Level -99 Archmage

Chapter 5. Endgame Class

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heart pounded like crazy, But there was nothing he could do to calm his excitement.

‘An Eternal-grade item…!’

Eternal-grade equipment was almost unheard of, even in Diamond Boxes. Even up until the moment before his regression, he had only obtained three Eternal-grade weapons. Items found in the Abyss were categorized into eight grades: Normal, Rare, Unique, Epic, Ancient, Legendary, Eternal, and Zero.

The highest possible grade from a Gold Box was Epic. For Platinum Boxes, Legendary was the limit. Eternal-grade items should never appear from this box.

‘…I remember hearing rumors that higher-tier boxes can sometimes yield equipment beyond their normal grade limits.’

But even those occurrences were incredibly rare. For a Platinum Box to produce an Eternal-grade item was completely unheard of. Except for the ‘Holy Grail of the Sealed Demon God’, he had never possessed a Zero-grade item, making Eternal-grade the highest-tier equipment that there was a chance to be obtained from the Abyss. And it wasn’t just the grade that was astonishing.

‘These are all endgame-class items.’

Just reading their names made his mind go blank. These were the legendary final weapons, the so-called “endgame” equipment. World Tree Staff, Helmet of the Annihilator King, True Demon Dragon’s Heart,  Book of Stars Magic, Gaz Knight’s Greatsword.

Each of these was a weapon of legends, capable of defining an era. Even for high-rankers, having one of these items was the difference between being at the top or being forgotten. These were proofs of supremacy, the monopoly of the strongest, and the weapons that truly determined an absolute victor.

‘And I can only choose one?’

It was a tough decision. He sought the path of truth, but at his core, Park Chan-woo had always been a warrior and a knight. The Crown of the Annihilator King and Gaz Knight’s Greatsword weren’t magic-based, but their sheer value made them difficult to pass up.

‘Ghaz Knight’s Greatsword, that was Sword King, Lee Hyuk-soo’s treasured weapon.’

The Gaz Knight’s Greatsword was one of five swords wielded by Lee Hyuk-soo, the Sword King. He vividly remembered the sight of that blade shattering the Skull Demon King’s head into pieces. He had longed for it. More than anything. Park Chan-woo had always had terrible luck with equipment. Especially when it came to swords, he had never obtained a single proper one.

‘If I start with that sword, I can walk the path of a true knight, but…

The weapon’s passive effect alone was akin to cheating, it boosted all sword-related skills. With it, he could dominate as a knight like never before. But Park Chan-woo shook his head. His true talent was not in the sword. Even if he started with the greatest blade, even if he fully armed himself, he would never reach the level of Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo. He had already lived through it once. His choice had been decided from the beginning.

『Selection completed.』

『You have obtained the ‘World Tree Staff.’』

[Item: World Tree Staff]

Level: -98

Grade: Eternal

Description: A staff crafted from the World Tree by Agzoth, the God of Blacksmiths. In an ancient civilization where magic had reached its peak, only the most powerful ‘Great Magicians’ could wield this staff.

Equip Type: One-handed Staff

Attack Power: 31

Durability: 1,500

Unique Options:

Increases Magic Power by 10.

Enhances all spells by one tier.

Allows one chosen spell to transcend into a ‘Great Magic.’

Park Chan-woo’s eyes trembled.

The World Tree Staff’s unique options were insane. Every magician would kill to have this staff.

‘Great Magic. That means turning a spell into a divine authority.’

But the most important part was the third option. By choosing one spell, he could elevate it to an entirely different realm of power.

Park Chan-woo smirked. He wasn’t even a mage yet, but he soon would become one.

‘…I will walk the path of the Archmage.’

The Dragon God, Sephiro. That monster. So many had tried to challenge it, only to fail miserably. However, out of all those warriors, only Park Chan-woo had managed to leave a scar on its body. Even the Master of Magic had acknowledged him and called him an Archmage. This time, if he properly walked the path of truth, he could reach a different outcome.

‘It’s already evening.’

Park Chan-woo glanced out the window. The sun had set completely. The surrounding has already gone dark. This was the time when people let their guards down, believing they were safe. They thought the Abyss wouldn’t open again so soon.

Park Chan-woo once thought the same in the past.

‘They don’t give a rat’s ass about our circumstances.’

Park Chan-woo looked up at the full moon. Soon, a short message appeared before all of humanity.

『It is now ‘Night.’』

『The Abyss of the ‘First Night’ will soon open.』

『Earthlings who wish to participate, please look at the ‘moon’ right now.』

『The event will begin once 2,000,000 participants have gathered.』

『If the required number is not met within 30 minutes, the ‘Abyss of Death’ will open across the entire Earth.』

Night has fallen.

For some, it could have become the most brutal night and  for some others, it could have become the most important one.

Park Chan-woo was already looking at the moon.

‘If the Abyss of Death opens, at least tens of millions will die.’

The Abyss of Death was the worst-case scenario. Humanity had experienced a ‘Death Abyss’ once in his past life, and afterwards, people always desperately tried to meet the required participant count, no matter what. To see Grim Reapers appear all over the world, mercilessly slaughtering people and not stopping until the sunrise, that’s what it would do to you.

However, those who entered the ‘Abyss of Night’ could obtain limitless rewards. It didn’t open frequently, and the more special the night, the greater the treasures it yielded. Naturally, the Abyss of the ‘First Night’ was more special than any other. It was said to contain priceless, invaluable treasures beyond measure.

‘I didn’t participate back then.’

In the past, he had been too afraid to join after what had happened at lunchtime. Not just him, most people had felt the same way. Of course, there had been concerns that they wouldn’t reach 2 million participants in time.

But—

‘There are more crazy people in this world than you’d think.’

And now, Park Chan-woo was one of them. There were only two things he wanted from the ‘Abyss of the First Night.’

‘I need to obtain a class and find the Philosopher’s Stone. I must achieve these two things at all costs.’

These two would serve as the foundation for his rapid growth. He needed to obtain the Mage class and find the Philosopher’s Stone. It was said that the Philosopher’s Stone, also known as the Magician’s Stone, had been discovered in the Abyss of the First Night.

However, it had only been found. No one had ever obtained it. But if he truly wanted to walk the path of an Archmage, he had to obtain it. The Philosopher’s Stone was a growth-type treasure that became exponentially more valuable the earlier it was obtained. If he could get his hands on it now, he would be one step closer to the Dragon God, Sephiro.

‘I will surpass you, Sephiro.’

No, Park Chan-woo was greedy for even more, His goal was to become an absolute being that no one could challenge. Now the text he was looking forward to popped before his eyes.

『Participation has been confirmed.』

『2,000,000 participants have gathered.』

『Participants will now enter the ‘Abyss of the First Night.’』

『You must work together until morning to kill ‘Twelve Divine Generals.’』

『Everything needed to defeat the Twelve Divine Generals exists within this Abyss.』

『If the Twelve Divine Generals are not all killed, any participant ranked below 20,000 in contribution point will die.』

BOOOOOOOM!

Suddenly, in the distance, a massive explosion erupted. Something had fallen from the sky like a comet, vaporizing everything in the surrounding area.

‘The Twelve Divine Generals.’

One of them had appeared in Korea.

— “Lee Hyuk-soo. If you could go back to the past, what would you avoid no matter what?”

— “…Have you gone nuts, why do you keep asking these strange questions? Asking me If I could go back to the past, what would I avoid no matter what?

Lee Hyuk-soo, the Sword King. He was one of humanity’s strongest warriors, the third person to reach Level 99. Back in the Dragon God War, during the moment when their entire last-resort squad was being slaughtered, he had answered with a look of sheer frustration.

—”…Without a doubt, the ‘Abyss of the First Night.’ The other Generals can be defeated, but that Dragon God General is absolutely impossible to kill.”

If he could turn back time, he said he would never enter the Abyss of the First Night. And he would never fight the Dragon God General.

‘Lee Hyuk-soo must be here too.’

As he watched the world plunge into the Abyss, Park Chan-woo thought to himself. The Sword King, Lee Hyuk-soo, should be in this Abyss, and so was the Dragon God General, the most infamous and dreadful of them all, The one who had slaughtered 1.98 million people in the past.