Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 22

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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 22. Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng
There were several reasons why Park Chan-woo had been sipping coffee on Gwanghwamun Street since early morning.
First, there was the obvious one.
‘An experiment with Non-existence.’
He wanted to understand how the Abnormal Status of Non-existence applied in reality.
He walked through the streets, stopped by a few shops, and checked whether people could notice him.
‘There’s a difference between inside and outside the Abyss.’
The results were somewhat unexpected.
For one, Park Chan-woo’s presence in reality remained unchanged from before.
People could see him, and they quickly became aware of where he was.
Walking along the street, they sidestepped if they looked like they might bump into him, and they gazed at him from considerable distances.
After ordering coffee and taking a seat, no one sat at the same table with him.
It was proof that people were aware of Park Chan-woo as a human being.
‘Outside the Abyss, people recognize me.’
Then what about ‘non-human things’?
Creators, for instance.
He had some suspicions about this too.
‘When Kim Byeong-han suffered a targeted Abyss. Until I revealed myself, the demon lord Gremory inside the Abyss didn’t perceive me.’
At the time when Kim Byeong-han was being pursued by his coworkers.
Park Chan-woo had enlarged the ‘Radiant Anubis’ and helped Kim Byeong-han escape.
Yet afterward, the Creator made no attempt to stop him and simply let Park Chan-woo roam the Abyss freely.
Even though he must have known that Park Chan-woo had killed the Game Master Andariel.
In other words.
‘Non-existence is effective inside the Abyss.’
At minimum, it was evidence that the Abnormal Status of ‘Non-existence’ was functioning properly within the Abyss.
And its power exceeded even his imagination.
‘If even the demon lord Gremory couldn’t notice my presence… it would be safe to say there’s no Creator within the Abyss who could detect me first.’
After all, his opponent was a demon lord.
Even the virtual master of the Abyss itself had failed to sense Park Chan-woo.
Below that, no monster or demon within the Abyss would discover him first.
However, he couldn’t guarantee it with absolute certainty.
‘Inside the Abyss, people didn’t recognize me. But Kim Byeong-han was different. At Lake Park, at the company… it seems that people who know my appearance can recognize me first even inside the Abyss.’
There was an exception to Non-existence.
Kim Byeong-han knew Park Chan-woo, and he’d recognized him first on multiple occasions.
But not in front of the Mul Joha Nightclub.
‘It’s not that I, as a human, was recognized, but rather based on the appearance I’m known by……’
At that time, Park Chan-woo had been wearing the Demonic Set, making him look almost like a demon.
So the reason he could be recognized first was that Kim Byeong-han knew ‘Park Chan-woo’s true face.’
He had only recognized him based on Park Chan-woo’s face.
Conversely, when Park Chan-woo covered his face and body, he went unrecognized.
‘It would apply similarly to Creators.’
Once a Creator had encountered Park Chan-woo, there was a high probability they could recognize him.
Moreover, Creators might be able to recognize him with even finer detail.
For humans, the ‘eyes’ are the most important part for recognizing someone.
However, the Creator lords of the Abyss recognize by penetrating existence itself—by magical power, presence, scent, and every other perceivable standard.
Demons frequently changed their appearances.
How they looked was utterly unimportant to them.
‘If I can’t bankrupt them in one strike, there’s a good chance I’ll be exposed.’
Park Chan-woo thought of himself as a joker card.
Powerful enough to kill an unknown opponent in one go, but once exposed, there’s nothing easier to deal with.
Because if the Creators learned of his ability, they would prepare countermeasures.
If they all knew about Non-existence and Minus Level and prepared to face him, it would be disaster even to imagine.
At least he’d been fortunate with the demon lord Gremory.
She was the kind of demon lord you could talk to—one who’d said she would help him.
He was confident that even the demon lord Gremory hadn’t fully grasped what he was.
Who could possibly guess at a state that transcended the minimum correction value.
‘Outside the Abyss, on this earth, whether the Creators can perceive me or not—that’s the critical point.’
In fact, this was the real core of the matter.
If the Creators didn’t recognize Park Chan-woo on this earth, then he wouldn’t be targeted for a targeted strike or hunted by Incarnates.
And so far, there had been no such sign.
Despite bankrupting several Creators, he showed little particular interest in the matter.
One might have expected them to demand an Apostle Contract or an Incarnate Contract.
But such contracts were easily formed outside the Abyss as well.
Creators possessed a basic Authority—the ability to observe the entire Earth in real time.
‘No proposals at all. It seems they haven’t managed to figure out who I am.’
Therefore, the latter was far more likely.
They simply weren’t aware of Park Chan-woo’s existence at all.
‘…Only the host knows about the challengers entering the Abyss. If I bankrupt the host who created the Abyss itself, there’s no reason for me to be exposed.’
He’d reached a conclusion.
Once he entered the Abyss, he would bankrupt whoever created it—without exception.
This Dungeon Abyss was no different.
Every dungeon was a creation of the Creators.
Naturally, each dungeon had its own owner, its own host Creator.
He didn’t know who had created the Soosin Dungeon, but he’d already figured out how to bankrupt them.
‘I’ll use Non-existence actively to kill the Water God in one strike.’
Until now, he’d relied on Reflection Magic.
But to use Reflection Magic, either Park Chan-woo had to expose himself, or he needed someone like Sword King Lee Hyeok-su to take the hit for him.
Finding someone to take the hit would greatly increase the risk of exposure.
A revealed trump card was the most vulnerable card of all.
Park Chan-woo’s plan was simple: alone, he would use Divine Punishment—an option from the Frost Helmet—to kill the Water God.
Lightning magic had good compatibility with water, so it wasn’t an impossible prospect.
Mulling over experiments with Non-existence and methods to clear the Soosin Dungeon, he sat in this café nursing his coffee.
Of course, there was another reason he was here.
“Everyone! This is an opportunity! A golden chance to grow your strength and gather power!”
“Join the Yeomyeong Society!”
“We will protect you!”
……To observe the people gathering in this place today.
The Soosin Dungeon, possessing the highest Points of any dungeon, would inevitably draw an overwhelming number of powerful figures and Incarnates.
These people were among them.
‘The Yeomyeong Society.’
It would eventually become the Yeomyeong Order—the full form of the name.
They stood fully armed, shouting their message.
One voice in particular caught his ear immediately.
‘Yu Han-seop, patriarch of the Yeomyeong Order.’
He hadn’t expected to encounter Yu Han-seop here of all places.
A powerhouse who’d distinguished himself from the beginning and grown the Yeomyeong Society into one of the nation’s most formidable groups.
One of the few who didn’t fear the Abyss.
Moreover, Yu Han-seop was willing to do whatever it took.
He rushed toward any place where he was needed.
He swayed people through the force of his moral influence.
Young, handsome, with an excellent character and equally excellent abilities, his followers multiplied rapidly.
But.
‘He’s an Incarnate.’
…Yu Han-seop is an Incarnate.
On the very first day, he’d already concluded an Incarnate Contract with a Creator.
Talent was certainly part of it, but the reason Yu Han-seop had been able to distinguish himself so clearly was because the Creator he’d contracted with spared no effort in backing him.
Perhaps they’d sensed his ability to draw people in.
‘Did he come to clear the Soosin Abyss? Or is he here to sabotage it?’
He couldn’t know yet.
The key lay in where the Creator contracted with Yu Han-seop had placed their Betting.
If they’d bet on South Korea achieving Five Thousand Points, he’d aim to clear it; if they’d bet against it, he’d actively sabotage the attempt.
Or he might be the host who created the dungeon itself.
Observing how he acted would reveal his purpose.
He was deeply curious about why Yu Han-seop would challenge the highest-difficulty dungeon from the start.
“Isn’t that Yu Han-seop over there?”
“Ah…… I saw him on the news. The one who writes the ‘Abyss Column’?”
“That’s him. They say he rescued over five hundred people inside the Abyss.”
“Then he must be incredibly strong?”
The surroundings buzzed with chatter.
Yu Han-seop was already famous.
On his first day in the Abyss, Yu Han-seop had performed brilliantly, and the news of his “Abyss Column” published in a newspaper had made headlines.
The column contained survival methods for navigating the Abyss. Within a single day, it had garnered over three million views.
“P-please, I want to join too!”
“What do I need to do?”
Once Yu Han-seop’s identity became known, people flocked to him.
They reasoned that building a connection with him now would serve them well as they navigated the Abyss in the days to come.
In moments, more than fifty people had gathered.
Then Yu Han-seop spoke.
“From this moment, you will all enter the Soosin Abyss with me. And there, you will encounter remarkable possibilities.”
“Remarkable possibilities? What do you mean?”
“Courage.”
“Courage…?”
“Yes. You will gain the courage not to fear the Abyss. You will obtain strength and become remarkably powerful. The Yeomyeong Society and I will support you actively to make that happen.”
The Yeomyeong Society numbered around ten members.
All were fully armed, an reassuring sight.
If they were to help, the promise of gaining strength could not be hollow.
The people had already experienced the Abyss for two days, and they had come to understand bone-deep the unreasonableness and despair that the powerless endure.
The promise of gaining strength.
How seductive a temptation it was.
They could not refuse the hand Yu Han-seop extended.
Soon after, led by Yu Han-seop, the members of the Yeomyeong Society and the gathered people assembled before the Admiral Yi Sun-sin Statue.
“Then, let us depart.”
Yu Han-seop stepped boldly into the Soosin Abyss.
As the Yeomyeong Society members followed without hesitation, the others, though momentarily uncertain, entered as well.
‘It’s all showmanship.’
There were several ways to enter a Dungeon Abyss.
There was the method of stepping directly through the “gate” as Yu Han-seop had done.
But even simply staring at it long enough would trigger an entry message.
Just as now.
《Will you enter the ‘Soosin Abyss (1,000 Points)’?》
《This is currently the highest-scored dungeon in the Republic of Korea.》
《Extreme Difficulty》
《Once you enter, you cannot exit until you discover a ‘Waypoint’.》
The absence of an expected survival rate was because it was not a betting subject.
In this game, the Creators had bet solely on whether ‘the Republic of Korea would exceed 5,000 Points or not’, or whether ‘the dungeon would be cleared or not’.
‘At least I won’t draw attention.’
He wanted to avoid entering first.
Even though Non-existence existed, he couldn’t be certain he had achieved one-hundred percent imperceptibility.
Even a sturdy bridge should be tapped before crossing.
Especially with someone entering for the first time—there was no help but to pay them closer attention.
Fortunately, thanks to Yu Han-seop and the masses entering en masse, it seemed he could avoid any possible complications.
Park Chan-woo nodded.
《I will enter the ‘Soosin Abyss (1,000 Points)’.》
* * *
Upon entering the Soosin Abyss, Yu Han-seop smiled inwardly.
‘They are merely stepping stones for my ascension.’
There had been a reason for entering the highest-scoring dungeon together with all these people from the start.
‘My contracted Creator told me. That treasures and Spirit Medicines are scattered throughout the Soosin Abyss.’
Yu Han-seop was an Incarnate, and he had contracted with a Creator.
And the Creator had given him advance notice.
Regarding the Soosin Abyss.
【My Incarnate. I will give you a map. In exchange, enter the Soosin Abyss first with the people you have chosen to die, and search the locations marked on the map. There, all manner of Spirit Medicines and treasures that will make you strong await.】
He had even been given a map.
The Creator contracted with him was a tree that gave without reservation.
He was sincere in cultivating Yu Han-seop.
Thanks to that, even on the first day and in the First Night’s Abyss, Yu Han-seop had been able to achieve quite meaningful results.
And this Abyss would be no different.
Yu Han-seop smiled.
‘Here it is.’
He had arrived at the Lake Shore marked on the map.
Organizing the people took some time, but there was no way anyone could have arrived before him—not when he’d set out with such a clear purpose in mind.
Besides, the Soosin Abyss was the most dangerous place among all dungeons in South Korea.
Since so few people attempted it, there was virtually no chance of encountering anyone else at this lakeside.
He simply had to accomplish his objective at his own pace.
That was when it happened.
“A m-monster!”
“Mermaids with spears are emerging from the lake!”
Five mermaids appeared.
Yu Han-seop immediately drew his sword and shouted.
“Don’t be afraid! Let us slay these creatures together!”
Yu Han-seop charged forward first.
As the members of the Yeomyeong Society joined him, the five mermaids were slaughtered in an instant.
‘He’s incredibly strong.’
‘No wonder he even writes columns!’
‘He’s not even human!’
The people marveled.
Meanwhile, Yu Han-seop rushed toward the lake shore.
Boom!
The water and ground began to tremble.
Then came—
A deafening crash!
A massive hippopotamus emerged from the water.
It was easily three times the size of an ordinary hippo, and its tusks were razor-sharp.
The enormous beast charged straight at the people the moment it appeared.
‘Just as the Creator said it would be.’
Yu Han-seop had already hidden himself in the brush before the giant hippo made its entrance.
‘They said the Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng would be guarded by this spiritual creature.’
He’d known in advance that the monster would appear.
“R-run away!”
“Aaaaahhh!”
As the massive hippo charged toward them, the people scattered in panic, fleeing in every direction.
Once they’d all dispersed, Yu Han-seop made his move in earnest.
To claim the Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng sleeping in this place.
‘According to the map, it should be right here.’
After searching the area thoroughly while comparing it to his map, Yu Han-seop couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
“…What? Why is there nothing here?”
* * *
‘Tasty.’
Munch, munch.
Near the lake shore, Park Chan-woo savored the Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng, smacking his lips in satisfaction.

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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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