Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 12. Impulse Purchase
“Hah… hah….”
Lee Hyuk-su exhaled in ragged gasps.
Sixty consecutive wins achieved without pause.
The moment the 61st Booking began, a Level 13 ghoul erupted from the arena, driving Lee Hyuk-su into a corner.
‘…I’m nearing my limit, aren’t I?’
Park Chan-woo rubbed his chin as he observed Lee Hyuk-su’s state.
Honestly, no matter how well-equipped someone was, having a Level 1 face off against opponents of Level 13 or higher was anything but easy.
The gear he wore was high-rarity, but ultimately those same pieces were still Level 1.
It would’ve been impossible without the innate combat instincts he’d been born with.
Above all else, he hadn’t had proper rest for nearly seven hours now.
‘Twenty thousand Points. That’s enough to buy almost everything I wanted.’
He’d already surpassed his goal long ago.
The Mage’s Stone, marked down 20%, cost 4,000 Points.
On top of that, he could easily afford two pieces of Legendary-grade equipment.
At this point, he’d essentially obtained everything there was to get from the First Night of the Abyss.
“Wake up, bus driver.”
Yet Park Chan-woo remained unsatisfied.
Instead, he continued to drive Lee Hyuk-su forward like a whip.
Whenever Lee Hyuk-su wavered with fatigue, whenever he thought to surrender.
“Simply surviving on elixirs isn’t everything. To protect your family, you’ll need to become far stronger than you are now.”
“Tch. At this rate, you won’t last even a week.”
“What good is that rotten resolve of yours?”
“Get up. Or just die here.”
“Though it’d be quite the spectacle if you did. Those you’re trying to protect will eventually end up in this hell as well—do you think they could survive even a single day without you?”
“The Abyss doesn’t make allowances for comatose states. They’d be summoned lying flat on their beds and torn apart by demons while still alive. If they’re lucky enough to be unconscious, the demons will forcibly awaken their senses and kill them in the most excruciating way possible.”
“Damn it…!”
At precisely 63 consecutive wins.
At last, Lee Hyuk-su spat out a curse.
“Shut up! I get it, so just shut your mouth!”
Lee Hyuk-su wailed like a wounded beast.
The 64th Booking opponent: two Level 16 Zombie Bears.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyuk-su’s level remained 1.
This Nightclub didn’t award experience points for victories.
“Stay quiet… and just watch from there. I’ll kill them all myself.”
Lee Hyuk-su’s eyes glared at Park Chan-woo.
Yet Park Chan-woo was himself taken aback by Lee Hyuk-su’s attitude.
‘Is it because his mother is still alive? It seems his emotions haven’t withered after all.’
The Lee Hyuk-su of old—the Sword King—had been emotionally desiccated.
He’d wandered purposelessly, driven by no clear aim.
When something annoyed him, he’d cut it down. When something blocked his path, he’d smash it.
He never let anyone manipulate his feelings, never cursed the way he had today.
But the Lee Hyuk-su of now—he still carried emotions within him.
Crash!
Boom!
The two Zombie Bears fell before Lee Hyuk-su’s greatsword in short order.
Gazing down at the two massive bear corpses sprawled across the arena floor, Park Chan-woo could only marvel.
‘A miracle.’
He’d just killed an opponent fifteen levels above him.
Even with the finest equipment and superior technique, the level gap one could typically overcome maxed out at ten.
And Lee Hyuk-su hadn’t even rested for over seven hours.
Yet he’d done it anyway.
What else could this be called but a miracle?
《You have achieved 64 consecutive wins!》
《Total Points: 24,800》
The total Points accumulated grew larger with each consecutive win.
In just four more victories beyond the 60th win, 4,800 Points had accumulated.
“Buy the Lion King’s Belt.”
“Wheeze! Wheeze! You’re not even human…!”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
To hear from the Sword King himself that he wasn’t human.
It was a strange feeling.
Wasn’t the Sword King the least human of them all?
Lee Hyuk-su, who had purchased the Lion King’s Belt on Park Chan-woo’s instructions, asked a question.
“Self-proclaimed seer. The Dragon God General isn’t dying. Are we really just supposed to sit here and do nothing?”
Thirty minutes remained until the First Night of the Abyss came to an end.
Forty minutes had already passed since only the Dragon God General remained among the Twelve Divine Generals, yet the dungeon still hadn’t been cleared.
Everyone who had been in the Nightclub was already gone, having warped toward the Dragon God General.
They could cross over whenever they wanted, if they so chose.
Park Chan-woo asked softly.
“Why? With 1.8 million people still left, you think we won’t be able to clear it?”
“The Dragon God General alone has already killed fifty thousand. At this rate, everyone should be terrified and running for their lives…….”
Lee Hyuk-su knew this well.
No matter how many rushed at him, if he seized the initiative at the start, they’d all flee naturally.
That’s why Lee Hyuk-su had always dealt decisively with whoever stood at the head of those coming at him.
Those who followed would then scatter in all directions of their own accord.
Much less could anyone withstand the terror of the Dragon God General, who killed by the tens of thousands.
“We can’t win like this.”
Park Chan-woo nodded.
Everyone at the Nightclub who had been content to watch Park Chan-woo and Lee Hyuk-su had warped away because failing to accumulate Contribution would ultimately mean death.
The only way to accumulate Contribution was to clear the Twelve Divine Generals.
To enter the top 20,000, one had no choice but to be frantically busy every moment.
Naturally, Park Chan-woo and Lee Hyuk-su, who had done nothing but Death Bookings here around the clock, had zero Contribution.
Last place among 1.8 million.
It meant that if another thirty minutes passed, death was assured.
Lee Hyuk-su spoke with an expression of bewilderment.
“And yet…… you’re still going to keep doing ‘Death Bookings’?”
“A foolish question. Made.”
《The 65th Death Booking has been made.》
《Using the Luck Dice.》
《The target’s Level drops by –4.》
A monster that was originally Level 17 should have emerged, but thanks to the Luck Dice’s effect, a Level 13 ghoul appeared again.
“…… You’re insane.”
Lee Hyuk-su shook his head slowly.
He couldn’t begin to fathom what Park Chan-woo was thinking.
“With the Lion King Set complete, it’ll be much easier than before.”
“You…… you’re the real demon.”
“Understood. Now get moving, bus driver. We’re running out of time.”
Lee Hyuk-su bit his lip.
The time given was limited.
He couldn’t book infinitely.
Yet Park Chan-woo showed no sign of leaving the Nightclub.
Still, he had already decided to follow Park Chan-woo.
The self-proclaimed seer. An incomprehensible man who had slain demons and armed him.
But…… Lee Hyuk-su also knew this instinctively.
That this man harbored no malice toward him.
Unlike the crowd that had rejected his ‘difference,’ Park Chan-woo genuinely wished for Lee Hyuk-su to grow stronger—nothing more.
‘A monstrous bastard.’
Perhaps that was why, having met someone even more monstrous than himself.
His heart felt strangely at ease.
Whoosh!
Lee Hyuk-su swung the Lion King’s Greatsword toward the ghoul.
Then.
《Due to the Lion King Set’s effect, attack power increases by 1,000 when fighting the dead.》
《Additionally, all stats increase by 1 and you gain the Indomitable effect.》
《Indomitable: When struck fatally, you resist for 3 seconds.》
《The Indomitable effect applies only once at the start.》
More easily than before, he severed the ghoul’s head.
“Made.”
……
Without pause, the next opponent appeared.
And three more after that.
Once he’d exhausted all his Luck Dice and achieved 68 consecutive wins.
《Your Booking Points have surpassed 30,000!》
《You have achieved the challenge ‘An Impossible Score.’》
《A Hidden Piece has been activated.》
《An additional ‘Treasure Vault’ hidden by the ‘Master of the Moon’ reveals itself.》
Swoosh!
Another curtain drew back.
And Park Chan-woo, gazing past that veil.
“……!!”
His pupils dilated involuntarily.
Surely they hadn’t hidden a Hidden Piece like this.
And among them.
‘Eternity……!’
Eternity was there.
It was an artifact every mage dreamed of possessing.
A treasure of far higher caliber than the Mage’s Stone.
The Mage’s Stone was a growing artifact, so comparison was almost meaningless, but even so.
Among the newly revealed treasures, he was certain it stood supreme.
Park Chan-woo’s hands were already moving frantically.
《You have purchased ‘Eternity.’》
《20,000 Points have been consumed.》
By the time he realized it, he’d already made an impulse purchase.
‘The legacy of Eternity, once wielded by the Infinite Mage. How could I not buy it?’
Of course, he had no regrets.
Eternity was a relic of a formidable avatar once known by the epithet ‘Infinite Mage’—one who had appeared abruptly three years hence and swept across the world.
It was one of the treasures Park Chan-woo had most desired while walking the mage’s path.
He’d never expected to find it here, of all places!
Park Chan-woo glanced sideways at Lee Hyuk-su and spoke.
“Lee Hyuk-su.”
“…Only fifteen minutes left now.”
“Let’s fight just two more times.”
“……Are you seriously trying to get yourself killed?”
“It’s fine. Three seconds is all I need to kill the Dragon God General.”
“……?”
Accomplish in three seconds what 1.8 million humanity couldn’t?
Such bewilderment was short-lived.
“Maid.”
Lee Hyuk-su’s will was irrelevant from the start.
Park Chan-woo intended to press forward like a rhinoceros horn until he achieved his purpose.
“Please, stop……!!!”
…Unable to hold back any longer, Lee Hyuk-su cried out.
* * *
Where the 63 Building should have stood, the Dragon God General stood motionless, arms crossed.
Once he’d dispatched the mob that had swarmed around him, no more humans dared approach.
“Aheta, your plan will not unfold as you intended.”
The Dragon God General spoke the name ‘Aheta’ once more.
Aheta was the name of that moon’s master, who governed the ‘Night of the Abyss.’
He was the one who had imprisoned the Dragon God General and the other Twelve Divine Generals in this ‘Abyss.’
Yet while he might have slain the other generals, he could never slay him.
“Foolish thing. How could such feeble creatures possibly overcome me?”
The humans were too weak.
They couldn’t even approach his vicinity.
No matter their numbers, the gulf between them and the Dragon God General was insurmountable.
The gap in rank could never be bridged by numbers alone.
Not that Aheta didn’t know this.
From afar, the humans merely watched him.
That gaze—a rabble who had already lost their will to fight.
What could such creatures, stripped of all spirit, possibly accomplish now?
Only five minutes remained until the night’s end.
When the sun rose, this Abyss would be over.
“Hmm?”
That was when it happened.
A figure emerged from the darkness, walking toward him.
“Interesting. Your presence is decidedly different from the others I’ve faced. And yet…….”
Lee Hyuk-su.
It was him.
He approached the Dragon God General wearing the Lion King Set in full.
The Dragon God General recognized at once that this man’s armor was entirely different from the others.
Yet something troubled him.
‘He means to challenge me in such a near-death state?’
Lee Hyuk-su had already crossed the threshold of death.
His eyes were lifeless, devoid of any spark; his shoulders sagged with exhaustion.
The countless wounds covering his body made it clear he could collapse at any moment.
‘Fool.’
The Dragon God General extended all twelve of his arms.
He showed no mercy, regardless of his opponent’s condition.
Seizing twelve crescent-bladed halberds, he swung them toward the human who approached, heedless of whether this place would become his grave.
“Be torn apart without mercy.”
Whoosh!
A technique approaching his Divine Authority manifested.
In moments, the man would be shattered into hundreds—thousands—of pieces.
“What?”
But contrary to the Dragon God General’s expectation, Lee Hyuk-su remained unscathed.
The Dragon God General could only tilt his head in bewilderment.
More than that, Lee Hyuk-su was——
Boom-boom-boom!
——charging toward the Dragon God General like a man possessed.
In moments, having closed the distance, Lee Hyuk-su swung his greatsword.
Crash!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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