Chapter 158
The four faction paths were all connected around the Temple of Death.
Once all trials were completed, the temple would rise, and with it would appear death incarnate—‘Anubis’—as originally planned by Ahheta.
If they failed to complete everything within five days, three of the four factions with the lowest performance would be destroyed, and everyone in them would die.
Only one faction could survive.
—All four factions must complete their trials before night ends?
—Ah, that is the condition for ‘Anubis’ to appear.
—To think Ahheta would even summon Anubis.
—Then connecting the temple paths must have been to allow the factions to help one another.
The Creator Community was ablaze with discussions about the ‘Third Night’.
Ahheta’s masterpiece.
The summoning of the Super Blue Moon meant he was going all in.
A clear declaration of intent—to wipe out humanity.
But Earth was a newly linked dimension, having only recently connected to the Abyss.
Despite being the weakest species among all dimensions connected thus far, humans had already defeated Ahheta twice in a row—a miraculous feat.
Perhaps because of that,
Interest in the ‘Third Night’ was hotter than ever.
Since this Abyss had been meticulously crafted by Ahheta, the master of night and ‘Lord of the Moon’, other Creators could not help but pay attention.
—Helping each other?
—Hah!
—It’s the opposite.
—War.
—Surely, it will lead to slaughter!
Naturally, they were curious about the systems Ahheta had set up.
The place one could reach after completing the final trial.
There, all factions could meet.
As said, the faction that finished first could aid the others.
But humans were not rational.
And humans were easily swayed by propaganda.
By triggering a war using the ‘Incarnations’ hidden among them, a bloodbath could easily ensue.
—It’s well made.
—The ‘Third Night’ is definitely different from the previous ones.
—What are the chances humans win?
—Less than 1%.
—No Creator in their right mind would bet coins on a human victory.
—Betting on survival rates is smarter.
—Yeah, true.
—How many do you think will survive?
—5%? 10%?
A war between the Legion of Death and humanity.
No sane demon would bet on humanity’s victory.
Even if all four factions completed their trials, the final boss to appear would be none other than ‘Anubis’.
Ahheta’s loyal servant and a monster coveted even by other Creators—the apex of ‘death’, undefeated since his appearance.
It was wiser to bet on what percentage of humanity might survive.
After all, one faction would make it through.
—How many coins will pour out once the Temple of Death is summoned on Earth?
—Just imagining it gives me chills.
—Now begins the true festival.
—Ahheta set the stage; we only have to enjoy it.
The destruction of a world generates an astronomical amount of coins.
But only a handful of Creators could craft an ‘Abyss of Creation’ capable of destroying a world.
Only Creators of demon lord rank or higher.
As one of them, Ahheta—Lord of the Night—had the power to threaten Earth and humanity with the ‘Third Night’.
But to bring ruin, he had to be prepared to face ruin himself.
Creating a vast Abyss of Creation required pouring in more coins and resources than any return could guarantee.
Still, none of the Creators expected Ahheta to fall.
He had already annihilated countless dimensions and species.
…Until that moment.
—What if, by some miracle, Ahheta is defeated?
A Creator posed the question in the community.
Entertaining the possibility that humanity might actually win.
Though unthinkable, Ahheta had played his trump card in just the Third Night.
That alone showed how much of a threat humanity had become.
—At minimum, he would have to give up his seat as ‘Master of Night’.
—But the final opponent is ‘Anubis’.
—Ahheta’s ultimate card.
No one mentioned bankruptcy.
Ahheta possessed treasures vast enough to blanket the world.
Unless an unimaginable anomaly occurred, he would not go bankrupt.
…But then.
At some point, the Creator Community’s conversations abruptly ceased.
It couldn’t be helped.
—…Legendary Quest?
…Because the anomaly had occurred.
An incomprehensible anomaly that left them all speechless!
—
Ahheta’s gaze remained fixated on the Mage Camp.
He had been searching for the one who chose the Mage faction.
That’s why he hadn’t seen it.
The moment that man forcibly cleared every faction’s ‘final trial’.
Thanks to that, it was achieved with ease.
The Legendary Quest: He Who Gazes Upon the End!
‘So this territory has a sealed ancient being as well.’
How fascinating.
The Legendary Quest hadn’t been prepared by Ahheta.
It was more like a hidden event—an Easter egg.
A saga of the Abyss.
Long ago, the demons of the Abyss launched reckless wars to expand their territory.
In the process, some ancient beings were forcibly sealed within their lands.
This was their tale.
‘In the Second Night, I sealed Khan in the palace.’
Khan the Conqueror!
Ahheta hadn’t killed him. He sealed him.
Or rather—he couldn’t kill him, so he sealed him.
Because Ahheta hadn’t realized that destroying the palace entirely was the only way to kill Khan.
But the ‘Land of Valhalla’ had been too enticing.
So Ahheta forcibly seized it, even if it meant sealing Khan.
The same applied here.
‘There must be a true owner of this land—one Ahheta could not kill.’
Who could it be?
Who would possess such a vast and death-filled land?
Park Chan-woo looked around.
A mystical land that endlessly drew humanity in.
The Super Blue Moon summoned by Ahheta only served as a gateway—its true value lay in the land itself.
It was not simply land prepared for ‘death’.
It was holy land, existing for something far grander and nobler.
‘A place where sacred beings who fought against death fell from grace.’
Clack! Clack!
Around him moved 150 death soldiers, their bones rattling.
They had been taken from the final trials of the Mage, Thief, and Sage factions.
All of them once worshipped gods.
It could not be coincidence.
Which meant this land’s true owner might be…
‘…a god.’
The god they once worshipped.
And the reason any of this was possible—
Was all thanks to the ‘Radiant Anubis’, Boksil.
‘Anubis had engraved the Flower of Death into their bodies.’
And Boksil had erased it.
Afterward, when they accepted the Flower of Life, they shone brilliantly and evolved further.
They regained their memories and sense of self, and pledged loyalty to him.
However—
“What are you all staring at?”
After the Legendary Quest appeared, all the soldiers were staring at one spot.
The center where all four factions connected.
The place where Anubis and the ‘Temple of Death’ would appear once all trials were complete.
When Park Chan-woo asked, puzzled—
“Ah, I can feel it.”
“The true being of ‘the end’!”
…The true final existence.
Just as Park Chan-woo tilted his head—
Ruuuuumble!
The ground began to quake violently.
And then—
Ding!
《The ‘Temple of Death’ appears.》
《Enter the ‘Temple of Death’ and seek out the sealed ‘Ancient Being’!》
《Must be completed before the ‘Third Night’ ends.》
《Due to the conditions of ‘He Who Gazes Upon the End’ being met, all ‘watchers’ are blocked from observing the ‘Temple of Death’ during the Legendary Quest.》
《Even Creators and the Lord of the Moon, Ahheta, are included.》
……The Temple of Death had risen.
It was strange.
‘Wasn’t the Temple of Death Ahheta’s?’
If an ancient being was sealed inside—
Could Ahheta have sealed it personally?
But if it were his, it should be visible to him.
Yet the message clearly stated that even Ahheta couldn’t observe it.
Proof that the temple itself may not belong to Ahheta.
‘Perhaps Ahheta has no direct relation to death.’
That could be.
After all, Ahheta was the ‘Lord of the Moon’ and ‘Master of the Night’, not of death.
It was easy to associate moon and night with death, but that was misleading.
……This was progressing very differently from the ‘Palace of Khan’.
More importantly—
‘Anubis, who should be guarding the entrance, is nowhere to be seen.’
The Anubis who should be guarding the temple’s entrance had not appeared.
Maybe because not all trials were completed yet.
‘What to do.’
He pondered.
Entering with the soldiers would be safer.
But the problem was Anubis.
As Ahheta’s trump card, he might be forcibly summoned if Ahheta sensed the anomaly.
After brief deliberation, he spoke.
“You all go assist the other factions with their trials.”
“We won’t be going with you?”
“I’ll go alone.”
Park Chan-woo shook his head.
Joining Gula to eliminate Anubis was just as important as entering the temple.
If they left Anubis unchecked, it could directly lead to humanity’s defeat.
‘Ahheta will definitely summon Anubis and try to end the Third Night by force.’
He wouldn’t tolerate the shame of losing his territory again.
He would try to end the night prematurely and stop the Legendary Quest.
Therefore, bringing everyone would only invite defeat.
‘If all faction trials are completed quickly, I’ll be empowered even further.’
No matter how he thought about it, leaving them was the better move.
With their help, the remaining faction trials would pose no issue.
Tap.
With his decision made, Park Chan-woo entered the temple without hesitation.
Ding!
《You are entering the ‘Temple of Death’!》
《Be warned. Death overflows in this place.》
《It is the final resting place where countless dimensions and species met their end.》
《Beware not to be consumed by death!》