Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 49

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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 49. The Witch Adora
A dark, cramped cave.
A place reeking of rotting corpses.
The stench was enough to turn his stomach—
‘Where am I?’
But the location wasn’t what mattered.
A chill crawled across his skin.
The entire space was saturated with formidable magical power.
It was proof that a being—a “crystallization of magic” incomparable to Kankun or the Layer Guardian Torgu—existed somewhere nearby.
‘…Is this really the Adora Faction?’
Likely the “Death Witch Adora,” then.
The message that had appeared when he arrived said as much.
No matter how many times he read it, the fact remained unchanged: he had been summoned to the Adora Faction.
Yet there had never been a single account of anyone in the Tower of Arrogance being summoned to different factions across runs.
Common knowledge held that once a faction was chosen, it could never be changed.
‘The Tower of Arrogance summoned me to the Adora Faction.’
Why?
Could it be because he’d helped Kankun awaken the Heart Sword?
From what he’d said directly, there seemed to be no other reason.
But all he’d done was encourage Kankun to stop fearing magic, guiding him to break free from Death Magic on his own terms.
Kankun hadn’t suddenly begun wielding the Heart Sword.
It meant Kankun had already stood on the threshold of the Heart Sword Realm.
With only one last step remaining, he’d simply been able to climb it easily after hearing Park Chan-woo’s advice.
‘Does the Tower want me to help Adora?’
The picture the Tower of Arrogance desired.
It seemed to want Kankun and Adora to clash at their absolute peak, with only one remaining.
Just as Kankun had overcome his weakness and reached enlightenment.
Perhaps the Tower hoped Adora would transform in the same way.
‘…It wants both of them perfected and complete.’
Only then could it create a more perfect Creator.
Honestly, Park Chan-woo didn’t know exactly what was required to claim the title of Creator.
But he did know that every Creator was a “Lord of the Abyss.”
Yet neither Kankun nor Adora was anywhere close to being a Lord of the Abyss.
If the Tower could grant the “qualification of Creator” without them being Lords of the Abyss… then, as Dagon had warned, the Abyss would be in chaos.
Information of the highest secrecy and tremendous value.
The fact that even Dagon, a demon merchant, had shunned it meant that what was happening in the Tower of Arrogance was far from ordinary.
‘Whatever it takes, I need to reach the summit.’
The Tower of Arrogance would expect him to help Adora overcome her weakness as well.
Kankun had had an issue.
He despised magic, feared it, and avoided Adora.
But what of Adora?
Unlike Kankun, she healed her own wounds, gathered Sacred Objects, and actively pursued climbing the Tower.
On the surface, she didn’t seem to have the same problem as Kankun.
If anything, she appeared flawless.
‘…Adora’s weakness.’
The Death Witch.
That name itself was the embodiment of revulsion.
From the deepest reaches of the Abyss, “witches” had emerged.
Though their numbers were scarce, the demons of the Abyss regarded witches as “accursed spawn.”
Their demonic nature truly carried all manner of hatred and contempt, and those who wielded Death Magic were considered the most cursed of all.
And Park Chan-woo partially agreed with the demons’ assessment.
‘Witches are emotionless dolls.’
By their fundamental nature, witches lacked joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
Possessing an innate talent for Black Magic, they could wield all manner of ominous power.
The problem lay in Black Magic’s aftermath.
Unlike magic that dealt in truth, Black Magic ran counter to it.
And so, wherever witches went, Rifts would inevitably form.
Rifts that corroded the Abyss itself and summoned countless incomprehensible things.
This was why demons of the Abyss had no choice but to regard witches as accursed.
Who among homeowners would welcome a tenant who destroyed their house and yard at will?
‘To find a weakness, I’ll need to get closer.’
That was the task before him—to uncover the witch’s vulnerability.
Observation from a distance wouldn’t suffice.
Once Park Chan-woo had made his decision, he opened his inventory.
《’World Tree Staff (-98Lv, Eternal) equipped.’》
《’Frost Helmet (-95Lv, Legendary) equipped.’》
《’Golden Mystery of Arahan (-89Lv, Ancient) equip…….’》
Here in the Adora Faction, it seemed he would need to become a true mage after all.
* * *
“You’ve already filled the entire display case?”
“Isn’t that a total monopoly?”
The challengers climbing the tower in the Adora Faction voiced their complaints.
Though countless challengers had pressed upward without rest to reach the 3rd Layer, a handful of individuals were monopolizing Sacred Objects and pulling ahead of everyone else.
The display case could hold up to ten Sacred Objects.
Higher-grade Sacred Objects could replace lower ones, but all ten displayed items were at least of lower-middle grade or above.
With more than three mid-grade or higher Sacred Objects among them, it was extraordinarily difficult for ordinary challengers and the alliance to compete for replacements.
Most troubling of all, the display case was nearly monopolized by a single person.
“…Six slots, all held by one person.”
“That’s like a monster.”
The word ‘overwhelming’ hardly did it justice.
A martial prowess both awe-inspiring and unstoppable!
A monster that nullified any spirit of challenge existed here.
“Isn’t he called Han Shin?”
“At this rate, he’ll take all ten slots from the rest of us.”
“Damn…….”
They clenched their teeth, but there was simply no way forward.
As the layers increased, difficulty spiked sharply—the Muscle Spiders dwelling in the 3rd Layer Cave showed no mercy, snatching lives from those who let their guard down for even a moment.
True to their name, Muscle Spiders were arachnids rippling with brawn. They tore through human bodies like tissue paper without hesitation.
“Aaaagh!”
Screams echoed through the cavern with disturbing regularity.
The murky Cave was riddled with countless tunnels, making it impossible to predict where the Muscle Spiders might emerge.
Perhaps that was why.
“We can’t go any further!”
“If we stay here, we’ll all die!”
Those who had climbed to the 3rd Layer began retreating en masse, abandoning any hope of progress.
More than half had already withdrawn to the lower layers.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
“Where exactly is Adora?”
“Who knows! You get cursed if you get too close!”
Adora wasn’t moving together with the rest of the challengers.
She couldn’t.
Drawing near to Adora meant receiving a Curse.
Your life force would be drained until you withered like a mummy and perished.
The vanguard had already pushed far ahead, and since no one could move alongside Adora, those left behind had little cause for optimism.
Though a small number did follow Adora at a distance, staying just beyond the Curse’s reach.
“This is genuinely brutal.”
“Is she resurrecting dead monsters?”
Surrounding Adora were numerous Muscle Spiders.
Among them, Muscle Spider Queens appeared frequently.
But they were corpses.
Adora, the Death Witch, had slaughtered them with Black Magic and raised their corpses as her soldiers.
“Even the Layer Guardians from the 1st and 2nd Layers…….”
“Didn’t stand a chance.”
She had resurrected the Layer Guardians as well.
Her undead army numbered well over five hundred.
There was virtually nothing the humans could offer except replacing Sacred Objects.
“Anyway, just follow from as far back as possible. All we need to do is participate in the Layer Guardian hunts. We’ll each earn a Coin that way.”
Still, they couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
Participating in Layer Guardian hunts alongside Adora granted each person one Coin as a reward.
By now, the importance of Coins was beyond question.
If he could obtain it, he had to risk his life to claim it.
“Hmm?”
“What the—who is that?”
As they advanced toward the Layer Guardian of the 3rd Layer.
People tilted their heads in confusion at the figure approaching from the opposite direction.
A helmet the color of pale blue.
Six horns, bearing an expression of despair.
A form so grotesque it inspired terror even in dreams!
On both shoulders, a golden radiance shimmered.
And the faint golden aura that circled around him—what of that.
But what crowned it all was the staff he carried.
Unremarkable in itself, yet somehow it commanded one’s gaze without cease.
“A sorcerer?”
“Isn’t that the Layer Guardian?”
Nothing was yet known about the 3rd Layer’s Layer Guardian.
In this place where only Muscle Spiders dwelt, any being who would not fear Adora could be nothing but the Layer Guardian itself.
That resplendent appearance lent weight to the notion that he was indeed the Layer Guardian.
For the Witch of Death, Adora, was a being that no mere sorcerer could approach.
Soon the witch’s legion and the man stood face to face.
“…….”
“…….”
Gulp.
The people could not tear their eyes away.
What would Adora’s response be.
Judging by what had transpired so far, she would unleash Black Magic without restraint.
Adora tolerated no obstruction in her path.
Look.
Even now, she was preparing to cast Black Magic.
Kiiaahhh!
Kiiieeee!
A host of creatures rushed at the man, intent on his death.
But then.
Thud.
Abruptly, the man dropped to one knee.
“I stand before a descendant of the Black Witch.”
Thud.
Adora, who had been gathering Black Magic in both hands, froze.
At that same instant, the creatures stopped as if by spell.
Adora spoke in a toneless voice.
“You know of our Mother?”
“As one devoted to the pursuit of truth, how could I not know the Progenitor of the Ten Thousand Demons.”
The first witch.
She whom all witches revere as their Mother, called the Black Witch.
Park Chan-woo could not possibly be ignorant of her.
Adora opened her mouth.
“Begone.”
It meant: knowing of the Progenitor of the Ten Thousand Demons, the Black Witch herself, she would not kill him.
Yet in her demeanor there emanated a bone-chilling coldness.
Park Chan-woo raised his head and met Adora’s gaze directly.
Eyes of white, devoid of all emotion.
Eyes like those of any witch—the blank stare of one untouched by feeling.
“Witch of Death. I am well aware that you were forsaken by the Black Witch.”
“…….”
Adora gave no reply.
Her silence was affirmation.
Park Chan-woo’s suspicion had been correct.
Adora harbored a grievance.
A wound most grave.
Otherwise, a witch would never emerge from the deepest reaches of the Abyss!
Park Chan-woo spoke with certainty.
“I’ll resolve it for you.”
“Resolve what?”
“The Death Magic carved into Kankun’s heart.”
“……?”
“I sensed something wrong in there.”
“What are you talking about?”
He played dumb.
The real contest began now.
Park Chan-woo rose from his seat and extended his right hand.
Then.
Whoosh!
A Flower of Life bloomed across his palm.
Wrapped within the Flower of Life was the Death Magic that had consumed Kankun’s heart.
Adora tilted her head.
It was unmistakably her magic—a custom spell she’d inscribed into Kankun’s heart itself.
“How did you manage that?”
“I took it from Kankun.”
A direct assault.
He thought he might understand what Adora’s problem was—her weakness.
Park Chan-woo drew the Flower of Life back inside.
“Only I can resolve your problem.”
“I have no problem.”
“Still, before that, I must ask you one thing.”
Park Chan-woo didn’t wait for Adora’s protest.
Adora hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth.
“…Speak.”
Park Chan-woo tensed inwardly.
This was the most critical question.
He’d bluffed with all his strength, but if he’d misread this, Adora could very well kill him.
Park Chan-woo spoke slowly.
He posed the worst question that had occurred to him.
“Are you in love with Kankun?”

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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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