Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 17

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

Episode 17. The King of Thorned Hell (84 Lv)
It was honestly a rare opportunity.
The Creator of the Invisible Hand’s obsession with collecting transcended imagination, so cases where they stole like this and then gave up were nearly nonexistent.
Framing Kim Byung-han and inducing the opposing Creator to target him meant that at least the Creator of the Invisible Hand had relinquished ownership of this ring.
If so, only one obstacle remained.
‘The Creator who gave the Ring of the Dead’s Oath to Andabel and helped her act as a Game Master in the Night Abyss. This Creator who opened the targeted Abyss must be the same being.’
The being who opened this targeted Abyss.
Who could it possibly be?
The Ring of the Dead’s Oath that Kim Byung-han had stolen was something the Game Master Andabel wore to seal her own rank.
But there was a high chance the ring itself didn’t belong to Andabel, that demon.
In the first place, the very existence of a high-tier demon in the ‘first Night Abyss’ was ironic.
The Abyss War had only just begun.
To create an Abyss, even a Creator needed ‘Coins,’ and naturally, creating a powerful Abyss consumed far more Coins.
Since even a Creator would inevitably lack sufficient Coins at this point in time, they wouldn’t take the reckless gamble of placing a high-tier demon in an Abyss.
Even the ‘Lord of the Moon’ who opened the ‘Night Abyss’ would be no exception.
From the start, when designating a Game Master, high-tier demons would have been out of the question.
Yet there was a Creator who deliberately forced the high-tier demon Andabel into the Night Abyss, making her lower her own rank to do so.
Park Chan-woo was certain that this being was the one who opened this ‘targeted Abyss.’
‘The master of this Abyss. I must bankrupt the Creator who targeted Kim Byung-han—only then can I possess this ring in peace.’
To have the ring, that was what had to be done.
Rank—it was something akin to one’s existence, or even one’s soul.
The Ring of the Dead’s Oath had entirely sealed Andabel’s rank.
The fact that Kim Byung-han was caught the moment he stole it meant the Creator, the ring’s owner, had also been watching.
Seeing that they’d even targeted him afterward, Park Chan-woo doubted they would yield if he took it.
The likelihood they would continue to torment him was high.
So, to truly possess that ring, Park Chan-woo needed to thoroughly bankrupt the Creator in this ‘targeted Abyss.’
“Wh-what do you mean, passed it on?”
Kim Byung-han asked, and Park Chan-woo shrugged.
“The being you made a contract with dumped all the blame on you.”
“Then… what should I do? Will it end if I throw away this ring?”
Kim Byung-han looked as though he might weep at any moment.
If only it would end by throwing it away.
“It won’t end.”
“Y-yes?”
“Even if you throw away the ring, even if you give it to someone else, the one who created this Abyss will certainly try to kill you.”
Park Chan-woo answered him honestly.
Because this targeted Abyss reeked of ‘malice’ toward Kim Byung-han.
‘It was designed solely to destroy Kim Byung-han.’
The organization Kim Byung-han had served faithfully for half his life.
When he reported to its very heart, the targeting began.
Colleagues from the same building, the same company, were summoned into the Abyss, and those who knew him were ordered to kill Kim Byung-han directly.
And that wasn’t all.
When the sun was high, the situation around Kim Byung-han was illuminated; when the moon rose, Evil Spirit Bats followed him, exhausting him to his limits.
Yet the blade was placed only in the hands of humans.
Betrayal by those he had trusted.
He was meant to die, trembling and despairing within that sense of betrayal.
If this wasn’t malice, what was?
Therefore, no matter if Kim Byung-han threw away the ring, he could not survive.
…Unless Park Chan-woo gave him Coins.
“Ah… ahhh…!”
Kim Byung-han despaired.
Tears and snot streamed ceaselessly as he clenched his fists and struck the ground.
He wanted to cry out his injustice, but the boiling emotion was beyond his control—words wouldn’t even come.
“Save me, please save me…! You can, can’t you? You can save me!”
In the end, Kim Byung-han reached out and grabbed Park Chan-woo’s pant leg.
Park Chan-woo regarded him with cold eyes.
“Why should I risk danger to save someone like you?”
“This ring—I’ll give it to you! Whatever I have… I’ll give you everything… Cough!”
He wept, coughing blood.
Yet with trembling hands he did not forget to offer the ring.
Left alone, he would be dead within days.
Surviving here by himself was impossible.
“Very well. I’ll spare you.”
“…!”
“But.”
Park Chan-woo bent forward at the waist.
Then he whispered into Kim Byung-han’s ear.
“Next time, you must grant me a favor without question.”
“Y-yes, understood, sir. Cough—!”
Kim Byung-han gasped for breath, laboring.
Pallid skin. Eyes blackened and lifeless beneath.
That would suffice.
‘The Creator of the Invisible Hand. In six months, when that bastard goes after the Divine Tears during the Racial War, I’ll take it from him.’
Six months from now.
The first “large-scale Abyss” would open.
What they called the “Racial War”—the game in which one hundred twenty million humans from the past were offered as sacrifices—would begin.
On that day, thirteen races including humanity would meet for the first time, test their prowess against one another, and receive rewards or punishments according to their racial rankings.
In the first Racial War, humanity could not escape last place even against the weakest opponents.
And in the midst of it all, the Creator of the Invisible Hand and his avatars succeeded in stealing the Divine Tears that the Game Master held.
Park Chan-woo intended to claim that prize for himself.
‘…I must place at least in the top eight this Racial War.’
Eighth place and above carried no penalty.
If humanity could only manage to place eighth or higher, they might avoid the catastrophe that would otherwise reset their species entirely.
The problem was, Park Chan-woo’s strength alone would not be enough.
All of humanity and the twelve other races would be watching.
The strongest human and the warriors of the weakest of the twelve races would clash.
To climb into the top eight, either Park Chan-woo himself had to become an “insurmountable wall,” or he had to rapidly develop so-called “geniuses” like the Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo—there was no other way.
‘My hands are full.’
Level -96.
Park Chan-woo barely had time to grow himself, let alone develop others.
Absolute concentration on self-improvement.
First strengthen oneself; only then could one care for others.
Just as they said resources came from excess wealth, the ability to look around at one’s surroundings also required Park Chan-woo to grow stronger first.
Park Chan-woo took the ring from Kim Byung-han, snatching it almost forcibly.
At the same moment.
《Due to special authority, the Ring of the Dead’s Oath has been transferred.》
《The ring’s level will adjust to match its new wielder.》
‘…So it happens this way after all.’
But that was fine.
The level had never been what mattered for this ring anyway.
Name: Ring of the Dead’s Oath
Level: -96
Grade: Ancient
Description: (1) A ring containing the covenant of the Dead Duke who once divided the continent in ages past. It is said that through this covenant, the ring can wholly contain a single entity. However, when the entity’s mana is fully depleted, the ring’s durability decreases by ‘1.’
(2) Currently contains the mana of High-tier Demon Andabel.
(3) Only those who have shared a Covenant with the entity sealed within the ring may use it.
Equipped Slot: Ring
Defense: 15
Durability: 1
Unique Options:
(1) Soul of Andabel (Lv. 84, 178 Mana)
(2) Sovereign of Thorned Hell (Lv. 84, Ancient)
“…!”
Park Chan-woo suppressed a cry of elation.
Exactly as expected.
A jackpot.
No—beyond a jackpot. A colossal windfall.
‘She was a demon with royal authority.’
Sovereign of Thorned Hell!
That was both the title that described Andabel and the original magic she had sealed away.
But then, why was a creature revered as a king playing the jester in the Night Abyss?
《The rules are changing.》
《You must kill both of the two humans being hunted by the Evil Spirit Bat.》
《The time limit is shortened.》
《If you do not kill them within two hours, a Death Knight will be summoned.》
A rule change, then.
‘They’re overextending themselves.’
Altering the rules of an Abyss that had already been constructed was itself a reckless gambit.
It was only possible by pouring in additional Coins.
Which meant this ring held such extraordinary value to them.
Honestly, it was puzzling.
Were they truly desperate enough to invest extra Coins for the Ring of the Dead’s Oath?
‘Fine then. I’ll bankrupt you.’
All the better, actually.
In just two hours, that Death Knight would emerge.
If Park Chan-woo managed to defeat it, the master of this Abyss would naturally go bankrupt.
Screeeeeech!
Thud!
It was then.
An arrow streaking down from the distance.
Whoosh!
Fortunately, the Radiant Anubis sensed it first and blocked it with its own body.
“That damn thing isn’t a demon—it’s human!”
“Kill them both!”
“Hurry! We’re running out of time!”
People began appearing one after another.
Their numbers exceeded a hundred.
Even with the Anubis at his side, Park Chan-woo alone could not stand against them.
‘To use the Ring of the Dead’s Oath, I need to form a covenant with the being bound within it.’
In other words, only one who had made a covenant with Andabel could wield this ring.
Only Andabel herself, or someone whose existence held absolute importance to her, could activate it.
Yet that was no problem at all.
Park Chan-woo had already formed a powerful covenant with Andabel once before.
‘The Abyss Oath. There is no covenant more profound than that.’
What is a covenant?
It is a solemn vow and sacred promise.
Through the Abyss Oath, Park Chan-woo and Andabel had sworn on their very hearts.
Though Andabel had vanished as a result, it remained a covenant nonetheless—binding and true.
Park Chan-woo watched the people charging toward him with relentless fury and spoke.
“Swallow them all, King of Thorned Hell.”
《The King of Thorned Hell (Level 84) manifests.》

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