Chapter 345
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 345
Chapter Title: Abaddon's Demise
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You okay? If it'd been just a little later, you'd really have been fucked.
Gotta do at least this much to finish it for sure.
Still, that was way too reckless. Who the hell activates something right before passing out?
Jeong Hoon grinned.
Winter of Nothingness.
The four seasons leading to annihilation.
Its power was beyond imagination.
If Tenebris hadn't been there...
Even if he'd grown stronger here, facing Abaddon would have been impossible.
How... did you do it...?
Abaddon stared at Jeong Hoon with hollow eyes.
He tried to use his divine relic, tried to use his other abilities, but nothing workedlike they were broken.
And now, the Spring of Death was unfolding, death encroaching on his body.
Damn it. If he'd known, he'd have used the relic aggressively.
He'd let his guard down, thinking it was just eliminating one lowly creature.
I can't tell you that.
...You dirty bastard. Didn't I answer you myself?
So what?
Ha...
Abaddon would never understand.
How the tables had turned.
Jeong Hoon picked up the Titan lying on the ground.
Overlord Descent and Overlord's Wrath were still active on the Titan.
Abaddon must have thought the skills broke as they flowed from summer to autumn to winter, but it was all part of Jeong Hoon's plan.
When summer unfolded, I spread the Creator throughout the Overlord Domain.
On top of that, the Rune of Counterattack he'd prepared.
He'd recreated the rune anew, expanding its range to the entire Overlord Domain.
It reflects every attack aimed at me within the domain.
That wasn't all.
By consuming a massive amount of Creator, it sealed all abilities of the target, even the use of relics and items.
Of course, it had a fatal flaw.
Due to its overwhelming power, the rune would shatter completely after just one use.
It couldn't be used again, so it had to be deployed with utmost care.
That's why he'd waited for Abaddon to unleash winter.
Even after winter came, he'd waited for enough damage to accumulate, activating the prepared counterattack only when death was imminent.
As a result, Jeong Hoonwho should have met his endhad everything reflected back, surviving, while his eroded and destroyed weapons were perfectly restored.
I really thought I was dead...
Ha, that was pure agony.
Mukho and Anima shuddered at the memory of the erosion's pain.
How's it feel? Any last words before dying to a human?
Abaddon could no longer struggle.
Jeong Hoon had set the Overlord Domain using the Creator.
When health drops below a certain threshold, all abilities are sealed.
If it wasn't the real body but an avatar that entered, it forcibly summons the true body, trapping it.
Attacks on him didn't deal proper damage. Must've been because the real body was elsewhere, connected to the avatar.
That hunch had been spot on.
Jeong Hoon slashed off Abaddon's left arm with the Heavenly Demon Extinguishing Sword.
Unlike before, he felt the impact in his hand, and Abaddon's left arm tumbled to the ground, severed.
Urk...!
A pained groan escaped Abaddon's lips.
Does it hurt?
...A Named bestowed their power upon you.
Named?
That must be how you turned the tide... They must like you a lot.
Something like that. But it's not the Named you're thinking of.
What...?
Abaddon furrowed his brow.
A power that forcibly reversed his own seasons.
Only a Named could grant such strength.
You'll never know.
Hey, say my name. Etch it into this mangy bastard's mind: me, Tenebris.
No need for that.
Why reveal his hidden ace?
No one's listening to our conversation anyway!
Tenebris was itching to shock Abaddon.
Shh. Quiet down.
Jeong Hoon narrowed his eyes and put a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence.
Argh, you frustrating idiot!
Tenebris pounded his own chest in frustration.
...Who are you talking to?
Secret.
A Named, I suppose... So they're watching all this right now.
Abaddon arbitrarily concluded and closed his eyes.
I said it's not.
Urgh...
Spring passed, and summer arrived.
With all abilities sealed, Abaddon was helplessly engulfed, unable to hide his agony.
Want to live? Hand over the relic.
Jeong Hoon intended to take the relic from him.
Take this one's, add the Seven Deadly Sins' and Escannon's, and that'll make three.
Abaddon had said it clearly.
To climb even higher.
Hearing that convinced him.
With this relic, challenging a Named wouldn't be impossible.
He'd sacrificed the Rune of Counterattack just to barely push Abaddon to the brink.
The rune was gone now, utterly destroyed.
That's why he needed the relic even more.
Heh heh, you think I'll hand it over?
It's useless if you die anyway.
Shut up! Even in death, you think I'd give it to the likes of you?!
Then who? Another Dimensional Lord?
...
Looks like the relic's somewhere else.
At Jeong Hoon's words, Abaddon's shoulders twitched.
Having entered the domain and lost all abilities, Abaddon was no longer a Dimensional Lord.
Just another prey among many.
Jeong Hoon knew exactly how to cook such prey.
Since your real body's elsewhere, the relic must be there too. But here's the thing: once you're in this domain, if you die, the relic comes to me automatically.
...Is that true?
No, it was a bluff.
He'd summoned the real body, but if it didn't hold the relic, he couldn't claim it.
Jeong Hoon continued without changing expression.
Yeah. So I'm giving you a chance. Hand it over, and I'll spare your life. I'll even let you live as a Dimensional Lord.
You son of a...
These were Abaddon's own words to Jeong Hoon earlier.
He'd offered to help eliminate Escannon in exchange for the relics from the Seven Deadly Sins and Escannon.
So, you wanna vanish like this? You'll never climb higher that way.
...Fine. But release me first.
Just die.
Jeong Hoon raised the Titan and severed Abaddon's right arm with the Heavenly Demon Extinguishing Sword.
Urk! W-Wait! Fine! I'll give it!
Remember: this is your chance. Try any tricks, and I'll slit your throat.
Hoo...
In the end, Abaddon had no choice but to summon the relic.
Since it was linked to the real body, he could call it anytime.
Is this the relic?
A golden wine goblet appeared before Abaddon.
Yeah...
Looks familiar.
Jeong Hoon reached for the goblet.
Stop! Don't touch it!
Tenebris urgently stopped him.
Why not?
The relic is the same grade as your Titan. Touching it while it has an owner will get you in big trouble.
Really?
Jeong Hoon pulled back his hand.
Ha... The Named is truly generous.
He'd secretly hoped Jeong Hoon would touch it, but the guarding Named ruined it perfectly.
Yeah.
Jeong Hoon grinned.
Summer passed in an instant, autumn flew by, and winter arrived.
Urk!
As his body began to freeze, shock colored Abaddon's face.
The relic! You took out the relic!
You're still its owner. So I gotta kill you and take it.
Wait! Sever the link, and you can have it! We had a deal!
Then do it quick.
Jeong Hoon nodded toward the relic.
O-Okay.
Before winter could swallow his body whole, Abaddon hurriedly severed the link.
The goblet, once gleaming gold, lost its color and turned transparent.
Clear and pristine goblet.
Jeong Hoon eyed the relic with interest.
That's enough... I kept my end.
Hm, changed my mind.
What?
I'm fickle like that. What if I let you live and you stab me in the back?
You fucking dog!
Bye.
Jeong Hoon smiled brightly and waved.
I'll curse you! I pray you die in agony!
Sure.
Winter swiftly consumed Abaddon entirely.
Jeong Hoon extended his hand toward him.
You use Absorbing Star Great Technique.
You gain experience.
All stats increase.
It was to massively boost his experience and stats via the technique.
Fitting for a Dimensional Lord, it took a long time, and his level and stats skyrocketed.
That wasn't all.
Your tier rises.
His tier began to rise too.
He'd remade the Absorbing Star Great Technique with Creator, enabling tier gains as well.
Done.
When Jeong Hoon withdrew his hand, the leading digit had changed from 4 to 7.
All stats had jumped to the late 20,000s.
Crash!
As he stood after finishing, Abaddon's body shattered like exploding glass and crumbled.
The moment a Dimensional Lord overseeing dimensions fell.
Yet Jeong Hoon's expression wasn't pleased.
No rewards for the kill.
Like with Espada.
Espada from the second apocalypse hadn't given kill rewards either.
Back then, he'd brushed it off to unseal Tenebris, but he hadn't expected Abaddon to deny them too.
Maybe because they're not meant to exist in this dimension?
Espada aside, he desperately wanted Abaddon's rewards.
Achievement points, points, divine energy, and his items.
That would have been a huge help.
Why? Something wrong?
Tenebris, every time I've taken down a Transcendent before, I've gotten rewards.
Oh, why didn't this guy give any?
Yeah. Know anything?
Maybe Tenebris knew something.
Hmm, rewards are handled by a guy named Beler.
Beler?
Yeah. His role is setting rewards per dimension and target.
Hmm, so since he's overseeing another dimension, no rewards?
Sorry, but correct.
I see.
Then, taking down Escannon should yield proper rewards.
Still, good thing you have Absorbing Star. Who'd have thought you'd get this strong?
Tenebris let out a short sigh of admiration.
Still a long way.
Like Abaddon, Escannon was Dimensional Lord-class.
Brute force alone wouldn't topple him.
He needed items like the Rune of Counterattack to flip the board.
And to shake that board, he needed that relic.
Jeong Hoon picked up the now-ownerless relic.
The glass-clear goblet instantly turned pitch black.
Will you take the trial of the 'Vessel of the Void'?
A trial?
To wield a relic, you must be acknowledged as its master.
Same as with Titan.
No reason not to.
Escannon, unlike Abaddon, wouldn't let his guard down.
He'd surely use his relic aggressively.
To eliminate him, Jeong Hoon had to master the Vessel of the Void.