Chapter 267
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 267
Chapter Title: Temple of Fate
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Lv.350 Would you like to enter the Temple of Fate?
The Temple of Fate was level 350.
It was a lower number compared to Jeong Hoon's current level, but it couldn't be taken lightly.
The temple level adjusts to my level.
It stayed the same for levels 350 or below, but if a higher-level user entered, it would scale up accordingly.
For parties, it based the level on the highest-level member in the party.
That was why it couldn't be underestimated just because it was level 350.
Entering.
As Jeong Hoon accepted, his body was sucked into the portal.
His vision went dark, and when it returned, he was standing in the center of a luxurious temple.
In front of him floated a strange crystal orb.
Lv.517 Mysterious Crystal Orb
The orb's level was 517.
The same as Jeong Hoon's level.
It's been a while since I've seen this too.
Before his regression, he had naively placed his hand on this crystal orb without knowing any better.
Jeong Hoon knew what happened when he did.
A boss monster corresponding to that level appears.
Once the boss appeared, combat began immediately.
Jeong Hoon had no intention of subjugating the boss right away.
To learn clues about the pocket watch, I was told to go to the temple.
Jeong Hoon turned and began searching the temple.
Fate.
A predetermined future.
Before his regression, the fate Jeong Hoon had seen was of himself thriving as the All Master.
He had only seen that much because he failed to perfectly subjugate the boss.
When placing a hand on the crystal orb, it granted only 5 minutes.
He had to face off against the boss during those 5 minutes.
Then, reflecting the battle results over those 5 minutes, the orb would react and reveal the fate.
Nothing here.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a single clue about the pocket watch.
That left only the crystal orb.
It won't be easy.
Before his regression, Jeong Hoon had only whittled down 2 of the boss's health.
One might say he could just overwhelm it with all his buff skills this time, but the boss copied all of Jeong Hoon's abilities.
If he used buffs, the boss's stats rose too, and if he applied debuffs, it forcibly removed them.
It was that tricky, so he had to be cautious.
Unlike before his regression, this time he planned to crush it perfectly.
At that moment, a gap tore open, and red eyes appeared.
How's the Temple of Fate? To your liking?
Baal's eyes curved like a crescent moon.
Not really to my liking.
Jeong Hoon deliberately frowned.
Baal seemed pleased by the expression, as his eyes curved even more.
Kukuku, did you think unraveling the pocket watch's secret would be easy?
You told me to go to the temple if I wanted to know. But it was all bullshit.
Bullshit? There's still one left.
Baal looked at the crystal orb.
The crystal orb?
Jeong Hoon pretended not to know.
Yes. The answer you want is inside there.
Hmm, so you showed up to tell me that?
That, and I want to make a bet.
A bet?
If you restore the pocket watch through that crystal orb, you win. If you fail, you contract with me.
It was obsessed with the contract.
Jeong Hoon pondered for a moment.
Could he really defeat the boss that emerged from the crystal orb?
To obtain the restoration materials, he had to completely defeat the boss.
He knew that because, during the reward settlement process back then, an item had flashed by.
That item was God's Blessing.
An overpowered item that could restore damaged, non-functional items.
Even the ultimate restoration potion couldn't do it, but God's Blessing should fully restore the pocket watch.
That was probably why Baal mentioned the Temple of Fate.
The problem was he had no confidence in defeating the boss.
Do I really need to take the bet?
Opening the Temple of Fate had already been a victory for him, so there was no need for an additional bet.
I refuse.
After thinking it over, Jeong Hoon rejected the bet.
He didn't particularly want anything from it, and there was no reason to gamble.
The red eyes trembled slightly.
Why? Haven't you kept accepting ridiculous bets until now?
Even I need a break sometimes.
Unbelievable... You come all this way and suddenly back out?
Why so disappointed? I've given you plenty of entertaining shows.
Ha...
Anyway, if you have no business, leave.
What would it take for you to accept the bet?
Ultimate energy. The ultimate energy I'm short on. Fill it all up for me.
...
Was it too much?
Baal fell silent for a moment.
If it works, great. If not, oh well.
Jeong Hoon had nothing to lose.
Not taking the bet was safer, but if he could fill his ultimate energy to 100, it was worth the gamble.
What'll it be?
Ugh... Fine. Let's do it.
Good. But on one condition.
What now?
No interfering in the dungeon.
...Fine. Deal.
The deal was struck.
The bet began, and Jeong Hoon approached the crystal orb.
Lv.517 Mysterious Crystal Orb
Jeong Hoon placed his hand on it.
The orb began madly sucking in his mana.
His vast mana drained away in an instant, but Jeong Hoon didn't panic.
He had already panicked enough before his regression.
Lv.517 Mysterious Reaper appears.
Subjugation time: 5 minutes.
With the message, the orb vanished, and a reaper cloaked in black appeared before Jeong Hoon.
In its hand was a massive scythe.
Detailed Stats
-Strength: 697
-Agility: 685
-Vitality: 643
-Defense: 665
-Wisdom: 621
-Mana: 1,332
-Holy Power: 906
-Mental Strength: 619
The reaper had copied Jeong Hoon's stats exactly.
No buffs.
Using buffs would boost its stats too, and it ignored debuffs.
It even applied the same debuffs to Jeong Hoon.
He could dispel them, but then buffs or no buffs made little difference.
If I could use Annihilation, itd be easy.
An overpowered ability that rapidly drained health.
But debuff skills didnt work on it at all.
Since it copied his abilities exactly, it would use Annihilation too.
Have to win with pure skill.
Finishing his calculations, Jeong Hoon stepped into Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon.
The reaper mirrored him perfectly with Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon.
Jeong Hoon swung his fist.
It carried the energy of Heavenly Demon Fist Arts 1st Stage.
Whoosh-
But the fist didnt reach the reapers face.
It had dodged with Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon.
Thud!
Then, Jeong Hoon stepped forward and smashed his elbow into the reapers chest.
The reapers face filled with panic, and Jeong Hoon drove his fist into its face.
Gah!
The reaper let out a short scream and tumbled backward.
Its scythe slipped from its hand, spun, and flew at Jeong Hoon.
Jeong Hoon turned to dodge, but the scythe changed direction and came at his back.
Danger.
Jeong Hoon dropped to one knee without turning further.
The scythe grazed his hair.
Before it could turn again, Jeong Hoon stepped into Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon and closed in.
Not bad.
The reaper used Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon to distance itself and reached out.
The scythe returned to its hand.
Time remaining: 4 minutes 25 seconds.
Jeong Hoon glanced at the dwindling time and stepped into Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon again.
At the same time, he pulled Leviathan from his inventory.
Form 1: Heavenly Demon Devastation Sword activated.
He unleashed Heavenly Demon Devastation Sword Form 1.
Clang!
But the reaper moved identically and blocked perfectly.
The Mark is applied.
Not just that.
Even the marking process was identical.
Still, Jeong Hoon relentlessly unleashed Heavenly Demon Devastation Sword.
Clang! Clang!
The back-and-forth continued.
Time flew, leaving only 3 minutes.
At this rate, hed lose the bet to Baal.
That wont happen.
Heavenly Demon Devastation Sword was undoubtedly an evolved sword art.
Upgraded from Devastation Sword to Heavenly Demon Devastation Sword.
Practically 100 perfect.
But from constantly clashing sword arts with it, Jeong Hoon knew there was a flaw in its execution.
It cant perform the sword art perfectly.
Jeong Hoon deliberately executed Heavenly Demon Devastation Sword sloppily, exposing flaws.
The reaper, mirroring him, could only sloppy it too.
He had to exploit that gap for a one-shot finish.
Clang! Clang!
Jeong Hoon kept unleashing Form 1, swinging his sword.
The reaper copied exactly, parrying with its scythe.
As the exchange continued, their swords clashed hard, shaking both their balances.
Now.
Form 3: Heavenly Demon Devastation activated.
Off-balance, Jeong Hoon raised his sword and thrustpiercing straight through.
Too fast to copy.
Gurk!
The reaper collapsed, throat pierced.
Form 3: Heavenly Demon Devastation activated.
Jeong Hoon unleashed Form 3 at it again.
Clang!
But the scythe flew in, blocking Heavenly Demon Devastation.
Expected that.
Jeong Hoon reached out and grabbed the scythe.
Vrrr-
It thrashed in his hand.
His arm shook, but he didnt let go.
You filthy...
The reaper spat blood, glaring.
With the mark applied, one Heavenly Demon Devastation pierced fatally.
Enough for a critical wound.
Jeong Hoon hadnt used healing once.
It could only copy abilities he used, so he deliberately didnt.
It couldnt heal that wound.
Ill end it.
Jeong Hoon hurled the scythe with all his might.
Stepping into Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon, he unleashed Form 3 again.
The scythe rushed to block, but Jeong Hoons sword tip pierced the reapers throat first.
Gah!
Throat pierced again, the reaper screamed in death throes and perished.
The incoming scythe vanished.
Perfectly subjugated the Mysterious Reaper.
Only after confirming the message did Jeong Hoon collapse.
Whew, its over.
Time left: just over 1 minute.
Without exploiting the flaw, he wouldve failed.
Insane...
Then Baal appeared.
Its red eyes were filled with shock.
Why so surprised?
Impossible... How did you know the strategy?
Baal had expected Jeong Hoon to use all his abilities, which the reaper would copy, wasting the 5 minutes.
But Jeong Hoon didnt.
He pressured it with flawed attacks on purpose, forcing the reaper to mirror the flaws and expose gaps.
He seized victory in an instant.
Too perfect a strategy left Baal speechless.
Without knowing its abilities inside out, no one could strategize that flawlessly.
How...?
Keep your promise anyway.
Filling Jeong Hoons lacking ultimate energy completely.
Damn... I thought Id finally get the contract this time.
Ultimate energy.
Handing over all that power would let Jeong Hoon challenge ultimate strength.
To think hed be the top contributor to that.
Wait up. Ill restore it soon.
...
He had perfectly subjugated the reaper.
Now the Temple of Fates crystal orb would divine his future with rewards.
Jeong Hoon caught his breath, stood, and approached the orb.
I wonder what itll show this time.
It would show rewards and divine his future.
Naturally, the future was what he was curious about.
Jeong Hoon placed his hand on the orb.
It glowed, and text appeared above it.
What...?
Jeong Hoon frowned at the text.