Level -99 Archmage - Chapter 54

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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 54. Arrogance Equipment
When he opened his eyes, he found himself already on the fifth floor of the Tower of Arrogance.
While he’d been unconscious, Adora had hunted the Layer Guardians and climbed the tower on her own.
‘The number of reward boxes has increased considerably.’
He checked the top of the message that appeared and nodded slowly.
Eight Coins and twenty-one Arrogance Boxes.
It was a reward beyond imagination.
With this, the total Coins obtained from the ‘Tower of Arrogance’ so far came to thirty-three.
Arrogance Boxes had reached thirty.
‘There’s a reason so many Creators are drawn to this tower.’
Most Creators couldn’t dream of accumulating such quantities of Coins.
The tower scattered them as if sowing seeds, simply by climbing it.
This was the source of why countless Creators hung their hopes on the name of ‘Arrogance.’
When Avatars earned Coins, they split a certain percentage with their Creators, and that alone allowed Creators to strengthen their authority.
And that wasn’t all.
The Arrogance Box was every bit as important a reward as Coins.
‘The more Arrogance Boxes you collect and open, the better the rewards. Once you surpass forty, the chances of Legendary Grade items appearing skyrocket.’
The more boxes accumulated, the higher the Grade of rewards obtained when opened.
In the past, the one who gathered the most boxes from the ‘Tower of Arrogance’ was Han Shin.
Han Shin accumulated fifty boxes and obtained the Prajna Gloves.
The Grade was nothing less than Legendary.
Among those, it was a treasure ranked in the upper echelon, so Han Shin had prized it for quite some time.
Level and equipment were as important as Coins.
The more Arrogance Boxes one collected, the higher the dimensional quality of rewards; it meant there was no loss in continuing to accumulate them.
Already thirty. If he gathered just ten more, he’d have more than enough to attempt the Legendary Grade.
“Hm…?”
The problem was the message that came after the rewards.
Park Chan-woo furrowed his brow upon reading the text that followed the rewards.
“What’s wrong?”
As Park Chan-woo grew serious, Adora asked.
“No… it’s nothing.”
Park Chan-woo shook his head, trying to brush it off.
But no matter how many times he looked, the contents of the message were shocking.
‘It’s proposing a trade?’
…What the Tower of Arrogance had suggested.
It went beyond shocking—it was unprecedented in its audacity.
Fifty Coins, one hundred Arrogance Boxes.
And.
‘Arrogance Equipment…!’
…This was insane.
Arrogance Equipment.
And it wasn’t simply offering to give it to him.
It was offering him a choice among the equipment bearing the name ‘Arrogance.’
‘One of Sword King Yi Hyeok-su’s cherished blades was the Sword of Arrogance.’
It was one of the five-blade collection that Sword King Yi Hyeok-su wielded.
Among those five blades, the second finest was none other than the Sword of Arrogance.
Yi Hyeok-su used the Sword of Arrogance only against inevitable foes, and whenever he drew it, he killed.
For this reason, it carried the nicknames ‘the Blade of Certain Death’ or ‘the Blade of Instant Slaughter.’
Moreover, Yi Hyeok-su switched between his five blades according to his opponent’s skill.
When he faced Park Chan-woo, Yi Hyeok-su used only his fifth collection, Gaz Knight’s Greatsword.
‘The Japanese Spear Demon Seiichi was famous as a wielder of the Spear of Arrogance.’
Seiichi was called the Demon of the Spear.
He died before reaching Level 99 and became an actual ghost, but he was a prodigy Park Chan-woo himself acknowledged.
A high ranker from Japan whom he’d believed without doubt would achieve maximum level.
When Seiichi gripped the Spear of Arrogance, he was possessed by a spirit.
Had he not gone mad and lost himself, his legacy would have been magnificent.
In the end, he met his death at Han Shin’s hand after his madness consumed him.
‘The Iron Colossus Aleksei… the giant who wore the Iron Breastplate of Arrogance. Yes, that one existed too.’
He was a monstrous being.
His offensive power was lackluster, yet his defense was nothing short of miraculous.
If someone asked him to name the three people he’d least want to face at the vanguard, Aleksei would certainly be among them.
Once he charged in wearing the Iron Breastplate of Arrogance, there was simply no way out.
Similarly, he’d been a frontrunner to achieve max level, yet Han Shin had killed him.
‘When I think about it, everyone who possessed the Arrogance Equipment except Yi Hyeok-su died at Han Shin’s hands.’
It wasn’t just the Arrogance Equipment holders.
Most of those likely to achieve max level had died to Han Shin.
That was why only five people had ever reached Level 99.
Of course, he hadn’t killed them without cause.
Han Shin had launched sweeping hunts under various pretexts—claiming they were mad, had committed unspeakable atrocities, or were the worst of Avatars.
At the time, an absolute majority had believed those claims.
But every word was a brazen lie.
‘The Arrogance Equipment is a kind of possibility. A name given only to those with the talent to reach Level 99. And Han Shin is the worst attention-seeker, someone who can’t bear to see anyone gain more recognition than himself.’
Only those who posed no threat or received no attention had survived.
Park Chan-woo, for instance, was a demon swordmaster.
Even if he’d come to the path of magic late and achieved Level 99, it would be difficult for him to gain a status that threatened Han Shin.
And Yi Hyeok-su, the Sword King?
A reclusive hermit with no intention of stepping into the light.
The other two possessed similar dispositions.
Everyone’s gaze had naturally fixed on Han Shin, and he savored that attention.
A psychopath who believed all his actions were justified.
A madman who insisted only he deserved recognition.
And a bastard who thoroughly destroyed anything he couldn’t possess.
That was Han Shin.
So, if he accepted this proposal here, he would become the first to obtain Arrogance Equipment, and gain a means to outwit Han Shin.
‘Fifty Coins and a hundred Arrogance Boxes alone would make my eyes spin.’
To claim he wasn’t tempted would be a lie.
In fact, if he refused, he couldn’t blame anyone for calling him an idiot.
No matter how safely he climbed the tower with Adora’s help, this place overflowed with variables.
There were enemies even she had to take seriously.
If she let her guard slip for even a moment, he would become lost to the other shore.
Park Chan-woo considered this.
‘The Tower of Arrogance wants Kankun and Adora to fight at their absolute best.’
For that purpose, the Tower of Arrogance had sent him to Adora’s side.
It wanted Kankun and Adora to overcome their own weaknesses and clash at their peak.
But now it was telling him to leave.
‘I see. It thinks my presence interferes with their fight.’
He understood why they’d made such a proposal.
Adora intended to overcome death and, moreover, attempt reconciliation with Kankun.
If she could control and command death completely, there was a real chance that attempt might succeed.
Now his presence was seen as an obstacle.
…Accept, or refuse?
《The structure of the fifth floor of the Tower of Arrogance is being altered.》
《From this moment, Inventory use is restricted.》
《Everything in the tower will begin to carry potent toxins and curses.》
《From the fifth floor onward, you cannot descend the tower. Only complete exit is possible.》
The tower’s very structure abruptly changed.
It seemed intent on forcing his choice.
If Inventory use became impossible from the fifth floor onward, and everything carried toxins and curses—
‘Water and food will be the problem.’
The gravest concern was water and provisions.
A human had to eat to survive.
One couldn’t last without food and water.
With Celestial Toxin Immunity, he could endure most poisons well enough, but curses were different.
Except for curses related to death, Park Chan-woo was vulnerable to all others.
“What are you pondering?” Adora asked again, sensing something amiss.
She seemed to intuitively grasp that Park Chan-woo was deliberating whether to leave or remain in the tower.

‘I should go.’
By every measure, leaving was the right choice.
Aside from the contents of the deal itself, the Tower of Arrogance no longer welcomed his ascent.
If he forced his way up, the Tower would push back even harder.
“You’re thinking of leaving the Tower?”
Adora’s intuition was remarkably sharp.
She could sense what he was wrestling with almost immediately.
“…I’m still considering it.”
So he answered honestly.
There was no point in lying to her—it would only disappoint her.
Adora responded calmly.
“I won’t stop you. This is enough.”
As if to say she’d done what she came to do.
Adora would not object to his departure.
If he turned back now, she would not stand in his way.
The path out of the Tower lay open before him, unobstructed.
Park Chan-woo considered the matter carefully, then spoke.
“Dagon.”
Poof!
Dagon appeared in an awkward stance amid a cloud of smoke.
The demon merchant released a deep sigh.
“Aren’t you calling on me rather frequently? And who is that beside you… hack! A, a witch?!”
The moment he sensed the presence of the witch Adora.
Dagon’s eyes widened and he scrambled backward a step.
Park Chan-woo spoke reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. As long as you don’t attack, you’ll be fine.”
“W-what are you saying! Witches are absolutely untrustworthy creatures! They’re the very scourge of the Abyss!”
“Perhaps to demons.”
“…M-may I ask what you’ve called me for?”
Dagon composed himself and asked, forcing a steady tone.
This wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed such eccentricity.
Besides, Dagon was convinced Park Chan-woo was the Dragon God Sephiro.
It was common knowledge that the Dragon God was an unpredictable being.
Panicking or trembling at his whims would only work against him.
Better to ask his purpose first.
When Dagon asked, Park Chan-woo replied as if it were nothing.
“You’ll need to work hard for a while.”
“Me? What sort of work are you referring to?”
“Cooking.”
“…?”
“Prepare the monsters I hunt so I can eat them.”
“I… beg your pardon?”
“I’m taking your agreement as given.”
“Y-yes…?”
Thus was Park Chan-woo’s personal demon chef born.
* * *
Park Chan-woo did not abandon his ascent of the Tower.
‘The fact that it offered to let me quit means there’s a chance I could obtain something greater.’
He had sensed this possibility.
The Tower’s proposal.
Viewed differently, it was no different from a Creator on the verge of bankruptcy.
Don’t Creators twist themselves into knots trying to lower their compensation when facing ruin?
What if the Tower of Arrogance’s offer operated on the same principle?
‘It’s worth attempting.’
Wouldn’t the fruit waiting at the journey’s end taste far sweeter than what the Tower had offered?
“Delicious.”
Park Chan-woo spoke briefly in admiration as he ate the dish made from the Blue Beholder that had ruled the Tower’s fifth floor.
The Blue Beholder was a blue-eyed creature that fired azure beams from its eyes, making it quite formidable to face.
Dagon had butchered the Blue Beholder that Adora hunted, selected only the portions free of curses, purged the toxins, and transformed it into a surprisingly palatable dish.
“Please keep this between us, sir…”
Dagon, now an unwilling monster chef, sighed.
If it became known that a demon was cooking for a human, every demon would point fingers at Dagon.
“…In any case, I’m relieved the flavor suited your palate.”
Even so, the praise didn’t sit badly with him.
Few demons took the trouble to cook, or harbored such refined culinary tastes.
Dagon delighted in crafting dishes from every conceivable ingredient.
Thanks to this habit, he could process even the most absurd materials to suit Park Chan-woo’s palate.
“Here.”
Ting!
Park Chan-woo flicked his finger once he’d finished eating.
Dagon’s eyes widened as he caught what flew toward him.
“This—this is a Coin, isn’t it…!”
“Keep cooking for me from now on.”
“Leave it to me!”
Dagon bowed his head.
Park Chan-woo was a contractor who honored his bargains.
After all, Park Chan-woo’s true identity was the Dragon God Sephir.
Not human at all—a bow was nothing.
If he were the real Sephir, Dagon wouldn’t even dare to look him in the eye; the creature would be beyond monstrous.
With that thought, gratitude came without hesitation.
Park Chan-woo drew another Coin from his pocket.
“Then—may I ask one more thing?”
“Yes! Anything at all!”
His eagerness blazed to life.
So long as he could earn Coins, a moment’s shame was easy to forget.
Park Chan-woo pointed toward Adora and spoke.
“Try holding her hand.”

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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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