Chapter 5
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded like mad.
His breath quickened.
But he couldn’t calm his excitement no matter what.
‘An [Eternal] grade item…!’
Even [Eternal]-grade items were rare drops from Diamond Boxes.
Up until the point of his regression, he had only ever acquired three Eternal-grade weapons.
Items obtainable in the Abyss were divided into eight grades:
[Normal], [Rare], [Unique], [Epic], [Ancient], [Legendary], [Eternal], and [Zero].
Gold Boxes capped at [Epic].
Even Platinum Boxes were capped at [Legendary].
Under normal circumstances, an [Eternal]-grade item should have been impossible.
‘…I’ve heard that higher-star boxes can occasionally give out higher-grade items.’
Even that was incredibly rare.
But a Platinum Box yielding an [Eternal] reward? That was unheard of.
Aside from the “Holy Grail of the Sealed Demon God,” even he had never acquired a [Zero]-grade item or tool—so practically speaking, [Eternal] was the highest tier available in the Abyss.
And it wasn’t just the grade that was astounding.
‘They’re all endgame-tier.’
Just reading the names made his mind go blank—gear so powerful they were known as “endgame” among users.
[World Tree Staff], [Helm of the Ruined King], and [Greatsword of Gazz Knight]—each was a top contender even among [Eternal]-grade gear.
No matter how high your level was, without such items, you couldn’t rise to the ranks of High-Rankers.
They were the exclusive domain of the strongest—proof of their status—and no one would dare question them being called “endgame.”
And then there were [Heart of the True Demon Dragon] and [Grimoire of the Stars].
Consuming the [Heart of the True Demon Dragon] could change one’s physique.
The [Grimoire of the Stars] was used to advance into the “Star Mage” class.
Both were items that any magic user would drool over and covet without shame.
‘And I can only choose one?’
Honestly, this wasn’t an easy decision.
Though he was set on walking the path of truth, Park Chan-woo had originally been a warrior and a knight.
The [Helm of the Ruined King] and [Greatsword of Gazz Knight] had nothing to do with magic users, but their sheer value made them hard to pass up.
‘The [Greatsword of Gazz Knight] was one of the favorite swords of Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo.’
In particular, that weapon had been part of the Sword King’s collection—one of five treasured swords he used.
He could vividly remember the image of him smashing in the Demon Bull King’s skull with that blade, as if it had happened yesterday.
He had wanted that sword so badly.
Park Chan-woo had notoriously bad luck with gear.
Especially when it came to proper swords—he never had a good one.
‘If I started with that sword, I could walk the knight’s path properly…’
Its passive effect elevated the level of all sword-related skills.
He would be able to reassert himself as a knight more confidently than ever before.
But Park Chan-woo shook his head.
His aptitude did not lie with the sword. He might grow faster, but he would never reach the pinnacle.
Even with a powerful sword and top-tier gear, it wouldn’t change anything.
He would never reach the height that Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo had attained.
He had already learned that once before.
His reward had been decided from the start.
《You have selected your reward.》
《You have obtained the [World Tree Staff].》
Name: [World Tree Staff]
Level: -98
Grade: [Eternal]
Description: A staff crafted by Agzoth, the God of Blacksmiths, using the World Tree as its core material. In an ancient civilization where magic had reached its peak, only a “Great Archmage” was said to be worthy of wielding it.
Equip Slot: Staff (One-Handed Weapon)
Attack Power: 31
Durability: 1,500
Unique Options:
1. Increases Mana by 10.
2. Upgrades the grade of all magic by one tier.
3. Transcends one selected spell into a [Great Magic].
Park Chan-woo’s pupils trembled slightly.
The unique effects of the [World Tree Staff] were terrifying.
They were abilities that any mage would dream of.
‘[Great Magic]. That means transforming a spell into a divine-level power.’
The third and final option was the most crucial.
To transcend one selected spell into [Great Magic] meant granting it powers akin to divine authority.
Park Chan-woo smiled faintly.
He wasn’t even a mage yet—but that would change soon enough.
‘…I will walk the path of a [Great Archmage].’
Dragon God Sephiro.
Many had tried and failed to challenge that monster.
Only Park Chan-woo’s magic had ever wounded its body.
The sovereign of magic himself had praised him, calling him a [Great Archmage]. If he truly walked the path of truth, he was confident this time would be different.
‘It’s already evening.’
Park Chan-woo looked out the window.
The slowly setting sun had fully dipped below the horizon.
Darkness now covered the world.
The time when everyone began dozing off one by one for tomorrow.
At this hour, everyone let their guard down.
As if saying, “There’s no way the Abyss would open again tonight.”
As if thinking, “This couldn’t possibly keep happening.”
Park Chan-woo had once believed that, too.
‘They don’t care about our circumstances.’
He looked up at the round full moon.
And soon, a brief message appeared before the eyes of all humanity.
《It is now ‘Night.’》
《The Abyss of the ‘First Night’ will soon open.》
《Earthlings wishing to participate, please look at the ‘Moon’ immediately.》
《The event will begin once 2,000,000 participants are gathered.》
《If the target is not met within 30 minutes, the ‘Abyss of Death’ will open across the entire planet.》
Night had fallen.
A night that might be the cruelest for some, and the most important for others.
Park Chan-woo was already looking at the moon.
‘If the Abyss of Death opens, tens of millions will die at minimum.’
The Abyss of Death was the worst of all.
Humanity had once experienced it in the past, and since then, they did everything they could to meet the participation quota no matter what.
Death gods appeared all around the world, slaughtering people indiscriminately—until sunrise.
But if one chose to participate in the “Night Abyss,” the rewards were limitless.
These didn’t open often, and the more special the “night,” the more precious the treasures it yielded.
Naturally, the Abyss of the “First Night” was the most special of all. It was said that countless [priceless treasures] had been discovered—items so rare, they defied valuation.
‘I didn’t participate.’
In the past, he hadn’t entered this Abyss.
What he experienced at noon had frightened him too much to even consider joining.
Not just Park Chan-woo—most people felt the same.
People genuinely feared the quota of “2,000,000 participants” wouldn’t be met.
But—
‘There are more lunatics in the world than you’d think.’
And now, Park Chan-woo was one of them.
In the “First Night’s Abyss,” he sought only two things.
‘…Acquiring a class and finding the Philosopher’s Stone. I have to get at least those two.’
These two objectives would form the foundation for his explosive growth.
Obtaining the [Mage Class] and locating the [Mage’s Stone].
Also known as the Philosopher’s Stone, it had been discovered in the First Night’s Abyss.
Of course, it had only been discovered—no one had ever obtained it.
But if he truly intended to walk the path of a [Great Archmage], he had to find it.
The Mage’s Stone was a [growth-type treasure]—the earlier one acquired it, the greater its rewards became.
If he could get it now, he would take a massive step closer to the Dragon God Sephiro.
‘I’ll surpass you, Sephiro. Without fail.’
No—Park Chan-woo wanted more than that.
His goal was to become an [absolute being]—one no one could ever challenge.
Just then, the message he had been waiting for appeared before his eyes.
《Participation confirmed.》
《2,000,000 participants have gathered.》
《All participants will now enter the ‘First Night’s Abyss.’》
《You must unite and slay the [Twelve Divine Generals] before morning!》
《Everything you need to defeat them exists within this Abyss.》
《Failure to kill all Twelve Divine Generals will result in the death of all participants ranked below 20,000 in contribution.》
BOOOOOOOM!
Suddenly, in the distance, a colossal explosion erupted.
Something descended from the sky like a comet and vaporized the entire surrounding area.
‘One of the [Twelve Divine Generals].’
One of them had appeared in Korea.
—Lee Hyuk-soo. If you could go back in time, what would you avoid the most?
—…What kind of insane question is that? If I could go back? What would I avoid no matter what?
Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo.
The third human ever to reach Level 99, one of the strongest in history.
On the path to the Dragon God’s sanctuary, when the entire strike force was being annihilated—
A man who never backed down from a fight, known for his indomitable will and hailed as an “Abyss Hunter,” had replied to Park Chan-woo with a deeply irritated look.
—…Obviously, the “First Night’s Abyss.” The other Divine Generals can be taken down, but that “Dragon God General” is flat-out impossible to kill.
If he could go back in time, he would avoid the First Night’s Abyss at all costs.
And most of all, he would never engage the Dragon God General.
‘So Lee Hyuk-soo is here too.’
Park Chan-woo watched as the world was swallowed by the Abyss.
The Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo was here in this Abyss.
And so was the worst, most monstrous being of the past—the [Dragon God General], who alone was responsible for killing 1.98 million people.
That monster was also in Korea.
