felt like one.
Then, slowly, Dagon bowed toward Park Chan-woo.
"Thank you, esteemed customer."
Praise be, Lord Sepiro.
All preparations were complete.
Far exceeding the original plan.
Park Chan-woo smiled inwardly as he exited the shop.
Dagon. He's got a keen eye.
Clearly different from other demon merchants.
All the demon merchants he'd met pushed sales by creating artificial needs rather than selling what the customer truly required.
Much less preparing items in advance based on what they might want?
Unthinkable for a demon merchant.
They lacked the discernment for proper items.
They had no such knowledge.
Demon merchants believed higher rank meant better goods, nothing more.
But Dagon was different.
He knew exactly what Park Chan-woo needed, even among same-rank items.
He grasped the customer's needs perfectly.
Park Chan-woo hadn't expected Dagon to run the "Reputation Shop," but it was understandable he hadn't tipped him off beforehand.
A mere merchant spilling details about an Abyss created by another maker meant risking annihilation.
Especially if that creator was "Moon Lord Aheta"—the entire merchant guild could vanish.
Thanks to him, it was a delightful shopping trip.
Because of Dagon, he'd snagged two extra pieces of essential gear.
Park Chan-woo began equipping his purchases in turn.
In an instant, relevant information floated before his eyes.
Name: Trajectory of Divinity
Level: -89
Grade: Legendary
Description: Armor forged from holy power. The trajectory of a divine being's might lingers upon it.
Equip Slot: Armor
Defense: 50
Durability: 5,000
Unique Options:
(1) Defense +100
(2) Defense +100
(3) Defense +100
Options that boosted only Defense.
One suit of armor raised his Defense by 350.
That was precisely why he'd bought the "Trajectory of Divinity"—for these unique options.
Defense was the most crucial stat for armor.
It was long past time to replace the "Demonic Armor" from the First Night.
Not bad style-wise either.
True to its name, a lightning-shaped scar marked the front of the armor.
Even he, who didn't care for looks, found it quite stylish.
Next, Park Chan-woo equipped the gauntlets.
Name: Ultimate Gauntlets
Level: -89
Grade: Legendary
Description: A masterpiece crafted with utmost effort by the legendary blacksmith "Ellemore," who sought to surpass the blacksmith god "Agzos" but failed.
Equip Slot: Handguards
Defense: 40
Durability: 5,000
Unique Options:
(1) +5 Strength per Legendary-grade or higher equipment equipped
Just one unique option.
But that single option earned it "Legendary" status.
It was that absurd.
Currently, I have six pieces of Legendary-grade or higher equipment equipped.
Star of Pride, World Tree Staff, Frost One Helmet, Arahan's Golden Mystery, Trajectory of Divinity, Ultimate Gauntlets!
In total, he wore six ultra-high-grade items.
To make up for a Strength deficit of 30 with one piece of gear—what option could be more bountiful?
Unlike others, with most of his gear being exceptional grades, Park Chan-woo couldn't pass this up.
Status Window.
All equipment swaps complete.
Next, check the updated stats.
The Status Window soon appeared before him.
Park Chan-woo nodded as he reviewed the Status Window.
Since my class is Magic Swordsman, boosting Strength gives a big Attack Power jump.
It was a massive change from before.
He hadn't leveled up in the Tower of Pride, but this qualified as a dramatic upheaval.
Compared to before climbing the tower, he was several times stronger.
One thing left.
Park Chan-woo's gaze turned to the map.
The Masterpiece Map.
Why spend 10,000 Reputation on this map?
Its options made the reason crystal clear.
Name: Masterpiece Map
Unique Options:
(1) Reveals all quests in the "Second Night."
(2) All quest rewards increased 10x.
(3) Contribution rewards based on eligibility increased 10x.
Simple, yet awe-inspiring contents.
These three options alone explained why the Masterpiece Map was essential.
All rewards 10x!
Not just quests.
The perks of the "Covert Traitor" qualification.
Regular escapers earned 100 points for capturing prisoners, but "Covert Traitors" got 400 points—4x—for destroying escaper marks.
With the 10x multiplier, that became 4,000 points.
So "10x" was effectively 40x.
Park Chan-woo looked up at the blood-red full moon overhead.
Now it begins. Aheta.
Preparations to bankrupt Moon Lord Aheta were finally complete.