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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The 3-Second Cut
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Game Master Andariel had said it.
Everything needed to conquer the Twelve Divine Generals was in the "Aqua Nightclub."
That they could fully strategize using the treasures beyond the curtain.
And that statement was, to a certain extent, true.
'The problem is scraping together enough points for it.'
But it was absolutely impossible with normal methods.
A single person had to farm the points themselves and buy everything required.
Due to the Abyss's nature, only the individual who obtained an item could use it.
The only transferable item was "Coin."
However, if there were obedient "party members," the story changed.
They could divide roles effectively.
Having Park Chan-woo equip Lee Hyuk-soo with the "Immortal King Set" fell into the same category.
'The Immortal King Set's one-time Indomitable effect.'
Indomitable, which activated upon receiving a fatal blow.
An invincibility skill granting three seconds of immunity!
It was a one-use option that vanished after activation, but those three seconds were enough to conquer the Dragon God General.
Of course, there were no guarantees at all.
Would Lee Hyuk-soo move exactly as planned?
It meant crawling straight into the jaws of death.
Could he really stake his life on just the Indomitable effect?
Honestly, even Park Chan-woo would refuse.
So, Park Chan-woo planned to make Lee Hyuk-soo an offer he couldn't refuse.
"Lee Hyuk-soo. We're going to kill the Dragon God General."
"...Can we really kill it?"
Ten minutes remained.
Lee Hyuk-soo asked with a skeptical expression.
It was a monster that had slain 50,000 people single-handedly.
Even if Park Chan-woo had killed Game Master Andariel, from Lee Hyuk-soo's perspective, the Dragon God General looked stronger.
"If things go exactly according to plan, we can kill the Dragon God General within the three seconds Indomitable activates."
"...Hold on. Indomitable only triggers on fatal damage, right? You're not telling me to throw my life away, are you?"
"Oh, sharp as expected. Indomitable must activate, and you have to reach the Dragon God General within those three seconds."
Indomitable's activation was the basic premise.
It meant starting off by taking fatal damage.
"...Why should I do that?"
However, Lee Hyuk-soo had already purchased the Elixir.
He'd kept booking endlessly at the nightclub and followed Park Chan-woo's instructions.
Now he just needed to escape this Abyss.
With the gear he'd obtained here, he could rack up enough "contribution" to break into the top 20,000 easily.
No matter how monstrous Park Chan-woo was—having slain a demon—he couldn't blindly leap toward death.
As expected, Park Chan-woo pulled out a "Coin" from his pocket.
"Take it."
"...This is a 'tip'?"
Lee Hyuk-soo blinked as he caught the tossed Coin.
It was the Coin he'd given to Andariel as a tip.
The sole item remaining after Andariel's death.
Park Chan-woo continued indifferently.
"I told you saving your mother with the Elixir isn't the end."
"You did say that, but..."
"Take that 'Coin' to your mother. As long as she has it, the Abyss's demons won't easily take her."
Lee Hyuk-soo's eyes widened.
"...What the hell is this thing?"
"It's an Escape Coin. With just that Coin, you can escape the Abyss."
"Escape Coin... Can it be used here too?"
"Of course. You can use it right here, right now."
Hearing this, Lee Hyuk-soo looked down at the Coin in his hand again.
Andariel had treated Park Chan-woo with utmost deference after receiving the Coin.
It was clearly no ordinary item.
If possessing it meant avoiding entry into this hellish place—or escaping it—
Then this "Coin" might be even more valuable than the Elixir.
"What makes you trust me with the Coin first? I could just use it and run right now."
"Lee Hyuk-soo. You're just a little 'different,' not some selfish bastard."
"..."
Lee Hyuk-soo clamped his mouth shut.
Park Chan-woo's words had struck something deep inside him.
—Hyuk-soo, you're a good boy. You're just a little different from others. They just don't understand that.
His mother had always said those words to him.
Even after he came home from fights, she was always on his side.
She was convinced he hadn't started it.
"...Tell me what I need to do. I'll do exactly as you say."
Finally, Lee Hyuk-soo staked his life.
He'd come this far; might as well see it through.
'Perfect.'
Park Chan-woo nodded.
Preparations were complete.
Just one thing left.
'All I need now is to awaken as a Mage class.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ You have taken a critical hit. The 'Indomitable' effect is granted once.
At the same time, Lee Hyuk-soo charged forward like a madman.
Indomitable had activated—three seconds. He had to reach the Dragon God General within that time.
Maybe he'd be dead once those three seconds passed.
Yet here he was, charging head-on when even fleeing wasn't enough.
"Sever. Slash. Slash and slash again."
Even with three seconds of invincibility from Indomitable, closing the distance was the real hurdle.
The Dragon God General wasn't standing still.
Twelve arms, each wielding a long crescent blade.
Approaching it was sheer madness.
Yet Lee Hyuk-soo didn't stop, leaping straight at the Dragon God General.
—Lee Hyuk-soo. I'm about to cast a spell on you.
Park Chan-woo had said.
With one spell cast, get close to the Dragon God General and swing your sword.
He hadn't explained what spell it was.
But one thing was clear: Park Chan-woo's demeanor had completely changed when he cast it.
'A Mage?'
Who knew.
He'd called himself a prophet, and now magic out of nowhere.
But there was no time to question it.
Following Park Chan-woo's words, Lee Hyuk-soo closed in on the Dragon God General.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The 'Indomitable' effect has ended!
Exactly as the Indomitable effect vanished.
Slash!
He swung the Immortal King's greatsword.
"Foolish human."
The Dragon God General sneered at Lee Hyuk-soo and casually swung its crescent blade to block.
The moment the greatsword clashed with the crescent blade.
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion pierced the eardrums, unleashing a massive blast.
But Lee Hyuk-soo was unharmed.
The only one caught in the explosion was the Dragon God General.
All the blast's force had been precisely directed at it.
As its skin burned and shell melted away in the flames, the Dragon God General could only scream.
"GRAAAAAH!"
The pain was excruciating.
But it couldn't comprehend it.
The Dragon God General instinctively realized the explosion's cause.
'My magic power. It bounced back my attack.'
The magic power clinging to the Lion King's greatsword was entirely its own.
The mana it had unleashed helplessly for three seconds had been gathered and detonated back at it.
'Reflection magic? No, reflection magic has limits. And it's impossible to collect an opponent's mana and release it all at once!'
The framework was clearly reflection magic.
But it differed vastly from the "Reflection" magic the Dragon God General knew.
Reflection magic was essentially a "barrier" concept.
A basic spell Mages learned to protect themselves.
Of course, it was obsolete now.
It consumed twice the mana compared to the reflected attack.
Plus, it was better to learn proper "defensive magic" than half-baked reflection, so no one bothered with it.
Such a thing.
A mere basic spell.
...Evolved to this degree?
"I don't know which great Mage you are... but you'll regret aiding Aheta!"
The Dragon God General realized a great Mage was hiding behind the human attacking it.
However, that was the Dragon God General's final gasp.
It had received all the mana it'd poured out at maximum output in that instant, thrown right back.
Soon, the Dragon God General turned to ash and vanished.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The death of 'Dragon God General' has been confirmed. All 'Twelve Divine Generals' have perished. 'First Night of the Abyss' will end in 3 minutes.
"..."
Meanwhile, Lee Hyuk-soo was dumbfounded.
He'd done exactly as Park Chan-woo said, and the Dragon God General was really dead.
The claim about casting a spell on him was true too.
That strike and explosion just now.
It had nothing to do with Lee Hyuk-soo's own power.
'...Three seconds really was enough.'
A chill ran down his spine.
He could barely breathe.
He'd known Park Chan-woo was extraordinary since the guy summoned a reaper to slay a demon.
'The pinnacle. He's a monster at the pinnacle.'
He'd accomplished in three seconds alone what 2 million humans couldn't.
And hadn't the Dragon God General said it?
A great Mage.
Maybe he never needed my help from the start.
To Lee Hyuk-soo, that self-proclaimed prophet was undoubtedly an "Archmage" at an unfathomable level.
Clap clap!
It was then.
Applause echoed from somewhere.
Kim Byung-han, the team leader, was the first to appear.
"As expected! I knew you'd pull it off since I first saw you at the 'Aqua Nightclub'! I believed in you!"
He sidled up, fawning shamelessly.
Confirming Lee Hyuk-soo was human too.
Soon, people hiding all around began emerging one by one.
Clap clap clap clap!
"The Dragon God General is dead!"
"He's the hero who killed the Dragon God General!"
"A hero is born!"
The crowd surrounded Lee Hyuk-soo in an instant.
An uncountable throng.
"What's your name?"
"Where'd you get all that gear?"
"What country are you from?"
Questions poured down like rain.
Lee Hyuk-soo finally opened his mouth.
"I didn't kill..."
"Hah, humble too!"
"No one could even approach it. One swing of the sword on that monster!"
In the end, Lee Hyuk-soo couldn't respond.
...Strictly speaking, he hadn't killed the Dragon God General.
'Where'd he go?'
No matter where he looked, the "self-proclaimed prophet" was gone.
Lee Hyuk-soo knew instinctively.
He'd left.
Finished his task and vanished quietly.
Something felt lacking. A hollow ache in his chest.
Their time together was short, but Lee Hyuk-soo would never forget what happened in the First Night of the Abyss.
'Should've at least asked his name...'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Park Chan-woo stood alone on a deserted roadside.
After confirming the Dragon God General's death by his magic.
He slowly looked up at the sky.
At the "moon" floating there.
"Thanks, Owner of the Moon."
Squelch!
With the sound of flesh writhing, the eye etched on the moon glared down at Park Chan-woo.
The moon had turned blood-red.
Seeing it, Park Chan-woo smiled.
The bloodshot eye brimmed with rage.
"Thanks to you, I became a 'Mage.'"
He taunted openly.
He'd finally achieved what he'd longed for.
And as he murmured "Status Window" slowly.
⚔ STATUS WINDOW ⚔ Affiliation: Earth / Human / South Korea Name: Park Chan-woo Age: 27 Gender: Male Height/Weight: 180cm / 69kg Level: -98 ⚡ Strength: (1+2) 💪 Vitality: (1+2) 💨 Agility: (+2) 🧠 Intelligence: (1+3) ✨ Magic Power: (1+12)Total Attack Power: 47 Total Defense: 11 Status: Frailest, Sickly, Weak, Non-Existent, Terminal Class: Mage (Lv 2) Available Magic: Reflection (Great Magic, Rare) Remaining Class Level Points: 0 Equipped Gear: • World Tree Staff (-98Lv, Eternal) • Demon's Pauldrons (-98Lv, Epic) • Demonic Helmet (-98Lv, Epic) • Demonic Armor (-98Lv, Epic) • Demonic Boots (-98Lv, Epic) • Demonic Gauntlets (-98Lv, Epic) • Iron Shield (-98Lv, Rare) Applied Set Effect 'Demonic Heart': Considerable intimidation, Intelligence +1 Possessed Abyss Items: • Easter Egg (001), Mage's Stone (Legendary), Void (Eternal), Coin (x2)
Park Chan-woo clenched his fist as he gazed at the floating Status Window.
On the very first day.
At the Abyss's start, he'd acquired a class.
Hadn't he always regretted walking the Mage's path too late?
Finally, he'd corrected that regret.
'Original classes are harder to obtain in the Abyss, ironically.'
"Original classes" referred to those with basic names like Mage, Swordsman, Archer.
In this Abyss, such "original" names held the highest tiers.
'Almost every class acquired in the Abyss has modifiers.'
For example, even Mages were "Fire Mage," "Star Mage," with descriptors attached to the name.
But those "modifiers" essentially imposed limits.
They sounded cool, but you could only use the power of that descriptor.
A Fire Mage could only learn fire magic; a Star Mage, only star magic.
Therefore.
'An original Mage with no modifiers is the best.'
Especially among Mages, the value of an "original" class was overwhelming.
No descriptor meant you could learn anything.
Not specialized, but versatile.
You could learn more and progress further.
Of course, it didn't mean mastering opposing attributes freely.
But Park Chan-woo could.
'Void. The relic that lets you learn opposing attribute magic.'
Because he had "Void."
Void eliminated the repulsion of opposing attributes—a holy grail for Mages.
A great start.
Better than anyone else's.
Even if his level was disastrously low, it was more than compensated.
Park Chan-woo shrugged as he glanced at the remaining time.
'Who'd have thought the book for the original Mage class would be here.'
Books inheriting original classes were extremely hard to find.
It was beyond the curtain.
That's why, after 70 straight wins, he'd dumped all remaining points to buy the book awakening him to "Original Mage."
All thanks to the "Owner of the Moon."
Truly generous, impossible to deny.
"See you next 'night.'"
Park Chan-woo grinned, baring his teeth.
A smile brimming with intent to bankrupt the Owner of the Moon too.
That instant.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'First Night of the Abyss' has ended. You contributed 99% to killing 'Dragon God General'. You contributed 49.9% across all 'Twelve Divine Generals'. Survival Rate: 86.5% This is 86.5 times the projected 1% survival rate. 'Rude Screaming Creator' has gone bankrupt. 'Creator Who Wants to Avoid the Sun' has gone bankrupt. 'Creator of the Sinister Cave' has gone bankrupt. A total of 10 'Coins' will be distributed based on contribution ranking and ratio. Acquired 5 'Coins'. All survivors acquire 'Gold Box (★)'. ... Level up. Level up. Acquired 'Class Level Points (2)'. ...Incredible! No mythical feat can compare to this achievement. It far surpasses all predictions and understanding of powerful beings, so a 'Black Box' is additionally awarded.
"...Black Box?"