Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Legend
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Great Khan demands that you kneel before him.
Park Chan-woo tilted his head as he stared at the message that had popped up.
It was a pretty aggressive way to greet someone who'd just undone all the seals.
Kiiiek!
The door creaked open, revealing an endless staircase stretching upward.
Without hesitation, Park Chan-woo stepped through into the chamber beyond.
The moment he crossed the threshold.
With the final seal undone, the Legendary Quest came to a close.
A title consisting of just two simple words: Legend.
And along with it, 150 million contribution points.
‘Conqueror Khan. More generous than I expected.’
He hadn't anticipated that Conqueror Khan himself would personally score and award the contribution points.
It probably had something to do with him declaring the ‘Second Night’ as his own territory.
‘……Legend.’
But right now, the contribution points took a backseat to the title he'd acquired.
A Master title. Just two letters: ‘Legend’.
He'd encountered countless titles so far, but none with such a striking name.
Focusing on the title brought up its details right away.
A bare-bones description, nothing more.
Park Chan-woo's pupils trembled slightly as he looked at it.
A single title boosting attack power by a whopping 200.
But what was even more astonishing was the option that followed.
‘Total Penetration!’
...An effect that could never be ignored.
It was an option impossible to obtain through any gear or tool—available only through titles.
One that everyone dreamed of and hoped for, possessed only by a select few.
Its overpowered nature went without saying.
No matter how high the defense, 5% of it would be pierced.
As time passed, monsters with freakishly high defense kept appearing, and without this option, they were utterly impossible to take down.
It was equally devastating against shield warriors who stacked pure defense.
At least 5% of your attacks would always get through.
No matter how much they pumped their defense, they'd still take damage from someone with Total Penetration.
‘An option that grows more vital over time.’
There were limits to raw attack power boosts, after all.
To survive the apocalyptic Abyss, you needed a balanced mix: critical chance, spell ranks, defense ignore, and the like.
‘Back then, I could barely scrape together around 20%.’
When he'd climbed the Dragon God Temple, his Total Penetration had been just over 20%.
Now, he was starting with 5% right out of the gate.
And Total Penetration could only be increased through titles...
Above all, he'd never seen a single title grant 5% before.
‘This is insane.’
Insane.
Completely, utterly insane.
Used right, it could let him conquer even Abysses currently impossible.
Just gaining that potential raised his growth ceiling immeasurably.
Park Chan-woo smiled inwardly.
“Quite the intriguing display, challenger.”
It was then.
At the top of the endless staircase.
A warrior sat upon a throne, gazing down at him.
A man with flowing white beard, wielding a massive trident.
The Great Conqueror Khan!
“Breaking the first seal in Aheta's Abyss was impressive enough, but the way you cleared my trials was even more so. Well done.”
“Thanks.”
Park Chan-woo shrugged it off casually.
With the Legendary Quest over...
There was no reason to refuse praise.
Khan stroked his beard.
“Summoning the Messenger of the Covenant to defeat the gatekeeper Azos... An unimaginable method. And that form you're in now... You're certainly an irregular existence.”
“I heard the Great Conqueror Khan respects irregularities.”
“Indeed. Quite right. The battlefield is full of countless variables. Only those who can embrace them can master it.”
“Agreed.”
Park Chan-woo nodded.
The guy had a pretty open mind.
Even after he'd slain the three guardian warriors and hijacked Azos, he remained composed.
A true mark of a conqueror who'd traversed countless battlefields.
Soon, Khan spoke again.
“Azos. Have you left my service?”
His gaze turned to Azos, now cloaked in shadow.
Azos gave no reply.
He simply stood silently at Park Chan-woo's side.
Khan chuckled.
“...The palace entrance will feel empty for a while.”
He acknowledged that Azos had fully slipped from his influence.
Azos no longer heeded his commands.
He followed only Park Chan-woo now.
“Planning to go to war with Aheta?”
Park Chan-woo voiced his curiosity.
Khan's seals were fully released.
Now free, he'd immediately claimed the ‘Second Night’ as his territory.
But Aheta wouldn't just sit idly by.
“This place was originally my land. Now that I've appeared, Aheta has no right to claim ownership.”
“Aheta won't take that lying down.”
“Haha! If he's already turned it into a ‘Creation Abyss,’ he can't intervene directly. Unless he steps in personally, this land is as good as mine.”
Khan was confident.
Aheta wouldn't be able to interfere.
Khan gazed at Park Chan-woo and continued.
“Once the ‘Second Night’ ends, this Abyss will be wholly mine. From there, I'll recover my strength and resume my ‘Abyss Conquest.’”
Though the seals were broken, he hadn't fully regained his power yet.
Even in this moment, the Conqueror King's spirit burned strong.
Still, it was good news.
Another being unafraid of Aheta was drawing his blade against the Abyss.
Nothing wrong with adding more targets for the Creators to worry about.
If I can get him to join forces with Adora, that could make for a fine picture.
“By the way.”
For a split second.
Khan tilted his head and added,
“Why are you still standing on your own two feet?”
His tone was chillingly cold.
Exuding biting killing intent.
“Kneel.”
Woooong-!
Khan's voice boomed majestically through the entire palace.
The magic infused in it vibrated, battering eardrums and threatening to shatter minds.
An overwhelming presence.
Now he understood why Aheta had only sealed him.
Even without full power recovery, this was his level.
“Kuh...!”
Lee Hyuk-soo let out a short cry.
He was desperately resisting the urge to drop to his knees under the voice's pressure.
Drip, drip.
Nosebleed flowing.
Veins bulging in his eyes, ready to burst.
Not stopping there, Lee Hyuk-soo bit his tongue.
If he didn't steady his mind, he'd pass out.
“Haa, haa, haa...!”
He barely endured, but that single act of defiance left him utterly exhausted.
Incapable of combat.
Not even able to twitch a finger.
“Oh ho. Even spoken lightly, I didn't expect you'd withstand it.”
Khan's eyes gleamed as he regarded Park Chan-woo.
Park Chan-woo stared back at Khan calmly, utterly unaffected.
Not even flinching as their eyes met.
Because Azos was blocking all of Khan's aura from the front.
Of course, even with that, no one could completely ignore a shout from a being of Khan's caliber.
There was only one reason Park Chan-woo was fine.
Thanks to the ‘Creator Slayer’ title effect kicking in.
Why had the ‘Creator Slayer’ effect activated out of nowhere?
It was a title that let you endure before Creators.
It only had the ‘Mental Protection’ effect to safeguard sanity.
‘Great Conqueror Khan... He's a Creator.’
Realization dawned.
In other words, the true identity of the ‘Great Conqueror Khan’ was a Creator.
But how had he become a Creator without being an Abyss Lord?
‘Conqueror. One who conquered a Creator's land and became a Creator himself?’
A being even the Abyss Lords feared.
The title of Conqueror wasn't given lightly.
This ‘Khan's Palace’ had many similarities to a ‘Creation Abyss’ as well.
And not just that.
He'd territorialized the ‘Second Night’.
The ‘Second Night’ was already a Creation Abyss.
Becoming its master meant becoming a Creator who owned a Creation Abyss.
‘He personally tallied the contribution points. Possible because he's the Creator of this Second Night.’
Ah.
So that's how it was.
It had seemed odd.
He hadn't expected Khan to grasp and utilize the contribution system out of the blue.
“Normally, I'd kill you on the spot, but fine. You fully released my seals, so as a reward, I'll let you live. Thanks to you, I feel much more refreshed.”
Khan smiled leisurely.
When the first seal broke, he honestly hadn't expected much.
The ten trials for the second seal were to verify a challenger worthy of legend.
Trials mimicking the ten territories he'd once conquered.
An unworthy challenger couldn't open the door even with the key.
But this challenger had forged his own path and proven his worth.
Thanks to that, Khan was completely freed from his seals.
Once he recovered his strength here, he could return as the Conqueror King.
‘……A Creator.’
Park Chan-woo pondered briefly.
An ancient existence.
Conqueror Khan was nothing like what he'd imagined.
His original plan had been to revive Khan, let him seize Aheta's territory—the ‘Second Night’—and give Aheta a solid hit.
But if ‘Conqueror Khan’ was a Creator, things changed.
Nothing would change, in fact.
Having seen Park Chan-woo, he'd set his sights on humanity and spawn Creation Abysses on Earth.
He might even craft a vicious Abyss bent on conquering Earth.
...Seemed like he needed a complete plan overhaul.
Park Chan-woo spoke coldly.
“Azos. Kill him.”