Level -99 Archmage

Episode 34: Han-Yeon Group

The Twelve Races.  The twelve most exceptional life forms. Among them, the Dragon Race was unrivaled in the field of magic. From birth, they instinctively knew how to wield 5th realm magic without being taught. Upon reaching the stage of an adult dragon, they naturally mastered 9th realm magic as easily as breathing. After living for a thousand years and becoming an Elder Dragon, the door to 10th realm magic would open. From that point on, further growth depended on the individual’s effort and talent.

However, reaching the 10th realm required no effort at all for dragons. Simply by being born, they played the role of magic’s true masters. And the ruler of the dragon race was Sephiro. Even among dragons, he was recognized as an unparalleled genius. A supreme being who created magic beyond the previously nonexistent 13th realm!  But the name Sephiro was taboo among demons, both loathed and feared. This stemmed from an ancient war. There was a time when Sephiro single-handedly crushed the Abyssal Lords like insects. For him, nothing was impossible. Limits were mere nuisances he disregarded. He constantly toyed with the Abyss using the most unimaginable methods. If Sephiro wished to cross the boundaries of dimensions, it would be nothing to him. He could transform into a human or infiltrate a human’s mind to take control directly.

‘No human should even know that name unless they are Sephiro himself. If I assume this man is Sephiro, everything suddenly makes sense.’

No demon merchant, no creator, would have ever revealed that name to a human. And the so-called “merchant’s rules”? If this human had always been closely linked to Sephiro, or if Sephiro himself was controlling this body, then the explanation was simple. With his infinite wisdom, Sephiro wouldn’t even need to read the merchant’s rules; he would have known them all instinctively. Destroying countless creators and collecting 21 coins would have been child’s play for him. Everything pointed to one conclusion.

This man… is Sephiro.

“…..”

Dagon silently ran calculations in his head. If this was truly Sephiro, he had to determine what this “exclusive contract” actually meant. After a long pause, Park Chan-Woo spoke to Dagon.

“Still having doubts?”

“…Why me?”

“You’re asking why I want to make an exclusive contract with you?”

“There are many demon merchants ranked higher than me. Why me, specifically?”

No matter how much Dagon calculated the possibilities, he couldn’t understand it. As he remained puzzled, Park Chan-Woo simply shrugged.

“I was impressed by how you bypassed the Merchant Guild and directly obtained the Fruit of the World Tree.”

“That… You even know that?”

That was not something written in the merchant’s rules. It was purely practical knowledge from real experience. Meaning, this human knew every little detail about actual merchant operations as well. Dagon no longer had the energy to be surprised. Of course, what impressed Park Chan-Woo about Dagon the most was his honesty. Even on the verge of bankruptcy, Dagon had revealed his own worth as a merchant. Not only that, he had openly stated that the Fruit of the World Tree was worth approximately 7 million, exactly as Park Chan-Woo had expected.

“…I have no choice. Fine.”

In the end, Dagon nodded. There was no other answer but to accept the contract. Then, as he was about to proceed, he suddenly realized something shocking.

“Wait… What’s your name? Now that I think about it, even though we made a deal, why don’t I know your name…?”

To make a contract, both parties must know each other’s names. Yet, they had already completed a transaction. A demon merchant automatically learns the name of their trade partner upon a deal’s completion. There is no effort required, it simply appears above the target’s head.

And yet… there was no name.

Above this man’s head, nothing appeared. It was as if he did not exist. Dagon looked down at the unconscious man on the ground.

“Han Min-Oh.”

The name Han Min-Oh was clearly visible above his head.

Which meant Dagon’s ability to read names was functioning properly.

“That’s impossible…”

“You really don’t know? …Wait, don’t tell me… Is it really that name?”

“That name?”

“Sephi—… Damn it!”

Even in this situation, it was difficult for him to say Sephiro’s name out loud. But for an omniscient being like Sephiro, this was possible. He could evade the merchant’s authority or even manipulate his mind so that his name remained unreadable. Dagon’s reaction made Park Chan-Woo chuckle inwardly.

‘…He thinks I’m Sephiro.’

A misunderstanding was harmless, but Sephiro? That was an interesting thought. Yet, he couldn’t outright deny it, either.

‘He really can’t read my name. That means the merchant’s authority isn’t working properly. Is this because of Non-Existence?’

The ability to conceal one’s true name from a demon. There could be no greater blessing. After all, what was the real reason creators hid their names? A name was the proof of one’s existence. If Park Chan-Woo could hide his true name, he could freely escape from unjust situations. The die was already cast. Now that things have come this far, why not take full advantage of the misunderstanding? Sephiro, his greatest enemy, was helping him out, in a twisted way.

“Yes, Dagon. You are correct.”

Park Chan-Woo declared himself Sephiro. At that moment—

“……!!!”

Dagon’s pitch-black face turned deathly pale. Now, only one final test remained. A mere claim wasn’t enough to make Park Chan-Woo truly Sephiro. The contract process could potentially reveal his real name. This was the final hurdle. Dagon had never before encountered a situation where a demon merchant failed to read a name. Thus, he lacked any experience or knowledge about what would happen. So, he was curious. If his real name were exposed, he could always play it off as a joke. Park Chan-Woo hardened his expression and spoke in a deep voice.

“My patience has run out, Dagon.”

“I-I understand!”

Dagon snapped out of his daze and quickly initiated the contract.

『Dagon has requested an Exclusive Contract.』

『Do you accept?』

『The contract between “Dagon” and “Sephiro” has been established.』

『Dagon is now forbidden from trading with others, and Sephiro cannot trade with other demon merchants.』

『Sephiro must conduct a transaction of 5 million value with Dagon every 30 days.』

『In exchange, Dagon can only charge Sephiro a 20% interest rate.』

『If either party violates the contract, they must compensate the other tenfold.』

『Failure to pay will result in complete annihilation.』

It worked. Whether it was due to Dagon’s belief, or something else entirely, the system itself recognized Park Chan-Woo as Sephiro.

‘So it really is possible.’

Even he was astonished. After all, a demon merchant never fails to read a name. Their ability to see names is absolute. Even creators cannot hide from them. That is why creators never allow merchants near them. In fact, demon merchants were considered the lowest of beings in the Abyss. They were never allowed to stand before a true ruler. Sephiro himself had written this in his “Abyssal Dictionary.”

‘This must have worked purely because of Dagon’s perception.’

Park Chan-Woo dismissed the system’s recognition of Sephiro’s name. At the moment, there were far more important matters at hand.

‘A completely unexpected event occurred.’

And it was an event that worked in his favor. As Park Chan-woo, not Sephiro, he could make contracts with other demon merchants, and he could even withdraw from unfavorable agreements.

“……”

Dagon had a look of enlightenment. He seemed to have accepted everything. There was no longer any room for doubt. At that moment—

『The luck of ‘Easter Egg (001)’ arrives!』

『The terms of the contract have been adjusted.』

『‘Dagon’ can only take a 15% interest from ‘Sephiro.’』

Even sucking the gallbladder out of a flea would be better than this. The system arbitrarily changing numerical values was also beyond common sense.

“……Ah.”

Dagon’s eyes became moist as he gave up thinking.

* * *

The transaction was a great success. Park Chan-woo managed to obtain the World Tree’s fruit, a high-grade elixir, and ‘Hermes’ Boots’ from Dagon. With the high-grade elixir, he saved the life of a man who had lost both arms and fingers. Since that man played a crucial role in cornering Dagon, this much goodwill could be afforded. Afterward, Park Chan-woo prepared to execute his next plan.

‘From now on, it’s a speed race.’

There were 13 uncleared dungeons in South Korea. If he wanted to clear them all within the given time, ‘Hermes’ Boots’ were essential. The moment he wore them, his movement speed would become ridiculously fast. Park Chan-woo stared at the feathered boots. Then, a related description appeared before his eyes.

Name: Hermes’ Boots

Level: -92

Grade: Ancient

Description: Boots imbued with the spirit of the wind. It is said that the wearer can run like the wind.

Equipment Slot: Footwear

Defense: 25

Durability: 2,000

Unique Options:

(1) Movement speed increases by 50%.

(2) Can easily overcome obstacles.

(3) Agility +5.

(4) Can run for a longer duration.

Excellent. With these, he could clear dungeons nonstop at high speed.

He immediately swapped the equipment.

『‘Demonic Boots (-98Lv, Epic)’ have been unequipped.』

『‘Hermes’ Boots (-92Lv, Ancient)’ have been equipped.』

At that moment, his body felt as light as a feather.

‘I will consume the World Tree’s fruit after clearing all the dungeons.’

He had no idea what effect consuming the fruit immediately might have. It was something to attempt only after making thorough preparations. Park Chan-woo’s eyes gleamed. Then—

『‘Spirit of Fire’ has died!』

『‘Fire Dungeon’ cleared!』

『‘Fire Dungeon Abyss’ has been closed.』

He began clearing dungeons at an insane speed.

* * *

Han Min-oh felt as if he had woken from a long dream. The experience of falling into the Abyss and having his fingers and arms severed was too brutal to believe as reality. But it was too vivid to be a dream.

‘It wasn’t a dream.’

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a small room. The hellish Abyss was nowhere to be seen.

‘The scars from being cut and torn…’

His arms were intact, but the scars remained as proof of what had happened. That meant everything he went through was real.

‘That man saved me.’

A vague image of the man who saved him surfaced in his mind. A nameless man had saved his life.

A savior.

‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.’

He had no idea how to repay him, but Han Min-oh expressed his gratitude from the bottom of his heart.

“…To the unknown benefactor, I will surely repay this kindness.”

He was the type of person who believed that any favor received must be repaid. Whenever the opportunity arose, he would ensure to return the favor.

Bzzzz!

At that moment, the phone beside Han Min-oh vibrated. With trembling hands, he grabbed the phone and tapped the screen. A message marked as ‘unread’ popped up.

「Come to the company immediately.」

The message itself was simple. Except for the fact that the sender was labeled as ‘Chairman.’ The head of Hanyeon Group. Han Min-oh’s father. He hadn’t lied to the demon merchant.

‘I thought he had abandoned me…’

Yet his father was calling for him after ten long years. They had almost no interaction for over a decade. For more than ten years, Han Min-oh had been confined to a small room. Though he didn’t want to go, refusing the summons would only result in him being forcibly dragged there. His father was that kind of man. An absolute ruler who had to have his way.

“Haa…”

Letting out a deep sigh, Han Min-oh slowly got dressed and stepped outside. He got into a car and drove to the parking lot of a towering skyscraper in the heart of Seoul. The headquarters of Hanyeon Group, the sixth-largest conglomerate in South Korea. As he arrived, a man in uniform greeted him.

“You’ve arrived, Young Master.”

“…The Chairman summoned me?”

“Yes. I will escort you.”

Following the man, Han Min-oh took the VIP-only elevator and reached the 31st floor. Standing in front of a conference room, his heart pounded wildly.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The head of Hanyeon Group. His father was a man of steel. Han Min-oh had no idea what kind of conversation awaited him. But he clenched his fist.

‘I survived the Abyss. Compared to that, this is nothing.’

He had gone through hell. There was no reason to be afraid of facing the living. Silently, Han Min-oh opened the conference room door.

“…You’re saying you don’t need bodyguards?”

“They’re unnecessary.”

“No matter how monstrous you may be, your opponent is a real monster.”

“I will protect myself.”

Inside the conference room, two familiar men were conversing. One was his father, the head of Hanyeon Group. And the other…

‘Damn it.’

The person he feared most in the world. Even more than his father, this man was terrifying.

‘Could it be that he had also been summoned?’

However, neither of them even acknowledged Han Min-oh’s presence. It was as if he were invisible. Biting his lips, Han Min-oh finally managed to bow his head and speak to them.

“I-I’m here, Father. A-And… Ha, Ha, Han Shin… Hyung-nim.”