Chapter 190
“Hah.”
‘Death’ let out a laugh laced with disbelief.
He never would have imagined Park Chanwoo would abandon ‘Life’ at the last moment and choose himself instead.
And the foolish words he’d spat out at the end were even more ridiculous.
‘Do it alone? How foolish.’
A being who would have been nothing without the God of Sacrifice.
Though his talent for magic was brilliant, hadn’t he failed to recognize it until the God of Sacrifice pointed it out?
…But.
This choice wasn’t guided by anyone.
Park Chanwoo had stepped beyond Death by his own will.
He had chosen himself—not the God of Sacrifice.
Why?
He was Death itself, the one who brought absolute death to Park Chanwoo.
That fool knew it too.
‘A being who rejected the God of Sacrifice at death’s doorstep.’
There had never been one before.
Every previous master of the Grail who reached this depth had chosen ‘Life.’
It was instinct.
As consciousness faded, it clawed toward survival.
To his knowledge, no one had ever avoided the trap set by the God of Sacrifice—
a way to bind the Grail’s master with obsessive fixation.
―What an interesting fellow.
That had been true right up until Park Chanwoo appeared.
…No one had done it before.
Now, for the first time, someone had.
Wasn’t it strange?
Those previous owners had physical strength and mental fortitude far greater than Park Chanwoo’s.
Yet Park Chanwoo made the choice even they couldn’t.
Because something mattered to him more than life itself.
The desire to become the ‘Archmage’.
The will to pass the test and master the Magic of the Transcendent.
That insane willpower alone made the choice possible.
Frankly, it would be a lie to say it wasn’t satisfying.
Thanks to this, he got to see the God of Sacrifice sulk and retreat.
If ‘Death’ wished, killing Park Chanwoo here would be simple.
But Park Chanwoo’s death, for now, was premature.
The roughly four-hundred-day limit on his lifespan.
Until that deadline arrived, ‘Death’ had no intention of taking his life personally.
It was just as well.
He’d enjoyed a fine show…
Grin.
―But it is the correct answer, human.
—
《Party member ‘Prophet’ is alive.》
《‘Sacrifice’ progression has been canceled.》
《Achievement ‘At Death’s Doorstep’ completed.》
《Title ‘One Who Died and Lived’ acquired.》
“M-My heart is beating!”
“Mr. Lee Hyuk-soo! Are you conscious?”
“He’s alive!”
Amid the commotion, Lee Hyuk-soo blinked and took in his surroundings.
Emergency personnel stationed at the government office.
Minister Park Sang-min.
Their faces were the first to come into view.
“…What is this?”
“Huh? You don’t remember? Your heart stopped a moment ago, Mr. Lee Hyuk-soo!”
“My heart…?”
Lee Hyuk-soo swallowed.
His mouth was bitter.
Then the memory surfaced.
‘It said the party member, Prophet, had died.’
He had wished—desperately—that the Prophet would live.
The moment he did, the message about being offered as a sacrifice appeared, and his heart stopped.
‘I heard… a voice.’
Right before he came back, he was sure he’d heard it.
A sulky child’s voice.
Was he imagining things?
Lee Hyuk-soo shook his head hard.
Either way, if the message in front of him was true, then the Prophet was alive.
And one thing was undeniable.
He had died—and returned.
Something absolute had nearly taken him in the blink of an eye.
“Thank goodness. That’s a real relief. You’ve been overworking yourself lately. We canceled all scheduled interviews, so please get admitted to the hospital and rest.”
Tears glimmered in Minister Park Sang-min’s eyes.
The shock of seeing Lee Hyuk-soo collapse had nearly stopped his own heart as well.
“I’m fine…”
“Please. I’m begging you.”
“M-Minister…!”
Minister Park Sang-min suddenly dropped to his knees in front of everyone.
Startled, Lee Hyuk-soo hurriedly pulled him up, but the minister’s expression remained grave.
“Mr. Lee Hyuk-soo. You are Korea’s future and hope. If you die suddenly, we’re finished. So please—rest. I’m asking you sincerely.”
“…I understand.”
Lee Hyuk-soo nodded heavily.
But one thing kept circling his mind.
‘That voice.’
He could’ve ignored it.
But it wouldn’t let go.
Lee Hyuk-soo forced himself to remember.
…And finally, he did.
【In the end, the one who will remain by your side is me.】
—
Transcender Lil was the first to notice the change in the mortal.
The ‘sacrifices’ offered to the Sealed Demon God’s Grail had been canceled—returned to where they belonged.
And that wasn’t all.
―…So you’ve gained the ability to handle Innate Mana.
It was as if he’d attained enlightenment.
He had driven away the Grail’s curse by himself.
Frankly, it was hard to believe.
As far as Lil knew, no one had ever overcome the Grail’s curse.
And Innate Mana was life itself.
In other words, this mortal had awakened to life.
By his own will, he had decided his own life.
Thump.
Soon, the mortal’s heart began to beat again.
Thump. Thump.
The pulse grew stronger, louder—asserting his existence.
Stagnant blood began to move, color returning to his face.
“…I feel dizzy.”
He opened his eyes.
Lil watched in silence, then asked.
―How does it feel to have awakened Innate Mana?
“Honestly? Nothing feels drastically different.”
It was his sincere impression.
If he had to describe it, his body just felt… lighter. Like it was floating.
Lil nodded.
―Innate Mana is not subject to the dominion of other mana. Try using magic.
Use magic?
But all mana around Lil was suppressed.
The repulsion was so strong it was hard to cast anything at all.
And with a pure Mana stat of 1, even activating magic should’ve been impossible.
Park Chanwoo hesitated.
Lil looked puzzled.
―Surely you haven’t come this far only to be unable to use magic?
“That’s not it. Just… give me a moment.”
Park Chanwoo stepped outside the laboratory.
Then he began pulling equipment from his inventory.
―…What are you doing?
“Putting on clothes first.”
《‘World Tree Staff’ has been equipped.》
《‘Star of Arrogance’ has been equipped.》
《‘Baal’s Sword’ has been equipped.》
……
He hurriedly equipped item after item.
Lil stared, disbelief plain on her face.
All of the mortal’s pure stats were 1.
It was a wonder he’d been alive at all.
‘So he was surviving on additional stats…’
Now she understood.
The equipment he revealed was far beyond ordinary reach—treasures most Demon Lords wouldn’t possess.
《You have picked up ‘Mage’s Stone’. Effect applied.》
《You have picked up ‘Radiant Sage’s Stone’. Effect applied.》
《Title option application effect has been activated.》
Restored to his usual state, he stepped back into the laboratory.
His eyes widened.
‘It doesn’t repel.’
The mana didn’t flare.
No hindering effect. No burning repulsion.
“Heaven’s Wrath.”
He activated the magic toward an empty space.
Whoosh.
KWA-BOOOOOOOM!
Blue lightning crashed down, shaking the entire laboratory.
Mana moved freely, manifesting normally.
A liberation of mana that even Master of the Moon Ahheta had never achieved.
Lil spoke as she watched.
―You pass.
“Then… can I learn the Magic of the Transcendent now?”
He had crossed the boundary of death for this.
Expectant, he asked—and Lil nodded.
―I will teach you the magic of the ancient text. You should be able to learn it. However, this magic is still not complete.
“…It wasn’t finished?”
―It is complete. ‘Not complete’ means it is too vast to be contained within your body.
“Ah. I understand.”
―You—what is your name?
“Park Chanwoo.”
―Park Chanwoo. I, Transcender Lil, acknowledge you. Your honor, your talent, and your spirit.
WHOOSH!
The ‘Ancient Text’ suddenly caught fire.
It burned down to ash, leaving behind only a single, pure white essence.
―The Essence of the Ancient Text is the true form of my final magic. If you make it wholly yours, the magic will be complete.
Final magic.
The weight of those words made his breath catch.
Lil had sealed herself away for the completion of this single magic.
What kind of magic could demand that?
He couldn’t even begin to imagine it.
Lil continued.
―However, no matter how prodigious your talent, the time required to fully accept the magic is far too long.
“How long?”
―Roughly one hundred years.
“……”
One hundred years.
He didn’t even have one hundred days left to live.
In a hundred years, Earth—and humanity itself—might not even exist.
“Can it be shortened?”
―One hundred years is already unimaginably short. An ordinary mage wouldn’t learn it in ten thousand years.
“…I don’t have that much time.”
―So it seems.
Lil also sensed the ‘death’ clinging to Park Chanwoo.
It was too dangerous to touch.
―Do not worry. My ‘Transcendent Abyss’ will manifest on your Earth. If you strive there, you should be able to reduce the time.
A string of astonishing statements.
But he understood this was Lil’s consideration.
Park Chanwoo bowed his head briefly.
“Thank you.”
―Now, take hold of the Essence of the Ancient Text.
Park Chanwoo approached the place where the ancient text had burned away.
Slowly, he reached out with both hands and grasped the pure white essence.
And then—
FWAH!
SHWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
—
Eternal Land.
Cygnus looked up at the sky.
「…Shooting stars?」
Countless stars were falling across the Abyss.
The moment they touched the ground, they vanished as if evaporating, but—
HUM—!
HUM-HUM-HUUUM—!
Their vibrations drove away the darkness in an instant.
Soon, all of Eternal Land was dyed in a new, white light.
The remaining ‘remnants of death’ vanished, and even the Abyss’s darkness was swept away.
The same happened in Ahheta’s secret laboratory.
“…Wh-What is this!”
“My curse…!”
“No, no…!”
Their curses were being erased.
Curses carved into the witches’ very existence.
Their epithets vanished.
The heart curse engraved by the ‘Black Witch’ vanished as well.
And it didn’t stop there.
This phenomenon wasn’t limited to Eternal Land.
―This is…?
―What magic is this?
―Did Sephiro complete another strange magic?
…Across the Abyss, white stars poured down.