Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 20

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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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Chapter 20. The Jackpot Hit
The Latent Ability Awakening Scroll.
A kind of reinforcement charm that pushed the limits of equipment to the next level.
Equipment obtained from the Abyss came with predetermined attack power and durability based on Level and Grade. Once set, those stats never changed.
And the more capable hunters who frequently challenged the Abyss often found themselves frustrated by this very limitation.
‘When you finally secure a high-Grade piece of equipment, but then your Level rises and the moment comes to replace it. That’s when everyone wrestles with the same choice. Do I swap it out, or do I keep using it?’
A high Grade meant good Unique Options.
Yet no matter how good the Grade, if the equipment Level was low, the attack power and defense would inevitably be mediocre.
As Levels climbed, the moment to replace equipment always arrived. And if you hadn’t secured a piece of comparable quality by then, you’d have to sacrifice at least one thing.
For instance: do you swap to a sword that matches your Level and secure the attack power, or do you keep your old high-Grade but low-Level sword to preserve the Unique Option?
There was always a point where you couldn’t have both.
‘A Latent Ability Awakening Scroll solves that problem, at least to some degree.’
It was the Latent Ability Awakening Scroll that could resolve such dilemmas at a stroke.
True to its name, it drew out the hidden potential of equipment.
Typically, it was something you’d apply to gear labeled “Endgame-tier” or “Graduation-tier.”
Of course, the difficulty in obtaining it was at the absolute peak. As hard as plucking a star from the sky. You needed to be at least Level 80 before you could even attempt it.
Park Chan-woo had once hemorrhaged over trying to get his hands on this scroll. An entire month of it. Without Heavenly Fortune smiling on you, no amount of effort could guarantee you’d find one.
‘The standard approach is to save it and get your Level up to around 99 before using it.’
It would be a lie to say he felt no regret, but he shook his head.
His current Level was –95.
That was the result of climbing one level from this targeted Abyss run.
If he saved it until reaching Level 99, there was a high chance it would end up gathering dust unused.
‘Use it quickly, grow stronger quickly.’
Park Chan-woo, returned from the past, had made his decision.
He would raise humanity’s rank to at least 8th place in the Racial War that would begin in half a year.
To do that, he needed to grow stronger as fast as possible.
He had no luxury to hoard or save anything.
The opponents he’d faced in that Racial War far exceeded humanity’s current level. To close that gap, he couldn’t waste a single second.
On top of that.
‘…If I don’t get back to my original Level within 500 days, I die.’
Within that time, Park Chan-woo would perish.
Due to the status abnormality known as Death Curse.
To avoid certain death, he had to raise his Level as quickly as possible.
He’d gone from –99 to –95 in just two days, so there was hope.
Park Chan-woo stared at the items he’d laid out.
‘I’m using all of it today.’
The boxes, the scrolls—everything.
He meant to use them all and greet tomorrow fully prepared.
Tomorrow’s mission was already set, and to achieve the best possible outcome, he needed to complete all preparations tonight.
Park Chan-woo wore a solemn expression.
‘Tomorrow, I meet the strongest.’
Humanity’s first to achieve Level 99—the strongest being.
The Embodiment of the Nine Great Sovereigns who had masqueraded as a savior—there was a chance he’d encounter them tomorrow.
If things played out as Park Chan-woo anticipated, he would definitely meet them.
Naturally, there was no room for hesitation.
“Open.”
《Opening the Gold Box (★★)!》
《Acquired: Hui Ik Belt (Unique).》
First, he opened the 2-Star Gold Box that every survivor had received.
With a soft pop, smoke billowed forth, and a belt shot out from inside.
……
Park Chan-woo was momentarily at a loss for words.
The Hui Ik Belt.
The name alone was ominous.
It was shaped like coiled chains, and since it was a belt he’d never seen before, he felt he should examine its description more carefully.
Name: Hui Ik Belt
Level: –95
Grade: Unique
Description: A formal belt worn by a dashing orc gentleman. Wearing this belt reportedly increases your chances of charming female orcs.
Slot: Chain Belt
Defense: 8
Durability: 500
Unique Option:
(1) When the wearer makes a “Hui Ik!” sound, orcs mistake them for one of their own and let their guard down.
(2) Female orcs feel an additional ‘+10’ attraction toward the wearer.
‘…Female orcs feel attraction to the wearer?’
He let out a small sigh.
The Unique Option was as ridiculous as its name and crude appearance—devoid of any real twist.
Most people who obtained this belt would think it was a dud.
One could only wonder about the designer’s taste.
To be honest, even Park Chan-woo didn’t think it was a good belt.
But he knew something others didn’t.
The true value of this belt.
‘It’s not bad for pulling aggro away from orcs.’
It was essentially a tool for managing aggro.
Against orcs alone, it was high-tier equipment.
Particularly, the fact that it granted the ability to use the orc ‘language’ held its own significance.
With no belt currently equipped, there was no harm in wearing it right away.
Defense was an important factor, after all.
‘In any case, I’m grateful the Heavenly Fortune didn’t trigger.’
He felt pleased.
If an Easter Egg had activated when opening the Gold Box, it would have been disappointing.
No matter how fortunate the outcome, one couldn’t change the inherent limitations of a Gold Box.
Above all, there were no duplicates.
Among all the boxes he’d opened so far, the items had never duplicated in equipment type or slot.
Heavenly Fortune indeed.
Park Chan-woo took a deep breath.
Only one box remained.
He decided to press ahead and finish this.
“Open.”
《Opening the Platinum Box (★★★)!》
Shimmer—shimmer—shimmer!
The box trembled and poured forth light.
Park Chan-woo pressed his palms together carefully.
How long had it been since he prayed like this?
He felt as though he could cheer if fortune smiled upon him now.
At last.
《You have obtained the Frost One Helmet (Legendary).》
“…Oh!”
Park Chan-woo gasped with delight.
Then he noticed something odd and tilted his head.
Soon after, his expression hardened and he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
‘Not Seo Ri-han’s helmet, but Frost One helmet…?’
Wait.
‘A Frost One helmet—not Seo Ri-han’s?’
‘…Does that mean it was stolen?’
In other words, someone had robbed this helmet.
“What the hell…”
…What kind of name was this?
In an instant, he fell from heaven to hell.
He’d cheered thinking it was the helmet of Seo Ri-han, the Death Lord who ruled winter.
Even its appearance was similar.
Save for a bluish tint, it bore the visage of despair itself—a skull adorned with six horn-like protrusions.
Just looking at it inspired a crushing sense of dread.
Compared to it, the Demonic Helmet he’d been wearing felt like a child’s toy.
But a stolen helmet?
There was a limit to jokes.
So a Three-Star Platinum Box yielded stolen goods—was that it?
‘Still, it is a Legendary Grade.’
The maximum Grade obtainable from an ordinary Platinum Box was Legendary.
The name might be unremarkable, but you never knew.
If it was the highest rank, there was every reason to check its unique options.
Park Chan-woo examined the helmet one last time, clinging to a final shred of hope.
Name: Frost One Helmet
Level: -95
Rank: Legendary
Description: An unnamed helmet sealed deep within the Tower of Light. The Thief King Ainspanner stole it, but there are no records of what came after. Curiously—or perhaps not by chance—the Tower of Light fell into ruin immediately following the theft.
Equip Slot: Helmet
Defense: 20
Durability: 2,000
Unique Options:
(1) Divine Punishment (Lightning Magic)
(2) Increases Magic Critical Strike chance by 7%.
(3) Magic Power increases by 7.
“……!”
Park Chan-woo’s pupils trembled.
He’d been half-resigned to disappointment.
He’d never imagined hidden charm like this could be lurking within.
While it might not be Eternal rank, the unique options it possessed were entirely sufficient for a mage—comparable to Eternal-rank gear without any shortcoming.
‘Magic Critical Strike!’
Magic Critical Strike referred to the probability of landing a critical hit with magic.
The very dream of every mage.
The option that sent every mage on endless “infinite box opening runs,” consumed by longing.
Rumor had it that it only appeared from Ancient rank and above, with a probability under 0.1%.
But that wasn’t all.
It granted magic proficiency, boosted Magic Critical Strike chance, and raised Magic Power too.
All three unique options were worth keeping—nothing to discard.
‘This is huge.’
He’d hit the jackpot.
What did a name matter?
What truly mattered was whether it had practical value.
‘Even if I don’t get the Demonic set effect, this more than makes up for it.’
If he equipped the Frost One Helmet, he’d have to discard the Demonic Helmet he’d obtained from the Abyss on the first night.
That meant losing the “Intimidation” and “Intelligence +1” bonuses from the set effect.
Yet he felt no regret whatsoever.
Ten complete Demonic sets wouldn’t equal this single helmet.
And he wouldn’t simply throw the Demonic Helmet away—it could be used as a sacrifice.
‘The last thing left is the Latent Ability Awakening Scroll.’
Today’s final task.
The biggest question was which piece of equipment to apply it to.
‘Either the World Tree Staff or the Frost One Helmet. It has to be one of those two.’
He pressed his forehead, deliberating.
Both pieces had unique options worthy of being called endgame-tier.
The stat increases from the randomized abilities were top-tier, and every other option was solid without exception.
‘When my level rises and I need to replace gear… which one would I swap out first?’
Eventually, the time would come to replace both.
Their ranks were high, but their levels were far too low.
There would come a moment when even a single point of attack or defense mattered.
Enemies would appear that negated all damage below a certain attack threshold, and foes would emerge that could only be defeated through guaranteed hits.
……He had to apply it to the piece he’d replace as late as possible.
After long deliberation, Park Chan-woo reached his conclusion.
In truth, the decision had been predetermined.
Park Chan-woo placed the Latent Ability Awakening Scroll atop the World Tree Staff.
《The ‘Latent Ability Awakening Scroll’ awakens the latent ability of the ‘World Tree Staff’.》
《The fortune of ‘Easter Egg (001)’ has come upon you!》
Snap!
In that instant, Park Chan-woo’s fist clenched of its own accord.
Thanks to his level rising through the Sniper Abyss, the fortune of the Easter Egg had found him.
It was the best possible outcome, the one he’d hoped for above all others.
‘I still don’t know yet.’
But it was too soon to let his guard down.
Latent abilities came in different grades and varieties.
The odds of everything awakening at the highest tier were infinitesimal.
Even if an Easter Egg’s fortune had smiled upon him.
Park Chan-woo’s eyes flew wide open.
And then.
《The World Tree Staff has been granted the highest-grade Latent Ability.》
The jackpot had hit.

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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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