Chapter 346
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 346
Chapter Title: The Space of Nothingness
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Entering the space of nothingness.
The space of nothingness.
This was the place to undergo the trial of the Void Chalice.
Passing that trial would grant recognition as its master.
Whats the trial?
A space where nothing existed.
It was shrouded entirely in darkness, without even a single ray of light.
So what kind of trial would take place here?
.
Unlike with the Overlord Titan, there was no one here.
Which meant he couldnt take the trial even if he wanted to.
How do I earn its recognition?
Jeong Hoon took a step forward.
But the darkness was so all-encompassing that it felt like he was walking in place.
What do you two think?
Jeong Hoon turned his head to look at Mukho and Anima.
.
.
But no response came back.
Jeong Hoon narrowed his eyes and examined them closely.
Illusions after all.
Realizing this, Mukho and Anima dissolved into mist and were swallowed by the darkness in an instant.
Jeong Hoon touched the Mukho he was wearing with his hand.
It was unresponsive, as if their connection had been severed.
Just like with the Overlord, it seemed they were dreaming.
That means the trial does exist.
Jeong Hoon closed his eyes gently.
The Void Chalice.
The golden chalice turning clear and transparent meant it was completely empty, devoid of everything.
And it turning black could it be that he was now at the center of the chalice?
If thats the case, then I need to fill it with myself.
The space of nothingness.
A place where nothing existed.
Fill this darkness-filled void with my own presence.
Wooong
As Jeong Hoon circulated his mana and released it from his entire body, the surroundings began to resonate strongly, triggering an astonishing change.
The darkness is flowing into me?
Each time his mana pushed back the darkness, the outer darkness was rapidly absorbed into Jeong Hoon.
Acquiring energy of darkness.
Acquiring energy of darkness.
And so the energy of darkness began to fill up.
Who would have thought hed acquire energy of darkness here of all places.
Jeong Hoon kept releasing mana without rest.
At that moment.
The Void Chalice in Jeong Hoons hand vibrated.
Wooong
Tenebris watched the sight with a satisfied smile.
Ho, already taking the trial?
What kind of trial is it?
I dont know that either. But Im certain its heading in the right direction.
Tenebris gazed at the Void Chalice.
The moment Jeong Hoon grasped it, the Void Chalice had turned black.
Now, that chalice was rapidly fading.
At this rate, defeating Escannon might not be impossible.
Jecheon.
An existence no one could even dare look up to.
Yet a mere human had succeeded in subjugating such a being.
Abaddon, no less, who commanded the upper demon realm.
In contrast, Escannon commanded the lower demon realm and was considered relatively weaker than Abaddon.
That wont be easy.
Because it has no counterattack ability?
Tenebris nodded.
Jeong Hoons victory in this battle had been possible because Abaddon had been careless.
If it had paid attention to Jeong Hoons creation energy, it wouldnt have been helplessly defeated by a single counter.
At the very least, if it had actively used the Void Chalice, the victor would have been the other way around.
In any case, this victory could be attributed to sheer luck.
Even so, being able to seize victory despite the carelessness shows real skill.
.
Baal narrowed his eyes.
Oh? Why the glare?
So we can win?
I said it wont be easy. I never said wed lose.
I see.
Baals expression relaxed.
Huh, planning to take Escannons seat once its gone?
Why bring that up suddenly?
Why else would you betray it and side with a human? You want to climb higher.
I wont deny it.
Jeong Hoon was aware of this as well.
Hmm, then what about the divine artifact? With that guys personality, he wont hand it over.
It was clear hed monopolize the divine artifact to challenge the named ones.
I have no intention of taking its place right now.
Then?
When everything is over, thats when Ill claim the seat.
Youre not settling for just Jecheon, are you?
Tenebris burst into laughter.
Who would have thought it was aiming for an even bigger picture.
Im not presumptuous enough to reach for the untouchable heavens.
Baal spoke with a serious expression.
Then?
I aim to surpass Escannon.
Meaning, after everything ends, youll take a few divine artifacts.
Yes. So until then, I wont be greedy.
That works for me.
Wooong
At that moment, the Void Chalice vibrated even more fiercely.
The vibrations were strong enough to shake the surroundings, drawing Tenebris and Baals gazes to it.
The darkness has completely lifted.
Yes. Stage 1 is done.
Stage 1?
What color was that divine artifact when Abaddon wielded it?
Golden, wasnt it?
Exactly. Now its transparent. Meaning it must be filled with that guys essence.
The real trial was just beginning.
Jeong Hoon opened his closed eyes.
The surrounding darkness had completely lifted, replaced by a clear, transparent mirror forming the floor.
The energy of darkness has risen to 78.
Before gathering it here, it had been stuck at 31.
That meant hed filled a whopping 47 just in this place.
Wooong
Then the surroundings began to resonate once more.
Right. Its not over yet.
Currently, the Void Chalice had its darkness cleared, now brimming with Jeong Hoons mana.
But that wasnt enough.
The lack of reaction meant something else needed to be added.
This time, it was divine power.
Jeong Hoon withdrew his mana and released his divine power.
Wooong
Then a brilliant light emanated from the clear, transparent mirror.
Now, add the creation energy too.
Next, he released his creation energy.
Crash!
The floor, which had been emitting bright light, shattered into pieces.
Damn it!
Jeong Hoons expression hardened gravely.
All the energy within his body began to be forcibly drained.
The moment he released the creation energy, it poured out uncontrollably, like a dam bursting.
I cant control it Ugh!
To make matters worse, his vision blurred.
At this rate, hed lose consciousness soon.
Jeong Hoon clung to his fading awareness and focused on his surroundings.
A long time passed.
Only after draining all his mana, divine power, and creation energy from his body was Jeong Hoon released.
It really sucked it all up like crazy.
Hed nearly lost consciousness midway but had barely held on.
Good thing there was progress. Otherwise, Id feel robbed.
Jeong Hoons surroundings shimmered with iridescent light.
Proof that the Void Chalice, emptied when Abaddon severed the connection, had been newly filled.
You have become the master of the Void Chalice.
Success.
With that message, Jeong Hoon closed his eyes.
Jeong Hoon opened his eyes.
His head spun, and he felt terribly unwell, so he hurriedly tried to use Gods Healing.
Insufficient divine power.
But with his divine power depleted, the healing didnt activate.
Jeong Hoon quickly pulled out a potion to restore his divine power and activated Gods Healing.
Good work. I didnt expect you to finish the trial so quickly.
As Tenebris said, the trial was over.
Jeong Hoon looked at the Void Chalice gripped in his right hand.
The once-black Void Chalice now shimmered with iridescent light.
It had sucked up all his mana, divine power, and creation energy.
This thing drained every last bit of my energy.
Mana, divine power, creation energy.
All his energies had been sucked into this Void Chalice.
Mana could be recovered via the One Who Transcended Humanity title.
Divine power could be quickly restored with potions.
The problem was the creation energy.
How was he supposed to recover the mere scraps left of it?
Hmm Youve used up all the creation energy.
Is there no way to recover it?
No. Unfortunately, not at the moment.
Creation energy was exactly thatconsumable.
Once spent, it couldnt be recovered.
Since acquiring it, hed used large amounts modifying skills, altering code, and battling Abaddon, yet nearly 90 remained.
But to tame one divine artifact, hed burned through it all
Unbelievable.
Jeong Hoon scratched his head vigorously and stared at the Void Chalice in his hand.
Void Chalice
-Type: Divine Artifact
-Grade: God
-Contains the users existence.
An incredibly succinct description.
For a moment, he tilted his head in confusion.
It contains my existence?
Simply put, you filled the void inside with yourself.
Tenebris resolved his curiosity.
When I sliced Abaddons body, the lack of sensation was because of this.
Jeong Hoon nodded as if he understood, thanks to the additional explanation.
When attacking Abaddon, there had been no tactile feedback from his hand.
Hed simply assumed it wasnt its real body, but in truth, it was this divine artifacts power.
I told you before the battle, right? That the Void Chalice blocks creation energy interference.
You did.
Hed lured it into carelessness with the trade as bait and tried to strike its weakness with creation energy.
But the interference failed, the plan fell apart, and hed even sacrificed the counter rune.
Even thinking back, it was such a waste.
Legendary runes werent easy to obtain, and among them, a cheat ability like counter was exceedingly rare.
Sacrificing such a rune to face Abaddon was regrettable, unavoidably so.
It formed a projection using the power stored in the Void Chalice.
Hmm.
If you hadnt reversed everything with your counter, the outcome wouldve been different. It barely used a tenth of this artifacts power.
I know. Thats why it only activated right before death.
Even while the Overlord Domain persisted, Abaddon had maintained presence through the divine artifact.
In any case, youll be able to use it effectively. Since it absorbed even the creation energy, it might be different from before.
You mean its been upgraded?
High possibility.
Hoo.
But dont overuse it. The Void Chalice is consumable too. Eventually, youll need to replenish it with mana, divine power, and creation energy as time passes.
Use only when absolutely necessary.
It was a divine artifact that devoured even creation energy, not just mana or divine power.
When its energy ran low, it couldnt be replenished without creation energy.
Jeong Hoon grinned and lifted the chalice.
Hey, what did you just hear me say!?
I heard you loud and clear. Cant replenish it, so only use in critical situations.
Then why are you trying to use it if you heard properly?
To master how it works.
Still, to clash with Escannon, he needed to familiarize himself with the Void Chalice.
Charging into battle without proper knowledge, just to save it, could backfire.
Theres a reason they say hoarding leads to loss.
Then lets begin.