Chapter 55
…Hold hands?
Dagon thought for a moment.
Did he mean to establish friendly relations or form an alliance?
But what would a demon merchant have to do with a witch?
Surely, he wasn’t suggesting they cook together.
“Are you telling me to join forces with that witch?”
“Literally. Just shake hands.”
“…A handshake?”
It was truly out of the blue.
But demons and witches were sworn enemies.
Demons considered witches nothing more than parasites of the Abyss.
Cancers hiding deep where demons could not reach, causing cracks in the Abyss.
To shake hands with such a witch—what on earth could that mean?
No matter how many coins were at stake, there were some lines that couldn’t be crossed.
“I have no intention of getting along with a witch…”
“No need to. Just one handshake is all.”
Dagon tilted his head.
He couldn’t understand Park Chan-woo’s intent.
Witches were a cursed race who wielded unknown black magic.
But a witch’s curse rarely worked on demons.
That was why witches hid in the depths of the Abyss.
“Is it really just a handshake?”
“Have you been tricked your whole life?”
“Suspicion is a merchant’s basic virtue.”
“I swear on my name.”
“If you go that far…”
Dagon nodded.
Supreme mage, the pinnacle of dragons—Sephiro.
The weight of that name was on the level of an entire world.
“But will the witch even agree to shake hands with me? Just as demons hate witches, witches must hate demons too.”
“Hmm.”
It was a valid point.
First, he’d have to get the agreement of both parties.
Park Chan-woo walked over to Adora.
“Would you try shaking hands with Dagon?”
“…If that’s what you want.”
“Does my wish matter?”
“I have no desire to touch a filthy demon’s hand of my own will.”
Even though he was the one who summoned that demon.
Park Chan-woo let out a quiet sigh.
Thankfully, Adora seemed to regard Dagon as separate from himself.
But her will was firm.
Just as Dagon loathed witches, Adora also loathed demons.
“Try grabbing his hand.”
“…Isn’t that demon your summoned creature?”
“Something like that.”
“It could go wrong.”
“Just don’t kill him.”
Park Chan-woo shrugged.
Demon and witch.
They lived in the same Abyss but regarded each other as vermin.
Two beings who despised each other to the core, now about to hold hands.
If Dagon survived, it would mean Adora had gained a certain level of control over ‘death.’
A slim chance, but there was a reason to take the risk.
‘I’ll save both Kankun and Adora.’
He was sincere.
He would never let things play out according to the Tower of Arrogance’s script.
If the tower planned to let only one of Kankun or Adora survive, and turn the survivor into a “Creator”—
He would crush that plan.
Ultimately, it was no different from the Creators.
This place was no different than an Abyss created by Arrogance.
And Park Chan-woo’s goal was to bankrupt Arrogance.
The best way to bankrupt a Creator was to go against their intentions.
Park Chan-woo was known as the “natural enemy of Creators” because of his dedication to bankrupting them.
‘Arrogance is no different from any other Creator.’
Until he learned Arrogance’s true intentions, he’d thought otherwise.
After all, Arrogance had helped humanity grow.
Granted them the power to resist the Abyss and the Creators.
But if Arrogance’s goal was to create a new “Creator,” it was a whole different story.
He was even more dangerous than the Creators.
‘I’ll bankrupt you.’
He put Arrogance on the same level as the Creators.
No matter what offer was made, he had no intention of accepting.
All those offers were poisoned chalices.
By any means necessary, he would make sure Adora could control death.
Losing Dagon would be a big blow, but if he succeeded, he could save Kankun as well.
From then on, bankrupting the Tower of Arrogance became Park Chan-woo’s true objective.
“……”
“……”
Adora and Dagon.
Witch and demon stood face-to-face.
Adora’s expression was colder than ever.
She was reluctant; if it were up to her, she’d kill him on the spot.
‘A magician contracted with a demon, huh?’
It was the demon Park Chan-woo had summoned.
Since he was a mage, he must have made a contract with this demon.
If she had known this from the start, she never would have kept him nearby.
The relationship between witch and demon was worse than most people imagined.
Moreover, Adora had been taught directly by the “Black Witch.” The Black Witch’s hatred of demons was truly unmatched.
—This Abyss was originally ours, the witches’.
—Demons are invaders who stole our home.
—They’re vermin that must be eradicated.
—Sweep them all away. Crush every last one.
She had heard words like those every day.
Naturally, Adora could only hate demons.
The only reason she restrained herself from killing Dagon was Park Chan-woo.
Right after arriving on the 5th floor, he had started to hesitate.
Should he leave the tower or not?
She sensed it instinctively, but there was no reason for her to stop him.
He had sacrificed so much to help her until now.
Even so, he stayed, insisting on his own will—even summoning a loathsome demon.
‘If a contracted demon dies, the one who made the contract suffers greatly.’
Everyone else who held her hand, except for Park Chan-woo, had died.
He must have known that, but still told his summoned demon to take her hand.
If the demon died, the contractor—Park Chan-woo—would suffer great harm.
Adora no longer wanted to see Park Chan-woo die.
“…I’ll do it, witch.”
“Go ahead.”
With a tense, scrunched face, Dagon slowly extended his hand.
He even turned his head away, as if he couldn’t bear to watch.
At last, Adora and Dagon shook hands.
Their hands met.
Bzzzzzzz!
Both their skins vibrated slightly.
It was certainly an awful sensation.
But the peaceful scene ended right there.
“Guh-urk?!”
Dagon let out a strangled scream, as if he couldn’t breathe.
He frantically tried to pull his hand away, but Adora wouldn’t let go.
“Kegh! Kirrrrrrrrrrr—!”
Dagon’s condition rapidly deteriorated.
He began making animalistic noises, his eyes rolling wildly in all directions.
Adora closed her eyes completely.
She focused all her willpower on mastering death.
She did everything she could not to kill Dagon.
How much time passed like that?
“…She did it.”
Park Chan-woo smiled.
Adora had completely conquered death.
It wasn’t just because Dagon survived.
Even after letting go of Dagon’s hand, Adora still kept her eyes closed.
Soon, the “domain of death” that swirled around her quickly began to expand its radius.
If there was one difference from before—
Those who entered the domain no longer died.
However—
[All monsters on the 5th floor of the Tower of Arrogance have been annihilated.]
[All holy relics present on the 5th floor of the Tower of Arrogance have been acquired.]
[All relics in the showcase have been automatically rearranged.]
[The floor guardian ‘Griffon’ on the 5th floor of the Tower of Arrogance has suffocated from the death energy spread by Adora.]
[The path to the 6th floor of the Tower of Arrogance is open.]
[All of Adora’s supporters are rewarded.]
[You are Adora’s only closest aide and powerful supporter.]
[10 holy relics have been displayed in the showcase.]
[As a reward, you receive ‘15 Coins’ and ‘30 Arrogance Boxes.’]
[From the 6th floor of the Tower of Arrogance on, only aides recognized by Adora may ascend together.]
The monsters that opposed Adora on the 5th floor of the Tower of Arrogance were annihilated.
Just by spreading her energy, even the floor guardian suffocated.
‘Truly incredible.’
It was overwhelming power.
A true 10th-tier monster.
Having succeeded in mastering and ruling death, Adora was now much stronger than before.
Park Chan-woo watched Adora for a long while.
At last, Adora slowly opened her eyes.
And looking at Park Chan-woo—
“…Thank you. Park Chan-woo.”
“……”
Park Chan-woo couldn’t say a word.
It was only a fleeting moment.
Maybe he was mistaken.
‘Can a witch even smile?’
He was sure Adora had smiled.
But no one would believe him if he said he saw a witch smile.
After all, witches were known to never, ever smile.
Thud!
“Oh, beautiful one!”
“…?”
“I fell in love at first sight! By the way, do you know who I am?”
Suddenly Dagon sprang up babbling nonsense, then collapsed again.
* * *
“…Hmm.”
Han Shin quietly looked up at the stairs leading to the 6th floor.
This was where the floor guardian Griffon had been.
The Griffon was a top-tier monster and a holy beast.
It was the opposite of someone like Adora, who ruled over death.
Yet, even the Griffon couldn’t withstand the energy Adora unleashed.
It showed just how powerful Adora was.
And not just that.
All the monsters on the 5th floor were annihilated in an instant.
Immediately after, Adora disappeared.
She must have ascended the tower.
Han Shin slowly headed for the stairs.
[Only aides chosen by Adora may move to the 6th floor.]
[You have not been chosen by Adora.]
“……”
A message stating he couldn’t ascend, not having received Adora’s “choice.”
It had gone past ridiculous and was just plain infuriating.
He’d done everything to strengthen Adora.
He’d gathered relics, even managed to catch her attention a few times.
He had immediately recognized that Adora was the key to climbing the tower.
And yet—
Adora did not choose Han Shin.
She didn’t even spare him a glance.
It was the first time he’d ever been ignored like this, despite all his efforts.
“What are you… mage.”
Crack!
Han Shin ground his teeth.
Some mage had monopolized all of Adora’s attention.
How could this be?
Even the Creators were desperate to contract with him.
Any being, no matter their gender or race, couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
That was who he was.
A man who shone without even trying.
Someone who monopolized everyone’s gaze and stood as everyone’s ideal.
Yet—
‘…It’s been taken from me.’
Even when he’d had his setup stolen by someone unknown, he hadn’t been this furious.
But the thought of losing Adora’s attention made him burn with rage.
At the fact that he wasn’t chosen.
At the reality that he couldn’t even ascend these stairs!
All the relics he’d painstakingly collected had been replaced, making all his efforts worthless.
Han Shin was angry about all of it.
The problem was that there was no way to vent his anger.
Because—
…There was no way to know who it was.
Adora had completely hidden that man.
Blocked Han Shin’s “Mind’s Eye,” and even more—
She had blocked the gaze of the Creators.
As if wanting to keep that man entirely to herself.
She hid him completely.
Of course, in the Tower of Arrogance, the Creators couldn’t exercise their full power, so there was no helping it.
‘This is a first for me.’
It was the first time he’d ever felt like this.
He was dumbfounded, annoyed, but more than anything, an even bigger emotion surged over him like a tidal wave.
“…So this is what misery feels like.”
It was “misery.”
No one had ever made him feel this emotion before.
What should he do?
How could he resolve this feeling?
Han Shin reached a conclusion.
“My contractor. I will participate in the ‘Second Night.’ This time, I’ll prepare properly.”
Han Shin hadn’t participated in the ‘First Night.’
The reason was that the Creator Ahheta, with whom Han Shin had contracted, was sure of failure.
Yet, there, Lee Hyuk-soo had taken down the Water Dragon God.
The outcome was unexpected, and Ahheta’s reputation as a Creator had been tarnished.
Perhaps that was why.
—Look forward to it.
Ahheta, usually silent, had finally replied for the first time in a while.
As if he was determined to ensure success in the Second Night.
‘You’ll join too, mage.’
Han Shin was certain.
That mage would also join the ‘Second Night.’
Until then, Han Shin planned to prepare with all his strength for the first time in a while.
And—
‘I will definitely find you.’
In the ‘Second Night,’ he would find the mage—
…and obliterate him.
He could not allow anyone in this world to attract more attention, to shine brighter than himself.
* * * * * * *
(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!)
