Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: 99Lv
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Lee Hyuk-soo thought to himself.
"The world is full of incredible monsters."
He'd been hooked on fighting since he was a kid, and he figured he had some real talent with the sword.
But after crossing paths with the mysterious mage Ataraxia, the Prophet, and Han Shin, his mindset had shifted.
"I'm nothing."
There might be absurdly countless beings greater than him in this world.
If he didn't sharpen himself harder and hone his edge more keenly, he'd never even reach the tips of their claws in his lifetime.
Lee Hyuk-soo felt a sense of urgency.
He had to grow stronger than he was now.
He couldn't settle for the insights he'd gained this time.
He'd run faster, soar higher.
"But among them, the greatest monster of all is..."
Suddenly, Lee Hyuk-soo's gaze lingered on the Prophet, Park Chan-woo.
Even among those monsters, the Prophet stood out head and shoulders above the rest.
He still didn't know what Sepiro was or the Prophet's true identity.
But one thing was clear: the Prophet was a "heaven above the heavens," incomparable to the others.
Even the absolute rules of the Abyss meant nothing before him.
"...Is he even human?"
He was an off-the-charts existence that defied any notion of being the same species as other humans.
Lee Hyuk-soo was certain he'd never met another human like the Prophet before, nor would he ever again.
Nothing proceeded along normal lines once the Prophet got involved.
And this time was no different.
"Ataraxia. That mighty mage knelt in an instant."
The mage Ataraxia had appeared out of nowhere and attacked.
But the moment Park Chan-woo showed up, she tucked tail and dropped to her knees.
She'd even begged to be killed for her grave sin.
Ataraxia's attitude had been utterly sincere.
She was apologizing with every ounce of her being.
"She practically sobbed just because the Prophet said he was interested."
The most baffling part was Ataraxia's reaction.
She'd called the Prophet "Lord Sepiro" with utmost reverence, and he'd treated her like a subordinate as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
But the real shocker came right after.
All because of a casual remark from the Prophet.
—Ah...! Wh-what an honor!
Ataraxia had shuddered in ecstasy, deliriously happy.
It wasn't fake.
No acted pretense.
Ataraxia followed the Prophet with utter sincerity.
Not just following—she treated him like a god, as if receiving divine revelation.
The Prophet was a god.
By the end, she'd called him "O Great One," her eyes burning with a sense of mission.
What the hell was all this?
Sepiro, Ataraxia's true nature, the Black Witch—what was any of it?
He had no clue about a single thing...
"This is the place."
A voice from beside him snapped him out of his reverie.
Lee Hyuk-soo came to his senses.
And gazed at the massive palace before him.
"Is this Khan's palace...?"
"Hm?"
Park Chan-woo tilted his head.
They'd finally reached the end of the path of light: Khan's palace.
The journey here had been smooth sailing.
Ataraxia had taken care of every single interrupter that should've swarmed them nonstop.
The reason Park Chan-woo tilted his head was purely because of Lee Hyuk-soo.
His speech had suddenly changed.
Not just polite language—his whole demeanor was different from before.
"Lee Hyuk-soo. Don't act all awkward. Be yourself."
"...I can't do that."
Lee Hyuk-soo shook his head.
One miracle after another unfolding before his eyes.
How could he treat as an equal the man who'd given him guidance and saved his life?
If the Prophet hadn't stepped in, Lee Hyuk-soo would've died to Ataraxia's magic.
He wouldn't have gained enlightenment.
Wouldn't have reunited with his mother, realized his own arrogance, or vowed to train harder.
"The great Lee Hyuk-soo..."
Park Chan-woo chuckled inwardly.
The Sword King who lived as if the world was his alone.
This was the first time he'd seen him use polite speech with anyone.
The Sword King was thoroughly solitary.
He followed no one and kept no one close.
Naturally, he never treated anyone with respect.
Disillusioned with humanity and the world, he maintained a consistent cynicism.
Yet his first object of "respect" was none other than Park Chan-woo himself.
"You learn something new every day."
Park Chan-woo shook his head with a wry smile and stepped into the palace.
...A blocked space, huh.
Meaning even the Creators and Aheta couldn't locate Park Chan-woo and Lee Hyuk-soo here.
"The ancient being, Khan. Definitely not ordinary."
To create a space like this while sealed away.
Park Chan-woo's curiosity surged about just how extraordinary he was.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside the palace.
At that moment.
A warrior clad in a golden helmet and armor appeared.
Over 2.5 meters tall.
Wielding a massive golden spear.
"99 level?"
Park Chan-woo's mind reeled for a moment.
Way too high for a mere gatekeeper greeting them at the entrance.
Naturally, the odds of winning a proper fight were near zero.
In that instant, the Warrior of Valhalla fixed his gaze on Park Chan-woo and Lee Hyuk-soo and spoke.
"I ask you. Are you the one who broke twenty seals and obtained 'Khan's Qualification'?"
"I am the one who obtained Khan's Qualification."
Park Chan-woo answered immediately, and the Warrior of Valhalla tilted his head.
"You're too weak."
"..."
"You lack 'Khan's Qualification'. You are far too frail to claim it. Cultivate power befitting the qualification, then return."
Blatant rejection at the door.
But he couldn't just train up and come back later.
Once the Second Night ended, Aheta would never reveal this space again.
He had to resolve it within the remaining time.
Park Chan-woo's mind raced.
The unresolved clue.
He recalled the messages from destroying the twenty shelters.
He hadn't used the Challenger's Key yet.
The key was for opening a door.
But entering Khan's Palace hadn't required it.
Which meant this key served a different purpose.
"And what qualification do you have to judge my qualification?"
Park Chan-woo lightly countered.
He then pulled out the Challenger's Key and waved it.
This key itself was proof of his qualification.
A mere gatekeeper couldn't decide his worth.
The key to the door was already in hand from the start.
Doors opened without gatekeepers anyway.
The warrior's voice deepened gravely.
"...Are you saying you have the confidence to best me in combat?"
Killing intent poured forth thickly.
"Guh...!"
Lee Hyuk-soo's body trembled faintly.
No way he could withstand the bloodlust from a level 99 monster.
But on instinct, he moved to shield Park Chan-woo.
Ready to block with everything he had if the Warrior attacked.
From behind, Park Chan-woo calmly shook his head.
"Stand down. Victory is already ours."
"Victory? Without even fighting me?"
"You said I lack qualification, yet I already possess it. Doesn't that mean I've already won?"
"...So all you've got is wordplay? Ridiculous."
Disdain flickered in the warrior's eyes.
But it wasn't wrong.
"It said fight and win, but never specified defeating me in battle."
Neither the message nor the warrior's words demanded victory through combat.
There are many kinds of fights.
Not just clashing bodies in a dance of life and death.
Yet Khan's Palace goaded toward such "battle."
Parading an overwhelmingly leveled warrior to intimidate, make them give up.
Daze their minds and chase them off.
"Absurd, but correct. You show considerable courage. Most would cower, forfeit, or flee."
The warrior stepped aside.
"Go on, pass."
The first trial.
They'd passed it.
If they lacked even this courage and quick wit, they shouldn't bother challenging at all.
But Park Chan-woo shook his head.
"I'll give you another chance too."
"Hm? I said pass—what are you on about now?"
"You've been trapped here a long time, haven't you? Wouldn't it feel too regrettable to just let us go like this? Warrior."
"..."
The Warrior of Valhalla fell silent.
He was the gatekeeper.
The face guarding the palace.
But also a warrior.
Locked inside for ages, no chance to display his warrior's glory.
With Khan's Palace revealed to the world again, it'd be a lie to say he didn't itch for it.
He wanted to fight.
Craved it madly!
Park Chan-woo read that burning desire clearly.
"I'm giving you a chance for a proper battle with us."
"Can you handle me?"
Still, the warrior was puzzled.
Even at a glance, the power gap was stark.
Their mana felt woefully inferior.
A real fight would end in seconds.
Park Chan-woo nodded.
"Of course, head-on would be tough. There's a condition."
"Let's hear it."
"Match our levels."
Even the playing field, clash as equals.
The Warrior of Valhalla spoke irritably.
"...Are you mocking me now? You think I'd lose if I dropped to your level?"
The warrior understood levels too.
He'd appeared marked as level 99 from the start, after all.
But from his perspective, it was baffling.
Why seek a fight with him even after passing?
He was a stalwart Warrior of Valhalla.
Handicaps or level drops wouldn't rust his honed skills over the ages.
He could take on a hundred same-level monsters and win.
Park Chan-woo shrugged.
"Obviously, it feels like we'd win."
"...If I win, you die here."
"Conversely, if we win, you serve me, not Khan, from this palace."
"Fine. Agreed. If you can pull that off, even Khan would understand."
The warrior nodded eagerly instead.
A fight after so long.
He could fulfill his duty as gatekeeper.
What could be better?
Matching levels was simple.
Couldn't force levels up, but "seals" to temporarily lower them abounded.
Park Chan-woo spoke slowly.
"Then swear before the Messenger of Oaths. For this fight, we'll match levels."
"Absurd. I'll drop 10 levels below you. Only then might it be a fair fight!"