Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 52

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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 52. The Insect
Pride.
It means to be arrogant and conceited.
The Tower of Pride lived up to its name—truly, genuinely arrogant.
First, it paid no mind to the climbers themselves.
Only through Kankun and Adora was it possible to ascend the tower.
Acquiring Sacred Items, cultivating the two of them, and hunting the Layer Guardians—this alone was the only path to the next level.
The problem was that as one climbed higher, even acquiring Sacred Items became burdensome.
‘This is why one must become part of Kankun and Adora’s inner circle.’
By becoming their closest associate and overcoming trials together, one could acquire Sacred Items of higher Grade.
Even that was something granted through their ‘charity.’
The others were merely supporting players.
In short.
‘If you don’t win Kankun and Adora’s favor, you cannot climb the tower.’
Displaying Sacred Items?
No matter how many you presented, becoming part of the inner circle remained difficult.
It was one among several methods to become an associate, but the most crucial factor was ‘how to win their hearts.’
Kankun valued courage.
He was the type to bestow grace upon strong warriors who followed him.
However, their number was severely limited.
Even then, as one climbed higher, if he deemed them a hindrance or a burden, he would never keep them at his side.
The real problem was Adora.
Unlike Kankun, Adora had never kept anyone at her side.
She simply climbed the tower alone in silence.
No matter what accomplishments one achieved or how powerful a Sacred Item one displayed, Adora would not permit anyone to stand beside her.
Therefore.
Park Chan-woo’s current situation could only be called a miracle.
“Is this sufficient?”
Adora spoke while gripping a single spear.
A Sacred Item with a pale blue light dwelling in its shaft.
It was obtained after slaying the mountainous Muscular Giant Spider King.
“It is enough.”
When Park Chan-woo nodded, Adora placed the spear into his hand.
In that instant.
《You have acquired the Superior Sacred Item, Spear of Breaking Demons.》
《This surpasses the 10 currently displayed Sacred Items.》
《Do you wish to display the Spear of Breaking Demons?》
《The Spear of Breaking Demons has been exchanged for the Intermediate Sacred Item of Titanic Strength.》
《All of Adora’s stats increase by 30.》
《Adora gains strong resistance to evil attributes.》
《Adora can now wield the Rushing Death Spear.》
《For displaying a Superior Sacred Item for the first time, you acquire 3 Boxes of Pride.》
《You have now displayed a total of 8 Sacred Items.》
《The quality of displayed Sacred Items is excellent.》
《Upon clearing each layer, you can acquire rewards increased by 600%.》
Countless messages cascaded before him.
Park Chan-woo smiled inwardly.
‘The Tower of Pride isn’t a place for climbers to hunt.’
The real hunting is done by Kankun and Adora.
Adora, in particular, was quite proactive in acquiring Sacred Items.
It was because she believed Park Chan-woo was sacrificing himself to help her.
‘There’s no such thing as a free meal in this world.’
Naturally, Park Chan-woo had no intention of refusing the Sacred Items Adora handed him.
He opened his mouth like a fledgling and eagerly swallowed each one.
This was the true way to conquer the Tower of Pride.
Here, climbers must abandon all thoughts of conquering it themselves.
The conviction that one is thoroughly a supporting player.
The faith that Kankun and Adora will handle everything!
Such ‘pride’ is the secret to monopolizing the rewards.
Park Chan-woo resolved to become a complete secondary character.
All he did was entrust everything to Adora and clasp her hand once in a while, helping her master Death.
“…I’m beginning to understand now. The truth that I haven’t truly mastered Death.”
Adora was changing too.
Each time she took Park Chan-woo’s hand, she was discovering something new about how Death actually worked.
‘I knew nothing at all.’
Adora had no choice but to admit it.
She had been profoundly ignorant of herself.
To her, Death was as natural as breathing. She’d never bothered to understand the mechanics of something so instinctive.
But this was different.
Only when she could prevent Park Chan-woo from losing consciousness could she truly claim mastery over Death.
“You can do it.”
The words were stark in their simplicity.
Yet Park Chan-woo spoke them with absolute sincerity.
Truth be told, it was all he could offer.
But sometimes, such encouragement became an enormous source of strength for someone.
‘I can do it……’
Could she really?
Was it truly possible to master Death completely?
Doubt lingered, yet somehow her spirit kindled.
It was a strange phenomenon.
Adora had never received encouragement from anyone before.
‘The Black Witch never taught me about Death either.’
Even the Black Witch, mother of all witches, had been the same.
She had been stern.
Teaching Black Magic, instructing Adora in what a witch must never do, driving her to her limits.
Other witches? The great witches?
They merely watched from a distance and mocked her.
For witches, Death was regarded as the worst curse imaginable.
Even a witch who was mistress of powerful Black Magic could not escape Death.
So to them, Death was the only thing truly worth fearing.
Perhaps that was why.
No one had ever tried to draw close to Adora.
She had never known encouragement, comfort, or support.
The experience of someone sacrificing themselves for her?
How could she have ever known such a thing?
She had been permanently exiled simply for having emotions.
Witch society was that rigorous.
‘I will master Death.’
Adora decided.
She would no longer be swayed by Death.
She would overcome it completely and place it beneath her!
…Then she would never have to regret again.
* * *
“……This is absurd.”
And from a distance, Han Shin watched it all unfold.
It truly was absurd.
Never in his life had he seen anything so ridiculous.
A man in some strange mage’s garb appeared out of nowhere, stood beside Adora, and was monopolizing the sacred items.
Even when Han Shin had once displayed five sacred items, Adora hadn’t said a word to him.
He had no idea why she suddenly kept this man at her side, but what made it even stranger was that Adora herself was finding sacred items and handing them over to him.
Like a mother bird feeding her chick.
The bastard just kept taking without end.
There was no free ride this generous.
No—it transcended the concept of a free ride entirely.
A jet plane. It wasn’t even adequate to compare it to a rocket.
And using the sacred items he’d received, he’d replaced every single sacred item Han Shin had put on display.
Even when he’d had his supplies stolen from the Sushin Dungeon, it wasn’t this infuriating.
Back then, it hadn’t been absurd like this.
He’d simply been curious.
Curious about who had stolen his supplies and how they’d done it.
But now… his current state lay far beyond Han Shin’s capacity to comprehend.
“What is that bastard?”
“He’s not doing anything, just intercepting all the rewards?”
“Someone explain this!”
The onlookers voiced their discontent without exception.
From the way he was swapping out Sacred Items, it was clear he was the same person and a challenger—yet he was claiming every reward without lifting a finger.
Then Han Shin noticed the man beside Adora suddenly clasping her hand.
‘Why is he holding her hand?’
After grasping it once, the man closed his eyes.
Then he reclined lazily atop the massive Muscular Giant Spider King as if fainting.
That was all he ever did.
Han Shin couldn’t fathom why he performed such actions, or why Adora accepted his handshake.
Han Shin’s abilities didn’t function within Adora’s radius, so he had no way of knowing.
‘Is he a Black Mage as well?’
One thing was certain: Adora’s Death was extraordinarily threatening.
And this man was receiving it directly beside her.
If that were the case, he must possess a Class related to Black Magic.
“If he possesses a Class tied to darkness or death, he can approach Adora.”
Han Shin spoke with conviction.
Han Shin was the one who had once held five Sacred Items in his grasp alone.
When such a man opened his mouth, the crowd began to respond.
“Can one be freed from Adora’s Curse?”
“Yes. Like that man there. That must be how one becomes Adora’s closest associate.”
“Like that man…….”
All eyes turned toward the man—Park Chan-woo.
Lying still, basking in Adora’s protection and enjoying every luxury.
It was impossible not to envy how he monopolized every Sacred Item.
The higher they climbed, the more Coins and rewards he would hoard—that much was obvious.
Before long, one man stepped forward.
“I’ll give it a try.”
He was bald with considerable muscle mass.
Dressed in black martial robes, he possessed the Demon Human Class.
If Adora’s Curse were indeed immune to those wielding darkness or death-related Classes, he could draw near and become her closest associate.
“Come with us.”
“Three would be better than two.”
A party formed in an instant.
All of them wielded darkness-aligned Classes.
Greed glimmered in their eyes.
If Han Shin was right, they could amass overwhelming wealth simply by approaching Adora boldly.
Success in the Tower of Pride and a return to South Korea would guarantee fortune.
The scale of riches and power they might seize was almost unimaginable.
‘Each Coin is worth at least a billion won.’
‘If I can just stick by Adora’s side, jackpot is guaranteed.’
‘It’s worth risking my life for!’
Simply standing beside her granted Coins.
If they could nestle close and share in the Sacred Items, multiple Coins would be within reach.
In South Korea, each Coin was currently traded for a minimum value of one billion won.
And they were in such short supply that scarcity itself drove the price.
‘Does he think he’ll devour it all alone?’
‘We won’t let that happen.’
‘That man sticking to Adora’s side—he doesn’t seem to do anything, so he’s clearly worthless.’
No wonder his behavior grated on their nerves.
He genuinely appeared unremarkable.
All he did beside Adora was sleep.
First-mover advantage.
This worthless man was hoarding all the benefits while keeping the strategy hidden from everyone else.
Soon the three men stepped into Adora’s domain.
“Ah……!”
“We’re really not getting cursed!”
The crowd’s eyes widened in shock.
The moment one steps into Adora’s Curse Domain, the skin begins to necrotize.
Yet all three challengers emerged unscathed.
Smiles flickered across their faces—tinged with exhilaration.
It had become certain, just as Han Shin had suggested: Adora could perceive Class tendencies.
She did not scatter her curses upon those who possessed Classes similar to her own.
They strode forward toward Adora with confident strides.
The moment they drew near, they looked between Park Chan-woo and Adora in turn, then dropped to one knee and spoke with ceremony.
“Great Death Witch Adora. Will you accept us as your inner circle?”
“We shall prove far more useful than him!”
“We are certain we would serve far better than such a useless, worm-like creature!”

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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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