Chapter 48

Kankun lay unconscious, sprawled out on the ground.

Looking at him, Park Chan-woo spoke.

“Good work, Boksil.”

Kkyuu!

Boksil popped out from Park Chan-woo’s sleeve.

Boksil’s ‘death-eating ability’ worked even on Kankun.

The ‘death magic’ that Witch Adora had placed on Kankun’s heart was devoured.

‘There’s a condition for Boksil to eat someone’s death: the target must trust me.’

The Flower of Life consuming death didn’t apply to just anyone.

Orc Priest Yan, and Kankun as well.

It was only after they trusted Park Chan-woo to some extent that the ‘Flower of Life’ could bloom.

It meant he couldn’t just erase death at will.

Park Chan-woo had made a bet with Kankun and, after winning, quickly gained his trust by guiding him to realization.

Thanks to that, the condition was met, and the Flower of Life bloomed.

‘Kankun. He really is remarkable.’

Park Chan-woo was inwardly impressed.

All he’d done for Kankun was offer advice.

Don’t be afraid of magic, don’t fear it, fight it!

Advice anyone could give.

He just added a little embellishment to make it easier to accept.

Yet Kankun immediately cut away the ‘death magic.’

‘A Heart Sword user. Even at max level, that’s not something easily done…’

Though he hadn’t completely cut it all away, it was certainly a ‘Heart Sword.’

…He’d only meant for Kankun to remove the magic with Sword Qi.

But after hearing Park Chan-woo’s advice, Kankun drew a sword within his heart.

’10th Realm. Kankun is a monster who can go even further.’

A truly extraordinary talent.

He’d never seen a Heart Sword user among orcs before.

Just how incredible was Adora, who’d even made Kankun afraid?

‘…The Tower of Arrogance wants Kankun and Adora to fight again.’

Park Chan-woo stroked his chin for a moment.

The danger was over, and Kankun’s fear was gone.

Now, all he had to do was help Kankun grow, reach the 10th floor, and battle Witch Adora.

……But is that really all?

The picture the Tower of Arrogance wanted.

Was it just about making those two fight again?

‘Are they planning to have the two fight at their best and use one as a sacrifice after killing the other?’

Kankun was the greatest among all the orcs Park Chan-woo had met.

Adora would be the same.

With brilliant talent and ability, their caliber was on another level.

If they climbed the tower to the 10th floor, the two would inevitably fight.

And one would die while one survived.

If they reached the 11th floor in their strongest state…

‘The 11th floor is the top.’

That was the peak.

But no one knew what would happen on the 11th floor.

If they were told to climb together, it must mean something would happen there as well.

Park Chan-woo’s thoughts grew deeper.

He drew upon every clue he could deduce from his memories of the future and present experiences.

Warrior Kankun and Witch Adora, growth through relics, floor guardians powerful enough to massacre everyone, the battle on the 10th floor……

And then—

‘…I need to check the altar.’

The altar!

There was definitely an altar.

The goal was to place the relic in the showcase above the altar, but in the end, it was the altar that made that possible.

He hadn’t paid it any mind, hidden as it was by the showcase and the relic.

It seemed to have no particular features.

But thinking back, Kankun never left the altar’s side.

Except for the times when a relic was placed in the showcase, he kept others away from the altar, sometimes blocking part of it with his massive body as if to hide something.

…Now that Kankun was unconscious, it was the perfect time.

Park Chan-woo quickly checked the altar.

‘What language is this?’

But he couldn’t read it.

The writings and drawings on the altar were different from orcish.

It meant it wasn’t an orc’s altar.

Wasn’t that suspicious?

That an altar not belonging to orcs was guarded by the Orc Master Kankun.

Moreover, it was a script he’d never seen before.

“Dagon.”

Poof!

As he called the name, smoke rose and the devil merchant Dagon was summoned.

“…What do you need this time?”

Again, in an awkward posture.

Sitting with one leg stretched out, both hands raised—he must have been reading a book somewhere.

Park Chan-woo addressed Dagon, who stood up dusting himself off.

“Do you know the language written on the altar?”

“You don’t know it?”

Dagon asked in surprise.

For the ruler of magic, Sephiro, not to know something!

“I could interpret it, but it’s tiresome.”

“Is it because of that orc?”

Dagon turned his head to look at the unconscious Kankun.

Even at a glance, he was formidable.

A monster much stronger than even Dagon, a devil.

The density of magic he felt was so thick it stung his nose.

‘…That orc is incredibly valuable.’

From a merchant’s perspective, Kankun was first-class.

Beyond the best, he had value that could go even further.

His combat strength was also on another level.

Even if you gathered thousands of the dungeon bosses Park Chan-woo had blown away in a single strike, they wouldn’t compare to that one orc.

Did he really make a monster even a devil like Dagon instinctively wanted to avoid, faint with a single blow? In a human body, without a scratch?

“Yes.”

When Park Chan-woo nodded, Dagon’s eyes quivered.

Dagon had thought of Park Chan-woo as Sephiro, but figured there were some limits due to having a human body.

But if he’d knocked out a monster who had reached the 9th Realm, it was a different story.

‘He really has no limits!’

A feat and dignity worthy of the name Sephiro.

He had expected it since the time he commanded a divine beast.

But now, it was beyond amazement—it inspired awe.

Dagon swallowed and stared at the altar.

“…It’s the demon language.”

“The demon language?”

“It’s an ancient demon tongue, no longer in use.”

“Can you interpret it?”

“Most demons can’t, but I can.”

“As expected, you’re competent.”

A devil who liked books was certainly a first.

That meant Dagon’s knowledge surpassed that of any other demon.

Hearing Park Chan-woo’s praise, Dagon immediately began to interpret.

“…’I will save you and grant you light, child of Arrogance. Climb to the summit and become master of the tower. Then I shall rebirth you as the new Lord of the Abyss.’…?!”

Dagon finished translating and was shocked.

Park Chan-woo was just as taken aback.

“So the Tower of Arrogance is meant to create a Lord of the Abyss?”

“It… seems that way. But, you can’t simply create a Lord of the Abyss. One must prove themselves and ascend. So… to be exact, it’s not to create a Lord of the Abyss, but rather a ‘Creator.'”

A Creator?

That was an unexpected answer.

‘A Creator is a qualification. The right to freely create and shape the domain of the Abyss.’

That was what Park Chan-woo understood.

And only the ruler of the Abyss could truly have such a right.

If someone who wasn’t the Lord of the Abyss became a Creator, they still couldn’t control the domain of the Abyss as they wished.

‘Lord of Arrogance. A name that doesn’t exist in the Abyss. There’s a true motive for making a Creator.’

Everything appearing under the name of Arrogance.

If their purpose was to create ‘Creators,’ then what was the Lord of Arrogance really aiming to create through these Creators?

Creators, by definition, are those who create.

They decorate the Abyss with their own colors and bestow trials.

If many gathered, they could create an entire world.

So—

“…Is it for resurrection?”

Park Chan-woo murmured quietly.

Was the Lord of Arrogance planning resurrection through their own Creators?

By making a world for the Lord of Arrogance to enjoy, there could be a resurrection, or even an advent, in that place.

However, even in the distant future, the ‘Lord of Arrogance’ never directly appeared.

He’d heard the name countless times, but that was all.

“If this gets out, the Abyss will be thrown into chaos.”

Dagon wore a grave expression.

If someone could intentionally create beings qualified as Creators, the impact on the Abyss would be unimaginable.

But the true goal of the Lord of Arrogance had never been revealed.

Isn’t it strange?

If every Arrogance-related thing left messages like this, surely someone would have deciphered them.

‘The name of Arrogance is appearing on Earth for the first time at this point. This is an unprecedented magic, so of course there would be a formula… the objective would be written down.’

The reason was simple.

It was the first time the name of Arrogance appeared in this world.

And he had engraved a formula on the altar.

You could only confirm this formula on the first floor of the Tower of Arrogance.

So, it was only natural that no one would ever know the goal of the Lord of Arrogance.

‘Was the plan to use the one who lost as a sacrifice to create a Creator?’

Kankun and Adora.

After strengthening the two with relics and sending them through endless trials, once they had the appropriate stature, they would be made to fight.

And the one who remained would be turned into a Creator.

Thus, by increasing the number of Creators, the purpose seemed to be resurrection or advent.

……Or perhaps, truly to be created as the ‘Lord of Arrogance.’

If there wasn’t really a Lord of the Abyss called Arrogance, then creation, not resurrection, was the goal.

Heh.

‘What an arrogant guy.’

Park Chan-woo shook his head.

“Let’s keep this a secret for now.”

“…I agree that’s best for now.”

“Go back and finish your book.”

“Yes!”

Poof!

As if frightened to stay here any longer.

No sooner had they finished speaking than Dagon disappeared.

After that, Park Chan-woo looked at the unconscious Kankun.

‘First…’

With little time remaining, it was time to wake Kankun and head out to hunt the floor guardian.

—

Slap! Slap!

Kankun regained consciousness.

His cheek oddly stung, but even Kankun knew time was short.

There was no time to worry about why his cheek hurt.

“Floor Guardian, magic beast Trog! Orc Master Kankun challenges you!”

Kankun immediately headed to the floor guardian’s domain.

Magic no longer frightened him.

The magic beast Trog.

A bizarre creature made of magic itself.

It looked like a giant frog but had thousands of tentacles in its mouth.

He had always avoided it, since its very existence was magic, but now, having gained enlightenment and after displaying the intermediate relic, Trog was no match for Kankun.

Slash! Slash!

He cut down the tentacles reaching for him and pushed through the death mist Trog spat.

The thick magic once again squeezed at Kankun’s heart but had no effect.

Kankun drew a sword within his heart, and that Heart Sword cut away every death that approached.

“Even in death, remember the name of the great warrior Kankun!”

Kankun shattered Trog’s whole body with his sword.

Soon, Trog’s core broke.

[The floor guardian Trog of the Tower of Arrogance’s first floor has been destroyed!]

[The path to the second floor of the Tower of Arrogance is now open.]

[All of Kankun’s supporters receive rewards.]

[Greater rewards go to those who displayed the relic.]

Ahh!

Kankun roared.

The thrill of victory, the feeling of being reborn as a true warrior.

Next, Kankun searched for the one who had made all this possible.

“……?”

But Kankun could only tilt his head.

“Warrior, where have you gone?”

Kankun had acknowledged Park Chan-woo as a warrior.

As a companion who would fight by his side.

But Park Chan-woo, who’d been there just moments ago, was nowhere to be seen.

“What? Where did Park Chan-woo go?”

“…I-I don’t know.”

“It seems he’s not anywhere around here.”

Lim Chang-yeol and the rest of the Seoul Union responded the same way.

Park Chan-woo.

…He had vanished completely, as if he’d evaporated.

—

Park Chan-woo looked around.

“……?”

It was a place he’d never seen before.

He had definitely been hunting the floor guardian Trog with Kankun just now.

But the moment the magic beast Trog was destroyed by Kankun’s sword—

[This is a result beyond imagination.]

[“Kankun” has awakened the Heart Sword!]

[You are Kankun’s closest confidant and powerful supporter.]

[You have displayed the “Intermediate Magic Relic.”]

[You receive 10 coins and 3 “Arrogance Chests” as a reward.]

The rewards appeared according to the results.

Up to this point, nothing seemed strange.

The problem came after that.

[Pioneer.]

[You arrogant one, who possesses the spirit of “Arahan”!]

[The “Tower of Arrogance” summons you to the “Witch of Death Adora Faction.”]