Chapter 168

               

The Legendary Quest had been cleared.

News of it spread not only to all participants of the Third Night, but also to the ‘creators’ who had been watching it closely.

—Ahheta, didn’t you say you were confident this time?
—Do you know how many coins we invested?!
—Step down from managing nights! You’re not worthy of handling one!
—A disgrace to creators.
—This isn’t just a simple loss—you’ve lost your territory twice!

The creator community was not merely heated; it erupted like a volcano.

Master of the Moon Ahheta had been certain of victory in the Third Night and had received a massive investment of coins from creators.

The result—anyone could see the Third Night was perfect.

He summoned the Death Temple and even Anubis.

Humans, bound by life, could never defeat the legion of death.

…But then.

The Legendary Quest reappeared, it was cleared, and Ahheta’s defeat became almost certain.

Investors who had been so sure of victory were now panicking.

If humanity won, they would lose every coin they invested.

—…The Third Night hasn’t ended yet.
—Yes. Three days still remain.
—And it’s a Super Blue Moon.
—…I forgot. This isn’t an ordinary night.
—If the allotted time hasn’t passed, the moon cannot set. It won’t force-end like the Second Night.

Relieved, the creators let out long breaths.

This Third Night was something Ahheta had prepared with full commitment.

Under a Super Blue Moon, even if the Legendary Quest was cleared, the night would not end.

It was an absolute authority for the night’s manager.

Ahheta still had a way to survive.

—There is only one way for Ahheta now.
—Block all new entries into the Third Night, and within the remaining time, erase everything.
—Return the entire night to ‘invalid.’
—Erase all humanity, including the Legendary Quest achiever.
—Erase the devil merchants, everyone!

Normally, once a Legendary Quest was cleared, victory and defeat were automatically determined.

That was true in the Second Night as well.

The conqueror Khan’s palace appeared, the remaining time extended, and once the Legendary Quest was cleared, the night naturally ended.

Humanity won.

But a Super Blue Moon made things different.

There was still opportunity.

The initial five-day limit.

As long as those five days didn’t pass, the night would not end.

And over three days still remained!

‘Invalidate everything.’

‘Leave no one alive.’

‘Ahheta, this is your last chance!’

If he lost his territory again, Ahheta would not survive the aftershock.

He would either go bankrupt or lose the qualification of night manager.

At this rate, bankruptcy was more likely.

And Ahheta’s bankruptcy meant death.

Countless lords would never spare a creator who lost his qualification. They would tear apart his territory and plunder what was left.

Thus, if he wished to live, he had to be desperate.

He had one option—reset the Third Night by wiping out everything.

And the only way to invalidate the night was to literally annihilate every existence inside it.

Humans, devil merchants, opportunists seeking profit, and—

—Even Anubis and the legion of death must be erased.
—All ‘participants’ must disappear for the result to be invalid.

No victor, no loser.

Only then could the night be nullified.

The damage would still be great, but far better than bankruptcy.

Creators who invested heavily watched the Third Night with burning eyes.

Of course, they couldn’t intervene—but depending on the outcome, many creators might go bankrupt.

“…Archmage.”

At the same moment.

A Demon King scowled.

The ruler of infernal flame—strongest among those who wielded the fire of damnation.

Other Demon Kings avoided confronting him.

Amid molten lava, seated upon his throne, the Flame Calamity Demon King stared at the air with burning anger.

《‘Archmage’ has been registered in the Hall of Honor.》
《You have been removed from the Hall of Honor.》
《Your ‘Immortal Emblem (100)’ is forcibly reclaimed.》
《‘Transcendent Sola’ feels deep disappointment toward you.》
《‘Transcendent Sola’ will no longer acknowledge you.》
《The contract ends. You lose the qualification to enter ‘Sola’s Domain.’》

Someone had stolen his place.

His name erased from the Hall of Honor.

The emblem he wore was gone.

But that wasn’t what truly enraged him.

Being pushed out of the Hall was trivial.

‘Sola.’

She no longer acknowledged him.

Since the Flame Calamity Demon King had entered the Hall, he had never once lost his rank.

Now, with his rank stolen, his connection—his contract—with Transcendent Sola was cut.

The Demon King enunciated each word clearly.

“A-rch-mage.”

He would burn him to death.

Reduce him to ashes so not even his soul would remain.

His gaze turned toward a distant part of The Abyss.

Toward the territory of the Third Night, beneath the Super Blue Moon.

—

“Hurry and close shop! We have no time!”

Devil merchant Dagon shouted urgently.

He operated a great merchant shop within the Third Night’s territory.

‘Damn that Ahheta!’

He knew exactly what Ahheta planned.

He intended to erase everyone inside to invalidate the night.

‘Creators are all the same—unlucky bastards!’

That included merchants.

Ahheta intended to wipe everything clean and start anew.

They had to escape before the death legion—or worse, Anubis—arrived.

Before the Super Blue Moon set.

“Dagon, stop panicking.”

Another devil merchant approached, scolding him.

The one who operated the Contribution Shop in the Second Night—ranked 2nd—Vivola.

Dagon grimaced.

“Panicking? You call this panicking? Does this look like a joke to you, Vivola?”

“Trust Master Ahheta. He’s not a foolish creator. If he kills us, he’ll ruin relations with the Devil Merchants’ Association. He wouldn’t make such a mistake.”

“You think he cares about that?! Do you not see that moon?! He’s gone insane!”

“Ha. A merchant speaking blasphemy against Master Ahheta? Everything you said is recorded in this ‘Record Bug.’ You’ll never enter the night again.”

Vivola lifted a snail-like creature.

The Record Bug—capable of recording sound anywhere.

Devil merchants often carried them to protect themselves from each other.

Vivola had provoked Dagon from the beginning, hoping he’d slip up.

Dagon let out a deep sigh.

“Do as you like! I’m running!”

“Abandon your great shop? Hah! You’re no merchant. Your bravery is pathetic. Your 1st place in the Second Night must’ve been sheer luck.”

Vivola mocked.

Abandoning his shop meant being expelled from the Merchant Association.

But Dagon ignored him and turned away.

He didn’t have time to argue.

Ahheta blocked all entries and all escapes.

‘Wait.’

Which meant—

…He intended to erase everyone.

Devil merchants included.

‘Running alone won’t save me.’

He bit his lip.

Anubis and the death legion would catch him easily.

To survive, he needed a miracle.

‘I can’t just run and rely on Lord Sephiro to save me.’

Even if a transcendent and a Legendary Quest clearer existed, Ahheta was serious.

Shrimp would die in a whale fight.

He wanted to live.

He wanted to survive and become a great merchant!

“Help us!”

“We’re all going to die!”

Humans were fleeing.

Dagon shouted to them.

“Hey! Humans!”

They turned toward him.

Dagon continued.

“You want to live?”

“Y-yes! We want to live!”

“Then come to the Great Shop. I will re-equip you. Offer your life, your soul, everything you have—I will give you gear worthy of its value.”

“O-our souls?”

“Or you can die here! If you die now, it’s over!”

A meaningless death.

Their souls wouldn’t reach the true heavens.

If the night was invalidated, Ahheta would seal this entire territory.

“We’ll do it!”

“We’ll offer it!”

Terrified, they obeyed Dagon.

Dagon quickly rearmed them with superior gear and tools.

Vivola shook his head as he watched.

‘You’ve completely lost your mind, Dagon.’

What Dagon was doing was taboo.

He was opposing a creator.

And he was giving out equipment purely by evaluated value.

He earned nothing. Not even 1%.

Was that even a merchant?

He wasn’t making contracts with the buyers—he was directly forming contracts with the Merchant Association on their behalf.

Only exclusive-contract merchants used such methods.

Non-exclusive merchants had no reason to.

‘Whose exclusive contractor are you?’

Vivola wondered briefly, then shrugged.

After the Third Night ended, Dagon would be expelled.

Both from the association and from the realm of devils.

Even his father, a high-ranking backer, could not save him.

‘…Do your best, fool.’

—

Snnrk!

The Outer God smiled.

He looked at those collapsed on the ground.

“Warrior-heart human, to achieve your wish, I require their souls.”

“Hnnf, huff…!”

Park Chan-woo’s breath was rough.

His lungs burned, his heart felt ready to burst.

—That is simple. Very well. I shall erase your ‘Terminal.’

The Outer God had certainly agreed to grant his wish.

But as expected, there was a condition.

—Only if you defeat me.

The battle began immediately. Kankun, the priest Yan, and all the orcs joined forces to face the Outer God.

But the Outer God toyed with them.

He could have killed them instantly, yet he played with them like children’s toys.

“Well? Will you offer these orcs’ souls to achieve your wish?”

The Outer God asked with a playful smile.

His relaxed expression matched his overwhelming power.

Even though he wasn’t fully grown, Park Chan-woo and everyone else attacking together could not touch a single hair on him.

‘He’s the strongest opponent I’ve met since regression.’

…He couldn’t win.

The difference was overwhelming.

There was no conceivable strategy.

But something puzzled him.

Why wasn’t the Outer God forcibly taking their souls? Why ask for permission?

‘Their souls are all connected to me, so he cannot take them.’

Kankun, the ten thousand orcs, the priest Yan—

All were souls derived from him.

Strongly bound, beyond the Outer God’s control.

To prove it, all souls from other sections were already absorbed.

Park Chan-woo spoke.

“You can’t leave the temple unless you claim the soul of the Warrior.”

“Oh!”

The Outer God clapped.

“Correct, human! Your wisdom surpasses even Ahheta’s!”

He admitted it freely.

Why he behaved this way. Why he demanded orc souls.

‘There’s only one option left.’

He had used every other method.

Except the one he hesitated to use, because he didn’t know what disaster it might unleash.

But he couldn’t hold back anymore.

“…Charpham.”

…Since they were both Outer Gods.

Charpham had already once gone berserk in rage at the Heavenly Demon’s name.

No one knew how he would react to this Outer God.

That was why Park Chan-woo had hesitated to summon him.

However—

“Awaken.”

“Hm?”

Ssssss—

Quietly, from within the shadows, Charpham emerged.

The Outer God looked at him.

And at the same time—

“Oh? You are…?! Are you the White Whale?”