Chapter 162
Zone 2.
The moment he confirmed which species resided there, Park Chan-woo couldn’t help but frown.
Serpentine in form, yet vaguely similar to dragons.
Much smaller in size compared to dragons, but according to literature, known for tremendous strength.
He had a good idea what they were.
“Naga?”
“…That seems correct. I’ve heard of them too.”
Kankun agreed.
Naga were powerful magic-users, similar to dragonkin.
They were also considered sacred—half-human, half-snake beings.
However, they almost never appeared in the open.
Every one of them possessed an introverted, reclusive nature.
“The Abyss records said they went extinct…”
They were victims of the Species War.
He had seen them mentioned in the records about the war instigated by demons.
Their ranking was poor, and they ultimately died out.
The dragonkin also didn’t leave them alone, but with their small numbers and lack of unity, they kept falling to last place.
Still, the power of each individual naga had been said to be world-shaking.
If they had simply been oversized snakes, the dragonkin would never have cared.
Who would’ve thought naga souls would be inside this temple?
Sssssssssss!
But they looked nothing like the sacred beings of old.
Their souls had merged, forming entirely new shapes.
‘Like Medusa.’
A single body carried several snake heads sprouting from it.
Whoosh!
Fwoooosh!
Rumble!
They opened their mouths and spat out magic of every element.
The magic began destroying the area where the orcs were gathered.
“…I hate magic.”
Kankun clicked his tongue.
He had overcome death and now had resistance to magic, but the hatred was still there.
But contrary to his words, Kankun immediately charged forward into battle.
Slash!
Swinging his enhanced greatsword, he lopped off a naga’s head.
‘I can’t just stand still either.’
With Anubis on the field, it was a race against time.
Ahheta was dead serious about ending this “Third Night” as quickly as possible.
He likely didn’t summon just Anubis—he must have granted him all his authority too.
If he had even summoned the Death Legion to start a war… even with Gula helping, it wouldn’t be easy.
‘While Gula holds him off, we must purify the entire temple.’
Which would end first—the purification of the temple, or Anubis finishing the war?
Everything would change depending on that outcome.
“Regeneration? So many tricks, magic species!”
Kankun grimaced.
Even when he severed their heads, the nagas regenerated instantly.
And now that countless naga souls had merged, their regeneration seemed amplified.
Their numbers were small, but this dragged things out.
Park Chan-woo gripped the World Tree Staff.
Thankfully, he was confident when it came to magic.
Ding!
《All trials are completed. For the duration of the “Third Night,” your stats increase dramatically by 50.》
《You are the sole achiever of every “Final Trial.” There is no ranking beyond 1st place. Additional Stats +100.》
《You forcibly ended numerous trials across four factions. Additional Stats +50.》
《Additional Stats can be freely distributed.》
《Current Remaining Additional Stats: 200》
《Hidden Piece! You completed all trials of one faction in 1st place. You gain 10 “Death King Boxes.”》
《Open Death Boxes to obtain special equipment and tools.》
《Collecting Death Boxes may grant even greater rewards when the “Third Night” ends.》
The Arch Warriors must have finished all faction trials.
Because of that, he gained overwhelming “Additional Stats.”
A total of 200.
He hesitated briefly over how to use them.
《You will use all Additional Stats.》
《For the duration of the “Third Night,” Mana +200.》
《Your Attack Power greatly increases!》
With the orcs charging ahead, he didn’t need to play the role of warrior.
Shwaaaaa!
His mana now approached 300.
Though not pure mana, the sheer volume felt suffocating.
It felt like mana burst out every time he breathed.
He had pushed a single stat to near 300.
Something only a level 99 mage who focused solely on mana could do.
Even then, no mage would actually do it.
It was inefficient, unbalanced, and foolish.
Even if mana was a mage’s most important stat, the “rebound force” created when using mana couldn’t be ignored.
To minimize that rebound force, one needed high Intelligence.
Not to mention—this power was sudden.
《Warning.》
《Use magic with caution.》
《Your Intelligence is far too low compared to your Mana.》
《Uncontrolled mana may rampage.》
Warnings popped up.
But it was fine.
He couldn’t handle it with instant casting like before, but—
If he unraveled the mana threads one by one—
“Strike directly.”
He focused on the mana’s zero point.
His vision shook violently.
Uncontrolled mana surged like a tidal wave.
His muscles and bones felt as though they were melting.
His heart felt like it had already burst.
Casting a spell would only amplify the sensation.
But Park Chan-woo did not stop.
If he stopped now, the rampaging mana would explode.
“Heaven’s Wrath.”
KWAaaaaaaaaang!
—
Ahheta was impatient.
So he entrusted all authority to Anubis.
Originally, only “Anubis” would have appeared and fought the participants.
But he changed the rules so that Anubis could summon the Death Legion as well.
To fully unleash the power that had destroyed countless worlds and species.
Therefore—
‘There is no scenario where Anubis loses.’
Anubis’ victory was certain.
One hundred percent.
The problem was time.
Gula was leading the humans better than expected.
At this rate, it would take roughly two days.
‘Two days. If the archmage purifies the entire temple within that time…’
Grit!
He ground his teeth.
The archmage had seen through everything and entered the temple.
Under normal means, purifying the temple was impossible—but for some reason, it didn’t seem impossible for him.
No one could predict what ridiculous method he’d use.
However—
‘…He won’t manage it alone.’
The interior overflowed with death.
He hadn’t allowed the soldiers or knights inside, but even so, the temple wasn’t something one man could handle.
But if—just if—
The archmage succeeded in purifying every zone?
If the “Temple of Eternity” was revealed, and the Outer God appeared?
“…No.”
Ahheta’s wish would crumble.
All his preparations would be for nothing.
He had planned to unveil the strongest lifeform in the next Species War.
If he succeeded, Master of the Moon Ahheta could challenge the rank of “Demon God,” surpassing even Demon Kings.
Until now, everyone had looked down on him.
Even as the manager of “Night,” he was still neither Demon King nor Demon God—just an in-between ruler.
His influence across the Abyss was lacking.
And compared to other Demon Kings, Ahheta himself was not particularly strong.
He was simply the manager of “Night.”
But… if he could create a “Thirteenth Species” beyond the Twelve Species?
Ahheta’s prestige would change instantly.
“I cannot allow my wish to be obstructed.”
He was close—so close.
Soon, his wish would be fulfilled.
The “Temple of Death” existed solely for that.
Ahheta had waged countless wars just to produce the strongest species.
Two days wouldn’t be enough.
One day.
He had to end it within a day.
“Anubis. Release your full power.”
Ahheta began pouring coins endlessly.
—
Ding!
《You have acquired the ‘Naga Queen’s Essence.’》
《‘Naga Queen’s Essence’ purifies Zone 2 of the Temple of Death.》
《All ‘dead souls’ of Zone 2 return to their original forms.》
《Obtain more essences inside the Temple of Death.》
《You gain 1 ‘Class Level Point.’》
《‘Naga Queen’s Essence’ strengthens the class hidden trait ‘Eternal Sword.’》
《You gain 10 “Death King Boxes.”》
The message appeared after slaying the chimera Naga Queen of Zone 2.
As Park Chan-woo checked it and nodded, Kankun looked at him with a strange expression.
‘…He managed to control all that mana.’
Park Chan-woo’s power had skyrocketed without warning.
His mana had surged so violently, it shook every time he breathed.
A clear sign of instability.
Proof he wasn’t fully controlling the exploding mana.
But that concern lasted only briefly.
Park Chan-woo had controlled all that mana in an instant.
Not only that—
‘He used Heaven’s Wrath and burned the nagas to ash.’
He used Heaven’s Wrath to stop their regeneration.
Thanks to him, Kankun had an easy time killing them.
His growth was incomparable to before.
‘…A monster.’
His own growth felt like nothing compared to Park Chan-woo’s.
And controlling that much mana meant he possessed incredible skill.
Kankun felt curiosity—and fear—wondering where his limits might lie.
“…Shouldn’t you rest a bit?”
Kankun asked reluctantly.
Park Chan-woo was already walking ahead.
He moved toward the next zone the moment the fight ended.
“There’s no time to rest.”
Now that he understood the temple’s nature, he had to reach the Outer God as quickly as possible.
Ahheta hadn’t summoned only Anubis.
He had summoned the Death Legion under his control.
And more than that—
「Father. Anubis is gradually turning into something closer to a beast.」
Cygnus was relaying battlefield conditions to him in real time.
…If that were true, there was no time.
‘Ahheta is removing Anubis’ seal.’
He intended to turn Anubis into a true monster.
To end the war as quickly as possible.
A pure death incarnate, summoned into its strongest form.
Gulp!
Suddenly, Park Chan-woo coughed up congested blood.
Jet-black dead blood splattered on the ground.
Even if he succeeded in controlling magic, he had forced his body to wield an enormous, unfamiliar amount of mana all at once.
There was bound to be backlash.
Kankun voiced his concern.
“…You’ll die if you push too hard, comrade.”
“One of us has to die anyway.”
But Park Chan-woo was unfazed.
Either Ahheta died from bankruptcy, or he died.
It was a war where only one side could fall.
Ding!
《Entering Zone 3.》
《The temple has four zones.》
《You have met a special condition.》
《Someone in Zone 3 has recognized the unyielding will, the presence of Arahan.》
《The soul of the race once known as sages, the ‘Pandarian King,’ summons you.》