Chapter 161
The moment he checked the rising message.
‘Outer God…!’
Park Chan-woo couldn’t help but exclaim.
It wasn’t death but eternity. Since the one who governed that name was the master of the temple, an Outer God.
Among ancient beings, they were considered exceptionally unique transcendents.
Nothing about them had ever been clearly interpreted.
Some revered them as true gods.
Others used the title ‘Outer God’ to refer to beings who had surpassed worlds and awakened to heights so vast that they attained divinity itself.
Opinions varied, but one thing was certain—they were superior by their very existence.
However, Park Chan-woo knew exactly what it meant.
Outer God.
Also called an external deity.
‘Dimension destroyers that should only exist inside the Great Rift.’
The Great Rift.
Ever since the Abyss appeared, dimension destroyers had emerged from it several times, heralding the end.
Unlike ordinary rifts, the Great Rift unfolded in entirely different forms, and the sea monsters that erupted from within were strong enough to threaten all species, including even the Abyss.
Park Chan-woo had never personally experienced a Great Rift.
But he had seen, once in the distant past, an ‘ancient being’ sealed after emerging from one.
It had been called an external deity, wielding godlike abilities worthy of its name.
‘So Ahheta sealed an Outer God here.’
Now he understood why Ahheta obsessed over the Temple of Death.
And why he treasured this place beyond all else.
A temple where an external deity was sealed.
A being strong enough to store souls and even shape them—any lord would covet such a thing.
He also understood why this land of the “Third Night” overflowed with mystery.
The mana here differed from ordinary territories on an entirely different level.
Ahheta had chosen and reshaped this land to endure an external deity.
With such tremendous investment, what was he trying to gain?
‘A wish.’
He could guess that too.
The creation of a species beyond the Twelve Species.
Ahheta’s wish had been to create a new race.
Whether he succeeded or not was unclear, but knowing the Outer Gods, it didn’t seem impossible.
He quietly stroked his chin.
A wish granted exactly as spoken.
A simple phrase, yet if it were truly possible—
‘…I could erase the terminal condition.’
Eliminating the already fixed and progressing “Minus Level” wasn’t easy.
No—there was no need to remove it.
That negative level meant his growth potential and limits were extraordinarily high.
Though difficult at first, each level he gained placed him further ahead of others.
But the “terminal condition” was different.
It was tied directly to Park Chan-woo’s death.
With fewer than 500 days left, if he did not return to a normal level within that time, he would die due to the [Terminal] status ailment.
‘Honestly, it’s tight.’
He believed he could manage it by leveling at his current pace, but the reality was far harsher.
It would not be easy.
Returning to a normal level before the terminal countdown ended.
But if he could erase the “terminal condition,” time would no longer matter.
He would only need to keep getting stronger.
‘The World Tree’s fruit nearly killed me when I tried to remove the terminal condition.’
The World Tree’s fruit that removed all status ailments.
He had barely obtained it from the Devil Merchant Dagon, and upon consuming it, he had hovered on the brink of death.
It shortened his terminal countdown instead.
Had Radiant Anubis “Boksil” not sacrificed herself as an offering for him, the outcome would have been too horrific to imagine.
‘……The power of an Outer God can’t even be compared to the World Tree’s fruit.’
But this time—
Perhaps… it might be possible.
An external deity had declared, “I will grant your wish.”
A being of such overwhelming destruction could very well annihilate the terminal condition.
-We will help you.
-Our friend!
-We sense the scent of a warrior from you.
At that moment.
The chimeric beings formed from mixed souls in Zone 1 began gathering around him.
They were all orcs.
After he defeated the Orc Lord, the ruler of Zone 1, they had all regained their original forms.
Their number reached at least fifty thousand.
Orcs swarmed endlessly.
Only the chosen warriors among them stood here.
At last, the orc legion was complete.
Ding!
《Countless orc souls sincerely follow you.》
《You have acquired the title ‘Orc’s Ally’.》
《From now on, all orcs will show favor toward you.》
《You have gained 1 ‘Class Level Point’.》
《‘Essence of the Orc Lord’ strengthens the class hidden trait ‘Eternal Sword’.》
And that was not all.
He had acquired orc-related titles and even retrieved a class level point.
‘Eternal Sword has been strengthened?’
But one thing puzzled him—there was no indication of how the hidden trait had changed.
He immediately checked his status window.
Perhaps a description had been added.
「Eternal Sword」 – Temporarily allows ownership of a weapon recognized as someone else’s “sword.”
But nothing had changed.
The description was identical to before.
As Park Chan-woo tilted his head—
“Strange. Why did the Orc Lord’s essence strengthen my sword?”
Kankun also voiced his confusion.
The essence had forcibly strengthened one of Kankun’s greatswords.
Likely because Kankun had slain the Orc Lord.
But why that connected to the “Eternal Sword” was beyond understanding.
He continued to ponder.
But not for long.
Ding!
《Conductor of Death, Supreme Commander ‘Anubis’ has appeared!》
…because Master of the Moon Ahheta had finally played his trump card.
—
At the temple entrance.
Anubis surveyed the surroundings.
By now, the trials of all factions had concluded, and countless warriors and combatants encircled him.
“Oh?”
He looked slightly surprised.
Among them were even Death Knights like Gula.
He also noticed that the “Flower of Death” he had carved had withered.
Instead, a new “Flower of Life” had bloomed, restoring life to the dead.
Likely the work of the archmage.
The one who had made his master, the Master of the Moon Ahheta, impatient.
But that person did not seem to be here.
“Anubis! Foul monster, give it up. We no longer fear you!”
Gula stepped to the front.
After evolving into an Arch Knight, his entire body radiated overwhelming holy power.
Anubis nodded.
Indeed…
“How amusing.”
They actually believed they could defeat him like this.
Truly amusing.
Though enhanced by their completed trials and revived from death—
He was Anubis.
The apex of death.
The one standing at the summit of all death.
Sssssssssss!
Black smoke surged around him.
Within the smoke flickered countless tiny starlike lights.
“If that smoke touches you, you become a monster! Everyone, be careful!”
Gula shouted in horror.
It was an overwhelmingly powerful curse.
Anyone who touched it would instantly transform into a monster—Anubis’ signature.
But there were countermeasures.
“Drive out the curse with holy power!”
“Only those blessed should advance!”
Holy knights stepped forward.
They scattered blessings around the area, pushing back the curse.
In the past, humanity lacked true holy power and could not resist such curses.
But not the holy knights like Gula.
Here, only they could withstand that curse.
Whooooosh!
Rumble!
Countless attacks came from afar.
Arrows, spells, and all manner of ranged assaults rained toward Anubis.
But—
Clang!
They bounced off.
Not a single attack landed.
Even though everyone had grown stronger after breaking through Ahheta’s forced “trial” system.
Even though they had gained the power to resist death itself.
Still, their attacks did not reach him.
Because—
“The Staff of Earth…!”
The staff in Anubis’ hand erected an impenetrable barrier.
The Staff of Earth.
A treasure known as an “end-tier” artifact, beyond comparison to any other staff.
Ahheta had given Anubis the greatest staff in his possession.
With this staff, Anubis was invincible.
“You thought you could win?”
Anubis mocked their efforts.
It was laughable to think gaining a few stats or regaining a bit of holy power made them his equals.
Their enhancements were not true growth.
They hadn’t trained their swordsmanship or elevated their magic’s hierarchy.
Attacks from those who had not transcended properly through leveling were nothing but an itch.
And furthermore—
“Your god is dead.”
Even the restored holy power of Gula and the holy knights could not reach him.
The power of a dead god could never oppose him.
Though they firmly believed their deity still lived—
…that was not the source of their strength.
It had nothing to do with the lingering will of a dead god.
Instead, it was the influence of someone who had revived them with a “Flower of Life.”
Someone who possessed the opposite power to his own.
If the archmage was responsible, that meant he held powerful “Holy Divine Power.”
The existence of such a being still remaining in the Abyss was baffling.
All true wielders of divine power had been slaughtered by Abyssal demons.
Their god, “Aheh,” included.
Only relics remained scattered.
“Killing all of you and the archmage will solve everything.”
Anubis shrugged.
A simple solution.
The archmage had dared to ignore him and enter the temple.
Unforgivable.
Tok.
He planted the Staff of Earth into the ground.
In that moment—
Huaaaaaah!
Death!
Death calls to us!
Kill them all!
Slaughter everything!
“What—what is that!?”
“Are you insane!?”
“Are we really supposed to win…?”
People trembled as they screamed.
The sight before them was impossible to believe.
A million Death Warriors.
Thousands of Death Knights burst from the earth.
…The true Death Legion had finally revealed itself.