Chapter 50
If dragons are the lords of magic, then witches are the lords of dark magic.
They defy truth, summon rifts, and cause ‘unknown phenomena.’
Though their numbers are few and they’re too reclusive to be counted among the ‘Twelve Progenitors,’ witches possess power easily equal to them.
‘There were times in the past when witches would appear.’
Witches never leave their domains.
But occasionally, one would emerge outside.
Usually, it was one of two reasons.
Either caught in a rift, or exiled by the ‘Black Witch’ for committing a crime.
Park Chan-woo believed Adora was the latter.
‘The greatest sin in the world of witches is to have emotions.’
Witches are extremely rare.
The Black Witch rarely exiled anyone for trivial reasons.
Much less a witch with the name of ‘death.’ There’s no way a witch with such tremendous potential would be cast into the Tower of Arrogance for no reason.
The gravest sin.
Adora had gained emotions, so she was punished.
But there was no proof.
It was all just speculation.
Only after extracting ‘death magic’ from Kankun did his suspicions become certainty.
He felt emotion.
‘Adora felt something for Kankun. Whether it was love or hate, I’m not sure.’
It was a gamble.
It had to be one or the other.
Judging by how urgently Adora was climbing the tower, he guessed it was love rather than hate.
If it had been hatred, she would have focused on strengthening herself with relics as much as possible to climb the tower.
But honestly, even after saying it, he was only half convinced.
‘…A witch in love?’
Could there be a combination less fitting in this world?
[‘Death’s Curse’ surges.]
[‘Boksil’ neutralizes ‘Death’s Curse.’]
It was as if she had been shaken.
The curse’s range widened.
Directly asking must have landed a blow.
But ‘Death’s Curse’ had no effect on him.
‘Death is Boksil’s domain.’
Radiant Anubis, Boksil!
A being who calls death, eats death, and guides death was clinging to him.
As long as Boksil was with him, ordinary death magic couldn’t even touch him.
The perfect counter to the Witch of Death.
“You… You don’t seem to fear my power.”
Witch Adora spoke as she gazed at Park Chan-woo, sounding surprised.
The ‘death’ she wielded reigned over all living things.
But to the human before her, ‘Death’s Curse’ didn’t work at all.
No, it wasn’t just ‘Death’s Curse.’
She instinctively knew.
None of her powers of death would work on this man.
Of course, she could still try to crush him with other dark magic, but for Adora, it was a startling experience.
Her power was one even other witches shunned.
Yet here was a human who’d brazenly stepped into her territory, claiming he could solve her problem.
And he seemed to have even met Kankun in another domain.
“I asked if you love Kankun.”
Park Chan-woo pressed again.
Adora thought to herself.
…What a brazen human.
No living being had ever acted so boldly in front of her.
Most either bowed their heads in terror or cowered in fear.
“I possess no such feeling.”
“Then do you want to kill him?”
“You must have seen the ‘death magic’ engraved on his heart.”
“You must have had your own way of expressing yourself. If you wanted him dead, he would already be dead.”
Park Chan-woo spoke with confidence.
Standing before the Witch of Death made him sure of it.
He had saved Kankun.
Orc Master Kankun was undoubtedly an extraordinary being, but the Witch of Death surpassed even that standard.
If Kankun had the potential to surpass the 10th Realm, ‘Adora is already a 10th Realm powerhouse.’
Kankun’s level was 83.
He had set foot into the 9th Realm.
But Adora’s level was over 90.
That overwhelming magic was unmistakable.
She had already set foot into the 10th Realm.
But unlike Kankun, Adora’s status window didn’t appear.
‘You can’t observe witches. That’s why it’s impossible to get a clear read.’
Witches are lords of dark magic who defy truth.
You can’t get a proper read on them by normal means.
You could only estimate by sensing her magic.
Even then, Park Chan-woo could only guess thanks to having once reached level 99.
“…I was simply curious.”
For the first time, Adora spoke the truth.
But curious, she said.
“What are you curious about?”
“I… I’ve been watching Kankun for a long time.”
At last, Adora began to reveal her secret.
—
The deepest part of the Abyss.
The world where witches live.
Adora was born there, talented enough to be personally taught by the Black Witch.
But her talent sometimes ran rampant, creating rifts.
Young Adora was swept into rifts several times, and sometimes ended up in worlds outside the Abyss.
That’s how, by chance, she met ‘Kankun.’
Though their time together was brief, the encounter left an unforgettable memory for Adora.
—You possess ominous power? But a great warrior does not kill a child.
When the orcs tried to execute Adora, Kankun appeared and saved her.
Afterward, the Black Witch sent Adora back to the Abyss, but as she grew up, she learned to use the ‘witch’s orb’ and began secretly watching Kankun through it.
Watching as he united the orcs to become their lord.
Watching his fearless ways as he faced death—some unknown feeling began to blossom.
The problem was, the Black Witch discovered her doing so.
—Adora. For the sin of possessing what a witch must never have, I banish you from this Abyss forever.
Banished, Adora landed in Kankun’s domain.
And then the massacre began.
The death she possessed slaughtered the orcs.
Kankun suddenly appeared and began fighting the death-wielding Witch, and in the process, Adora had no choice but to engrave death into Kankun’s heart.
“Do you regret it?”
After hearing the tragic story, Park Chan-woo asked.
Adora replied,
“Are you asking if I regret having emotions?”
“No, I’m asking if you regret meeting Kankun.”
“…I don’t know.”
Everything outside the Abyss was full of unknowns.
But the fact that she didn’t deny it was progress.
‘Is that why the aura of death weakened?’
Adora was a monster.
If the ‘aura of death’ she wielded had remained intact, everyone who tried to climb the tower in her faction would have died long ago.
Hadn’t she exterminated an orc tribe just by appearing?
Now, however, her domain of death extended only about 500 meters.
She had weakened.
The Tower of Arrogance likely wanted Adora to regain her power.
No matter how many relics she absorbed, her ‘aura of death’ wouldn’t regain its former strength.
Because Adora herself felt disillusioned and regretful about her power.
“…You’re saying you can solve this?”
She was the one who massacred Kankun’s tribe.
Intentional or not, the result was the same.
Hate and resentment would be natural.
Unless someone resurrected the orcs, who could possibly solve this?
…It was impossible.
That was what she thought.
Park Chan-woo nodded and extended his hand.
“I’ll solve it for you.”
“…Why are you holding out your hand?”
“It means I look forward to working with you.”
“No one has ever survived touching me.”
Even other witches avoided physical contact with Adora.
Anything that touched her would die.
Physical contact was an absolute force far beyond any simple curse.
“It’s fine.”
Park Chan-woo was confident.
As long as Boksil was with him, death would never consume him.
“…Don’t regret it.”
Tap.
Witch Adora took Park Chan-woo’s hand.
At the same time—
[‘Authority of Death’ spreads.]
[‘Boksil’ neutralizes ‘Authority of Death.’]
[‘Authority of Death’ is deflected, but severe fatigue washes over you as a side effect.]
Brrrr!
‘Gah!’
Park Chan-woo convulsed and immediately lost consciousness.
—
“Who’s that next to Adora?”
“A zombie?”
“No, it’s someone I’ve never seen before…”
Murmurs spread.
Third floor of the Tower of Arrogance.
No one had ever seen anyone by Adora’s side besides the monsters she revived as they climbed this far.
It was definitely a living person.
And with good reason.
“…He’s talking with Adora.”
“What are they saying?”
“Who is he?”
Zombies had no will of their own.
They never conversed with Adora.
But this man was different.
He was standing right next to Adora, talking with her.
And that scene—
‘Who’s that?’
Han Shin also noticed.
On his way back after obtaining an intermediate relic.
He saw a man standing next to Adora.
Clothes he’d never seen before.
Han Shin immediately activated ‘Mind’s Eye.’
“…Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue softly.
Adora’s overwhelming presence made it impossible to see or sense anything inside that ‘death zone.’
There was no way to know what the two of them were talking about.
At first, he assumed it was just another being summoned by Adora.
But the more he looked,
‘That’s a human.’
He became convinced that the mysterious magician was indeed human.
But how could a human withstand the ‘Curse of Death’ and stand right next to Adora?
Even Han Shin couldn’t do that.
He could endure for a bit, but if he tried to approach by force, he’d die.
‘I’ve never seen this guy climbing the tower.’
Where had he come from?
Someone he’d never seen before was now acting like Adora’s closest confidant.
Even Han Shin, who had filled six relic slots and was about to add another, had never been allowed by Adora to stand beside her.
That wasn’t all.
[‘Intermediate Relic of Stamina’ has been replaced by ‘Lower Arrogance Relic.’]
[‘Relics bearing the name “Arrogance” are the most valuable.’]
[‘Relics of Arrogance displayed in the showcase can only be replaced by higher-grade Arrogance relics.’]
[‘Lower Relic of Valor’ has been replaced by ‘Intermediate Relic of Magic.’]
“…What?”
Han Shin frowned before he realized it.
Because Adora was giving the relics he’d hunted and obtained—
…all to that guy.
And that mage, with perfect timing, was only replacing relics that Han Shin had displayed.
* * * * * *
(T/N: Still not back to a regular upload schedule, but I’ll be uploading at least 5 chapters per series every week, in order based on the most recent series I picked up. No fixed days yet, but I’ll keep the bulk uploads coming as best as I can!)
