Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 138

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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 138. The Guardian Holy Sword
―Trust me!
―Only I can save the world!
―Follow me! Those who doubt will be devoured by the Abyss!
The world harbored countless forms of justice.
Especially on Earth at the turn of the century, it overflowed with people proclaiming their own definitions of justice.
Naturally, justice in any genuine sense had been dead for a long time.
Among them, Park Chan-woo had not forgotten the worst hypocrites of all.
The fallen saint Yu Jin-seo was one of them.
‘For those who’ve tasted despair, no profession holds more allure than that of a saint.’
People who’ve hit rock bottom crave belief.
When hopelessness sets in, when escape seems impossible, they reach for faith the way a drowning man grasps a rotted rope—desperately, without hesitation.
That they would fall under the spell of something as mystical and sacred as a ‘saint’ was entirely inevitable.
‘I too once believed Yu Jin-seo was a saint.’
Park Chan-woo himself had been deceived by her, if only briefly.
At least in the beginning, her actions had matched the name she bore.
But when he later discovered that all of it stemmed from Charm—that ability of hers—he couldn’t help but recoil in horror.
‘Yu Jin-seo had bewitched the entirety of Earth, every last human being.’
A nine-tailed fox enchants everything it sees and touches.
There are no limits to the scope, and the duration stretches infinitely.
The victims don’t even realize they’ve been charmed.
The spell settles over them so naturally that belief follows without resistance.
Slowly, as time passed, the power of her Charm only deepened.
Yet mental magic that forcibly alters consciousness has its own hierarchy and inherent restrictions.
Even that common-sense rule didn’t apply to Yu Jin-seo.
She possessed none of the limits that should have bound her.
Only after Park Chan-woo himself reached Level 90 and overcame the trial known as Final Limit Break could he finally see through the veil.
……There was no need to elaborate on just how powerful a nine-tailed fox’s Charm could be.
‘The Fox Den is an Abyss that fell from another dimension.’
People didn’t know.
They didn’t know that Creative Abysses could appear after falling from other worlds.
It happened so rarely.
And so they didn’t suspect.
It was only after countless attempts, when doubt finally crept in, that anyone questioned it at all.
The nature of this particular Abyss was so fundamentally different from the countless others scattered across present-day Earth.
A cross-dimensional Abyss hadn’t been designed with Earth and humanity in mind.
The reason why such an Abyss would fall to Earth was perfectly clear.
‘…It fell from a world that had already perished.’
An entire world had been destroyed.
As that world faced annihilation, the Abysses within it scattered in all directions.
Humanity had given this phenomenon a name: the Black Star.
Originally, he’d planned to clear the large-scale target Abyss first before entering.
‘But now that the Creators have withdrawn all their interest from Han Min-o.’
He had time to spare.
Starting from scratch wouldn’t be a bad approach at all.
Park Chan-woo slowly turned his gaze.
A vast, empty plaza.
And standing before it—a single Temple, gleaming white.
“W-where is this?”
“I saw a star fall right on top of me……?”
“I-I thought I was going to die!”
“Did I enter inside an Abyss?”
About a hundred people milled about in confusion, looking in every direction at once.
Unlike Park Chan-woo, they hadn’t entered willingly—they were those devoured by the Black Star.
They had been in the affected area when the star fell.
Poof!
In that instant.
Smoke erupted, and a small fox materialized from within.
“Hello, everyone! I’m Ho-ya, and I’m here to help guide you through your trial!”
The fox hung suspended in mid-air as she introduced herself.
Ho-ya.
The one who aided the trials—or rather, hindered them.
“A trial? What nonsense is this? We didn’t choose to come here!”
A man burst out in frustration at that moment.
It was unjust enough that a star had fallen on his head, and now he’d been forcibly thrust into this incomprehensible Abyss.
Besides, the fox had such a cute appearance that she’d seemed easy to push around.
“So you’re refusing the challenge and wish to leave the Abyss?”
Ho-ya asked.
The man nodded fiercely in response.
“Yes! I’m sick of the Abyss. Get me out of here, now!”
“Very well.”
“…What? You’re actually going to let me out?”
“Yes!”
“Thank you—”
In that instant.
Bang!
“Aaaaargh!”
“M-my head!”
The man’s head exploded like a firecracker.
The situation was so surreal that everyone screamed without exception.
Regardless, Ho-ya smiled and spoke.
“I’ve sent you out as you wished!”
The only way to escape this Abyss was through death.
That’s what she was saying.
Ho-ya continued.
“Now, attention! Please be quiet. It’s time to hear the explanation of the trials. If you keep making noise, it won’t be fun, yes?”
Snap!
As if by agreement, everyone fell silent.
None of them wanted their heads to burst like the man’s had.
Gripped by terror, they had no choice but to listen to the fox Ho-ya’s account.
“This world is under the rule of the Demon Clan. We must join forces and slay the demon Au-rum! Eek, how frightening!”
Ho-ya trembled as she mentioned the demon’s name.
An act.
Park Chan-woo raised his hand with a question.
“Isn’t Au-rum a demon?”
“Oh… ah, yes! The Demon Clan is different from demons. But… hmm?”
Ho-ya tilted her head in confusion.
‘Was he here from the start?’
She hadn’t perceived him until now.
But Ho-ya soon shrugged.
She might have missed someone while explaining so enthusiastically.
‘That works.’
Of course, it was all by Park Chan-woo’s design.
He’d deliberately released Non-existence.
By doing so, he had made himself perceivable to Ho-ya and everyone else.
Because Ho-ya’s aid was essential to overcome this trial.
“In any case, there are five trials waiting for all of you challengers. And before we begin, there is something you must do. Everyone, please enter the Temple!”
The people exchanged glances and began to file into the Temple one by one.
Park Chan-woo followed them slowly.
Once everyone had entered the Temple,
“Do you see the radiant Holy Sword gleaming and embedded in that black stone?”
At the center of the Temple
stood a Holy Sword, shedding light upon a black stone the size of a grown man.
‘The Guardian Holy Sword.’
A Holy Sword that protected the Temple.
Like the legend of King Arthur, only the one who drew the sword from the stone could claim the sword as their own and gain advantage in the trials of the Fox Den.
‘So the main purpose of this Abyss is for the Holy Sword users to join forces and defeat the Demon Clan.’
Of course, there was only one Holy Sword here.
There were ten Temples in total within this Abyss.
Each of the ten Temples held a Holy Sword.
Yu Jin-seo, the fallen saint, led the people as the Guardian Holy Sword’s rightful owner.
Every inch the undeniable saint, in bearing and presence alike.
Yet one had to understand why this Abyss bore the name “Fox Den.”
‘Most of the Guardian Holy Sword users are foxes.’
People assumed this place was called the Fox Den because Ho-ya and other companions were foxes, but that was wrong.
The real foxes had already mingled among the people, hidden in their midst.
Moreover, these foxes led humanity while wearing human masks, guiding them toward ruin.
As a result, the elimination of the Demon Clan became impossible.
Most challengers died before ever reaching the demons.
The trials of this Fox Den were ruthlessly, teeth-chatteringly cruel.
A hell designed purely for death—offering hope while herding all toward despair!
That was precisely what the Fox Den was.
Ho-ya spoke.
“We must find the Guardian Holy Sword’s owner. Would each of you like to try pulling the sword from the stone?”
The people hesitated to step forward.
Call it a sword all you like, but who knew what mechanism lay hidden within it?
Ho-ya added clarification to this.
“Don’t worry—nothing will happen even if you fail! And if you become the Guardian Holy Sword’s owner, you’ll gain tremendous power to defeat the Demon Clan Au-rum. Your chances of survival will increase dramatically.”
“Ah…!”
“Move aside!”
“Let me try first!”
At last, everyone surged toward the black stone.
The promise was simple—merely drawing it would make them stronger.
Everyone realized that to survive in this incomprehensible Abyss, they had to become the Guardian Holy Sword’s owner.
But.
“Ugh, it won’t budge!”
“Damn it! Come out! Draw, blast you!”
The Guardian Holy Sword did not move an inch.
This was inevitable.
The Guardian Holy Sword’s owner had been decided from the start.
‘It was designed so that only a fox could draw it.’
The Guardian Holy Sword’s owner was a fox.
Whoever pulled the sword was a fox.
‘The protagonist makes their entrance last, I imagine.’
Like how the main character appears at the climax, a fox would take the stage amid everyone’s rapt attention.
“How unfortunate. Could it be that the Guardian Holy Sword’s owner isn’t among us? There are only two of you left now.”
Ho-ya spoke with a voice dripping in affectation.
Soon everyone had tried, and only two remained.
Naturally, one was Park Chan-woo, and the other was the fox.
Park Chan-woo shifted his gaze.
‘So it’s this one.’
The fox was a strikingly built man.
Sharp, refined features; a muscular frame. He possessed the kind of intense magnetism that made anyone who set eyes on him want to look again.
This was a fox’s nature.
They could transform into the most attractive form among any species they encountered.
……
The fox too was watching Park Chan-woo.
As if urging him to try.
Perhaps thinking he wouldn’t be able to draw it anyway.
An air of leisure emanated from him.
Park Chan-woo nodded and strode purposefully toward the black stone.
“Go on! This time it must succeed! Draw the Guardian Holy Sword with all your might!”
Ho-ya stoked the excitement.
Her voice rang with mockery barely concealed beneath enthusiasm.
‘Give up! Despair! Lose hope, you pathetic creatures!’
Ho-ya was straining to suppress her laughter.
Truly, this scene never grew old no matter how many times she witnessed it.
The thrashing of those attempting the impossible.
From the beginning, this Abyss had everything arranged.
To subject challengers to “hope torture” from start to finish, leading them to their own destruction.
An Abyss crafted for that singular purpose alone.
Their failure was inevitable.
“Mm.”
Park Chan-woo grasped the hilt of the holy sword with unhurried ease.
“Come on, come on!”
Ho-ya bounced and cheered, dancing with unbridled enthusiasm.
The sheer joy radiating from her was almost exasperating.
Park Chan-woo gradually applied pressure with his hand.
Then.
Shink!
“……Huh?”
“……???”

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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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