Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Final Magic
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Park Chan-woo quickly reached a conclusion.
"The Black Witch is involved."
The entity that appeared out of nowhere and demanded the "Star of Pride" and "Wish."
Among them, the "Star of Pride" was a gem so obscure it was listed in the Mysteries Compendium.
To know its name meant a deep connection to the gem's owner.
Moreover, it had full knowledge of "Wish," the miracle awakened by Adora.
The only one who fit all these conditions was the Black Witch.
However, there was no way the Black Witch herself would emerge from the depths of the Abyss, so this man was her subordinate, handling tasks on her behalf.
"She used the Black Witch's body to overlay human qualifications. To evade detection by Aheta and the other Abyss lords."
With the Black Witch's pinky finger, Adora had obtained the status of an "Abyss Lord."
Of course, it was a false status.
Adora was a witch, and witches could never become Abyss lords.
But the Black Witch possessed the power to turn "false" into "true."
Likewise, disguising an entirely different race as "human" would be possible for her.
That explained how this intruder had roamed freely through the "Second Night" unscathed.
The problem was the intruder's true identity.
"He's wielding magic with his power sealed to human levels. The mana flow is astonishingly precise. An art impossible without dragonkin blood."
Watching the magic manifest, Park Chan-woo inwardly marveled.
Even a simple spell that shaped wind into blades and fired them was controlled with extreme precision.
It dominated every inch of the area the wind encompassed, as if casting a thousand spells at once.
Mana density, control, spatial dominance.
Every aspect was a work of art.
It wove the wind blades densely, pressing Lee Hyuk-soo relentlessly.
There was no space to dodge, no way to escape.
Though spread over a wide area, there was no waste of mana.
Mana efficiency at least ten times that of an ordinary mage.
Only dragonkin could achieve this.
Dragonkin, blessed with mana, wielded an entirely different caliber of magic as naturally as breathing.
"Why would dragonkin serve as the Black Witch's lackey?"
Park Chan-woo was certain.
This man was dragonkin.
The intruder Aheta, the Moon Lord, was searching for—and simultaneously, the subordinate of the Black Witch who had traveled far to retrieve him.
He had even taken human form to reclaim the Star of Pride and Wish.
Yet that made it all the more puzzling.
"Proud dragonkin, reduced to human guise. Bowing his pride to carry out the Black Witch's orders..."
Dragonkin arrogance defied imagination.
They followed only Dragon God Sepiro.
They revered Sepiro alone as their absolute master and god, viewing all else as insects beneath them.
But the dragonkin before him was different.
He served the Black Witch and had entered here in human form.
Why?
"...At any rate, entering with human qualifications means he can't exceed human power levels. That's some good news, at least."
There were restrictions.
The dragonkin had imposed them on himself.
That sparked a sliver of hope.
Abyss lords despised intruders in their created Abysses.
Especially monsters from other races—the moment they intruded, war could erupt.
The Abyss and the Twelve Races maintained a delicate balance, tacitly avoiding each other's territories.
He surely knew that, so the dragonkin would do everything to avoid detection by Aheta.
He wouldn't wield power beyond the limits of current humans.
Splat!
It was then.
Lee Hyuk-soo's sword pierced the dragonkin's chest.
"...Lee Hyuk-soo is no slouch."
Park Chan-woo's eyes gleamed.
To think he'd already applied that momentary insight in actual combat.
It was astonishing adaptability and application—no need for further words.
Honestly, "genius" didn't even begin to cover it.
"He hid inside the shadow. Looks like he's mastered the Lion King's authority."
Shadow movement was the Lion King's domain.
But using it while casting magic was even harder.
Lee Hyuk-soo had feigned "Shadow Strangulation," then slipped into the shadow the instant the dragonkin blocked his view with a wall.
He'd prepared from the start, anticipating his "Shadow Strangulation" would be blocked by the dragonkin's magic.
...It was hard to believe even seeing it.
Was that something you could improvise in that split second?
Dismissing it as mere "enlightenment" felt off.
Instead...
"No way he copied me after watching, right?"
...After seeing him apply Heavenly Punishment to the hand axe, did he think to hide in the shadow similarly?
A chill ran down his spine.
Goosebumps rose.
No matter that he was the Lion King's prized disciple, no one would teach "Shadow Movement" this soon. If Lee Hyuk-soo had awakened and used it himself...
And if he'd foreseen his magic being blocked and prepared in advance?
"Hah."
A disbelieving chuckle escaped him.
What kind of talent was that?
Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo was a monster.
Not just any monster—a mad one.
He'd only died as "Sword King" because he never learned properly.
If Lee Hyuk-soo had grown with proper guidance, he might have claimed the title of humanity's strongest.
In fact, the Lee Hyuk-soo of the past had bloomed late.
After his bedridden mother passed and a long period of wandering, he'd finally picked up the sword again.
But now...
Nothing stood in Lee Hyuk-soo's way.
On the contrary, Park Chan-woo had given him wings.
If this world had a protagonist, it was Lee Hyuk-soo.
No one else.
The one who would save the world in the end.
"Blackened lightning, strike like despair."
It was then.
Another spell chanted from the dragonkin's lips.
For some reason, a familiar word rang out.
"The Clan of Despair!"
Even dragonkin had lineages.
They invoked words from their lineage to cast Dragon Chant.
The "despair" this dragonkin uttered was his lineage's name.
The Clan of Despair.
Among dragonkin, the worst of the worst gathered there.
Now he understood.
Why dragonkin would serve as the Black Witch's lackey.
In the past, the Clan of Despair had one goal.
War.
Incite war between the Abyss and the Twelve Races, then reign supreme!
Proclaim dragonkin as the strongest race and dominate all—that was the Clan of Despair's sole pursuit.
Of course, Park Chan-woo knew of the Clan of Despair.
Because of them, the future Earth became a hellscape.
Though Earth was already the Twelve Races' playground by then... the Clan of Despair tormented humans with particular cruelty.
So, this dragonkin's motives were obvious.
Use the Black Witch to sow chaos, no doubt.
That was the only reason he'd humble dragonkin pride to play lackey.
"The magic's amplified. Can't dodge it."
Magic reinforced by Dragon Chant.
Despair magic destroyed foes utterly.
Not the kind Lee Hyuk-soo, unfamiliar with dragonkin combat, could evade.
A direct hit, and he'd vaporize without a speck of dust left.
Park Chan-woo hesitated.
If he didn't step in, Lee Hyuk-soo would die.
Even if he did, could he win against the Clan of Despair?
Judging by his magic handling, not an ordinary lineage either.
One who could use Dragon Chant in human form wasn't commonplace.
Dragonkin of some standing in the clan.
If by any chance an Ancient Dragon, he couldn't win in his current state.
Ancients were on another level entirely.
Revealing himself might forfeit his "Non-Existence" advantage fatally.
The Clan of Despair hadn't noticed him yet.
Sacrifice this edge to save Lee Hyuk-soo?
Rumble.
Kwaaaaaang!
Black lightning began swirling from the sky.
Fast.
The mana concentration was on another plane.
No time left to deliberate.
He had to offset that magic, even partially, to save Lee Hyuk-soo.
"Heavenly Punishment."
In that instant.
Rumble!
Kurrrung!
...It was offset.
Thanks to Critical Hit and Double Casting triggering together.
Moreover, his hidden trait "Magic of Annihilation" had unraveled even the Dragon Chant.
Possible because Dragon Chant was the dragonkin's root magic.
"...Hm?"
The Clan of Despair tilted his head.
Because of Park Chan-woo's sudden appearance.
But his reaction was unexpected.
Initially puzzled, the Clan of Despair soon widened his eyes in shock.
As if witnessing a miracle.
As if something impossible had occurred.
Finally, he spoke.
"...Lord Sepiro?"
...?
Wait.
Sepiro?
Why was Dragon God Sepiro's name popping up out of nowhere?
From a Clan of Despair dragonkin, no less.
Soon, Park Chan-woo understood why.
The reason he called him "Sepiro" was none other than...
"Are you... in the midst of amusement? Taking interest in humans...?"
Amusement?
Interest?
Did he think Sepiro had come to the human world for fun?
"Veiled by all sorts of restrictions, but if I'm not mistaken... this mana, these 'absolute magics' undoubtedly stem from Lord Sepiro's heart...! Ah, the 'Final' magic!"
...The Final Magic.
A name he'd never heard before.
But judging by his astonished expression, it seemed one of Sepiro's "absolute magics."
Magic hierarchies divided into three broad tiers.
The first was ordinary magic used by mages.
The second transcended magic: the miracle "Wish."
The final tier: the inscrutable "absolute magic."
Among them, "absolute magic" could be wielded by only a scant few.
Sepiro and the nine great lords, it was said.
At least, as far as he knew.
But "Final Magic"? First time hearing it.
Originating from Sepiro's heart, no less.
Could it be magic above even absolute magic?
"Such a thing possible?"
...It was possible.
For the transcendent dragon, Dragon God Sepiro, it seemed plausible.
"I-I'm sorry! I made a mistake...!"
With no response from Park Chan-woo, the despair dragonkin panicked and shouted.
One thing was clear: he was mistaken.
Grievously so.
"This is... a chance."
One misstep and death, but exploit this misunderstanding well, and he might gain something tremendous.
A chance that might never come again.
And Park Chan-woo had no intention of letting it slip.