Level -99 Archmage

Chapter 30. Super Regeneration

Ten Thousand Blood Pill. It contained the lives of ten thousand orc warriors. Their resentment and sorrow had turned into a powerful curse, bringing death to anyone who consumed the Pill. However, Park Chan-woo was an exception. He had freed them from their grievances. By granting peace to Orc Priest Yan and vowing to destroy Aheta, he had allowed the souls of the warriors, who had been slumbering in the altar, to move once more. As a result, Park Chan-woo was able to absorb 100% of the energy from the Ten Thousand Blood Pill.

‘Incredible.’

He was purely in awe. It was far beyond a simple buff. The life force of the Ten Thousand Blood Pill had fundamentally altered his very being.

『You have fully absorbed the “Ten Thousand Blood Pill”.』

『Due to its immense life force, the magic “Super Regeneration (Passive, Rare)” has been imprinted onto your body.』

『For 100 hours, Attack Power increases by 2,400.』

『For 100 hours, Defense Power increases by 2,400.』

Even though he had absorbed the Pill’s energy, his base stats remained unchanged due to his “Weakest” status effect Perhaps because of that, iInstead, he obtained a magic power akin to divine authority, which automatically activated.

‘This is even better.’

Super Regeneration! Just by the name, it was clear that this was no ordinary ability. While stats were important for survival, the most vital element for a magician was, above all else, “Magic”.

‘This isn’t just ordinary regeneration magic.’

He had never even heard of this name before. There were common “Regeneration” magics, but none called “Super Regeneration.” Of course, typical regeneration spells only slightly improved healing speed, and even at higher ranks, they couldn’t compare to an elixir.

‘I’m curious.’

His curiosity was insatiable. Park Chan-woo immediately checked the skill description.

Super Regeneration

Grade: Rare

Activation: Automatic (Passive)

Description: Instantly regenerates wounds. The affected area and range increase according to grade. Currently enhanced by the World Tree Staff (+1 Grade).

Grades & Effects:

Normal – Heals “shallow wounds.”

Rare – Instantly recovers “deep wounds.”

Unique – Regenerates a severed “finger joint.”

Epic – Regenerates an entire “elbow-length” section.

Ancient – Restores an entire “arm.”

Legendary – Even if half the body is destroyed, it regenerates.

Eternal – As long as a small piece remains, the entire body can regenerate.

Zero – ??? (Unknown)

Park Chan-woo’s eyes trembled. He had realized what this magic truly was.

‘A Great Magic…’

This was no ordinary spell. It was one of the legendary “Great Magic” spells that transcended all grades. Some rare spells had their efficiency exponentially amplified just by increasing their grade, making them absurdly powerful despite having no major restrictions, these were called “Great magic.”

But this one was on another level. It had a Zero Grade, meaning it could be elevated to an ultimate form, akin to a final weapon. Just mastering one of these would send any magician into a frenzy. They were essentially divine powers.

‘This ‘Super Regeneration’ is one of the undiscovered Great magic spells.It literally regenerates instantly. If I reach the Eternal grade, I might not even be able to die if I wanted to.’

This wasn’t just on a different scale from ordinary “Regeneration” magics, it was something entirely beyond comparison.

Without hesitation, Park Chan-woo bit his thumb. A sharp pain and the scent of blood filled the air as a wound formed.

Swoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the injury healed. There wasn’t even a scab forming. It was as if nothing had ever happened. This level of regeneration. It was faster than most “Elixirs.”  Even though he had seen it with his own eyes, it was still hard to believe. An all-purpose ability that automatically activates in any situation, whether in battle or an ambush. Thanks to absorbing the life force of the Ten Thousand Blood Pill, he had obtained an immeasurably valuable spell.

‘Reflection, Divine Punishment, and now Super Regeneration…’

He had already mastered three powerful magics. For a magician, this was an unprecedentedly strong foundation. On top of that, the increase in attack and defense from the Ten Thousand Blood Pill dwarfed all the Pills he had consumed up until now.

“Status window.”

He opened his status window to check his updated stats.

『Attack Power: 3559 (3400 + 159)』

『Defense Power: 3446 (3400 + 46)』

Park Chan-woo nodded in satisfaction.

‘This should be enough.’

The time had come to hunt the Water God.

* * *

To Hunt the Water God There was no need for extensive preparations. Thanks to “Non-Existence”, approaching the target would be easy. Moreover, after consuming so many power-enhancing Pills, his attack and defense were already sky-high. In short, he was already ready. Park Chan-woo gazed at the vast lake before him.

The Water God. Would something like Poseidon himself emerge? But for now, the lake was completely calm. The Water God still lay dormant beneath the surface. To lure it out, someone needed to draw its attention. Park Chan-woo glanced down at his pants. There, peeking out from inside his Demonic Boots, was Anubis.

“Kyu?”

Anubis looked up at Park Chan-woo with pure, innocent eyes.

“I’ll allocate all 10 of his potential points to Stamina.”

『”Brilliant Anubis” gains 10 Stamina.』

『Displaying “Brilliant Anubis’s” status window.』

Brilliant Anubis

Level: 5

Strength: 28

Stamina: 50

Agility: 22

Intelligence: 16

Magic Power: 16

Growth Rate: 1.1

‘Excellent.’

Even though he was only Level 5, he could easily compete against a Level 10 opponent in a direct fight.

“Go near the lake and lure the Water God out.”

“Kyu…?”

Brilliant Anubis hesitated for a moment. Even he could sense something ominous about the lakeside. He had been hiding because he knew the Water God slumbered beneath it.And now he was being told to approach it directly?

“Go.”

Park Chan-woo urged him forward. Just in case, he had boosted his Stamina to increase his survival chances. Reluctantly, Brilliant Anubis crawled out of the boots. Then, using “Gigantification”, he expanded his body and approached the lake.

GWOAAAARRR!

A massive, grotesque mouth erupted from the water. It was an indescribable horror. A creature with a mouth large enough to swallow an entire hippo whole. Inside, it had countless fanged protrusions like a living nightmare. This was the Water God.

“KYU?!?”

All of Anubis’s fur stood on end as he instantly turned tail and ran. And yet, the Water God’s grotesque body began to rise from the lake, its flesh stretching unnaturally as its giant maw floated mid-air. Then, like a falling meteor, it chased after Anubis with terrifying speed.

‘It’s done.’

The attack pattern of the Water God had never been properly identified. So, he sent a probe to confirm, but it turned out to be even simpler than expected. This was enough to grasp the Water God. Park Chan-woo slowly opened his mouth.

“Divine Punishment.”

At the same time—

Whooooosh!!!

The sky turned pitch black.

Kwaaaaa-thoom!

…‘Divine Punishment’ struck down from the sky.

Kieeeeeek!

With a deafening roar, the Divine Punishment hit the Water God directly, causing its body to convulse violently.

Shuaaaaaa!

The effect of the Divine Punishment didn’t end there. Its range expanded, evaporating the lakeside. In just a dozen seconds, not a single drop of water remained in the vast lake. That was the end of it.

Kuuuuung!

The Water God’s massive body collapsed onto the dried lakebed. Its body, connected to its mouth, remained fixed to the lakebed. The creature was a monster that hunted prey by extending its mouth while being anchored to the ground, much like a sea anemone. However, Park Chan-woo was momentarily speechless at the scene he had created.

‘This magic isn’t supposed to be this powerful…’

The power of the Divine Punishment exceeded his expectations. No matter how high its attack power was, it wasn’t supposed to be strong enough to evaporate an entire lake. At best, he had expected it to simply burn the Water God.

‘Something’s off.’

Something was strange. The power of magic is generally determined by four main factors: Attribute, Rank, Class level, Attack power.

Yet, even considering these four criteria, the spell had struck with at least twice the expected power.

‘Ah, a critical hit.’

Upon further thought, there was one more factor linked to attack power. The “magic critical” stat. It was a 7% chance ability attached to the Frostbite Helm, and it had triggered, causing this overwhelming display of power. Park Chan-woo let out a small chuckle. At that moment, a message appeared before his eyes.

『”Water God” has been slain.』

However, that single line was all there was. The additional rewards and messages that should have followed were nowhere to be seen.

『The host of ‘Water God Abyss’ has proposed a deal.』

…Ah. Park Chan-woo nodded. The host must have temporarily frozen, sensing their impending financial ruin. It wasn’t worth listening to.

As he was about to reject the offer—

『The host introduces themselves as ‘Ahimbra.’』

The creator had revealed their name. It was rare for a non-human to disclose their name to a human. Park Chan-woo shrugged. As if daring them to struggle further.

『‘Ahimbra’ is bewildered by your sudden appearance.』

『They ask if you are of the Dragon Race.』

『If you are a Dragon, they offer a ‘Dragon’s Heart’ as compensation for slaying the Water God.』

“Tsk.”

Park Chan-woo clicked his tongue. So that was why they revealed their name, they didn’t even consider him human. And of all things, they mistook him for the race he despised most, the Dragons.

‘A Dragon’s Heart… A name that all mages dream of, but…’

Consuming a Dragon’s Heart grants immense magical power. But for Park Chan-woo, it was a different story. Since he suffered from the status ailment “Weakest”, all of his base stats were permanently fixed at 1. Even if he took it, it would only give him a temporary 100-hour buff, or turn him into a half-dragon hybrid.

‘Even as a half-dragon, I wouldn’t surpass a true Dragon.’

What kind of offer was that supposed to be?

“Just accept your bankruptcy, Ahimbra.”

『”Aaaaaah! This can’t be happening! Do you know how hard I worked for this chance?!”』

『Host ‘Ahimbra’ has gone bankrupt!』

『You have forced the creator into bankruptcy by learning their name.』

『‘Ahimbra’ has been stripped of their ‘Creator’ status.』

『Due to their immense debt, the ‘Monarch’ rank of Ahimbra has been demoted, and the now-pathetic Ahimbra has been erased from existence.』

『You have erased a ‘Creator’ for the first time.』

『Achievement unlocked: ‘The One Who Erased a Creator.’』

『You have received 10 Coins.』

This was one of the reasons Creators never revealed their names. If a human learned their name and bankrupted them, they would cease to exist. It was the only way to bring about their demise. Thanks to that, he had gained both an achievement and a whopping 10 Coins. But that wasn’t all.

『You have cleared ‘Water God Abyss.’』

『Clear rate expectation: 0.1%.』

『Two Creators have gone bankrupt.』

『You have received an additional 4 Coins.』

『In honor of surpassing an unattainable realm, you are awarded a ‘Platinum Box (★★★).’』

『Your level has increased.』

『Your level has increased.』

『Your level has increased.』

* * *

Lee Hyuk-soo silently gazed at the evaporated lake. It was a sight too overwhelming to believe that a mere human had caused it. Yet, he soon smirked. A man who had achieved an impossible feat. The strongest. An untouchable being. The only human capable of slaying a Water God with a single thunderbolt, as far as Lee Hyuk-soo knew, there was only one.

“…As expected.”

The Prophet. It had to be the Prophet. He had been here just moments ago.

‘…He’s strong. Too strong for me to even comprehend.’

He had thought he was catching up. But the Prophet was already walking above the heavens. He no longer even felt like the same species. And yet—

‘I shouldn’t waste this opportunity.’

He was regretful. He wanted to see him again. To ask for his name.

Hooop!

Lee Hyuk-soo took a deep breath and shook his head. This wouldn’t be the last time. If he continued traversing the Abyss, he was sure they would meet again someday. Han Shin frowned as he looked at Park Chan-woo. His Mind’s Eye skill displayed a single window of information. And the moment he read it—

‘…How can someone be this weak?’

The information was far too absurd. Han Shin looked at the status window above Park Chan-woo’s head. And then, he rechecked its contents.

『Strength (1) Stamina (1) Agility (1) Intelligence (1) Magic (1)』