Chapter 80
Ataraxia was no ordinary dragon.
He belonged to the “Despair” lineage, the top tier even among the dragonkin.
The dragonkin, often called the mightiest of all species.
Among them, he was one of the chosen.
Ataraxia was plotting to reignite a war between the Abyss and all species for the dragonkin’s supremacy—by borrowing the power of the “Black Witch,” master of chaos.
And currently, Ataraxia was on a crucial mission from the Black Witch.
—Adora has awakened the “Wish.” Bring it, along with the “Star of Arrogance.”
Wish, and the Star of Arrogance!
Both were names not even the Twelve Species or Lords of the Abyss could ignore.
Especially Adora’s “Wish,” a source of magic itself—Ataraxia was deeply interested.
A witch, not a dragonkin, had awakened Wish.
Adora the Witch of Death.
He hadn’t realized her talent was so extraordinary.
‘Is that why the Black Witch tried to make Adora the Lord of Arrogance?’
Ataraxia was aware of Adora’s existence.
But unlike other witches, Adora was raised in isolation.
It seemed that, simply because she dealt with “death,” all witches shunned her and taught her separately.
‘…They deliberately hid Adora’s talent from the start.’
No, it was the Black Witch who avoided exposing Adora.
Adora was likely raised for the “Lord of Arrogance” from the beginning.
The Black Witch had dedicated everything to the Lord of Arrogance’s resurrection.
The Lord of Arrogance, the king of all false kings.
If that imaginary monster returned, it could change the entire balance of the Abyss.
Even the Great Nine Lords might have to worry.
But the Black Witch’s plan failed.
Adora awakened Wish and destroyed the Tower of Arrogance herself.
‘Adora had help. The one who brought down the tower. Likely a human.’
She couldn’t have done it alone.
The Black Witch’s plans were intricate as a spiderweb.
One would be caught up without even realizing it.
There must have been an accomplice.
With the collapse of the Earth’s tower, only a human challenger could have brought it down.
‘I couldn’t find Adora, but I could trace the human.’
No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find Adora’s whereabouts.
If she’d awakened Wish, a dragonkin like Ataraxia shouldn’t have missed her trail.
But apparently, she’d perfectly erased her tracks using the “Black Witch’s Little Finger.”
Ataraxia gave up looking for Adora and focused on chasing the “accomplice.”
The legendary treasure, the “Star of Arrogance,” was likely with the accomplice.
‘So, both Wish and the Star of Arrogance are with the accomplice.’
The accomplice would know Adora’s location.
If he found the accomplice, he could recover both.
So Ataraxia entered the “second night” without hesitation.
Certain the human accomplice would be there.
If so, they’d be making waves.
‘…Found.’
His prediction was right.
The human accomplice was here.
A presence totally different from the other humans.
Ahheta was doing everything to block this human using doppelgangers—so this had to be the “accomplice” who dared to seize his territory.
Wasn’t it astounding?
A human triggering a Legendary Quest in the second night!
Every other human Ataraxia had met was pathetic.
Destined to disappear like dew in the upcoming “Species War.”
But there was an exception.
A human who found paths no one else would walk, who accomplished what no one else could.
Indeed, only such a one could conquer the Tower of Arrogance.
Of course, it wasn’t just the behavior that convinced Ataraxia this was the “accomplice.”
There was a deeper reason.
‘A human with both the Immortal King’s energy and the Goddess’s blessing.’
His “backing” was stronger than expected.
Auras from monsters most creators couldn’t dream of were entwined within him—totally opposing forces, yet both bestowed their names.
And more.
‘…There’s a trace of Wish.’
However faint, the energy of Wish lingered.
It wasn’t the power itself, but a lingering echo.
It had to be the human who stood near Adora when she awakened Wish.
That’s why the trace remained.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Ataraxia’s demand made Lee Hyuk-soo scowl.
He’d never even heard of the Star of Arrogance or Wish.
A stranger appearing and demanding those two things was completely nonsensical.
“So you pretend not to know. Accomplice of Adora.”
Ataraxia sneered.
Convinced Lee Hyuk-soo was lying.
But Lee Hyuk-soo’s demeanor was sincerely puzzled.
“…Is he insane?”
Adora?
If he meant Adora, the Witch of Death who was in the Tower of Arrogance, he was way off.
Lee Hyuk-soo had never even set foot in the Tower of Arrogance.
He must be mad or suffering from delusions.
“If you won’t hand them over, I’ll take them.”
Ataraxia remained relaxed.
Though limited by appearing as a human, and thus restricted in power, he was still dragonkin.
Even using the same amount of mana, the method and efficiency were on another level.
Convinced the human before him was the accomplice, he had to reclaim the Star of Arrogance and Wish.
“Wind, rage violently.”
Whhhhhhh!
At that moment,
A fierce wind surged and rushed at Lee Hyuk-soo.
If this were his true body, he would have used spellless, chantless magic, but here Ataraxia could only use magic at the level of local humans.
Any higher, and Ahheta would notice.
If he transformed into his true self, the Abyss lords would object and Ataraxia would be exiled from dragonkin society.
‘This is enough.’
More than enough.
Slash!
Shhhh!
Proof—Lee Hyuk-soo’s body was continually cut.
The wind, precisely controlled by Ataraxia’s mana.
Lee Hyuk-soo, trapped in the blades of wind, could barely move.
Instead, “Shadow Asphyxiation” stretched from the Immortal King’s greatsword.
Haaaaaa!
Shadow Asphyxiation was unaffected by the wind.
The black current and the skull within it charged madly toward Ataraxia.
‘Magic with composite effects. Has he inherited the Immortal King’s power?’
He knew all about the Immortal King.
One of the ancient beings who once threatened the Abyssal Lords.
A survivor of a now-extinct species, not one of the Twelve Species.
All his magic had “composite effects.”
The only way to neutralize composite effects was to use magic with composite effects.
“Earth, rise. Fire, dwell.”
Ataraxia blended two spells.
Raising earth to form a barrier, and overlaying it with fire.
The wall blocked the “skull of asphyxiation,” and the flames burned away the shadow.
‘He still doesn’t know how to fully wield the Immortal King’s power…’
If he did, this magic couldn’t be stopped so easily.
So Ataraxia judged Lee Hyuk-soo as inexperienced.
But—
Slash!
Suddenly, Ataraxia winced in pain.
His side had been pierced.
Silently, stealthily.
‘…He came through the shadow?’
He thought he’d blocked it.
Thought he’d burned it away.
But that wasn’t all.
Lee Hyuk-soo had hidden within the shadow.
It was an application of the Immortal King’s magic.
Since his enlightenment, Lee Hyuk-soo had naturally learned how to hide himself within shadows.
Whooosh!
Black mana surged like wings behind Ataraxia, wrapping around his body.
Lee Hyuk-soo had no choice but to retreat.
He instinctively knew—if that power caught him, he’d never escape.
‘Impressive.’
Ataraxia was honestly surprised.
That human accomplice seemed extremely sensitive to mana.
But that was the limit.
Once was enough.
It wouldn’t happen again.
“Black-stained thunder, strike down like despair.”
He was of the “Despair” lineage.
Using the word in the spell’s chant doubled the destructive power.
It became true despair.
Since the target had come so close, there was no way to dodge.
Ataraxia’s black mana shot skyward.
Empowered by the name of despair, the magic called disaster.
‘…There’s no way to dodge.’
Lee Hyuk-soo frowned.
He’d never faced an opponent like this before.
It was the first time he’d faced someone who wielded magic so freely.
He couldn’t think of a counter.
He couldn’t dodge.
That magic was real.
Like the Prophet’s magic.
Rumble.
KABOOOOOM!
Black lightning roared from the sky.
It focused directly on Lee Hyuk-soo’s location.
“…Hm?”
…Ataraxia tilted his head.
The magic bearing the name of despair had been neutralized.
No matter how restricted his mana, this was impossible.
The dragonkin were the masters of magic.
Magic from other races could never block theirs.
Yet it was blocked.
By “the same magic.”
“Heaven’s Wrath?”
It was clearly the lightning spell “Heaven’s Wrath.”
Someone had invoked Heaven’s Wrath chantlessly and evaporated Ataraxia’s spell.
But who?
‘…There’s one more.’
Finally, he realized.
No, the moment his magic was canceled, he naturally knew.
Someone was nearby.
Someone had been watching, undetected.
He’d never noticed.
Someone could hide their presence this perfectly from his gaze!
Park Chan-woo.
He finally revealed himself.
‘Wait…’
Ataraxia looked toward the newcomer.
“…!”
And was shocked.
The new arrival’s equipment was extraordinary.
Especially the staff and several items—among the world’s very best.
But that wasn’t what surprised him.
‘Adora’s accomplice…’
The instant he appeared, the trace of Wish grew stronger.
That meant this man was Adora’s accomplice.
He’d stayed hidden, sending the human with the Immortal King’s magic to fight.
But even that wasn’t the reason for Ataraxia’s true shock.
There was another, deeper reason.
…Unbelievable.
Absolutely impossible.
Because—
That man was…
“…Sephiro…?”
(T/N: Dagon number two? lol)