Chapter 314
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 314
Chapter Title: Deeper Truth
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When his vision returned, the inside of the cave unfolded before his eyes.
The cave should have been filled with nothing but darkness, without a single light, but lanterns flickered gently, illuminating the surroundings.
Jeong Hoon took a step forward.
The surroundings suddenly changed, and a bridge appeared.
The bridge stretched out long, and not far away, a library stood tall.
What the heck is that?'
Mukho tilted his head.
"That's the library where you explore the truth. You can acquire skills inside there."
Oh ho.
"But you can't deliberate too long. The moment you enter the library, a 10-minute timer starts."
10 minutes...? How do you pick a good skill with just 10 minutes?
"It's fine. I've already decided what to pick."
Before his regression, Jeong Hoon had acquired Asura purely by luck.
And this time, he would acquire Asura not by luck, but by relying on his memories.
It was then, as Jeong Hoon moved toward the library.
The bridge, which should have ended, continued on.
That's strange.
Jeong Hoon furrowed his brow.
His pre-regression memories were still vivid.
Back then, the bridge had ended, as if signaling that he could go no further.
But now, it continued straight without breaking off.
Master, not going in?
Mukho tilted his head and asked when Jeong Hoon stood there staring at the bridge without entering the library.
"Wait."
It was definitely different from before his regression.
Jeong Hoon changed direction and tried crossing the bridge again.
A barrier then activated, blocking Jeong Hoon.
Would you like to explore the 'Deeper Truth'?
Deeper Truth?
Jeong Hoon's eyes gradually widened.
No way... Is this a place you can only enter after completing the 6th trial?
He had heard of it before.
After completing the 6th trial, one could explore the Deeper Truth.
Of course, no one had actually done so.
No one had ever completed the 6th trial.
Even James Marcus, who repeated regressions, had the 5th as his limit.
Difficulty wasn't the issue.
The biggest problem was that no one could even start the 6th trial.
Even after surpassing level 1,000, reaching the heavenly realm, and completing all five trials, they still couldn't meet the requirements to begin the 6th.
James Marcus had judged it related to ultimate power and frantically tried to gather ultimate energy.
However, before he could fill it to 100, the episode progress inevitably reached 99.
Preventing the destruction descending on Earth granted rewards, one of which was increased episode completion.
And that seemed to be the correct answer.
Completing the 5th trial allows one to reach the power of a god.
Ultimate power was an unknown realm.
He had thought it might be the end, but additional realms existed beyond.
If I complete that one, I might be able to face Escannon.
Well, the power of a god could wait.
Right now, it was time to focus on the bridge in front of him.
If exploring the 'Deeper Truth', the time limit will be reduced from 10 minutes to 5 minutes.
Jeong Hoon frowned.
10 minutes was already short, and now it was being cut to 5?
The conditions were harshtoo harsh.
Wouldn't it be better to just go with the original plan for Asura?
But it was too tempting to pass up.
An opportunity had arisen to cross the bridge, presumed to require completing the 6th trial.
Should I gamble?
It was essentially a gamble.
A mere 5 minutes.
Assuming he acquired a skill, could he really get something better than Asura?
Considering the skills his former comrades acquired after completing the 5th trial, Asura was a cheat skill bordering on the miraculous.
There was no reason to gamble unless he could obtain something surpassing Asura.
His head said to choose Asura, but his heart was pulling him toward that option.
Hah, I just dont want to miss this chance.
If he successfully completed the 6th trial, he would get another chance to come back.
But when would that chance come?
If Im unlucky, it might never happen again.
It was a proposal so sweet that it made him agonize over revising his plans.
After much deliberation, Jeong Hoon stepped toward the bridge.
"It's a path you can only take after completing the 6th trial. There has to be something good hidden there."
You have chosen the Deeper Truth.
The Door of Truth closes firmly.
As soon as he chose the bridge, the open library door shut tight.
Thick fog then rolled in, concealing the library.
It meant his decision could not be reversed.
Master, you sure...?
Shouldve just gone with the original plan.
Mukho and Anima didn't like Jeong Hoon's choice, but the water was already spilled.
"Gambles are necessary sometimes."
Gambling is the direct path to ruin.
Hoping for luck is greed itself, and that greed destroys people.
Even if one gets lucky and wins at gambling, they become addicted, aim for bigger prizes, and lose everything.
Honestly, Jeong Hoon had no rebuttal on that point.
The plan had been to obediently acquire Asura, but greed had turned it to dust.
Even so, Jeong Hoon had no regrets.
If given the choice again, the result would be the same.
Its even deeper. There has to be something better than Asura hidden here.
Jeong Hoon stepped forward.
How long had he walked?
Jeong Hoon stopped.
A new library stood before him.
It was twice the size of the one accessible after completing the 5th trial.
5 minutes in this huge place.
An absurdly short time.
Because of that, Jeong Hoon didn't enter right away and circled the surroundings.
He needed time to think.
"Hmm, where should I check first."
It was impossible to examine the entire vast space.
So, selecting an area likely to hold good skills and focusing the search there would maximize his chances of acquiring a decent one.
He had used the same method when acquiring Asura, so he planned to do the same.
Master, at a time like this, shouldnt you go for the top floor?
"Top floor?"
Rare stuff is always in hard-to-reach places!
There was some agreement with Mukho's words.
The library consisted of a total of three floors, not just the first.
"I'd like to, but I only have 5 minutes."
The problem was that the time to move to the third floor would be extremely precious.
No portal to go up quick?
Even if you move fast, there wont be enough time to check things.
Ugh, wouldnt it have been better to just enter the library from before the regression?
...I agree with that.
Jeong Hoon chuckled.
"Do you know what I acquired before my regression?"
Hmm, something good, right?
Definitely something amazing.
Jeong Hoon let out a short sigh of admiration at their confident tone.
"Correct. I acquired the single most important skill for me."
So why gamble!
I cant understand it.
"Thats why you two cant."
Jeong Hoon clicked his tongue.
Cant?
What cant we?
The two looked at Jeong Hoon with eyes full of incomprehension.
"Though its just a guess, this seems like a place you can only enter after completing the 6th trial."
6th?
Youre still only at the 5th. That guess seems wrong to me.
Jeong Hoon shook his head.
"There was no such choice before my regression."
...That doesnt mean it requires the 6th trial, does it?
Mukhos right.
They certainly could think that way, but Jeong Hoon was convinced it was a place requiring the 6th trial.
"Wanna bet?"
At the mention of a bet, Mukho and Anima looked at each other for one second before shaking their heads.
No thanks.
Yeah. Master eats you alive in bets. Pass.
They had vowed never to bet with their master after watching his bet with Baal.
No matter what, they would be the ones getting crushed.
"Then stay quiet."
Jeong Hoon soon selected one spot and entered the library.
Countdown begins.
4:59
Select and acquire one skill within the time limit.
The allotted time was 5 minutes.
Jeong Hoon activated the Supremacy of the Heavenly Demon and climbed the central staircase.
Same.
He had suspected as much, but the interior layout was strikingly similar to the previous library he had passed through.
Thanks to that, Jeong Hoon reached the second and third floors in an instant without getting lost.
Now he just needed to select the book recording the skill he would acquire here.
4:16
4 minutes and 16 seconds remaining.
Jeong Hoon began quickly scanning the nearest books.
Legendary Ancient Magic 1
Legendary Ancient Magic 2
Legendary Ancient Magic 3
Books that allowed one to learn ancient magic.
This was exactly why it was hard to pick a good book.
The skills weren't described in detail, so he couldn't choose carelessly.
Essentially, this is the gamble.
Even so, it was extremely satisfying because every book had been upgraded by one rank.
In the library Jeong Hoon had visited before his regression, the ancient magic books were:
Advanced Ancient Magic 1
Advanced Ancient Magic 2
Advanced Ancient Magic 3
What had been Advanced Ancient Magic there was recorded here as Legendary Ancient Magic.
Just seeing that was reason enough to gamble.
Jeong Hoon quickly skimmed the books as he moved.
What he sought now was neither magic nor swordsmanship.
Legendary Mastery 1
Legendary Mastery 2
That was it.
The Asura that Jeong Hoon had acquired was in a mastery book.
Before his regression, the reason Jeong Hoon chose a mastery book was simple.
I wanted to overcome the martial artist's weakness by wielding more weapons.
And from the mastery book he chose there, he obtained Asura.
Jeong Hoon stopped at one book.
Legendary Mastery 15
The mastery book containing Asura had been 'Advanced Mastery 15'.
Of course, that didn't mean they were the same, but matching the number seemed like the better bet.
Even if its not Asura, I should get a good skill.
1:34
1 minute remaining.
Jeong Hoon hesitated for a moment.
Should he settle on this book, or look a bit more?
Decide when 10 seconds are left.
Coming this far made it too wasteful to settle prematurely.
With 1 minute and 30 seconds still left, he decided to look a little more and scanned the books.
Jeong Hoon increased his speed, touching books with his finger as he moved quickly.
In the midst of that, Jeong Hoon's finger came to an abrupt halt.
That book was tinged red, unlike the others.
Ultimate Mastery
The ultimate mastery that surpassed Legendary Mastery.
"Jackpot."
The corner of Jeong Hoon's mouth curved up.
He hadn't expected a book one rank higher to be slipped in midway.
If he had rushed the decision out of impatience, he would never have found the Ultimate Mastery.
0:29
29 seconds remaining.
There was no more time to deliberate.
"This one."