Chapter 83

[Hidden Trait: Eternal Sword]!

It was another hidden trait he possessed.

‘Orcmaster Kankun. This was the power you gifted me.’

On the 10th floor of the [Tower of Arrogance], when he had faced death—

Orcmaster Kankun had sacrificed his own heart to save Park Chan-woo.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he gave not only his heart, but his very existence for Park Chan-woo’s survival.

Park Chan-woo remembered it clearly.

The will he left behind.

—Offer my heart to this warrior. And together, kill the Black Witch. I entrust the vengeance of our tribe to you.

The time they had shared didn’t matter.

Though they had only just met, Kankun had called him “warrior.”

He had simply believed in him—without hesitation, without doubt.

Truly foolish, wasn’t it?

Wasn’t it reckless?

How could one entrust their heart, their life, their very being to another?

And yet—

Though foolish, he remembered it.

He remembered Kankun’s courage and kindness.

Kankun had been a true warrior.

He had overcome the fear of death, forgiven Adora who had slaughtered his tribe, and even gone so far as to sacrifice himself out of devotion.

‘You didn’t need to ask. I was going to do it anyway, Kankun.’

Even without Kankun’s plea, Park Chan-woo had no intention of leaving the Black Witch alone.

Like the other Creators, he would destroy her—erase her very existence.

The Black Witch’s goal was to create a [Lord of Arrogance] and plunge the world into chaos.

In that process, Earth and humanity would be swept away like sand on the shore.

She had even deceived Adora and Kankun.

There was no way he could let her be.

Park Chan-woo’s eyes lit up again.

‘Black Witch. You will never have your way.’

You will never create a Lord of Arrogance. You will never recover [Wish] and the [Star of Arrogance].

The Black Witch would accomplish nothing.

…Especially with the dragon before him—a servant of the Black Witch.

If he mistook Park Chan-woo for Dragon God Sephiro, he could be used.

He could interfere with the Black Witch and even deal a heavy blow to her plans.

Tap.

Placing the [Immortal King’s Greatsword] against the dragon’s throat, Park Chan-woo asked:

“What is your name?”

He asked casually.

Sephiro—

No one expected him to know every dragon’s name.

Especially not a member of the [Clan of Despair], who weren’t even close to his inner circle.

Why would Sephiro know the name of a mere clansman?

And Park Chan-woo’s thinking was spot on.

“A-Ataraxia…!”

“Ataraxia. You died here.”

“……Yes. I’ve committed an unforgivable crime. I deserve death. But please—spare my clan. I acted alone…”

A dragon serving a witch.

There was no greater disgrace.

Knowing Sephiro’s nature, he might even erase the entire clan.

Moved by Ataraxia’s desperate plea, Park Chan-woo slowly withdrew the blade.

“……?”

As suspicion flickered in Ataraxia’s eyes, Park Chan-woo offered a faint smile.

“You never saw me. And you failed in your mission. All tasks given to you by the Black Witch… will continue to fail.”

“……!”

Ataraxia immediately grasped the meaning of his words.

The old Ataraxia had died.

He was reborn, now to follow the words of Dragon God Sephiro instead of the Black Witch. (T/N: Damn you scammer! Are you classmates with Raon and Lloyd? I think you had a scammer seminar with them!!!)

Unless he misunderstood, that had to be it.

“…Yes. I have seen nothing. And I shall fail in all tasks handed to me by the Black Witch.”

Ataraxia’s attitude was filled with solemnity.

It carried the weight of one who would truly die if commanded.

Watching the dragon drown in delusion, Park Chan-woo drove the wedge deeper.

“The way you recognized me at a glance and used the Black Witch… your actions piqued my interest.”

“Ah…! Wh-what an honor!”

Sephiro’s every action was governed by one principle—

Interest.

Interest alone explained everything he did.

Even when they first met, hadn’t Sephiro shown interest in Park Chan-woo and attempted to dissect him?

As long as something caught his interest, even the gravest sinners were forgiven.

Conversely, if he lacked interest, he ignored them completely—or acted with the utmost cruelty.

‘Dragon God Sephiro… is interested in me!’

In Ataraxia’s eyes, despair was replaced by hope.

What greater honor could there be?

Despite his unforgivable crime, he was spared—out of interest.

Because the Dragon God had taken an interest in him.

His body trembled.

Overwhelmed with joy.

A tidal wave of emotion swept through Ataraxia’s entire being.

It was the most intense emotion he had ever felt.

A reaction perhaps overly dramatic from a single glance or a moment of attention—but that was how dragons revered their god.

‘I’ve been chosen.’

To attract Sephiro’s interest was to be chosen.

Not a single member of the Clan of Despair had ever achieved this.

He had disguised himself using the Black Witch and carried out his mission in a way that caught Sephiro’s interest.

Above all else, recognizing Sephiro at a glance seemed to have earned him high marks.

And realistically, no other dragon would have been so certain.

Only someone who already understood [Wish] and the [Star of Arrogance] through the Black Witch could reach that conclusion.

“Ataraxia.”

“Y-Yes!”

Dragon God Sephiro had spoken his name!

It was a dreamlike moment.

Ataraxia’s dramatic reaction was met with a smileless reply from Park Chan-woo.

“There is something I want you to do for me.”

“Give the order.”

Ataraxia bowed deeply.

He didn’t ask what the task was.

If it was Dragon God Sephiro’s command, he would see it through no matter what.

‘He bought it completely.’

Thanks to the display of [Eternal Sword], Ataraxia didn’t even consider the possibility of deception.

If he ever learned that this was all a lie and misunderstanding, the backlash would be catastrophic—but the odds of that were slim.

Not unless he met Sephiro himself.

But the [Clan of Despair] had no presence anywhere near the Dragon God’s Hall.

And Ataraxia wasn’t even the clan’s leader.

He would never meet Sephiro.

“I will ascend the [Path of Light]. Bind the feet of those who follow.”

“I receive your command.”

Park Chan-woo gave a small nod.

Lee Hyuk-soo was exhausted, and exposing himself further carried risk.

The moon’s gaze hadn’t reached this place yet.

But it was only a matter of time.

The moon above was Ahheta’s eye.

It now surveyed the entire region of the [Second Night].

Searching for the intruder Ataraxia—and the one progressing through the [Legendary Quest].

‘If Ataraxia draws their attention, it’ll make clearing the quest easier.’

He planned to throw Ataraxia to the wolves.

Draw all of Ahheta’s attention to him and clear the [Legendary Quest] during the distraction.

“Leave everything to me, great one.”

Truly dependable.

It felt like gaining a thousand allies.

As a bonus, Park Chan-woo gave him one more line.

“I’m counting on you, Ataraxia.”

“……Yes!”

On the verge of tears.

Smirking inwardly, Park Chan-woo returned the [Immortal King’s Greatsword] to Lee Hyuk-soo.

And slowly walked forward along the [Path of Light].

—

Han Shin followed the [Path of Light].

Someone was progressing through the [Legendary Quest] along this path.

He didn’t know who, but clearly the doppelgangers alone weren’t enough to stop them.

Ahheta had even humbled herself and asked Han Shin personally.

Whoever had unlocked the [Legendary Quest] was no ordinary opponent.

‘An intruder… or that mage.’

Just as Lee Hyuk-soo said, it could be the intruder.

It wasn’t impossible for the intruder to unlock the [Legendary Quest] as well.

But if not?

Only one face came to Han Shin’s mind.

The mage who killed a god during the [Dungeon Abyss] incident and conquered the [Tower of Arrogance].

The one who had stood beside Adora, the Witch of Death, and stared at him as if to mock him.

He hoped it was the latter.

If it was the mage, things would be far more interesting.

‘I hope I won’t be disappointed.’

There was only one problem.

Han Shin—his combat power had grown far too strong.

He raised a thin, sharp sword into the air.

It was a beautiful silver blade etched with a dragon’s form.

A [Legendary]-grade treasure—[Blade of the Pursuer].

But it wasn’t just the grade that made it special.

‘Blade of the Pursuer. My exclusive gear.’

It was [exclusive equipment] prepared solely for Han Shin.

Arranged by Ahheta herself.

He had lost a previous setup once—but not this time.

After all, no one else could equip it even if they bought it.

There was no reason to force themselves to acquire it.

And as expected of exclusive equipment, it felt perfectly balanced in his grip.

It moved as naturally as his own limbs.

Just holding the sword filled him with energy.

He hadn’t been serious until now—but after encountering that mage, Han Shin had earnestly worked on improving his strength.

The mage had brought out his true resolve. It was only fair to test it in battle.

‘I hope they don’t run when they see this army.’

With a smirk, Han Shin glanced back.

Behind him stretched a massive legion of doppelgangers.

Even without them, he could handle a mage alone.

But if his opponent ran after realizing they couldn’t win—he would be sorely disappointed.

“…Hm?”

At that moment—

Along the [Path of Light].

He saw someone in the distance.

Someone who didn’t retreat even after seeing the army of doppelgangers.

The man simply stood there, calmly watching Han Shin.

With unwavering resolve.

As if he had been waiting.

‘Who is that?’

It was a face he didn’t recognize.

A pursuer, no doubt—but not the mage he had hoped for.

Who was he?

Everyone else who had faced the doppelganger army had fled.

Not a single exception.

But now, an exception stood before him.

Blocking his path without so much as stepping aside.

‘Is he the intruder?’

That was possible.

But no matter how he looked at him, the man was human—from Earth.

The intruder was supposed to be of a different species.

And then—

“Wind, rage like despair.”

The man—Ataraxia—spoke.

In that instant—

*RUMBLE!*

*KWAAAAAA—!*

Magic imbued with the [Dragon Tongue of Despair].

A fierce wind stormed toward Han Shin like a typhoon.