Chapter 333
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 333
Chapter Title: Tenebris's Seal
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You have entered a space of unknown identity.
Before his regression, Jeong Hoon had acquired an unknown power while thwarting the first annihilation.
The place where he obtained that power was none other than this space of unknown identity.
A place filled only with darkness, nothing else.
Even with a red flame blazing fiercely in the center, it failed to illuminate the surroundings.
Master, is that it?
It looks like a flame at a glance, but its not. Its a mass of pure energy.
Anima was right.
That wasnt a flameit was energy.
The absurd power that had sent Jeong Hoon back to the past.
More precisely, to the past of a parallel world.
Lets grab it quick and get out.
Acquiring the power was simple.
Just bring your hand close to the flame, and it would wrap around your hand and get absorbed rapidly.
Jeong Hoon did exactly as he had before his regression, extending his hand toward the flame.
The flame coiled around his hand and began absorbing swiftly.
The familiar sensation spread from his right arm.
At the same time, the power settled deep into his dantian.
Human, can you hear my voice?
At that moment, an unfamiliar voice echoed in Jeong Hoons mind.
Tenebris?
How did you know that?
His voice took on a tone of surprise and fluster.
I have my ways of knowing everything.
He had learned from Baal that this was the place where Tenebris was sealed.
So, the only one who would speak to him here had to be Tenebris.
Kahaha! Finally, a useful one has been completed.
Tenebris, who had fallen silent for a moment, soon burst into hearty laughter.
A useful one?
Yes. Youll get revenge on the ones who cast me out.
So it was all to use me as a tool for revenge in the end?
It wouldnt have been a bad deal for you, would it? Didnt you want to stop the dimensional annihilation?
It wasnt wrong.
Without the regression, he wouldnt have even dreamed of challenging the Designers.
Got it. Then good luck.
Jeong Hoon turned away without a second thought.
With the power in hand, he would prevent the remaining annihilations, eliminate Escannon, and restore peace.
That was Jeong Hoons ultimate goal.
Wait!
Tenebris urgently tried to hold him back.
What now?
Unseal me!
Unseal you?
Yes. I dont know how you grew so strong, but you should be able to break my seal now.
No thanks.
What?
Jeong Hoon shrugged and added,
What I want is to eliminate the Designers and end this game. I have no intention of helping with your revenge.
You You dont think hunting down one Heavenly-grade will end everything, do you? Id be disappointed if so.
Jeong Hoons eyebrow twitched.
Removing the Designers wont end the game?
Listen. The only ones with the power of creation are the Named above them. You get what that means, right?
Youre saying we have to take out the Named to end it?
Exactly. Even if you hunt a Heavenly-grade, the annihilations will keep coming.
So you want me to unseal you? Because if revenge succeeds, itll stop the annihilations?
Revenge is impossible.
Impossible?
I lost most of my power when I was defeated.
Being defeated meant Tenebris was Named-grade as well.
To seal a being like that for so long, they had no choice but to strip his power.
Even if he broke the seal with great effort, it was unlikely to help Jeong Hoon muchbut if he judged there was gain to be had, he might unseal him.
So, what do I gain from unsealing you?
Tenebris answered as if hed been waiting for the question.
The power you just took. Ill help you wield it stably.
The regression power?
Yes. The power to rewind the timeline itself. You wouldnt want to go back to the past now, would you?
Of course not.
He had no assurance that repeating regressions would surpass his current realm.
Plus, since it sent him to parallel worlds, he couldnt predict how many more dimensions would be sacrificed.
So, he had to end everything in this life.
Then you need to master wielding that power stably all the more.
You mean it could go berserk?
Sharp human.
Tenebris let out a brief sigh of admiration.
What? Berserk?
What does that mean?
Mukho and Anima reacted with confusion.
Simply put, when I die, the power goes berserk and forcibly rewinds the timeline.
The timeline?
So thats how the regression happened?
Jeong Hoon nodded.
Both James Marcus and Jeong Hoons regressions were triggered by death.
When death came while holding the power, the dormant force went berserk and forced the regression.
But before regressing, I wielded that energy, didnt I?
Jeong Hoon had succeeded in wielding it right before dying.
The red-crimson mana flowing through his body.
Puhaha, thats because you were teetering on the boundary between life and death.
I see?
And youre thinking wrong right now.
Thinking wrong?
Have you ever used Psyches power?
Yeah, I have.
The Goddess of Fate, Psyche.
He had used Psyches pocket watch to return to a parallel worlds future.
There, he met James Marcus and learned that it was a regression to a parallel world.
Dont believe it.
What?
That power purely sends you back to the past. Nothing more.
Wait. So its not a parallel world regression?
Parallel world I see. So thats how he manipulated it.
Manipulated?
Yes. You think Psyche would just hand over her power willingly?
So everything I saw was fabricated?
Probably. Your timeline rewound when the power berserked.
Did that mean James Marcus being a regressor was a lie too?
Has there ever been someone who regressed repeatedly before?
Hm? Yes. Before your regression, another human kept regressing over and over. But no matter how many times, there was no sign of improvement. So I passed it on to you.
That regressors name was James Marcus, right?
How did you know?
He told me that in the future I reached via the pocket watch.
So you knew after all.
Tenebriss voice tone sank low.
Figuring out why wasnt hard.
It meant the ones above had seen through it all.
Psyche already knew that Tenebris was dreaming of revival by repeatedly regressing humans.
Tsk. A long tail gets you caught
It was a move impossible to hide from the start.
Yet their lack of major intervention meant some other reason.
Whatever. I can guess why Psyche showed you that. She wants to catch me somehow.
Huh?
How do you think I could meet you here, time after time through all those regressions, without getting caught?
You hid your presence?
Similar, but a bit different. No time for details. If you stay here too long, itll be trouble for me. Choose quickly.
Got it. So how do I unseal you?
Youll do it?
Jeong Hoon nodded.
If what you say is true, eliminating Escannon wont stop the annihilations.
To struggle even a little, he had no choice but to unseal Tenebris.
That way, he could wield the power now settled below his dantian.
Now youre talking sense.
Tenebris then explained how to break the seal.
It was a bit tricky.
Gather a portion of the Nameds power, amplify it, and use the incantation Tenebris provided to release the seal.
How do I gather their power?
The Nameds power permeates everywhere. In tiny amounts, sure.
They held the power of creation.
In other words, the Heavenly-grades below designed it, but the Named created the monsters.
So, simply put, hunt monsters?
The energy now settled below your dantian is my power. Hunting monsters will accumulate tiny amounts into it. Gather as much as you can.
Understood.
The second annihilation. Thwart it, and you can return to me. Times shorthurry.
With that, Tenebriss voice fell silent.
As soon as he opened the door and stepped out, Baal pressed close as if waiting.
Nothing happened?!
Baal asked urgently, and Jeong Hoon pondered briefly how to respond.
Hes a Transcendent too. Better keep it hidden.
Even if Baal was on his side, he was still the lord ruling the 96 demon realms.
Not 100 trustworthy yet.
Yeah.
Bullshit! Thats where Tenebris is sealed, and nothing happened?
What exactly is Tenebris anyway?
An evil god.
Evil god?
Yeah. Its just what I heard, but back then, there werent five godsthere were six.
Baals story wasnt all that interesting.
Simply put, Tenebris had plotted to eliminate all Transcendents, including the gods, and the five gods caught on, joined forces, and successfully sealed him.
Actually, thats a good thing.
If Tenebris had wiped out all Transcendents, there wouldnt have been dimensional annihilations like on Earth.
Anyway, nothing was inside.
Really?
Baal glanced at the pattern engraved on the door.
A door embedded with a sun-like pattern.
The symbol of Tenebris.
Anyway, lets head back.
Unknown power.
Nonow that he had Tenebriss power in hand, there was no reason to stay.
Now I have to hunt monsters like mad until the second annihilation begins.
That way, when he thwarted the second one and returned, he could break Tenebriss seal.
Lets go together!
Even after safely stopping the first annihilation, Earth was in utter chaos.
Dungeon difficulties had spiked, leaving no one able to clear them, and penalties were piling up as a result.
The penalties werent just disasters raining down.
Like the initial materialization, monsters were pouring out and attacking people.
Worse, they could detect humans, making shelters useless.
Lv.840 Grand Master Orc
Lv.855 Grand Master Ogre
Monsters at levels 840 to 855.
Unlike regular orcs and ogres, they had human-like builds and were armed with high-grade gear.
Kill all the humans!
Kill them!
The monsters headed straight for the shelters from the start, massacring humans, while the few escapees scrambled to flee.
Argh!
Monsters! The monsters are out!
Spare me!
Gahk!
Kaaaah!
But they didnt get far before being caught by the monsters.
Human, Ill make you die painfully.
The monster smirked and began cutting off fingers one by one.
Kaaaah!
Those massacred in the shelters died less painfully, but the escapees endured horrific agony as they died slowly.
Pew-shook!
That was when it happened.
An arrow flew from somewhere and struck the head of a Grand Master Orc that had been gleefully slitting throats.
Gurk!
The arrow easily pierced the helmet and shattered the orcs skull.
The orc, now lifeless, slumped sideways.
Whos there!
Who is it!
As their comrade fell, the monsters heads snapped toward where the arrow came from.
A single human was walking slowly toward them.
For starters, Ill kill you lot.