Chapter 26

Sniff sniff!

The white bundle of fluff sniffed around and toddled through the swampy terrain.

Radiant Anubis.

Usually hiding beneath Park Chan-woo’s pants leg, it became excited and started moving the moment they entered the ‘swamp’ zone, shrouded in poisonous mist.

‘It’s reacting to something.’

Park Chan-woo tilted his head.

There was nothing here that could possibly draw Anubis’ attention.

Only the stench of rot filled the air.

All he could see was a soggy swamp.

Even for him, it was not easy to move forward.

‘There’s no clear information about the swamp.’

First of all, there was no reliable intel.

All Park Chan-woo knew was that a ‘miracle’ had occurred here.

However, one thing became certain as he set foot in the swamp.

[Hundred-Poisons Immunity. Your body resists the ‘poison mist.’]

[The ‘poison mist’ induces ‘hallucinations’ and paralyzes muscles.]

The poison of the swamp was quite potent.

Now it made sense why information about this place was so limited.

If it induced paralysis and hallucinations, there was no way people could remember what happened after crossing the swamp.

‘It was designed so people could witness the miracle.’

From the start, that bastard intended to perform the ‘miracle’ here.

To make panic-stricken people face his feats and worship him.

Otherwise, there was no reason to lure people into a swamp filled with poisonous mist.

In that case—

‘…He must’ve already formed a contract with a Creator and become an Incarnation.’

It was unclear whether the current contracted Creator was one of the ‘Great Nine Lords,’ but one thing was certain: that bastard had entered an Incarnation contract with a Creator.

There was no way he could have set all this up on his own.

Besides, judging by the fact that the host of the ‘Invasion Abyss’ handed over an entire zone like this, it was likely a high-ranking Creator… or even a ‘named Creator.’

Or perhaps the host of this ‘Invasion Abyss’ was that bastard’s contractor.

Either way, he clearly intended to create a miracle with full support from a Creator.

‘Was he always a villain from the beginning?’

Park Chan-woo shook his head inwardly.

The possibility that he hadn’t yet formed an Incarnation contract didn’t exist from the start.

As a result, any lingering emotion vanished completely.

During the early to mid stages of the Abyss’ invasion of humanity…

There were many people who had been saved by him.

So, Park Chan-woo had admittedly held on to a sliver of hope.

That perhaps, at least in the beginning, he hadn’t formed an Incarnation contract.

But… if he was an Incarnation from the very beginning, then there was nothing more to say.

Everything he did had been calculated.

He set up the miracle, displayed it, and tried to lead people.

And in the end…

‘…He opened the worst Abyss.’

Just thinking about it made his teeth grind.

Park Chan-woo cleared his thoughts.

“Anubis. Do you know where you’re going?”

He asked the Radiant Anubis that was walking ahead as if guiding him.

Radiant Anubis continued forward without a single pause.

It moved as if it knew its destination.

But the swamp was a maze.

One where the paths constantly changed.

Along the way, Park Chan-woo had marked overgrown bushes and trees, and occasionally, he would come across those very markings again.

If it knew the way, why would it pass through the same spot again?

‘It’s avoiding something.’

…Anubis was avoiding danger.

They hadn’t encountered anything in the swamp so far, which made it increasingly clear that Anubis was intentionally guiding him along a safe path.

That was why they sometimes circled back.

Even though he possessed the trait of [Nonexistent], it merely erased his presence—it didn’t make him invincible.

He was still vulnerable to the aggressive properties of the entire zone.

For example, the poisonous mist that affected him just by stepping into the swamp, traps, or barriers.

[Nonexistent] only prevented others from being aware of Park Chan-woo’s presence. Things that moved automatically without the need for awareness could still be plenty threatening.

Pitter-patter!

Park Chan-woo followed behind the tirelessly twitching Anubis.

How long had they walked like that?

‘……!’

He stopped in his tracks at the sight of something in the distance.

Far off, there was an ‘altar.’

An altar—used for conducting grand-scale rituals.

But the beings in front of it were not ordinary.

A monster clad in a black robe, exuding black magic while maintaining a ‘barrier’…

“Grooogh, groogh!”

“Guaaargh!”

And hundreds of ‘venomous zombies’ with greenish skin roamed around, letting out chilling cries.

‘Necromancer.’

One who governs death.

A monster most intimately connected to death!

And judging by the number of summoned venomous zombies, this was no ordinary foe.

It was a monster capable of devouring even the boss monsters of high-level dungeon Abysses.

Those who directly wielded death within the Abyss were extremely rare, and even if they were of the same level, their stature and rank were on another level entirely.

Park Chan-woo’s attention turned to the altar behind the Necromancer.

‘…There’s a treasure chest on top of the altar.’

He could see it clearly.

What the Necromancer was guarding.

A treasure chest emitting a blue glow, placed on the altar.

That must be the arrangement the Creator prepared for that bastard.

‘It’s on a completely different level from the others.’

Compared to other arrangements that were either protected by monsters or hidden, this one stood out far above the rest.

It felt like the entire swamp was built solely to protect that treasure chest.

What could be inside?

He was extremely curious, but—

‘I can’t go through.’

The barrier guarding the Necromancer and the altar, and the venomous zombies roaming nearby—

They were his natural enemies.

There were mechanisms here that nullified [Nonexistent].

If he tried to force his way in, his body would be crushed by the barrier.

Pitter-patter!

Yet even so, the ‘Radiant Anubis’ didn’t stop.

Park Chan-woo quietly watched Anubis.

Just as the Necromancer governed death—

No, perhaps even more so—Anubis, too, had a deep connection with death.

Hop! Hop!

Radiant Anubis successfully avoided the venomous zombies and approached the barrier. There, it began hopping in front of the Necromancer.

At that moment, light returned to the Necromancer’s pitch-black, lifeless eyes.

「You are… what are you?」

There was a hint of confusion in the Necromancer’s voice.

「How did you awaken my sealed soul?」

It clearly couldn’t comprehend the current situation.

Naturally so.

The Necromancer had been tasked with guarding the altar, maintaining the barrier to keep out the unpermitted.

But it wasn’t his own will.

His soul had been sealed by someone.

His body was forcibly bound, used solely to protect the altar.

And yet, a fluffy white thing had somehow called out to his sealed soul from in front of the barrier.

Soon, the Necromancer’s soul understood why.

「Ah… You are one who summons death. That is how you were able to awaken my soul. But why… why would a sacred being who guards the Temple of Death be in a place like this…?」

The Necromancer recognized Anubis.

Anubis, guardian of the Temple of Death, possessed a far higher status than any mere Necromancer.

Even if it was only a cub, it could never be compared to a mere Necromancer who simply animated corpses.

Hop! Hop!

「You want me to release the barrier? I’m sorry. My body no longer obeys my will. I am bound by a powerful contract. This barrier cannot be passed unless you are one who is permitted—or one of my kin. Even as a divine cub, unless you are fully matured…」

The Necromancer’s soul spoke with a tone of regret.

And then muttered to himself.

「…Ahh. Why am I still guarding this altar? Even though they’ve placed something false upon it and insulted us. It’s painful. I want to follow my fallen comrades… follow them to the end…」

A voice filled with regret.

Hearing those words, Park Chan-woo thought to himself:

‘A barrier only those who are permitted or of the same kind can cross, huh.’

He was not one of the permitted.

And even after recognizing Anubis, the Necromancer was certain the barrier could not be crossed.

This wasn’t an ordinary barrier.

The fact that it required a fully grown Anubis to pass meant it was a barrier strong enough to crush anything with less than 1,000 defense.

‘He really wasn’t an ordinary Necromancer.’

Who could he be?

Park Chan-woo had a rough idea.

The Necromancer had originally been the altar’s guardian.

Looking over the altar, he deduced the Necromancer’s origins.

‘…Orcish.’

The faint hieroglyphs etched into the altar.

Most of them were related to ‘orcs.’

The drawings used their signature crude metaphors.

‘Death, life, reproduction. This altar holds the three origins. That Necromancer must have been an orc priest.’

And the priest himself had cast the barrier to protect it.

Which meant the god enshrined on that altar was their own.

Yet placed atop the altar wasn’t an offering for their god, but a treasure chest.

It was an act of ridicule and humiliation toward the priest.

Park Chan-woo suppressed his presence as much as possible.

In front of him were countless zombies.

If he were detected, they would tear him to shreds in an instant.

But he walked forward without concern.

As long as his [Nonexistent] was active, the venomous zombies could not perceive him.

He pushed through the swarm of zombies and boldly stood before the barrier.

Then, with a solemn expression, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Chwiik!”

「……!」

[The unique option of the ‘Chwiik Belt’ has activated.]

[Chwiik! When the sound is made, orcs let down their guard, mistaking you for an ally.]

Now!

Park Chan-woo quickly crossed the barrier.

He never expected to use the ‘Chwiik Belt’ like this, but in that fleeting moment, both the Necromancer’s body and soul perceived Park Chan-woo as an ‘orc,’ making it possible.

「Wha—since when have you been there? No, more importantly… I definitely heard the sound of my kin just now…」

Park Chan-woo let out a small sigh of relief.

There was only one chance.

If he had failed, it would have been incredibly dangerous.

But nothing changes without taking risks.

Even after Park Chan-woo entered the barrier, the Necromancer’s body did not react.

Its functions were fully consumed by maintaining the barrier and summoning the venomous zombies.

Park Chan-woo turned his eyes to the treasure chest placed on the altar.

Even the chest radiated a magical field like an electric current.

Touching it carelessly would surely lead to bloodshed.

“Do you know how to open this treasure chest?”

When Park Chan-woo asked, the Necromancer’s soul replied.

「…I do.」

“I’d appreciate it if you told me. It’s not like you’re guarding it willingly, is it?”

「Grant me rest. Then I shall open the chest for you.」

“You want me to destroy your body?”

「Find and destroy the ‘Life Vessel.’」

“…Where is it?”

「I don’t know. But it must be somewhere. If you destroy it, I will finally gain the rest I’ve longed for.」

Park Chan-woo stroked his chin.

No wonder the magical power he held was so immense.

The opponent was a Necromancer who had become a Lich.

And a Lich always hides their ‘Life Vessel’—which holds their soul and life—in a secret place.

Unless the [Life Vessel] is destroyed, the Lich can live forever.

Of course, he had an idea where it might be.

‘That bastard must have it.’

So this was the miracle he’d prepared?

Apparently, that bastard intended to destroy the Life Vessel and kill the Lich.

If the Lich died, the barrier would disappear too.

Truly a flawless arrangement.

A miracle designed solely for ‘that guy’ to obtain.

‘…What now.’

Should he go find that bastard now?

But hunting him down was risky.

It was still unclear which Creator he had formed a contract with.

If he was truly one of the ‘Great Nine Lords,’ then merely attempting to kill him was dangerous in itself.

Unless one possessed at least hundreds of coins, it wasn’t even worth trying.

Unlike ordinary Creators, a ‘named Creator’ would never sit idly by while their Incarnation was killed.

Because they only form a contract with a single human they truly favor—

And when their Incarnation dies, their pride is wounded, leading them to seek revenge.

Hop! Hop!

It was then.

From beyond the barrier, Anubis began hopping once more.

「The divine being is requesting the barrier be lifted.」

“How?”

「Lower the staff held by my body. That will deactivate it.」

Following the Necromancer soul’s instructions, Park Chan-woo lowered the staff.

Instantly, the barrier surrounding the altar vanished without a trace.

Pitter-patter!

As the barrier disappeared, Radiant Anubis clambered atop the Necromancer’s head.

“What are you trying to—”

Fwooooom!

In that moment—

A pure white light emanated from Radiant Anubis’ entire body.

The light soon took the shape of a flower bud, slowly blooming petal by petal.

[Radiant Anubis uses ‘Flower of Life (Legendary)’]

[Radiant Anubis guides the death of ‘Orc Priest Yan’]

Upon witnessing the scene, a gleam flashed across Park Chan-woo’s eyes.

‘…So this is why it’s called Radiant Anubis.’

He finally understood what the phrase in the description meant.

Orc Priest Yan was equally astonished.

「Th-this is the power of a Guide!」

No, Priest Yan’s reaction far surpassed Park Chan-woo’s.

Trembling violently as if seizing, he looked on in disbelief.

The luminous flower blooming atop his head—

It had summoned the life that should have remained sealed within the Life Vessel.

Only a fully matured Anubis was capable of such a feat.

「To summon death, and guide it…」

But indeed, Anubis is a sacred being that summons and guides death.

That a young cub had demonstrated the power of a Guide was surprising—but not entirely unthinkable.

The real problem was what came next.

Now, the ‘Radiant Anubis’ was—

Chomp!

Munch, munch!

…eating the fully bloomed ‘Flower of Life.’

「The one who eats death…」

Such a role strayed far from that of Anubis.

To summon, to guide, but to consume the death it summoned?

That went against Anubis’ very purpose.

Bound to the ‘Temple of Death,’ Anubis may summon and guide death—but must never consume it.

Such an act was not only forbidden—it was outright impossible. Even attempting it would result in immediate disqualification.

To summon death, to guide it, and to consume it—

There was only one existence capable of performing all three.

「C-could it be… you are…!!」