Chapter 5: The Final Stage
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart was racing wildly.
Breathing became increasingly difficult.
But I couldn’t calm my excitement.
‘Eternal grade, huh…!’
Eternal grade items are rarely found even in Diamond Boxes.
Before the regression, I only had a maximum of three Eternal grade weapons.
Items available in the Abyss are divided into eight grades: Normal, Rare, Unique, Epic, Ancient, Legendary, Eternal, and Zero.
The highest grade obtainable from Gold Boxes is Epic.
The maximum grade from Platinum Boxes is Legendary.
It’s a grade that should never appear ordinarily.
‘I’ve heard that sometimes higher grades appear when the box’s quality increases.’
Even that is extremely rare.
However, hearing that an ‘Eternal grade’ came out of a Platinum Box was unheard of.
‘Apart from the Holy Grail of the Demon God,’ there were no Zero grade equipment or tools available to me, making it effectively the highest grade obtainable in the Abyss.
The remarkable thing is not just the grade.
‘They are all final-stage.’
Items often called ‘Final’ just by their name, causing my mind to go blank.
The World Tree Staff, the Helm of the Demon King, and the Greatsword of the Kaz Knight were all top-tier Eternal grade equipment.
Even with a high level, one cannot become a high ranker without such support.
These are the exclusive possessions of the strongest and are thus called ‘Final.’
What about the Heart of the True Dragon and the Book of the Stars?
Consuming the Heart of the True Dragon can change your constitution.
The Book of the Stars is used to transition into a ‘Star Mage.’
Both are items that any mage would drool over and aim for.
‘You want me to choose just one out of these?’
Honestly, it wasn’t easy to choose.
Although he aspired to walk the path of truth, Park Chan-woo was originally a warrior and a knight.
Even though the Helm of the Demon King and the Greatsword of the Kaz Knight were unrelated to mages, knowing their worth made them hard to give up.
‘The Greatsword of the Kaz Knight was one of the swords used by the Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo.’
Especially, the ‘Greatsword of the Kaz Knight’ was one of the five swords in the collection of the Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo.
The image of him smashing the head of the Demon King with that greatsword was still vivid in my mind.
How envious I was.
Park Chan-woo was not lucky with equipment.
He didn’t even have a proper sword.
‘Starting with that sword would allow me to properly walk the path of a knight, but…’
A cheat-like effect that increases the level of all skills related to swords.
I would be able to assert myself more strongly as a knight than before.
However, Park Chan-woo shook his head.
His aptitude was not with swords. Although rapid growth might be possible, he couldn’t reach the extreme.
Even with a good sword and perfect armor, it would be the same.
He could never reach the level that the Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo had achieved.
He had already experienced that once.
The reward he would choose was predetermined from the beginning.
《Selection of rewards completed.》
《Acquired ‘World Tree Staff’.》
Name: World Tree Staff
Level: -98
Grade: Eternal
Description: A staff made by the God of Blacksmiths, Agzos, using the World Tree as material. It is said that in ancient times, only the ‘Archmage,’ who was the greatest mage in a highly magical civilization, could use this staff.
Equip Slot: Staff (one-handed weapon)
Attack Power: 31
Durability: 1,500
Unique Options:
Increases mana by 10.
Enhances the grade of all magic by one level.
Transcends one chosen spell into ‘Great Magic.’
Park Chan-woo’s eyes trembled slightly.
The unique options attached to the World Tree Staff were truly terrifying.
They were abilities any mage would dream of.
‘Great Magic. It means empowering magic with divine power.’
The most important thing is the third option.
Transcending one chosen spell into Great Magic means bestowing divine-like performance on an ordinary spell.
Park Chan-woo smiled faintly.
Although he wasn’t a mage yet, he would be soon.
‘…Walking the path of the Great Mage.’
The Dragon God Sephiroth.
Many have failed to reach him.
The only one to injure his physical body was Park Chan-woo’s magic.
The master of magic admired him enough to call him a Great Mage, so if he walked the path of truth properly, he could produce different results.
‘It’s already evening.’
Park Chan-woo looked out the window.
The setting sun had completely disappeared.
The world was now filled with darkness.
It was time for everyone to start going to sleep for the next day.
At this moment, people were all off guard.
Could it be that the Abyss would open again today?
Would this continue to repeat?
Past Park Chan-woo thought the same way.
‘They don’t consider our situation.’
Park Chan-woo looked up at the full moon.
Soon, a brief message appeared in front of all humanity.
《It is now night.》
《The Abyss of the First Night will soon open.》
《Earthlings wishing to participate should now look at the ‘Moon.’》
《The event will start when 2,000,000 participants gather.》
《If the number above is not reached within 30 minutes, a ‘Death Abyss’ will open across the Earth.》
It was night.
For some, it might be the most brutal night, and for others, it might be the most important.
Park Chan-woo was already looking at the moon.
‘If the Death Abyss opens, at least tens of millions will die.’
The Death Abyss is the worst.
Humanity had experienced the Death Abyss once before, and since then, they had done everything possible to meet the participant quota.
Reapers appeared across the globe and slaughtered people indiscriminately until dawn.
However, participating in the Night Abyss offered boundless rewards.
It was rare to open, and especially on a special ‘night,’ it yielded even more valuable rewards.
Naturally, the Abyss of the First Night was a more special night than any other. It was said to have treasures of immeasurable value.
‘I didn’t participate.’
But he, in the past, did not participate in this Abyss.
Too scared from what happened at lunch, he couldn’t muster the courage to participate.
Not just Park Chan-woo, but most people were the same.
Naturally, people worried about whether the 2 million participants would be reached.
But.
‘There are more crazy people in the world than I thought.’
Now, Park Chan-woo had become one of them.
What he wanted from the ‘Abyss of the First Night’ was just two things.
‘…To obtain the class and find the Mage’s Stone. These two things must be accomplished.’
The foundation for rapid growth.
Finding the Mage’s Stone and obtaining the Mage class.
It was said that the Philosopher’s Stone, also known as the Mage’s Stone, was discovered in the Abyss of the First Night.
Of course, it was only discovered. No one had obtained the Mage’s Stone.
But if he wanted to truly walk the path of the Great Mage, he had to find it.
The Mage’s Stone was a ‘growth-type treasure’ where the earlier you obtained it, the greater the benefit.
At this point, if he could obtain the Mage’s Stone, he would be a step closer to the Dragon God Sephiroth.
‘Make sure to surpass him. Sephiroth.’
No, Park Chan-woo wanted even more.
His goal was to become an invincible being no one could challenge.
Soon, the message waiting for him appeared.
《Participation completed.》
《2,000,000 participants have gathered.》
《Participants will now enter the ‘Abyss of the First Night’.》
《Work together to defeat the ‘Twelve Gods’ before morning!》
《Everything needed to kill the Twelve Gods is within this ‘Abyss’.》
《If the Twelve Gods are not all killed, participants ranked below 20,000 in contribution will all die.》
Boom!
At that moment, a massive explosion occurred in the distance.
Something, like a comet, came crashing down from the sky, vaporizing the surrounding area.
‘It’s one of the Twelve Gods.’
One of the Twelve Gods appeared in Korea.
Lee Hyuk-soo. If you could go back to the past, what would you most want to avoid?
…Asking such strange questions. What should I avoid if I go back to the past?
Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo.
One of the strongest humans who reached level 99 for the third time.
On the road to the Dragon God’s domain. At the time when all members of the death squad were dying.
He, known as the Abyss Hunter, never avoided a battle and had an indomitable spirit. When asked by Park Chan-woo, he answered with an expression of disgust.
…Of course, the ‘Abyss of the First Night’. Other Twelve Gods can be tackled, but that ‘Dragon God’ is one that can never be killed.
If he could turn back time, he would definitely avoid the First Night’s Abyss.
Especially, he would never fight the Dragon God.
‘A fight with the Dragon God…’
But now he had to.
Park Chan-woo took a deep breath.
The night was bound to be long.
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